Chapter 44 - Isabella's Trial - 1

Three weeks pass, and Isabella has fully recovered. Luckily, thanks to the medicines, no scars remain. Besides that, Feicui Long has given her his technique. This new technique combines hers and her brother's, plus a sword technique, though only a part of it, called The Ten Swords of the Ten Stellar Palaces, in addition to Isabella's original technique.

Although Isabella has been without the curse for two weeks, she has quickly jumped to Grade 7. The truth is that it takes him a bit by surprise since, although he knew Isabella's talent couldn't be that low, the damage caused by the curses should take time to recover, meaning her advancement should have been a bit slow.

He doesn't expect her to advance so quickly. Likewise, he advances to Grade 7 in internal cultivation, so now he has to wait for his external cultivation to catch up. Feicui Long has to admit that pursuing the external path as a mortal is much more difficult because using medicinal baths, formations, and various materials, some of which are rare, makes progress stop until he gathers everything he needs.

During these three weeks, minor events take place, but they are still worth mentioning. The road is built, all the rooms are furnished, even the empty ones, just in case Feicui Long brings more servants or helpers, and the girls from Isabella's party and Gloria move into the main house.

Feicui Long prepared a room in a classroom to give lessons to everyone, and he also converted another room into his personal library with several other items worthy of study. The room is the combination of the previous zones of alchemy, refining, smithing, and inscriptions, which was located at the back.

He also expanded the "refrigerator," which is actually a large storage space within the house for food, with a refrigeration formation. It is divided into three zones: one where everything is kept below -30°C (-22°F), and two others with higher temperatures. One is for storing grains and the other for storing different kinds of food. Previously, it was a single area, but the amount of food they have now is too much for the former room.

Lastly, the construction of the new workshop for alchemy, refining, smithing, and inscriptions was started, although the latter had had to be stopped because today he and Isabella return to the Sky Lion town to help the members of the Skylion family recover from the curse.

He also wants to sell the large number of medicines and useful items he produced, as well as several Slime eggs. He now has around four wooden boxes of these eggs, since they have grown from the five, he originally bought to a total of fifteen. He now has ten females and five males, which, by the way, can be identified by the shape of the core. In the case of acid slimes, the females have a round core, and the males have an oval one.

Before they leave, Caroline asks him a strange question: "Hey, why are you called Feicui Long in your current life if Feicui means jade? Shouldn't it be Zumulu Long instead?"

Feicui Long looks at her, tries to remember, but suddenly a pain in his head and chest begins to appear. In the end, however, the memory never comes to him, and he says: "I'm sorry, but I can't remember why."

Mariane sees this from a corner and can't help but feel her heart tighten.

...

They arrive at the Skylion palace and leave the carriage. Isabella's father, Johan, greets them kindly, invites them to eat, and speaks with them for a few hours. Then he leaves to organize everything in order to start selling what Feicui Long has asked him to sell and to buy new materials, which is why Feicui Long has brought the cargo carriage and even some spatial sacks.

Isabella's mother, although she still remains suspicious of him, quickly speaks with them upon hearing why Feicui Long has come and seeing her daughter free of all curses. She gathers the family inside the palace and has them treated. Afterward, they go to the temple, where Isabella's "grandfather" is, although he is actually her great-uncle, since her grandfather, who had been the family leader during the attack, dies in that battle helping defend the temple.

Although she never meets her grandfather, or at least not when she has self-awareness and memories, she always calls her great-uncle grandfather. Of course, she also feels affection for her maternal grandfather, the one who dies, and she visits his grave as well.

…

When they arrive at the temple, they are warmly received by an old man around 55 to 60 years old, clearly in pain, who opens his arms to hug Isabella while saying, "My girl Isabella, how are you?"

Isabella happily replies, "Grandpa Erik, I'm fine. I come with Feicui Long to help you and the uncles and cousins."

Then he looks at Feicui Long, smiles at him, and says, "You must be Feicui Long, the one who comes to treat the curse of this old man and his family. Come in, come in," while making gestures for him to enter the temple.

He and she enter calmly. Inside the temple, other members of the Skylion family receive them. Apparently, one of the sons who does not inherit the family leadership has to stay to protect the family temple. Although he can start a family and bring them to live here, it must be said the temple is spacious and very beautiful, decorated with figures and statues of the Skylion family, paintings, and other works.

Besides some statues, figures, and paintings of the Supreme God of Beasts, his younger brother, they have several altars, candles, and other religious objects. It is obvious that Isabella hasn't lied to him about this.

All of Isabella's relatives gather, and he begins giving them the pills he has prepared to relieve the curse. As for the main one, he only has to dispel it using his authorities.

