Chapter 23: The First Steps in the Valley

Scene 1: Entering Master Yen's Domain

The moment Lin Feng stepped deeper into Master Yen's valley, the air changed.

Unlike the tempered stillness of Xianwu Valley, this place pulsed with an oppressive force, raw and untamed. Every breath carried the scent of scorched earth and the faint metallic tang of old battles. The ground beneath his feet was cracked and uneven as if the land itself had endured the weight of countless trials.

He pressed forward, his gaze sharp as he surveyed his surroundings. Towering rock formations lined the path, their jagged edges casting long, angular shadows under the afternoon sun. Distant tremors echoed through the valley, low and rhythmic like the heartbeat of a slumbering beast.

It wasn't just a domain. It was a battlefield.

And yet, no signs of life stirred around him. No birds, no insects, only the whisper of the wind scraping against the rocks. A silence born not of peace but of something else. Something waiting.

Lin Feng exhaled and continued onward.

Scene 2: The Weight of the Valley

The further he walked, the heavier his body felt.

It wasn't the same as the gravity-altered zone he had passed before, this was different. Subtle and insidious. A weight that pressed down on him, not just physically but mentally.

Each step required more effort, as if the valley itself resisted his presence. It wasn't a barrier meant to stop him but a trial designed to measure him.

Master Yan had warned him.

"There will be no shortcuts, only suffering and growth."

Lin Feng clenched his fists. This weight… it wasn't something he could simply push through with sheer will. If he ignored it, it would drain him before he even reached Master Yen.

So instead of resisting, he adjusted.

He slowed his steps, controlled his breathing, let his body settle into the rhythm of movement under pressure. His instincts sharpened, his muscles coiled, not straining against the unseen force but flowing with it.

Bit by bit, the resistance became bearable. It didn't lessen, but he adapted.

A test.

Not of power, but of endurance.

A faint smirk tugged at his lips. Fine. If the valley wants to test me, then I'll pass.

And so he walked on, his body growing accustomed to the weight, his mind sharpening against the pressure.

Scene 3: Echoes of Training Past

The landscape shifted as he ventured deeper. The jagged cliffs gave way to a plateau, where remnants of old training constructs stood like weathered statues of a forgotten age.

He stopped at the edge of a massive stone platform, its surface worn smooth by time. Faint markings etched into the ground hinted at past battles, scorch marks from intense clashes, deep cracks where the earth had split from sheer force.

Nearby, rusted metal frames stood in eerie silence, some bent and broken, others still intact despite the passage of time. Wooden dummies, battered and splintered, stood in a half-circle, their presence a lingering testament to countless hours of relentless training.

Lin Feng knelt, brushing his fingers over the stone. The surface was warm, humming with a faint energy. Not spiritual energy but something else.

Something rooted in the very foundation of the body.

Master Yen's training wasn't about cultivating external techniques. It was about forging the body itself into a weapon.

Lin Feng straightened, rolling his shoulders. His journey had just begun but the valley had already begun shaping him.

He took a step forward, ready to face whatever awaited him next.