Zhao Yunche's steps were firm. After the bloody battle on the mountaintop, his cultivation and state of mind were greatly improved. However, this was just the beginning, and the real challenge had just begun. With the undercurrents surging inside and outside the Zhao family, Zhao Yunche also realized that his fate no longer belonged to himself alone, but was closely connected with the entire Zhao family and even the wider world.
On this day, the atmosphere in the Zhao family manor was extremely heavy. Zhao Honghai personally summoned Zhao Yunche, his face serious, and a complex light flashed in his eyes.
"Yunche, the next trial is not something you can control." Zhao Honghai's tone was a bit sad, "The Bloody Netherworld is the most cruel test in the history of the Zhao family. If you pass it, you will gain unimaginable power; if you fail, you will be completely lost and your soul will be scattered."
Zhao Yunche was slightly stunned. Bloody Netherworld? He had never heard of this name. He felt a strong curiosity and uneasiness in his heart, but more of a determination to overcome everything. He knew that only by continuous breakthroughs could he truly control his own destiny.
"What exactly is the Bloody Netherworld?" Zhao Yunche asked, his tone calm, but his heart was turbulent.
"You will enter a strange space, where there are no rules, no enemies, only endless fog and silent death." Zhao Honghai's face became more serious, "This is the forbidden area of the Zhao family trial. Only a very few people have passed it in history, and those who failed have no bones left."
Zhao Yunche lowered his head, and raised his head after a moment, his eyes full of determination: "I am willing to accept this trial."
"Okay." Zhao Honghai nodded, "You must choose to enter the Bloody Netherworld. Moreover, you must go alone and cannot bring anyone. Every time you enter, it is a matter of life and death."
Zhao Yunche's heart tightened. Although he had doubts in his heart, he knew that this was his only way forward. In order to become stronger, he was ready to give everything.
Bloody Netherworld: Mist and Shadow
Zhao Yunche walked into an ancient forbidden area deep in the Zhao family manor. The environment here is quiet and depressing, and the air is filled with a palpitating breath. Thick fog covered the surroundings, limiting vision, and any sound seemed to be swallowed up in this dead space.
Suddenly, Zhao Yunche's footsteps stopped. In front of him, a blood-colored fog suddenly rose and enveloped the entire space. The blood-colored fog seemed to have life, constantly surging, like an evil ghost entangled.
"This is the entrance to the blood-colored netherworld..." Zhao Yunche's heart beat faster involuntarily, and he felt a strong sense of oppression. Although he had been mentally prepared, he still couldn't suppress the fluctuations in his heart when he really stood in front of this mysterious space.
He took a deep breath and stepped resolutely into the blood-colored fog. As soon as he entered, the surrounding scene changed drastically in an instant, and the surroundings seemed to be swallowed by endless blood fog. In front of him, he could not see anything except fog.
"You are finally here, Zhao Yunche." A cold voice echoed in the air, and the sound came from all directions, as if it was everywhere.
Zhao Yunche looked stern and looked around, but he never found the source of the sound.
"Who is it?" Zhao Yunche asked in a deep voice, his heart was extremely alert.
"Hehe..." There was a hint of ridicule in his voice, "Do you think you can completely control everything? Do you think that after the trial, you have become strong enough?"
"Who are you?" Zhao Yunche shouted angrily, his breath fluctuated violently, and the blood mist around him seemed to respond to his anger and became thicker.
"I am the deepest fear in your heart." The voice continued to sound, "Your failure, your cowardice, your incompetence, everything you dare not face, will be revealed here. If you dare to look directly, you will have hope of breaking through; if you escape, you will be trapped here forever."
Zhao Yunche's breathing became heavy. He knew that this was not only a physical test, but also a psychological and spiritual torture.
"Come on." Zhao Yunche whispered, his voice firm and powerful, "No matter what kind of illusion you are, I will face it."
As soon as the voice fell, the blood mist around him surged instantly, forming a huge blood-colored vortex. A strong sense of crisis surged in Zhao Yunche's heart, and a strong spiritual power fluctuation broke out instantly. The ground under his feet shook violently, and the blood mist around him began to twist, as if it was torn apart by some powerful force.
