The moment Lin Feng stepped through the massive stone door, the air shifted. It was as if the very atmosphere inside the Sacred Chamber of Ascension responded to his presence. The oppressive energy that had once loomed at the entrance now fully enveloped him, the chamber's atmosphere thick with a palpable sense of power. The ground beneath his feet felt strangely soft, like stepping onto a bed of mist.
As the door creaked closed behind him, the darkness inside seemed to stretch outward, engulfing everything except the faint glow of ancient runes carved into the walls. The chamber was vast, its ceiling lost in the shadows above. But despite the darkness, Lin Feng could feel the weight of eyes upon him—thousands, perhaps millions, of unseen watchers, all focusing their attention on him.
Suddenly, the runes on the walls flared with a brilliant blue light, and a deep, resonant voice echoed through the chamber, reverberating in Lin Feng's very bones.
"Welcome, Lin Feng. You have come to face the Trial of Ascension. Here, you will confront not only the world's darkness but the shadows within your own soul."
Lin Feng's heart skipped a beat, the voice reverberating deep within him, stirring something primal and buried. His eyes narrowed. This wasn't just about testing his strength. It was about something far deeper, something far more personal.
"The trial begins now."
With the finality of the voice, the ground trembled. Lin Feng staggered slightly, regaining his balance as the room seemed to shift around him. The walls began to pulse with energy, and a sudden wind stirred the air, whipping his hair around his face. His senses heightened—every movement, every breath felt sharper, clearer.
And then, as if summoned by his very thoughts, a figure materialized before him, rising from the shadows like a ghost. It was a tall man, cloaked in black, his face obscured by a hood, but there was something unmistakably familiar about him. Lin Feng's breath caught as recognition hit him like a wave.
It was the old man—the one he had tried to save, the one whose last words had haunted him.
"W-what are you?" Lin Feng asked, his voice betraying the fear that suddenly clawed at him.
The figure's lips curled into a faint smile. "I am your first trial, Lin Feng. The darkness that you have yet to confront—the darkness that has been following you since the day you first arrived in this world."
Lin Feng's pulse raced. The man's words struck a deep chord within him. He had already faced physical dangers, enemies seeking to take his life. But this—this was different. This was about his own soul, his very essence. He had no idea what lay ahead, but one thing was certain: he would not let this trial break him.
"You aren't real," Lin Feng said, his voice firm, though his insides trembled. "You're just a manifestation of the trial, an illusion."
The figure's smile widened. "Am I an illusion, Lin Feng? Or am I the truth you've been running from?"
Before Lin Feng could respond, the room around him began to twist and warp. The shadows deepened, the air grew colder, and the once-distant sound of rushing wind became a deafening roar. The walls seemed to bend inward, and Lin Feng stumbled as the ground beneath him buckled.
Suddenly, a flood of memories crashed into him—flashes of his life before he came to Xuanjie, images of his parents, the friends he had once known, and the people he had failed to protect. His hands trembled as memories of his life on Earth blended with his new life here. He had left everything behind—the world he had known, the relationships he had once cherished. But the guilt, the sense of loss, was still there, gnawing at his heart.
The figure in front of him extended its hand, and with a cold, mocking tone, it spoke again.
"Do you remember them, Lin Feng? Do you remember what you gave up when you crossed over? When you chose to leave behind everything for power, for a false sense of purpose? You abandoned them. You abandoned yourself."
Lin Feng's heart pounded in his chest, the voice echoing like a curse in his mind. No, I didn't abandon them, he thought desperately. I had no choice.
"You can't run from this, Lin Feng," the figure continued, its voice growing more insistent, more relentless. "You left your old world, but it will always be with you. The guilt. The regret. It will haunt you until the end of your days."
Lin Feng staggered back, the air thick with the weight of his own unresolved emotions. His breath came in short gasps, his hands clenched into fists as he tried to push the memories away. He had moved on, hadn't he? He had a new life, new goals, new reasons to fight.
But the figure's words were like daggers, piercing through the armor he had built for himself. The guilt of leaving his family behind, the regrets of never being able to make amends for past mistakes—these feelings were part of him, even if he tried to suppress them.
"You can't outrun your past, Lin Feng," the figure taunted. "You can't outrun yourself."
A wave of dark energy surged toward him, wrapping around his chest and tightening with each passing second. Lin Feng gasped for air, the pressure suffocating him. His knees buckled as the weight of his emotions threatened to crush him.
No! he screamed internally. I won't let this defeat me!
His hands shot out, summoning the power of the Divine Path. It crackled to life beneath his skin, filling him with strength and clarity. He clenched his fists tighter, fighting against the darkness, fighting against the guilt and pain that the figure had unleashed within him. The energy swirled around him, pushing back against the oppressive force.
"I am not my past!" Lin Feng shouted, his voice reverberating through the chamber. "I won't let you control me!"
With a roar, he thrust his hands forward, unleashing a surge of power that exploded from within him, shattering the dark tendrils of energy. The figure screamed as the blast of energy consumed it, the illusion fading away like smoke in the wind.
The room fell silent, the oppressive pressure lifting as the figure's presence vanished. Lin Feng stood, his chest heaving with exhaustion, his body trembling. But despite the exhaustion, he felt something shift within him—something powerful, something new. The trial had tested his will, his ability to confront the darkness within him. And for the first time, he had faced it head-on.
But even as the echoes of the trial began to fade, Lin Feng knew this was only the beginning. The trial had shown him one aspect of the darkness within himself, but there was still so much more to uncover. More trials awaited him, and the true test was yet to come.
But I'll be ready, Lin Feng thought as he straightened up, the fire in his eyes burning brighter than ever. I won't let anyone control me. Not the Divine Path, not the Celestial Order, and not the shadows within my soul.
With that thought, he stepped forward, ready to face whatever the trial would throw at him next.
The storm inside was far from over. But Lin Feng had finally realized: the only way out was through.