Cultivating the Mind (3)

Xiao Xiao was not spared from the eagle's attack; his arm was covered in blood, and a good portion of the flesh on his thigh had been devoured.

A faint glimpse of bone could be seen, and as he climbed halfway up the cliff, a cool breeze would blow, and he would feel the pain emanating from his bone marrow!

A bone-chilling cold, a torment like slow slicing, a Soul feeling trampled and ravaged underfoot....

On a scorching sunny day in the third year, Xiao Xiao was climbing the towering cliff as usual, either because the smell of blood on him was too strong, or simply due to bad luck.

He actually attracted a flock of eagles! They first pecked at Xiao Xiao's eyelids, and then, seeing that he didn't move, they grew bolder.

Their sharp talons ruthlessly hooked into the flesh of his arms! Then they used their pointed beaks to tear at Xiao Xiao's skin and flesh, while Xiao Xiao could only rely on his will, gritting his teeth and climbing upward!

His body could not fluctuate too much; the cliff was steep, and some rocks were unstable.

If he missed a step or a rock broke, then falling into the cliff would at best result in broken legs, and at worst, death.

If his legs were broken, he would be completely eliminated. He knew his situation was not as good as others, so he had to work even harder!

Lest he be left far behind by them, this was the only chance to change his fate. If he couldn't grasp it, then he might never have another chance to turn things around in his remaining life!

Large patches of flesh around his ribs had long been hollowed out, and his wriggling internal organs were faintly visible, while his empty eye sockets were utterly terrifying.

The countless scars and holes on his body further documented the cruelty he experienced every day, and the loss of one eye was even more proof of his determination!

Five years passed quickly, and many people looked at the disheveled Xiao Xiao with great incomprehension.

In contrast, those young men and women from wealthy families lived leisurely and ordinary lives every day, without any danger to speak of.

They gathered daily to discuss, held poetry gatherings with friends, drank and made merry, living a truly carefree life.

Looking at Xiao Xiao, who was struggling so desperately, many of them even wanted to offer him a large sum of Spirit Stones and help him leave this place!

To live as a carefree rich man outside, never worrying about food or drink for the rest of his life, enjoying this life leisurely, but Xiao Xiao mercilessly refused.

Simply because of his parents' words: "If you don't eat others' food, why fear others' words?"

If it had been the old him, living a life of constant hunger and suffering, perhaps he would have agreed!

But now that he clearly had the ability to change all of this, why would he give up! And accept others' pity?

He always held firm to his inner self, firm to his bottom line.

He wanted to climb up! To glimpse new scenery! And not remain in the flower bushes at his feet, for even if they were beautiful, they would eventually wither, and finally become a patch of dirty yellow earth....

.........

At this moment, Monk Xinjian's fifth request also made a sound, and everyone's expressions grew uglier, clearly indicating it was not an easy task.

With the passage of time, everyone's cultivation had already reached the Qi Cultivation Stage, and they were no longer the Mortals who had no power to truss a chicken.

"There are still ninety-five of you remaining; five fell during the previous trials. You can choose to continue staying here, or return to your former warm homes."

Monk Xinjian's tone was devoid of emotion, filled with a sense of desolation and the passage of time.

"What you are to do next is to take the head of one wild beast every day! At least at the first level of Qi Cultivation! Or pay Spirit Stones!"

Due to the enormous amount of Spirit Stones required, a portion of the crowd regretfully departed, but this did not affect Xiao Xiao's determination.

Many years later....

Xiao Xiao could no longer remember how many tasks he had completed since arriving here, while his own cultivation had already reached the Peak of Foundation Establishment.

The once bustling crowd now consisted of only a sparse two or three people; things had changed, and time was merciless....

Inside a luxurious palace, countless Spirit Stones were piled everywhere, and beautiful melodies from zithers mingled with graceful women dancing.

Everything beautiful was like a dream; constant flattery and charm swept in like a tsunami, and below, there was even a beast-fighting arena created purely for entertainment.

Famous delicacies from all over were brought in in bowls, and priceless collections of clothing were casually discarded on the ground; the word 'luxury' seemed insufficient here.

"Daoist Xin Jian, come, have a Spirit Fruit."

