Chapter 5: The Devil's Disciple

One month later...

The number of trainees had dropped from two hundred...

To only twelve.

Every day, someone quit.

Every day, someone was carried away on a stretcher.

But Aurora remained.

Her once-soft hands were now covered with calluses.

The timid young woman who had arrived broken and abandoned was slowly disappearing.

In her place...

A warrior was being forged.

---

At six o'clock that morning, Ethan Cross gathered the remaining twelve trainees in the combat arena.

The arena was unlike anything Aurora had ever seen.

Hundreds of weapons lined the walls.

The floor bore countless cracks, evidence of years of brutal battles.

In the center stood an elderly man dressed in a simple gray robe.

His white hair reached his shoulders, and his eyes were calm, yet impossibly sharp.

No one dared look directly at him.

Ethan bowed respectfully.

"Master Liang."

Aurora was stunned.

This was the first time she had seen Ethan bow to anyone.

The old man slowly opened his eyes.

"So..."

"These are the survivors?"

Ethan nodded.

"Yes, Master."

Master Liang walked silently past each trainee.

When he stopped before Aurora, he studied her without speaking.

Finally, he asked,

"Why do you seek strength?"

One trainee answered proudly,

"To become the strongest."

Master Liang shook his head.

"Wrong."

Another said,

"To defeat my enemies."

"Wrong."

When he reached Aurora, she remained silent for several seconds.

Then she answered softly,

"I never want anyone to decide my fate again."

The old master's eyes narrowed.

For the first time...

A faint smile appeared on his face.

"Good."

"Strength without purpose is violence."

"Strength with purpose becomes justice."

He turned toward everyone.

"Today..."

"You will learn your first lesson."

Without warning—

Whoosh!

Master Liang disappeared.

Aurora's eyes widened.

Where did he go?

The next second—

Bang!

A trainee flew backward and crashed into the wall.

Before anyone reacted—

Bang!

Another trainee hit the ground.

Within ten seconds...

All eleven trainees lay on the floor.

Only Aurora remained standing.

Not because she had blocked his attacks...

But because she had instinctively stepped backward before he struck.

Master Liang appeared directly in front of her.

"You saw it?"

Aurora swallowed.

"No..."

"I felt it."

The old master's smile widened.

"Excellent."

He turned to Ethan.

"She has potential."

Ethan nodded, showing no surprise.

"I thought you would say that."

Master Liang looked back at Aurora.

"Potential alone means nothing."

"If you cannot survive my training..."

"You will die before becoming truly strong."

Aurora didn't flinch.

"I'm ready."

The old master raised an eyebrow.

"No."

"You're determined."

"But you're not ready."

He pointed toward the mountain behind the academy.

"For the next six months..."

"You will live there."

"Alone."

Aurora blinked.

"Alone?"

"No phone."

"No internet."

"No luxury."

"No one to protect you."

"You will hunt for food."

"You will survive the wilderness."

"And when you return..."

"I will teach you martial arts."

One trainee protested,

"That's impossible!"

Master Liang glanced at him.

"If it's impossible..."

"Leave."

The trainee lowered his head and walked away.

Eleven trainees remained.

Master Liang looked at Aurora one last time.

"Phoenix."

"When you conquer your fear..."

"The world will fear you instead."

Aurora lifted her chin.

Her eyes no longer held the helplessness of the woman abandoned in the rain.

Instead...

They burned with quiet determination.

She picked up her backpack without hesitation and walked toward the mountain.

Behind her, Ethan smiled faintly.

"The real training..."

"Has finally begun."

writing{variant\="document" id\="67158"}

# Chapter 5: The Devil's Disciple

One month later...

The number of trainees had dropped from two hundred...

To only twelve.

Every day, someone quit.

Every day, someone was carried away on a stretcher.

But Aurora remained.

Her once-soft hands were now covered with calluses.

The timid young woman who had arrived broken and abandoned was slowly disappearing.

In her place...

A warrior was being forged.

---

At six o'clock that morning, Ethan Cross gathered the remaining twelve trainees in the combat arena.

The arena was unlike anything Aurora had ever seen.

Hundreds of weapons lined the walls.

The floor bore countless cracks, evidence of years of brutal battles.

In the center stood an elderly man dressed in a simple gray robe.

His white hair reached his shoulders, and his eyes were calm, yet impossibly sharp.

No one dared look directly at him.

Ethan bowed respectfully.

"Master Liang."

Aurora was stunned.

This was the first time she had seen Ethan bow to anyone.

The old man slowly opened his eyes.

"So..."

"These are the survivors?"

Ethan nodded.

"Yes, Master."

Master Liang walked silently past each trainee.

When he stopped before Aurora, he studied her without speaking.

Finally, he asked,

"Why do you seek strength?"

One trainee answered proudly,

"To become the strongest."

Master Liang shook his head.

"Wrong."

Another said,

"To defeat my enemies."

"Wrong."

When he reached Aurora, she remained silent for several seconds.

Then she answered softly,

"I never want anyone to decide my fate again."

The old master's eyes narrowed.

For the first time...

A faint smile appeared on his face.

"Good."

"Strength without purpose is violence."

"Strength with purpose becomes justice."

He turned toward everyone.

"Today..."

"You will learn your first lesson."

Without warning—

Whoosh!

Master Liang disappeared.

Aurora's eyes widened.

Where did he go?

The next second—

Bang!

A trainee flew backward and crashed into the wall.

Before anyone reacted—

Bang!

Another trainee hit the ground.

Within ten seconds...

All eleven trainees lay on the floor.

Only Aurora remained standing.

Not because she had blocked his attacks...

But because she had instinctively stepped backward before he struck.

Master Liang appeared directly in front of her.

"You saw it?"

Aurora swallowed.

"No..."

"I felt it."

The old master's smile widened.

"Excellent."

He turned to Ethan.

"She has potential."

Ethan nodded, showing no surprise.

"I thought you would say that."

Master Liang looked back at Aurora.

"Potential alone means nothing."

"If you cannot survive my training..."

"You will die before becoming truly strong."

Aurora didn't flinch.

"I'm ready."

The old master raised an eyebrow.

"No."

"You're determined."

"But you're not ready."

He pointed toward the mountain behind the academy.

"For the next six months..."

"You will live there."

"Alone."

Aurora blinked.

"Alone?"

"No phone."

"No internet."

"No luxury."

"No one to protect you."

"You will hunt for food."

"You will survive the wilderness."

"And when you return..."

"I will teach you martial arts."

One trainee protested,

"That's impossible!"

Master Liang glanced at him.

"If it's impossible..."

"Leave."

The trainee lowered his head and walked away.

Eleven trainees remained.

Master Liang looked at Aurora one last time.

"Phoenix."

"When you conquer your fear..."

"The world will fear you instead."

Aurora lifted her chin.

Her eyes no longer held the helplessness of the woman abandoned in the rain.

Instead...

They burned with quiet determination.

She picked up her backpack without hesitation and walked toward the mountain.

Behind her, Ethan smiled faintly.

"The real training..."

"Has finally begun."

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