The storm outside the cave had long passed, yet within Xuan Tian's body, another storm raged.
Creation Essence — that new, living energy — flowed through his veins like molten gold. It hummed beneath his skin, seeking release, testing him, whispering of power beyond comprehension.
He could feel it: every heartbeat reshaping his body, refining his meridians, rebuilding what Heaven once deemed "flawed."
> "So this is Creation's gift…"
"No — its challenge."
The rune on his chest flared.
Light exploded.
The cave dissolved into mist.
---
The World Between Worlds
When his vision cleared, Xuan Tian stood upon an endless plain of floating light. Mountains hung upside-down in the sky, rivers flowed backward, and stars rose from the ground like flowers.
A voice echoed all around him — ancient, calm, vast.
> "This is the World Between Creations — where all who forge must prove their worth."
"Every thought here becomes truth. Every flaw becomes destruction."
He glanced down. The ground beneath his feet rippled like water, mirroring his reflection — yet his reflection was wrong.
Its eyes glowed red. Its expression twisted with arrogance.
> "What are you?"
"You."
The reflection smiled, its voice dripping with venom.
> "The part of you that will destroy everything you build."
---
The Duel of the Self
The mirrored Xuan Tian raised his hand, and instantly, a black blade of Qi formed — identical to his own Blade of Creation, but tainted, heavier, filled with death.
> "Creation without destruction? Foolish dream. Everything that exists must end — even you."
The real Xuan Tian summoned his own blade. It shimmered white, trembling slightly in his grasp.
When the two blades met, the sky cracked open.
Energy flooded the plain. Shattered fragments of reality danced like shards of glass.
Every clash sent waves of raw creation and annihilation rippling through the void.
He was fighting not for victory, but for definition — to prove what kind of Creator he would become.
---
The Heart of the Dao
Minutes or years — time had no meaning here.
The battle blurred into pure willpower.
At last, both blades locked in a final collision.
The mirror snarled, pressing forward.
> "You cannot exist without me!"
"You're wrong," Xuan Tian roared back. "I accept you — but you don't control me!"
The white blade erupted in golden light, devouring the shadow blade entirely.
The reflection screamed — then shattered into motes of dust, returning to the formless sky.
Silence followed.
Then, from the collapsing heavens, a whisper returned:
> "He who conquers himself… conquers creation."
The world trembled — and then folded into him.
---
The Return
Xuan Tian opened his eyes.
The cave returned, but something was different — the air itself responded to his breath.
Every heartbeat pulsed with a rhythm that resonated with the world around him.
He looked down at his hands. The rune on his chest was gone — replaced by a faint golden halo that drifted around him like soft embers.
His Qi had transformed. It was no longer simply energy — it was potential.
He could feel it waiting, listening, as if reality itself would obey his will.
> "The First Trial… passed."
He rose, his gaze steady.
Outside, the dawn sun broke across the mountains, painting the world in molten light.
For the first time, he felt it — not as something to defy, but as something he might one day surpass.
> "The path of the Dao Creator begins now."
And somewhere, far beyond mortal sight, the Will of the Old World whispered with approval:
> "He has taken the first step."
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