Douluo Continent: The Twin Sons of the Styx River, Shaking the World and Destroying the Heavens

Chapter 189 Devilish Training

Just as everyone was gritting their teeth and enduring for nearly half an hour, a muffled thud broke the silence—Jiu Li lost her balance on one leg, her body swayed violently, the teacup in her hand slipped from her grasp and fell to the ground, where she crashed heavily.

Xia Die stepped forward, her tone unusually gentle, and helped Jiu Li up: "It's alright, we can start over."

As soon as she finished speaking, she changed the subject slightly, her gaze falling on Jiu Li's arm: "By the way, A Li, you just fell down. It seems you still need to practice your balance. This time, you can add two more teacups to your arm."

Jiu Li was taken aback. Looking at the two empty cups that Xia Die handed over, her lips twitched. It was already difficult enough to hold one cup with one hand, but now with one cup on each arm, it meant she had to stabilize four cups at the same time.

She was about to speak with a pained expression when Xia Die silenced her with a look. Resigned, she stood back on the pillar and carefully arranged the extra teacups, sighing inwardly: This isn't gentleness, it's clearly a way of "extra food."

Two agonizing hours finally came to an end. When Xia Die uttered the words "Time's up," the seven of them almost simultaneously collapsed, their arms already numb and tingling, their palms bearing deep red marks from the rim of the teacups.

This time, no one fell. Even Jiu Li, who was carrying two extra cups, gritted her teeth and persevered to the end.

She swung her arm, which she could barely lift, and looked at her companion, who was also covered in cold sweat. Suddenly, she felt that there was something inexplicable in the two hours of silence and stalemate just now—perhaps it was the unspoken caution between them, the fear of burdening each other, or perhaps it was some kind of silent understanding that was quietly growing.

"Alright, if you dawdle any longer, you might miss dinner." Xia Die smiled, her tone gentler than during training. "Go eat quickly, don't delay. Oh, and—" she changed the subject, "You need to gather here again at eight o'clock tonight, don't be late."

Upon hearing this, the seven people's nerves, which had just relaxed, tensed up again. Jiu Li rubbed her sore and stiff shoulders and muttered softly, "They don't even give us a moment to catch our breath..." Wang Dong'er glared at her but didn't refute her—everyone knew that this A Die was the one who scolded them and couldn't beat them.

Night fell, and the bamboo forest was filled with the damp scent of grass and trees. Just after eight o'clock, Wang Dong'er and her group of seven returned precisely to the place that had caused them so much suffering during the day. Moonlight filtered through the bamboo leaves, casting dappled shadows that stretched long.

"Ah Die, it's not going to be that kind of torturous training again, is it?" Wang Dong'er asked with a bitter face, her tone carrying a hint of helplessness and probing.

Not long ago, they were friends, but now their roles have suddenly changed. Their former partners have become their instructors, and they show no mercy when it comes to disciplining them.

"Now stand separately," Xia Die said loudly, her gaze falling on the two boys. "Yuan Chuan, Yuan Yan, you two go over there."

"Yes, teacher." Yuan Chuan and Yuan Yan responded in unison. After exchanging a glance, they quickly walked to the other side of the bamboo forest, keeping a distance of about ten feet from Wang Dong'er and the other girls. The moonlight separated their figures from those opposite them, forming two distinct camps.

Xia Die pointed to the bamboo branches around her, which were about the thickness of a bowl, and said to Wang Dong'er and the other four, "See those bamboo branches? Take off your shoes and socks and stand on them."

A faint purple light emanated from her fingertips. With a flick of her finger, five restrictions were placed on the five people, instantly locking their soul power. "Before we stand, let's restrict your martial souls."

Then she turned to the other side: "Yuan Chuan, Yuan Yan, you two wait where you are, don't move."

The bamboo stalk was wide enough to barely support two feet, but looking at her ambiguous smile, the five of them knew that things were not so simple.

Five minutes later, Wang Dong'er, Xiao Xiao, Jiu Li, Bai Xiuxiu, and Ye Yukesi took off their shoes and socks and walked barefoot to Xia Die. The night wind swept through the bamboo forest, and the coolness crept up from their feet. Looking at the swaying bamboo around them, the five of them felt a sense of unease rising in their hearts.

Then, the five of them carefully climbed up the bamboo, stepping on the bamboo joints. The bamboo branches swayed beneath their feet, and they gritted their teeth to keep their balance, finally reaching the top. Their feet pressed against the cold, rough bamboo surface, and the night wind howled past, making them lose their balance. Everyone was on edge, wondering what kind of challenge Xia Die would throw at them next.

Five ice crystals condensed from Xia Die's fingertips, and a chilling aura instantly spread: "Tonight's training is simple. Stand on top of this, arms outstretched, and balance this thing on your head." The five people stared at the blue ice in her palm, the icy touch seemingly spreading from their heads to their entire bodies. As the bamboo branches swayed, their unease intensified.

As instructed, Wang Dong'er and the others placed the ice blocks on their heads. The five blocks of ice gleamed coldly in the moonlight. The ice blocks on Xiao Xiao and Ye Yukesi's heads were the smallest, about the size of a palm; while the ice blocks on Wang Dong'er, Jiu Li, and Bai Xiuxiu's heads were half an arm's length long, with sharp edges and a heavy weight that made their necks stiff.

