Second Trial - Labyrinth Of Lost Souls

Outside the Chamber of Secrets, Genbu was projecting the scenes of the trials to Yama.

"To think he would attain One With Self without any prior idea of cultivation." Yama gazed at the image of Ryujin with mixed emotions.

He was extremely happy that Ryujin had managed to pass all the tests, deeply pleased that he had not chosen wrong, and anxious of the other trials he was yet to embark on.

"Fret not little one, you have chosen a good seed this time... I think he can do it.

I know the others too well, and can easily tell you that their trials cannot get any better than this."

"I hope so..." Yama's voice trailed off in response, as he and the sacred beast watched on.

---

Back within the Chamber of Secrets...

Ryujin calmly reached out and touched the surface of the mirror, feeling the warmth of the energy flowing through it, and in that moment, he received another glimpse of enlightenment.

"Wisdom is not only a mere accumulation of knowledge, but the ability to interpret the accumulated knowledge through the innumerably varying perspectives of others."

He muttered beneath his breath; and as if spurred by his words, the energy within the mirror began to course into him in surges.

Upon exhausting its contents, the mirror then began to shimmer with a brilliant light that bathed the entire chamber in a radiant glow.

As the glow receded, Ryujin found himself staring at a tome with a cover adorned in intricate glyphs that seemed to shift and phase in and out of reality.

With a sense of reverential awe, Ryujin reached out to claim it; and the moment he touched it, a thrum of primal energy coursed through its pages, and surged straight into his soul.

Though the mysterious primal energy was just a tiny, tangible manifestation of the chaos from which the codex was created, it was still enough to not only give Ryujin's soul an overall upgrade.

Then the codex opened; each of its pages flipping of their own accord; glowing with a faint luminescence that revealed the untold secrets and forbidden knowledge that were inscribed within.

Runes of ancient languages long forgotten by mortal minds dotted the pages of the codex in batches, giving Ryujin a taste of the world he would soon begin exploring.

Eventually; after a few moments had passed, Ryujin stepped out of the chamber of secrets with a sense of accomplishment and newfound wisdom.

His spirit totally uplifted, and his resolve utterly stronger than ever, as he was greeted by Yama whose gaze was brimming with pride and respect.

"You faced your fears and embraced your truths young one; I've always known you stood a chance." Yama congratulated with a nod of approval.

"You have proven yourself, Ryujin.

With the Origin Codex in your possession, you now hold the key to unlocking the true potential of chaos itself.

Similarly, it also possesses the necessary insights needed to unravel the endless mystiques hidden within the enigmatic cosmos."

Genbu declared, its voice echoing with a solemn reverence that caused the skies to rumble.

Ryujin accepted its praises and advice with a humble bow.

Though he knew his journey was far from over, Ryujin believed that with the experience he just had in this trial, he would at least stand a better chance at overcoming the other trials ahead of him.

Yama also made a slight bow of gratitude toward Genbu, before taking a step and vanishing with Ryujin in tow.

The duo's journey after exiting Genbu's realm was relatively quiet, for different reasons.

For Yama; he wanted Ryujin to digest all he had seen and learnt, knowing they would undoubtedly help him in the upcoming trials.

Ryujin on the other hand, didn't feel the need to hear any words from Yama; he could clearly sense how the latter thinking and feeling.

"Allies in battle; bound by fate and chosen by destiny..."

He muttered beneath his breath; but in the presence Yama, he might have as well screamed it straight into the latter's ears.

Yama looked back; gazed at him for a while before smiling.

"The codex wasn't the only reward you got unh?" He teased.

Ryujin on the other hand simply responded with a gleeful smirk, causing Yama to laugh uproariously as he increased the speed at which they traveled.

Their direction; southward...

Their destination; unknown...

-----

An unknown number of days later, Ryujin and Yama arrived at the location of his second trial; a sun-kissed valley of two volcanoes, located right at the heart of a scorched desert.

The setting sun in the distance bathed the region in a dull, but contrastingly hot glow.

Yama then took a firm step forward as his presence transformed.

Then he billowed forth with an aura of absolute authority, tinged with an oppressive might.

"Zhu!!!" He called out with a booming bellow.

However, for a moment, nothing happened; no response, no change in the atmosphere or even seismic activities.

But the silence only lasted for a single moment before the temperature of the atmosphere began to slowly rise.

The dormant volcanoes began to glow red as their nuzzles puffed out clouds of smoke that soared high into the sky, darkening the dim daylight even further.

Then it happened...

What Ryujin had initially thought was the setting sun suddenly began to move, and with each of its movement, the temperature in the area began surge higher and faster.

The volcanoes began to spew red hot lava that streamed down into the valley.

Intrigued by the sight, Ryujin pinned his gaze onto the moving majestic ball of flaming light.

It slowly unraveled itself until it finally unfurled into a majestic a majestic avian deity whose feathers shimmered with the colors of the morning sky.

"As I live and breathe!" Ryujin exclaimed as his eyes widened in awe.

"Yama, look. A- an actual living phoenix!" He almost jumped in excitement.

"Thought to only exist in myths, and mentioned only in bedtime stories..." He blurted in excitement, failing to notice the rising atmospheric temperature.

The phoenix spread its wings and flapped it once; catapulting itself into the sky, and leaving behind powerful shockwaves that rippled across the valley.

