A deep breath entered John's lungs as he slowly started to compose himself, taking in the euphoric feeling of nothingness. It was only until it was taken away that one realized how blissful feeling nothing was. The trial he had just endured was a stark reminder of that, a lesson that he appreciated despite how traumatic it was.
His mind cleared up and he came back to his senses. Thoughts other than the word 'endure' formed in his mind for the first time in who knew how long, as he had truly lost track of time. It could have been minutes, or it could have been years. It would all be the same to him.
John's clear gaze shifted out across the land before him, which was the same barren land he had entered before, but now contained none of the horrifyingly painful auras and formations anymore. The land was still, as if he were the only one within the realm.
"I wonder why the trial suddenly ended," John muttered to himself, but quickly came to the most likely explanation. "The only thing I can think of is that I was the land one standing," John mumbled, feeling true surprise.
He prided himself on his tolerance to pain, his formidable mental will, and his willingness to push through anything to accomplish his goals. Despite all that, he had nearly been pushed to the very edge of his limits, and had been just minutes off failure. If it truly had been that the trial ended when he was the last one standing, then there must have been someone who was capable of withstanding just as much pain and strife as him. This shocked him greatly.
"Master?" John mused, his mind thinking of Lilian. As a user of the Dao of Death, she was constantly shrouded in a deathly aura. He had experienced first hand how painful this aura was, and thought perhaps her constant use of the death aura increased her tolerances and will to his level.
Another person popped into his mind after thinking about his master, and his gaze narrowed.
"Asuros," John spat out in disgust. He refused to call him Parker anymore. Parker was dead to him. He had died when he had betrayed the Fenix Clan, and John no longer saw him as a relative. He was now only a mortal enemy.
While John hated Asuros, he knew how painful cultivating the Immortal Asura Body was. He was sure Asuros' technique was somewhat similar, and thus his tolerance to pain must be quite formidable. On top of that, he had that grotesque Asura as his master, who most likely put Asuros through other hellish trainings and tortures, especially after his failure in the Jade Dragon Empire Realm.
As if answering his thoughts, the same screen of light as before appeared before John, hovering a few feet in front of his face. He quickly read over the updates, and confirmed suspicions.
-Lilian Celestria
-Trial Two: Fifty-Eight Hours. Twenty-Two Minutes. One Second
-Trial Two Score: Eight
…
- Parker Fenix
-Trial Two: Seventy-One Hours. Eight Minutes. Thirty-Eight Seconds.
-Trial Two Score: Nine
…
-John Fenix
-Trial Two: Last Standing
-Trial Two Score: Ten
His eyes studied Asuros' time, and his gaze narrowed with cold hatred.
"So, it was you…Asuros. It seems you truly have improved since last we met. I'm sure our battle will be quite interesting the next time we meet," John said coldly, his anger as well as anticipation rising as he thought of the battle to come.
…
"Heh…." a humming sound tinged with amusement drifted out, harmonious to the ears. Lilian carefully studied the updates, and once again saw her student placing in the first spot. His score yet again defeated her soundly, which she found it hard to accept.
The first trial had been one testing talent, and while she knew she was a monstrous genius, she also knew no one in the entire world could dare to claim to have as much talent as John. She knew this well, and thus accepted the first defeat, although begrudgingly.
However, this trial of pain was different. It wasn't a trial of talent, or combat prowess, or soul power. It was a test of endurance, mental fortitude, determination, and will. She prided herself in these fields and would have put herself against John in such a test any day. However, it seems she had underestimated her student once more, and realized she didn't know nearly as much about him as she thought she did.
"My training with him was quite brutal, but nothing to the level that could explain his performance here. It seems John had been through much more gruesome endeavors than I realized. Just how little do I know about my own student?" she mused to herself, finding herself lacking as a teacher and master for the very first time.
A small smile appeared on her normally stoic face however, as she was truly happy with John's performance thus far.
..
"Motherfucker! I'll fucking kill you!" a rage-filled yell of anger burst out of Asuros before he gritted his teeth and slammed his fist down on the earth in rage.
Boom!
The barren ground shattered all around him, sending cracks in the hard ground for miles in each direction. A strong and sinister aura drowned the area as he unleashed his aura without realizing, his rage overwhelming his other senses.
"I endured so much pain, so much suffering, so much fucking misery at the hands of my master, and yet I've still fallen short of that piece of shit. I refuse to accept this!" he roared again, and after some time, eventually calmed his simmering rage.
His angered look cooled down into a cold glare, and he stared at the screen before him again.
"It doesn't matter in the end. These are mere fanciful trials. They mean nothing," he spat out in cold disgust. "The only trial that matters is the trial of combat, and when I snuff out your life permanently, all these scores will mean nothing at all. Just you wait, John Fenix."
