Douluo Continent: The Twin Sons of the Styx River, Shaking the World and Destroying the Heavens

Chapter 32 The First Test of Death

Therefore, regarding the deaths of the informants, as someone Xu Tianran trusted, Ju Zi knew about their deaths.

"They tried to win me over because of my situation, and then just let you go."

"It's not that simple. He said he wants you to cure his leg ailment."

Xia Die tossed out a golden gem that radiated vitality, saying, "Here you go."

"This is……"

"I healed His Majesty the Sun and Moon with the power of the Gold of Life, and this is the same."

Of course, Xia Die didn't have the Gold of Life in her hand; she also had the Sword of Life. She had previously obtained the Soul-Slaying Carving Knife while taking care of Zhang Lexuan. It was used to kill the level nine Soul Master who was preparing to capture the Snow Emperor in the far north in the original story.

Using the Soul-Slaying Carving Knife as a medium, the murderous blade was refined into the size of a short sword, now known as the Sword of Life.

"Thank you."

…………

Sea of ​​Deadly Flowers.

Deep within the sea of ​​flowers, though still a sea of ​​flowers, it had changed its appearance. Within the circle formed by clusters of ghost flowers, a purple vortex spun eerily, seemingly about to devour something.

The first test among the Nine Gods of Death requires ascending the Throne of the Dead to pass, during which all abilities of the Martial Soul are restricted.

This place is completely different from the outside world. It is also the crossroads leading to the underworld, the boundary between life and death. The flower sea outside is the most dangerous. This is the true paradise for the dead.

All beings are equal in the face of death.

The Butterfly suffered nine trials of death, while Polycia suffered seven.

The two can do it together.

But from the moment I stepped into this depths, a bone-chilling cold, like countless tiny ice needles, pierced my very bones through my pores. The flowers here lacked vibrant colors; instead, they exuded a ghostly chill, their petals gleaming with a metallic sheen, each one like a work of art forged from death. They moved without wind, rustling softly, as if the whispers of a thousand departed souls.

A hundred meters before them stood a colossal staircase, the path to the Throne of the Dead. The staircase was a dark purple, its surface covered with mysterious runes and ancient totems, and blooming with spider lilies, flowers of the afterlife. It exuded a chilling aura. These ten thousand steps, like a giant serpent, snaked their way into the sky, wisps of black mist swirling around their edges, sometimes coalescing into human form, sometimes dissipating completely.

She needs to ascend this throne of death, where illusion, reality, and death will all feel incredibly real.

Among them was a blood-red stone tablet with blurred death proverbs engraved on its surface.

Trial of the Throne of the Undead

[Upon stepping onto the stairs, you are forbidden from using any abilities other than your Martial Soul. Life and death feel incredibly real here. Respected challenger, welcome to our audience.]

The text above is very blurry; you can barely make out what it says.

Xia Die and Bolysia ignored them, exchanged a glance, and stepped onto the first level. The force they felt was not so heavy.

But as I continued forward, a bone-chilling cold surged through my meridians, rushing straight to my spiritual center. Suddenly, the stairs emitted a rumbling sound like gears turning, and the space on either side cracked open like a shattered mirror, from which hundreds of transparent soul hands emerged, their nails sharp as hooks. When these soul hands pierced through my body, they brought not pain, but the tearing sensation of memories being ripped out—a feeling of helplessness I had experienced when I was being hunted, a feeling that remained deeply etched in my memory.

I endured the mental shock, as if I had entered a world of death.

Upon reaching the three hundredth floor, afterimages began to materialize in the void on either side of the staircase. These afterimages were initially blurry, gradually solidifying as the climb progressed. When they reached the five hundredth floor, a knight clad in tattered armor blocked their path. Eerie green flames flickered in his empty eye sockets, and with a swing of his rusty longsword, the entire space was instantly shrouded in darkness.

He picked up the scythe and swung it down, but it vanished into nothingness, turning into countless chains that bound him and Polycia.

She was forced to kneel down, and her stockings were torn open.

As if going through a cycle of reincarnation, everything before my eyes began to turn gray and white, as if I had experienced life and death.

As if falling into a lake, slowly drifting into the dream of death.

Suddenly, I was forced to engage in a powerful force—the force of life and death. I stopped moving forward and sat down to contemplate it.

It seems as if one has entered a special state of mind, where any changes become even more powerful.

The concept of life and death is integrated into a realm where, if one enters, one will be constantly reincarnated between life and death.

Xia Die created a unique ability, which she named the Cycle of Life and Death. It involves life and death, as well as reincarnation, repeating endlessly, making it impossible to escape.

Xia Die looked at the ethereal chains binding her body, and with a gentle touch, the chains vanished instantly.

"Sister, what's wrong with you...?" "Nothing, just a transformation of new life. It seems I'll need to take a little longer."

Xia Die took Poliusia's hand and carried her on her back.

"What follows will be very dangerous. You only need to climb a thousand floors, but I'll help you reduce the pressure."

"No need, sister, I can..."

"We are born with the other shore, so there is no need for this."

Holding a sickle, Xia Die looked ahead and began to run forward.