After that, everyone has dinner and goes to sleep, including them. They do not return to the house for two reasons: Isabella wants to try something, and also because from the house to this temple there is a certain distance. Not too much, but still a notable one that also passes through a wild area on purpose, full of beasts up to the ascending level. During the day, they are more or less docile, but at night, it is dangerous.

So the two of them sleep together in a beautifully decorated room.

…

The next day, Feicui Long and Isabella meet with great-uncle Erik.

Isabella takes the initiative to speak and says, "Grandpa Erik, I would like to try that."

Erik, understanding what she means, says, "Are you sure? We have spent so long in the family without doing it that you don't even know what the consequences of failure are."

Feicui Long looks at them in silence.

Isabella, determined, says, "I have to do it. I have to pass it. I need to awaken my bloodline as soon as possible."

Erik sighs and says, "I don't understand what the urgency is now. You've endured all these years, even the family has. What has changed now…"Isabella looks at Feicui Long and then at Grandpa Erik. "Many things, Grandpa. I need to prepare myself. I can't stay behind my husband. I want to walk alongside him."

Erik understands her way of thinking and says, "Alright, I will take you to take the test at the temple of the Supreme God of Beasts, but if you are in danger, you must withdraw. Even if you are no longer the heir of the family, you are still part of the family, and I don't want you to die."

Feicui Long's attention is caught as soon as he hears "Temple of the Supreme God of Beasts." He understands that this is the temple Isabella's mother was referring to. He wonders what this temple is like since, before his brother dies, he helps him prepare everything, including some special temples, although the most important thing is the last part that Isabella's great-uncle says…

Soon, the three of them are led through the family temple. Although it might not seem like it, this is not the true temple of the Supreme God of Beasts. He already knows this by the architectural style and how it is decorated.

Then, after about 15 minutes of walking, they can finally see an imposing entrance, with two impressive tiger statues guarding the entry. The level of detail is similar to that of his own temple in Vienna. The statue's body is made of platinum, crafted with the finest precision, even down to the visible hairs, with feline eyes of a ruby color.

Its white fangs are made of an energetic marble of incredible quality, its stripes the color of smoky quartz, its claws of the same hue. On its forehead, it has three gems, a tiger's eye in the center and two brown agates on each side. But one of the most impressive things is the pure white gem, a beautiful white opal on its chest in the shape of a heptagon. Besides that, every inscription on the statue is of an exaggeratedly high level, along with the energetic materials, as each and every one of them is an energetic material.

Feicui Long, just by looking at this, knows that this is the temple. But not only that, this temple is not built by Isabella's family. It is one of the temples he helps prepare, as this level of objects is impossible to create in the current state of his brother's home world.

Feicui Long gets distracted for a moment, nearly allowing Isabella to enter without even saying goodbye. Then, he runs with all his strength and stops her by the shoulders. He then gives her a very strong hug, but not before giving her an incredibly passionate kiss in front of her great-uncle and the entire family of her great-uncle, who follow them here when they see them passing by.

But he does not care, because a pain that should not be happening is unfolding in his heart, making his body visibly tremble. He does not know how or why he is feeling this, but he cannot let go of her from his embrace or stop kissing her. He knows that all of this is very sudden, so when he loosens his embrace a little from his passionate outburst, he finds an agitated and even slightly excited Isabella.

He tells her while still holding her in his arms, whispering into her ear: "Isabella Skylion, you are my woman, you... you cannot... you cannot fail... I trust you. This sovereign, this Feicui Long believes that you will be able to succeed."

Feicui Long stops, barely able to contain this emotion escaping from deep inside him, only to continue saying: "No matter what you face or what you find in there, always remember these words. You are my woman and you always will be. Not even fate, not time, not space can separate us. I am the one who chooses you. No one, absolutely no one can change that. So even if this world, this universe, or all existence refuses to acknowledge you, I will!"

Feicui Long pauses again, noticing that he has let a tear of worry slip out, and says: "That's why come back. Come back triumphant. Come back to this sovereign... I-I... I don't want to lose you, Isabella..."

After saying this, he lets her go. Isabella, confused, stays standing for a moment, feeling her heart beating a thousand times a minute, especially because, although Feicui Long wants to lower his voice so only Isabella hears him, everyone in the room can hear everything. That's how worried Feicui Long is.

Isabella, feeling this powerful impulse from the normally unassertive and unsentimental Feicui Long, nods and says: "Don't worry. I'll come back, darling."

Then Isabella enters, but despite those words, Feicui Long's heart does not calm down, because upon realizing that this is one of those temples, Feicui Long understands the trial she is about to face...

A trial that few pass and many die in...

Feicui Long is not supposed to feel anything, that's how it should be, but knowing this makes him afraid, afraid of losing her, a fear he thinks has been buried along with his previous self, long before his death, is now being revived, feeding the devil inside him, but also causing emotions and lost feelings to return, even if only temporarily...