The Temple of the First Idol loomed like a monolith of forgotten gods, its colossal statues now animated with torrents of ancient resonance energy. Their stone limbs cracked the earth with each step, their eyeless gazes radiating a pressure that weighed on Li Luo's triple resonance palaces. Jiang Qing'e's light resonance blazed, casting a protective halo over the team. Lu Qing'er's ice resonance shimmered, Cai Wei's earth resonance pulsed steadily, and Zhao Chen's chaotic aura swirled unpredictably, his gold-and-black eyes gleaming with anticipation.
"Stay sharp!" Li Luo called, his Heavenly Dragon's Resonance Blade gleaming with water resonance. His primal resonance thrummed, sensing the statues' energy as an extension of the Origin Continent itself—a primal force older than any cultivation art.
The first statue lunged, its fist wreathed in shadow resonance, shattering the ground where Li Luo stood. He dodged with a burst of water resonance, his body flowing like a river, and countered with a slash that carved a glowing arc through the statue's arm. Qing'e moved in sync, her light-forged sword slicing through another statue's chest, its stone form crumbling under her radiant assault.
Lu Qing'er unleashed a blizzard of ice resonance, freezing a statue's legs, while Cai Wei summoned earthen spikes to pin it in place. Zhao Chen darted between them, his chaotic blade striking with erratic precision, each hit disrupting the statues' resonance flow. The team's synergy was seamless, honed by battles in the Noble's Battlefield, but the statues' sheer power tested their limits.
As the final statue fell, its fragments dissolved into sparks of resonance energy, absorbed by the temple's gates. The massive doors groaned open, revealing a dark, cavernous interior pulsing with an eerie hum. The silhouette from the rift's projection lingered in the air, its voice echoing: "You have passed the first trial. Enter, and face the resonance of the First Idol."
Li Luo exchanged a glance with Qing'e, her golden eyes resolute. "This place is alive," she said. "It's testing us, but for what?"
"To see if we're worthy," Zhao Chen interjected, wiping his blade. "The Idol Kings forged resonances here. Their trials weed out the weak. You feel that hum? It's a resonance forge—a crucible for palaces."
Li Luo's primal resonance stirred, drawn to the temple's energy like a moth to flame. "Then let's find out what it wants," he said, stepping forward.
Inside, the temple was a labyrinth of glowing runes etched into obsidian walls. The air was thick with primal energy, tugging at their resonance palaces. At the chamber's center stood a massive altar, its surface a swirling vortex of elemental sparks—fire, water, wood, light, and countless others, all merging into a chaotic whole. Above it floated a crystalline orb, identical to the one in the Heavenly Dragon Pavilion, but radiating a power that made Li Luo's heart race.
"It's a resonance forge," Zhao Chen confirmed, his voice low. "The Idol Kings used these to craft the first resonance palaces. This one's still active."
Cai Wei frowned, her earth resonance probing the altar. "It's unstable. If we disturb it, we could trigger something catastrophic."
Before anyone could respond, the orb pulsed, and a wave of energy swept through the chamber. Li Luo's vision blurred, and a new scene unfolded—a memory, vivid and searing. He saw Li Taixuan and Tantai Lan standing before a similar altar, their resonances blazing. His father's dragon-shaped blade roared with power, while his mother's celestial aura sealed cracks in the vortex. "The Origin must be contained," Tantai Lan said, her voice strained. "If the Idol Kings awaken, no resonance will be safe."
The vision shattered, and Li Luo stumbled, Qing'e catching him. "Another one?" she asked, her voice tight with concern.
"My parents," he whispered. "They were here, sealing something. The Myriad Idols' Origin… it's tied to this forge."
Zhao Chen's eyes narrowed. "Your parents? That explains a lot. The Origin is the source of all resonances. If they messed with it, they pissed off something big."
The orb pulsed again, and the altar's vortex flared, sending tendrils of energy toward the team. Li Luo's primal resonance reacted instinctively, absorbing a strand of the energy. His third resonance palace trembled, and a new sensation flooded him—a primal resonance, raw and unformed, amplifying his other resonances. His water and wood palaces surged, their power doubling in an instant.
"Li Luo!" Qing'e shouted, her light resonance shielding the others as the vortex's energy lashed out.
"I'm fine!" he called, steadying himself. "This forge… it's awakening my primal resonance. It's like it's trying to refine me."
Zhao Chen grinned, his chaotic resonance flaring. "That's the trial. The forge tests your resonance's purity. Pass, and it strengthens you. Fail, and it tears your palace apart."
Lu Qing'er's face paled. "We're not all like Li Luo. My ice resonance isn't ready for this."
"You don't have to face it," Zhao Chen said. "But he does. The forge is calling him."
Li Luo stepped toward the altar, his primal resonance urging him forward. "I need to understand what my parents did. If this forge holds answers, I'm taking the risk."
Qing'e grabbed his arm, her eyes fierce. "Not alone. We do this together."
He smiled, her resolve anchoring him. "Always."
As they approached the altar, the vortex surged, and a shadowy figure emerged from the orb—an echo of the First Idol, its form a mosaic of every resonance known. "Prove your worth," it intoned, "or be unmade."
The chamber trembled, and the trial began, the forge's energy testing the very core of Li Luo's Absolute Resonance.
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