Chapter 15
Seeing Chen Zhen in his sorry state Shanggu Julong breathed a sigh of relief. He was looking forward to training Chen Zhen and pa.s.sing down his vast knowledge and experience to him, but he was beginning to believe there was nothing for him to teach. Now that he could see that Chen Zhen is a blank canvas when it comes to fighting technique and experience, he knew he could mold Chen Zhen into a martial genius.
Chen Zhen stood up and got ready to attack the battle puppet again, but Shanggu Julong held up his hand to stop him. He walked over and stood before Chen Zhen. He didn't say anything for so long Chen Zhen felt awkward.
"I give you credit for your learning ability and your comprehension, but as expected of someone from your world you are sorely lacking. Your moves are…'pretty', but they lack true strategy or striking power. For now you need to gain basic fighting instincts.", to prove his point Shanggu Julong threw a simple punch toward Chen Zhen's head.
Chen Zhen merely flinched and waited for the pain to come. When it never came he slowly opened his eyes to see Shanggu Julong's fist stopped in front of his face.
"In the world of cultivation you must learn to be fearless. The beast of the fields will not show you any kind of mercy. Savage warriors will kill you without batting an eyelash. You have been raised in a world were death at another person's hands is viewed as a tragedy, and justice is sought for the offender. In this world death is a tragedy as long as you are the weak one. As long as you are strong you could kill anyone you wished with no remorse if you so choose. But to become stronger you must first overcome your fears.", with that Shanggu Julong lightly flicked Chen Zhen's forehead, causing him to fly to the other end of the stone platform.
When Chen Zhen stood back up he was enraged, but before he had the time to voice his anger the battle puppet was already sending a kick toward Chen Zhen's head. Chen Zhen was once again
Chen Zhen was waiting for someone to stop this, but Shanggu Julong just sat there with an indifferent face. Chen Zhen began to feel like he was a kid again back in grade school. He was constantly being picked on and bullied. He was constantly being beaten by bigger and stronger kids. He would always wish and hope for the day when he was strong enough to fight back. In Chen Zhen's sea of consciousness he was that little kid again crying because he was being beaten up. His clone slowly walked up the scene of him getting beaten.
[Then why don't you fight back?], the clone asked.
"Because I am too weak, and I don't know how to fight.", the kid Chen cried.
[Are you sure you are too weak?]
"Yes I'm sure."
[Have you tried to fight back?]
"Yes once when I was a kid, they only beat me harder."
[But you're not a kid anymore, are you?]
As kid Chen heard this it thought for a bit, and as it thought it started to grow up. Finally it was the adult Chen Zhen again. He remembered all of those beating he took as a kid. He felt the anger that developed from his sense of helplessness he felt as a child. He remembered how he never wanted to ever be that help again in his life. As the Chen Zhen stood up he remembered what he had gone thru since he had come to this world. He felt the new strength that was coursing thru his body and he realized how strong he truly was.
Shanggu Julong felt the mental struggle that Chen Zhen was going thru. A smile started to creep across his face as he felt the energy in Chen Zhen's body slowly start to rise. Even though the battle puppet was still hitting Chen Zhen none stop he was no longer flying around the platform. The sounds of the battle puppet hitting him slowly switched from the sound of metal hitting flesh, to metal hitting metal.
Chen Zhen opened his eyes to see the leg of the battle puppet flying toward his head, "ENOUGH!!!!!", Chen Zhen screamed and caught the leg in mid-flight. The force of the leg hitting his hand created a dust cloud around them. The battle puppet then swung its arm at Chen Zhen. He ducked below the arm and pushed the chest of the battle puppet with all his force. The battle puppet became a bronze streak that went flying out off the clearing. Before the battle puppet completely left the clearing it flipped backwards in mid-air and dug its arms and legs into the ground creating a deep furrow twenty meters long that ended in the middle of the stream.
The battle puppet shot back like a rocket returning faster then it was flung away by Chen Zhen. It continued with its onslaught of attacks. Chen Zhen was just dodging at first, but he was still taking hits. The hits hurt Chen Zhen a lot less than before, but they still hurt nonetheless. Chen Zhen began retaliating with his own attacks. The more Chen Zhen fought back the more his heart started to beat, and his adrenaline began to flow. Chen Zhen was soon loosing himself in the thrill of this battle. He was tired, and he was hurting but he was also getting more and more excited.
By the time Chen Zhen couldn't move anymore he was battered and bruised. As for the battle puppet it was a broken and bent pile of sc.r.a.p metal.
"You did well for your first time. Rest up tonight because tomorrow you will fight the battle puppet on level 2." Shanggu Julong said as he walked back toward the shack happy with his disciples progress for today.