The moment Chen Yu stepped into the Illusory Cloud Garden, reality twisted.
The air was thick with mist, the scent of distant flowers sweet but cloying. The world shifted around him—colors bled into each other, and the horizon folded inward like a dream on the verge of collapse.
Then came the voice. Cold. Ancient. Familiar.
> "Welcome, Sovereign of Ashes."
He turned, and standing before him was a mirror—not of glass, but of living smoke. From within it stepped a man wearing imperial robes, eyes like dying stars.
Chen Yu's breath stilled. It was… himself.
No—his past self.
Li Tianming, the Dragon Sovereign. Crowned by the heavens, feared across Tianxia, his aura had once made empires bow.
"You've forgotten," the mirror version said. "You've become small."
Chen Yu stepped forward, his voice low. "I've moved on."
"Then why do your dreams still burn with betrayal? Why do you still hear her voice?" the illusion hissed, its face twisting into a snarl.
Around them, the garden bloomed with haunting visions.
He saw the Jade Throne shattered. His generals bleeding. His beloved kneeling before the Grand Council… her hand delivering the killing blow.
It all rushed back.
The warmth of the wine they gave him.
The cold steel of the dagger in his chest.
The whispers: "He died of old age."
Chen Yu clenched his fists. "I remember everything."
The illusion stepped closer. "Then admit it. You crave revenge. Power. Domination."
"I seek truth," Chen Yu said calmly. "And those who buried it will be judged."
The mirror version laughed—then lunged.
A flash of violet energy streaked toward Chen Yu, but he raised his hand—
> [System Skill Activated: Dragonstep Mirage]
With a blur, he vanished, reappearing behind his past self. Azurefang was already drawn.
> [Qi Resonation Detected — Spirit Pulse Rising]
He slashed.
The illusion screamed, cracks rippling across the garden. But it didn't end. The broken mirror image reformed—now an amalgamation of his regrets, crowned by the faces of those who betrayed him.
"You think one swing of the sword will sever your past?" it howled.
"No," Chen Yu said. "But I'll carve a future from it."
He closed his eyes, and flame surged through his meridians—not rage, but purpose.
> [Flame-Attribute Qi: Controlled Ignition Initiated]
Azurefang ignited with emerald fire. With a fluid motion, Chen Yu spun and struck the illusion's core.
The dream shattered.
He found himself back in the garden, kneeling, breath heavy.
A moment later, the mist dissolved.
An elder's voice echoed through the clearing: "Candidate 309. Trial of Mirrors—Passed."
Behind him, the mist swirled once more, and a small orb floated into the air before landing in his hand.
> [Reward: Spirit Elixir — Mind's Calm Acquired]
[Hidden Reward: Trait Unlocked — Soulsteel Resolve]
Chen Yu stood tall, tucking the elixir away. His gaze was clearer now.
He hadn't just passed a test. He'd buried a ghost.
And in its place, a Sovereign was rising once more.