"Li Ming! Today is the day you prove yourself a man!"
The voice of Elder Chen echoed through the village square. The old man's white beard swayed dramatically, his eyes shining with fake seriousness. Around him, the entire village had gathered, munching on sunflower seeds and waiting for the show to start.
In the center of the square, Li Ming stood nervously, clutching a rusty kitchen knife. He was fifteen years old, skinny, and armed with nothing but shaky confidence.
His opponent?
A chicken.
Yes. A fat, round, rice-fed chicken.
The bird tilted its head at him, its beady eyes sharp and mocking. It let out a low cluck that, to Li Ming, sounded exactly like laughter.
"Face your first trial!" Elder Chen announced grandly. "Defeat this beast, and you may begin the path of cultivation!"
The crowd cheered.
Li Ming's face turned pale. "Wait, isn't cultivation about meditating and absorbing energy from heaven and earth? Why am I fighting poultry?!"
"Silence!" Elder Chen slammed his staff on the ground. "Even the great heroes must first prove their courage. Now, slay the chicken!"
The villagers leaned forward in excitement. This was better than the harvest festival.
Li Ming took a deep breath. Okay, calm down. It's just a chicken. I am the future strongest cultivator. How hard can this be?
The chicken suddenly spread its wings and charged like a tiny berserker.
"AHHHH!" Li Ming screamed, backpedaling wildly. The bird pecked at his ankles with terrifying speed. Peck! Peck! Peck! Each strike felt like a dagger stabbing his skin.
The villagers burst into laughter.
"Hahaha! He's losing to a chicken!"
"Careful, Li Ming! That beast might ascend to the heavens before you!"
"Look at his face! He's crying already!"
Li Ming's eyes watered from pain and humiliation. He hopped around like a fool, swinging the rusty knife in wide arcs, but the chicken danced away every time, feathers flying proudly.
"Stay still, you demon bird!" Li Ming shouted.
Peck! Peck!
"Arghhh! My ankles!"
Even Elder Chen couldn't hold back a sigh. "Hopeless…"
Just as the villagers were rolling with laughter, Li Ming tripped. His foot caught on a rock, and he fell forward with a yell. The rusty knife slammed into the ground.
CRACK!
The stone split in half.
The laughter stopped instantly.
Everyone froze. Even the chicken blinked, mid-peck.
Li Ming, dazed, looked at the broken rock. "Eh? Did… did I just do that?"
The villagers rubbed their eyes, mouths wide open.
"That rock… split?"
"Impossible! That wasn't just strength, that was spiritual power!"
"Did Li Ming awaken just now?!"
Elder Chen's beard trembled. His voice quivered with shock. "This child… has awakened his spiritual strength!"
The crowd erupted in chaos.
"From trash to genius?! Unbelievable!"
"Did the heavens make a mistake?"
"He couldn't beat a chicken, but he split a rock!"
Li Ming slowly stood up, trying to act calm. He wiped the dust off his face and smirked. "Heh. Of course. That was all part of my plan."
Inside, his thoughts were in chaos. WHAT PLAN?! I was about to get murdered by a chicken!
The villagers now looked at him with awe instead of pity. A few kids pointed at him with shining eyes. Aunties whispered excitedly. Even the men nodded with approval.
Li Ming raised the rusty knife high, posing like a hero.
The chicken, however, was not impressed. It strutted forward and pecked his shoe.
"…Oi. Can you not?" Li Ming glared down at it.
Elder Chen suddenly raised his staff and declared, "From this day forward, Li Ming shall walk the path of cultivation!"
The villagers erupted in cheers.
"Li Ming! Li Ming!"
"Our village finally has a cultivator!"
"Bring us glory, boy!"
Li Ming's chest swelled with pride. His story was finally starting. He wasn't just the boy mocked by everyone. He wasn't just a weakling with skinny arms. He was… a cultivator.
Well, technically. A cultivator who still couldn't win against a chicken.
Li Ming clenched his fists and whispered to himself, "One day, I'll be the strongest under heaven. One day, everyone will bow to me."
The chicken clucked mockingly behind him.
"…But first," Li Ming muttered, glaring at it, "I swear I'll beat you."
And so, the legendary journey of Li Ming began—with bruised ankles, a broken rock, and one very smug chicken.
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