For now, Shang kept focusing on refining his battle style and increasing the power of his body by absorbing Abominations.
The next trial inside his inner world would take place in about 150 years, and he had to be ready for that.
Additionally, Shang was once more uncertain about how to advance, and he wanted to wait for the trial before he made a decision.
Over the next years, Shang remained inside the Isolation Chamber, but he didn't fully close it.
He left a small part open so that Mana could enter, but he mostly closed it to make it difficult for others to look inside while keeping the Isolation Barriers around the Isolation Chamber activated.
Shang was sure that several Clouds were still planning on killing him, and that was one of the biggest reasons for isolating himself like this.
Going out and talking to people was the quickest way to get killed.
Luckily, Shang didn't need to earn more resources for a long time, and Lucin also didn't bother him.
Like this, Shang spent many years in isolation, preparing himself for the trial.
90 years later, it was finally time.
Shang could have waited for another 60 years, but he had already reached the peak of the Initial Void Break Realm, and there was nothing more he could train in.
His battle style for his Addum and Subsis had already been perfected.
Shang was now around 1,150 years old, and it was time for his first trial in about 800 years.
Shang stood in the middle of his world, focusing on the stone stele beside him.
There was a rotting skeletal hand that was slowly turning into dust.
The remains of powerful people held for a long time, but they would also eventually succumb to time.
There was nearly nothing left of the hand.
Shang lifted his own hand and waved it to the side.
The skeletal hand turned into dust and scattered.
After such a long time, Shang no longer felt any connection to his past.
Jerald was only some distant acquaintance that died an eternity ago.
It wasn't important.
He wasn't important.
Shang's past actions weren't important.
Shang was here now, and he was himself.
No one else mattered.
"Start the trial," Shang said coldly.
A second later, confetti rained down on Shang, who used his Domain of Entropy to destroy it.
But he failed.
The confetti passed through his Domain of Entropy and covered his body.
Shang didn't say anything and manually pushed the confetti away from his body.
The Affinity Wheel returned, and the jester was grinning at Shang once more.
"Look at how strong and independent you are now," the jester said with a chuckle. "You're all badass, and you even push powerful Abominations around like they are worthless servants."
"They are," Shang answered evenly.
The jester's eyebrows shot up, and he broke out into laughter.
"Oh, you're just the best, Shang," he said after having his fill of laughing. "Honestly, if you knew how absolutely endless their hordes and powers are, you would also find this funny."
Shang didn't answer anything.
"You think I can't see through your little cube of Abomination Ore?" the jester asked with a chuckle. "You think I can't read your mind anymore?"
"Sorry to disappoint, but the current you is just as powerful as […]."
Shang heard a certain word, which he immediately forgot after hearing it.
At the same time, he felt like his head was about to explode.
Shang grabbed his head and nearly fell over.
It hurt so much!
He had never felt anything that hurt this much!
When the jester saw that Shang didn't fall over, his smirk vanished, and he snorted.
BANG!
Something strong and heavy hit Shang's head, and he fell to the ground without being able to do anything.
The jester's funny boot stomped on Shang's head, rubbing back and forth as Shang lay on the ground.
"Feel you're strong, huh?" he said with a malicious smirk.
"Think you're tough shit now, huh?"
"Well, you're not!"
CRKSH!
Shang's head exploded beneath the jester's boot.
The next moment, the jester stretched his hand toward Shang's body and pulled something out.
It was an azure light that was nearly invisible to any living being.
"This is you!" the jester shouted in anger.
"This is your soul!"
"I took it from Earth!"
"I can shove it back into Earth!"
"I can take it from your body!"
"I can shove it into the body of a cockroach!"
"Or, I can just clench my hand and destroy you!"
"You are worthless!"
"You are nothing!"
"You are my plaything!"
"You are my toy!"
The jester looked at the motionless azure light.
Then, he snorted.
"Who am I even talking to? You can't even think in this state," he said.
The jester shook his head and flung the azure light back into the headless body.
A moment later, Shang's head regrew.
Then, he shot up to his feet.
He wasn't quite sure what had happened.
Everything felt so strange and alien for some reason.
"You know," the jester said, gaining Shang's attention. "I've been reading your mind lately, and I think it's time to clear some of your doubts."
Shang didn't say anything.
"Come here," the jester said.
The next moment, Shang felt himself getting pulled out of his inner world.
BANG!
Shang's real body hit the side of his Isolation Chamber, breaking several bones.
"You've been doubting my power," the jester said.
Shang quickly shot to his feet again as he tried to think of a way out of this situation.
Obviously, the God was mad again, and the madder the God became, the more danger Shang was in.
Shang knew that the God was extremely impulsive.
He might actually just kill Shang out of sheer spite or anger, even if that ruined his entertainment for a long while.
The jester slowly walked over. "You've been suspecting that my powers are only mind powers."
"I've never really done anything in the actual world."
"I always only told you that I can do things, and I only ever did things in your little world."
"What if I am restricted from interfering with this world?"
"What if I took you here to free me from some kind of prison?"
"What if I am actually not dangerous to you in real life?"
Shang didn't say anything.
After thinking for a while, he realized one thing.
He was helpless.
There was no way out of this situation.
His survival completely depended on the God's mood, and the God would also realize when Shang tried to calm him down.
There was literally nothing Shang could do.
