Chapter 107 The First To Overcome Themselves
Chapter 107 The First To Overcome Themselves
Chapter 107: Chapter 107 The First To Overcome Themselves
RUMBLE!
The earth trembled as the vast Battleground of the Self finally revealed itself.
Across the ancient landscape, battle scars stretched for miles. Deep ravines divided the ground, enormous stone pillars stood like the remnants of a forgotten civilization, and faint traces of ancient energy lingered in the air.
The few hundred participants who had survived the first 2 trials stood scattered across the battleground.
Some examined their surroundings cautiously. Others had already begun preparing their weapons.
Nobody knew what their opponents would look like until the ancient voice spoke again.
"The third trial begins now."
"Within the Battleground of the Self, each participant shall face a reflection possessing the same appearance, cultivation realm, cultivation techniques, combat skills, weapons, and combat experience."
"Your reflection shall possess no weaknesses that you can exploit."
"To pass, you must defeat your reflection and overcome yourself. Those who succeed shall immediately leave the battleground. Those who fail to do so within 1 day shall be eliminated."
The voice fell silent.
Then, the entire battleground shimmered.
Figures appeared before the participants.
A young man found himself staring into his own face. A woman holding a silver sword discovered another woman standing opposite her, holding an identical weapon.
Everywhere one looked, cultivators were facing exact copies of themselves.
For a moment, the battleground became strangely quiet.
Then someone swallowed nervously.
"How am I supposed to fight myself?"
Before anyone could answer, the first clash rang out.
CLANG!
A sword struck another sword.
BOOM!
Two fists collided, sending a wave of dust across the ground.
In an instant, the silence vanished.
The third trial had begun.
***
Near a towering stone pillar, Mo Chen stood motionless as he examined the figure before him.
The young man wore the same dark robes, and the same cold expression rested on his face. Even the aura surrounding his body was identical.
A faint smile appeared on Mo Chen’s lips.
"So, you’re supposed to be me?"
His reflection offered no response.
Mo Chen raised one hand.
A surge of dark energy gathered around his palm.
The reflection did the same.
His smile disappeared.
He suddenly vanished.
A dark streak crossed the battleground as Mo Chen appeared behind his opponent, his palm descending toward the back of its head.
The reflection turned at precisely the same moment.
BOOM!
Their palms collided.
The resulting shockwave shattered the stone beneath their feet.
Mo Chen retreated several steps, his eyes narrowing.
He had deliberately chosen an attack that relied on speed rather than raw strength. Yet his opponent had reacted without hesitation.
He changed his stance.
The reflection followed.
Mo Chen launched a series of attacks, each faster than the last. His opponent countered every strike with the same precision, forcing him backward.
After several exchanges, Mo Chen leaped away and landed on a broken stone platform.
He looked at the figure below him.
’It knows everything I know.’
He had fought countless cultivators, but none had understood his combat style so thoroughly.
Usually, he could exploit an opponent’s hesitation or force them into a position where his techniques became difficult to counter.
Against his reflection, neither option worked.
Any weakness in his fighting style was absent from the opponent standing before him.
For the first time since entering the Primordial Trial Ground, Mo Chen found himself facing a challenge that could not be solved simply by overpowering his enemy.
His expression grew serious.
"Interesting."
He lowered his body into a fighting stance.
"Let’s see whether you can keep up with me when I stop fighting the way I normally do."
His reflection immediately moved.
The battle resumed.
***
Elsewhere, Feng Yuling stood in the middle of an open stretch of the battleground.
Her expression was calm, but her eyes had sharpened.
The woman standing opposite her possessed the same beautiful face, the same Ninefold Phoenix Physique, and the same Void Refining Realm Level 9 cultivation.
Even the faint fluctuations of spiritual energy surrounding their bodies were indistinguishable.
Feng Yuling drew her weapon.
Her reflection did the same.
A moment later, their figures blurred.
BOOM!
A fierce exchange erupted.
Feng Yuling’s attacks were elegant yet merciless. Every movement carried the precision of someone who had spent years refining her combat techniques.
Unfortunately, her opponent possessed the same mastery.
Their weapons collided repeatedly, sparks scattering across the battleground.
Feng Yuling suddenly twisted her wrist and unleashed a powerful attack.
