Chapter 64: He's Crazy!!!

The dark Dao Wei sneered and lunged forward, but Dao Wei was ready. They clashed, their movements perfectly mirrored, each strike met with equal force.

Clang!

It was a battle not just of strength, but of wills, each one trying to overpower the other.

But Dao Wei's resolve was unshakable like an elder mount. "You're nothing but a shadow, a reflection of my doubts and fears. You don't control me—I control you!"

Bang!

With just a simple palm technique, Dao Wei shattered his darker self, the fragments of his reflection dissolving into nothingness.

The scene changed once more, and this time, Dao Wei found himself in a much different place. Dao Wei stood still as the environment around him morphed into a dimly lit room, the air thick with the scent of incense. Shadows flickered on the walls, casting long, ominous shapes that seemed to move of their own accord. He was no longer the young man who had braved the first eight levels of the Sword Peak Trials. Instead, he found himself in the body of a child, vulnerable and small, his hands trembling slightly as they held the hilt of his sword.

Before him stood a figure identical to himself, yet darker, a twisted version of the boy he once was. This dark child was huddled in a corner, sobbing uncontrollably, his voice filled with bitterness and pain. The room felt heavy with the weight of unspoken grief, as if the walls themselves were mourning with the dark child.

"What's the use of protecting everyone when they didn't even try to protect us?" the dark child's voice trembled with anger, his small fists clenched tightly as he looked up at Dao Wei with tear-filled eyes. The anguish in his gaze was so intense it felt like a physical blow. "What's the use? Tell me!"

Dao Wei watched him in silence, his heart heavy. He knew this place—this was the embodiment of his deepest fears and regrets, a reflection of the inner turmoil he had carried with him for so long.

"Did any of them try to stop those evil men from separating us from Mother and Father?" the dark child continued, his voice rising with each word, the pain in his heart spilling over. "Did any of them try to save us from the Abyss Lord? Did any of them try to rescue us when our blood was almost drained out? Why? Why must we save them when we are clearly stronger than them? The strong prey on the weak—that is the law of the jungle!"

The words echoed through the chamber, reverberating against the walls until it felt like the very air was suffocating. Outside, those watching the trial could hear every word, their expressions shifting from curiosity to sorrow as the weight of Dao Wei's past was laid bare before them.

"Who could have guessed he's been through so much?" Li Hua whispered, her voice barely audible over the murmurs of the crowd. Her eyes were wide, filled with empathy for the young man who had endured such horrors.

A senior disciple, his brow furrowed in thought, added quietly, "He has such demons within, yet he remains so calm, so focused. How does he carry that burden without breaking?" This disciple was none other than Sun Di, a half-humam, half-monkey.

The Second Grand Elder, who had been watching with a calculating gaze, sighed deeply. "The fact that he can confront such pain and still move forward... it speaks to a willpower that's beyond ordinary. It's something not even the most seasoned of us could achieve so easily."

Meanwhile, inside the trial, Dao Wei took a deep breath, his young form straightening as he faced his darker self. "If that's the law," he began slowly, his voice steady and calm despite the turmoil in the room, "then no one is responsible for my predicaments. I was weak, and that's why all of that happened."

He walked towards the dark child, each step purposeful, his eyes locked onto the figure that represented his darkest thoughts. "But that doesn't mean we have to accept it. I Dao Wei, will never blame anyone for my own shortcomings! The so-called Law of the Jungle is something I will rewrite with my own hands!"

Each word he spoke seemed to resonate with power, the air around him growing heavy with the force of his conviction. The dark child looked up, his anger wavering, replaced by something akin to fear as Dao Wei's words crashed down on him like mountains, crushing the doubts that had festered within.

"This is my Law," Dao Wei declared, his voice rising as he drew himself to his full height. "And I am the Law!"

Rumble!

Outside, the sky began to change. Dark clouds gathered overhead, swirling in a furious dance as the heavens themselves seemed to respond to Dao Wei's challenge. The wind howled through the peaks, and the ground trembled beneath the feet of those watching, as if the entire mountain was bracing itself for what was to come.

The clouds grew darker, more ominous, the air charged with a strange energy. Thunder rumbled in the distance, a low growl that steadily grew louder, shaking the very foundations of the Sword Peak. The disciples and elders looked up in alarm, their faces pale as they realized the magnitude of what was happening.

"Haa! Even if the Heavens try to stop me, I'll split open the Heavens themselves!" Dao Wei's voice rang out, defiant and unyielding, carrying with it a power that defied the very laws of nature.

Bang!

The moment the words left his lips, Dao Wei's hand moved with blinding speed. Tian, his sword, was drawn in a flash of silver light, the blade slicing through the air with such force that it seemed to tear reality itself. In that single, decisive strike, the gathering clouds were shattered, their dark forms dispersing into nothingness as if they had never existed.

The shockwave from the strike rippled outward, shaking the entire Sword Peak violently. Stones cracked and tumbled down the mountainside, trees swayed as if caught in a storm, and the disciples were nearly knocked off their feet by the sheer force of Dao Wei's power.

Inside the trial, the dark child disappeared, vanishing like a wisp of smoke in the wake of Dao Wei's triumph. The oppressive atmosphere lifted, replaced by a serene calm as the remnants of his inner demons were vanquished.

The Ninth Trial had ended, and Dao Wei stood alone on the stage, his sword long retrieved, the echoes of his defiance fading into the distance. The gate that had once loomed before him had disappeared, as had the illusions that had plagued him. All that remained was the quiet, the calm after the storm.

Outside, the disciples and elders were left in stunned silence, their minds struggling to process what they had just witnessed.

"He… he defied the Heavens themselves…" one disciple whispered, his voice trembling with a mixture of awe and fear.

Another shook his head in disbelief. "Who is this guy? No one has ever done anything like that before. He shattered the punishment clouds with a single strike… It's as if the very laws of the world don't apply to him."

As the disciples and elders exchanged looks of shock and amazement, Dao Wei slowly calmed his aura, his expression calm once more. The Ninth Trial had pushed him to his limits, but he had emerged victorious, stronger and more resolute than ever.

The Sword Peak, once a place of fear and uncertainty, had become the stage where Dao Wei had declared his will to the heavens themselves—and emerged unscathed.

Outside the Sword Peak, all was silent!

No sound was heard except for the subtle sound of Dao Wei's steps.

Ignoring the great shock in the eyes all around him, Dao Wei slowly turned away to leave. But before going, he stopped to glance at the sky and said coldly, "This time I only chopped the little clouds. But if there is a next time, I will bring down the entire Heavens!"

Hearing this, everyone was shocked and terrified, feeling weak and resentful.

The disciples of the Sword God Sect had not recovered from their surprise until Dao Wei had completely disappeared from their sight.

Then, everyone present could not stop talking about what had happened.

"He shattered the Tribulation Clouds. How could this happen?!"

"One move. Only one move?!"

"There is quite a big disparity in strength! Not only in their Spiritual Powers, but the disparity between their Martial Arts Techniques is even greater!"