"You two, come here." Xia Die beckoned to Yuan Chuan and Yuan Yan, her gaze sweeping over them. "Yuan Yan, stand on your brother's shoulders." Yuan Chuan instinctively straightened his back, while Yuan Yan opened his mouth, about to ask a question, but was glared at and shut up. The night wind swirled through the bamboo leaves. The two brothers exchanged a glance, and finally, Yuan Yan used Yuan Chuan's knee for leverage, carefully climbing onto his shoulder. Their figures swayed in the moonlight amidst the swaying bamboo shadows, their movements uncertain, wondering what trickery this strange training held.

"Now, no one is allowed to move." Xia Die crossed her arms, her gaze sweeping over the five girls standing on bamboo branches with ice blocks on their heads, before landing on Yuan Chuan, whose younger brother was perched on her shoulder. "The training will end in one hour. Anyone who shakes or falls off first will have to start over."

“Dong’er, training will end when the ice above your heads melts.” Xia Die’s gaze swept over Wang Dong’er, Jiu Li and the others, a cryptic smile playing on her lips. “Also, remember—if anyone dares to move, the amount of ice melting will double, and the timer will reset.”

"Understood," the five replied in unison, their voices tinged with resignation. Wang Dong'er gritted her teeth to steady herself, the icy ice making her scalp tingle; Jiu Li inhaled sharply, not daring to relax her muscles even slightly. The bamboo forest was silent, except for the clear sound of water dripping from the melting ice, which was particularly distinct in the night.

As the night dew grew heavier, the mosquitoes in the forest became increasingly rampant. Suddenly, a large, spotted spider, about the size of a bowl, slid down its silk and landed squarely on Wang Dong'er's face. The cool, downy hairs brushed against her nose, her pupils contracted sharply, and she instinctively screamed, "A spider!" Before she could finish speaking, her tense body suddenly went out of control, the ice above her head shattered with a crash, and she fell headlong to the ground.

Xia Die walked over quickly, reached out and steadily pulled Wang Dong'er, who had fallen to the ground, her gaze sweeping over her reddened palms and slightly trembling shoulders: "Are you alright?"

Wang Dong'er bit her lip, avoiding her gaze, and mumbled, "It's...nothing." The chill of the shattered ice still lingered on her fingertips, and the spot on her cheek where the spider had touched her was still numb. She looked down at her bare feet covered in mud, feeling both annoyed and wronged.

“You don’t need to hold it on your head anymore.” Xia Die withdrew her gaze and pointed to a thinner bamboo branch not far away. “Go up there and kneel down.”

Wang Dong'er was taken aback. She looked up at the bamboo branch that could barely support the weight of one person. Her throat moved, but she didn't dare to object. She just silently got up and walked barefoot towards the bamboo that was swaying gently in the night wind.

Xia Die didn't give Wang Dong'er a chance to hesitate. With a wave of her hand, she steadily guided her towards the slender bamboo. As soon as Wang Dong'er knelt down on the bamboo branch, she heard Xia Die say, "Straighten your arms."

She did as instructed, raising her arms straight out to the sides, palms facing forward. In the next instant, two equally heavy blocks of ice were firmly strapped to her forearms. The chill seeped into her skin through the fabric, making her fingertips numb. A night breeze blew by, causing the slender bamboo to sway even more violently. She could only hold herself firmly, daring not to move an inch.

Three hours later, the sky was beginning to lighten. Xia Die finally raised her hand to signal them to stop. The ice tied to Wang Dong'er's arm had long since melted into water, dripping down her sleeve. The others on the bamboo branches were also pale-faced, their shoulders aching so much that they could barely lift their arms. Yuan Yan, perched on Yuan Chuan's shoulder, swayed and almost fell, only regaining his balance thanks to his brother's support.

"That's all for today." Xia Die withdrew her gaze, her tone very gentle.
"Go back and rest."

As if granted a pardon, the group dragged their leaden bodies back step by step, leaving only melted ice water and swaying bamboo shadows on the ground in the bamboo forest.

The training on the second day took place in a different location. Instead of standing on bamboo, the five women lay prone on the ground. They supported themselves with their hands on the ground and stretched their legs straight up in the sky. What was even more unusual was that their ankles were tightly bound together with ropes. Any movement would pull on each other, and they would all lose their balance if they were not careful.

However, the weather was exceptionally hot today. The scorching sun hung high in the sky, the ground was scorching hot, and waves of heat rolled in, making even breathing feel like being burned. The five people braced their hands on the burning ground, their palms almost burning, and their ankles, bound together, were painfully constricted by the ropes. Every second felt like being tortured on fire. And so, seven days passed.

The daily training was relentlessly grueling, whether it was enduring the icy cold on bamboo or maintaining bizarre postures under the scorching sun. The ropes on Wang Dong'er and the other four had left red marks on their ankles and calluses on their palms, but none of them made a mistake. Even when their clothes were soaked with sweat and their muscles ached to the extreme, they just gritted their teeth and persevered.

The Yuan brothers' training was equally rigorous, with the weight on their shoulders and the challenges to their balance increasing day by day. The moonlight and the blazing sun in the bamboo forest witnessed the growing composure of everyone involved.

And so, seven days passed.

The daily training was relentlessly grueling, whether it was enduring the icy cold on bamboo or maintaining bizarre postures under the scorching sun. The ropes on Wang Dong'er and the other four had left red marks on their ankles and calluses on their palms, but none of them made a mistake. Even when their clothes were soaked with sweat and their muscles ached to the extreme, they just gritted their teeth and persevered.

The Yuan brothers' training was equally rigorous, with the weight on their shoulders and the challenges to their balance increasing day by day. The moonlight and the blazing sun in the bamboo forest witnessed the growing composure of everyone involved.

(End of this chapter)