Chapter 30: The Unyielding Trial

Scene 1: No Rest for the Strong

Lin Feng stood amidst the shattered remains of the first guardian, sweat dripping from his brow. His muscles ached, but his body pulsed with new power.

The Fourth Stage of Body Tempering had settled within him.

Yet before he could even catch his breath

Rumble.

The ground trembled once more.

This time, it wasn't a single impact.

The vibrations came in a steady rhythm, like something slithering beneath the earth.

Lin Feng's eyes narrowed.

"Another one?"

A sharp, ear-splitting shriek echoed through the valley, followed by an eruption of stone.

From the broken earth, a massive construct surged forward.

Unlike the previous golem, this guardian was serpentine, its body stretching nearly ten meters long. A monstrous centipede made of dark stone and metal plates, its body lined with countless jagged limbs.

Its glowing runes weren't on joints but spread across its flexible frame, constantly shifting.

This wasn't a test of power or speed.

This was a trial of endurance.

Scene 2: A Battle That Won't End

Lin Feng barely had time to react before the centipede-guardian lunged.

Clang!

A bladed limb slashed toward him, Lin Feng raised his forearm to block, his Skin of Steel absorbing the impact. Sparks flew and the force knocked him back but he remained standing.

Yet before he could counter, another strike.

And another.

And another.

The centipede never stopped attacking.

Unlike the first guardian, which had sluggish but powerful movements, this construct was relentless.

Strike. Dodge. Counter. Repeat.

Lin Feng twisted, weaving between attacks but there was no opening. Every time he moved to strike, the centipede curled away, attacking from a new angle.

His body ached.

His stamina was draining fast.

But retreating was not an option.

If he couldn't keep up, he would be crushed beneath its endless onslaught.

Scene 3: The Breaking Point

Minutes passed.

Lin Feng's breath grew heavier. His movements, once sharp, began to slow.

Yet the centipede did not tire.

Its attacks remained precise, punishing, unyielding.

Another strike landed, a limb slashing across Lin Feng's side. His hardened skin absorbed the hit, but he still felt it.

Another strike, his shoulder buckled under the impact.

Another, his leg staggered.

His vision blurred.

He was being worn down.

"I… can't…"

For the first time since stepping into the valley—doubt crept into his mind.

His body had become stronger. He had broken past limits.

Yet against an opponent that never slowed, never tired, never faltered—

Could he last?

The centipede lunged again.

Lin Feng didn't move in time.

BOOM!

A bladed limb slammed into his chest, sending him crashing against a cliffside.

Dust filled the air.

Lin Feng collapsed to his knees.

Blood dripped from his lips.

His limit had been reached.

Or so it seemed.

Scene 4: Body Beyond Limits

A deep voice echoed in his mind.

"The body is not merely strength. It is endurance. It is resilience. It is the will to stand when you should fall."

Master Yen's words.

Lin Feng's fingers dug into the dirt. His breathing steadied.

The pain was fuel.

The exhaustion was a threshold.

If he was at his limit… then he would break past it.

A low, deep growl rumbled from his chest.

His body began to shift.

The energy within him boiled.

His muscles tensed. His skin grew denser. His heartbeat pounded like a war drum.

The centipede rushed forward for the final blow.

Lin Feng's eyes snapped open, burning with newfound strength.

And then—

He moved.

Scene 5: The Fifth Stage – Unyielding Stance

The centipede's bladed limb slashed down.

Lin Feng didn't dodge.

He raised his arm, meeting the strike head-on.

CLANG!

The impact echoed like a thunderclap.

But this time Lin Feng didn't move.

His body had changed.

The Fourth Stage had tempered his flesh.

But the Fifth Stage fortified his entire frame.

The technique's next evolution: Unyielding Stance.

An unbreakable body not just in defense but in absolute stability.

The centipede recoiled, its relentless assault finally halted.

Lin Feng exhaled, his breath steady.

His fists tightened.

His turn.

With a single step, he closed the distance.

The centipede lashed out but it was too slow.

Lin Feng's hand grasped one of its limbs and crushed it.

A shockwave ran through the centipede's frame. It shrieked, trying to retreat.

Lin Feng did not let go.

He twisted, lifting the massive construct off the ground, his newly strengthened muscles unshaken.

Then, with all his might—

He slammed it into the valley floor.

BOOM!

The earth split apart. The guardian's body shattered, runes flickering before finally going dark.

Lin Feng stood amidst the wreckage.

Chest rising and falling.

Sweat dripping.

But unbroken.

The Fifth Stage of Body Tempering… achieved.

Scene 6: Master Yen's Satisfaction

Deep within the mountain, Master Yen smirked.

"Finally," he muttered. "Now he's beginning to understand."

This wasn't just about hitting harder or moving faster.

True body cultivation was the art of resilience.

To stand firm when the world tried to break you.

Lin Feng had reached the Fifth Stage.

But that was just the start.

Master Yen's eyes gleamed.

"The real tempering begins now."