"This Spirit Fruit is a rare find, seen only once in a hundred years."

"If it were outside, it could even trigger large-scale wars."

The alluring and beautiful women twisted their waists, their voices full of charm.

"Bang!"

Suddenly, a servant accidentally knocked over a plate of spiritual materials and immediately knelt down, begging for mercy and endlessly repenting his actions.

"Kill him."

Faintly, one could hear the woman's wails, the splashing of blood....

In that familiar Yanwu Arena, besides Xiao Xiao, there were only two others: Gong Yang Qingshu and Yi Ling.

Over these nearly hundred years, the three of them had long become old friends.

This time, Monk Xinjian did not rush to announce the task, but instead asked Xiao Xiao with interest,

"Xiao Xiao, why are you so persistent?"

"With your cultivation, you could already be called a Master in the outside world, so why bother with such arduous training? Are you just making things difficult for yourself?"

In response, Xiao Xiao was neither servile nor overbearing, his words full of humility:

"Master! Others come from powerful families, with countless bargaining chips; even if they leave the mountain, they can dominate a region and hold considerable influence."

"In contrast, Xiao Xiao is just a poor boy; his only bargaining chip is persistence. If he can't even manage persistence, then Xiao Xiao sees no meaning in living."

"And Xiao Xiao's only bargaining chip is persistence! Even if it is insignificant, like a dilapidated small sail that could break at any moment, it can still set sail carrying Xiao Xiao's faint faith!"

Monk Xinjian nodded slightly, speaking with a harmonious expression:

"Xiao Xiao, you are my most valued Disciple! If you can accomplish this one thing for me, I will pass on the Heart Steadfast Dao Method to you!"

Xiao Xiao merely clasped his fists slightly, in a posture of accepting the command.

"Help me kill the King! Afterward, you will swallow this Medicinal Pill, and fake your death to bring this matter to an end."

"When the time is right, this old man will make his move!"

As he spoke, a dark Medicinal Pill appeared beside Xiao Xiao.

Xiao Xiao, without fear, righteously accepted Monk Xinjian's request and thus left the deep mountain where he had resided for a hundred years!

........

He did not go to assassinate any so-called King, but instead first went to see his hometown, his former relatives.

Then he set off for the place his heart yearned for!

"Freedom, ah, I, Xiao Xiao, have seen your traces!"

Xiao Xiao soared freely in the sky, the gentle wind lightly enveloping his body, and the ethereal freedom even kissed his cheeks....

Faintly, a sound came from the horizon.

"Having courage and strategy makes one a Cultivator! Having courage without strategy, how can one be a Cultivator?"

.....

A thousand years later, a new Nascent Soul mighty figure appeared in the world.

He returned to that familiar mountain, met his Master, and discovered that Monk Xinjian was only in the Middle Stage of Golden Core.

Monk Xinjian brewed tea with his left hand, his face filled with an unprecedented warmth.

"How does an honored guest have time to visit this humble Daoist? Has this humble Daoist violated the rules?"

The man in front of him merely smiled and casually waved his hand.

"I just want to inquire about the Heart Steadfast Dao Method."

As soon as these words fell, Monk Xinjian seemed to waver for a moment, then his face was full of smiles.

"Honored guest, please do not joke with this humble one."

"In this world, there is no such thing as the Heart Steadfast Dao Method; there is only an iron heart forged through countless trials and tribulations, refined a hundred times over."

"As for you, honored guest, you have already condensed an iron heart as the latter, which truly makes this humble one feel ashamed. This humble one has painstakingly sought it for thousands of years and has yet to bear fruit."

The man pondered, then transformed into a streak of light and left this place....

"An iron heart is not hard, nor can it protect the heart."

"But it can make your heart as still as water, discard distracting thoughts, and calmly face all difficulties."

"In this world, there is no Monk Xinjian, no Xiao Xiao."

"There is only a narrow-minded little person who, by chance, became a Disciple of a fake monk, and by a fluke, forged an iron heart."

Defeating "hardship" can make people stronger!

Conversely, "hardship" can also grow stronger by devouring people!

Then it will continue to seek its next target until it meets someone who can defeat it....