A heavy, absolute silence descended upon the grand cavern of the Dragonis Kingdom—a place known throughout the lands as the Abyssal Cave of Destiny's Crucible, where only the most exceptional youth dared to test their mettle against fatal perils.
Yi Mo lay slumped against the jagged stone wall, his body completely paralyzed. The grievous wounds inflicted by the formidable Elder bled profusely, leaving him entirely immobilized.
"I can neither fight nor stand... From here on, I must entrust everything to you," Yi Mo muttered, his gaze fixed on his long-time companion, Han Guan.
Their alliance was forged in youth; they had abandoned the rigid, suffocating clan systems of the Southern Continent, seeking the Eastern Continent simply for a change of scenery. Relying solely on their peerless talent and monstrous strength, they had fought their way to the Dragonis Kingdom, risking their very lives to seize the revered status of Kingdom Elders.
The Demonic Descent
The Venerable Elder stood frozen in sheer disbelief. He had battered and broken Han Guan's body, yet what unfolded before his eyes defied the laws of cultivation.
"You... boy," the Elder breathed, his voice trembling. "It seems your lineage has sealed a pact with the Abyss. The entity dwelling within you is a harbinger of ruin. I must purge you with my own hands!"
Han Guan's horrific wounds began to knit together at a visible, unnatural speed. His eyes dissolved into twin pools of absolute, pitch-black darkness, stripped of any human emotion as if he had transcended into a creature of the Netherworld. Letting his twin swords drop to the cavern floor, he locked his abyssal gaze onto the Elder.
Without warning, the Elder made his move.
"Pristine Flash!"
In a fraction of a heartbeat, the Elder materialized directly in front of Han Guan, his glowing blade sweeping in a lethal arc aimed to decapitate the youth. Yet, Han Guan ducked with uncanny, animalistic reflexes, driving a ferocious right fist straight toward the Elder's chest.
BOOM!
Cold sweat beaded on the Elder's brow as he desperately brought his sword down to parry the strike. [Had I not reacted in the span of a single breath, my chest would have been utterly shattered...] the Elder thought, a cold dread washing over him. For the first time in decades, he felt the icy grip of genuine fear.
"Pristine Flash!"
With another burst of blinding speed, the Elder retreated into the air, hovering above and glaring down at the dark entity.
Han Guan leaped into the air, summoning one of his fallen swords while leaving the other embedded in the earth. Their blades collided with a deafening, metallic shriek that echoed like thunder throughout the cavern. Seizing an opening mid-air, the Elder tightly gripped Han Guan's wrist.
"First Pristine Blade!"
While restraining Han Guan, the Elder unleashed a swift, blinding slash that carved a deep, bloody gash across the youth's torso, following it with a brutal kick that sent Han Guan crashing back to the cavern floor. But the Elder refused to grant him a moment's respite. Utilizing his supreme movement technique once more, he closed the distance in a millisecond, aiming his sword to pierce Han Guan's heart.
In that critical instant, Han Guan's primal instincts took absolute control, unleashing a devastating martial technique:
"Mountain-Shattering Fist!"
This formidable strike compressed the very air into a localized shockwave, designed to pulverize any defensive barrier in its path.
BOOM!
The devastating blow struck the Elder squarely in the abdomen. The Elder's defense, the "Sacred Aegis of Holy Light," shattered like fragile glass, forcing him to cough up a torrent of fresh blood.
Seizing his second sword from the ground, Han Guan swung both blades in a cross-slash aimed directly at the Elder's throat. Fortunately for the old cultivator, his instinctive activation of "Pristine Flash" barely pulled him out of the lethal trajectory.
[This is absurd... a single physical blow completely shattered my Sacred Aegis!] the Elder panicked, his mind racing. [Must I resort to my ultimate, forbidden technique?]
Before he could resolve his thoughts, Han Guan vanished from his field of vision.
Swish! Swish! Swish!
In a flurry of blinding, dark strikes, Han Guan mercilessly carved deep wounds into the Elder's legs, thighs, chest, and arms. The Elder collapsed to his knees, gasping heavily for breath, while the dark-eyed youth stood over him like an executioner.
The Final Clashing of Wills
Suddenly, the wounded Elder began to laugh hysterically. Yi Mo, watching from the wall, frowned.
"What is wrong with you, old geezer? You are on the verge of death!" Yi Mo called out, before shouting to his companion: "Do not worry, Han Guan, we do not need to kill him! I just recalled the rules of this trial: we only need to pierce him twice in the upper body and twice in the lower body to claim victory. Stab him quickly and let us finish this!"
Hearing Yi Mo's voice, Han Guan raised his twin black swords, preparing to deliver the final, precise thrusts.
"I am afraid it will not be that simple, brats," the Elder rasped, his eyes gleaming with mad pride. "Before you claim victory, I shall leave a scar upon your souls that will remain etched in your memories forever!"
"You underestimate me too much... I was the former Deputy to the King, you arrogant fools!"
The Elder forced himself up, standing tall as he faced the demonic youth. [This boy... he is actively adapting to my combat style. Truly a terrifying talent, and one that will greatly benefit the Kingdom. But let us see how you fare against my ultimate technique.]
The Elder raised his sword, pointing it directly at Han Guan's heart.
"Eternal Pristine Severance!"
