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Chapter 26 - Chapter 26- The Trials

The sky above Bloodstorm Ridge churned with crimson clouds. Lightning crawled across the heavens, and a twisted wind screamed through broken peaks and jagged rocks.

In the center of the ridge stood a shattered monolith—a relic of an ancient battlefield. Beneath it, a wide stone platform pulsed faintly, carved with runes so old even time dared not erode them.

A tear in space twisted above the platform.

And from that crack in reality, Wu Tangge stepped through.

His black robes fluttered behind him, eyes burning with cruel anticipation as he held out the bone-map, now glowing brightly.

"So… this is the place."

As he approached the center of the formation, his eyes narrowed.

He was not alone.

Two figures already stood there—both clad in ethereal robes, their auras vast, ancient, and suffocating.

Both were from the Immortal Realm.

The first was a silver-haired man with a phoenix mark on his forehead—Lei Zhen, known in the upper world as the "Sky Pierce Sage." His expression was calm, but his eyes glimmered with cold arrogance.

The second, a woman wrapped in red celestial flame, was Mo Yuyan, the "Ember Saintess." Her beauty was matched only by the deadly energy swirling around her form like dancing dragons.

Wu Tangge stepped forward without hesitation.

"So... rats from the heavens crawl through the same hole."

Lei Zhen glanced sideways. "Wu Tangge."

Mo Yuyan narrowed her eyes. "Didn't expect you here."

Wu Tangge grinned, unbothered. "Surprised? You should be. After all, I don't play by the rules your sects cling to like children."

Lei Zhen snorted. "You're still a disgrace, even among immortals. Slaughtering mortal sects, enslaving cultivators, spreading fear…"

Wu Tangge raised a brow and interrupted, voice dripping with scorn:

"Fear is order. Mortals kneel. That is their purpose. If they can't endure it… they die."

Mo Yuyan clenched her fists. "Even beasts have more dignity than you."

Wu Tangge stepped forward, eyes gleaming.

"Yet here we all are, aren't we? Ready to enter the tomb of generals, hunting power like starving dogs."

The ancient formation beneath them suddenly flared.

The three bone-map fragments—Wu Tangge's, Lei Zhen's, and Mo Yuyan's—rose from their hands and spun in mid-air, forming a triangle of light.

The wind stopped.

The mountain rumbled.

The entrance to the Five Troops Secret Realm cracked open.

From the air, a massive ethereal gate formed—ten thousand feet tall, etched with runes of war, death, and forgotten glory. Screams and chants echoed faintly from within.

"Shall we?" Lei Zhen said, already stepping forward.

Mo Yuyan followed without a word.

Wu Tangge paused and turned his head slightly.

Behind him, thousands of souls from the Thunder Sect and Heaven Thrilling Sect screamed silently—trapped in the black crystal hanging from his belt, a trophy from his earlier slaughter.

He grinned.

"I will take what I want. And if either of you stand in my way… I'll send your heads back to the Immortal Realm in a spirit bag."

Then, without another word, he stepped into the gate.

---

The Realm Within

The world shifted.

Inside, the Five Troops Secret Realm was unlike anything they had seen. A vast, endless land of black skies, floating warships, ruined cities, and divine skeletons the size of mountains.

Massive statues of ancient generals stood, holding spears that pierced even time.

Spiritual energy was thick, but twisted—tainted by war and blood.

Inside the vast, war-torn realm, a towering gate loomed before them—engraved with the words:

"Trial of the First Troop – Valor through Slaughter."

As the gate creaked open, ten thousand war puppets surged forth—each forged from spiritual steel and filled with killing intent.

Lei Zhen summoned heavenly lightning. Mo Yuyan conjured a flaming phoenix.

Wu Tangge?

He simply smiled.

"Why waste energy?"

He raised his hand—and thousands of resentful souls trapped in his black crystal swarmed forward, screaming.

The puppet army fell apart within seconds—devoured by soul fire and ripped apart by vengeful spirits.

Mo Yuyan scowled. "You use the dead like tools?"

Wu Tangge licked blood from his finger. "The dead are mine. So are the living."

---

Second Trial: Mind of Command

They stood in a formation maze—illusions, despair, and fear clouded the senses.

Lei Zhen fought with clarity. Mo Yuyan endured with determination.

Wu Tangge walked through like a ghost.

Why?

Because he had no fear. No regret. No compassion.

The illusions collapsed around him—unable to affect a man whose heart was already colder than death.

---

Third Trial: The Offer of Power

A phantom general offered each of them an ancient war talisman—at a price.

Lei Zhen refused. Mo Yuyan hesitated.

Wu Tangge grinned.

"What's the price?"

"Slaughter a sect of 10,000 innocents within a day."

Wu Tangge didn't blink.

"I've already done that twice this week."

He took the talisman. The phantom smiled in approval—and vanished.

---

As the three stood before the fourth gate, Wu Tangge turned and whispered:

"Keep up, or die in the next trial. I won't help you… unless your corpses can serve me later."

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