The second stage of the exam tested the candidates' mental fortitude. They were taken to a meditation chamber and tasked with navigating a labyrinth of illusions designed to break their concentration and spirit. Inside, the illusions played on each candidate's deepest fears and insecurities, forcing them to confront their inner demons.
For Shenlong, the visions that appeared before him were all too familiar. He saw Lin Yue, his former fiancée, standing before him, her cold eyes filled with disdain. He saw the faces of his clan members, sneering at him, calling him trash. But this time, something was different.
"I've faced all of this before," Shenlong said, his voice calm and steady. "None of it matters anymore."
With a single thought, he shattered the illusions, breaking free from the labyrinth's hold. When he opened his eyes, he found himself back in the meditation chamber, the instructors staring at him in shock.
"No one has ever broken free so quickly," one of them whispered.
Shenlong simply smiled. He was no longer the same person who had been mocked and ridiculed. He was stronger now—both in body and in spirit.