From a loser to an immortal sage

Chapter 50 The Ultimate Test

He called himself Chen Changsheng, an envoy of the immortals, specifically tasked with testing whether I was qualified to inherit Chen Changsheng's mantle. My heart sank. Defeating the man in black robes was just the beginning; the real test was only just beginning.

"What do you want?" I gripped the Frost Sword tightly, looking directly into Chen Changsheng's eyes, but my heart was filled with trepidation.

Chen Changsheng ignored my nervousness and simply said, "Do you see this devastated village? It was destroyed by evil forces. You must restore it to its former glory within three months and allow the villagers to live a happy life."

I looked around. The once peaceful and serene village was now nothing but ruins, fields lay barren, houses collapsed, and the air was thick with the nauseating stench of blood. My heart sank. How could this have been so easily accomplished?

"What? Scared?" Chen Changsheng's lips curled into a mocking smile.

"Afraid? I, Xiao Yao, have never known the meaning of fear!" I met his gaze, my eyes burning with fierce fire. "I will prove to you whether I am worthy or not!"

Chen Changsheng gave me a deep look, a hint of admiration flashing in his eyes. Then he waved his hand, and a gentle force roused the unconscious villagers. The villagers opened their eyes in confusion, looked at everything around them, and were immediately plunged into deep fear and sorrow.

"The immortal has appeared! The immortal has appeared!" Suddenly, a cry of surprise erupted from the crowd. I looked in the direction of the sound and saw an old man kneeling on the ground, trembling, bowing to Chen Changsheng.

"Immortal, please save us! We are willing to give anything!" The others also knelt down and begged Chen Changsheng.

Chen Changsheng watched all this expressionlessly without saying a word.

I took a deep breath, walked up to the villagers, and said in a deep voice, "Fellow villagers, rest assured, I will definitely help you rebuild your homes and enable you to live a good life!"

My words were like a shot in the arm, rekindling hope in the desperate villagers, who all looked at me with gratitude.

At this moment, Chen Changsheng, who had been silent all along, suddenly spoke: "Remember, you only have three months. I will come back in three months. I hope you will not disappoint me." After saying that, he transformed into a streak of light and disappeared into the horizon.

Looking in the direction where Chen Changsheng disappeared, I felt immense pressure, but I also knew that I carried the hopes of all the villagers on my shoulders, and I could not fail!

I looked around and saw that Wu the Hero, Meng the Fairy, Chief Zhou, and Doctor Zheng had all come to my side. They were all my companions and my strongest support.

"Everyone..." I took a deep breath, preparing to arrange the next steps, but Master Wu spoke first...

"Miss Xiao, don't worry! Rebuilding our homes is a piece of cake for me, Old Wu!" Wu the Hero patted his chest, his confidence soaring. A former江湖侠客 (jianghu xiake, a chivalrous figure in the martial arts world), organizing people and building houses was second nature to him.

Fairy Meng nodded slightly, her clear and cold voice revealing a hint of determination: "I will do my best to teach the villagers the art of cultivation, to strengthen their bodies, and to protect themselves."

Chief Zhou gruffly assured him, "With me, Old Zhou, here, who dares to cause trouble? One will be beaten, two will be beaten!"

"Alas, these injured villagers are so pitiful." Doctor Zheng sighed softly and began to treat the villagers. "Don't worry, I will do my best."

Watching my colleagues diligently performing their duties, a spark of hope ignited in my heart. Yes, with so many of us, we can definitely overcome these difficulties and rebuild our homes!

However, reality was far harsher than I had imagined. Resources such as timber and stone needed for rebuilding were severely scarce. Villagers, having lost loved ones or property, were filled with suspicion and conflict, even resorting to violence. We were exhausted, both physically and mentally, trying to calm the villagers while desperately gathering resources.

"Miss Xiao, what should we do?" Master Wu asked, carrying a crooked log, his face full of worry. "All the trees around here have been destroyed, and we can't find any suitable timber at all!"

Looking at the little silver I had left in my hand, I felt utterly powerless.

"How about..." Fairy Meng hesitated, her gaze falling on a desolate mountain not far away.

"You mean..." I immediately understood what she meant. A special kind of tree grew on that barren mountain; its wood was hard and ideal for building houses, but...

"No! That mountain is..." Chief Zhou's expression suddenly changed drastically, and he stood up abruptly, "We can't go there!"

"Chief Zhou, what's wrong? Is there something wrong with that mountain?" I asked suspiciously, a sense of unease rising in my heart.

After stammering for a while, Chief Zhou lowered his voice and said mysteriously, "That mountain... is haunted! When I was a bandit, I heard that anyone who dared to go up the mountain to cut down trees would be punished by evil spirits. At best, they would get sick, and at worst, they would die! So, we'd better not bother with that mountain."

