CHAPTER 38 — RESONANCE TRIAL: AWAKENING OF THE FIRST ECHO
Golden light swallowed the world.
Jason Wu felt the ground vanish beneath his feet as the shattered vault dissolved into streams of glowing dust. Lan Yuren, Wei Qing, Li Xueyin, and Leon were thrown back by the sudden shockwave—but Jason was not thrown.
He was pulled.
Dragged straight into the heart of the vortex.
Longwu Sword vibrated violently in Jason's grasp.
["Boy! Hold on—this resonance is not simple!"]
Jason tried to move his limbs, but his body felt weightless, suspended in an endless expanse of swirling gold. He couldn't see the cave, the Keeper, or even his companions. Everything became light and sound, merging into a humming storm that flooded his senses.
Then—
Silence.
A vast, sacred silence.
Jason opened his eyes.
He was no longer inside the Remnant Vault.
Instead, he floated above a massive circular platform made of starlight. Runes spiraled beneath him, forming concentric rings that pulsed in rhythm with his heartbeat.
Above him stretched an endless sky full of constellations—not stars as he knew them, but swirling patterns shaped like dragons, swords, mountains, and ancient beasts. Each constellation shone with overwhelming, primordial power.
Jason whispered, "Where… am I?"
Longwu Sword answered with rare seriousness.
["This… is a Resonance Domain. A pocket dimension created by those who carried your bloodline before you."]
Jason blinked. "You mean—someone from my Wu ancestors built this?"
["Not built. Manifested. The bloodline itself shapes this place. Not even I know what you'll find here. And that worries me."]
"Worries you?"
["Boy… anything that worries me should terrify you."]
Jason swallowed.
Before he could respond, the ground beneath him trembled.
A voice echoed across the domain—deep, ancient, resonating not through the air but directly into his bones.
**"Descendant…"**
Jason spun around, searching for the source. The constellations flickered, threads of light weaving together into a vague humanoid silhouette.
**"The first echo awakens."**
Jason's pulse spiked. "Identify yourself!"
The silhouette did not answer. Instead, it expanded, stretching across the domain like a towering shadow.
Longwu Sword whispered in awe.
["Jason… this echo is from the First Wu. The beginning of your lineage."]
Jason froze.
"The First Wu… as in… the founder?"
["Yes. The one who created the cultivation path your family would one day master. The one all worlds once feared."]
Jason had to force himself to breathe.
The silhouette slowly took shape. A tall figure in ancient robes. Long hair trailing like smoke. Eyes glowing white, intense and unreadable.
The figure raised its hand.
Golden symbols poured from its palm, swirling around Jason like fireflies. Each symbol contained images—flashes of battles, realms, and impossible landscapes.
**"Your journey begins here, descendant."**
Jason steadied his stance. "What do you want from me?"
The echo's voice thundered.
**"For you to survive."**
The domain shook.
A swirling portal opened beneath Jason's feet.
**"Face the first trial."**
Jason's stomach dropped as he fell through the glowing vortex.
---
### THE FIRST TRIAL: THE LABYRINTH OF ORIGIN
Jason crashed onto solid ground, groaning as he pushed himself upright.
He found himself standing inside a colossal stone labyrinth. Walls towered above him—smooth, black, and covered in glowing runes. The air was heavy with spiritual pressure.
Jason whispered, "Feels like a burial ground."
Longwu Sword hummed.
["Close enough. The First Wu built this trial to test resolve. And sanity. And whether you had enough brain cells to navigate puzzles."]
Jason sighed. "Perfect. I'm horrible with puzzles."
["Don't worry. Your luck is terrible enough that the puzzles will come to you."]
Jason groaned.
A massive clang echoed in the distance.
Then footsteps.
Dozens. No… hundreds.
Jason tensed. "What is that?"
The answer came quickly.
A swarm of shadowy beasts rushed through the labyrinth corridors—wolf-like, but incorporeal, with glowing eyes and bodies shaped from smoke.
Jason braced himself. "Spirits?"
["Echo beasts. Manifestations of past enemies your ancestors slaughtered."]
"That's comforting."
The beasts lunged.
Jason swept Longwu in a wide arc, unleashing a horizontal slash. The glowing sword-light cut through the first wave, dispersing them into mist—but more emerged, crawling along the walls and floors like living shadows.
Jason moved instinctively, weaving between attacks, slashing, dodging, redirecting strikes with precise control. Sweat dripped down his brow as he fought through the endless waves.
Longwu Sword vibrated.
["Jason—don't get reckless. These beasts regenerate. You can't kill them."]
"What?! Then how do I stop them?"
["You don't. You run. This is a maze trial, not a slaughter trial."]
Jason cursed under his breath.
He turned and sprinted deeper into the labyrinth.
---
### THE LIVING MAZE
The corridors twisted in impossible directions, turning left and right unpredictably. The floorplates shifted beneath Jason's feet, changing paths at random intervals.
Beasts howled behind him.
Jason leapt over a collapsing section of the floor, rolled under a barrier of falling stone, and slid around a corner—only to find the wall sealing itself behind him.
The labyrinth moved.
Longwu Sword chuckled.
