Aduin stood on the precipice of a vast, blackened cliff. Below him, the Abyss of Ten Thousand Screams stretched endlessly into the distance, its depths obscured by swirling, malicious mists. The air crackled with a terrifying energy, the spiritual pressure so heavy that it felt like it was pressing down on his chest, suffocating him. Yet, this was no ordinary trial. This was the Trial of Flesh and Soul, the crucible that every cultivator who aspired to reach the Fourth Stage of the Immortal Rot had to endure.
The Fourth Stage would bring him closer to the true mastery of the forbidden art. But it would also come at a cost — a cost that could break even the strongest of wills.
Aduin inhaled sharply, feeling his spiritual essence shift within him. The Immortal Rot had already transformed his body, and now, he felt something new—something darker. A chill ran down his spine. His very soul trembled with the foreboding sense of what lay ahead.“This trial will break me or remake me,” he muttered to himself. “But I have no choice.”
He reached for the scroll that had started it all, the Zhu Yunlan’s Forbidden Cultivation Manual. The glyphs on its surface pulsed with an almost sentient life. He could feel its call — a pull deep within his core. It wanted him to continue.
The trial would begin soon. There was no turning back.
As Aduin stepped forward, the mist parted, revealing an ancient stone altar. Upon the altar, a bitter incense burned, its smoke curling in the air, carrying with it a faint whisper. The whisper called to him, urging him to ascend, to transcend his mortal form.
But as his foot touched the first stone, an explosion of pain erupted from within his chest. His vision blurred, and his legs gave way, crashing to the cold stone beneath him.
“What... is this?” Aduin gasped.
His blood seethed with the effects of the trial. His veins burned as though fire itself were coursing through him. But it was not a normal fire. It was the fire of rot, a sacred and profane flame that burned the soul itself.
The whispers grew louder, urging him to embrace the pain.
“You seek power,” they hissed, “but do you know the cost? Do you know what you must leave behind to claim it?”
Aduin gritted his teeth. The pain was unbearable, but there was no way out. He clenched his fists, summoning every ounce of his willpower.“I am not afraid.”
With that, he closed his eyes and embraced the darkness.
The world around Aduin collapsed into nothingness, leaving him suspended in an endless void. There were no stars here, no light, just an infinite sea of darkness.
And then he heard it — a low, rumbling growl. It was deep, resonating from the very fabric of the void. The growl was accompanied by a shrill voice, soft and mocking, one that Aduin had come to loathe over the years.
“You are weak,” the voice sneered. “You are nothing more than a mortal fool playing at immortality.”
Aduin’s heart raced as the voice seemed to echo around him. Images began to form — flickering shadows of his past, the failures of his old life.
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He saw himself, weak and frail, stumbling through his days in the mundane world. He saw his family, his loved ones, and the friends he had lost, their faces twisted in disappointment.
“You cannot even save your own soul. How can you claim to transcend?” the voice taunted.
The images grew more vivid. He saw the faces of those he had left behind in Midgard — his world. His old life, the one where he had been weak, broken, and powerless. He had turned his back on them, seeking only strength. Now, it seemed the cost of that strength was the very soul he had once held dear.
His hands trembled as he felt the weight of their sorrow. Was this truly the path he had chosen? Was power worth this endless darkness?
“You were weak then,” the voice whispered. “And you are weak now.”
Suddenly, Aduin’s body shuddered. His soul wavered on the precipice, torn between light and shadow. It was then that he felt it — a cold presence slithering within him, coiling through his veins like the ancient serpent that had haunted his dreams.
The presence was alive, writhing in the dark recesses of his spirit. It was the Rot, the essence of the Immortal Rot that had infected him, slowly devouring his humanity. But in this trial, it was no longer a passive force. It had become something more — a sentient entity.
“Who are you?” Aduin breathed.
The presence stirred, its voice resonating within his mind.
“I am the Beast that sleeps within you,” it growled. “I am your true self. The darkness you fear, the hunger you deny. You have fed me with your choices, and now, you must face the price.”
Aduin’s heart raced as the presence grew stronger. His body pulsed with a power that he had never felt before, a power that threatened to consume him. The Beast was awakening.
“You must embrace me,” the voice urged. “You must feed me, for only then will you be truly free.”
Aduin struggled, his vision swimming in the depths of agony. His body felt like it was being torn apart. But then, something within him clicked. A memory, a flash of his past.
He remembered the moment when he had first touched the Forbidden Manual. The truth he had sought — the path to immortality — was nothing more than a descent into madness.
And now, here he was, faced with the consequences of his choices.
His hands clenched into fists. There was no turning back.
The Beast coiled tighter within him, urging him to embrace the darkness fully, to merge with it. The agony was unbearable, but Aduin refused to yield. He had endured the Rot thus far, but this trial would test his very will.
“I will not become a monster,” he thought, his teeth gritted. “I will not become a slave to this darkness.”
With an incredible effort, Aduin forced the Beast back, pushing the darkness to the edges of his soul. It screamed in protest, but Aduin held firm. His will was stronger than it had ever been.
The ground beneath him trembled, and the mist swirled around him, as if the world itself was testing his resolve.
For a long moment, nothing happened. The darkness subsided, and the Beast retreated into the depths of his soul.
“You are strong,” the voice whispered, almost reluctantly. “But remember, I will always be here, waiting.”
Aduin opened his eyes, the darkness lifting. He had passed the trial, but the price had been high. His body and soul were scarred, but his spirit was unbroken.
Aduin awoke in the familiar darkness of the Hollow, his hands trembling as he touched his chest. The pain had subsided, but the scar of the trial remained.
The Trial of Flesh and Soul had left its mark.
But it had also given him something — a new power, one that would serve him in the battles ahead.
His eyes burned with a newfound determination.
The Rot had not claimed him, not fully. And in that victory, he had gained something far more valuable than power. He had gained his freedom.
And yet, the storm was far from over. The Storm Lantern Pavilion was still after him, and Aduin knew that the real test had only just begun.
The darkness stirred once again, but Aduin was not afraid. He had faced it, and he had won. For now.
But the road ahead would be treacherous.
The Storm Lantern Pavilion was relentless, and the Zhu Yunlan’s Forbidden Cultivation Manual still held many secrets. Aduin would need every ounce of strength, will, and cunning if he hoped to survive.
The battle for his soul had only just begun.
[TO BE CONTINUED...]