Chapter 32: The Crimson Trials (3)

The air grew colder as the forest shifted, its dark trees enclosing Feng Lin and Yan Mei like a cage. The sky above seemed to dim, casting an eerie shadow over the ground. Feng Lin could feel an unsettling presence lingering in the air, its oppressive weight pressing down on his mind. Yan Mei remained silent beside him, her expression unreadable, but the tension in her posture was unmistakable.

[System Notification: Trial of the Mind's Abyss Activated.]

[Objective: Confront your deepest fears and survive the illusions. Failure will result in mental collapse and death. ]

[ Rewards: Mental Fortification, Chaos Will Skill, and ???]

Feng Lin's eyes narrowed at the system prompt. "Deepest fears, huh? They're not holding back on this one."

Yan Mei gave a curt nod. "This trial is notorious. You'll be forced to face parts of yourself you'd rather forget. It's not about strength; it's about control."

The ground beneath them suddenly dissolved into black mist, swirling around their feet. Feng Lin felt a strange pull, as though reality itself was distorting. His surroundings blurred, and Yan Mei's figure faded into the distance. It was as if they were being dragged into their hells.

Darkness engulfed Feng Lin, and when his vision cleared, he stood alone in an unfamiliar space. The oppressive atmosphere weighed heavily on him, and a sense of dread crept into his mind.

He glanced around, recognizing nothing. The world appeared desolate, with a lifeless sky and barren land. However, a familiar figure suddenly appeared in the distance, a figure he hadn't seen in years—his father.

Feng Lin froze. His father's death had shaped much of his life. Seeing him now, alive and standing before him, felt like a cruel twist of fate. "This… isn't real."

But as his father approached, his face contorted with rage and disappointment. "Why weren't you there, Feng Lin?" The words echoed around him, each syllable digging deeper into Feng Lin's mind. "Why did you let this happen? I trusted you."

Feng Lin clenched his fists, struggling to maintain his composure. "You're not real. This is just the trial."

But the voice of his father grew louder. "Is that how you justify it? By convincing yourself it wasn't your fault? You failed me, Feng Lin. Just like you'll fail everyone else."

A surge of anger mixed with guilt washed over Feng Lin, and for a brief moment, he questioned everything. Could he have changed the outcome? Was there something he could've done to save his family from the pain they endured?

"No." Feng Lin's voice trembled but grew stronger. "This isn't real. I've come too far to be trapped by the past." He took a deep breath, focusing on his chaotic energy. The overwhelming sense of guilt began to fade as he channeled his Qi. The figure of his father began to dissolve, breaking apart like smoke in the wind.

[System Notification: Mind Abyss Illusion 1 Overcome.]

[Chaos Will Skill Gained: Allows the user to resist mental and illusion-based attacks.]

Feng Lin exhaled slowly, the weight on his chest lifting slightly. The first illusion had tested his emotional resilience, but he knew there was more to come. The trial was far from over.

The dark landscape shifted again, and this time, he found himself standing in the middle of a battlefield. The scene was chaotic, with the sounds of clashing weapons and cries of pain filling the air. Blood stained the ground, and countless bodies lay scattered across the field. Among them was a familiar face—Jiang Yue, his body broken and lifeless.

"No…" Feng Lin's heart sank as he stepped closer, his eyes widening in disbelief. Jiang Yue had always been a rival, but seeing him like this, dead and defeated, hit him harder than he expected. "This isn't right."

But the illusion didn't stop there. More figures appeared—people he had encountered, fought alongside, or faced as enemies. Lin Xue, Li Mei, and even Yan Mei—all of them lay dead before him. The weight of their deaths pressed down on him, and he could feel his resolve weakening.

"Is this what's waiting for you at the end?" a voice whispered in his mind. "Everyone you care about… gone. Because of you."

Feng Lin gritted his teeth, his mind racing. The illusion was trying to break him, to convince him that he would be the cause of their deaths. But he couldn't let it win.

"They made their choices," Feng Lin muttered, his eyes narrowing. "I can't control their fate, only my own."

The battlefield began to crumble, the bodies fading into dust as Feng Lin's will pushed back against the illusion. His Qi surged, and the chaotic energy within him flared with intensity. The illusion shattered completely, leaving him standing alone in the void once again.

[System Notification: Mind Abyss Illusion 2 Overcome.]

[Reward: Mental Fortification – Level 1 (Increases resistance to mental attacks by 10%).]

Feng Lin wiped the sweat from his brow, his breath steadying. The trial was relentless, but each challenge brought him closer to mastering the chaotic energy within him. He could feel the strength of his mind growing, sharpening with each test.

Before he could catch his breath, the darkness around him shifted once more. A new illusion began to take form, and this time, it felt different—more personal, more dangerous. He braced himself for whatever came next.

Suddenly, the scenery transformed into the Void Realm, the place where Feng Lin had once stood as an Ancient God before his fall. The endless expanse of stars and swirling chaos was both familiar and haunting. At the center of it all, a figure stood—a younger version of himself, clad in the divine armor of the Ancient Gods.

The younger Feng Lin turned toward him, eyes blazing with power and pride. "You were once like me," he said, his voice dripping with contempt. "A god among gods. And now look at you… struggling, broken."

Feng Lin felt a pang of bitterness. The illusion had cut deep, showing him what he had lost. "That's the past," Feng Lin replied, his voice steady. "I may not be a god anymore, but I've gained something more valuable."

The younger version of him scoffed. "You're delusional. You've fallen so far, you can't even see it. Do you think you can reclaim what was taken from you? You'll never be what you once were."

Feng Lin stepped forward, his gaze unwavering. "I don't need to be. I'm not bound by what I was—I'll become something greater."

The illusion smirked, but Feng Lin could feel the doubt seeping through. With a final surge of chaotic energy, he shattered the illusion, dispersing the image of his former self into nothingness.

[System Notification: Mind Abyss Illusion 3 Overcome.]

[System Notification: Trial of the Mind's Abyss Completed.]

[Rewards Acquired: Chaos Will Skill (Advanced), Mental Fortification (Level 2), Chaos Seed, ??? Unlocked.]

[System Notification: Breakthrough Achieved!!!]