The cool night air of the field was a strange contrast to the oppressive energy that still clung to Feng Yunxian's skin. The man before him, who had just initiated the second trial, stood calmly, as if the weight of this place did not affect him. His eyes glinted with an unreadable expression, one that unsettled Feng Yunxian in ways the earlier spectral warrior had not.
"The second trial," the man began, stepping forward, "is not a trial of strength or speed, but of your spirit and your heart. Many have been lost in this test, not because they lacked the power, but because they lacked the resolve to face themselves."
Feng Yunxian's eyes narrowed. His hand instinctively gripped the hilt of his sword, though he refrained from drawing it. "What do you mean?"
The man's smile was faint but chilling. "You'll soon understand."
Before Feng Yunxian could respond, the scene around him shifted again. The stars above began to swirl like a whirlpool, and the grass beneath his feet vanished, replaced by solid stone. The sky darkened until it was pitch black, and the wind howled around him like a mournful wail.
When the world stilled, Feng Yunxian found himself standing in front of a familiar yet unsettling sight.
The village.
The same village where his life in the mortal realm had begun after his reincarnation. Only, it wasn't how he remembered it. The streets were empty, the houses abandoned, their doors hanging open, swaying slightly in the wind. The fields that had once been full of life were barren, and the air smelled of ash and decay.
"What is this?" Feng Yunxian whispered to himself, though he knew this was part of the trial. Still, the vividness of the scene unnerved him.
As he took a step forward, the ground beneath him crunched, and his heart froze.
Bodies.
Scattered across the village, lying motionless in the streets, were the bodies of the villagers who had once treated him like one of their own. His gaze landed on each familiar face—men, women, children—people who had lived their simple lives, now reduced to cold, lifeless figures.
A bitter taste filled Feng Yunxian's mouth, and his grip on his sword tightened.
"Do you regret it?" The man's voice echoed in the empty village, though he was nowhere to be seen. "Leaving them behind to pursue your path. You could have stayed, protected them. Instead, you chose the path of power."
Feng Yunxian clenched his teeth. "This isn't real. The village is fine."
"Perhaps," the voice mused, "but are you certain? The choices you made... do they come without consequences? You left these people behind, knowing full well the dangers of the world. Did you really think you could return without cost?"
A chill ran down Feng Yunxian's spine, but he forced himself to push forward. This was a test, a trial designed to break his spirit. He couldn't let it affect him.
As he moved deeper into the village, the scene became more grotesque. The once familiar faces now twisted with pain and fear, their eyes staring blankly at him as if accusing him of their fate. He could hear whispers, low and insistent, voices that sounded like the villagers, calling out to him in agony.
"You abandoned us…"
"Why didn't you stay…"
"You could have saved us…"
The voices clawed at Feng Yunxian's mind, but he pressed on. His steps grew heavier with each moment, the weight of guilt and doubt pressing down on him. He knew it wasn't real. He knew this was an illusion designed to test him. But the emotions it stirred—the regret, the uncertainty—they were real.
And that was the true danger of this trial.
As he reached the center of the village, he saw her.
Standing in the middle of the square, her back turned to him, was a young woman. She wore the same simple dress she always had, her long hair swaying gently in the wind.
Feng Yunxian's breath caught in his throat.
"Liu Qing…"
She turned slowly, and for a moment, his heart stopped. It was her, the woman who had shown him kindness when he had first reincarnated into this world, the one who had shared her home with him when he was lost and confused. The one who had believed in him when he doubted himself.
But her face…
Her face was pale, her eyes hollow, and her expression empty.
"You left us," she whispered, her voice broken. "You promised you would return. You promised you would protect us…"
Feng Yunxian took a step back, his mind racing. "No… this isn't real. You're not real."
"Is that what you tell yourself?" she asked, her voice growing colder. "That it's not real? That you didn't abandon us? That you didn't abandon me?"
Her words pierced through his defenses, and for the first time in a long while, Feng Yunxian felt a flicker of doubt. He had left the village, not because he wanted to, but because he needed to pursue his path. But had he made the right choice? Could he have done more to protect them?
As Liu Qing took a step toward him, her body began to decay, her skin cracking and peeling away like old bark. Her once beautiful face became a grotesque mask of death, her eyes nothing more than empty sockets.
"Why didn't you stay…" she whispered, her voice distorted and echoing.
Feng Yunxian felt the weight of her accusation, but he forced himself to stand firm. He had made his choices, and he had to live with them. This was a trial, a test of his spirit. He couldn't afford to let it break him.
"You're not real," he said, more firmly this time. "I did what I had to do. I left because I had a path to follow. And I will not be bound by the past."
Liu Qing's decayed form halted, and for a moment, the world seemed to freeze. Then, slowly, her figure began to dissolve, the village around him fading away into mist.
Feng Yunxian let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. His heart still pounded in his chest, the weight of the trial lingering, but he had passed. He had faced his regrets, his doubts, and he had emerged stronger.
The world shifted again, and Feng Yunxian found himself back in the stone chamber of the Spirit Pavilion. The air was still, the oppressive energy that had weighed down on him gone. The man from before reappeared, standing before him with a faint smile on his lips.
"Well done," the man said, his voice soft but approving. "Few are able to face the trial of the heart without succumbing to their own guilt. You have proven that your resolve is strong."
Feng Yunxian said nothing, his expression calm but guarded. The trial had shaken him, but he wouldn't let it show.
"However," the man continued, "this is only the beginning. The path you walk will require more than just strength and resolve. You will need to confront the very essence of your being, and that will not be easy."
Feng Yunxian met the man's gaze, his eyes burning with determination. "I've already lost everything once. I will not lose again."
The man's smile widened, though there was a hint of something darker in his eyes. "We shall see."
The trial had been grueling, but Feng Yunxian knew it was far from over. The Spirit Pavilion was a place designed to push him to his limits, and he couldn't afford to let his guard down.
As the stone chamber shifted once more, Feng Yunxian prepared himself for whatever came next. He had faced his doubts and emerged victorious, but the real challenge was only just beginning.