Heaven’s Forsaken System

Chapter 8: The Trial of the Forsaken

The silver moon hung high in the sky, casting long shadows over the sect's inner grounds. A bone-chilling wind swept through the temple corridors, sending a shiver down Shen Liang's spine. He stood at the threshold of an ancient stone chamber, his summons gripped tightly in his hand.

[New System Notification: Sect Trial Initiated.]

[Trial of the Forsaken – Survive, or perish.]

A test. A declaration. A death sentence?

His smirk wavered for only a moment before he steadied himself. They wanted to push him beyond his limits. He would show them just how far those limits could stretch.

Inside the chamber, Elder Han's piercing gaze bore into him. The other elders were seated in a semicircle, their expressions unreadable. The room was silent save for the crackling of incense burning in brass holders.

"You have been summoned," Elder Han intoned. "Your presence disrupts the natural order of the sect. A disciple without a core, a boy deemed unworthy, now wielding power beyond his station." His voice was heavy with accusation. "Tell us, Shen Liang—why should you be allowed to remain?"

Shen Liang met his gaze evenly. "Because I refuse to be erased."

A murmur rippled through the gathered elders.

Elder Rong leaned forward, her keen eyes glinting with curiosity. "Bold words. But words alone are not enough."

Elder Wu scoffed. "Let's see if he can back them up."

A heavy stone door rumbled open at the far end of the chamber, revealing a spiraling descent into darkness. A gust of stale, unwelcoming air wafted up, thick with the scent of ancient dust and something more primal.

"The Trial of the Forsaken," Elder Han announced. "You will enter alone. If you survive and return, you will have earned your right to stay."

"And if I don't?" Shen Liang asked, though he already knew the answer.

"Then the sect will forget you ever existed."

A slow smile stretched across his lips. "Then I suppose I have no choice but to return."

The descent was steep and unforgiving. The stone steps twisted downward in an unrelenting spiral, their surface slick with unseen moisture. The only light came from the occasional luminescent fungus clinging to the walls, casting eerie blue glows against the blackness.

With each step, the temperature dropped. The air became heavier, pressing against his lungs like a living force. The deeper he went, the stronger the presence of something ancient—something watching.

His system pulsed.

[Caution: High-Risk Zone Detected.]

[Hidden Entities in Proximity.]

Shen Liang's grip on his stolen power tightened. If the trial was meant to break him, it would have to do more than unsettle his nerves.

A whisper of movement.

He stilled, listening. The sound of slow, deliberate breathing echoed through the cavern. Not his own.

He turned sharply—only to find darkness staring back at him.

Then the shadows moved.

The creature emerged from the abyss, its form shifting between solid and ethereal. Eyes like smoldering embers bore into him, filled with an intelligence far beyond a mere beast's.

[Unknown Entity Identified: Forsaken Wraith.]

Shen Liang's breath came slow and measured. He had no weapons, no allies. Only his mind and the stolen strength within him.

The wraith lunged.

Shen Liang reacted, channeling the Qi stolen from Bai Cheng. He sidestepped just as the creature's claws raked through empty air. With a sharp exhale, he countered with a strike enhanced by the Sky Piercing Technique. His fist connected, but it was like striking smoke.

The wraith screeched, recoiling as faint trails of energy dissipated from its body.

[Skill Effectiveness: 27%. Insufficient Damage.]

A chill crawled down his spine. Regular attacks wouldn't work.

He needed another way.

His mind raced. If it wasn't a physical entity, then perhaps—

The system chimed.

[New Temporary Skill Unlocked: Shadowbane.]

[Description: Condenses Qi into a luminous force, capable of severing spectral entities.]

A weapon.

Shen Liang didn't hesitate. He focused his energy, letting the stolen Qi course through his veins, gathering at his fingertips. A soft glow ignited in his palm, shifting and twisting until it solidified into a blade of ethereal light.

The wraith hesitated.

Shen Liang took advantage of that moment, lunging forward. He slashed with all his might.

A piercing wail echoed through the cavern as the blade met its mark. The wraith convulsed, its form unraveling into wisps of black mist before dissipating entirely.

[Enemy Defeated: Forsaken Wraith.]

[Experience Gained.]

His chest heaved, his muscles burning with exertion. He had won.

But as he turned further into the depths of the cavern, a dozen more pairs of ember-like eyes flickered to life in the darkness.

The trial had only just begun