A silver light once again flooded Liang Chen's vision as he and the others were transported through space. After a short few seconds, the silver light receded, allowing Liang Chen and the others to inspect their new surroundings.
They now found themselves standing atop a plateau made out of dry earth that held a faint tinge of yellow. A weak breeze blew past them, gently lifting up the dust on the plateau. Spreading out below the plateau was a myriad of arid valleys that snaked around and through each other, forming a vast maze that spread out for as far as the eyes could see. While everyone was gazing at the natural maze, the booming voice sounded out above them.
"The trial shall start in five minutes. Rest up and restore your energy."
Five minutes to prepare, Liang Chen guessed that it was likely because they had just finished a trial that they got some time to prepare, as the previous trial had no preparation time. Liang Chen and some of the others started to inspect all the people that had arrived on the plateau, one old woman letting out a remorseful sigh.
"So this is the location of the next trial. Seems like there were quite a few people that died in the previous trial, I wonder if this one is going to be much harder."
Counting everyone who had arrived and comparing it to the number of people that had stepped onto the path to the inner region, 1/3 was already gone, after just one trial. If they just got harder and harder, didn't that mean that everyone would likely end up dead? A solemn and nervous atmosphere descended onto the plateau, but the silver-eyed Yuan Xuefeng shook his head lightly.
"No, it should be at about the same level of difficulty as the last one, just a bit different contents."
Not everyone knew that Yuan Xuefeng was the honorary disciple of the person who set up this hidden realm, so there were some people that simply ignored his words, merely giving him a slightly curious glance. But Liang Chen and the others knew the truth, so the amber-haired Cui Leizong narrowed his eyes sharply as he looked at Yuan Xuefeng.
"I believe it is time for you to tell us as much as you know about these trials."
Most of the others that knew the truth also pressed up closer to Yuan Xuefeng, sending him slight glares. He had been able to help them in the last trial, so their chances of survival were much higher if they got him to tell them everything he knew. Yuan Xuefeng quickly raised his arms, taking half a step backward.
"Calm down, calm down. I'll tell you everything that I know."
By now, it became clear to the others who didn't know the truth that Yuan Xuefeng knew more about these trials than they did. They quickly moved closer, doing their best to hear everything he said. Yuan Xuefeng sat down on the ground, explaining a little about his status as an honorary disciple. One he finished repeating what Liang Chen and the others already knew, he pointed at the massive tower that could still be seen in the distance.
"This hidden realm can be considered a trial ground where Master can find people worthy of his skills and some of the numerous objects he has acquired throughout the years. It will change location once every thousand years, allowing Master to find disciples all over the universe. Most of his skills, as well as all the best rewards, are all stored in that massive tower over there, his Nine-Floored King Sealing Pagoda."
The group couldn't help but look at the tower with their mouths agape. Sealing God Empyrean, King Sealing Pagoda, just how grandiose weren't these names? And this entire hidden realm could move through space on its own? That alone told a lot about the might of the Sealing God Empyrean.
"To get to the nine-floored pagoda, we have to pass three trials and be acknowledged by six guardians. In the last trial, the Ocean King and the Ocean Queen were the guardians. The Ocean Queen set up the Blue-scaled Leeches and the Ocean King was the one who fuelled the formation with his energy. They were slumbering, but they are connected to the palace, so they can see everything that goes on within it."
Three trials, six guardians, a nine-floored pagoda, Liang Chen guessed that this Sealing God Empyrean liked the number three. Yuan Xuefeng allowed the others to digest the information and then continued his explanation.
"Escaping meant that we passed the trial, and everyone who acquired the acknowledgment of the two guardians was sent here. If they didn't acknowledge you, you would be returned to the edge of the endless path, or as Master called it, The King's Road."
The King's Road. Did the name mean that those who walked the road would become kings, or did it mean that only kings could walk the road? Only the Sealing God Empyrean, the creator, would know the answer. Yuan Xuefeng took a light breath, his expression turning somewhat bitter.
