บท 13: Phoenix Trial
As he stepped inside, the scene distorted, and he felt as though a storm had tossed him. He closed his eyes. After a long time, the weightless sensation faded. When he opened his eyes, he saw only pitch-black darkness.
Suddenly, two narrow lines of golden light appeared in the darkness before him. They slowly opened like a pair of narrowed eyes... No, they were eyes! Gigantic golden eyes embedded in the pitch-black space. The eyes of the Phoenix!
"Welcome, human. You are the first challenger without the phoenix bloodline to enter these trial grounds in a thousand years." A dignified, clearly feminine voice echoed in his mind.
Yun Wuji gazed at the golden eyes and smiled. "Hello, Spirit of the Phoenix. I am here to take the trial."
"Very well, as the first person without the phoenix bloodline in a thousand years, I hope you can break this long silence... Are you ready?"
"Yes, I can start anytime," Yun Wuji nodded.
"Very good. The trial has three stages: First, Purgatory Flame Demon; second, Arrows of the Phoenix; third, Corruption of the Heart's Flame. If you wish to forfeit during the trial, shout, and I'll immediately remove you from the trial grounds. Forcing yourself to continue could result in death. I wish you success." The golden eyes slowly vanished into the pitch-black darkness as the Spirit of the Phoenix's voice faded.
The world spun around Yun Wuji once again. Moments later, the darkness disappeared, and he found himself in a deep red field.
The ground beneath his feet was a deep red, resembling red-hot steel, uneven and littered with boulders. Crimson mountains layered the landscape, looking ready to spew flames. The sky above was also deep red.
Embers scattered across the fire-red ground, some just inches tall, others over ten meters high. Pools of bubbling red lava dotted the area, creating a terrifying scene of a lava purgatory.
The air was scorching hot, with temperatures reaching terrifying heights.
He walked slowly ahead, unaffected by the high temperature. Then, suddenly, the red lava intensified, churning violently and growing fiercer by the moment. The pool overflowed, and a large chunk of lava broke loose with a deafening sound. A massive, flaming figure emerged from the lava and landed in front of Yun Wuji with an ear-shattering boom.
This flame giant stood ninety-nine meters tall, its entire body engulfed in red-hot flames. Ferocious eyes gleamed on either side of its head, while ten-meter-long horns of fire adorned its fiery crown, with a golden mark shining between them.
Yun Wuji looked up at the towering giant and remarked, "I hate looking up to others."
The Purgatory Flame Demon roared loudly, its eyes fixated on Yun Wuji. Below its eyes, a massive mouth unleashed a dozen oversized fireballs as it charged toward him.
Yun Wuji stood his ground, unmoving. As the fireballs approached, they were sliced into four pieces by an invisible force before exploding in place.
He glanced at the charging Flame Demon, and the moment his eyes locked onto it, it was as if Yun Wuji's gaze became like swords. The demon's body split into eight pieces before it could react.
Boom
With a loud bang, the pieces fell to the ground.
At that moment, the scenery before him suddenly distorted. Everything spun in a blur, and when it finally stabilized, the red land, volcanoes, and pools of lava were gone. In their place was an expanse of nothingness, a flat wilderness with no uneven terrain in sight.
"Second stage of the trial: Arrows of the Phoenix," announced the voice of the Phoenix.
Yun Wuji looked up and saw the scarlet-colored sky filled with countless red phoenixes, each about six feet long and enveloped in scarlet flames. Following the phoenixes' cry, the swarm aimed at his location and swiftly descended like meteors.
Bang!
Just as the blazing phoenix was about to hit him, he teleported to the other side. The red phoenix crashed into the ground, creating a massive fireball that filled the sky with a rain of fire.
The terrifying phoenix flames could have gravely injured someone in the Emperor Profound Realm instantly. Fortunately, they couldn't touch him, and even if they did, they would only scratch him at most.
