Days turned into a week. The courtyard's formations grew increasingly complex, escalating into a simulated "high-level intruder" designed to test Bone Forging cultivators.
Xu Ming approached cautiously, feeling a strange energy pulse through the air. The simulation manifested as a ghostly figure, radiating power comparable to a mid-Bone Forging cultivator. It struck before he could react, bones rattling under the force.
Pain lanced through him—but instinct took over. His Chaos Physique harmonized all five elements seamlessly: water stabilized his movements, fire fueled bursts of energy, wood softened impacts, earth grounded his stance, and metal reinforced his skeleton.
The figure attacked relentlessly, its strikes precise, crushing, and coordinated. Xu Ming dodged, redirected, and countered with minimal movement, using the courtyard's formations to his advantage. Stones rose under his feet; the wind carried him slightly off-angle; his energy flowed like water around the attacks.
Minutes passed. Xu Ming's body throbbed, every bone screaming, muscles flexing in perfect coordination. And yet, he moved with a rhythm that no ordinary cultivator could match.
Finally, the simulation dissolved. Xu Ming collapsed to his knees, sweat pouring, breath ragged, but alive and stronger than before. His five elements pulsed in harmony, circulating as one.
"I… can do this," he whispered, staring at the courtyard that now felt alive, responsive, and even a little… loyal to him.