NOVEL NEXT Ch. 88
Chapter 88: The Struggle for Golden Core
Mirror Moon Sect’s main peak, Elder Hall.
A crystal-clear treasure mirror hung high in the air, reflecting the scene of two Qi Refining cultivators standing opposite each other from afar.
“This little fellow is the Heavenly Root cultivator discovered by Zhu Qiong? His appearance is not bad.” A graceful phantom seated at the Personnel Hall’s position said.
“Appearance is but an external thing. The radiant brilliance when a cultivator’s will bursts forth—that is the most beautiful sight in this world.” The phantom of the Transmission Hall shook her head.
“Enough, no need to argue, my two junior sisters. There is a fine play before our eyes, why not watch in silence?” The phantom of the Alchemy Hall released her pressure, instantly halting the clashing voices in the Elder Hall.
“Kindness is reflected by malice, firmness is reflected by softness—every cultivator’s mirror shadow is utterly different. I wonder whether this candidate can defeat his own mirror image.” The phantom of the Artifact Hall said with interest.
“Whether this child succeeds or not, for the sake of Old Monster Zhu, we will still grant him this sequence seat.” The phantom of the Talisman Hall deliberately remarked.
At once, silence blanketed the entire Elder Hall.
“That is mistaken. In truth, being defeated by the mirror image means nothing. Did not the Fourth Elder also fail the first time she set foot upon the Six-Knock Heavenly Stair?” The phantom of the Alchemy Hall replied.
“That’s right, water and wood nourish each other. If this little fellow is defeated, it only shows he lacks talent in spell combat. Perhaps he would be more suited to becoming an artificer.” The phantom of the Formation Hall said.
……
As the mirror clone stepped forward, drawing ever closer, Chen Beiwu keenly sensed something amiss.
‘That gaze!’
Chen Beiwu’s pupils contracted, for within the eyes of the mirror clone, he saw a dense killing intent.
In the next instant, the clone’s palm turned into an ice blade, and from the right came a bone-piercing chill.
Chen Beiwu instinctively lowered his head to evade the side slash, then gripped the Cold Pool Spirit Sword, channeling his spiritual power.
“Buzz!”
The Cold Pool Spirit Sword only gave off a faint glow before rapidly falling silent.
‘So I cannot invoke the spirit weapon’s power!’
By the time Chen Beiwu realized it, a hazy white mist had already spread around him, suppressing his divine sense to a certain degree.
This was precisely his favorite mid-grade First-Tier Exotic Art for battle: Water Mist Art.
Boom!
Just then, a thin blade of compressed water instantly cut open Chen Beiwu’s right arm.
“Got you!”
Chen Beiwu’s expression did not change. The body that lost its right arm turned into flowing water and vanished. Behind, the mirror clone seemed to take a heavy blow—its chest caved in, and a great spray of blood burst from its mouth.
“Cough, cough!”
The mirror clone collapsed, coughing twice, before dissolving into a pool of water spreading across the ground.
Yet suddenly, a surge of danger rushed down from above Chen Beiwu’s head.
His hand seals shifted, power surged forth, and the surrounding waters roared into thirty-six towering water pillars, both forming a defense and trapping the sudden figure above.
‘Something’s wrong!’
Chen Beiwu flickered away, employing Wind Control to soar into the sky.
“Swish!”
“Swish!”
“Swish!”
Where he had stood, countless fine azure water threads appeared.
These threads rose into the air, weaving into a net that sealed the heavens, before condensing into six unstoppable water blades that shot forth with lightning speed, tearing the air with sharp cries.
It was no exaggeration to say that in terms of sheer power, this sudden strike could instantly pierce the protective force of a Ninth-Level Qi Refining cultivator and slay them outright.
‘Wasn’t this supposed to be just a formality!’ Chen Beiwu’s eyes flickered.
Already, much of his spell repertoire had been revealed. If the battle continued, he would expose even more First-Tier arts of the Immortal Alliance.
‘Very well, one strike to end this!’
