Final Trial:having a second encounter
1558 Words
This time, Zhou Chen stood in a lush, emerald forest, the air rich with primordial essence. Birds sang overhead, the ground was soft beneath his feet, and for a fleeting moment he almost believed this was paradise.
He sat cross-legged and immediately began drawing in the essence around him, greedily absorbing the abundant energy into his body.
Then his entire sea of consciousness shook.
Knowledge poured into his mind, so much and so fast that he nearly blacked out. It was another technique, a higher-level cultivation chant, its name whispering to him like the call of a dragon.
Primordial Essence Chant of Dragons: Three Realms.
Zhou Chen’s eyes lit up. This was no ordinary reward, receiving such a technique in the middle of a trial was unheard of.
Excited, he focused entirely on comprehending the chant. Normally, it would take a cultivator three days to even partially understand such a technique, but Zhou Chen’s mind worked as though it had been tempered by the trials themselves. In mere moments, the chant’s structure and rhythm were engraved into his very being.
“Alright,” he muttered. “Let’s put this to use.”
The essence poured into him faster than before, swirling around his body like a whirlpool before rushing into his meridians.
But then something went terribly wrong.
“I’m full. That’s enough he said, then froze.
His face paled.
Why can’t I stop?
The essence continued to pour into him, faster and faster. His body swelled unnaturally, veins bulging beneath his skin. His blood boiled, his meridians screamed in protest.
“Aaaaahhhhhh!”
He roared as blood burst from cracks appearing across his skin.
What kind of essence is this?! This shouldn’t be happening!
Then realization struck like lightning.
The trial... I almost forgot. This is Hell Compression. If it were easy, it wouldn’t be hell.
Through the haze of pain, a single thought formed.
If I can’t stop it, then I must condense it.
His mind raced. But where? Where can I put this power before it tears me apart?
Then he remembered.
Dragons.
Dragons could form cores once they reached a certain realm, their strongest source of power, their very foundation.
He had no core, nor draconic bloodline that he knew of, but he had no choice.
“Fine,” Zhou Chen growled. “Let’s see if I can make one.”
With all his willpower, he forced the surging energy into his dantian.
Then,
Voooom!
A faint light glowed within him. His eyes widened as he saw, with his inner vision, a small shell-like bead forming deep within his core.
“Huh? When did that get there?”
The bead pulsed, then suddenly began sucking in all the wild essence like a starving beast.
Zhou Chen’s swollen body began to return to normal. His cracked skin healed, his bones knit together, and soon he stood whole once more. His once-soft features became sharper, his blue eyes crystalline and glowing faintly gold, his presence commanding and fierce.
Had there been a mirror, he would not have recognized himself.
Finally, the forest fell silent. The essence had been completely consumed.
“Pass,” the voice declared.
The forest dissolved, leaving Zhou Chen back in the rune chamber.
He opened his inner sight again.
Inside his dantian, the bead-like core had grown to the size of a large button, pulsing with quiet power.
“Strange...” Zhou Chen thought.
as he waited for the next trial.
IMPERIAL DEMON CASTLE
Standing on a balcony, Ling Mai gazed over the outstretched land, vibrant with lush greenery and life. A fresh, revitalizing feeling filled the atmosphere, yet none of this could be seen from above the blue sky, for they were deep underwater.
---
DEMON SEA
"Your Highness," called Zhu Chun as he walked in from behind. He was holding a piece of paper, his expression dark and gloomy as he scanned the report. Looking up, he spoke in a soft tone:
"We found something. He ran into the desert. It's almost as if he just vanished and the tracks ended there. Princess, please give"
"Stop. Forget about it. He will come back on his own," Ling Mai interrupted calmly.
Zhu Chun grew visibly anxious. Finding Zhou Chen had been his only chance to gain more of the princess's attention.
"But..."
"I said stop!" Ling Mai snapped, her voice turning cold. "Leave now. Your service is no longer needed."
Zhu Chun clenched his jaw but bowed respectfully. He knew better than to anger Ling Mai. As he turned to leave, frustration burned inside him.
