The next morning, the Golden Crocodile took Bibi Han to a hill about two hundred meters high. This mountain was rather unusual —its slope was about thirty degrees for the first eighty meters, about thirty degrees again from eighty to one hundred sixty meters, and the final stretch had an incline of about sixty degrees. The mountain road was uneven, and the summit was jagged, scattered with protruding rocks of various sizes. Surrounding it were boulders only a few meters tall, some bearing visible marks of impact.
The Golden Crocodile spoke.
"This is the training ground for this stage."
Then, five massive iron balls appeared, each weighing a hundred catties, connected to iron chains with iron rings at the top.
Seeing the five iron balls and the mountain, Bibi Han already knew what he was about to face.
"Put these on and climb to the top. The training won't end until you reach the summit."
After speaking, he handed Bibi Han an extremely sturdy helmet.
"Old man, I suddenly have a question. Spirit Masters have strength far surpassing ordinary people. What would happen if their spirit power were sealed or their cultivation abolished?"
The Golden Crocodile thought for a moment and replied:
"Then you would become a stronger-than-average ordinary human. Your body has been nourished by spirit power, your bones are harder than those of normal people, so you would still be stronger than most."
"Oh…"
Spirit power could flow within the body, be released outward to form a barrier, or be applied to the arms and legs to unleash immense force. If applied to the eyes, could it perhaps create a gaze as oppressive as lightning? Well… it was worth trying.
Wearing the iron rings around his wrists, ankles, and lower abdomen, Bibi Han sprinted toward the mountain. Even with the massive iron balls attached, his speed was still ten meters per second. But when he reached the slope, his speed began to drop.
From the front, Bibi Han's large figure was hunched forward, struggling step by step. Veins bulged on his hands and neck, his face flushed red, and with each step he exhaled heavily.
From afar, Golden Crocodile Douluo stroked his beard and nodded.
"Not bad. On your first attempt, you managed to climb sixty meters. The iron rings each weigh fifteen catties. With this kind of strength, you truly have the potential to wield the hammer in the future."
But as the Golden Crocodile thought about what was coming next, a troubled expression crossed his face.
Bibi Han continued climbing—no, struggling upward—until he was nearly out of energy.
Suddenly, he felt his foot slip. He completely lost control, eyes widening as he cried out for help:
"Save me, old man!"
But there was no response. Bibi Han slid down the slope at over four meters per second.
Because of the uneven rocks and the random rolling of the iron balls, his body tumbled in all directions. The iron rings kept the balls attached to him, so they rolled down alongside him.
As he tumbled, sharp rocks tore into his skin, and the dragging force of the iron balls made the pain almost worse than death.
Finally, when he reached level ground, one of the iron balls bounced off a nearby rock and was about to smash into him.
At the last moment, the Golden Crocodile casually blocked the ball. If he hadn't, the combined impact of the fall and the iron ball's strike would have doubled, shattering Bibi Han's bones. Even so, his body still collided with the ball.
"Ah!!!"
The scream was utterly miserable.
Bibi Han's body was a bloody mess. Some wounds were so deep that bone was visible. Blood poured out, his clothes were tattered and soaked red, and his face was smeared with blood under the helmet.
At this moment, Bibi Han glared at the Golden Crocodile with hatred in his eyes—there was no longer any respect left in his gaze.
"Why… why didn't you save me!" His voice was weak, but the resentment was clear.
"This is part of my clan's physical training," the Golden Crocodile said expressionlessly. "We use injuries to temper ourselves. Having high talent and rapid cultivation speed doesn't make you a true genius. A real genius is forged through countless battles and endless bloodshed. Bloodshed inevitably brings injury, and this is crucial. If you're afraid of pain, you can choose to give up."
The Golden Crocodile gestured, and two Healing Spirit Saints—prepared long in advance—appeared.
"They will heal your wounds. If you choose to quit, you can take that spirit ring and leave."
Although the Blue Silver God also had strong healing abilities, without a spirit ring and at only level 20, it couldn't compare to the healing of these two Spirit Saints.
Under their full treatment, within a minute, Bibi Han's body was completely restored, and the redness in his eyes faded.
"Thank you, uncles," Bibi Han said, before sitting on the ground for a long time without moving.
Hmph. I don't want peace for everyone on the continent. I want to destroy the two great empires and drain the nobility dry like parasites.
Once again, he walked to the foot of the hill and began climbing.
Five hundred meters away, two figures stood watching—one was the Golden Crocodile, the other was Bibi Dong, dressed in luxurious black robes embroidered with gold patterns, wearing a golden-purple nine-curved crown.
As a mother, how could she not be present when her son was undergoing such harsh training?
At this moment, her eyes were moist, her expression a mix of worry, sorrow, and relief.
Golden Crocodile Douluo's face showed little emotion, but there was relief in his eyes.
"Pope, you've raised a fine son. If jade is not polished, it cannot become a fine weapon. Xiao Han will grow into something great in time."
As the head of the Golden Crocodile Clan, he had gone through the same training himself. He had nearly given up once, but his father forced him to continue. Since the Golden Crocodile martial soul was the Golden Crocodile King—a top-tier spirit passed down through the clan—those days could be said to be his darkest period.
After that, no junior in the clan awakened the Golden Crocodile King martial soul again, and no one could endure the pain, so this place had been empty for a long time—until Bibi Han, the first in years, came to challenge himself here.
And so, the Golden Crocodile left. A child this determined no longer needed supervision.