With a wave of his sleeve, Yama split the shockwaves in halves causing it to blast past them into the distance.

The shockwaves continued on until they slammed into the two mountainous volcanoes behind the duo.

In response, the earth rumbled intensely as a very powerful seismic activity rocked the valley.

The volcanoes spewed out rivers of lava that kept gaining momentum and volume with each passing second.

Upon reaching its intended height, the phoenix abruptly spread its wings wide and burst into a sea of flames.

As if in reverence, the volcanoes also erupted; shooting pillars of lava into the heavens, dyeing the sky bright red as a nostalgic feeling washed over Ryujin.

Compared to the theatrics of his flames of resolve, this was even more mind-blowing.

In the blink of an eye, the atmosphere of the desert that would have previously been manageable to even a mere mortal suddenly turned into the furnace of hell.

Visible plumes of heat began to appear randomly; superheating the sparse moisture in the atmosphere, which in turn amplified the rate of temperature rise by several folds.

Yellow flames billowed out of Yama's figure in retaliation.

It wrapped itself around himself and Ryujin, turning them into the wicks of a burning lamp.

Seeing this, the phoenix cried out in challenge as it burst out of the sea of flames and began to nosedive towards the duo.

Ryujin nearly soiled himself, but Yama simply stood there, gazing calmly at the descending deity.

Then just as it got within range, the phoenix suddenly angled its descent slightly, shooting past the duo, but leaving behind a trail of flames licked at the one shrouding Ryujin and Yama, extinguishing it with a puff.

Intense heat buffeted the duo as they watched the phoenix descending into the valley before them, landing with an explosion that could rival that of a nuclear warhead.

The entire valley became bright red as the lava melted even further turning into gushing streams that soon became a raging river of flames and magma.

"Are you done terraforming?" Yama calmly asked as if unbothered by the phoenix's shenanigans.

"That's what you get for arriving late and disturbing my nap, Yama." The phoenix replied in a spiteful tone tinged with discontent.

Yama couldn't even be bothered to respond, and instead descended towards the vermillion bird with Ryujin in tow.

"Apologies for our lateness and the disruption of your rest."

Ryujin subconsciously blurted in anxiety, and as such, his words and its composition sounded weird, and was similarly met with an awkward moment of silence.

Then the Phoenix, in a melodious voice that resonated like a seismic vibration, spoke;

"Welcome Ryujin; seeker of the Mystic Transformation Pupils."

Ryujin was stunned; he took a swift glance before lightly nudging at Yama for clarity.

"It's just as she has said. The second treasure you will be needing for your mission is one that can enable you spot the flaws in anything and then transform it into its true absolution."

Yama explained as the phoenix lifted its wings to reveal the entrance to the Labyrinth of Lost Souls; the location where Ryujin was to undergo his trial.

"To claim what you seek, you must undergo the Trial of Perception by navigating the labyrinth of lost souls, where reality lies veiled beneath layers of illusions."

Hearing this, Ryujin's eyes rippled with an unknown emotion; it seemed like this trial was going to pose a totally different kind of difficulty compared to his first.

"Ryujin." Yama called.

"The trial of perception is a test designed to challenge the depths of one's insight and intuition.

You will have to navigate through a mind-looping maze.

But layered atop that, are various illusions that are intent on keeping you within the maze till the end of time; hence the presence of the words 'lost souls' in its name." Yama swiftly explained.

Ryujin nodded, steeled his courage, and approached the phoenix with a palpable aura of anticipation rippling forth from his presence.

Unlike the The Mirror of Truth which tested his beliefs and resolve, this Labyrinth of Lost Souls was intent on testing his ability to perceive beyond the surface and discern truth from deception with utmost clarity and insight.

---

The moment Ryujin stepped into the labyrinth, the air around him shimmered with an otherworldly light, as the landscape transformed into a surreal dreamscape.

Then he found himself standing before the entrance of a twisting corridor; one of many that were veiled in shifting mists that obscured ones senses.

Upon taking a step in, Ryujin's entire vision was suddenly transformed into one of a serene forest.

Here, the sunlight filtered through the canopy, casting dappled shadows on the forest floor, as an unknown sensation of nostalgia hit Ryujin heavily.

'This forest. Why does it seem so... familiar?' He thought to himself as he steadily observed his surroundings.

His frown deepened as he wracked his brain, trying to figure out what exactly the forest was reminding him of.

The sizes of trees, the colors of the fallen leaves and the serene sound of the flowing stream in the distance all culminated into scene that tugged at his senses and instincts.

It was almost as if mother nature was calling out to one of her own.

However, the more he tried to answer, the more he was left feeling like he was grabbing at fleeting mists.

Then suddenly, the atmosphere changed, as the air began to smell and taste differently.

Ryujin looked around, trying to detect the source of the change, but everything was just as they were before.

The shadows on the ground, the colors of the area and the sound water trickling in echoes; everything seemed normal.

However, despite his other physical senses not picking up anything different, his instincts kept warning him that something was dangerously amiss.

Ryujin paused, his senses on high alert, as they searched for the existent but invisible threat.

Then as if entering a strange state of alignment with the nature all around him; Ryujin entered a trance of some sort.

In that trance, the earth momentarily held its breath, allowing him to audibly hear the thrumming heartbeat of mother nature; and for a moment, time stood still as he searched deeper.

Then all of a sudden, his senses tingled and something struck out from the dense foliage without warning.