Chapter 17: Trials of the Forgotten Path

The air around them shifted as they approached the first barrier—the invisible wall that separated the mundane from the hidden. Lin Yu could feel it, a faint but tangible pulse in the atmosphere, as though the very world around him was holding its breath. The group of immortals behind him had fallen silent, their steps cautious but resolute. They all knew what was coming. The trials were not simply a test of strength—they were a test of will, of resolve. Whoever passed would be granted access to the secrets of the ancient sect. Whoever failed… would be left behind.

The woman with the silver hair, who had not yet revealed much about herself, stepped forward with quiet confidence. "We're at the edge of the boundary. The path to the sect is not an easy one," she said, her voice barely a whisper. "Each of you will have to pass through the barrier in your own way. What awaits you on the other side is something you must face alone."

Lin Yu's eyes flickered to her. "What do you mean? What kind of trials are we talking about?"

She glanced back at him, her expression unreadable. "The trials you face here are as old as time itself. They will test you physically, mentally, and emotionally. You will face your deepest fears, confront your past, and challenge your very reason for being. The question is not whether you can succeed, but whether you are truly ready to understand the path ahead."

Lin Yu felt his heart race. The weight of her words sank in. He wasn't just walking into the unknown; he was walking into the core of everything that had led him here—the Celestial Realm, the betrayal, the fall, his return. The forces behind all of this, the dark powers that had manipulated his life, would reveal themselves in the trials. And he would have to face them, head-on.

The silver-haired woman stepped aside, gesturing toward the invisible barrier in front of them. "This is it. Once you cross, you will begin the trials. Do not turn back, for there is no going back."

Lin Yu nodded, feeling the tension in his chest tighten. He glanced at Cheng Xi, who stood beside him. Her eyes were filled with apprehension, but also something else—determination. Despite the overwhelming uncertainty, she had stayed by his side through everything. He couldn't let her down.

"We're ready," Lin Yu said, his voice steady but filled with quiet resolve.

Without another word, he stepped forward, crossing the invisible threshold. The air around him seemed to crackle, and for a moment, everything went still. Then, in the blink of an eye, the world around him transformed.

Suddenly, the ground beneath Lin Yu's feet was no longer the familiar dirt path of the wilderness. He found himself standing in a vast, desolate landscape, the sky a sickly shade of purple. The land stretched out in all directions, barren and twisted, as if it had been scarred by some terrible cataclysm. He could feel the oppressive weight of the air pressing down on him, the silence deafening.

This was no ordinary place. This was a place of memory, of pain. Lin Yu could feel it—the echoes of his past, the remnants of his former life as an Immortal King. His breath hitched as flashes of memories—his ascension, his reign, the betrayal that had torn it all apart—began to flood his mind.

A voice echoed through the void, cold and mocking.

"So, you've returned, Immortal King."

Lin Yu turned sharply, his hand instinctively reaching for his dagger, but there was no one in sight. The voice was coming from everywhere, seeping into his mind.

"Do you really think you can escape your fate? Do you believe you can change what was meant to be?"

The air around Lin Yu seemed to warp, the landscape shifting as dark figures began to materialize in the distance. They were shadows of his past, figures he had once known—faces of those who had betrayed him, those who had fallen to darkness.

His heart tightened, the weight of the memories almost unbearable. The betrayals. The endless struggle. The moment he had been struck down, helpless, his body and soul torn from the Immortal Realm.

"No." Lin Yu's voice rang out, echoing in the void. "I won't be controlled. Not by fate. Not by you."

As if in response, the shadows advanced toward him, growing larger with each passing second. The ground beneath him trembled as the figures began to speak, their voices a cacophony of insults, mocking his weakness, his failures.

"You are nothing. You were never meant to be more than a puppet."

"You failed the ones you loved, and now, you will pay the price."

Lin Yu clenched his fists, his body trembling as the flood of emotions and memories threatened to overwhelm him. But he refused to let them. He had already fallen once, but he would not fall again. He had faced betrayal, defeat, and despair. He would face this trial, no matter the cost.

The shadows moved closer, their cold hands reaching out for him. But with a fierce roar, Lin Yu summoned every ounce of spiritual energy he could muster. The ground around him shook, and a pulse of power erupted from his body, sending the shadows reeling back.

"I am not your puppet!" Lin Yu shouted, his voice shaking with fury. "I choose my fate. I choose my path."

The shadows began to dissolve, their forms twisting into nothingness. The air around him seemed to lighten, and the desolate landscape faded away, leaving him standing in a place of utter stillness.

Breathing heavily, Lin Yu stood alone in the quiet. He had passed the first trial—confronting his past, facing the pain and the betrayal that had defined his existence. But this was only the beginning. The trials were not over. And the real battle, the one for his future, was still ahead.

Elsewhere, Cheng Xi stepped through the barrier as well, but her path was different. The air felt heavy, and as soon as she crossed, the landscape around her shifted. She found herself standing in a dark room, her heart racing.

"Cheng Xi…" A voice echoed from the shadows.

Her breath caught in her throat. The voice was too familiar.

"What is this?" Cheng Xi whispered, her eyes scanning the darkness.