"Where am I?"
Lei Ze spun around, his eyes wide with curiosity and a touch of shock at his new surroundings. The entire area was dominated by fire. A massive volcano loomed in the distance, periodically erupting.
Right beside the roaring volcano, two paths, one on the right and one on the left, split off into the landscape.
"Jìng Xū was absolutely correct," Lei Ze thought. "These are the two paths, and I must avoid the left one."
He hurried forward, leaping from one fire-hardened rock to another, skillfully navigating the burning ground. He reached a stretch of land where the fire dissipated, only to be immediately peppered by blazing rocks hurled from the exploding volcano.
Lei Ze dodged the flaming debris with agile movements, then stepped onto the right path. "Why should I avoid the left path, though?" he wondered, his curiosity piqued.
"Is it guarded by some monstrous creature, or does it hide a terrifying treasure?"
He continued until he reached an enormous temple. Though it looked ancient as if it had existed for millennia, it showed no signs of age or decay; instead, it shone brightly with a pristine radiance.
"This has to be it," he concluded. "This is the righteous place where the Jade Sun Pagoda is kept."
He landed before the temple entrance, taking a moment to scan for any hidden dangers, but the immediate vicinity was calm. Unbeknownst to him, a huge, segmented centipede, impossibly large, was slowly crawling up the temple pillars and slipped inside just as Lei Ze entered.
The temple's interior was already fully lit. The halls were beautifully designed, lined with ancient statues and murals depicting celestial lords. Despite its clear age, there were no dust or cobwebs, indicating a protected space.
Lei Ze walked slowly, every nerve ending alert. His instincts screamed that claiming the Pagoda would not be easy. "It feels too quiet in here," he murmured.
A faint, scraping screech echoed from the high walls. Lei Ze instantly spun, snapping his head toward the source of the noise, but he saw nothing.
He had no weapon or sword, relying only on the power of his cultivation techniques.
Something flashed across his vision too quickly for him to identify. "Huh? That thing was massive," he whispered, continuing his careful advance, his fear replaced by intense, focused observation.
Suddenly, the monstrous centipede lunged, its wide, razor-toothed mouth opening to swallow him whole. Lei Ze instantly rolled sideways, narrowly dodging the attack.
"What in the world is this beast?" he yelled, staring at the creature as it slowly began to stalk him.
Lei Ze stood ready, waiting for the creature to make the first move, but the centipede seemed unnervingly intelligent. It merely coiled and clawed slowly, searching for a flawless moment to strike.
Having no time to waste, Lei Ze slammed his foot down. The force of his stomp bounced the centipede into the air, giving Lei Ze a perfect opening to strike a powerful blow directly at its head.
The centipede spewed thick, sticky green blood and slammed violently against a nearby pillar, shattering the ancient stone.
Enraged, the creature attacked again. Its slow, measured movements vanished, replaced by a blinding speed as it clawed toward Lei Ze. Lei Ze channeled a series of rapid energy blasts, but the centipede dodged every one. The hunter became the hunted; Lei Ze was forced to retreat, the centipede close behind.
He launched repeated blasts, all of which the beast evaded. Then, the centipede opened its mandibles and spat corrosive green acid. It narrowly missed Lei Ze, splashing instead onto a nearby rock, which instantly bubbled and melted.
"Huh? Acid!"
The centipede continued its pursuit, now scuttling along the walls.
Lei Ze lost track of the creature and paused, calmly searching for its presence. The pause proved fatal: the centipede pounced.
It slammed into Lei Ze, driving him hard into a wall, which instantly fractured. They crashed through the barrier into a new, hidden hall, where the magnificent Jade Sun Pagoda stood.
The Jade Sun Pagoda was a colossal, nine-tiered monument. Built entirely from polished, deep emerald jade, the massive structure emitted a soft, pure green radiance from within. Wide, gilded eaves of darkened gold capped each tier, functioning as ancient arrays that gathered and focused the solar Yang energy. At its apex, a single, brilliant orb of white light, the true Jade Sun—floated, showering the land with untainted, purified Qi. It stood as a formidable, glowing symbol of spiritual might.
The centipede roared, spitting acid once more. Lei Ze dodged the corrosive spray and snatched up a heavy, broken wooden beam. He drove the stick through one of the centipede's eyes, quickly pulled it out, then plunged it into the creature's throat. The beast gurgled and slowly collapsed onto the pristine floor.
Lei Ze stood panting, his gaze fixed on the magnificent pagoda. "How does a pagoda like this even work?"
He walked toward it, but the overwhelming purification energy around the structure pushed him back, like an invisible shield. He had to force his way forward to get close.
He stretched out his hand and finally made contact. The instant his palm touched the cool jade, a violent rejection occurred.
A blinding wave of pristine, white light erupted from the Pagoda, wrapping around Lei Ze's arm. Because of the Demonic Energy that lingered in his spiritual core, the pagoda viewed him as corrupted. The white light turned an angry, blistering red where it touched him, and a painful, high-pitched screech resonated from the Pagoda itself, forcing Lei Ze back several feet. The Pagoda refused his touch, recoiling from the faint taint of the Demon King's power within him.
Lei Ze stared at his hand, shaken by the intense pain and the brutal rejection. He knew the Pagoda was testing his spiritual purity, and he had failed.
However, he was Lei Ze. He refused to give up the key treasure that would secure his sect's future. He focused his will, drawing upon the stable, clean energy of his Mid-Golden Core while consciously suppressing the volatile black energy left by the Demon King. He approached the Pagoda again, gritting his teeth against the defensive pressure.
This time, when he pressed his palm against the jade, the Pagoda's white light resisted the faint corruption, flashing violently. A small surge of pure energy finally managed to breach his defenses and integrate into his spiritual sea. The pagoda's light pulsed, still rejecting the lingering demon taint, but recognizing his underlying pure Qi. He strained, forcing a minuscule connection.
The Pagoda reluctantly accepted a partial bond, recognizing him as the fated claimant despite his flaws. The blinding rejection finally subsided, replaced by a cautious, humming acceptance as the Jade Sun Pagoda acknowledged the one destined to wield it.