["Ah yes. Just like your ancestor. He always liked building mazes where the walls tried to murder you."]
Jason shouted, "Can you NOT appreciate homicidal architecture right now?!"
He sprinted forward, but his path was cut off by a massive stone golem emerging from the wall—its body engraved with ancient Wu runes.
Jason stepped back. "Okay… big guy."
Longwu Sword spoke sharply.
["Don't fight it. Wrong approach. This one is another puzzle."]
"What's the answer?!"
["Offer blood. Just a drop."]
Jason blinked. "That's it?"
["Try it. Worst case, you die."]
"Why are you like this?!"
Jason sliced his palm lightly and touched the golem's chest. The runes lit up instantly, and the golem bowed, opening a path behind it.
Jason exhaled shakily. "I hate this place."
["Good. That means you're learning."]
---
### THE MEMORY HALL
After navigating a series of shifting corridors, Jason finally entered a massive chamber shaped like a dome. The ceiling glowed with starlight, and dozens of floating mirrors hovered around him.
Each mirror showed a different scene.
In one mirror, Jason saw a man resembling him—older, fiercer—carving mountains with his sword.
In another, a young boy trained in the forest alone, swinging a wooden sword until his hands bled.
In another… a battlefield where countless corpses lay at the feet of a warrior holding the Longwu Sword.
Jason shivered.
Longwu Sword spoke quietly.
["These are memories of the First Wu. But tread carefully. Some reflections… bite."]
Jason flinched. "Bite?"
One of the mirrors suddenly cracked—and an arm made of pure shadow reached out, clawing toward him. Jason blocked it instinctively. The mirror shattered completely, and the shadow dissolved.
Longwu sighed.
["Ah yes. The aggressive memories. Charming, aren't they?"]
Jason rubbed his temples. "Your definition of charming is broken."
["You chose me."]
"I found you lying in dust!"
["Semantics."]
Jason walked deeper into the hall. His eyes caught a mirror glowing brighter than the rest. It showed a battlefield—an ancestor standing atop a mountain of slain enemies, eyes burning with golden fire.
Jason felt his heart tremble.
This ancestor turned slowly… and looked at Jason through the mirror.
**"Stronger," he whispered.**
Jason staggered back. "Did he… see me?"
Longwu was silent for a moment.
["Yes. That was not a memory. That was a fragment of consciousness. The First Wu is watching you more closely than you think."]
Jason's breath hitched.
Before he could respond, the hall trembled and collapsed into light—sucking him instantly into the next chamber.
---
### THE FINAL GATE
Jason landed in a small circular arena.
In the center stood a stone tablet with glowing inscriptions:
**TO PROCEED, PROVE RESOLVE.
FACE THE SHADOW OF YOURSELF.**
Jason felt a chill crawl up his spine.
A ripple of darkness appeared before him.
A figure stepped out.
Jason Wu.
Identical… but with eyes cold as ice.
The shadow-Jason raised a black sword—a twisted version of Longwu Sword.
Jason whispered, "My clone?"
Longwu Sword corrected him.
["Not a clone. A projection of what you could become if your heart crumbles. A version of you weakened by fear, consumed by ambition, or swallowed by rage."]
Jason tightened his grip. "So… it's evil-me."
["Basically."]
Shadow-Jason smirked. "You don't deserve the Wu bloodline."
Jason frowned. "Great. My nightmare has a mouth."
The shadow lunged.
---
### SHADOW VS. JASON
Their blades clashed, sparks exploding between them.
Shadow-Jason moved with terrifying speed—perfect footwork, flawless timing, and brutal intent. Every technique Jason had ever practiced was reflected back at him, but sharper, deadlier.
Jason parried a downward strike, slipped to the side, and countered—but Shadow-Jason anticipated every move.
Jason gritted his teeth. "Longwu! Any advice?!"
["Yes. Stop fighting like a coward."]
"THAT DOES NOT HELP!"
["Fine! Try using your heart energy instead of brute force!"]
"What—"
Shadow-Jason slammed a kick into Jason's ribs, sending him flying.
Jason coughed blood.
The shadow approached slowly. "You are weak. You hesitate. You cling to emotions. That is why your lineage will fall with you."
Jason wiped his mouth and stood.
"I'm not perfect. I make mistakes. But I don't fight alone."
He raised Longwu Sword high.
A gentle pulse radiated from the blade.
["Jason Wu… let's do this properly."]
Golden light surged from the ground, wrapping around Jason's limbs. His breath synced with Longwu's hum—steady, powerful, resonant.
Shadow-Jason's eyes widened.
Jason moved.
Their swords collided again, but this time Jason was faster. His steps were lighter, his strikes precise and fluid.
Shadow-Jason faltered for the first time.
Jason saw his opening.
"Longwu—now!"
A burst of resonant energy ripped through the arena, shattering the shadow into sparks of darkness.
Silence fell.
Jason breathed heavily, chest rising and falling in sharp rhythm.
Longwu Sword hummed proudly.
["Well done, boy. You passed the first echo."]
The arena dissolved into golden mist.
Jason was lifted back toward the starry sky.
A deep voice echoed.
**"You have survived the first resonance.
Prepare… for the second."**
The light swallowed him again.