However, suddenly, a figure emerged from the blood mist. It was himself - his lost past, his fear, and the deepest pain in his heart.
"Yun Che, you are just a waste, and you will never surpass me." The figure sneered, with a tone full of contempt, "You can't do anything well, and all your efforts will be in vain. You will only disappoint everyone."
Zhao Yunche's heart was shocked, and the pain and fear hidden deep in his heart seemed to be ruthlessly revealed. He felt a strong sense of oppression and was almost out of breath.
"Shut up!" Zhao Yunche roared, and his hands quickly formed seals. The spiritual power in his body surged out like a torrent, forming an invisible shock wave, forcing the phantom back.
"Deep in your heart, you can never escape these pains." The phantom sneered, "You have never really faced your own weakness, you have always been avoiding it, and you dare not face the truth."
Zhao Yunche's heart trembled suddenly, and past memories flashed through his mind - past failures, past helplessness, past loneliness... All those things he dared not face, at this moment, seemed to be clearly visible.
"You must face it all." The voice still echoed in his ears, "You can't escape, you can never escape."
Zhao Yunche took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and quietly felt the fluctuations in his heart. At this moment, he finally understood that this trial was not an external enemy, but a confrontation in his heart. What he wanted to break through was not only the limit of strength, but the fear and shadow deep in his heart.
"I, Zhao Yunche, will never escape!" He suddenly opened his eyes, his eyes full of determination, "I am willing to face everything and meet all challenges!"
As his voice sounded, the blood mist around him suddenly rioted, and the strong breath seemed to tear the entire space apart. Zhao Yunche's spiritual power surged, and a powerful aura burst out from his body instantly, like a burning sun, illuminating the entire blood-colored mist.
The phantom began to gradually dissipate, and there was no longer a terrifying figure in the blood-colored mist, replaced by a peaceful and clear mind. Zhao Yunche's heart also completely calmed down at this moment.
Ending: Breakthrough and Rebirth (Continued)
"Zhao Yunche, you passed." The voice sounded again, this time without any fear or threat, but full of deep recognition and appreciation, "You have overcome the fear and weakness in your heart and broken through your own limits. You are now qualified to face stronger challenges."
Zhao Yunche stood in the empty space of the Bloody Netherworld, feeling the surging spiritual power in his body. His cultivation seemed to have broken through a limit, his breath became more vigorous and stable, and he could even clearly feel the flow of spiritual energy between heaven and earth. He was no longer the young man who felt powerless about his fate, but a strong man who could dominate his own fate.
"Is this... my real breakthrough?" Zhao Yunche whispered to himself, feeling the changes in his heart. The pain and fear of the past seemed to no longer be able to restrain him.
"Congratulations, Yunche." The voice was filled with a bit of warm congratulations, "You have passed the test of the Bloody Netherworld, and the power you need has awakened in your body."
As these words fell, the blood-colored mist around him completely dissipated, and the scene in front of him became clear. Zhao Yunche found himself still standing in that dark space. The only change was his inner calmness and strength. He felt that his spiritual power had made a qualitative leap and his state of mind had been profoundly improved.
"Have I broken through?" Zhao Yunche whispered with a firm gaze. He knew that he had not only passed the trial, but also completed a sublimation of the soul.
Suddenly, the ground under his feet shook slightly, and a ray of light sprinkled from the void, enveloping Zhao Yunche's figure. After a moment, his figure disappeared in the bloody space in a flash.
Return to the Zhao Family: The beginning of a new chapter
Zhao Yunche returned to the Zhao Family Manor and stood in front of the door of the Zhao Family Hall. His face was still young, but his eyes were more mature and firm.
At this moment, the Zhao Family Manor was solemn, and Zhao Honghai and the elders were already waiting in the hall. Seeing Zhao Yunche's figure appear, everyone's eyes were cast, and their eyes were full of different emotions: surprise, awe, and expectation.
A deep light flashed in Zhao Honghai's eyes. He stepped forward and patted Zhao Yunche on the shoulder: "You succeeded, Yunche."
