The moment Lei stepped into the Realm of Earth, his feet hit solid ground with a thunderous echo. He stood in the center of a vast stone field—barren, cracked, and eerily silent. Towering stone pillars rose like broken ribs from the land, remnants of an ancient battle.
The sky above was the color of ash, and a heavy pressure settled on his shoulders like an invisible mountain.
"Here lies your foundation," a voice growled from deep within the earth. "Will it hold, or crumble under the weight of your ambition?"
From the cracks below, stone golems emerged—ten feet tall, faceless, but each one bore the aura of someone Lei had known. One stepped forward with Ren Xian's stance. Another carried Lin Yue's graceful form. One even mimicked his father's silhouette.
Each one struck not with fists, but with doubts.
"You will never be enough."
"You were born broken."
"You only rise because others carry you."
Their words struck deeper than stone.
Lei fell to one knee, dust choking his breath. But then his hand touched the ground—and something clicked.
"I'm still standing," he whispered, "because I've never stopped moving forward."
The ground trembled. His Qi surged. Drawing strength from the earth itself, Lei slammed his palms into the soil. The tremor shattered the golems and cracked open a hidden staircase of stone leading to the next portal.
One realm remained.
The Realm of Wind.