Lord of the Rending Stars

The right path, the trial of the heart.

Qingyang embarked on the most dangerous road. The road was rugged, its colors shifting, and with each step, his emotions changed.

In moments of joy, he recalled sharing drinks with friends on human territories; in moments of anger, he remembered witnessing his people being slaughtered by alien races on battlefields beyond the borders; in moments of sorrow, he thought of his companions who had perished on the path of cultivation; in moments of fear, he seemed to see himself fail in his breakthrough, his body and soul extinguished. This was not an illusion, but a test that directly affected his mind and spirit.

No matter how high your understanding of the laws or how strong your combat power, if your will is not firm, you will lose yourself here. Qingyang walked nine hundred steps, experiencing nine hundred emotional shocks. Sweat beaded on his forehead, but his eyes remained clear.

"Human, your will is stronger than I imagined."

The mental fluctuations of the Zerg Queen's "Soul Eater" avatar were transmitted. It too was on this path, but was clearly more composed. The Zerg Queen was a master at manipulating souls, so the test of will was half the difficulty for it.

The clone of the King of Killing Spirits remained completely unaffected: "The mechanical race has no soul, and therefore no concept of emotions. This path is ineffective against me. But according to our agreement, I must accompany you on the entire journey."

Qingyang did not answer. He was fighting with all his might against the thousandth impact, this time, it was "greed". Countless treasures appeared before his eyes: a top-level treasure set, a secret technique of a cosmic venerable, a divine fruit that could allow one to directly break through to immortality, and even a damaged treasure... Each one was enough to drive Fengwang Wudi crazy.

"Take them...they're all yours..."

A seductive voice echoed in his heart. Qingyang paused. Just then, the nine Source Crystal Hearts within his body vibrated simultaneously. The power of the nine fundamental laws intertwined within his inner world, forming a stable network of laws that protected his mind.

"My way is not in external things, but in myself."

"The heat of fire is both destruction and rebirth; the gentleness of water is both containment and erosion; the sharpness of gold is both cutting and protection."

Qingyang murmured to himself and continued walking. Every few steps, he silently recited the essence of a law in his mind.

When he reached the 1,800th step, the road suddenly vanished. He stood in nothingness, and three shadows slowly coalesced before him.

The first figure was Bingfeng, but his eyes were cold, and he exuded killing intent: "Qingyang, hand over the Heart of the Origin Crystal! You, a Realm Lord, are not worthy of possessing such a treasure!"

The second shadow was King Jiuyu, wielding a blood-dripping longsword: "What the human race needs are immortal gods, not useless beings forever stuck at the level of World Lord! Your death, leaving your treasures to us, is the greatest contribution you can make to the race!"

The third shadow… was himself. That "Qingyang" smiled, yet uttered the most vicious words: "You can't break through to immortality, stop dreaming. Hand over your body to me, I'll break through for you, I'll become a cosmic venerable one for you, I'll make you a force to be reckoned with throughout the universe…"

The Tribulation of Inner Demons! This is the most dangerous hurdle; you must overcome the person you trust most, and yourself.

Qingyang closed his eyes and took a deep breath. When he opened his eyes again, they were filled with unwavering resolve.

"Ice Peak wouldn't say that, and neither would King Jiuyu." He looked at the two figures ahead. "As for you?"

Qingyang looked at the third shadow, "I will walk my own path. Success or failure, it's none of your business!"

Before the words were finished, nine Source Crystal Hearts flew out of his body, transforming into nine-colored chains that simultaneously bound the three shadows.

"It's no use! I am you, and I can do everything you can!"

The third shadow grinned maliciously and released nine-colored chains as well. The two chains collided in mid-air; the clash of laws was silent, yet it caused the entire void to begin to collapse.

Blood trickled from Qingyang's lips, but instead of retreating, he advanced step by step toward the third shadow.

"You are indeed me, but you are not all of me."

With every few steps Qingyang took, a light of law shone from his body. "I have the patience to stay at the Realm Lord level for 20,000 years, the courage to fight on the battlefield against alien races for a thousand years, and the wisdom to maneuver among various parties in the Chaos Sea Eye. Do you have these?"

The third shadow began to tremble. "I have a master who treats me like a son, and comrades who fight alongside me," Qingyang continued forward, "I have a clan to protect, and a peak to climb. Do you have these?" The shadow began to blur.

"You only have greed, fear, and self-doubt."

Qingyang walked up to the shadow, looking directly into its eyes, which were identical to his own. "So, you can't beat me," he said, placing his hand on the shadow's chest. There was no explosion, no light; the shadow vanished like smoke, and the void space disappeared at the same time.

Qingyang returned to the jade path. Three stone platforms appeared at the end of the path. The first was a crystal-clear, heart-shaped gem; the second was a cloud of silver data; and the third was a purple soul crystal. Qingyang obtained the 'Mirror of Enlightenment,' which allows him to see the flaws in his own mind and defend against soul attacks; the Machine Race obtained the 'Emotional Simulation System,' which allows them to simulate the emotions of intelligent life and improve communication efficiency; and the Zerg Race obtained the 'Soul Source Crystal,' which can enhance their soul essence by ten percent.

Qingyang grasped the Mind-Clearing Mirror Stone and instantly felt his mind become clear. All his previous confusion, hesitation, and fear vanished. He knew that with this item, he would have a 30% greater chance of success against any soul attack in the future.

The trial ended. The three paths converged again at their ends, and King Jiuyu, Bingfeng, and Qingyang met once more. Although they had only been separated for less than a day, all three possessed an indescribable aura. It was a transformation resulting from the ordeal.

Both the Mechs and Zerg also reaped rewards. The first trial has ended, and the second trial will begin in three days.

During these three days, the three groups rested and digested their gains in a side hall of the temple. Three gates appeared on both sides of the jade road, each leading to one of the three side halls. Each group chose a side hall to enter, closed the door, and rested.

Inside the hall, Qingyang and the other two sat in a circle.

"How was the harvest?" Bingfeng asked.

King Jiuyu displayed the Sword Soul Jade and said confidently, "My sword dao bottleneck has loosened. If I were to go into seclusion for a hundred years, I might be able to create an even stronger sword dao secret technique."

Bingfeng also revealed his Ice Soul Source Core, saying, "My understanding of the Water and Space Laws has deepened by 30%, and I have reached the threshold of fully comprehending the complete Space Laws. In addition, I have a vague idea for creating the ninth transformation of the Nine Transformations of the Cold Abyss."

Qingyang then took out the Mind-Clearing Mirror Stone, saying, "This journey of willpower training has made my mind clear, significantly improved my soul's willpower, and greatly enhanced my soul's defense."

He paused, then added, "More importantly, I've seen the path ahead clearly."

"What road?" Bingfeng Jiuyu and Wang asked in unison.

Qingyang's eyes gleamed: "After realizing my true nature, this is the path to becoming a strong person that I yearn for."

King Jiuyu and Bingfeng exchanged a glance, both noticing each other's surprise.