From a loser to an immortal sage

Chapter 200 Trial Storm: Xiao Yao's Counterattack

The wind howled, whipping up sand and gravel that blinded me.

My body was being tossed up and down uncontrollably; I felt like a fallen leaf, swaying precariously in a storm.

My stomach churned violently, and I bit my lower lip hard to keep myself from throwing up.

"What's going on? What exactly is this second challenge?" I tried to steady myself, but it was no use.

The wind seemed to possess a spirit, deliberately playing tricks on us, sometimes tossing me high into the air, and sometimes slamming me down heavily.

I barely opened my eyes, squinting them shut, and saw Senior Sister Zhao's figure flickering not far away.

She seemed to have found a pattern; her body was stable, and she was rapidly climbing upwards.

Damn!

She adapted so quickly!

A surge of competitive spirit welled up inside me, and I forced myself to calm down and carefully feel the rhythm of the wind.

Up and down, left and right, chaotic and disorderly...

and many more!

There seems to be a pattern within this chaos.

I held my breath and felt the wind flow again.

That's right!

Every three breaths, the wind direction would change slightly.

If we can seize this three-breath interval to adjust our spiritual power, we might be able to get rid of this damned turbulence!

I took a deep breath, mobilized the little spiritual energy I had left in my dantian, and tried my best to control the direction of my body during the gaps in the wind.

Once, twice, three times...

I felt I was gradually getting the hang of it, and my body was no longer as uncontrollable as before, and I began to rise slowly.

"Xiao Yao! Be careful!" Senior Sister Zhao's voice suddenly came, tinged with anxiety.

I looked up and saw a huge rock hurtling towards me!

The rock was sharp and angular, carrying a fierce wind, and its menacing presence was immediately apparent.

I was startled and quickly dodged.

But the wind was too strong, and I wasn't fast enough!

As the rock was about to hit me, I closed my eyes in despair.

"Bang!" There was a loud noise.

The expected pain did not come.

I cautiously opened my eyes, only to see a familiar figure blocking my way.

"Wen...Wen Chen?"

Wen Chen stood before me like a majestic mountain, shielding me from all danger.

He emanated a faint golden light, which shattered the boulder into dust.

"Are you alright?" He looked down at me.

I shook my head, a warm feeling welling up inside me.

In this perilous trial, his appearance was like a ray of light, illuminating the path ahead for me.

"Thank you very much, Immortal Venerable Wen Chen," I said gratefully.

He smiled slightly, said nothing more, and simply turned to look up at the sky.

I followed his gaze and saw that Senior Brother Wang was standing on a protruding rock with a sinister smile on his face.

He was holding a strangely shaped stone in his hand, pointing it in my direction, and muttering something under his breath.

Oh no! That stone is emitting a strange black aura; it's definitely not a good thing!

I was about to speak up to remind Wen Chen when I saw that he had already seen through everything. He quickly formed a hand seal, and a golden light shot straight towards Senior Brother Wang.

Senior Brother Wang was unable to dodge in time and was struck by the golden light. He screamed and fell off the rock.

"Overestimating yourself." Wen Chen snorted coldly.

I secretly rejoiced. Serves you right for being so mean!

However, the story does not end there.

Deacon Lin appeared beside me at some point, staring at me sharply with an icy tone: "Xiao Yao, explain why Senior Brother Wang suddenly attacked you?"

I was stunned. This was clearly Senior Brother Wang's fault, so why should I explain it?

"Sir, it was clearly Senior Brother Wang who struck first..." I tried to explain.

"Where's the evidence?" Deacon Lin interrupted me. "Do you dare say there's nothing fishy going on here?"

A fierce rage instantly ignited within me.

This Deacon Lin is clearly biased towards Senior Brother Wang and is deliberately targeting me!

I took a deep breath, trying to suppress my anger, and said coldly, "If you want to find fault, you can always find a reason! I have done nothing wrong and I'm not afraid of your investigation!"

Deacon Lin sneered, "Is that so? Then just wait and see. I will supervise you throughout this trial, and if you are even slightly suspected of cheating, I will not let you off easily!"

I clenched my fists so tightly that my nails dug deep into my flesh, but I felt no pain at all.

I raised my head to meet Deacon Lin's scrutinizing gaze and said, word by word, "Then please watch closely, Deacon, to see just how I, Xiao Yao, will pass this trial!"

The air around us seemed to freeze, so oppressive that it was hard to breathe.

I felt an immense pressure coming from all directions, almost crushing me.

Suddenly, I sensed something unusual; a strange energy fluctuation emanated from the depths of the training grounds…

I turned my head sharply in that direction, a bold idea forming in my mind...

"Perhaps..." I murmured to myself, "I can..."

This strange energy fluctuation grew stronger and stronger, like a seed about to burst forth, containing boundless vitality.

The bold idea in my mind became clearer and clearer, almost ready to sprout.

Rather than being controlled by this damn wind, it's better to...

Control it!

I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and cast all my distracting thoughts aside, focusing entirely on feeling the flow of this energy.

It is sometimes powerful, sometimes gentle, sometimes violent, and sometimes tranquil, like an ever-changing melody that plays out the mysteries of the world.