An icy shiver ran down the spines of both Yi Mo and Han Guan. The Elder's sword erupted in a brilliant, blinding white light, and his aura turned into an immaculate, suffocating pressure.
BOOM!
With a flash of light, the Elder severed Han Guan's arm. He then lunged forward, grabbing the youth by the neck to drive the sword through his chest.
In a desperate counter-activation of his instincts, Han Guan unleashed:
"Talons of the Feral Monarch!"
His free hand morphed into beast-like claws, slashing at the Elder's torso. Five distinct waves of dark, tearing energy ripped through the old man's flesh.
The Elder ducked low, barely evading a second fatal claw swipe, and swung his radiant blade once more.
Slash!
Han Guan's ear was sliced clean off. Letting out a horrific, guttural scream of pure agony, Han Guan unleashed a massive, suffocating wave of demonic energy. His fingernails elongated into deadly claws as he thrust his hand forward, discharging a concentrated blast of lethal, dark energy.
"ARGHHHHH!"
The Elder screamed in agonizing pain.
Meanwhile, Yi Mo had managed to slightly suppress his injuries. Grasping his iron staff, he charged forward with what remained of his strength.
Bam! Bam!
Yi Mo drove his staff deep into the Elder's thigh, while Han Guan simultaneously thrust his sword straight into the Elder's liver. Yet, even with his body failing, the former Deputy refused to yield. With a desperate, wild swing of his sword, he slashed across Yi Mo's face, deeply cutting his right eye.
"Dammit! He is still fighting!" Yi Mo roared, blood pouring profusely from his ruined eye.
All three combatants retreated, separating to different corners of the ruined cavern. The Elder broke into hysterical laughter once more, and Yi Mo, pushed to the brink of madness, joined in the laughter. Han Guan remained dead silent, his consciousness entirely submerged in his primal, demonic instincts.
They prepared their final, absolute strikes to end the battle once and for all.
"Eternal Pristine Severance!" the Elder roared. "Sovereign Piercing Staff!" Yi Mo bellowed. "Ebon Edge!" Han Guan hissed.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The Elder was pierced deeply in his leg and shoulder. However, because the Elder had focused the brunt of his final strike on finishing Yi Mo, Yi Mo's abdomen was torn open, exposing his intestines. Yet, through sheer willpower, Yi Mo clung to life. Before the Elder could turn his blade to finish Han Guan, Han Guan's hyper-active instincts reacted, severing the Elder's sword arm entirely.
All three bodies collapsed onto the blood-soaked stone floor.
"So... we won... didn't we, you senile old geezer?" Yi Mo wheezed, clutching his wounded abdomen.
"Indeed... indeed you did..." the Elder muttered, coughing up blood. "Now, heal yourselves quickly..."
The pitch-black darkness finally receded from Han Guan's eyes, returning them to their normal color. He turned his head slowly, looking at Yi Mo lying in a pool of blood beside him.
"That... was a mad fight," Han Guan whispered.
"Listen to me," Yi Mo panted. "Your demonic power grants you incredible resilience and reflexes... but it comes with a terrible price, doesn't it?"
"Yes," Han Guan admitted quietly. "This is only the second time I have ever invoked it. I can only hope to find a spiritual crystal of limitless energy one day, so I may wield it without destroying my own body."
Suddenly, the entire cavern began to tremble violently—the ancient mechanism's signal that the Twin Calamities of the Heavens had officially conquered the trial.
Aftermath and the Royal Treatment
In a flash of light, Yan Yue materialized in the chamber, his eyes scanning the gruesome scene.
"An exceptional battle, Twin Calamities," Yan Yue observed, before turning to the old cultivator with a smirk. "And you fought well too, you senile old geezer. I trust this has finally pulled you out of your long-standing depression?"
The Elder scoffed weakly, "Do not worry about me. I am fine."
"So, boys," Yan Yue asked, looking down at the mangled youths. "Can you stand on your own, or must I fetch the healers?"
"Just use a minor healing technique to stabilize your vitals," Yan Yue instructed. "I will carry you both back to the Kingdom."
A short while later, Yan Yue hoisted the two broken youths onto his shoulders. He cast a parting glance at the Elder. "Do not forget to tend to your own wounds; you possess a Sixth-Rank healing art, after all."
Yan Yue arrived at the Royal Treatment Headquarters bearing the unconscious bodies of Yi Mo and Han Guan. Lady Yuxin appeared immediately, her expression turning grave as she summoned her medical assistants to carefully place the youths onto the healing arrays.
"My congratulations to them," Lady Yuxin said, looking at Yan Yue. "So, they successfully passed your crucible, Yan Yue?"
"Yes," Yan Yue replied, a rare expression of satisfaction on his face. "Their potential is immense. The Kingdom will undoubtedly have to rely on their strength in the dark days ahead. Please heal them as quickly as possible, Lady Yuxin."
"Leave it to me," she replied calmly, turning to lead her disciples into the inner chambers of the pavilion.
.
.
.
.
.
End of Chapter
Author's Note: (My dear readers, I have returned after a long absence. I recently went through a period of severe clinical depression and extremely difficult times, which left me too exhausted to perform even the simplest daily tasks. Fortunately, I have recently regained my energy and my passion. From now on, I will be updating the novel weekly to ensure I can maintain my well-being while delivering the best quality chapters. I truly hope you enjoy the story and this new arc! Thank you for your endless patience and support!)