vstars Chapter 238 Special Training Resumes: Xiao Yao's Path of Adversity
Chapter 238 Special Training Resumes: Xiao Yao's Path of Adversity
The clamor on the arena seemed not to have completely subsided; I could still hear Shuangyue's joyful screams, and Senior Brother Xuanfeng's approving gaze seemed to linger on me.
My chest was overflowing with the joy of victory, a real and exhilarating feeling earned through sweat and hard work.
Elder Yan's words were like a bucket of cold water, instantly extinguishing the flames burning in my heart.
“Xiao Yao, next, you will face an even more rigorous test…” He paused, his sharp gaze sweeping over everyone present before finally settling on me, “You will undergo special training in the illusion space, where you will fight alone against ever-strengthening phantom enemies.”
"A dream world?"
I was startled and instinctively gripped the sword in my hand tighter.
Illusion, as the name suggests, is a place where reality and illusion are indistinguishable. In such a place, one can easily lose oneself or even go astray.
My companions around me also looked surprised. I could feel the temperature in the air drop a few degrees, becoming unusually heavy.
Ziyun's face turned even uglier. She snorted coldly, turned her head away, and her eyes were filled with undisguised schadenfreude.
Lingxin glanced at me with concern, hesitating to speak, while Senior Brother Xuanfeng silently patted my shoulder, signaling with his eyes that I shouldn't be afraid.
I took a deep breath, trying to calm the unease in my heart.
Elder Yan's words had already been spoken; I had no way out but to face the challenge head-on.
After a brief preparation, I was teleported into the illusionary space.
What greets the eye is a hazy gray expanse, with nothing but emptiness all around, and only the ground beneath one's feet provides a real tactile sensation.
However, before I could even adjust, the surrounding space began to distort, and blurry figures emerged from the void.
The figures gradually became clearer; they held swords and knives, their faces were ferocious, and they exuded a chilling murderous aura.
I know these are the phantom enemies Elder Yan mentioned.
"kill!"
With a roar, the phantoms charged at me simultaneously, their speed as fast as lightning, giving me no chance to catch my breath.
I quickly swung my sword to parry, but found that their attacks were cunning and powerful; if I wasn't careful, I would be hit.
I felt like a small animal surrounded by wolves, dodging left and right under the attack of phantoms, looking utterly pathetic.
The cold blade sliced through my clothes, leaving shallow bloody marks on my arm, and a sharp pain, like an electric shock, spread throughout my body.
I gritted my teeth and tried my best to control my trembling body.
Fear was like a giant net, tightly enveloping me, making it almost impossible for me to breathe.
I can't fall, I told myself. I can't lose to these illusory enemies.
Just then, a sharp gust of sword wind swept past my ear. I instinctively dodged to the side, but I was still scratched on the back by the phantom's claws. The burning pain made me gasp.
I stared intently at the approaching phantoms, and an unnamed rage began to burn in my chest.
“Continue…” a deep voice sounded in my ear.
Sweat soaked through my clothes, clinging tightly to my skin and creating a suffocatingly sticky feeling.
My breathing became rapid and heavy, each breath feeling like it was tearing at my lungs, bringing sharp pain.
The spiritual energy within my body flowed weakly like a trickle of water from a spring that was about to dry up. I felt my body getting heavier and heavier, as if it were filled with lead, and every movement was extremely difficult.
The number of phantoms increased, and they surged in like a tide, surrounding me completely.
The clash of swords was intense, the chilling air was biting, and I was exhausted from defending myself. More and more new wounds appeared on my body, and the burning pain constantly stimulated my nerves.
I felt as if I were in an endless darkness, everything around me became blurry, only the cold blade and the biting chill were real.
A wave of despair washed over me, engulfing me. I felt like I couldn't hold on any longer and was about to be swallowed up by this endless darkness.
Just then, I heard a sharp, piercing sound, which burrowed into my eardrums like a venomous snake and exploded in my mind.
"Haha, Xiao Yao, you've finally met your match! With your meager skills, you think you can enter the inner sect? You're just delusional!"
It's Ziyun!
I turned my head sharply, but all I saw was emptiness.
I know this is an illusion; Ziyun is not here.
But her voice was so clear, so real, as if it were right next to my ear, mocking my incompetence.
A surge of intense anger and humiliation welled up inside me. I gritted my teeth, gripped the sword tightly, and forced myself to calm down.
I can't let her influence me, I can't give up!
However, Ziyun's words were like a sharp thorn, deeply embedded in my heart, causing my already tense nerves to break down even further.
My movements began to distort, and my reactions became sluggish. Several times I was almost hit by the phantom's attacks.
I felt my body getting heavier and heavier, and my consciousness began to blur.
The surrounding darkness seemed to transform into countless cold hands, gripping me tightly and dragging me into the abyss...
"No..." I growled weakly, trying to struggle, but found myself unable to move.
"Give up..." A cold voice rang in my ears, a voice that seemed to come from the depths of hell, carrying endless temptation and despair.
I...I'm about to...
