True Self

Lin Ye swam rapidly through the lake water, the emerald jade pendant flickering beneath the surface. Every time it flared brightly, it blocked an invisible attack for him.

The energy within the jade pendant was depleting too quickly.

At this rate, he could hold on for at most another quarter of an hour.

His heart tightened, and Lin Ye hesitated no longer. He circulated the Qingyun Art to forcibly absorb the violent, chaotic spiritual energy in the lake, pushing his Wind Chasing Steps to the limit as he swam toward the center of the lake like an arrow.

The jade pendant's light barrier vibrated violently under the dense barrage of attacks, its glow dimming until it was nearly transparent, ready to shatter at any moment.

"Splash—!"

Lin Ye burst through the surface, his body slamming onto a cold, black rock, the impact making him see stars.

The emerald jade pendant in his hand let out a "crack" and shattered completely.

He struggled to stand up and looked around.

This was a desolate little island. The island was covered in honeycomb-like black rocks and shrouded in a thick gray fog, with visibility extremely low. The rock beneath his feet was bone-chillingly cold, and there was not a blade of grass in sight; it was terrifyingly quiet.

"Lake Heart Island..." Lin Ye quickly confirmed his location.

He hurriedly checked his condition. More than half of his true energy was exhausted, and pain radiated from several parts of his body, though fortunately, his injuries were not severe.

Swallowing a few medicinal pills to stabilize his breathing, Lin Ye gripped his Azure Edge Sword and proceeded cautiously, step by step.

According to the lingering resonance of the jade pendant, the legacy should be right here.

He scanned his surroundings, confirming there were no signs of living creatures before crouching down to observe the traces on the ground. The surface of the black rocks was smooth, yet the edges of those holes were marked with fine scratches. In several depressions, there were scattered skeletons and rusted fragments; some skeletons had even taken on the same color as the rocks, making them impossible to distinguish without a close look.

"Many people have died here." Lin Ye's heart sank.

He avoided the skeletons and moved carefully through the fog, following the direction where the jade pendant's resonance grew weaker.

The mist obscured his vision, making it impossible to tell direction. Lin Ye lowered his posture, pushing his Breath Concealment Technique to the limit, placing every step firmly to avoid making a sound.

An incense stick of time later, the fog ahead grew thin, and the outline of a structure faintly emerged.

It was a square altar built from black jade, about three zhang high, with one corner collapsed to reveal a rough stone foundation. The surface of the altar was covered in dense, intricate runes, most of which were dim and lifeless, with only a few spots still retaining faint energy fluctuations.

In the center of the altar sat a complete skeleton.

Unlike the jade-white skeleton by the lake, this skeleton possessed a crystalline texture, flowing with a warm, gentle luster in the dim light. It was draped in a tattered moon-white Daoist robe, its hands resting on its knees; at its left hand sat a palm-sized cloth bag, and its right hand gripped an ancient sword.

The blade was covered in cracks and faintly emitted a dark golden glow, as if it had merged with the altar itself.

When Lin Ye's gaze fell upon that ancient sword, the true energy seed of the Qingyun Art within his dantian transmitted a faint sense of longing.

This must be the place.

Lin Ye took a deep breath, suppressing his agitation. After confirming there were no obvious traps around the altar, he stepped forward slowly and bowed respectfully to the skeleton:

"Junior Lin Ye has stumbled upon this place. If I have caused any offense, please forgive me."

He reached out, his fingertips about to touch the hilt of the sword.

"Hum—!!"

The entire altar shook violently!

The remaining runes lit up in unison, and an incomplete formation instantly took shape, enveloping both the altar and Lin Ye within it.

The scene before his eyes changed abruptly.

In its place was a starry sky.

Billions of stars flickered, some as scorching as the great sun, others collapsed into black holes. In the center of the starry sky, a figure formed from starlight stood with his back to him, hands clasped behind his back.

That aura was of the same origin as the crystalline skeleton, yet it was ten thousand times more powerful, as if it ruled over this entire starry expanse.

"Latecomer."

The voice seemed to traverse time, ringing directly in Lin Ye's sea of consciousness.

"My legacy requires passing three trials. The first trial: questioning the heart."

As the words fell, the surrounding starry illusion changed drastically once more.