Zhao Yunche nodded, his tone calm and firm: "I have broken through, I will win glory for the Zhao family."
Zhao Honghai smiled: "You are no longer the boy who only knows how to shoulder responsibilities, but a strong man with your own destiny. The next challenge will be more cruel, but you have the strength to face everything."
"I will meet all challenges." Zhao Yunche's eyes were full of determination. He was no longer the weak boy. He had become a real strong man, a cultivator who could dominate his own destiny.
The atmosphere in the hall was silent, and everyone in the Zhao family was waiting for Zhao Yunche's next words. Although he was young, he had already shown an aura in the Zhao family that was hard to ignore.
Suddenly, Zhao Yunche's eyes swept around and fell on a familiar figure. It was a young female cultivator of the Zhao family, named Lin Youran, who was a friend Zhao Yunche had known since childhood. Lin Youran's face was beautiful, with a touch of imperceptible tenderness in her eyes, as if she was paying attention to Zhao Yunche's every move.
A complex emotion surged in Zhao Yunche's heart, but he quickly suppressed it. He took a deep breath, turned to Zhao Honghai and said, "I know that the next trial will be a greater challenge. No matter what it is, I will go all out."
Zhao Honghai nodded: "You are ready, Yunche. From today on, the future of the Zhao family depends on you."
Zhao Yunche knew that this was just the beginning. The road ahead was full of uncertain risks and huge challenges, but he no longer felt confused and afraid. He already had enough confidence to meet all the upcoming difficulties.
New enemy: external threat
Just as Zhao Yunche was about to start a new practice, an unexpected news made the entire Zhao family fall into an unprecedented state of tension. An unknown powerful force suddenly appeared near the Zhao family manor and began to provoke and attack frequently.
This force called itself "Netherworld Sect" and was a mysterious practice sect. The cultivators of the Netherworld Sect wore black robes, had expressionless faces, were powerful, and moved in secret. What was even more shocking was that the Netherworld Sect seemed to have long been eyeing the Zhao family, intending to control the Zhao family's resources and power.
"The Netherworld Sect..." Zhao Honghai's face was solemn, "Behind this force, there seems to be a more terrifying force. We can't take it lightly."
Zhao Yunche stood in the middle of the hall, and after thinking for a moment, he said: "The Zhao family can't sit and wait for death. We must take the initiative to attack and deter this force."
Zhao Honghai frowned slightly, obviously hesitant about Zhao Yunche's decision: "You have just broken through, and the spiritual power in your body has not yet been completely stable. It may be dangerous to attack rashly."
"I am ready to face everything." Zhao Yunche's eyes were firm, "This is not only for the Zhao family, but also for myself. Only by constantly fighting can I truly surpass my limits."
Zhao Honghai looked at Zhao Yunche, who was no longer an ordinary boy, and felt both relieved and a little worried. He knew that Zhao Yunche's determination could not be changed, but he still hoped that Zhao Yunche would be more cautious.
"I am very pleased that you have this determination." Zhao Honghai sighed deeply, "However, the power of the Netherworld Sect is far more than what it seems. We must be fully prepared."
Zhao Yunche said nothing more, and he was already prepared in his heart. He knew that the emergence of the Netherworld Sect would completely change the fate of the Zhao family. And he could no longer turn back. Whether it was a storm or a calm, Zhao Yunche had to go on bravely.
Ending: The Interweaving of Fate
As night fell, the Zhao family manor returned to peace again, but the inner fluctuations made every member of the Zhao family unable to sleep.
Zhao Yunche stood on the high building of the manor, gazing at the mountains in the distance covered with moonlight. The wind blew gently, bringing a hint of coolness, but Zhao Yunche's heart was burning. He knew that the next battle would determine the future fate of him and the Zhao family.
"The Netherworld Sect..." Zhao Yunche muttered to himself, with a sharp light flashing in his eyes, "I will let them know that the Zhao family is not an existence that they can bully at will."
At this moment, Zhao Yunche's state of mind completely changed. He gradually became a warrior who was not afraid of strong enemies from a young boy, ready to welcome his peak battle.