I tentatively reached out and mobilized the meager spiritual power within my dantian to touch this energy.

A strange feeling instantly spread throughout my body. I felt as if I had become one with the gale, and I could feel its every rhythm and every breath.

A crazy idea exploded in my mind: Take control of it!

I concentrated my mind, channeling all my spiritual power into my hands, and silently recited the Wind Control Technique that my master had taught me.

The wind began to dance on my fingertips, swirl in my palm, and swirl around me.

I suddenly opened my eyes, a confident gleam in them. I did it!

I spread my arms and felt the power of the wind flowing through my body.

With a gentle wave of my hand, the gale suddenly stopped, and the surrounding sand and gravel slowly fell away, revealing a clear view.

Everyone was stunned.

They stared at me with wide eyes and open mouths, unable to believe their eyes.

Senior Sister Zhao's steadily rising figure also stopped, her face filled with shock.

Senior Brother Wang's face turned deathly pale, and the stone in his hand fell to the ground with a crisp sound.

A slight smile played on my lips, my heart brimming with the thrill of challenging tradition.

This is the real me—unconventional, unfettered, daring to break the mold and create miracles!

I swung my arms again, and the wind obeyed my command, lifting me slowly upwards at a speed several times faster than before.

I easily overtook Senior Sister Zhao and flew towards the finish line of the trial field.

A series of exclamations arose around me, and I could even hear someone calling my name.

I was extremely proud and felt a surge of accomplishment.

Just as I was about to reach the finish line, I suddenly felt a powerful pressure coming from above.

I looked up and saw Elder Li standing at the finish line, staring intently at me...

"come here."

I slowly landed in front of Elder Li, trying my best to suppress my excitement.

He looked me up and down. This Wind Control Technique is not something an ordinary disciple can master.

"

A chorus of gasps erupted around me; I felt like I was dreaming.

I, who was once ridiculed as a good-for-nothing, now stand here, receiving everyone's praise.

“You are intelligent and courageous,” Elder Li continued, “but the path of cultivation is not always smooth. You will face many more difficulties in the future. I hope you can stay true to your original aspirations and never forget where you came from.”

His words carried a hint of admonition, but also a hint of encouragement.

I nodded solemnly, my heart filled with gratitude.

"Alright, you've passed the second test," Elder Li announced. "Now, you can proceed to the third test."

My heart suddenly raced. The third level!

Legend has it that the third trial is the real test, and only by passing the third trial can one truly become a disciple of the immortal sect.

I took a deep breath and stepped toward the entrance to the third level.

At the entrance is an archway shimmering with golden light, above which are engraved three ancient characters: "Gate of Inquiry into the Heart".

I glanced back and saw Senior Sister Zhao looking at me with a complicated expression, while Senior Brother Wang was hiding in the crowd. I smiled slightly, ignored them, and resolutely stepped into the Gate of Inquiry.

After a moment of dizziness, I found myself in a vast, white space.

There was nothing there but endless white light, making one feel as if they were in a dreamlike fairyland.

"Welcome to the Gate of Inquiry." A clear, ethereal voice suddenly rang out, echoing throughout the space. "Here, your character will be tested. Only those with pure hearts and unwavering wills can pass the test."

My heart sank. A question to the heart? How is this tested?

“Don’t be afraid,” the voice seemed to read my mind, “as long as you answer my questions truthfully, you will pass the test.”

The question? I felt a little more at ease. I'm confident I can answer any question.

"The first question," the voice slowly asked, "why do you want to cultivate immortality?"

Without hesitation, I answered, "To become stronger! To protect the people I want to protect!"

"The second question," the voice continued, "what do you consider true power?"

After a moment's thought, I replied, "True strength is not physical strength, but inner strength. True strength lies in being able to overcome one's own fears and greed."

"The third question..."

I answered each question carefully, without daring to slack off in the slightest.

I know this is not just a test, but also a self-examination.

"One last question," the voice suddenly turned serious, "Are you willing to give up everything for the sake of cultivating immortality?"

I was stunned. Give up everything? This…

My mind conjured up images of my parents' loving faces, my friends' concerned eyes, and...

Warm dust.

Can I really give up all of this?

"I..." I opened my mouth, but found that I couldn't say anything.

After a moment of silence, the voice rang out again: "It seems you're not ready yet."

My heart sank. Was I going to fail?

“However…” the voice suddenly changed its tone, “I’ll give you one more chance.”

A glimmer of hope ignited in my heart: "What opportunity?"

“Go find…” the voice paused, “the Heavenly Heart Stone.”

Heavenly Heart Stone? What's that?

Just as I was about to ask further questions, I noticed that the white light around me suddenly disappeared.

I returned to the training grounds, and everything before my eyes became clear.

Elder Li stood before me with a meaningful smile on his face: "Congratulations, Xiao Yao, you have passed the test of the Heart-Questioning Sect."

I was stunned. It passed? But… I clearly didn't answer the last question!

"Wait a minute..." I suddenly remembered something, "Heavenly Heart Stone... what is that?"

Elder Li smiled but did not answer my question. He simply pointed ahead and said, "Go on, the final test awaits you there."

I looked in the direction he was pointing, and there I saw...