Her reflection responded with an identical technique.
The two forces collided, producing a deafening explosion.
Feng Yuling landed lightly on the ground and frowned.
’Even my changes in rhythm are being matched.’
She had initially intended to test her reflection’s reactions before gradually increasing the intensity of her attacks.
That approach had yielded little.
Her opponent reacted to every movement with the same understanding she possessed.
Worse, there was no flaw she could deliberately target.
Feng Yuling took a slow breath.
She had spent much of her life fighting opponents who were stronger, weaker, or simply different from herself.
Against such enemies, experience allowed her to recognize patterns and create opportunities.
But this battle demanded something else.
She had to move beyond the methods she habitually relied upon.
Her eyes sharpened.
"Then I’ll have to find something new."
She raised her weapon once more.
Her reflection mirrored her movement.
The next clash shook the ground.
***
Not far away, Shi Tianba faced his own reflection.
The successor of the Shi Family had never been one to hesitate in battle. His fighting style emphasized decisive attacks, overwhelming pressure, and the ability to force an opponent into a disadvantageous position.
Unfortunately, his reflection possessed exactly the same qualities.
Their fists collided.
BOOM!
The ground beneath them cracked.
Shi Tianba immediately followed with another attack, but his opponent intercepted it and countered with an identical strike.
He twisted away just in time.
A faint line appeared between his brows.
"You’re really annoying."
His reflection remained expressionless.
Shi Tianba stared at it for a moment before letting out a short laugh.
"Fine. If I can’t beat you by doing what I normally do, I’ll stop doing what you expect."
He rushed forward again.
This time, he abandoned his usual sequence of attacks halfway through and changed his footing unexpectedly.
His reflection adapted, but Shi Tianba continued altering his approach, refusing to settle into a predictable rhythm.
The battle became increasingly intense.
Neither side possessed a clear advantage.
Yet Shi Tianba had finally begun to understand the nature of the challenge.
The problem wasn’t that he lacked strength.
It was that his own habits had become so familiar that an opponent with identical abilities could anticipate almost everything he did.
He needed to break free from those habits.
And that was considerably harder than it sounded.
***
Across the battleground, similar struggles were unfolding.
Some participants had already discovered that their strongest attacks were practically useless against their reflections.
Others were attempting to overwhelm their opponents with consecutive techniques, only to find themselves caught in the same combinations they had launched.
A few had stopped fighting altogether, cautiously studying their opponents and trying to devise new strategies.
But every moment spent hesitating was time lost.
The trial would last only 1 day.
Those who failed to find a way forward would face elimination.
And while the Forbidden successors were gradually adjusting to the challenge, another group had approached it with a very different mindset.
The 10 youngsters of the Lin Clan.
***
Lin Mo stared at the reflection standing before him.
The other Lin Mo stared back.
For several seconds, neither moved.
Then Lin Mo tilted his head.
His reflection tilted its head.
He scratched his cheek.
His reflection did the same.
Lin Mo sighed.
"This is ridiculous. Even the way I stand is being copied."
Lin Chen, standing a short distance away, glanced at him.
"That’s because it’s your reflection."
"I know that!"
"Then why are you complaining?"
Lin Mo opened his mouth, paused, and finally waved his hand.
"Forget it."
A chuckle escaped Lin Yu.
Lin Qing, however, was already examining her opponent.
The ancient voice had made the rules clear. Their reflections possessed the same abilities and combat experience but had no weaknesses they could exploit.
It would be foolish to underestimate them.
Nevertheless, she couldn’t help feeling that the challenge was familiar.
After all, the Lin Clan had the Battle Tower.
Their training had repeatedly placed them against opponents who mirrored their own abilities. They had fought their own techniques, experienced their own attack patterns, and learned how frustrating it could be when an opponent understood their every move.
That experience had taught them something important.
Knowing how to fight was not the same as knowing how to adapt.
A cultivator who relied on the same techniques and patterns in every battle could eventually become predictable.
The Battle Tower had forced them to confront that problem again and again.
Lin Qing looked at her companions.
"We should take this seriously, but I don’t think we’ll struggle as much as the others."
Lin Chen nodded.
