The Stone Garden Endurance

Wei Ying

As soon as he gather the rest of the team, giving them the talismans he made, he guide them toward the west part of their Clan, where the teleporting array to the Stone Garden was located. The Stone Garden was a strange stone formation in the east, created in ancient times to further cultivate and strengthening the soul.

It was made of hundreds of thin pillars, pilled together, forming thicker ones, reaching quite high. Those pillars had a strange black stones incrusted inside of them, which emitted a very strong pressure that could be beneficial to a cultivator, to reach a higher level in due time. This man made formation was consider to be the ruins from the distant past, in which many tried to achieve immortality before the world was sallow by darkness.

Because of the pressure the stones emitted, no corpses got near the place, which was safe to use at any time by all the Clans in east, not only from the Wen and Wei Clans, as the smaller Clans had the right too, to keep their people safe as much as they did. There was no competition among Clans in the east, nor did one thought to be better than the others, as for their mutual survival, cooperation was essential, because they had it the hardest with the Burial Mounds in their territory.

In fact, all Clans in the east from big to small had a more family like relationship unlike anywhere else, which was why they didn't have those sealed corpses in their territory, nor rogues coming in and out as they pleased. They were a big family which knew each other very well, no giving room from strangers to plot against them.

Lord Wei Lao was already waiting for them to arrive with Zilin by his side and a few strong members of his Clan that will safeguard them while they trained, just to be on the safe side in case, none corpses threat show up unexpectedly.

Lord Wei was not going to risk his son and other Clan Leaders sons to the foul plans of Meng Yao group. He could not be with them, as he needed to be on guard of his own Clan, but Zilin was going to stay in his place, to monitor their progress and make sure they will stay safe.

His father then, explained to the group of what consisted the training. They all were given a bottle of a special elixir that help restore the white energy stored in the core, like the one Senlin gave Sandu and they will climb up the pillars as high as they could under the pressure of the stones. For them to advance further up, they need to protect their bodies with their own spiritual energy.

The process will drain them, but using the elixir, will restore the lost energy so they could keep climb up until they no longer had a drop of elixir to go further. Depending on your endurance and use of the elixir, you could go all the way to the top and stay there from several hours to many days. The more time you spend under the pressure, the more your core will strengthening and solidify your level base or move into the next. Lord Wei also gave them a teleporting talisman back to their Clan, for when they could no longer resist the pressure.

After the explanation, they were teleported to the Stone Garden, to the array, already placed on the entrance of the Garden. At their arrival, they saw a few more teleporting circles that belonged to the other Clans in the east, including the Wen Clan. Wen Ning, Qing and Wuxian greeted those who also had come to train from other Clans and let them go ahead of them, as they wanted to go in a bigger group.

"There is no time limit to this training, but it will be better if you use your elixir wisely to training your core and get use to the pressure for as long as you can. Sword spirit should also train along with their Masters and make sure they don't get overboard." Zilin said while looking at Wuxian's direction.

"Ah, Zilin, I will behave, I promise." Wei said while humorlessly and Zilin sighed.

"You had said that before, yet Suibian had to carry you out after fainting for been here way too long." Zilin said.

"Hum... way too long? For how long did he stay here?" Mianmian asked and Lan Zhan was eager for the answer to know just for how long he will have to endure.

"A month." Zilin said and the ones from the north look at him in shock. Even if they were at the entrance, all of them could feel the intense pressure coming from a few meter ahead of them, even with the purifying talismans helping them dispel the pressure. To remain in the place for a full month, it was honestly maddening.

"No wonder he is at level nine. Lan Wangji, you got it hard. He may even surpass you soon." Jiang Cheng said to Lan Zhan and even if he was expressionless, internally he was preparing himself from his hardest challenge yet. Wei Ying winked his way and Wangji smirked back. It was not like he will go down without a proper fight and his cultivation level was still high.

"Alright, I think it will be better to play it safe. No more than three days for the strongest this time around. That includes you too, Wen Ning, do not lose the sense of time." Zilin said and the others look at the gentle Ning with even more shock.

"But it's so awful in here, how could he lose the sense of time?" Mianmian asked again while looking at her partner.

"That is not for me to say. Let's go." Zilin said as he moved forward into the entrance of the Stone Garden. Although he didn't gave the group an answer, everyone in the east knew Wen Ning was a special case as he could not feel the pressure the same way the rest did, mostly because of his stronger seal and that he could stay in there even for a whole year.

