Alert! The Dragon Lord has emerged from seclusion!

"What kind of place is this?"

Ye Qingcheng slashed at the nearest mirror with her sword.

The mirror shattered, but more reflections flew out from the shards and surrounded her.

Those mirror images were unleashing her "Seven Frost Slashes," whose power was no less than that of her real body!

Su Qingxue encountered the same situation. Her mirror image unleashed the Profound Yin Sword Technique, its sword light surging like a tide.

Only Lin Chen's reflection stood quietly in the mirror, gazing at him.

"The mirror reflects the heart, manifesting inner demons." Lin Chen understood. "These images are not physical entities, but rather the manifestation of our inner fears, obsessions, and desires."

"Only by defeating them can we pass."

He looked at his own reflection.

The "Lin Chen" in the mirror spoke, his voice identical to his own: "What are you afraid of?"

Lin Chen remained silent.

"Afraid of losing them?"

The mirror image pointed at Su Qingxue and Ye Qingcheng, who were locked in a fierce battle. "Afraid of the backlash from the Chaos Seed? Afraid that there's an even bigger conspiracy behind the Heavenly Dao Alliance? Or afraid—"

The mirror image drew closer, almost touching its surface: "Are you afraid of yourself?"

"You have merged with the Chaos Seed and formed a Dao Body. But have you truly mastered it? Or is it subtly changing you?"

The mirrored hand, through the lens, pressed against Lin Chen's chest: "Chaos is ruthless, encompassing everything, yet also devouring everything."

"One day, you will lose all emotions and become the true 'Way of Heaven'—indifferent, impartial, and regarding all things as mere straw dogs."

"By then, what difference will Su Qingxue, Ye Qingcheng, Shen Qingqiu, Qin Yurou, Chu Ling'er, Mu Qingyao, Luo Yunyi... be to you, just like roadside weeds and stones?"

Lin Chen's pupils contracted slightly.

The mirror image laughed: "Look, you've wavered. That's your inner demon—the fear of 'losing yourself'."

Outside the Mirror Prison, Su Qingxue and Ye Qingcheng were gradually losing their strength.

Their mirror images multiplied, and they coordinated perfectly, like a well-trained army.

"Lin Chen!" Blood trickled from Ye Qingcheng's lips, the Frost Soul Sword's light dimmed, "These damned things are endless!"

Su Qingxue leaned on her ice sword, panting, and said, "We must find the core of the Mirror Prison..."

Lin Chen looked at the mirror image and suddenly smiled.

"You're right, I'm scared," he admitted frankly. "But what I'm afraid of isn't losing myself."

He reached out and touched his palm to the mirror image through the mirror.

What I fear is losing the right to protect them.

Chaotic energy surged from his palm, not as an attack, but as... a fusion.

The mirror image was taken aback: "What are you doing?"

"Aren't you my inner demon? Then let's become one." Lin Chen's eyes were calm. "Fear, obsession, and desire are all part of 'me'."

"To deny them is to be truly lost."

"The way of chaos is not ruthlessness, but rather—embracing oneself."

The image began to distort, assimilated and absorbed by the chaotic energy.

As the last bit of the image merged into his body, Lin Chen felt a surge of clarity in his soul, and his control over the power of chaos deepened once again.

He turned around and looked at the sky full of mirrors and countless reflections.

As the Nascent Soul stepped out, the Chaos Seed shone brightly.

"Disperse."

When one word comes out, all the mirrors are silent.

All the mirrors froze at the same time, then shattered and disappeared like bubbles.

The Mirror Prison is broken.

Su Qingxue and Ye Qingcheng felt their pressure lessen, and their reflections disappeared as a result.

The two collapsed to the ground, exhausted and panting heavily.

Lin Chen stepped forward and channeled chaotic energy into their bodies to repair their injuries and replenish their energy.

"Sixth level passed."

He looked ahead—there, the seventh entrance was opening.

It was a massive bronze gate.

The bronze gate is hundreds of feet tall, and the four ancient seal characters "Tianyan Palace" are engraved on the gate.

