Myth Beyond Heaven

Bang!

A jolt of electric power surged through Ren Yuan's arm, flinging him back several paces. He landed hard on the cracked stone ground, the air knocked from his lungs. A metallic tang filled his mouth. He coughed, spitting out a mouthful of blood, his gaze hardening with a newfound resolve.

This barrier, unlike anything he'd encountered before, hummed with chaotic energy. It was a twisted reflection of the divine power that once flowed freely through the Heavenly Court. It was a scar upon the very fabric of the heavens, a testament to the destructive might unleashed during the Primordial War.

Ren Yuan, his body throbbing with the aftereffects of the shock, traced the barrier with his hand, feeling its contours. It wasn't a simple wall but a complex web of enchantments layered upon one another like the scales of a monstrous beast. Each layer pulsed with a different kind of energy, some familiar—wards against demonic incursion—others alien and unsettling.

Closing his eyes, Ren Yuan delved into the sea of his consciousness. He called upon the inheritance of the God of Heaven, the very essence that now flowed through his veins. Images flickered behind his eyelids—swirling galaxies, celestial bodies birthing and dying, the raw power of creation itself. This was the power he needed.

Focusing on a specific memory, a forgotten technique from the God of Heaven's arsenal, Ren Yuan raised his hand. A ball of pure white light, condensed from his own divine energy, materialized above his palm. It crackled with an intensity that rivaled a miniature sun. This was the Star-Forging Technique, a method for manipulating divine energy with pinpoint precision.

With a deep breath, Ren Yuan hurled the ball of light at the barrier. It struck the chaotic energy head-on, the two forces canceling each other in a blinding flash. The ground trembled, and a shockwave rippled outward, scattering dust and debris from the ruined palaces.

When the light subsided, Ren Yuan squinted through the haze. A small section of the barrier flickered, the chaotic energy momentarily disrupted. It wasn't much, but it was a start. A single, determined smile split Ren Yuan's face. The secrets of the Heavenly Court awaited, and he, Ren Yuan, the inheritor of the God of Heaven, would unravel them.

"Hmm?" Ren Yuan suddenly sensed something. His eyes flickered slightly as he spoke. "The Heavenly Guardian?"

A tense silence stretched between Ren Yuan and the unseen entity. The disrupted section of the barrier pulsed erratically, a testament to the audacity of his attack. Finally, the booming voice of the Heavenly Guardian echoed once more, its tone laced with a chilling indifference.

"A trial," it rumbled, the words vibrating through the very stones beneath Ren Yuan's feet. "Very well. But be warned, mortal. The trials of the Heavenly Court are not for the faint of heart. Failure will not be met with mere denial. It will be met with oblivion."

A wave of dread washed over Ren Yuan. Oblivion. It wasn't just death; it was the complete erasure of his existence, the snuffing out of the very spark of the God of Heaven's lineage he embodied. Yet, there was no turning back. The secrets within the Heavenly Court were too vital to ignore, the potential evil it held too dangerous to leave unchecked.

"I understand," Ren Yuan declared, his voice firm despite the tremor in his heart. "Lead the way. I am ready to face your trial."

Swish!

The chaotic energy within the barrier writhed, coalescing into a swirling vortex. It pulsed with an otherworldly light, beckoning Ren Yuan forward. This wasn't a physical entrance but a portal, a gateway into an unknown dimension where the trial would unfold.

With a deep breath, Ren Yuan steeled himself. He raised his hand, channeling the God of Heaven's inheritance. A divine shield, shimmering with an ethereal light, materialized around him. He had no idea what awaited him on the other side, but he wouldn't enter defenseless.

Stepping into the vortex, the world dissolved into a swirling kaleidoscope of colors and sensations. When his vision cleared, he found himself standing on a desolate plain. A blood-red sky cast an eerie glow over the cracked and barren landscape. In the distance, a colossal, obsidian monolith pierced the crimson heavens, its surface etched with cryptic symbols that pulsed with malevolent energy.

A cold wind howled across the wasteland, carrying whispers of forgotten nightmares. Ren Yuan gripped the hilt of his sword, his heart pounding a fierce rhythm in his ribs.

The whispers grew louder, morphing into distinct, chilling moans. From the cracked earth, shadowy figures began to rise. Humanoid in form, their bodies were twisted and warped, their skin a sickly gray, and their eyes burned with an unholy red light. These weren't demons, Ren Yuan realized with a jolt but corrupted celestial beings, their forms twisted by the malevolent energy that seeped from the monolith.

A dozen of these spectral figures surrounded him, their moans morphing into a single, unified growl. Ren Yuan knew this wasn't the true trial, merely the first hurdle. The Heavenly Guardian was testing his resolve, his ability to navigate the corrupted landscape before even reaching the heart of the challenge.

With a deep breath, Ren Yuan channeled the God of Heaven's inheritance. Divine energy surged through him, pushing back the oppressive aura of the corrupted beings. He wouldn't waste time on empty threats. These creatures were husks, their power a mere shadow of what they once possessed.

BOOM!

Drawing his sword, Ren Yuan unleashed a flurry of attacks. His blade, imbued with divine energy, cleaved through the spectral forms with ease. Their moans turned into screams of anguish as they dissolved into wisps of dark energy. Yet, for everyone he cut down, two more seemed to rise from the cracked earth.

Frustration bubbled within Ren Yuan. He couldn't keep fighting an endless wave of enemies. He needed to find a way to bypass them, to reach the monolith itself. He focused on the memories he inherited, searching for a technique that could manipulate the fabric of the battlefield.

An image flickered – the God of Heaven weaving a path of celestial light through a chaotic storm. With newfound determination, Ren Yuan closed his eyes, picturing the technique. When he opened them again, a trail of shimmering white light materialized before him, stretching towards the distant monolith.

The spectral figures hesitated, their mindless rage momentarily replaced by confusion. It was their first encounter with such a power, a power that resonated with the very essence of the heavens they had once served...