NOVEL ONLINE FREE Chapter 6: Chapter 6: A Gate of Stone and Steel
Three weeks after slaying the beast,Li Yuan Tian stood before the southern gates of Yanhe City.
Stone walls loomed thirty feet high, moss-covered and iron-bound. Two sentries leaned lazily on spears, paying him little mind. The road beneath his feet had been carved by caravans and soaked in centuries of footsteps—merchants, pilgrims, martial artists, and outlaws alike.
To most, Yanhe was a minor border city of the Xianlin Kingdom.
To Li Yuan Tian, it was the first step to power.
His village was behind him—his parents buried, their token hidden in his inner robe. The token still pulsed faintly when he slept. He didn't understand it. Not yet. But that would come later.
For now, he needed strength.
---
Inside the city, the world burst open.
Stalls brimmed with spices, weapons, strange herbs, and talismans. Martial artists with cloth-bound fists sparred in courtyards. Children chased wind chimes through narrow alleys. Even the air felt different—full of noise, heat, and sharp tension.
Posters lined the wooden boards near the market gates:
> ENROLLMENT OPEN Bai Martial Hall – For those who seek strength. No fees. Entry by test. Failure means expulsion. Weakness means pain. Instructor: Bai Hu.
---
Bai Hu, also known as Old Bai, was a name that echoed quietly but firmly through the streets of Yanhe.
A former war instructor in the Xianlin military, he had survived the infamous Siege of Blackwind Pass. His Late Stage Blood Opening cultivation had earned him honor, but age had dulled his edge—only slightly. One arm carried an old break. His left eye bore a scar that ran across his brow. But when he walked, the ground beneath his boots still listened.
Within ten thousand miles, only five were said to be stronger:
The City Lord, General Zuo Cheng—rumored to have reached Meridian Expansion years ago.
And the Heads of the Four Major Clans: the Lei, Gu, Zhao, and Han—each holding mastery in different arts, each guarding their secrets jealously.
But Old Bai? He taught anyone with the guts to endure it.
---
Li Yuan Tian found the martial hall on the north side of the city, built into a converted shrine. It was simple—stone floors, open roof, and six columns surrounding a dirt training pit. Half a dozen youths sparred in the ring, most in their teens, sweat-soaked and bruised.
Old Bai sat on a wooden bench to the side, one leg folded, sipping bitter tea. His beard was silver-gray, his arms corded with old muscle, his eyes like chipped iron.
He didn't look up when Yuan Tian bowed.
"Name?" Old Bai asked, voice rough as crushed gravel.
"Li Yuan Tian. From Xianhua village."
"You have any cultivation?"
"Early Stage Body Tempering."
Now the old man looked up.
"You kill anything?"
Yuan Tian hesitated, then nodded. "A cliffback scavenger. Alone."
That got the attention of some of the disciples.
Old Bai's brow rose slightly. "Iron blade or fist?"
"Blade. It broke."
"Hmph." He stood, joints cracking. "Alright. Pick up that training spear. You've got one minute. Show me whether you belong here."
---
The spear was weighted ironwood—long, dense, and heavier than it looked. Yuan Tian's arms trembled slightly from the sudden strain.
Old Bai stood opposite, barefoot.
"Attack me."
Li Yuan Tian blinked. "But—"
"You want to learn? Show me you're worth it."
The spear moved.
Yuan Tian lunged.
Old Bai didn't flinch.
In two breaths, Li Yuan Tian found himself face-down in the dust, ribs aching, the spear spinning out of his hands.
"You hesitate. That's death."
Another breath.
"Again."
---
By the fifth attempt, Li Yuan Tian was panting, bloody-lipped, arms bruised.
But he didn't fall the sixth time.
Old Bai grunted. "Good."
He turned. "Someone get this fool a cot. Feed him porridge and soak him in vinegar root. He'll ache for a week."
As Li Yuan Tian limped toward the bunkhouse, the old man spoke one last time:
"Li Yuan Tian… huh. You've got the eyes of a broken blade. Dull now. But that edge'll come."
And in the courtyard of Bai Martial Hall, the wind stirred. Quiet. Watching.