The fact that Lord Zheng had bring him out at level eight in their core testing back in the island, was to not attract too much attention to him, but in reality, if he had let Wen Ning take the test to the end, he would had walked toward the end of the level ten without a single drop of sweat.

It was not that his cultivation was higher than Wuxian or Wangji's, as in reality his cultivation base was lower than Huaisang's, but that his inner spiritual energy was too great, to a point he could not control it, thus risking himself to become a fierce corpse, if his core had not been almost completely sealed.

As they walked in between the endless pillars, they felt the pressure tenfold. However, close to the ground there were fewer black stones than in the top. They stood for ten minutes in the ground, to adjust the amount of energy they needed to protect themselves to start jumping up the difrent sizes pillars.

Because there were several ones, each one could chose individually, but most decided to go up with their current pairings, along with their swords. Huaisang joined Jiang Cheng and Wen Qing, while Zixuan decide to climb alone, leaving a sad Yanli behind.

Wei Ying and Cheng were seriously pissed with the guy, but as their sister didn't want a confrontation between them, they let it go. Wei Ying offering his sister to climb along with them and so she did until they reached a middle high top, on the pillar they were climbing. She sat in the center of the meter wide top and decide to strengthen her core there. She was already sweeting a lot under the current pressure. It was better if she didn't go any higher.

"Jiejie, are you sure?" Wei asked her and she give him a week smile.

"Yes, Chilie is here with me, so don't worry. Go up and reach the top." She urge him and her sword spirit assented.

"Worry not, I will make sure she is safe and not to go beyond her current strength." Chilie said and so, both lovers left to reach the top.

Lan Wangji

They way up was not joke, he felt the pressure increase as more black stones could be seen in each thin pillar, but he didn't lack in endurance, so he followed Wei Ying up and up all the way to the top of their pillar. The top was at least three meters wide, for which all four of them could sit at the center. Suibian sat by Wei Ying, as he sat in front of him, with Bichen by his side.

"You okay, Lan Zhan?" Wei asked, knowing it was his first time in their Stone Garden and he most be still in the adjusting process.

"Yes." He reply firmly.

"Then let's start our contest. You already know the prize of the winner. The one who endure the most wins." Wei said, making his ears go red.

"I can resist for three days." Lan Zhan assure him and Wei smiled.

"So can I Lan Zhan, so can I." Wei whisper before he close his eyes, releasing a hint of his spiritual power over his own body to lessen the pressure. Wangi looked at Wei Ying, admiring his calm features. He was relaxed and his energy leveled and steady, only releasing what he needed to protect himself.

He was already accustom to that kind of training, but so was he, although not exactly in the same way. He also closed his eyes and resisted the pressure for long hours before he begin to use his spiritual strength in small waves. This will conserve more his inner energy at the same time he protected his core. The pressure was great, but his endurance was no joke either. By nightfall, he took a bit of the elixir, then he went back to meditation for the rest of the night.

Without them knowing, that first night, Huaisang had given up, already reaching his limit and with no more elixir to drink. To others, that would had look like he was too weak, but in reality he had improved a lot, already at the pick of his current level of cultivation. If he cultivate this way for a few more tries, he will actually break through the level eight.

Mianmian, Yanli, Song Lan and Xiao Xingchen had already reached the next level, with more than half the bottle to drink left. By the next day, around midday, Zixuan went out alone and so did Mianmian, apologizing to Wen Ning, who told her he didn't mind, while Yanli went out four hours after them. By the second night, Xiao Xingchen went out, then Song Lan a few hours later.

The next day, Jiang Cheng was out around ten in the morning and Wen Qing after midday, taking with her Wen Ning, as she worry he will not go out at all. At the end, only Wei Ying and Lan Zhan remained, but as they were enduring quite well, Zilin allowed them to stay for a bit longer than the third day limit.

Lan Zhan got accustom to the pressure and he had conserved the elixir quite well, only having two or three mouthful a day, when he was low in energy. Every time he drink the elixir, he felt that his energy was stronger, thus endure for more hours than in the first day.

He didn't have an idea of how much elixir Wei Ying still had, as when he was in meditation, he will not sense his movements, although he felt his energy strong right in front of him. At times, if Wei Ying had open his eyes in the right instants, he would had seen him smile, because it was not only his energy growing stronger, but also his admiration for his lover.