"There are many different types of trials spread throughout the entire hidden realm, but its impossible to know exactly which trial we are sent to, as it is nearly random. Also, I have some bad news. The guardians of the previous trial are lazy and spend most of their time sleeping, so their trial hasn't changed in countless years. But the other guardians are different. They change the trials based on their moods, so even I don't know exactly what trials we will face, nor how to clear them."
This was the reason he didn't mind telling the others about the trials. It was only luck that he knew how to clear the first trial, as it hadn't changed once since it was first set up. Every future trial, on the other hand, would likely have changed quite a bit by now.
The expressions of the others distorted slightly upon hearing that Yuan Xuefeng didn't know exactly what they would face. They didn't suspect him of lying, as only an absolute fool would lie if he was being pressured by this many cultivators. And shortly after Yuan Xuefeng finished his explanation, their five minutes of preparation were up, the booming voice resounding once more.
"Show your determination, never stop moving forward, no matter what."
Before anyone could try to figure out exactly what the trial would be, space around everyone started to twist and churn, surrounding them. They quickly understood what was happening, Yan Ying shouting at Liang Chen and Yan Ling.
"It's separating us again! Little Chen, Ling'er, take extreme caution!"
A silver light flooded their vision and they were swiftly thrown through space. When the silver light vanished, Liang Chen found himself within one of the arid valleys that made up the natural maze. The moment he arrived within the valley, he was immediately smashed into the ground, an ungodly pressure pushing down on every inch of his body.
This pressure was far worse than any pressure he had felt in the hidden realm, it felt like he was standing at the bottom of the ocean, carrying an entire mountain on his back. The ground beneath his flattened body even started to crack, his body sinking slightly into the ground. Liang Chen was so shocked that he couldn't help but let out an utterly shocked exclamation.
"What sort of pressure is this?!"
Just the act of moving his hands proved incredibly challenging, so standing up and walking was completely out of the question. Liang Chen took a quick deep breath to calm down, his thoughts moving around as he tried to figure out exactly what he had to do in this trial. He spent a few minutes, both examining his surroundings and testing out a few things that came to mind.
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The first thing he noticed was that if he didn't move, not only would the pressure slowly grow heavier, but strange creatures that looked like wolves made from earth would start to rise up from the ground, preparing to pounce him. The moment he started to move again, however, the wolves would sink back into the ground. His Qi wasn't technically locked within his body, but the amount of energy and effort it took to make it resist the pressure and leave his body could only be considered insane.
He also discovered that there were markings in the valley, either carved into the ground or onto the walls. The markings were very simple, they were plain arrows that pointed forward, deeper into the labyrinth. Liang Chen took another deep, his lips struggling to form a wry smile.
"Stop and you die, not very pleasant. So this is what you're testing, huh?"
The booming voice had been very literal in its explanation. You had to show your determination to move forward, not stopping for anything, as stopping meant death. There was no way for Liang Chen to walk under this pressure, so there was only one thing he could do, crawl.
He slowly stretched out his arms, digging his fingers into the earth and pulling himself forward. He only had average talent, but if there was one thing he had in abundance, it was determination. He would kill Qing Lan Yong, and then he would see if it was possible to bring back people from the dead. Before he achieved both of those things, he refused to die.
Liang Chen continued to crawl across the earth, the dust mixing with his sweat and sticking to his body. After crawling for half a day, his nails had been completely torn off from the repeated crawling, his hands bloody and dirty. The pressure pushed down on every inch of his being, his body feeling completely devoid of any semblance of strength. But even so, he continued to crawl.
"Do you think my determination is so weak that it can be crushed by something like this?!"
Liang Chen could only bite his lips, the taste of blood helping him stave off the pain and empty feeling in his body. After two days of crawling, even the Qi that he used to support his body had been completely emptied, leaving him with no source of energy other than his unyielding determination.