"We’ve already spent countless hours fighting opponents who resemble us. We know better than to expect victory by repeating our strongest attacks."
Lin Xuan smiled.
"Then there’s no reason to waste time."
Lin Mo grinned.
"Finally, someone understands me!"
Lin Yu rolled her eyes.
"You weren’t even making sense."
"That’s because you refuse to appreciate my wisdom."
"Your wisdom?"
"Exactly!"
Lin Jue laughed.
"Save your wisdom for your opponent. You’re about to fight yourself."
Lin Mo turned toward his reflection.
"Good. I’ve been wanting to beat this fellow since he appeared."
His reflection immediately adopted a fighting stance.
Lin Mo’s grin widened.
"Here we go!"
He shot forward.
BOOM!
Their fists collided, and both figures slid backward across the ground.
Lin Mo’s eyes lit up.
"Now this is familiar!"
He rushed forward again, unleashing a rapid combination.
His reflection blocked every strike.
Lin Mo changed the angle of his next attack, but his opponent anticipated the movement and countered.
A sharp blow struck Lin Mo’s shoulder.
He retreated several steps, rubbing the injured area.
"Ouch! You hit hard!"
His reflection advanced without hesitation.
Lin Mo’s expression changed.
He had known the opponent would match his abilities, but experiencing it firsthand was still unpleasant.
He couldn’t win by simply attacking harder.
Nor could he rely on a weakness in his own fighting style, because the reflection possessed none.
He needed to do something different.
Lin Mo’s gaze flickered.
During his time in the Battle Tower, he had faced similar situations countless times. Whenever his usual combinations failed, he had been forced to change his approach.
He remembered one particular lesson.
An opponent who could predict his next move could only be surprised if he stopped making the decisions that opponent expected.
Lin Mo suddenly rushed forward, feinted with his right hand, and shifted his weight in the opposite direction.
His reflection reacted immediately.
But Lin Mo had already changed his movement again.
His fist struck the opponent’s chest.
BOOM!
The reflection staggered.
Lin Mo followed without giving it time to recover.
A second strike landed.
Then a third.
His final punch struck the reflection squarely in the chest, causing its entire body to shatter into countless particles of light.
A golden glow descended upon him.
The ancient voice immediately sounded.
"Participant Lin Mo has defeated his reflection and passed the third trial."
Before Lin Mo could say anything, a ripple of light enveloped his body.
He disappeared.
***
For a brief moment, the remaining 9 youngsters stared at the empty space where Lin Mo had stood.
Lin Yu blinked.
"He actually finished first?"
Lin Jue laughed.
"That fellow must be celebrating already."
Lin Chen shook his head.
"He’d better not get too comfortable. We still have to finish our own battles."
Lin Qing smiled faintly.
"Then let’s get started."
The youngsters immediately turned toward their reflections.
Lin Qing moved first.
Her reflection met her opening attack with identical precision, and the resulting collision sent a shockwave through the surrounding air.
Neither gained an immediate advantage.
However, Lin Qing refused to fall into a predictable rhythm.
She altered the timing of her attacks, changed her footing, and deliberately abandoned several familiar combinations.
Her reflection adjusted to each change.
But Lin Qing continued adapting.
She wasn’t searching for a weakness in her opponent.
She was searching for a way to surpass the limits of her own habitual fighting style.
Finally, she changed her stance in a way she rarely used during ordinary combat.
Her reflection responded, but the difference in their movements gave Lin Qing the moment she needed.
She struck decisively.
BOOM!
Her opponent shattered.
"Participant Lin Qing has defeated her reflection and passed the third trial."
She disappeared in a flash of light.
Lin Chen’s battle ended shortly afterward.
His sword clashed repeatedly against the identical weapon in his reflection’s hand. For a time, neither could gain an advantage.
Then Lin Chen abruptly abandoned the sequence of sword techniques he had been using.
His next attack came from an unexpected angle.
His reflection blocked it, but the exchange created the opening Lin Chen needed to change his position.
His sword flashed.
The reflection shattered.
"Participant Lin Chen has defeated his reflection and passed the third trial."
He vanished.
One after another, the youngsters followed.
Lin Yu changed her rhythm until she found an opening.
Lin Xuan abandoned his usual attack sequence and struck from an unexpected angle.
