Chu Tianyang emerged from the Heart Refining Pagoda.
However, his condition wasn't good,
giving off a crazed, demonic impression with somewhat deranged expressions!
"Ancestor, are you alright?"
Worried clan members around the pagoda asked,
Is the Heart Refining Pagoda really this terrifying?
It actually reduced our ancestor to this state!
Looking at the gathered Chu family members before him,
So everything he experienced earlier was fake!
It was all an illusion designed to temper one's will!
"Ancestor, what's wrong?"
Chu Jingyue and others who rushed over upon hearing the news asked urgently.
Why was the ancestor crying?
"Horrifying, the Heart Refining Pagoda is truly horrifying!"
Chu Tianyang took a deep breath,
Only after meditating for a long time did his frenzied expression gradually calm down.
But his words immediately made many who were preparing to enter hesitate - if even a Martial Emperor ancestor found it terrifying, wouldn't entering mean certain death?
"Ancestor, what exactly did you experience inside?"
Chu Hongtu asked cautiously.
"I returned to the night before the Ma family destroyed us!"
Chu Tianyang said solemnly.
Back then, he was forced to enter the Nine Heavens Mountain Range seeking opportunities,
while the Ma family kept pressuring him to appear,
even threatening to kill one Chu family member each day he remained absent.
Chu Tianyang knew clearly,
that if he showed himself,
all Chu family members would be killed immediately,
so he continued searching for opportunities in the mountains.
Yet constantly hearing news of clan members dying drove him nearly mad,
but unexpectedly during his most broken moment, he actually found an inheritance.
It was a demonic cultivation method,
a technique that devoured living creatures' vital energy.
"At that time I treated it as a treasure, immediately cultivating it eagerly!"
"In the Nine Heavens Mountain Range, I used demon beast flesh and blood as nourishment, growing rapidly!"
"But it was ultimately a demonic technique, gradually affecting my mind, making me bloodthirsty, until I only knew killing, forgetting my original purpose for entering the mountains!"
"When I finally awoke, all my family members had been slaughtered by the Ma family. Enraged, filled with killing intent, I massacred every last Ma family member, even slaughtering tens of thousands across all of Qingyang Town!"
"From then on I truly fell into darkness, becoming an emotionless puppet, butchering city after city - cities with millions became mere cultivation resources in my eyes!"
"I became the enemy of the entire world, until one day a girl came before me, claiming to be a survivor from our Chu family!"
"But feeling nothing, I casually killed her!"
"Her blood splashed on my face, and I sensed it truly was Chu family blood. That moment awakened some conscience in me, vaguely recalling my original purpose for entering the mountains!"
"Finally, I took my own life!"
Everyone stared at their ancestor,
This was what he experienced in the pagoda?
How could it be so horrifying?
"Demonic techniques must not be cultivated - they truly affect one's mind!"
"And I was too impatient back then, becoming the technique's puppet, forgetting my original purpose!"
Back then, hatred had clouded his judgment,
his thirst for revenge too urgent,
until he ultimately became addicted to slaughter, turning into the world's enemy.
"Ancestor? Do you still remember that demonic technique?"
"Gone like a fleeting dream! Naturally I don't remember!"
Chu Tianyang shook his head,
His mental tempering this time could be called a complete failure.
a roar came from the pagoda,
as Chu Zhan walked out excitedly.
His Spirit-grade Great Strength Diamond Physique, after taking the rewarded Physique Evolution Pill, had actually evolved into a King-grade Diamond Battle Physique!
Chu Zhan never expected such gains inside,
though the Beast God's voice had instructed him to keep this reward secret!
this was the Beast God's doing,
and besides the Beast God, who else could accomplish this?
"Chu Zhan? Why did you come out so quickly?"
Chu Jingyue asked in surprise,
Chu Zhan had only entered half a month ago!
"I don't know how it happened, I just came out!"
"But did you get any rewards?"
Chu Jingyue asked curiously. Thɪs chapter is updated by Novᴇl_Fire(.)net
Chu Zhan nodded: "Got an incredible reward!"
Turning to Chu Xiuran nearby: "Haha, Xiuran, this time I'll challenge you again!"
"Wait, save the challenges for later. Chu Zhan, what happened inside you?"
Several elders urgently asked.
"I returned to the day I was tied to the Pillars of Shame, but that night with clansmen sacrificing themselves, a few of us younger generation escaped!"
"From that moment I swore not just revenge, but to restore the Chu family!"
"But knowing my limited strength, I chose patience, taking the survivors on a dangerous journey to Flame Sun City!"
"Finally at a street stall there, I found an inheritance and resumed cultivation. Though my talent was poor, for revenge and restoring the family, I gritted my teeth and cultivated desperately!"
"Even so, it took over a hundred years just to reach Third-Tier Martial Master - slow as a snail - while our enemies the Ma family had become a powerful six-star clan!"
"After a century, our barely recovered family was massacred again by the Mas. Ultimately at the cost of an arm, I led some members to break through, fleeing into the Nine Heavens Mountain Range!"
"Perhaps Heaven took pity, for there I finally found a body tempering technique suited to me, and from then on I rose!"
"In three years I broke through to Martial Ancestor, in ten to Martial King, in a hundred to Martial Emperor, and in five hundred achieved Martial Venerable - finally able to take revenge!"
"I not only destroyed the Ma family, but expanded the Chu family into an eight-rank clan. Tens of thousands of years later, unable to break through to Martial Monarch, my lifespan reached its end!"
The experience felt like a dream,
Especially the despair when the family was destroyed twice,
it felt like truly happening!
"So the difference between you and the ancestor is you maintained your original purpose - despite countless hardships, you never abandoned your goals of revenge and strengthening the family!"
"While the ancestor succumbed to the demonic technique's temptation, losing himself and forgetting his purpose, thus failing!"
Chu Jingyue analyzed,
From these two cases one could deduce that entering the pagoda,
one would face various trials,
likely based on real psychological traumas,
and maintaining one's true self,
would mean passing the pagoda's test,
but losing oneself in it,
would naturally mean failure!