The War Goddess Empress smiled, revealing an aura of wisdom and power. "You now have access to the Eye of Truth and the Mirror that Sees All. These abilities will allow you to identify lies and see beyond appearances, becoming a powerful tool on your journey."
The Empress informed Zhong Rui that she would now take her to the final test, expressing uncertainty about her nature until then. Zhong Rui closed her eyes and succumbed to unconsciousness. After some time, she opened her eyes again, finding herself in the presence of the War Goddess Empress.
"Congratulations, you have passed," said the Empress. However, before they could talk further, there was a knock on the door.
Huang Ying: "Sect Leader? The young master requests an audience."
Zhong Rui was surprised. "Why does he want to see me now?" She clenched her lips, hesitating, before finally saying, "Let him in."
Zhong Rui's heart raced as she saw Feng Wei enter her quarters. She observed him cautiously, not letting her emotions show.
"Feng Wei, what do you want here?" she asked with a cold and distant voice.
Feng Wei maintained his composure, but there was a mix of anxiety and determination in his eyes. "I... I came to talk, Mother," he replied hesitantly.
Zhong Rui was taken aback to hear the word "Mother" coming from his lips. It was the first time he called her that since the incident in the Rune Chamber, where he entered that dangerous dungeon to retrieve the Blood Necklace, a symbol of love that supposedly bound the user forever to the donor.
On that day, he lost his dearest companion, a bunny, and ever since, he blamed her, always referring to her as the "Sect Leader." Her expression remained undisturbed, but inside, she felt a mix of complicated emotions.
As they conversed, Zhong Rui resisted the urge to push him away as she always did. Memories of the recent trials came to her mind, recalling the test where the image of the boy with the rabbit helped her maintain sanity and endure to the end.
Days turned into weeks, and Feng Wei visited her every day, talking to her about his experiences and thoughts. One day, he invited her to have a cup of tea together, and as she drank, she felt something was wrong - the tea was poisoned. Her body trembled, and she couldn't help but ask, "Do you still hate me?" Her voice was full of vulnerability.
Feng Wei responded with a smile, "No, I don't." But as the War Goddess Empress had granted her the ability to see the truth, she focused her power on him, and an aura of red surrounded Feng Wei, indicating that he was lying.
A wry smile curved Zhong Rui's lips as she said, "Of all people, why did you have to betray me?"
A wave of anger and hatred washed over her, and as she prepared to make a move, her will wavered, and Feng Wei seized the opportunity to attack. Though weakened, she didn't defend herself, allowing his strike to pierce her heart.
Tears welled up in Zhong Rui's eyes as she whispered, "I'm sorry, I didn't want it to end like this." Blood stained her beautiful clothes, but despite the pain, she gave one last smile.
Feng Wei laughed manically, "Finally, I've had my revenge! Hahaha!"
After laughing uncontrollably, he paused and asked, "You knew you were poisoned, didn't you? Why did you drink it?"
With a faint smile, she replied, "If the whole world betrays and hates me, I'll kill them all. B-but if it's you who betrays me, I can't kill you."
With those words, she took her final breath. Suddenly, she opened her eyes again and found herself back in her quarters, the War Goddess Empress looking at her with sympathy.
Zhong Rui's emotions were in turmoil as she realized that the final test had been an illusion once more.
Zhong Rui: "This was an illusion too? Another test?"
The War Goddess Empress looked at her with sympathy, understanding the turmoil Zhong Rui was going through.
War Goddess Empress: "Yes, it was your inner demon. The anger residing within you, the darkness born from your past. The purpose of the test was for you to confront and overcome that darkness."
Zhong Rui's hands trembled with anger and a sense of helplessness.
"Facing my inner demon, the darkness in my heart... it was... It was him?" The anger within me is consuming me!"
The War Goddess Empress placed a reassuring hand on Zhong Rui's shoulder. "Confronting your inner demon is not an easy task."
Zhong Rui's expression softened slightly, but the anger in her eyes still burned fiercely. She took a deep breath and tried to calm herself.