A Strange Trial (1)

As they entered the second region, the air grew heavy with a strange energy. The lush greenery thinned, replaced by twisted, gnarled trees with bark that seemed to pulsate with a faint, purple glow. The ground crunched underfoot with an unsettling hollowness, and an unnatural silence hung in the air, broken only by the occasional low growl that sent shivers down everyone's spines.

Yun Lintian scanned the surroundings, his eyes narrowed. "This region feels different," he murmured, a hint of curiosity lacing his voice. "The miasma is thicker here, and the energy is… chaotic."

"Yes," Tang Wei agreed. "From what I've heard, this region seems distorted by chaotic energies."

"It is said," Tang Yumei explained, "that they have put a seal on this place when they buried gods here. However, as time passed, the seal began to lose its efficacy, and the gods' auras started to seep into the outer region."