The storm stopped.
The lightning spears vanished, leaving behind silence that was heavier than thunder. The vacuum rippled, curling into shapes, colors, noises.
The voice of the system was reduced to a whisper:
> [Tribulation Phase III: Trial of the Mind.]
[Objective: Survive illusion and despair. Failure = collapse of soul.]
Li Xian squinted. "So… Heaven wants to play games now."
---
The first illusion took shape.
Zhao Feng stood before them, whole and unharmed, his sword aglitter, his smile triumphant.
"Yao," he said gently, his hand out. "Let this cripple die. You and I—we can still have a future."
Su Yao stood frozen, her jade lips trembling. His voice, his heat—it was true. The scent of the sect courtyards lingered, the remembrance of their days of training together.
Her heart shook.
"Not," she sighed, her head shaking. "You're not real. You're—"
But Zhao Feng stepped closer, his breath warm, his eyes shining with tears. "Why else would Heaven give you this, but to remind you where you belong?"
Her fingers shook.
---
Li Xian's laugh cut through the mist.
"Belong? To a man who trembles with fear of a chained opponent?"
The illusion flickered. Zhao Feng's smile faltered, his form wavering. Su Yao's heart steadied, crimson light pulling her back.
She turned to Li Xian, her voice trembling but resolute. "You're right. He was never enough."
The illusion shattered.
---
The void shifted again.
This time, it was not Zhao Feng. It was Li Xian himself.
A younger version — crippled, broken, eyes dull, begging on his knees. His voice cracked with despair.
"Why… why did you abandon me, Su Yao? Why didn't you rescue me? I was nothing by myself."
The sight stabbed at her heart like a sword. She flooded her jade eyes with tears, her legs trembling as she grasped at her chest.
"I… I never ceased—"
"Don't." The real Li Xian's voice was knife-sharp, cutting through the storm. His red-rimmed eyes blazed. "That coward is dead. I slew him the moment I dared defy Heaven."
Su Yao's tears fell — not of guilt, but of release.
She reached out and shattered the illusion with her palm. "Yes. You're not the man who begged. You're the man who stands."
The storm cracked, the illusions crumbling.
---
But Heaven was not done.
The void warped one last time.
Mei Ling appeared — except it was no illusion. She had stepped into the storm willingly, her dark eyes alight with madness and lust.
"Interesting," she purred, her blade tracking her lips. "Heaven dallies with you, but I? I offer you truth."
Her gaze swept over Su Yao, then went back to Li Xian. "She vacillates. I do not. If Heaven destroys her, I'll remain… to witness your madness."
The system beeped:
> [Warning: Multiple targets in Tribulation zone.]
[Outcome unpredictable.]
The storm raged furiously, devoting itself to the tension between them.
Su Yao's lips parted, her jade fists frozen. Mei Ling snarled, stepping forward, daring her to trip.
And Li Xian… laughed.
"Good," he panted, eyes blazing crimson. "Let Heaven test fidelity with jealousy. In the end… both of you will be mine."
The void shattered.