Zhou Chennnn... he thought through gritted teeth. A cold light flashed in his eyes as he shot one last glance at Ling Mai’s chamber. You will definitely be mine. A dark smile crept onto his face.
"He's probably dead by now. But if he lives... he'll die by my hand."
Above Ling Mai’s room, two dark shadows, one male and one female watched from the roof.
"She's been acting different these days... colder than before," the female figure whispered.
"She just needs more time. Don’t worry," replied the male. But despite his words, a troubled look crossed his face.
You better live, boy... he thought as his gaze pierced into the distance.
---
GOLDEN PAGODA
The scene before him shifted, and suddenly he found himself in a familiar place the spot where he had first met Ling Mai.
“Huh? How… how am I here?” Zhou Chen stammered, his voice shaking.
“Zhou Chen!” A sweet, melodious voice called out.
He turned around, shivering slightly.
“Ling Mai…” Zhou Chen breathed, his eyes wide in amazement. “What are you doing here?”
The Ling Mai before him looked more mature, as though she had grown since the last time he saw her. Zhou Chen’s eyes welled with tears as he rushed forward, hugging her tightly, praying this wasn’t just another cruel dream.
“I missed you. I have so much to tell you!”
Fuuuuu!
Zhou Chen suddenly sensed a blade rushing toward him from the side. His heart skipped a beat, but he quickly calmed himself and allowed the knife to pierce through him.
With a soft smile, Zhou Chen looked at the illusionary Ling Mai.
“Why didn’t you do anything?” Ling Mai asked quietly.
“I’d be happy just to be in her embrace one last time,” he replied, smiling with quiet resolve.
Seeing that confident, peaceful look on his face, Ling Mai sighed and slowly faded from view. The scenery dissolved along with her, and Zhou Chen found himself standing once more at the center of the pagoda.
Above him, a white, smoky figure appeared, slowly taking on a shape that was neither fully human nor fully formless, more like smoke trying to imitate a person.
“Challenge completed,” the being spoke, its voice echoing. “You may now ascend to the top of the pagoda tower to receive your reward and responsibility.”
“But… weren’t there supposed to be seven challenges? Why am I receiving a reward now?” Zhou Chen blurted, confusion written all over his face.
The figure in the air paused, then spoke again.
“Yes, but you passed the sixth test too perfectly. The next trial would be of no use to you. Besides, your honesty amuses me you didn’t run straight for the reward. Here, take this storage ring. I think you’ll need it. And know this: the tower only accepts those with pure intentions.”
“So that’s how it is,” Zhou Chen murmured, then hesitated before asking, “What would have happened if my heart hadn’t been pure?”
“You would have been incinerated. Death would have been your fate.”
Gulp. Zhou Chen swallowed hard, imagining what might have happened if he’d been the villain in this story.
“Now for the reward,” the low, resonant voice said, snapping Zhou Chen from his thoughts.
He quickly began climbing the stairs.
“Your next responsibility will serve as your next test,” the smoky figure added before disappearing.
“Huh?” Zhou Chen turned back, but there was nothing there just empty air.
Shaking off his thoughts, Zhou Chen kept climbing. After several hours, he finally reached the top, stopping before a massive hall with an imposing door at its far end.
The first thing that caught his eye were seven stone platforms. As he approached, he saw that each one held an item except for one, which held the sword he had just used during the trials.
It was now coated in a glossy black color, its once-fiery red glow completely gone. Zhou Chen didn’t hesitate; he picked up the sword, feeling a strange sense of intimacy with it, and stored it in the ring. He was surprised and pleased to find that the storage space inside was vast enough to fit an entire excavation site.
Satisfied, he turned to examine the next platform.
The second platform held a bottle of shimmering liquid labeled “Dragon Bone Marrow.” It wiggled and pulsed as though alive. Zhou Chen grinned, storing it away as well.
The third platform contained four octagonal seals, each glowing faintly with a different hue: green for life force, yellow for earth, red for fire, and blue for water.
- Writer
