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Chapter One: Xu Jian and Li Wei's Arrival in a Strange Land
Xu Jian: "Where am I? What is this place?"
Li Wei: "Brother, my head... Xu Jian, do you know where we are?"
Nurse: "You are in a clinic in a small village."
Xu Jian: "Clinic? Which clinic? Where exactly are we? Who are you?"
Nurse: "You are now on a continent called Dark Souls."
Li Wei: "Strange name... Why is it called that?"
Xu Jian: "Oh my God, why isn't it Demon Souls?"
Li Wei: "Haha, I wish you would keep quiet."
After leaving the clinic, they headed to the mayor's house as instructed by the nurse.
Mayor: "Hello, what do you want?"
Xu Jian: "We want to know everything about this place. Why is it called the Demon Empire? Are you demons?"
Mayor: "No, we are human. But here in the Empire, only those who drink the blood of Satan become devils. This blood is given only to those who have reached high ranks."
While they were talking, the Empire's army suddenly appeared.
Mayor: "Oh no! If they see you here, they'll think you're spies and kill you right away. Run out the back, take the horses!"
After many hours of escaping...
Li Wei: "We have no food or water, and you have seen their strength. Even their horses are faster than the wind."
Xu Jian: "Yes, there is something strange about this place. But we found a map that points to a nearby city called 'Maratel.'"
Li Wei: "What next? We have no money, and even if we get there, someone might kill us."
Xu Jian: "Do you see the logic here? A lion with a scorpion's tail that breathes lightning, and a bear that talks like a king. This is not a normal place. Our return is impossible."
When they arrived at the border town, they were stopped at the gate.
Guard: "Who are you?"
Xu Jian: "Fisherman."
Guard: "Where are the fish?"
Xu Jian: "I was not lucky."
Guard: "Come in."
Xu Jian and Li Wei noticed a statue of a woman crushing the head of a demon, and under it was written: "Melina, the Border Guard."
Xu Jian: "Haha, how stupid is this? Even the birds above agree with me!"
Li Wei: "Maybe there is a war between these people and the devils."
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The Beginning of Xu Jian and Li Wei's Training
After arriving at the great temple, they stood before an old man with stern features, wearing simple clothes with a glimmer of wisdom in his eyes. He looked at them with disdain and said:
"Who are you?"
Xu Jian answered in a firm tone, filled with pent-up anger:
"We heard that you are training fighters. I am looking for strength. I want revenge on the demons who destroyed my village."
The old man laughed sarcastically.
"Why should I train people like you? You are failures."
Xu Jian replied, his voice filled with determination:
"I am serious about my request, and I swear that I will not leave this place until I have trained under your hands."
The old man saw something in Xu Jian's eyes—a spark of hatred and anger, something he couldn't ignore.
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Strenuous Training Begins
The training was harsher than expected. The first day consisted of 200 push-ups, followed by one-handed push-ups. Any sign of weakness was met with a whip.
Old Man: "I told you both that I have no mercy. If you want power, you must endure suffering."
As the exercises continued, the old man noticed slight improvement in Xu Jian's performance.
Old Man: "True power comes when you can control your spirit. Focus your heart, keep it still, and feel the energy flowing through your veins."
To demonstrate, he struck a training dummy with the blunt edge of his sword. The strike was so strong that the dummy flew through the air and split a nearby mountain in half.
Xu Jian's eyes widened. "What is this power?"
The old man smiled.
"If you had seen me in my youth, I would have been the nightmare of the former Demon King."
Xu Jian and Li Wei attempted to repeat the movement. At first, they failed, and the old man shouted:
"Whoever cannot achieve this will sleep outside the temple without dinner!"
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Breakthrough Moment
Xu Jian focused intensely, remembering the old man's words. He felt a strange energy coursing through his body. He struck the dummy, and it split in half.
The old man's eyes widened. "You're different. I didn't think you'd reach this level so quickly."
Li Wei was a little slower but succeeded later. Both of them began to feel a new strength growing within them.
With the first stage of training over, the old man told them they must now sharpen their senses. He blindfolded them and attacked with a wooden staff, forcing them to rely only on their instincts.
At first, neither of them succeeded, and they received dozens of painful blows. But Xu Jian, after calming his heart completely, was able to dodge the first attack.
The old man then separated them so each could develop his own fighting style. Xu Jian created a new style called the "Cold Water Style", a fusion of swordplay and hand-to-hand combat.
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A Mysterious Dream
One night, Xu Jian had a strange dream. A man with imposing features appeared and said:
"I am the King of Swords, Iblis. You are my heir, and you are the only one worthy of my sword. I will await your arrival in the Valley of the Last King."
Xu Jian woke up with a heavy heart, feeling the weight of responsibility. He decided to complete his training and uncover the truth f you need any modifications!