The Temple of Soul Judgment stood quiet and still, nestled deep within the mist-wrapped valley of the secret realm. The moment Little Life stepped into the sacred circle etched into the temple's marble floor, the air around him shifted. The world grew heavy.
He knew the final test had begun—the Trial of the Soul.
The circle glowed softly at first, then flared with deep golden light. A cold wind swept through the airless space, brushing against his spirit. His body shivered—not from the cold, but from the immense pressure bearing down on his very soul.
Suddenly, thousands—no, tens of thousands—of translucent shapes emerged from the golden glow. Souls, each with a twisted, distorted expression of suffering, rage, and hatred. They surged like a tidal wave.
They were not here to test him with riddles or puzzles.
They came to attack.
"AHHHH!" Little Life cried as the first of the souls struck his spiritual body. They clawed and tore at his essence like rabid beasts. Memories surfaced—painful ones. His fears, his regrets, his helplessness. One after another, the souls unleashed torment that echoed in his mind.
But he endured.
Minutes passed. Then hours—time lost all meaning. His knees buckled, and blood trickled from the corner of his lips in the real world. But inside the spiritual realm, he stood firm. His aura flickered weakly. His soul was cracking.
"I… won't… fall here…"
His teeth gritted. The souls kept coming. Countless waves. His consciousness began to dim, his spirit frayed like worn fabric. A final push, and he would fall.
And yet—he remained standing, half-conscious, bleeding, but unbroken.
Suddenly—outside the temple—the wind began to howl.
Dark clouds rushed in across the sky. Thunder echoed without lightning. The wind turned violent, twisting into a spiraling storm. Rain poured down like blades.
Shuiyin, resting outside in her human child form—horns curling grandly from her head, eyes filled with quiet intelligence—looked up at the churning sky. Her face turned pale.
"This… this pressure…"
She trembled. Her fingers clutched at the earth. "Is it… the Heavens? Again?"
Her instincts screamed. It was not just a storm—it was Heaven's Law, trembling. Unstable.
But in the next moment, the clouds parted—and a shadow appeared. A vast figure, sitting high in the sky like a celestial monarch. The form had no clear edges, no face—just a silhouette outlined by thunder.
Even looking at it from far below made Shuiyin's breath catch. Her knees weakened.
"This… thing… just its gaze…"
The Elder who had been watching the temple rushed beside her, his own expression full of awe—and fear. His eyes widened as he whispered, "It's here again… the one who walked beyond the Law..."
They watched.
The giant shadow slowly raised a single hand and extended a finger toward the realm.
The entire continent saw it. Every cultivator looked up, stunned.
Then—tap.
The shadow's finger touched the sky above the realm—light bent and folded—and then, it vanished.
Back inside the realm, Little Life shuddered.
The souls around him suddenly froze mid-attack.
They trembled.
Then, without warning, the void behind him cracked open with a soundless explosion. A swirling black hole formed, and the thousands of souls began to be sucked into it, screaming in fear.
He turned weakly, barely able to move his neck.
Then, a familiar voice echoed in his mind.
> "Little Life… how are you?"
His eyes widened.
He recognized that voice.
"L-Little Death…?"
A spiritual image emerged from the void. Tall, calm, eyes as deep as the abyss. Little Death floated gently in the air, radiating gentle but immense power.
Little Life, though weakened beyond measure, couldn't hold back.
Tears welled in his eyes. His soul felt the warmth of family, of understanding.
"…I missed you," Little Life whispered.
His spiritual form rushed forward and hugged Little Death, clinging like a younger brother reunited after centuries of suffering.
"You did well," Little Death said softly. "You passed every test. You gathered every material. You've done more than I ever expected."
"I… I don't want to live for myself," Little Life said through silent tears. "I want to revive Sister…"
Little Death's expression dimmed slightly.
"Sister's soul…" he said, "was too damaged. She cannot pass through the void crack. There's only one chance left."
Little Life looked up. "…What chance?"
Little Death gently brushed his younger brother's head.
> "When we all die, the last one to remain will carry all our memories, our powers… everything. I believe it will be Little Water. You are second last."
"…How do you know?" Little Life asked.
Little Death smiled faintly.
"I used Future Sight while in the void. I saw all your fates… all your paths."
Little Life's eyes trembled.
"Then… what should I do now?"
"Live for yourself," Little Death said. "I've regained my cultivation. I no longer need to linger in fragments. I will rest now."
He stepped back, beginning to fade into the swirling void.
"One last thing," he said, voice echoing softly. "When the time comes, when all of you are gone—give the materials to someone you trust. Someone who can protect them for one year."
Little Life nodded with determination. "I promise."
But just before the void closed, Little Death paused. His gaze turned… beyond.
He looked toward the exit of the realm.
There stood Shuiyin. Her horns gleamed faintly in the fading light.
Little Death's eyes narrowed slightly, sensing something ancient within her.
He turned back to Little Life and said in a low, serious tone:
> "She… should stay with Little Water more than with you. That is how she will heal."
And with those words, he vanished—leaving behind only the scent of calm, and the feeling of being loved.
Little Life stood still, tears silently rolling down his cheeks.
But in his chest, for the first time in a long time—was peace.
--[To Be Continued]---