Rise of the Demon God

"What am I doing here this time?" Long Chen asked, curious. 

"You're here to be judged by the Temple," Long Tian answered.

"Huh? What do you mean judged?"

"I meant the same thing that you heard. While outside your body, face the heavenly thunder; here, your soul will go through a test too. Fail either of the two tests, and you'll die," Long Tian told Long Chen as the space around them changed. Then they found themselves inside an empty room. 

"The first test will be the test of your purity. It will be to see how pure your soul is. Do you understand? Then step forward on the scale. On one side will be your soul. And on the other side will be a judgment knife."

"As long as your soul is lighter than the judgment knife, you'll pass the first test. But if it's heavier, that means your soul is corrupt."

Long Chen nodded his head as he stepped on the scale where Long Tian had pointed. He didn't know about other things, but he had faith in himself. Everything he did was for his family and for his survival. He was sure that the Bloodline Temple wouldn't kill him."

As soon as Long Chen stepped on the scale, a knife appeared on the other side of the scale. 

The balance of the scale started shifting as the knife seemed to be heavier at the start, but soon, Long Chen's soul started getting down. It seemed like his soul was heavier than the judgment knife because of his sins. 

He couldn't understand why. Did he really fail the test? Was his soul really impure? 

"As I expected, you're really impure. You don't deserve to be the Heir of the bloodline temple," Long Tian said as he stepped towards Long Chen.

A big cage came out of thin air, entrapping Long Chen. 

"Just look at your journey over the years. You killed innocent people—destroyed innocent lives. In fact, the blood of millions of innocent people is on your hands. And you really thought your soul could be pure? Hah, laughable."

"You're the most corrupt and most vile human I have ever seen!" Long Tian said to Long Chen as he glared at him. 

"You're wrong! I did all that because I had to! In this world, if I hadn't taken a few of those steps, I would've been long dead! It was all for the sake of my family!" Long Chen declared. 

"Oh? For the sake of your family, you killed millions of other families? Is that your justification? It's because you're truly evil. There's no other reason. And now it's time for you to be trapped here forever! I'll take over my body again, and I'll be the Bloodline Temple heir!" Long Tian declared as a smirk formed on his face. 

"Wait, I know you aren't evil! I can't be wrong with that! The last time I met you, I was sure! You're a genuine person! This you, it can't be real!" Long Chen declared. 

"Hah, what am I if I'm not real?! The last you saw me was when I was acting. I was waiting for when you were at your weakest, so I could easily get my body back!" Long Tian answered, laughing. 

"No! You're lying! The Bloodline Temple chose me, and it was obvious that I'll have to walk over the mountains of death to get to my goal! It wouldn't have chosen me if it was worried about deaths! You're not the Long Tian I knew!" Long Chen retorted as he rolled his eyes. 

"Hahaha, then what am I?" Long Tian asked Long Chen, amused. 

"You're the Heart Devil of Heavenly Tribulation! You want me to give up, so my body is destroyed in the Heavenly Tribulation! Isn't that right?" Long Chen answered as he stood up, glaring at the person who looked like Long Tian. 

"Oh? Do you really think that? Or is that an excuse you're giving to justify your actions? An effort to believe that you were right?" Long Tian asked Long Chen. 

"Let me show you something," he further added as he waved his hand. 

Five portals appeared before Long Chen, each showing a different scene.

"Look at the first one! Do you see that old man? He only had one son who worked as a servant in a mansion that you destroyed. Because his only son is gone, he has been reduced to begging! All because of you, through no fault of their own. Do you dare to justify yourself?"

"Look at that kid who is living inside an orphan now?" He further said as he pointed towards the second portal. 

"When you fought in the Esteria Empire, you destroyed half the Royal City! That innocent kid's parents died that day too. Because of you, he's an orphan now. Do you dare to justify it? What were his parents? Just the collateral for your survival?" Long Tian asked, roaring?

"Now look at the third portal! Guess who that woman is?" He further asked as he pointed towards the third portal. 

Inside that portal, a young woman could be seen having sex with two old men. She wasn't resisting, but there were tears in her eyes. 

"Who is she?" Long Chen asked. 

"In the World of Fengshu, you killed a guard when you went to kill Mingyu's brother. That guard was her husband! As she was in debt and her husband was dead because of you, to feed her young son, that woman now has to go through that every day! All because of you!"

" All because your life was more precious in your head! All because your survival was more important. All because you had the strength, and they didn't! Now tell me, was it justified?"

"If you still think it was, then look at the fourth one."

Long Tian kept showing more and more aftermath of Long Chen's actions which was enough to shake everyone's heart and push them down the hellhole of sadness, but it didn't seem to be working on Long Chen. 

"Why isn't it working on you? Do you have no regret?" Long Tian asked Long Chen. 

Long Chen took a deep breath as he sighed.

"I can't have regrets. Even though I know how many lives I destroyed, I can't have regrets. Even though I know that it would have been better for millions of people if I didn't exist, I can't have regrets. You want to know why?" Long Chen asked, sighing.

"Why?" Long Tian asked, confused. 

"Because I can't feel any empathy," Long Chen answered as he sighed again.