The Blood Valley slept beneath a scarlet moon.
Winds whispered through the crimson bamboo groves, carrying faint echoes of chanting — low, rhythmic, and filled with hunger.
At the heart of the sect, deep within the Crimson Abyssal Hall, Xiao Wang knelt before an altar carved from the bones of spirit beasts. The Devouring Sword rested across his knees, its faint hum resonating with the flow of his breath.
He had been meditating since dawn.
Or perhaps — since the moment the Saintess's words had pierced through him like light through fog:
"Let's see how much of Heaven you can devour."
Now, the second phase of the Feast had begun.
The Trial of Ten Thousand Souls
A vast arena — larger than any before — unfolded under the full moon. The elders had gathered atop black stone thrones, and disciples lined the tiers, their faces filled with greed and awe.
At the center floated a colossal formation, its lines etched in blood and glowing faintly with dark light.
"The Trial of Ten Thousand Souls," announced Elder Ma, his voice echoing through the valley.
"Enter the array, and face the shadows of your own heart. Only those who conquer themselves shall ascend."
Disciples murmured nervously.
"It's the soul trial again…"
"Last year, only four survived!"
"But the Saintess herself is observing today…"
On the pavilion above, Yue Feiyan sat like a celestial flame in mortal form — serene, radiant, unreadable. Her golden eyes followed Xiao Wang silently as he approached the array.
Xiao Wang stopped before her and bowed slightly.
"Any advice, Saintess?"
Her lips curved faintly.
"Trust your sword. But do not trust your reflection."
He raised an eyebrow. "That's cryptic."
"If I were less cryptic, you'd be less interesting."
Her tone was teasing — but her eyes held warning.
Xiao Wang exhaled, stepped into the circle, and the world around him dissolved.
Illusion Realm — The Valley of Mirrors
Silence.
He opened his eyes to find himself standing on an endless plain of black water.
Every step he took rippled across the surface, and above him hung a shattered moon — its fragments orbiting like shards of glass.
Reflections shimmered in the water — countless versions of himself.
Some smiled.
Some wept.
Some were drenched in blood.
Heris's voice echoed faintly in his mind.
"Be careful. This is no ordinary illusion. Each reflection holds a piece of your soul — and your regret."
The darker voice chuckled.
"Or your truth."
Then, one reflection spoke.
"You think you've changed, don't you?"
Xiao Wang froze.
The reflection stepped out of the water — identical face, identical aura, but eyes cold as winter.
"You call yourself reborn. But you're still the same man who failed to protect her."
"Shut up."
"You still see her in your dreams, don't you? The woman who died because you hesitated."
"Enough."
"No. You can't devour guilt, Xiao Wang. You can only drown in it."
The reflection lunged — sword flashing crimson.
Xiao Wang met it mid-strike, sparks scattering like stars.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Each blow echoed like thunder. The reflection fought like a mirror — every technique, every step, every feint exactly his own.
He was battling himself.
Heris's voice whispered.
"This is your inner trial. If he kills you, your soul will never return."
"Then I'll kill him first."
He pivoted, blade sweeping low. The reflection dodged, but Xiao Wang's off-hand strike slammed into its ribs — breaking the perfect symmetry.
"Found your flaw."
"What flaw?" the reflection hissed.
"You're just a memory. I've moved on."
He thrust his sword forward — Devouring Pulse! — and the reflection shattered into smoke.
[Inner Trial: Phase One — Complete.]
[Memory of Regret Devoured. Soul Purity +10%.]
The world rippled — and shifted again.
Phase Two — The Faces of Temptation
Now he stood in a forest of silver blossoms, moonlight filtering through ethereal mist.
And before him stood three women.
Each one radiant.
Each one familiar.
"Yue Feiyan?" he murmured.
The first woman smiled — golden eyes glowing.
"Don't you desire me?"
The second woman had hair as white as snow, eyes soft and mournful.
"You could rest with me. Forget revenge."
The third — faceless, shifting — whispered like wind.
"All you need do is surrender the sword."
