The Dark Trident

Chu Hang did not move.

He stood where he was, his eyes fixed on the black-robed figure.

This fellow had conceded far too quickly. Anyone who could guard this godforsaken place for ten thousand years had to have something up their sleeve.

The black-robed figure spoke. "You're stronger than me."

It raised a hand and pointed to the top of the altar.

"But not just anyone can wield the Dark Trident."

Chu Hang raised an eyebrow. "Go on."

"The weapon was forged by the first king of Atlantis. He poured his entire understanding of the law of death into this divine artifact."

The black-robed figure kept its voice very low.

"Want to use it? First, you must endure the corrosion of the law of death. Your soul will be eaten away bit by bit, until it becomes nourishment for the trident."

Chu Hang listened, his expression calm.

Something else crept into the figure's voice, somewhere between anticipation and pity. "In ten thousand years, thirteen people have found this place. Some were at your level, some even higher. They came at every level of power."

It paused briefly.

"They all died. Their souls are trapped inside the trident, never to escape."

Chu Hang tilted his head and listened.

There were indeed sounds. Faint wails drifted from deep within the altar, as though rising from an abyss impossibly far away. Pain, despair, and regret mingled in those voices, chilling anyone who heard them to the bone.

"Are you sure you want to take it?" the black-robed figure asked, a strange excitement seeping into its voice.

Chu Hang remained expressionless. "Finished?"

The figure froze.

"Yes."

"Then shut up."

Chu Hang headed straight for the steps.

He did not care about the corrosion at all. He already had the law of death he had