As Yu Xuan responded to the doppelganger's questions, it gradually dissolved into wisps of smoke. The oppressive stillness of the previous trial faded, replaced by a serene and almost otherworldly atmosphere.

He now stood in a grand hall where the walls were covered in luxurious velvet and embellished with shining gold. The air was heavy with the scent of exotic perfumes that filled the space with their sweet fragrance, enveloping him in a haze that dulled his senses and clouded his thoughts.

Before him stood a group of women, their beauty beyond mortal comprehension as they danced with flawless grace. Their movements were fluid and mesmerizing, as if they defied the very limitations of the human form. The sight of them reached deep into his being, stirring an almost primal heat, an insistent pull of desire. Their laughter, soft and melodic, echoed like a siren’s call, tempting and irresistible.

Their garments, crafted from delicate silk and lace, barely clung to their figures. With each fluid motion, the fabric slipped away, revealing bodies sculpted to perfection. Yu Xuan felt the pull of their allure, a temptation that seemed to strip away reason itself.

So this is the trial of lust, Yu Xuan thought, his expression remaining composed. A test designed to cloud the mind and undermine one’s resolve. How many before me have faltered here, drowned in their desires, unable to rise above their own weakness?

He could feel the heat rising within him, the pulse of blood quickening beneath his skin. His body, drawn to the promise of pleasure, screamed to give in. But his mind was detached and sharp, observing it all with clarity. He clenched his fists tightly, grounding himself in the moment. This fleeting sensation, this illusion, is nothing but a lie—a hollow promise of fulfillment.

The women drew closer, their eyes shimmering with longing, their forms moving toward him like the tide. Yet, as they closed the distance, Yu Xuan shut his eyes. He stripped away the façade with the force of his will. He understood that these figures were not real, mere projections conjured from his desires, crafted to ensnare him.

The women before him, their beauty fading into shadow, began to step back as if retreating into the void.

But the trial was far from over.

A soft yet powerful voice broke the silence. "You deny yourself, Yu Xuan. Is this the life you choose to lead? Alone, without warmth, without the joys of companionship or the intimacy of another’s embrace? Why tread this endless path of struggle if not for the solace such moments bring?"

Yu Xuan turned towards the source of the voice. Standing before him was a woman of breathtaking beauty, her presence both magnetic and serene. Every detail of her being, from the curve of her lips to the depths of her gaze, seemed to pull at the very fabric of his resolve. If Yu Xuan were to define what he considered the perfect woman, she would be the embodiment of that ideal. Her form was the ultimate manifestation of his deepest desires.

Her voice softened as she stepped closer, the silk of her dress brushing against the floor. "You have endured so much pain," she said, her tone both tender and sorrowful. "Would it be so wrong to let yourself feel? To let yourself be loved, if only for a moment?"

As he gazed at her, his mind remained steadfast, though his body betrayed him. Had it not been for his ironclad mental resolve, he might have succumbed to temptation.

"Do you not yearn for connection?" she whispered, her hand brushing lightly against his arm. "Is it not human to crave? To want? You are not a god, Yu Xuan. You are flesh and blood. Do you truly believe you can transcend what you are?"

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Yu Xuan’s expression did not waver.

For him, lust was but a temporary hunger that could never truly satisfy. It was nothing more than the body's mindless craving, a desire that would only burn briefly before turning to ash. What is the value of indulging in such fleeting pleasures? In the end, the body, with all its beauty and allure, would decay into dust. What remained? Nothing more than the remnants of an impermanent existence.

The world might tempt him with its carnal pleasures, but Yu Xuan’s heart remained unmoved. He sought something greater, something eternal. Flesh, after all, was only that—flesh. And when it returned to the earth, it left nothing behind but ashes. True temptation, the kind that stirred the very core of his being, could not be found in the ephemeral embrace of lust. It was only in the eternal, in the pursuit of transcendence, that his heart would truly be stirred.

For what was lust, but the shackles of desire that bound one to the cycle of birth and death? Yu Xuan sought to break those chains. Only the eternal could tempt his soul, and in that pursuit, he would leave behind the hollow satisfaction of the flesh.

Yu Xuan's gaze hardened as he took a step forward. The illusion before him, with its intoxicating beauty, held no sway over his mind. He reached out, his fingers closing around the delicate neck of the naked figure before him.