Thus, the fourth day came and went and so did the fifth. That fifth night, Wangji run out of elixir, but his strength had grown quite a lot, so he could at least endure another day without it, however, the next day he showed signs of tiredness. Both Bishen and Suibian notice the drops of sweat in Wangji's forehead, but his face didn't show any expression at all.

During the days, a fog will surrounded the picks of the pillars, so the sun was no problem for them. The place was also cold by the stones power, therefore if Lan Zhan was sweating, it meant the pressure was now really getting into him. Suibian was already impressed that he had lasted that long, as it was his first time and even Wei Ying had only endure for four days in his first try.

Suibian looked at Bichen, which was a bit worry about her Master, but knowing him, she didn't dare to interrupt him in his deep meditation. Thus the sixth day passed and the seventh began. However, just after sunrise, Subian saw blood run down Lan Zhan's nose and he panic as much as Bichen. This time, it was Suibian who acted, calling Wei Ying out of his meditation.

"What?" Wei asked a bit tired, but as Suibian pointed at his lover, sat cross legged in front of him, he saw the blood that was actually staining Wangji's white clothes.

"Lan Zhan! Lan Zhan!" Wei yelled, but not getting any reaction, he took his elixir bottle that still have a bit of the liquid with the intention to give it to his lover. He felt his energy still strong, but he could tell Lan Zhan was pushing himself beyond his limit right now.

He had glance at him from time to time, to watch his progress, finding him enduring the challenge quite well, but as he went deeper in meditation, he had failed to notice the strain in Wangji's body in their last day. He crawled toward Wangji and took him in his arms, finally bringing his lover back to the mortal world and make him drank what little he had left of the elixir.

"Lan Zhan... let's go back." Wei said, still worry as he wiped the blood from his handsome face.

"I can still endure more..." Lan Zhan said, but Wei saw him way too pale. He knew he was been stubborn. Six days was a lot of time for a first try, it was actually impressive in its own right.

"You are bleeding." He pointed.

"That's nothing. I can keep up." He refuted.

"Lan Zhan, your bottle is empty. For how long did you endure without replenish your energy?" He asked.

"A day." Wei sighed. That was actually quite amazing. When he had stayed for a month he had two bottles with him and he had drink a bit at least once a day.

"It's been more than the limited time, let's go back." Wei said.

"It's still sunrise, we can finish this day." Wangji insisted.

"So stubborn... well, I can't. You win the challenge, now let's go back home. I'm starving." Wei said teasingly.

"You still have a lot of energy... then, it's my loss." Lan Zhan said dejectedly, knowing he was letting him win.

"No, it's not. In fact you did better than me." Wei assure him.

"Not true." He whisper closing his eyes a little dizzy.

"I said I lose. Your endurance is obviously greater than mine. A full day resisting the pressure without replenish your energy? Not even I can do that. I only resisted for four days in my first time here anyway. Don't you want your prize?" Wei asked, making Wangji blush, while another hint of blood run down his nose and Wei laughed. Was he having a naughty nosebleed now?

"I do... but..." But Wei simply took his teleporting talisman while holding his lover.

"No buts, my Light Bearing Lord, I admit defeat. Suibian, we are returning home." Wei said and instantly he went back to his sword and so did Bichen, then, Wei tear the talisman in half and took a hold on his man, making both of them teleport back to the Clan.

There were a few people waiting for their return, including Wen Qing, who instantly gave Wangji another bottle of elixir to replenish what he lost. She sensed that apart from been exhausted, he didn't have a core damage nor on his meridians, so after a few hours' sleep and a healthy meal, he will be fine and the same could be said for Wuxian. Thus, they help them back to their rooms and bring them food.

Ah Yuan, Jiang Cheng and Yanly shared the breakfast with them, but after they finish, Yanli took Ah Yuan in her arms and walked out with him and Jiang Cheng, so they could have their rest. Wei was too tired to change clothes of even had a bath, so he went to bed and ask Lan Zhan to join him with the promise that when they wake up again, the prize will be fulfilled.

Thus at the end, Wangji could not resist himself but to both, join Wei Ying in bed, holding him tight and dream of another night full of passion with the man he was crazy and yearning for.

AN: Thanks for reading. There will be flames up in the next as well as some insight in Meng Yao's side. With all my love, see you next time, take care. ❤❤❤❤