His words made the already anxious villagers even more uneasy, and they began to discuss among themselves, their eyes filled with fear as they looked at the barren mountain.

"Nonsense! There are no ghosts or monsters in this world!" Fairy Meng snorted coldly, clearly not believing in superstitions. "In my opinion, this is just someone deliberately spreading rumors in an attempt to monopolize the resources of that mountain."

"Fairy Meng is right!" I immediately echoed, a glimmer of hope igniting in my heart. If that were truly the case, then perhaps we still had a chance.

“But…” Master Wu looked troubled. “Even without ghosts or monsters, the mountain is steep and we lack tools. How easy would it be to cut down trees?”

I looked around at the worried, fearful, and confused faces, and a surge of heroic ambition suddenly welled up in my heart.

"Everyone!" I raised my voice, my tone firm, "I know you are all scared and confused right now, but please believe me, as long as we work together, we will definitely be able to overcome the difficulties we are facing! Rebuilding our homes is our common goal, and we cannot be intimidated by any little bit of trouble!"

My voice echoed in the open space, and the villagers gradually quieted down, their eyes all focused on me. I took a deep breath and continued, "As for that mountain, I believe what Fairy Meng said. There is nothing in this world that human power cannot overcome! If someone is really trying to sabotage us, we should bravely stand up and expose their true colors!"

As soon as I finished speaking, a round of applause broke out from the crowd.

"Miss Xiao is right! We cannot be intimidated by difficulties!"

"Rebuilding our homes is everyone's responsibility!"

"We support you, Miss Xiao!"

Seeing the villagers' renewed hope and fighting spirit filled me with emotion. I knew we could do it!

In the days that followed, we overcame numerous difficulties and finally managed to cut enough timber on the barren mountain, putting our plan to rebuild our homes on track. The villagers smiled more often, and their relationships with each other became much more harmonious.

Just when we thought the test was about to end, an unexpected incident occurred.

A dark figure appeared silently in the center of the village, accompanied by a chilling laugh:

"Hahahaha... You think you can rebuild your homes like this? How naive! As long as I'm alive, you'll never have peace!"

The shadow gradually solidified, and a man dressed in black with a sinister face appeared before us, emanating a suffocating aura of evil. "It's you! Who are you? Why are you stopping us from rebuilding our home?" I glared at the man in black, my heart filled with anger and confusion.

"Hahahaha... Want to know who I am? You're not worthy!" The man in black laughed arrogantly. "As for why I'm stopping you? Because I want you to taste the bitterness of despair!"

Having said that, he launched an attack on us. The man in black was incredibly strong, and we were no match for him. Seeing that the villagers were about to be harmed, I felt utterly powerless.

"Child, do not give up!" Just then, the phantom of Immortal Chen reappeared, looking at me kindly. "Pick up the sword in your hand, feel it with your heart, and I will guide you!"

I took a deep breath and gripped my sword tightly. Under Chen Xianren's guidance, I actually felt a powerful force surging from within my body. I swung my sword and managed to block the black-clad man's attack.

"How is this possible?!" The man in black looked at me in disbelief.

"Evil will not prevail over good! You have committed countless evils, and today is your end!" I roared and launched a counterattack against the man in black.

With Chen Xianren's help, I engaged in a fierce battle with the man in black, and ultimately, I successfully defeated him. Looking at the man in black lying on the ground, I was filled with emotion; without Chen Xianren's help, I would never have been able to defeat him.

With the disappearance of the man in black, the village returned to its former tranquility. The villagers cheered and celebrated their hard-won victory. I finally breathed a sigh of relief, and looking at the thriving scene before me, I felt immense satisfaction.

"Congratulations on passing the final test." The phantom of Immortal Chen reappeared, looking at us with a smile. "You are all kind and brave people. I believe you will be able to make good use of my legacy to benefit the people."

As soon as he finished speaking, a golden light enveloped us, and I felt a powerful force surge into my body. I knew that I had received the inheritance of Immortal Chen.

"Child, this is just the beginning. The road ahead is long, and you must continue to work hard." The illusory figure of Immortal Chen gradually disappeared, but his voice still echoed in my ears.

As I gazed in the direction where Immortal Chen had vanished, my heart was filled with gratitude and admiration. I knew that I would carry on his legacy, continuing my journey on the path of cultivation to protect even more people.

"Miss Xiao, look!" Fairy Meng pointed to the sky. I looked up and saw a golden invitation descend from the sky, landing steadily in my hand. The gold-embossed invitation read "Celestial Realm Banquet." My heart skipped a beat. I opened the invitation, and a line of small print caught my eye: Special Guest—Xiao Yao.