Chen Beiwu gripped the sword hilt and drew it with force. The Cold Pool Spirit Sword sprang from its sheath.
Within the Six-Knock Heavenly Stair, though spirit weapon powers could not be activated, that did not render Cold Pool useless.
After all, Cold Pool was a high-grade Second-Tier spirit weapon.
Even if its effects were suppressed and it could not unleash spell-breaking might, the sheer durability of its blade far surpassed any First-Tier art.
Boom!
Boom!
Boom!
Chen Beiwu swung Cold Pool, shattering the six incoming water blades one by one. His divine sense swept out, and he slashed the sword fiercely toward the pool of water that had been spreading across the ground since the battle began.
In that instant, the water on the stair floor transformed into the mirror clone.
Its face showed surprise. Both palms condensed into ice blades, stabbing toward Chen Beiwu’s throat at lightning speed just as Cold Pool Spirit Sword was about to sever its neck.
‘Seeking mutual destruction? Then I shall oblige you!’
Sensing the mirror clone’s intent, Chen Beiwu’s eyes flashed with cruelty, and instead of retreating, he pressed forward.
“Swish!”
“Puchi!”
At the moment the Cold Pool Spirit Sword cut through the clone’s neck, Chen Beiwu felt a stabbing pain in his throat, as if pierced through—but his expression remained unchanged.
‘The victor is me, after all!’
With a twist of his wrist, he channeled power, reversed his grip, and sliced downward, cleaving the mirror clone cleanly in half, sealing the outcome of the battle.
“Crack!”
The next instant, as the sound of shattering glass rang out, the world before him shifted, transforming into a boundless azure sky.
He paused, touched his throat, faintly feeling pain—but no wound remained, as if the battle just now had been an illusion.
‘When paths cross, the brave prevails. My guess was indeed correct.’
Chen Beiwu’s gaze swept around. Before his eyes lay a vast surging sea of clouds.
He looked downward—the rivers and mountains below, even the great rivers, seemed like fine silver threads, stirring a surge of lofty ambition in his heart.
“This junior brother, please follow me.”
Hearing the voice, Chen Beiwu instinctively turned.
At some unknown time, a cold figure like moonlight had appeared silently behind him.
With the passing breeze, the misty veil like moonlight lifted slightly, revealing a pair of indifferent eyes.
……
Meanwhile, at the Mirror Moon Sect’s main peak, Elder Hall.
“Calm in the face of peril, courage beyond measure. This little fellow is not bad—a fine seedling for alchemy.” The phantom of the Alchemy Hall nodded slightly, her tone appreciative.
In the eyes of Golden Core True Persons, Chen Zi’ang’s Mirror Trial battle might have seemed somewhat immature—but who had not once been young?
At sixteen, she herself had been but a Second-Tier alchemist.
Not to mention battle—she could not even butcher a chicken properly before plucking it, ending with a featherless spirit chicken flapping and running about the kitchen.
“This child’s will is firm. Rather than the Alchemy Hall, I think the Artifact Hall suits him better. Otherwise, Senior Brother Zhu would not have bestowed upon him the Cold Pool Spirit Sword.” Another Golden Core phantom said.
Chen Zi’ang’s performance in this Mirror Trial was remarkable.
Had she not spoken up to remind that Chen Zi’ang was a disciple favored by Senior Brother Zhu, the Golden Core elders present might have vied to recruit him as their own disciple while Zhu Shaoyuan was absent.
“No, no. Since this child can command First-Tier water arts so fluently, evolving them into transformations aligned with heaven and earth’s principles, it shows his spell talent is outstanding. He would be better suited for the Transmission Hall.” The phantom of the Transmission Hall retorted.
His lifespan was running out—he needed to find an inheritor to carry on the Transmission Hall’s Dao lineage.
Although Chen Zi’ang’s First-Tier arts displayed in combat were somewhat immature, they nonetheless revealed his great potential.
Compared to that, Zhu Shaoyuan’s reputation might be formidable, but it did not intimidate him. At worst, they could simply fight it out.