Chapter 21: The Seal's First Trial
The night sky of Frost City bloomed with fireworks, scattering petals of fire across the heavens. Beneath that trembling brilliance, the streets pulsed with celebration—children laughing, warriors drinking, elders whispering of miracles. Yet in the courtyard behind the healing hall, where the lanterns hung still and the air smelled faintly of medicine, Tang Xan stood alone.
The celebrations echoed faintly behind him, but his heart remained quiet.
Rose and Luo had been the first to run out, their faces glowing with pride and relief."Tang Xan, you were magnificent!" Rose exclaimed, her eyes shining like winter stars.Even Luo, who rarely praised anyone, allowed himself a small smile. "You stood against a monster… and came out as a hero."
But Tang Xan did not answer. His gaze was fixed on the heavens. Fireworks burst above, bleeding colors into the night, yet none of them reflected in his eyes. Instead, a distant sadness lingered there—a whisper belonging to someone who was no longer alive.
Leo…If only you had seen this victory with your own eyes.
The thought tightened around his chest like a silent chain. Victory tasted sweet to others, but to Tang Xan, it was merely a reminder of the promise he had sworn upon a dying friend's final breath.
And perhaps because of that lingering emotion—Because of that unguarded vulnerability—
Something in the night moved.
The air stilled.The sound of fireworks dimmed.The shadows thickened as though an unseen curtain had fallen.
A low growl reverberated through the courtyard.
Rose froze mid-step. Luo instinctively stepped in front of her.
From the darkness near the wall, two golden eyes opened—cold, predatory, ancient.
A panther, its body carved from living night, stepped forward. Its fur rippled like smoke; every muscle carried lethal grace. The moonlight bent unnaturally around its form.
Tang Xan's heartbeat slowed. His fingers curled into fists.
This… presence.It was not ordinary.Not a beast.Not a spirit.
Something older.Something tied to him.
The panther's lips curled, revealing black-fanged teeth. Its voice, when it finally spoke, was not that of an animal—but something disturbingly human.
"You have awakened what should have remained asleep."
Rose gasped, trembling.Luo felt sweat slide down his spine.
Tang Xan remained still, though the air around him tensed.
The panther's body shimmered—And then it unfolded.
Bones twisted. The spine elongated. Muscles shifted like liquid darkness.
In the span of a heartbeat, the beast stood as a man—tall, shadow-skinned, with remnants of fur running along his arms and a predatory smile dancing across his lips.
His voice sank deep into the air, ancient and knowing.
"Seal One is open."He tilted his head."But the power you tasted is merely the fragrance, not the essence."
Tang Xan inhaled slowly, steadying his breath."What are you?"
"A watcher," the being answered softly."A judge of the light you wield."He paused, letting his golden eyes lock with Tang Xan's."Every seal has three trials. Fail any one of them… and the Light will devour your consciousness. Your body will remain alive, but your soul will vanish. A hollow vessel."
Rose covered her mouth.Luo stepped back instinctively.
But Tang Xan's gaze never wavered.
"What are these trials?"
The panther-man smiled faintly—almost pitying.
"You ask the question too late."
His hand rose, touching nothing—yet the world reacted.
RUMBLE.
Light burst beneath Tang Xan's feet, forming a circle of blinding purity—too bright, too sharp, too powerful for the mortal world.
Rose screamed his name.Luo shouted something.But the voices grew distant, drawn away like echoes pulled into a void.
The light consumed him.
God Realm — First Trial: The Ring Domain
Tang Xan landed hard on ancient stone, the impact rattling through his bones.
The world around him was a blinding expanse of brilliance—endless rings of divine inscriptions floating through the air, humming with the power of forgotten gods. Each ring turned slowly, imprisoning the realm in an eternal circle.
The sky had no sun, no moon—only shifting layers of white light that seemed to breathe.
Tang Xan exhaled slowly.His breath turned into glowing mist.
"So… this is the trial."
The air was heavy, oppressive, filled with a pressure that crushed the weak-minded. His wounds from the battle with Duo still pulsed, yet the trial offered no mercy.
A deep vibration echoed through the ground.
Then—
A beast crawled out of the first ring.A creature formed from condensed spiritual force, its horns curved, its eyes glowing red.
Tier One Beast — Horned Canine
It lunged at him with a snarl, its claws tearing through stone.
Tang Xan dodged—barely.His muscles screamed; his chest burned.
He countered with a strike infused with faint light.The impact sent the beast stumbling, but it recovered instantly—faster, stronger, hungrier.
There was no time to breathe.
A second roar split the realm.
From the second ring emerged a massive silhouette—towering, muscular, its skin covered in crackling lightning.
Tier Two Beast — Thunderback Gorilla
Its presence alone distorted the air.
Tang Xan's expression darkened.
Two beasts.Both stronger than normal.Both designed to kill him.
The gorilla charged, the earth quaking beneath its steps.
Tang Xan dodged, but the shockwave caught him.His body slammed against a ring pillar.
Blood filled his mouth.
Pain blurred his vision.
Is this… just the beginning?
But before he could even raise his guard—The Tier One beast pounced.
Tang Xan barely blocked the jaws snapping toward his throat.The gorilla followed with a punch wrapped in thunder.
BOOM.
The blow sent Tang Xan rolling across the divine floor.
His breathing grew rough. His limbs felt heavy.Every sense screamed that this trial was crafted not to test him—but to break him.
Yet even as his knees trembled, even as his blood stained the sacred stone, Tang Xan pushed himself up.
"This seal… this path… it won't accept the weak."
He steadied his breath, remembering Leo's final smile—soft, pained, filled with hope.
"If the world crushes you, get up again… even if broken."
Tang Xan gritted his teeth.
He rose.
Facing two beasts.
Bleeding.
Shaking.
But standing.
The beasts circled him, their eyes burning with killing intent.
And in the rings behind them… more shadows stirred.
The trial was not ending.
It was only beginning.
End of Chapter 21