Bruised Pride

The sparring platform felt less like a training ground and more like a sacrificial altar. On one side stood Chen, holding his wooden practice sword with the casual ease of a predator, a cruel smirk playing on his lips. On the other hand, Alex's hands trembled, the simple wooden sword feeling like a lead weight. His heart hammered against his ribs, a frantic drumbeat against the low hum of the crowd.

The whispers from the onlookers were venomous, feeding the tense atmosphere.

"It's Chen. That newcomer is done for."

"Did you hear what happened to Senior Brother Wei last month? They say he's only just started walking again. Chen doesn't know the meaning of 'sparring.'"

"Look at the new kid. He can barely hold his sword. This is going to be a bloodbath."

Elara, Jay, and Lily watched from the edge of the platform, their faces grim. Every instinct screamed at them to intervene, but the cold, unyielding presence of Elder Wu held them in place.

Elder Wu's gaze was fixed on Alex, his expression unreadable. "Begin," he commanded.

The word had barely left his lips when Chen moved. He didn't charge; he glided, closing the distance with terrifying speed. Alex, panicking, swung his sword in a wide, clumsy arc. Chen sidestepped it with a contemptuous laugh, the motion so fluid it was clear he was toying with him.

"Is that the best you can do, 'anomaly'?" Chen taunted, his voice dripping with scorn. Before Alex could recover his balance, Chen jabbed the hilt of his sword hard into Alex's stomach.

The air rushed out of Alex's lungs in a painful gasp. He staggered back, clutching his midsection. Chen didn't let up. A swift, brutal kick swept Alex's legs out from under him, and he crashed onto the hard stone platform, the impact rattling his bones.

Pain flared across his back, and a wave of humiliation washed over him. He was helpless.

Chen loomed over him, the smirk on his face widening into a sadistic grin. "A mortal with a fancy light show. Let's see how you handle a real injury." He raised his wooden sword high, aiming for Alex's shoulder with enough force to shatter the bone.

"STOP!" Elara's voice ripped through the air.

In a flash of azure robes, she shot forward, landing on the platform between Chen and Alex just as the sword began its descent. With a flick of her wrist, a snake of condensed water materialized in her hand and cracked inches from Chen's face, wrapping itself around his sword just as it was coming down on Alex, the sharp sound echoing across the grounds.

Chen recoiled, his eyes wide with a mix of fury and surprise at the intervention.

"Enough," Elder Wu's voice boomed, heavy with finality. He had seen what he needed to see. "The demonstration is over."

"But Elder…" Chen started to protest, furious at being denied the crippling blow.

"I said, enough," Wu repeated, his gaze sharp enough to cut stone. He gave Alex's prone form a dismissive glance. "He has no foundation, no skill, and no combat sense. A complete novice. The assessment is concluded."

With that, Elder Wu turned and strode away without another word, leaving a fuming Chen and a stunned crowd in his wake. Chen shot a final, hateful glare at Alex before stalking off the platform, his entourage scrambling to follow.

The moment they were gone, Jay and Lily rushed to Alex's side, helping him sit up.

"Are you okay?" Jay asked, his face a mixture of anger and concern.

Alex winced, prodding his bruised ribs. "I'll live," he muttered, though his pride was more injured than his body. The world had just shown him, in the most brutal way possible, how far he had to go.

Elara knelt beside him, the water whip dissolving into mist. Her expression was fierce. "This never should have happened. From now on, we train together. We'll make you strong enough that no one, especially not him, can ever do this to you again."

Alex looked at the determined faces of his friends, a spark of resolve igniting within the pain and humiliation. He had been beaten, yes. But he wasn't broken. His journey had just truly begun.

---------------------------

The morning sun shone brightly over the training grounds. The sharp clack of wooden swords echoed across the training platform. Alex lunged, putting all his weight behind a downward strike. With a fluid motion, Jay sidestepped, the clumsy attack missing by a mile. He used Alex's momentum against him, hooking a foot behind Alex's leg and pushing his shoulder. Alex stumbled, windmilling his arms before crashing onto the stone.

"You're wide open," Jay stated, offering a hand to help Alex up.

"Again," Alex grunted, ignoring the hand and scrambling to his feet. He charged once more, this time feinting low before swinging high. But Jay had already read the intention in his eyes, raising his sword in a simple, predictable block that stopped the attack cold.

The sparring continued in this fashion until both were utterly spent. Now, they lay sprawled on the stone platform, chests rising and falling as they caught their breath. Bruises dotted their arms and legs, evidence of their session. Elara and Lily approached, having watched the entire exchange.

Elara crouched beside Alex, handing him a cloth to wipe his sweat. "Your enthusiasm is commendable, Alex, but your footwork needs work. Try to keep your weight balanced and don't lean too far forward."

Alex nodded, the ache in his shoulder a dull but constant reminder of the brutal "spar." Elara was talking about footwork, but he remembered the feeling of crashing to the stone, the air knocked from his lungs. It wasn't just about being off-balance; it was about being completely outmatched. 'I wasn't just sloppy,' he thought, the humiliation stinging fresh. 'I was helpless. And I'm done being helpless. If I'm going to survive here, I need to be stronger.'

Lily turned to Jay, planting her hands on her hips. "Jay, you're too predictable. He's a complete novice, and even he almost saw through that last block. You telegraph every intent. Work on disguising your movements."