A faint, dark golden light flowed between the strokes, as if something alive was moving about.

On either side of the giant gate stood a stone statue.

On the left is a Qilin riding on clouds, and on the right is a Xuanwu carrying a stele; both are depictions of ancient mythical beasts.

The statue's eyes, two fist-sized obsidian stones, are slowly rotating, locking onto the three people in front of the door.

"A living puppet." Su Qingxue's icy blue eyes swept over the stone statue. "It has been refined into a stone body by the essence of a divine beast to guard the gate. It must be at least at the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul realm."

Ye Qingcheng gripped the Frost Soul Sword tightly, the blade humming slightly with battle intent: "Two? Tsk, the Heavenly Dao Alliance is really generous."

Lin Chen raised his hand, indicating that he should rest a bit.

He stopped three zhang in front of the giant gate and looked up at the lintel.

Instead of decorative patterns, there was a three-foot square bronze mirror on the lintel, its surface cloudy and foggy, reflecting no image whatsoever.

"The Mirror of Observation." Lin Chen recognized the object. "Legend has it that it can see the true nature and obsessions of those who come to it. If one's will is not firm, one will be trapped in the illusion within the mirror and sink into eternal damnation."

"It's quite suitable for the Heavenly Alliance to use it as a gatekeeper."

He turned to the two women and said, "You two step back ten feet."

Su Qingxue frowned: "What are you going to do?"

"Break down the door." Lin Chen said calmly. "Now that we're here, there's no need to hide our presence anymore. The Heavenly Alliance should already know we're here."

Before the words were even finished, the stone statues on both sides of the giant gate suddenly moved!

The Qilin stone statue roared to the sky—a silent wave that vibrated the air as if it were a tangible force, causing the ground pebbles to tremble and jump up.

The Xuanwu statue slowly raised its head, and the stone tablet on its back lit up with dense runes, and a heavy, mountain-like pressure descended upon it!

The two stone statues attacked simultaneously!

The Qilin took a step forward, raising its right front paw high, and a ball of crimson-gold flame condensed at the tip of the paw. The scorching heat caused the surrounding space to distort slightly.

If that claw strike lands squarely, it would be enough to burn mountains and boil seas.

Xuanwu opened its mouth and spat out a jet of jet-black water.

The water was viscous like oil, exuding a bone-chilling cold and corrosive odor; it was "Mysterious Netherworld True Water," even more poisonous than the Netherworld Weak Water.

"Watch out!" Ye Qingcheng leaped up, her Frost Soul Sword transforming into a streak of icy blue light, slashing straight at the Qilin's forepaw.

The sword and claws clashed, producing a metallic clang, and sparks and ice shards flew everywhere.

Ye Qingcheng let out a muffled groan and flew backward. After landing, she took seven steps back before regaining her balance. The tiger's mouth of her right hand holding the sword was split open, and blood dripped down the hilt of the sword.

"So hard!"

Su Qingxue then faced the Xuanming True Water.

She formed a hand seal, and seven layers of ice crystal barrier instantly formed in front of her.

The water jet struck the first layer, shattering the barrier.

The second floor, the third floor...

After breaking through six layers, the water column slowed down slightly, but still pierced through the last layer, with the aftershocks brushing past Su Qingxue's left shoulder.

laugh--!

The sleeves instantly turned into black water, revealing the fair skin underneath.

The skin in the areas that were wiped off quickly turned black and ulcerated. The corrosive power of the Xuanming True Water was so strong that even the coldness of the Xuanyin Body could not be completely resisted.

Su Qingxue's face turned pale, but she didn't utter a sound. She pressed her right hand together several times on her left shoulder, and the icy blue light sealed the wound, temporarily stopping its spread.

The two stone statues, having successfully landed their first blow, gathered their strength once more.

At that moment, Lin Chen made a move.

He did not attack the statue, but went straight to the giant gate.

The pace was not fast, but it carried a peculiar rhythm, as if each step was on the pulse of heaven and earth.

The Qilin statue sensed his intention, abandoned its pursuit of Ye Qingcheng, and turned to pounce.