An inscription from the Primordial Era marked the platform: "The heart general beats the drum. See whose will breaks first." Chen Hao looked at the armored general. "Come on."
The general raised his twin hammers and struck the enormous drum on his chest. The boom erupted like thunder beside their ears, making the women cover them.
Chen Hao did not cover his ears. His body swayed, but he quickly steadied himself. The second beat was louder than the first. His body swayed again, but his feet did not move.
The third beat, the fourth, the fifth. With every beat of the drum, his heartbeat quickened.
He could feel his heart pounding wildly in his chest, as though it would leap out of his throat. Yet his gaze remained clear, and his breathing stayed steady.
After an unknown number of beats, the drumming suddenly stopped. The general's body began to crack like parched earth. Fissures spread from his chest to his limbs before his entire body shattered into dust.
The platform vanished, and so did the abyss, replaced by a level road.
The third trial: the kidneys. The kidneys took the form of an entwined man and woman. Their bodies were translucent, revealing the blood vessels and organs within.
An alluring aura radiated from their bodies. Their eyes were seductive, constantly exerting a beguiling mental influence. They held each other, murmuring words too quiet to make out.
When they saw Chen Hao approach, they raised their heads and reached out to him, indistinct syllables spilling from their mouths.
"Stay... be with us..."
Chen Hao did not look at them. He walked right past them without pausing or letting his gaze stray.
Behind him, the man and woman formed from the kidneys sighed, then dissipated.
At the end of the dragon's belly