The Trial of Envy
As Tiān Shén entered the third stage of the Celestial Soul Pagoda, a sense of grandeur washed over him. The illusion materialized into a vast and majestic sect, nestled high upon towering mountains, with majestic spires piercing the sky like spears reaching for the heavens. This was no ordinary place. The sect stood as a beacon of cultivation, a sanctuary for the most talented and revered, where status was defined by one's power.
In this world, Tiān Shén was born with unimaginable talent. From the moment he took his first steps, the elders and disciples alike marveled at his gifts. His Celestial Chaos Everlasting Void Saint Body and the bloodline of the Kirin made him the sect's pride. His striking purple eyes, which could pierce through illusions and even manipulate fate, set him apart. His presence was divine, his every movement a reminder of his unparalleled potential. Wherever he went, people bowed to him, awestruck by the future they believed he would bring.
Tiān Shén lived in this glory for years. The respect, the admiration, the awe—it all came naturally to him. He didn't seek it, but it surrounded him, wrapped him in a blanket of reverence that he accepted as his due. He was meant to lead, and everyone knew it.
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But fate is ever-shifting.
One day, during a particularly intense cultivation session, something went wrong. His qi, which had once flowed so smoothly, suddenly stuttered, faltering as if blocked by an invisible force. At first, Tiān Shén thought little of it—an anomaly, a passing hindrance. But as the days went by, the faltering became more pronounced. His cultivation slowed, his connection to the laws of space and time weakened, and his once-brilliant talent began to dim.
The change did not go unnoticed.
Whispers spread like wildfire through the sect. "Tiān Shén has lost his talent," some said. "His potential was exaggerated," others whispered. The elders, who had once held him in high regard, now began to distance themselves. Some stopped acknowledging him altogether. The very people who had once praised his future were now muttering about his downfall.
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Then came Lóng Wei.
A young disciple, only a few years older than Tiān Shén, began to rise within the sect. Lóng Wei's background was humble, but his abilities were undeniable. His mastery over the laws of fire and wind was astonishing, and his cultivation advanced rapidly. Before long, he became the center of attention—the new star of the sect. The elders showered him with praise, and the disciples who once admired Tiān Shén now gravitated toward Lóng Wei.
Tiān Shén's envy was like a slow, burning poison.
He watched as Lóng Wei was given everything he had once possessed: the admiration, the status, the favor of the elders. How could this be happening? How could someone like Lóng Wei, with no extraordinary bloodline or divine physique, surpass him so easily? It was unbearable to witness, and each passing day the envy within Tiān Shén grew darker, more poisonous.
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At first, Tiān Shén tried to endure the humiliation. He told himself it was temporary, that his talents would return. But as the weeks passed, his anger festered. The elders who had once spoken so highly of him now openly favored Lóng Wei. Some of them even ridiculed him behind closed doors. "How the mighty have fallen," one elder scoffed. Another laughed, "To think we once believed him to be the sect's greatest hope. Now he's barely worth teaching."
The bitterness was unbearable, and soon it gave way to malice. Lóng Wei had taken everything from him. Tiān Shén couldn't let it stand.
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It started small. Tiān Shén spread rumors about Lóng Wei's cultivation methods, suggesting they were flawed or stolen from another sect. He disrupted Lóng Wei's training sessions by sending small groups of jealous disciples to interfere. But none of it worked. Lóng Wei continued to rise, unaffected by Tiān Shén's attempts to sabotage him.
The envy consumed Tiān Shén, warping his mind until there was only one thought left: he had to eliminate Lóng Wei, no matter the cost.
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Late one night, while the sect's halls were quiet and the disciples slept, Tiān Shén made his way to the alchemy hall. Inside, under the cover of darkness, he searched for a particular vial—one that contained a lethal poison strong enough to cripple a cultivator's meridians permanently. It was forbidden, locked away, but Tiān Shén had learned of its existence during his days of glory when the elders still trusted him.
His hands trembled as he found the vial. His plan was simple: the next day, during the grand banquet celebrating Lóng Wei's latest breakthrough, Tiān Shén would poison him. It would be quick and silent, and Lóng Wei's cultivation would collapse, just as Tiān Shén's had.
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The banquet was a grand affair, held in the sect's opulent great hall. The walls were adorned with celestial engravings, and the ceiling sparkled with a painting of the heavens. Lóng Wei sat at the head of the table, basking in the attention of the elders and disciples alike, while Tiān Shén watched from the shadows, his heart burning with envy.
When the moment came, Tiān Shén made his move. He approached Lóng Wei's table, a false smile on his face, and offered a toast. As he did so, he poured the poison into Lóng Wei's drink, his heart pounding in his chest.
But just as he turned to leave, a voice stopped him cold. "Tiān Shén, what are you doing?"
It was Elder Shuǐ, one of the more disdainful elders who had mocked him in the past. His eyes bore into Tiān Shén with contempt. In an instant, the elder had seized Tiān Shén's wrist, holding the vial for all to see. The room fell silent. Lóng Wei looked up in confusion, and then the weight of the situation became clear to everyone present.
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The elder's voice was filled with disgust. "Once the pride of this sect, now you stoop to poison? How pathetic."
The other elders watched in silent judgment, some of them shaking their heads, while others openly mocked Tiān Shén. "This is the same boy we once thought destined for greatness?" one of them sneered. "How disappointing."
Lóng Wei stood from his seat, his expression unreadable as the elders stripped Tiān Shén of his remaining honor. They dragged him before the entire sect, displaying his shame for all to see. "You have betrayed not only your sect," Elder Shuǐ continued, "but yourself. You let your envy drive you to such disgraceful actions. You have forgotten the path of a true cultivator."
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Tiān Shén's heart was heavy as the sect declared his punishment. He was stripped of his rank and titles, his reputation in ruins. The elders no longer saw him as the prodigy they once revered, but as a failure—a disgrace to the sect. As he stood before the assembly, humiliated, he realized how far he had fallen.
His envy had led him down a dark path, one that had nearly destroyed him. He had let his jealousy consume him, driving him to act against everything he once stood for. And in the end, it had cost him everything.
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As the trial ended, Tiān Shén was expelled from the illusion of the pagoda, reappearing in the real world. The weight of the trial of envy hung over him, but so too did the lesson. He now understood the destructive power of envy, and he vowed never to let it consume him again. Though this trial had shown him his darkest self, it had also given him the chance to reflect and grow.
Tiān Shén bowed before the pagoda, acknowledging the lesson, and prepared himself for the trials to come.