"Xiao Yao!" A clear shout, like a bolt of lightning, pierced the darkness and pulled me back from the abyss of despair.
I tried my best to see the scene before me clearly, but I found myself in what seemed to be an endless vortex. My consciousness became increasingly blurred, and my body became heavier and heavier, as if every inch of my bones was filled with molten lead.
Sweat soaked my clothes, sticking to my body, and the cold touch sent shivers down my spine.
Ziyun's shrill voice, like a venomous snake, kept gnawing at my nerves, making me even more convinced that I was a complete waste.
I began to doubt myself and all my efforts. Was I really unable to break through this barrier?
Am I destined to be trapped here forever, becoming a laughingstock?
Despair washed over me like a tidal wave, and I felt like I was about to be swallowed up.
"Give up..." That cold voice rang out again, like a whisper from the abyss, carrying endless temptation and despair.
It seemed to be tempting me to give up resistance and sink into this endless darkness.
My fingers trembled slightly, and my grip on the sword began to loosen, as if with the slightest loosening, I would fall into that bottomless abyss.
But just as I was about to give up, a thought suddenly flashed through my mind.
I remembered the encouraging smiles from Shuangyue and Senior Brother Xuanfeng on the arena. They believed in me and looked forward to my growth!
I can't let them down, I can't just give up like this!
An indomitable will suddenly burst forth from the depths of my heart, like a torrent of molten lava breaking through all constraints.
I clenched my teeth and forced myself to calm down.
I tried hard to recall every detail of the previous battle, and I realized that my previous way of circulating spiritual energy was too conservative, and I had not brought out my true strength.
I began to try to adjust the flow of spiritual energy within my body, gathering it in my dantian, and then releasing it in a completely new way.
"Ah!" I roared to the sky, and a powerful current of energy burst forth from my body, like a surging tide, instantly shaking back the surrounding phantoms.
I could clearly feel that the spiritual energy within me was like a blazing flame, intense and powerful.
The sword in my hand also became lighter, and wherever the sword energy reached, it emitted a sharp sound of cutting through the air.
I wield my sword like the wind, the sword shadows flashing, each attack precise and powerful.
I stopped dodging and retreating, and instead took the initiative to strike, shattering those illusions one by one.
The cold, clashing sound of swords, like the whisper of death, echoed in my ears, making me more clear-headed and resolute.
I could clearly feel that with each swing of my sword, my strength increased, my speed increased, and my swordsmanship became more refined.
I felt as if I had been reborn. All the previous fatigue and weakness had been swept away, replaced by boundless fighting spirit and strength.
The attacks of those phantoms are no longer a threat to me. They are like whetstones, sharpening my blade and making me sharper and stronger.
The phantoms roared and attacked me frantically, trying to devour me again.
But I will not give them another chance!
With unwavering resolve, I charged towards the area where the phantoms were most concentrated, my body moving like an arrow released from a bow.
Just then, a deep voice sounded in my ear: "Not bad, it seems you've found a way..."
I felt an unprecedented power surging within me, like a dormant volcano finally erupting, with scorching lava flowing along my meridians, washing away the previously stagnant spiritual energy and making it flow smoothly.
The sword in his hand seemed to sense this power as well, humming and radiating a dazzling light, as if it wanted to tear apart this hazy illusion.
I swung my sword faster and faster, the sword energy crisscrossing, and the phantoms shattered under my sword, turning into specks of starlight and dissipating.
I could even feel the subtle resistance as the blade sliced through the air, and the icy water vapor splashing onto my face when the phantom shattered.
The whistling wind in my ears seemed to be cheering and applauding for me.
I don't know how much time passed, but the phantoms around me gradually decreased, and my breathing gradually became steady.
I felt an indescribable sense of comfort, as if a heavy burden had been lifted, and my body felt so light that I could almost fly.
I know, I persevered, and I broke my previous record!
"Xiao Yao, you did very well!" Elder Yan's voice suddenly rang out, carrying a hint of praise.
A surge of immense pride welled up within me, an unprecedented sense of accomplishment.
I did it!
I overcame my fear, I overcame myself!
Outside the illusionary space, the cheers of my companions could be heard. I could almost see Shuangyue jumping up excitedly, Xuanfeng's approving gaze, and even Lingxin's worried eyes softening.
"Senior Sister Xiao Yao is amazing!"
"She actually lasted this long and broke the record!"
Their voices, like warm sunshine, illuminated every corner of my heart.
I feel incredibly gratified and satisfied.
However, just as I was basking in joy, Elder Yan's voice rang out again, tinged with solemnity: "Xiao Yao, although you have achieved a partial victory, this is only the beginning..."
Before he finished speaking, I suddenly felt the space around me shake violently, and the ground beneath my feet began to tremble.
A chill ran down my spine, and an ominous premonition washed over me.
"What's going on?" I asked in a low voice, gripping my sword tightly and looking around warily.
Just then, I saw the space in front of me begin to distort and deform, and a huge black vortex slowly appeared, emanating a chilling aura...