Trial of Courage

It was indeed Jiao Xiuyuan's corpse. Now that three months had passed, it was gradually revealing something out of the ordinary. Unlike normal flesh and blood, it resembled withered wood, taking on a dry, yellowish hue. Li Fan nudged it with his foot; the sound was identical to kicking a block of wood. Just then, a voice came from behind him. "It's merely a puppet, not his true body. That's Jiao Xiuyuan's usual trick, so there's no need to be surprised, Fellow Daoist." Li Fan turned around and saw that the speaker was also a Qi Condensation cultivator. He cupped his hands in greeting. "Thank you for the explanation, Fellow Daoist. Are you also a member of the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals?" The man nodded. "Indeed. I am Chen An, and I joined the Alliance over thirty years ago." "I am Li Fan. From your words, it seems you are quite familiar with this Jiao Xiuyuan?" Chen An gave a slight smile. "I wouldn't say familiar. But having lived on the island for so long, there are certain things one inevitably picks up." "Take Jiao Xiuyuan, for example. He runs a general store on the island called Thousand Li Hall, selling just about everything. Word has it he has official ties to the Alliance, and every now and then he manages to put up some genuinely good items for sale." "Besides that, he frequently deals in intelligence. Only, the fellow never puts himself in harm's way—he always uses puppets to blaze the trail." Upon hearing this, Li Fan gave a slow nod. "Greedy for wealth and afraid of death. So that's how it is." Chen An burst into hearty laughter. "Fellow Daoist, your summary hits the nail on the head! Those four words—'greedy for wealth, afraid of death'—couldn't describe Jiao Xiuyuan more aptly!" After laughing, Chen An suddenly said, "Earlier, when we were transcribing techniques in the pavilion, I noticed everyone else copied for a spell and then rested when tired, resuming only after restoring their energy. You alone, Fellow Daoist, did not rest for three whole months. I truly admire that!" "Yet I cannot help wondering: what deeper purpose lay behind your actions? If it were purely a matter of speed, your physical and mental exhaustion would have certainly made you slower in the end than those who took regular breaks." "Could you perhaps enlighten me?" Chen An bowed slightly, asking with genuine humility. Li Fan pondered for a moment before replying, "I wouldn't dare claim any deep purpose; it was merely an intuition." "Qin Tang stated that the first trial tested focus." "Focus means having an undivided mind. Only by remaining undisturbed by any external factors can one be considered truly focused. Could physical and mental fatigue also be external disturbances? If one halts because of them, does that not mean one is no longer 'focused'?" "It is just a humble thought of mine—take it with a grain of salt, Fellow Daoist," Li Fan demurred politely. Hearing this, Chen An fell into deep thought. Li Fan said nothing more and returned to his room to rest. The next day, Qin Tang indeed did not appear. Not daring to wander, the cultivators waited patiently inside the building. Early on the third morning, Qin Tang stumbled into view before the crowd, drinking wine as he walked. "Good wine, good wine!" Letting out a hearty belch, he squinted at the gathered cultivators. "Today, we begin the second trial!" "This time, I will test your courage!" "The immortal path is endless, filled with countless hardships and tribulations. Do you have the courage to face them one by one?" Qin Tang smiled faintly. Everyone's vision blurred, and in the next instant, they had left the pavilion and found themselves standing by the seashore. Their dharmic powers and cultivation realms were entirely sealed away, leaving them no different from mortals. Qin Tang was nowhere to be seen. Only his voice drifted from afar. "I shall await you on the opposite shore. Use your courage to cross this sea!" Hearing this, the crowd exchanged bewildered glances. A bolder cultivator walked up to the water's edge and took a step forward. The seawater instantly froze into ice beneath his foot, supporting him firmly. Overjoyed, the man forged ahead, quickly vanishing from everyone's sight. Seeing that someone had taken the lead, the remaining cultivators grew impatient and rushed into the sea one after another. Li Fan caught sight of Baili Chen doing the same, following the others into the water. Only Sikong Yi remained behind on the shore, lingering without making a move. Li Fan paid it no further attention. Gathering his thoughts, he calmly stepped onto the sea's surface. The water froze into solid ice beneath his feet, but all other cultivators had vanished from his vision. Upon the boundless ocean, he was suddenly entirely alone. Li Fan's expression remained calm as he advanced step by step. Above, the sun rose and the moon set, and who knew how much time slipped by. The scenery before Li Fan remained utterly unchanging. This ocean seemed to have no end. Even though Li Fan already knew the answer in advance, feelings of helplessness and hesitation inevitably crept into his heart. At that moment, he could feel the ice beneath his feet thinning. Taking a deep breath, Li Fan banished the doubt and dread from his mind. He continued forward with resolute determination. The ice beneath his feet grew thick and solid once more. This second trial tested "courage." It was not merely a test of courage against external threats, but a test of the courage to face one's own heart. Walking upon the vast, boundless sea for so long without catching a glimpse of the opposite shore... Would doubt arise, making one wonder if they had lost their way? Would anxiety surface, wondering if this ocean had any end at all? Would panic take hold, stripping away the courage to press on? Or would one give up entirely in despair and refuse to take another step? As Li Fan walked forward step by step, he was also interrogating his own heart. Even across centuries of reincarnation, he had never experienced a moment like this. Setting aside all worldly concerns, he did nothing but reflect while walking ceaselessly onward. Crossing the ocean on frozen ice was just like the journey of cultivation. The path ahead was vast and hazy, its destination nowhere in sight. Halfway through, looking around in every direction, one could not even be certain if they had strayed from the path. From beginning to end, one walked entirely alone, with nothing to rely upon. As time flowed on, it felt as though he would walk like this forever. Endlessly, without stop. ... Even so, could one maintain unwavering conviction and never lose the courage to move forward? Even though he knew this trial would eventually come to an end, Li Fan's heart wavered as well. Because this crossing was simply far too long. One year, two years... Decades passed. Li Fan's hair turned gray and his posture grew stooped, yet he never halted his steps. Not until his body became so frail and aged that he could no longer walk. Only then did he collapse powerlessly upon the ice. His vision blurred, and just before his consciousness faded, Li Fan seemed to see something. On the shore not far ahead, Qin Tang stood alone in robes of white. Raising his wine gourd in greeting toward Li Fan, Qin Tang took a sip with a faint smile. ... Opening his eyes, Li Fan found that he and the other cultivators were still inside that tall building. Yet to their perception, an eternity seemed to have passed, and dazed, vacant expressions hung upon many faces. Only after a long while did clarity return to their eyes. "Treading the River of the Nine Underworlds is easy, but crossing the sea within one's heart is hard." "This second trial, the Trial of Courage, has concluded." "Early the morning after tomorrow, we shall hold the final trial." With that, Qin Tang took the wine gourd that never left his side and ambled away, swaying as he went.