Scree~~
The phoenix cry resounded again, and this time nine phoenix silhouettes bolted down like flaming arrows. Wuji maintained his tactic and teleported to another location, easily evading the attack.
Scree~~
Scree~~
Scree~~
Numerous phoenix cries overlapped chaotically, their sharp calls seeming to almost tear open the sky.
The number of phoenixes continued to increase each time: 9, 18, 55, 180... But Wuji maintained his tactic, teleporting to other places. Sometimes they aimed at different spots to block his escape, but he always dealt with them with ease.
"This is taking too long. When will this finish?" Honestly, the trial was far too easy for him. In fact, it was boring at this point. "Or should I just destroy them?"
Just as he was considering whether to destroy the phoenix arrows, they transformed into flames that gradually burned out, signaling the end of the second trial.
At that moment, the scene in front of him began to distort and grow increasingly obscure. Everything turned pitch-black before him. Soon after, a pair of golden eyes opened in the darkness, and the voice of the phoenix spirit echoed in his mind.
"That surprised me! To think someone could be so strong. You're only at the Sky Profound Realm, yet your battle strength is nearly on par with the Sovereign Profound Realm."
"..." Yun Wuji stood silently, watching the golden eyes without answering.
"You passed the previous two stages with unprecedented speed. Although your strength baffles me, the third trial, Corruption of the Heart's Flame, tests the heart rather than battle prowess. It's the hardest trial to pass. Over countless years, only three hundred twenty-nine challengers have passed the first two trials. But those who passed the third trial amount to only seven."
"However, you don't need to be too nervous. Although the third trial doesn't involve fighting, if you are resolute in your pursuit of power, you may have a chance to pass easily."
"Start the third trial," Yun Wuji said calmly. Choosing to undergo the Phoenix trial, he was naturally confident in passing all the trials.
"As you wish... I wish you success."
The phoenix spirit's eyes disappeared, and the pitch-black world began to distort once more.
Within the darkness, Yun Wuji felt his consciousness gradually blur. He opened his eyes alertly, but the heaviness in his mind was irresistible. His vision and awareness faded until his mind stilled completely.
When Yun Wuji regained consciousness, he found himself in a small house, his body reverted to that of a twelve-year-old. The door creaked open, and an old man entered. Wuji fixed his gaze on the old man, his eyes turning red as tears streamed down his face. Though he knew deep down it was an illusion, he couldn't resist crying out.
"Master!"
"You kid, why are you crying?" Yun Gu approached him and asked kindly.
"Master!" Yun Wuji hugged his master while crying.
The third trial can intensify emotions to the point where the person undergoing it loses their sense of reality, even if they know everything is an illusion. Just like now, Yun Wuji knows clearly that this is nothing but an illusion, but he still couldn't resist its effects.
"I'm sorry, Master. I should have tried harder. I shouldn't have run away and left you alone."
"What are you talking about? Did you hit your head?" The old man hugged Yun Wuji and asked, concerned.
"I am sorry, I am really sorry." Yun Wuji didn't answer he kept apologizing.
Suddenly, Yun Gu's hands clamped around Yun Wuji's throat, squeezing tightly and choking him. Wuji struggled to breathe but made no attempt to resist. He apologized once again before closing his eyes.
The scene dissolved and vanished, returning Yun Wuji to darkness. He opened his eyes to find the two giant, golden eyes staring directly at him.
"Damn! That was very unpleasant. I didn't expect to be so mentally weak," he chuckled self-deprecatingly.
"Why didn't you fight back even though you have the power to do so? " the Phoenix spirit asked him.
"Simply because I didn't want to. I knew from the very beginning that everything was fake. Perhaps to alleviate my sense of guilt, I chose not to resist," he said, shaking his head.
"Since I failed, I guess I should go now."
"No, it's not your time to leave yet. Congratulations, human. In countless years, you're the eighth to choose giving up strength over hurting your loved one's illusion. You've earned the Phoenix's gift."
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