"Seven Deadly Sins? And six more remain?"
Ye Yu's gaze sharpened.
"Correct." The Fox-eared Succubus's figure began to grow translucent as the surrounding pink mist dissipated rapidly. The entire palace garden scene peeled away like a fading painting, revealing the dark void behind.
"You think this is over? How naive. This Black Crimson Secret Realm is called the 'Seven Sins Corridor.' I'm merely the first gatekeeper, representing 'Lust'!"
Her words carried both amusement and warning: "Ahead lie Pride, Envy, Wrath, Sloth, Greed, and Gluttony... six full trials await you! Each will be more dangerous than Lust, striking deeper at the weaknesses in your heart. What you just experienced was merely an appetizer."
Ye Yu's pupils contracted slightly, his mind reeling. Seven Deadly Sins—this secret realm was actually a sequential trial modeled after them. He had thought the extreme temptation just faced was the main challenge, yet it was only the first gate!
The difficulty exceeded expectations, but a fierce desire for challenge instantly replaced his earlier solemnity. Instead, the corners of Ye Yu's lips curled into an excited smile.
Rising to his feet, he stretched slightly. The energy consumed in resisting temptation was rapidly recovering, and his eyes burned with blazing fighting spirit.
"Just the first one... It seems I underestimated the difficulty of this Black Crimson Secret Realm. However—"
Ye Yu clenched his fist, an indomitable aura radiating from him. "This suits me perfectly. After half a year of smooth sailing without any strong adversaries or crises, I was starting to feel bored. This secret realm... is actually quite interesting!"
"Interesting?"
The Succubus stared at the undisguised excitement and anticipation in Ye Yu's eyes, stunned that he showed no fear.
As her figure completely dissipated, she left behind only a faint sigh: "You'll never make it through. You speak boldly now because you haven't seen what's coming. Later, you'll despair... Hehehe..."
As her voice faded, the pink mist vanished entirely.
Ye Yu found himself standing in an endless dark void. Ahead, an enormous gate slowly materialized in the emptiness!
The second trial of the Seven Sins Corridor was about to begin.
Not a trace of fear showed in Ye Yu's eyes—only burning determination. He stepped forward without hesitation, curious about what emotion the second trial would test.
Standing in the boundless darkness, Ye Yu faced the massive, ancient gate now fully formed before him, exuding a heavy, oppressive aura.
After entering, the gate closed behind him. Glancing back, he saw an arrogant humanoid relief carved into its surface—head held high, looking down on all beneath it.
"Pride..." Ye Yu murmured softly. Far from showing fear, the flames in his eyes burned even brighter.
If Lust tested primal instinct, then Pride likely targeted the deepest, most subtle perceptions and self-positioning within one's heart.
Taking a deep breath, he prepared for the new challenge.
"Come then, let me see how heavy this 'sin' truly is." The corners of Ye Yu's lips curled into a confident smile as he strode forward and pushed open the massive gate.
This space featured an enormous platform paved with pure gold, its surface smooth as a mirror. From the platform's edges extended countless golden steps, layered and spiraling upward toward a distant, sacredly illuminated high platform that blurred at the edges of vision. The air was suffused with an indescribable nobility, as if standing in the hall of deities, where every beam of light silently proclaimed: This place is extraordinary, reserved only for the most exalted.
More strikingly, at the very center of the golden platform stood a massive mirror crafted from a single crystal. Its surface was flawlessly smooth, clearly reflecting Ye Yu's figure—his back bearing the Black Blade Night, his posture upright, his gaze as sharp as a hawk's.
Yet, the moment Ye Yu looked into the mirror, an anomaly abruptly occurred!
The "Ye Yu" in the mirror did not mimic his movements. Instead, it slowly raised its head, lips curling into an exaggerated, mocking smile brimming with boundless disdain. That smile seemed to look down upon all the world's ants, exuding an innate, bone-deep superiority.
"Tch..." The mirror image let out a derisive chuckle, its voice identical to Ye Yu's but dripping with unbearable arrogance.
"Finally here? Impressive that you made it this far, but you won't pass. I am the king of this place, far surpassing the One King, blocking all who come."
Ye Yu's pupils contracted slightly as he instantly grasped the nature of this second trial—confronting the projection of his own inner arrogance!
This mirror amplified any subconscious superiority he might harbor due to his extraordinary talent and Contracts, materializing and exaggerating it into the guardian before him.
Ye Yu's gaze turned icy as he retorted, "A mere phantom in a mirror dares call itself king?"
"Phantom?" The mirror image laughed as if hearing the greatest joke, its voice growing shriller. "Fool! I am the truest, noblest part of you! Look at yourself, Ye Yu! Level 10 Talent, Contracts with Pirate King Roger, Dark King Rayleigh, Red-Haired Shanks, the World's Greatest Swordsman Hawkeye, former Marine Admiral Zephyr, the Giant Demon Oz, and the Knight of the Sea Jinbe! The power of seven supreme warriors gathered in one! Shouldn't you be the sole sovereign of this world? Shouldn't you regard all living things as ants?"
The mirror image's voice carried a potent allure, each word like a boulder cast into the lake of Ye Yu's heart, attempting to stir his latent, absolute confidence in his own power—and the arrogance that came with it.
"Look around you!" The mirror image spread its arms, gesturing toward the endless golden staircase. "This stairway to heaven is reserved only for a true 'king'! You were born to stand at its summit, receiving the worship of all beings! Those who mocked you—Lin Muxue, Li Cang—are nothing but clowns, unworthy even to glance at the soles of your feet! That so-called Bounty List? The top spot was always meant to bear your name! Wang Quanshi, Song Ling, Bai Shaohan—they should all bow before you!"
The overwhelming mental assault crashed against Ye Yu's will like tangible waves.
The words of the mirror dweller struck precisely at the pride buried deep within Ye Yu's heart—a pride born from his strongest potential, one he had never consciously examined. This pride stemmed from absolute confidence in his own choices, from a profound understanding of his Contract partner's power, and from a clear foresight of future achievements.
Under the mirror's amplification and distortion, this pride was now growing wildly toward the extremes of arrogance.
Ye Yu had already realized in the first trial that as long as he didn't indulge in the path represented by the other—didn't submit, didn't succumb—he wouldn't fail. Even the slightest touch, the faintest stirring of emotion, or any intimate act could lead to failure.
Yet despite his self-warning, these sins were subconscious, insidious. And now, Ye Yu wavered.
(End of Chapter)