Lin Jue used the lessons he had learned through repeated Battle Tower battles to disrupt his reflection’s rhythm.
Lin Yuexin, Lin Lian, Lin Haochen, and Lin Zhen each fought with determination, refusing to rely on familiar patterns when those patterns produced no results.
Their battles were intense, but their experience allowed them to recognize the problem quickly.
They had to overcome themselves.
And they had already spent countless hours learning how.
Soon, the ancient voice rang out again.
"Participant Lin Yu has defeated her reflection and passed the third trial."
"Participant Lin Xuan has defeated his reflection and passed the third trial."
"Participant Lin Jue has defeated his reflection and passed the third trial."
"Participant Lin Yuexin has defeated her reflection and passed the third trial."
"Participant Lin Lian has defeated her reflection and passed the third trial."
"Participant Lin Haochen has defeated his reflection and passed the third trial."
"Participant Lin Zhen has defeated his reflection and passed the third trial."
One by one, they disappeared from the battleground.
Within a remarkably short period, all 10 youngsters of the Lin Clan had successfully completed the third trial.
They were the first participants to do so.
***
Long Aotian heard the announcements while exchanging another series of sword strikes with his reflection.
CLANG!
Their swords collided, and both retreated.
For a brief moment, Long Aotian glanced toward the space where the Lin Clan youngsters had disappeared.
His eyes narrowed.
’They’ve already finished?’
He had been fighting for some time, yet his opponent continued to match his movements.
He had tried changing his rhythm, altering his sword techniques, and creating openings through feints.
Nothing had worked for long.
Yet those 10 youngsters had already passed.
Long Aotian’s expression became more serious.
He turned back toward his opponent and tightened his grip on his sword.
He couldn’t afford to be distracted.
***
A short distance away, Yue Kun had also heard the announcements.
He blocked a powerful strike from his reflection before retreating.
His gaze flickered briefly toward the empty space.
"The Lin Clan again..."
There was no denying it now.
The Lin Clan youngsters had performed exceptionally well in the previous trials, and they had once again taken the lead.
But how?
Yue Kun had no intention of underestimating them. Still, their repeated success was becoming increasingly difficult to ignore.
He returned his attention to his opponent.
If he wanted to pass the trial, he needed to find his own answer.
***
Feng Yuling’s expression remained composed as she continued battling her reflection.
However, when the ancient voice announced that all 10 Lin Clan youngsters had passed, her eyes flickered.
She had already realized that the challenge required more than brute force.
Yet the Lin Clan youngsters had completed it so quickly.
’They must have considerable experience fighting opponents who possess their abilities.’
She couldn’t think of another reasonable explanation.
Feng Yuling steadied her breathing and adjusted her stance.
She would not allow herself to become distracted by another group’s success.
Her reflection advanced.
She met it head-on.
***
Mo Chen, meanwhile, let out a quiet laugh when he heard the announcement.
"So, the Lin Clan has taken the lead again."
He blocked an attack from his reflection and twisted away from the follow-up.
His eyes gleamed with interest.
He had no idea what kind of training the Lin Clan youngsters had undergone, but their repeated success suggested that their advantages extended beyond the resources they carried.
They had entered the third trial with experience that many other participants lacked.
Mo Chen raised his hand, and dark energy gathered around his palm.
"Very well. Let’s see whether I can overcome myself before the day ends."
His reflection launched another attack.
Mo Chen met it without hesitation.
***
Across the battleground, the news continued to spread.
The Lin Clan youngsters had become the first participants to pass the third trial.
Some cultivators looked toward the places where they had disappeared, while others forced themselves to concentrate on their own battles.
There were only a few hundred participants remaining after the first 2 trials.
Every elimination mattered.
Every opportunity mattered.
And now, the Lin Clan had once again demonstrated that they possessed an advantage that could not be measured by cultivation realm alone.
Their training had prepared them for a challenge that many others were encountering for the first time.
The Battleground of the Self remained filled with the sounds of clashing weapons and exploding spiritual energy.
The 10 Lin Clan youngsters were already gone.
But for everyone still trapped within the battleground, the hardest part of the trial remained.
They had to face the one opponent they could never escape.
Themselves.