He could not stop moving, because if he stopped moving for even a second, he knew that he would not be able to start moving again. He would be pressed flat by the pressure and assaulted by wolves made of earth, drawing his last breath all alone in this valley whose location he didn't even know. After five days of crawling, his entire body was covered in dust and dirt. His face, his arms, and his legs were all covered in dirty blood. He made for a truly unsightly sight. But even so, he continued to crawl. No matter how much his body ached and cried for rest, he continued to crawl. No matter how unsightly he might seem to others, he continued to crawl, muttering to himself to keep himself going.
"You cannot...stop me...I will...push on...unto eternity...I won't fall...before I...have...accomplished my...goals..."
After ten days of crawling, Liang Chen was no longer able to see anything around him, not even his own hands. But he could still feel his body ache, so he knew that it was still there. So he continued to crawl, using the pain locate his own body parts so that he knew how to move.
Even Liang Chen was surprised by how strong his determination was, how long it had allowed him to continue crawling even though he was completely devoid of energy. And as he continued to crawl, completely focused on moving his arms and legs, he failed to notice tiny slivers of lightning entering his body from his Lightning Seed, quietly sinking into his bones, slowly strengthening them and giving him a tiny amount of energy.
Liang Chen's monotonous crawl came to an end after 15 days, at which point his mind had turned completely blurry and confused. He wasn't even able to feel the pain anymore, so he wasn't even certain if he was actually still crawling.
The pressure that crushed him into the ground suddenly disappeared, the arid earth around him vanishing as if it had been nothing more than an illusion. His mind instantly cleared up, his vision returning to him. He found himself standing at the gates of a very familiar city, Green Rivers city.
He quickly checked himself and what state his body was in. To his shock, he was clad in a light green robe and his body had grown taller and more muscular. There was a puddle on the ground, so he was able to see that his eyes had returned to their previous emerald green, his hair returning to the black color it had been before he started cultivating. His Ascended Tower had also changed, it had shrunk, only reaching the middle stage of the Mortal Tower realm, as well as turning an icy white in color and releasing a cold mist. Liang Chen couldn't help but tilt his head slightly, looking at the people around him in confusion.
"This? Did I lose consciousness?"
But why would he fall unconscious, he had just been out for a little walk to clear his head in the fresh evening air, hadn't he? The moment the thought struck him, Liang Chen violently shook his head, forcefully discarding it.
Memories started to flood into his mind, memories he shouldn't have. His 13th birthday, the proud look on his father's face when Liang Chen was able to successfully enter the Ascended Tower stage, the first time he joined his father hunting. Liang Chen clutched his head, trying to drown out these memories that weren't real, these fake memories that never happened.
Had he lost consciousness in the valley, was this a dream his mind conjured up in his final moments? Or was this just a trick that the blood-haired Liang Chen he had seen the last time he fell unconscious was pulling on him?
Right now, Liang Chen was thankful that he had been forced to relieve the death of his parents several times, he was also thankful that he had met the blood-haired Liang Chen inside the bloody city in his own mind. Had it not been for those things, which were basically just illusions he had been forced to see, he felt that it was likely he would have fallen for whatever was going on here, truly believing it to be real.
After discarding all the fake memories, Liang Chen checked his surroundings, even touching a few things and people to try and figure out exactly what was going on. In the end, he came to a conclusion, shaking his head.
"No, it feels different, too real."
This all felt far too real to be just a trick by the blood-haired Liang Chen, it also felt completely different from those times he had relieved his parents' death. Then what was it, was it really just a dream he saw before death? Or was it part of the trial? While Liang Chen was thinking it over, he heard a voice call out to him, his entire body freezing up.
"Chen'er, there you are!"
Liang Chen closed his eyes and took several deep breaths, forcing his thundering heart to calm down, slowly turning around to face the person who had called out to him. Currently moving towards him with hurried steps were his mother and father. They looked slightly different from how he remembered them. Their hair had grown a bit longer, their skin turning a bit wrinklier, his father even had some gray streaks in his brown hair. Looking at the two people who he had dreamt of reuniting with, Liang Chen's eyes couldn't help but turn a bit red, his voice hoarse.
"...Mother...Father?"