CHAPTER 31 — TRIAL OF THE FIRST WU
Light swallowed Jason Wu whole.
One blink, and the Nexus Chamber vanished.
Another blink, and he stood alone on a floating circular platform suspended in a starless void—endless, silent, crushing.
Jason exhaled slowly. "So this is the trial."
Longwu Sword hovered beside him, its glow dimmed inside the isolated space.
["Boy, remember what I told you. The Nexus doesn't test strength—it tests destiny. Which is much worse."]
Jason groaned. "That's… extremely comforting."
The void trembled.
Lines of ancient symbols appeared beneath his feet, forming a massive circular pattern. The runes expanded outward like a blooming flower, and then—
A humanoid silhouette materialized at the far edge of the platform.
Tall. Broad-shouldered. Hair tied high. Eyes glowing like molten gold.
He carried a sword on his back—simple, battered, unmistakable.
Jason's breath caught.
"That's—"
Longwu whispered reverently,
["…The First Wu."]
Jason froze.
"The founder of my bloodline? The one the Sleeper mentioned?"
The figure stepped forward. His presence alone made the void tremble. He wasn't just powerful—he was inevitable. A walking storm of intent.
He spoke, voice echoing like ancient thunder.
**"Descendant."**
Jason stood straight. "Senior… ancestor… sir… uh—"
Longwu muttered,
["Boy, stop embarrassing me. Just bow already."]
Jason bowed deeply. The First Wu watched in silence.
Then—
**"Your path begins with truth."**
The void around them rippled, projecting visions like memories suspended in water.
Jason saw himself in Chapter One—
a boy scrubbing floors at the Sekte Pedang Bintang, getting yelled at by seniors.
Leon tripping into a laundry bucket.
Wei Qing sparring with him in the courtyard.
Li Xueyin examining his Longwu Sword with fascinated curiosity.
Every moment flickered across the void.
Jason blinked. "Are you… showing me my life?"
"No," the First Wu said.
**"I am showing you your chains."**
The visions shifted.
Jason saw himself fighting the masked cultivators, barely surviving attacks, constantly reacting to forces he didn't understand.
He saw the pendant Lily gave him pulsing with power on its own.
He saw the Sleeper awakening the moment he arrived.
He saw Longwu Sword whispering warnings—because it already knew.
The First Wu raised a hand.
**"Your life has not been coincidence. Your path has been watched, nudged, and shaped from the moment you touched Longwu."**
Jason's stomach tightened. "By who?"
"By forces that feared the Wu lineage."
The First Wu's eyes burned.
**"And by forces that wished to awaken it."**
Jason's pulse quickened. "The masked cultivators… the ones studying my bloodline…"
The First Wu nodded slowly.
**"They seek to erase what I created."**
Longwu Sword vibrated angrily.
["Cowards, the lot of them. Your grandfather sliced ten of their ancestors in half."]
Jason blinked. "…What?"
Longwu coughed.
["Story for later."]
The First Wu stepped closer.
**"This trial exists for one purpose: to determine whether you can walk a path free from their influence."**
Jason's voice hardened. "So what do I need to do?"
The First Wu drew his sword.
The void trembled.
**"Fight me."**
Jason paled. "Wait—fight YOU? As in… my super-ancient, world-breaking ancestor?!"
The First Wu's expression did not change.
**"Survive three breaths."**
Jason exhaled in relief. "Oh, survive. Okay, that's—"
Longwu Sword cut him off.
["Boy, three breaths from HIM is like surviving a collapsing star."]
Jason groaned. "Of course it is."
The First Wu raised his sword.
**"Begin."**
---
### BREATH ONE — THE WORLD CRACKS
The First Wu moved.
Jason didn't see it.
He *felt* it—a crushing pressure that bent space. Jason rolled instinctively, Longwu Sword clashing with a strike so heavy it sent cracks across the platform.
Jason skidded back, coughing blood. "Holy—he didn't even swing fully!"
Longwu hissed,
["You call that a swing? That was a greeting!"]
Jason forced himself up. "Okay… okay. I just need to move. Don't die. Simple enough."
The First Wu walked calmly toward him. Each step distorted the void.
Jason dashed to the side, using Ch.12 footwork, slipping through the slipping shadows. Sparks erupted as Longwu blocked another strike, but Jason's arms numbed instantly.
"One breath…" Jason muttered. "Just survive one breath…"
The void pulsed.
*Breath one complete.*
Jason gasped, dropping to one knee.
---
### BREATH TWO — THE ANCESTOR'S WILL
The First Wu vanished.
Jason spun. A blade pressed lightly to his neck—only the faintest pressure.
But the killing intent behind it froze his blood.
Wei Qing's training echoed in his memory: *"When danger blinds your eyes, trust your instincts."*
Jason dropped flat.
The blade sliced where his head had been.
Jason rolled and slashed upward with Longwu. Sparks shot out—he had actually deflected a blow.
The First Wu tilted his head.
**"You have instinct."**
Jason grinned weakly. "Thanks. Can I have that in writing?"
Breath two vibrated through the void.
Jason staggered back, panting.
---
### BREATH THREE — THE HEART OF WU
The First Wu raised his blade.
Jason braced himself—
Then the ancestor spoke:
**"Reveal your resolve."**
Jason blinked. "My… what?"
**"Why do you walk this path?"**
Jason froze.
Images flashed in his mind:
Lily's smile.
Leon's chaotic friendship.
Li Xueyin's gentle wisdom.
The Sekte Pedang Bintang.
The promise he made to himself in Chapter One—
*To live a life he chose.
Not a life chosen for him.*
Jason gripped Longwu. "I walk because I want to protect the people who gave me a future."
The First Wu's eyes softened.
**"Then stand firm."**
He struck.
Jason didn't dodge.
Didn't run.
He planted his feet and raised Longwu with everything he had.
*CLAAAAANG—!*
Light exploded.
When the glare faded, Jason was still standing—wounded, shaking, but unbroken.
Breath three ended.
---
### VERDICT OF THE FIRST WU
The First Wu sheathed his sword.
**"You endure."**
Jason collapsed to one knee.
Then—
The ancestor smiled.
**"The Wu path accepts you."**
A burst of golden energy flowed into Jason's chest, sinking into the pendant.
Longwu Sword hummed in triumph.
["Boy… you passed the impossible."]
Jason panted. "Good… because I never want to do that again."
The void cracked open.
Light swallowed him—
Returning him to the Nexus Chamber.
Where something far worse was waiting.