Breaching Heaven

Zhenya wandered around the island, his earlier confidence somewhat deflated. He had hoped Solvara could have helped him solve this issue before the test; now he was going to focus on cultivating to clear his mind and gain as much strength before the test. With a few hours remaining before the test, he found a quiet spot under the tree and began meditating to clear his mind.

Time passed quickly as Zhenya sat cross-legged and circulated his qi throughout his body. Feeling refreshed, he had forgotten about the earlier setback of not getting advice on how to master the void state.

Solvara looked at Zhenya peacefully cultivating with an approving smile. "Now that is a good mindset: don't worry about things you can't change at the moment; instead, focus on the things you can improve," he muttered, walking to Zhenya.

"It's time for the final test to start. Are you ready?" he inquired.

Zhenya stood up almost instantly, a bright smile on his face. "Yes!" he shouted enthusiastically, full of vigor.

Solvara smiled, taking out a typical iron sword out of nowhere, and handed it to Zhenya. "This will be your only weapon for this test. The test is simple; you just need to try and defeat as many opponents as you can."

Zhenya hugged the sword tightly, his eyes full of enthusiasm. "Okay! Do we start immediately?" he wondered. 

"Yes, I will stay close so you do not have to worry about injuries or even dying; just go all out and try to get as far as possible." Solvara, he said as he disappeared.

Reappearing on a thick branch of the tree in the center of the island, Zhenya gave him a polite bow. Then he tensed his body, taking on a defensive stance, scanning the whole island for his first enemy.

There it was, another young boy that looked about the same age as Zhenya, the only difference being it looked more like a phantom in the form of a human than an actual human. 

Zhenya immediately felt his body tense; trying to stay calm, he slowly moved a little closer to the other boy. Keeping his guard up and his sword ready to strike.

The next moment the other boy charged straight at Zhenya; even though it didn't have a weapon, Zhenya still froze. He was afraid. What was that boy? How did he appear here? Lots of thoughts raced through his mind. 

He kept screaming in his mind, 'Move!' but to no avail; the boy struck him head-on, sending Zhenya flying through the air and landing on the grass. He lay there frozen in shock. His eyes starting to water, trying to stifle the sobs that were coming.

Zhenya slowly crawled up, slapping himself lightly on the cheek. "I can do this! This is nothing compared to what I experienced that day." His eyes full of determination, he approached the little boy, gripping the sword so tightly it felt like his hand would break.

Then the little boy charged again straight at Zhenya, a playful smile plastered on its face, as if mocking Zhenya. But this time Zhenya was able to move his body.

"Tidal Slash!" he shouted, subconsciously remembering all the practice he had done the last couple of days. And he sliced the little boy straight in half around the waist. Falling onto his behind, Zhenya breathed heavily, nearly panting.

He pumped his fist in the air, a triumphant grin on his face. He had done it in his first battle; sure, it wasn't pretty, but he had won. Solvara looked at the little boy from the tree, smiling. "Good job, Zhenya, but that was only the first opponent. He had no cultivation; now another phantom with the same cultivation as yours will appear. After that, one layer higher, and so on until you can't win anymore."

Hearing that, Zhenya scrambled to his feet as fast as he possibly could and looked around warily. For the next phantom that he had to face. And there it stood; it looked the exact same as last time, but this time it was also holding an iron sword just like the one Zhenya had.

He gulped; this was the real test. Last time, he was just a normal person; now he had to face an actual cultivator. Zhenya kept his distance this time, mirroring the phantom's moves to keep the distance between them the same.

Walking around for a couple of minutes like this, he caught his breath and steeled his nerves. "This is going to be dangerous, but I can do this," he muttered, steeling himself. "I've trained hard for this. Pain is nothing. I just need to be brave."

Looking around the island, Zhenya got an idea; dashing towards the tree, he disappeared from the phantom's sight. The phantom just dashed right after him toward the huge tree, but then Zhenya reappeared from the other side of the tree. 

Zhenya's blade moved through the air, aimed at the phantom's arm that held its weapon. The iron sword sliced with a faint whistle, finding its mark just as the phantom twisted to evade. It moved unnaturally, its semi-transparent form bending and shifting as though liquid, but it couldn't escape entirely. The blade grazed its arm.

The phantom let out no sound, but it looked straight at Zhenya, its hollow eyes narrowing.

"Tsk!" Zhenya clicked his tongue in frustration, gripping his sword tighter. He surged forward. Pressing his advantage. Each strike of his blade came faster than the last, flowing together like a practiced dance.

The phantom raised its sword in defense, but Zhenya's relentless assault left almost no openings. His strikes rained down: a diagonal slash, a quick thrust, and then a sudden overhead chop. Sparks flew as the swords made contact, and the phantom was forced to retreat, its steps unsteady.

Zhenya's heart pounded in his chest, adrenaline coursing through his veins. "I won't let you counter!" he muttered under his breath, recalling every movement he had practiced. The phantom tried to parry one of his slashes, but Zhenya feinted, pivoting at the last moment to slash at its side.

The sword connected, this time leaving a deeper gash that hissed as faint tendrils of smoke spilled out. The phantom staggered, its form flickering for a moment as if it were about to dissolve.

Seeing this, Zhenya fiercely attacked again. Gritting his teeth, he swung again and again, his attacks flowing seamlessly, each one driving the phantom closer to the edge of defeat. 

The phantom, now visibly slower, swung its sword in a desperate arc toward Zhenya's side. He saw the attack coming and sidestepped, feeling the faint rush of air as the blade passed harmlessly by. His eyes locked onto his opponent's form, and his grip tightened on the hilt of his weapon.

"This is my chance!" Zhenya thought, stepping into the phantom's reach.

He lowered his stance, twisting his body as he unleashed a powerful horizontal slash. The blade cut cleanly through the phantom's torso, bisecting it with a faint hiss. The phantom disappeared immediately after turning into smoke.

For a moment, Zhenya stood still, chest heaving from exertion, watching as the phantom dissolved into faint wisps of smoke. A surge of pride bubbled in his chest; this was his victory.

But his moment of triumph was short-lived. A low hum reverberated through the air, and another phantom began to materialize just a few meters away. This one looked identical to the first, but its presence was heavier, more menacing. Its eyes gleamed faintly.

Zhenya gulped, feeling the strain in his arms from the previous battle. He steadied himself, planting his feet firmly on the ground. "It's not over yet," he muttered, raising his sword once more. His heart pounded, but this time, there was no hesitation in his movements.

With a determined grin, he whispered, "Let's see how far I can go."