With a swift motion, he squeezed, his grip tightening. The woman’s eyes widened in shock and pain, but there was no mercy in Yu Xuan’s heart. He did not hesitate. With a sickening crack, the sound of her neck snapping echoed in the air. The illusion faltered.

The grand hall vanished, the golden drapes and intoxicating perfumes fading away like mist before the sun. Yu Xuan stood alone once more, the room returning to its quiet emptiness.

"I wonder what the next trial will be," Yu Xuan mused quietly, his gaze fixed on the shifting darkness before him. "The first trial was self-doubt, the second... lust. Each of these trials has refined my mental will. But to truly gain the full benefits, I must lay my mind bare to whatever comes next. To experience the trials in their entirety, I must allow them to take root in my thoughts and emotions."

His words, barely a whisper in the silence, were laced with an intensity that few would understand. If anyone had heard him, they might have cursed him for his stupidity. To most, defending one's mind in the face of such trials was paramount. People would fortify their mental barriers to ward off illusions, using every tactic to shield themselves. They might take pills or meditate beforehand, preparing themselves for what was to come.

They would block out the temptations of lust, the fear of self-doubt, and whatever else the trials could conjure. The idea of indulging in the illusion to temper one's mind seemed utterly foolish. No sane person would ever allow themselves to be swallowed by such illusions, nor would they let their mind be tested through the very thing they feared or longed for.

But Yu Xuan was different. He wasn’t interested in merely surviving the trials. He wasn’t content with half measures. For him, it was never about avoiding the challenge— it was about embracing it fully, laying his defenses bare to experience everything the trials had to offer. He didn’t just want to pass through them unscathed; he wanted to transform, to refine himself in the baptism of these trials.

As the fading remnants of the second trial fully dissolved into the air, Yu Xuan could feel a subtle shift in the atmosphere.The faintest trace of warmth that had clung to his skin vanished, leaving behind a cold, palpable stillness.

Then, the oppressive silence cracked.

A sudden searing agony bloomed in his abdomen. He looked down in shock as his stomach began to swell unnaturally, veins bulging and skin stretching to its limit. A wet crack echoed through the void as his stomach ruptured, blood and viscera spilling out. The pain was indescribable—a raw, primal agony that tore through every fiber of his being.

"Aaaaaaaaghhh!"

A brief moment passed, and his body began to regenerate, as though time had reversed itself. His legs gave way as he collapsed to his knees, struggling to breathe. His vision blurred at the edges as the memory of the pain lingered in his mind. However, the fleeting relief was short-lived—before he could even gather his thoughts, another wave of agony struck him, assaulting his mind once more.

"Aaaaaaaaghhh!"

An invisible force crushed his knees. The bones splintered with a sickening crunch, shards piercing through his flesh.

As he tried to push himself up, his hands trembled, and the pain surged anew. His teeth began to rattle in his mouth, one by one being ripped from his gums. The metallic taste of blood filled his senses, and he gasped as the sharp stabs of torn nerves shot through his jaw.

The agony reached his arms as the bones within them were snapped in sequence. His shoulders dislocated and his fingers bent back unnaturally. He started crawling in the ground, pulling himself forward inch by agonizing inch.

A searing heat engulfed his back, and he cried out as invisible flames licked at his skin. The fire didn’t consume him entirely; it burned just enough to sear his nerves while leaving his flesh intact. The acrid stench of charred skin filled his nostrils.

The flames extinguished abruptly, only to be replaced by an icy cold that seeped into his bones. His body convulsed uncontrollably as frost spread across his skin, turning it blue and brittle. He felt his joints stiffen, the cold gnawing at him like thousands of tiny knives. His mind screamed for warmth, but he forced himself to focus.

The ground beneath him gave way, and he plummeted into a pit of jagged spikes. The impact sent sharp pain through his body as the spikes impaled him, tearing through muscle and bone. Blood poured from his wounds, pooling beneath him.

His torment was not yet done. His spine arched violently as an unseen force tore into his back, snapping vertebrae and severing nerves. His screams echoed in the void, raw and guttural.

Yu Xuan’s vision blurred as tears mingled with blood. His mind reeled, trying desperately to push back against the waves of suffering that crashed over him, but they came faster, harder, more relentlessly with every passing second. His resolve—his ironclad will—was being tested, stretched to its breaking point.