Endless

With his legs stretched wide to balance his upper body, Li Chen raised his palm and swung down. 

The firewood split and his hands left afterimages as he picked up the tiny parts and threw them into the fire. 

A few meters behind him sat Old Li, savoring the aroma of his tea. 

[You've been nodding for a while now; it's meant for drinking, not admiration.] 

Old Li's wrinkled face squeezed and he scowled at Li Chen, "Brat!"

Old Li wrapped his fingers around the porcelain cup, gulped the contents, and his eyes gleamed. "AHH! Nice tea." 

Savoring the taste, he turned to his disciple, who dutifully cut the wood with outstanding precision. 

"What is your element?" He suddenly asked. 

[You wouldn't know them even if I told you.] 

Old Li chuckled at Li Chen's reply and his form flickered. 

The next moment, Li Chen found himself standing above a bamboo tree, while Old Li stood at another. 

[Where are we?"] Li Chen asked when he turned around and discovered the mountains were almost on the horizon. 

[How fast did we travel? Why didn't I feel anything?]

"Stop asking questions and show me your element. You'll be learning sword techniques and encountering foes in our journey so show me what you can do with what you've learned and apply them to your element." 

Before Li Chen could react, Old Li waved his hand, and an invisible force pushed him off the treetop.

Li Chen's brows dilated but remained serene. When he got close to the ground, his robe fluttered, and Li Chen gently landed. 

An object fell from the sky and pierced the ground. It was his sword. [What am I supposed to fight? You killed every beast here.] 

He said this, pulling out his sword and brandishing it. The silver blade hummed like an excited child when it felt the sword intent within the weilder.

"I killed wild beasts. I considered them predators and nuisances, but I barely touched this part of the forest. Within this forest are beasts known for their swiftness and precision; they are the beasts opponents for an aspiring swordsman." 

Li Chen's eyes narrowed. He looked around and turned back to Old Li. [You should have at least brought my sheath.]

Suddenly, Li Chen felt a chill spread from his arm to his neck at an incredible speed. Quickly reacting to the sudden warning, he stretched out his hands, flew backwards, stepped on a tree and spun horizontally until he reached the next. 

Old Li's brows rose when he saw Li Chen's agility. 

When Li Chen landed, he brandished his sword and pointed at his previous spot but nothing was there. 

'How…?' 

Just as he was about to doubt himself, the chill came again and this time, the corner of his right eye caught the gleam of an emerald creature aiming to severe his head with its bladed arms. 

'An immortal human-level wild beast!' 

Arching his back towards the ground, he raised his sword and deflected the strike. The green silhouette flashed into the forest but Li Chen already knew what it was.

'A jade skin praying mantis!' 

With his vigilance at an all-time high, he kept turning around. His eyes twitched, reacting to the sound from the rustling leaves at his right. 

SWISH—!

A sword light cut the tree and as it fell, the mantis appeared from his back but Li Chen somersaulted over it, condensing a ball of light midair and slashing it. 

The extremely hot wave scorched the mantis instantly and it fell. [It's dead.] 

"Indeed. However, that's just one." The moment Old Li's voice rang, Li Chen turned back as the rustling of leaves filled the air. 

[Old man, what did you do?!] 

Hissing, Li Chen circulated his energy and executed his movement technique, "Nine Phantom Steps."

As he dashed through the forest, his grip around the hilt of his blade tightened. Suddenly, a piercing aura billowed off him, empowering his sword. 

Sure that he was surrounded, Li Chen stopped and stared at the darkness around him. Darker silhouettes moved around him and just when they were waiting to attack, Li Chen made the first move. 

"Cresent Slash"!

Swinging his longsword, a semi-circular sword light left his sword, severing the trees and the wild beasts behind it. 

His ears twitched and he placed his sword behind him, decapitating a mantis. Another came from his right but he floated above it. Circulating his energy to strengthen his muscles, he grabbed an arm blade, aiming for his eyes. 

'I guess I owe Xiu Ying. She's ruthless but really spends for her servant,' he gasped inwardly, glad that he wore the immortal-grade gauntlet.

Piercing through the mantis, he flung it behind him to slow the others but one was fast enough to appear behind him like a phantom. 

Left with a short reaction time, he forcefully tilted his head and the edge of the blade grazed his neck. 

A black mist billowed off his feet and he shot forward with an explosive step. However, Li Chen found out he was running into another attack. 

Circulating his energy faster than ever, he narrowly dodged the blade and hit a tree. The rapid movements of his body would have long exhausted his muscles if he hadn't trained in a body technique. Yet he grew tired.

After killing a few more, Li Chen's state depreciated, his movements became less precise and he kept hitting trees while trying to evade.

THUD—! 

Falling on his right knee, his arm trembled, and sweat dripped from his chin. 'They're endless…!' 

His eyes trembled when an 18-star immortal human-level praying mantis flickered out of the darkness. It's cold eyes locked on him.

At that moment, something finally registered in Li Chen's mind. 'Darkness… Isn't that half of me?'