Trials of the celestial Temple

After days of perilous travel, the trio finally reached the base of the Celestial Mountains, where the entrance to the ancient temple awaited. The temple's gates were sealed by powerful magic, and it would take all of their combined energy to break through the barrier.

Inside, they faced the legendary trials of the temple—each designed to test their purity of heart and mastery over spiritual energy. The first trial was one of courage: they were confronted by illusions of their darkest fears. For Zhang Wei, it was the fear of failure and the burden of his royal lineage. For Shen, it was the haunting memory of the loved one he had lost. But for Li Mei, it was a vision of her mother, warning her to stay away from this path—a vision that stirred doubt within her.

The second trial was one of wisdom, as they had to solve an ancient riddle left by the Celestial Phoenix itself. With Shen's knowledge of ancient texts, they narrowly passed, but not without cost—the temple seemed to recognize Shen's energy as something dangerous, and it drained his power, leaving him weakened.

Finally, they reached the third and final trial: the Trial of Heart. Before them stood a pool of crystal-clear water, at its center, a lotus blossom that glowed with celestial light. The temple spirits revealed that only one among them could claim the Phoenix Relic, but they must first offer their truest desire to the pool.

Li Mei stepped forward, her heart pounding. She felt the relic call to her, but she was torn between her duty to the kingdom and the simple, quiet life she had once cherished. As she placed her hand in the water, a vision of her future bloomed before her eyes—one in which she wielded unimaginable power but at the cost of everything she loved.

Suddenly, the pool darkened, and the temple began to tremble. The dark sorcerers had found them.