Jay chuckled wryly. "Fair point. I guess that I do need to stop being so obvious."

Elara stood and clapped her hands. "Good progress today, both of you. Now, let's plan the rest of our afternoon. Any requests?"

Jay sat up, stretching his stiff muscles. "Maybe the library? I want to look at combat manuals and find some inspiration for improving my form."

Lily grinned. "Great idea. I could use a refresher on technique, too."

Elara nodded. "Then to the cultivation library. After that, we'll reconvene in the courtyard for group exercises."

A sanctuary of silent concentration. Towering shelves held scrolls and tomes bound in faded cloth, their spines embossed with gold characters. Alex wandered between the aisles, awed by the sheer volume of knowledge.

'So many books, where do I even begin?' he wondered, brushing his fingertips along a row of scrolls on sparring techniques.

They settled at a low table, heads bent over the scrolls. Elara studied defensive stances while Lily compared different sword techniques. Occasionally, Lily glanced up to tease Elara about her more recent mishaps.

"Elara, do you remember last month? You walked right into the Spirit Pond," Lily recounted, a mischievous gleam in her eyes. "I tried calling out to you, but you were so caught up in your thoughts, you just kept going until you were treading water."

"Haha, I remember that! She came out asking when the lake got put there," Jay chimed in, joining the laughter with tears in his eyes.

Elara, now beet red, cringed at the memory and attempted to explain the incident to Alex. "Elder Lian had just given me some profound advice after my promotion, and I was caught up trying to comprehend it."

Jay laughed, "At least you didn't walk into a tree again."

Alex looked at Elara, a surprised but sympathetic smile on his face. "So, even inner disciples have their off days, huh?"

Elara was now pressing her bright red face into the book she was reading.

Lily giggled, then frowned thoughtfully. "You know, there's a notice posted in the quest hall. They're looking for anyone who can capture a mid-level spiritual beast. It would be a good practical test of your skills, Elara."

Elara's eyes lit up. "A hunting quest? Those are usually for inner disciples only… I haven't attempted one since I got my promotion. Lily, want to team up? We can bring back resources to sell at the shop and earn some contribution points."

Lily nodded eagerly. "Of course, that's why I brought it up. I figured this one would be a relatively easy hunting quest to start with."

She addressed Alex and Jay: "We'll head out at dusk. Elara, you should head back to gather what you'll need. In the meantime, you two can continue your studies here. We'll be back later tonight."

As they gathered their things, Elara and Lily set off, determination in their stride.

Once the library doors closed behind them, Jay turned to Alex with an intensity Alex hadn't seen all day. He folded his arms, brow furrowed. Alex's stomach churned; he suddenly wondered if Elara had revealed something, his rapid foundation breakthrough, the stone's refusal to read his affinities.

'What? Does he know? Is he upset about something?'

Trying to steady himself, Alex ventured, "Jay… is something wrong?"

Jay's eyes flickered with frustration, then softened. "I need to spar with you. Now."

Alex blinked. "Why? Did I do something to offend you? If so, I'll apologize."

Jay shook his head. "No. You haven't done anything wrong. It's just… seeing how easily you advanced after meditating for the first time, I felt worthless. So I want to fight you. If I lose, I'll quit the sect and return to live the rest of my life among the regular townspeople, because I'm not cut out for the life of a cultivator."

Alex's heart sank. "That's… kinda drastic." He sat up. 'I can't let Jay give up, especially not without trying to help him.' He rose to his feet. "Let's handle this differently: pick a combat technique from the scrolls you have there. We'll learn it together, train on form and movement, then spar. Win or lose, no one quits. We'll point out each other's weaknesses and improve together."

Jay stared, stunned. Then he nodded, relief flooding his features. "Alright. Thank you, Alex."

As dusk approached, Jay returned to the library's footwork scrolls. Alex sat beside him, reviewing technique diagrams. "Focus on your weight distribution," Alex coached, comparing Jay's form and movement with the book in his hand. "Bend your knees, keep your center of gravity low."

Jay mimicked the stances. "Like this?" Nervously waiting for Alex's notes.

Alex, watching carefully. "I think you're supposed to be a bit lower. And shift your back foot when you move forward."

They practiced footwork until the library bell rang, signaling closing time. Jay's posture was noticeably more stable.

In the courtyard, under the soft glow of lantern light, the two faced off on a practice platform. The only sounds were their soft breaths and the scrape of their feet on the stone. Neither aimed to harm, each strike was deliberate, testing balance and timing rather than strength. Alex watched Jay's footwork: it was better, though not perfect. Jay noted Alex's attempts to maintain a steady stance, despite his inexperience.

The sparring continued until both slowed, breathing heavily but smiling. Jay lowered his stance one last time. "I'm done." He sheathed his practice blade. "I've improved even if just a little."

Alex nodded. "Me too."

Jay's gaze turned steady. "I won't quit. Thanks for not letting me take the easy way out."

Alex offered a genuine grin. "We're friends. I'm not letting you leave so easily."

Later, as the courtyard emptied and the plum blossoms drifted in the night breeze, Alex reflected on the past few days' events: bruised bodies, shared laughter, focused study, and Jay's heartfelt confession. 'I've never felt more connected to anyone,' he thought. 'Together we'll face whatever comes next.'

High above, unseen by the two friends, a figure stood in the shadows, watching their silhouettes. A faint smile could be seen on their face before they slipped away, leaving the training grounds in peaceful silence.