The void around him rippled as for the very first time Shen Yuan felt someone observing him in the Pagoda, something ancient and primordial.
It was not hostile, nor was it benevolent. It simply was, and it seemed to be measuring Shen Yuan's soul.
He steadied his breath as he stood straight, knowing that the final part of the trial was remaining.
The darkness parted like someone lifted a veil, revealing a vast, barren landscape in front of him. Towering mountains stood tall all over the landscape as their peaks reached the sky.
At the center of it all was a giant lotus, glowing faintly in the distance. Its petals were pure white, with a golden hue as if they held the very essence of light and purity within them.
This was no illusion.
Shen Yuan instinctively knew that this was the final part of the Dao Heart trial. He could feel his connection with this lotus flower, it was the reason for his misery in various lives, and this flower made him see those illusions.
Yue Lan's voice echoed in his mind,
[I never expected to see this thing in a mortal world. Shen Yuan, this final trial...it will demand more than just strength or intent. It will test the very essence of your soul, be prepared.]
She didn't explain what the lotus was but still cautioned him.
Shen Yuan took a deep breath, his eyes remained focused on the Lotus flower. After deliberating for a second, he started walking towards the lotus flower.
Every footfall felt like it carried the weight of mountains, and the ground beneath him trembled as if resisting the intrusion of Shen Yuan in its holy place.
The closer he got to the lotus, the more oppressive the atmosphere became. His surroundings grew darker, and he could feel a biting cold wind at the back of his head.
'You seek the path of the free, but freedom demands sacrifice. To truly walk your path, you must give up the illusions of safety, of comfort. Only then can you find your true self.'
Shen Yuan's breathing slowed as he comprehended the meaning behind those words. This was it–the true trial. The illusions he had faced were not just to test his resolve, but to see if he was willing to abandon his fantasies of absolute power, false love, peaceful life, etc for something more harsh, something more real.
But before Shen Yuan could reply, the deep voice echoed again,
'The path you have chosen is not a simple one. You can only walk forward on it, if you decide to settle down or stop moving forward, then you will lose your meaning in life and become something like you saw in your illusion. Mere shells of your former glorious self.'
Shen Yuan took a deep breath as he finally decided upon his answer, which was already set in stone since he cleared those illusions.
"I accept," Shen Yuan said softly, but his voice filled with an unbreakable conviction, "I have already decided on my path, and I shall not waver no matter what I face. But this doesn't mean that I won't pursue other paths, I won't restrict myself to a single path, I will do whatever I want.'
As soon as these words left his mouth, the ancient voice's deep laughter echoed,
'Hahaha, that's what it means to be free. To not be shackled by anything and to do as one wishes. You have my blessings on the path of cultivation young man, you can take my Pagoda with you, it has my entire inheritance. This was the deal I made with that little girl, to find me a worthy inheritor. I am the Pagoda Bearing Monarch, remember my name, young man.'
The voice went further away as if the Monarch was walking away. Before Shen Yuan could even say his goodbyes to him, the lotus flower surrounding him started glowing as it released Shen Yuan from inside of itself.
It started getting smaller and smaller until it was only the size of a regular lotus flower, but it's beauty didn't diminish in the slightest as it only increased.
Shen Yuan looked at it curiously, wondering what was happening with it, but before he could figure it out, the lotus rushed towards his head and entered his Sea of Consciousness. Taking root deep within it.
Shen Yuan's eyes widened in surprise as he couldn't even put up a defense in front of it before it infiltrated his Sea of Consciousness.
But before he freaked out, the lotus started releasing a small amount of energy which will be nourishing his Sea of Consciousness, making it stronger passively.
Though the effect wasn't apparent, in the long run, it would be massively helpful.