Chapter 65: Essence of the Trial (2/2)

Xiao Yulan did not persist after she heard Xiao Chen say this. She only exhorted him again and again to be careful.

Ye Lan followed behind Xiao Chen despite the dissatisfaction he felt in his heart. They both went south of the campsite.

In this dark and dim forest, the shadows of the tree branches were swaying, and a cold wind blew gently. Unseen dangers are always hiding in the darkness. As Ye Lan followed behind Xiao Chen, he kept feeling a pair of eyes staring at him from the darkness, and he trembled with fear.

Ye Lan looked at Xiao Chen’s face, but he was unable to see any expression on it. This made it impossible for Ye Lan to determine what Xiao Chen was thinking. Xiao Chen seemed especially calm in the darkness.

“Pu Ci!”

A red shadow swept towards the two of them in the darkness. A tyrannical Qi spread through the forest, scaring Ye Lan silly.

“It’s a… Fire Lizard! This is its… tongue!” Ye Lan already had a shadow cast in his heart by this kind of Demonic Beast. He started shaking uncontrollably as he spoke.

As Le Yan watched with an astonished gaze, Xiao Chen grabbed the red tongue with his right hand. A electrical light flashed in the darkness and it travelled along the red tongue, reaching the body of the Fire Lizard.

The long tongue gave off an electric light, resembling a luminous ribbon made from a clap of thunder. It was utterly breathtaking.

“Ah!”

A painful cry resounded and the Fire Lizard withdrew his tongue. The gloomy forest was extremely terrifying.

“What are you doing staring blankly?! Chase after it!” Xiao Chen dashed forward, and he urged Ye lan before he left.

“En!” Ye Lan nodded his head resolutely and followed after Xiao Chen.

Its body was about twenty meters long, and its skin was covered in red lumps. A black Qi spread around the Fire Lizard’s body, and its ten meter long tail was continuously thras.h.i.+ng on the ground.

A pair of red pupils glared at Xiao Chen and Ye Lan as they rushed over.

The scene before Ye Lan triggered the shadow in his heart, and his legs trembled as he said, “Xiao Chen, can you deal with it alone? My legs seems to have gone soft…”

Xiao Chen smiled coldly, “Do you think that you are going to have any future prospect like this? What’s the point of coming to kill Demonic Beasts then? Where is the courage you had while competing against the core disciples of the Xiao Clan as an outer disciple?”

“I have already sent some electricity into its body; it will not be able to move for a period of time. If you are a man, then go and stab it with your sword.”

Due to the earlier incident, a huge shadow was created in Ye Lan’s heart with regards to Demonic Beasts. Thus, Xiao Chen specially brought him out to help him get overcome his fear.

Otherwise, if he maintained such an att.i.tude, he might die or even drag down his teammates when the proper trial started. At this moment, all he had to do was stab at the Fire Lizard with his sword in order to remove the shadow.

“But…”

“But what?! Are you lacking even that little bit of courage? If you cannot even do this then I’ll send you out of Gloomy Forest tomorrow. You can continue to be an outer disciple and forget about rising any further for the rest of your life.”

“Can it really not move?”

“Ye Lan, are you still a man? Even females are not as fainthearted as you. Hesitating at such a moment of life and death... Do you really want to die so much?”

Xiao Chen’s merciless words cut into Ye Lan’s heart like a sharp knife, causing his anger to slowly rise.

“f.u.c.k! It’s just a Fire Lizard! I have killed plenty of them in Seven Horn Mountain,” Ye Lan shouted out explosively, spewing out a vulgarity. His body flew forward and stabbed the body of the Fire Lizard with his sword.

The strength behind this sword was great, and in addition, his cultivation was at the Superior Martial Disciple realm. The sword ruthlessly thrust in and a stream of purple blood spurted out, spattering his face.

The Fire Lizard cried out again in pain, then it managed to break free from the restraint of the purple light in its body. A baleful aura erupted forth and a huge lizard tail came flying at him.

Xiao Chen was surprised and was about to a.s.sist, but Ye Lan had an angry look on his face. A killing intent flashed in his eyes, as he turned around and ruthlessly hacked at the flailing lizard tail.

“Dang!”

A huge force knocked Ye Lan into the air, but he did not panic. He somersaulted in the air and landed solidly on the ground. He grasped his sword, standing straight and tall, and gave the Fire Lizard a mocking look.

The robes on Ye Lan’s body fluttered around. At this moment, even the eternal darkness of Gloomy Forest was not able to conceal Ye Lan’s boundless battle intent.

Xiao Chen smiled faintly and revealed a satisfied expression. So long as Ye Lan could overcome the fear in his heart, his courage would remain strong and dealing with the Fire Lizard would be easy for him.

However, whether or not he could kill it was hard to say. Xiao Chen was not too worried, though. With enough practise, and going through some life and death situations, everyone would improve.

This was the meaning of the entire trial; to transverse the line between life and death, to experience the truth of the martial way.

The will of men will transcend heaven, and I shall dictate my own fate; not the heavens. I look towards the great Dao, and advance step by step. Even if the road ahead is full of thorns, I will not fear. My sword shall accompany me, and my will as a cultivator will never falter.

This kind of life is not ordinary, and without initiative or drive, it would plod on monotonously.

Just like those people who chased after their ideals in his past life, although their path was different, the Dao remains the same. If one has a firm conviction, one will have a bright future .