The Blood-Forest Trial

As Wuye grasped the jade stone, a torrent of information surged into his mind, filling him with the details of the inheritance he'd sought. The voice of the ancient Daoist whispered like a ghostly echo, outlining the path before him. Three trials awaited him, each crafted to test his resolve. The first was simple yet unnerving: survive in a secluded forest for a week. Wuye's brow furrowed as he processed the words.

Another forest… he thought, frustration evident in his mind. He glanced down at the jade stone, noting faintly glowing runes etched along its surface. With a mental nudge, the jade began to pulse, guiding him through a series of intricate hand seals. "So, this is the way in," he muttered to himself, resigned to the challenge. He executed the hand seals, and in a flash, the world around him vanished, replaced by an expanse of eerie red.

He blinked, taking in his surroundings: the barren ground stretched underfoot, speckled with jagged, crimson spires jutting skyward like twisted monuments. The air was thick and oppressive, the scent of iron lingering heavily. Wuye's frown deepened as he surveyed the spires closely. This… is supposed to be a forest? The twisted realm felt closer to a nightmare.

Approaching one of the bizarre spires, he tentatively reached out, resting his hand against the surface. His fingers sank slightly into its strange, fibrous texture, a warm, sticky substance coating his palm as he drew it back. Confused, he raised his hand to inspect it—his fingers were coated in a thick, red fluid that dripped slowly. A sudden realization dawned on him, his nose wrinkling as he recognized the unmistakable scent: blood.

He stepped back, and as his gaze traveled up the length of the spire, he noticed something horrifying—a face, pale and contorted in anguish, emerging from its surface. Eyes tightly shut, mouth frozen in a silent scream. The face groaned faintly, and Wuye's frown twisted into a look of revulsion. He watched in silent horror as more faces began to appear, distorted expressions of torment plastered across the spire's body, each groaning in a slow, excruciating harmony.

"Distasteful…" he muttered, glancing around at the other spires surrounding him. One by one, they began to come alive, each tree groaning with its own chorus of misery, the sound echoing eerily across the barren ground. Shaking his head, Wuye steeled himself, mentally fortifying his mind against the unsettling environment.

From his initial impression, this twisted 'forest' wasn't something he could simply escape. He glanced around, searching for any hint of an exit or a path forward, and noted the oppressive, almost suffocating aura that clung to the air. He could feel the trial's malevolence pressing against his mind, as though challenging him not just physically but mentally. If this is a test, he thought, his eyes narrowing, then the center of this place must be where the true trial lies.

With purpose, Wuye set off, moving briskly through the red terrain, his senses on high alert. Each step seemed to draw the forest's hostility closer; the groaning from the blood-trees seemed to intensify, as though following his movements. The air felt thicker as he walked, and soon, he caught sight of something in the distance—a smear of gray against the otherwise crimson landscape. Narrowing his gaze, he squinted at the strange shape, watching it shift, twisting and lengthening, until it stood upright.

His stomach clenched as the shape came into focus. A grotesque form lumbered toward him, a patchwork creature composed of numerous bodies melded and twisted together, skin pulled taut over jutting bones and misshapen limbs. Faces and hands appeared in odd places, and each face wore an expression of pure agony, mouths gaping open as they wailed for release. Wuye's frown turned into a hard line, his distaste transforming into steely resolve as the creature advanced. It moved erratically, stumbling forward with a jerky gait, its numerous mouths whispering desperate pleas for death.

Wuye stepped back, eyes narrowing. "So, this is the kind of nightmare you're throwing at me," he murmured, a hint of irritation breaking through his usual calm. With a sharp inhale, he shifted his stance, planting his feet firmly into the ground, and thrust his fist forward, releasing a powerful Gale Burst Fist. The wind surged, colliding directly with the creature, only to dissipate harmlessly upon contact. His expression morphed from annoyance to shock as he saw his attack rendered useless.

It didn't even flinch! he thought, biting back a curse. As if sensing his surprise, the twisted creature let out a wretched, discordant howl and lurched forward with renewed intensity. Wuye quickly regained his composure, though a cold sweat broke out across his skin. He wouldn't be able to defeat this thing by ordinary means. His mind raced for options, every second ticking by as the creature drew closer, its combined mouths chanting in a twisted harmony, begging him to end their suffering.

Knowing he couldn't afford to be reckless, Wuye took a deep breath, steeling his nerves. I need a plan. He had little time to act, so he opted for speed. In a swift motion, he spun on his heel, activating Wind Stride and darted away from the creature, kicking up dust as he sprinted across the barren terrain. But the abomination was relentless, matching his pace with terrifying precision, its many limbs moving in unison, closing the distance with each labored step.

"Of course it doesn't give up," Wuye muttered under his breath, glancing over his shoulder. The creature's grotesque form loomed closer, stretching toward him with elongated fingers that seemed to yearn for contact. Gritting his teeth, he pushed harder, the energy from his Wind Stride flaring as he accelerated, heart pounding as the distance between them barely grew.

Keep moving, he told himself, the urgency driving him to press on.

Wuye thought to himself. If there is no one else around or anyway to escape this... thing? I might really die today.