But the higher they climbed, the heavier the pressure of the stairs became. Each level felt like an invisible shackle, making it hard to breathe. On the three hundredth level, the surface of the stairs suddenly cracked open, gushing out a large amount of black, viscous liquid. This liquid clung to them like living things, trying to drag Xiaodie and Polycia into the abyss.

"Watch out, sister."

Xia Die glanced at it, then swung her scythe and slashed, splitting the liquid in two and creating a slit.

Upon seeing this, the butterfly transformed into a purple light and flew inside.

After passing through, the liquid returned to its original state, the road behind had collapsed, and now there was only one way forward.

Continue forward from here.

Upon reaching the thousandth floor, a light rain suddenly began to fall from the sky above the stairs, but the rainwater was blood-red, transforming into a blood-red downpour. The raindrops fell on Xia Die like tiny steel needles, causing excruciating pain and relentlessly eroding her life force. Because she was protecting Polycia, Xia Die bore the brunt of the damage. At this moment, the spider lily also mutated, its roots growing wildly, transforming into thorny vines that attacked Xia Die, attempting to drag her into the abyss below the stairs.

But Xia Die closed her eyes, raised her scythe, and began to act.

"bump!"

The mutated spider lily was cut in half.

At the same time, the Polysia on her body was teleported down, because she had already completed the first test of death and there was no need for her to stay any longer.

[The first of the Seven Trials of Death has been completed, with the Ancient Affinity for Death increasing by five percent, and the Soul Ring's age increased by one thousand years.]

Upon being teleported down, Polycia felt no joy at receiving a reward. Instead, she looked at the high-flying butterfly and prayed.

"Sister, will you succeed?"

…………

By this time, Xiaodie had climbed to the fifth thousandth floor. The stairs were shrouded in thick black mist, blurring her vision. From the darkness came the cries of infants and the sighs of old men, their sounds intertwining to form a chilling symphony. Suddenly, a gigantic skeletal hand emerged from the mist, gripping Xiaodie's ankle tightly. The skeletal hand was icy cold and possessed astonishing strength; no matter how much she struggled, she could not break free.

Xia Die simply tugged at the shoe, and it came off, her jade-like feet stepping onto the steps.

Upon reaching the six thousandth floor, the stairs began to shake violently, as if they might collapse at any moment. The runes beneath their feet shone brightly, transforming into countless sharp blades that pierced through the stone steps.

Despite his agile leaps and dodges, he still sustained several cuts on his body. The blood that dripped down was instantly absorbed by the stone steps, becoming nourishment for the staircase.

At the seventh floor, a deathly gale materialized, like countless sharp knives slicing through my body. My clothes were already tattered to shreds, and the scabs on my wounds were repeatedly scraped away by the gale, revealing raw, tender flesh. Suddenly, the chains on both sides of the stairs emitted a piercing clang, and the skeletons on the stairs came to life, transforming into bone arrows that shot towards me. I struggled to defend myself, and arrows struck my shoulder and thigh one after another. Once inside my body, the bone arrows transformed into countless tiny bone worms, burrowing and crawling within my flesh. I endured the excruciating pain, removed the ring, and stored it in my system space.

The small bone worm died instantly.

Above the nine thousandth floor, the staircase became transparent, revealing a bottomless abyss of darkness below, seemingly capable of swallowing everything. His legs were numb and devoid of feeling, his arms felt as heavy as lead, and his senses seemed sealed, making it impossible to see the true path.

But I mechanically lifted my foot and moved forward step by step. Each lift felt like dragging a thousand-pound weight, and each step required all my strength. Countless distorted faces appeared on the surface of the stairs; some grinned, some wept, and some let out a sickening roar, trying to disturb my peace of mind.

In the darkness and silence, time seemed to stretch endlessly. Every step felt like it took all my strength; each footstep was carefully considered, for fear of slipping and falling into the abyss. Sweat soaked my clothes, yet I couldn't feel it; the pain from my wounds was faint, yet I couldn't judge the severity of my injuries. I could only rely on my stubborn will to continue moving forward into the unknown, in this state of loss of all five senses.

The pain one endures while slowly moving under the weight of ten thousand pounds is unimaginable.

Finally, after an unknown amount of struggle, a faint aura entered his consciousness—a summons from the Throne of the Dead.

Her five senses returned, and she opened her purple eyes, facing the Throne of the Dead.

The Throne of the Dead stood at the top of the stairs, radiating a chilling aura. Carved from black stone, the throne was covered in intricate patterns that, under the eerie light, resembled writhing black veins. Above the throne floated a massive skull, its empty eye sockets burning with two ghostly green flames, watching over everyone who attempted to ascend it.

I took a deep breath, dragging my exhausted body, and slowly took the last step. The instant I stepped onto the last step, a powerful force emanated from the throne, enveloping me. This force, carrying boundless pressure and the aura of death, attempted to crush me.

Under the pressure of this force, I knelt on one knee, hands on the ground, my body almost pressed against the steps. But I didn't give up. Summoning the last bit of strength in my body, I bit my lip and slowly stood up. Step by step, I walked laboriously toward the throne. Each step was excruciating, as if every bone in my body was being crushed.

(End of this chapter)