Xiao Wang's grip tightened on his hilt.
"Nice try."
He closed his eyes, sensing the false heartbeat within each illusion.
"Heris," he murmured, "can you see through this?"
"Yes. They feed on your longing. Reject them."
He took a deep breath — then smiled bitterly.
"Longing, huh? I guess I've had enough of that."
He raised the Devouring Sword, and crimson light flared like dawn breaking through night.
"Devour — Mirage Veil."
The world exploded in light.
The illusions screamed, dissolving into motes of white flame.
[Inner Trial: Phase Two — Complete.]
[Temptation of Desire Overcome. Soul Resistance +15%.]
Phase Three — The Blood Ascension
The illusion cracked, revealing the true heart of the array — a swirling vortex of souls, thousands of them, all crying, all reaching.
"To ascend," a voice thundered, "you must feed upon what feeds upon you."
Xiao Wang stepped forward, feeling the pressure of countless spirits gnawing at his skin.
The ground beneath him turned to molten red — the air thick with sorrow.
His heartbeat thundered in his ears.
"Heris," he whispered, "release the second seal."
"Are you sure?"
"Do it."
The sword screamed as crimson runes ignited across its length.
[Devour Mode: Stage Three — Soulbound Release.]
Black lightning arced from his body, striking the swirling vortex. The souls howled — then poured into him in torrents of burning light.
Pain ripped through him, raw and endless.
His veins glowed. His skin cracked. His consciousness began to blur.
"He can't contain it," Heris warned.
"Let me out," the darker voice growled. "I can handle this."
"No," Xiao Wang hissed. "If I let you out now, I'll lose control."
"Then we both die!"
The storm of souls roared louder — then, suddenly, a hand touched his shoulder.
Warm. Calm.
Yue Feiyan's voice whispered faintly, carried by spirit projection.
"Remember what I told you — trust your sword. Not your reflection."
Her presence steadied him.
"Heris. Fuse with me — now!"
"Understood."
Sword and soul became one.
A crimson aura erupted, tearing through the illusion realm like a tidal wave. The devouring force reversed — the souls that attacked him now bowed, dissolving into his essence willingly.
The vortex shattered.
Silence fell.
When he opened his eyes again, he was back in the arena.
The disciples stared in stunned silence.
Even the elders were on their feet.
Yue Feiyan smiled faintly.
"You passed."
He exhaled, collapsing to one knee, the Devouring Sword still humming faintly with absorbed power.
[Trial Complete — Rank Ascension Granted.]
[New Title Acquired: Devourer of Reflections.]
[Hidden Trait: "Eternal Hunger (Dormant)."]
Heris's voice was soft.
"You've touched the boundary, Xiao Wang. But something stirs inside that power. A presence older than me."
The darker voice laughed, deep and echoing.
"Oh, you feel it too, don't you? The third presence."
"Third?"
"Yes. The one who forged this sword before even Heaven was born."
Xiao Wang's breath caught.
He looked down.
The Devouring Sword pulsed once — then whispered in a voice that did not belong to Heris or his darker self.
"Welcome back, my heir."
The crowd gasped as the sword's aura surged — forming the faint outline of an ancient, armored figure standing behind Xiao Wang, its eyes twin abysses of crimson flame.
"What is that?!"
"An ancient spirit?!"
"His sword… it's alive!"
Yue Feiyan's expression shifted — for the first time, her calm cracked into awe.
"That… that's impossible. The Soul of the First Devourer…"
The figure's gaze turned toward her, and its voice rumbled through the heavens:
"So, the bloodline of the Celestial Phoenix still lives."
Lightning tore across the sky.
Yue Feiyan's eyes widened — her golden irises blazing with divine flame.
"You… you know my lineage?"
"I forged your ancestor's trial," the spirit said. "And now, it begins anew."
The world trembled.
The arena cracked.
The Feast of Ten Thousand Souls had just become a battlefield of gods.
[Main Quest Unlocked: The Devourer's Reawakening.]
[Objective: Survive the Ancient Bloodline War.]