Lin Ye saw his past self lying in a pool of blood, his vision blurred, his life slipping away bit by bit—that was the moment of death etched deep into his soul.

The scene shifted to the bullying he endured at the Miscellaneous Affairs Hall of the Qingyun Sect, the cruel laughter of Wang Meng, the schemes of Zhao Mingxuan, and the indifference of the elders on the high platform.

All these images eventually wove together into a giant chessboard, and he was merely a pawn that could be wiped away at any moment.

"Why do you seek the Dao?"

The starry figure spoke without a hint of emotion, his words pointing straight to the core of his heart.

Why seek the Dao?

To survive? To no longer be bullied by others? To see the scenery at the pinnacle of martial arts?

Various thoughts surged.

The fear of death, the anger of an ant, the unwillingness of a pawn, the craving for power...

Lin Ye raised his head, his gaze firm.

I seek the Dao:

Not for longevity, not for invincibility, Only to hold the reins of my own destiny, My life is determined by me—

If the heavens block me, I shall defy the heavens, If men stand in my way, I shall kill them!

As the words fell, deep within his sea of consciousness, pale golden characters flashed by, radiating a cooling sensation. Those illusions that had shaken his mind dissipated slowly, like ripples on a pond disturbed by a stone.

The figure in the starry sky paused abruptly, remaining silent for a moment before nodding slightly.

"Second trial, sword testing."

The starry sky and the illusions vanished, and Lin Ye returned to the altar. A figure identical to Lin Ye slowly stepped out, composed of starlight and wielding a sword of starlight.

"Defeat the 'True Self', or hold out for one hour."

Without a word, the "True Self" moved.

The sword of starlight vibrated—it was the Wind-Thunder Stab that Lin Ye knew so well!

The speed, the angle, the power—it was exactly the same as his own!

Lin Ye's pupils constricted. He drew his Azure Edge Sword and met the attack with a Wind-Thunder Stab of his own!

"Clang!"

The sword lights collided, sending sparks flying in all directions.

Lin Ye felt a force no weaker than his own surge through the blade, numbing his arm.

The "True Self" changed its sword stance, unleashing the Thirteen Swords of the Clear Wind in an endless stream.

Lin Ye countered by executing the Thirteen Swords of the Clear Wind as well.

On the narrow altar, the two fought with nearly identical sword techniques and footwork, sword light crisscrossing as the sound of metal clashing rang out incessantly.

Ten moves, twenty moves, fifty moves... Lin Ye grew increasingly alarmed.

This "True Self" had not only replicated his cultivation and martial arts but even his combat habits and reactive instincts, down to the finest detail.

He was, in effect, locked in a life-or-death struggle against a perfect version of himself.

What was even more terrifying was that this version of himself had no emotions, felt no fatigue, made no mistakes, and unleashed the maximum power of every strike.

Lin Ye gradually fell onto the defensive, gaining several bloody gashes on his body as his true qi depleted rapidly.

He could not let it drag on like this.

Lin Ye gritted his teeth and held on.

He realized that by using known techniques, he could never defeat a perfect replica.

He had to use something the "True Self" did not possess.

While parrying, his thoughts raced—the richness of the Azure Origin Technique, the insights of the Qingyun Art, the defense of the Vajra Indestructible Body, the speed of the Wind Chasing Steps, the ferocity of the Thunderbolt Sword Technique, the agility of the Thirteen Swords of the Clear Wind...

"Wind-Thunder... Thunderbolt... Clear Wind..."

Under the pressure of life and death, these insights collided and fused frantically.

The "True Self" thrust for his throat, fast as lightning.

Lin Ye's pupils shrank. He retreated violently, pushing his Wind Chasing Steps to the limit, narrowly dodging the strike.

"Clang!"

The sword vibrated, and the webbing between his thumb and forefinger split open.

A flash of ruthlessness crossed Lin Ye's eyes. So what if it replicated his moves? So what if it replicated his cultivation? My will can never be replicated!

He erupted with the remaining true qi in his dantian, abandoning defense entirely, and forcibly fused ferocity, agility, and speed into a single strike!

Within the sword wind, there was a faint, sharp edge reminiscent of shattering stars.

The "True Self" replicated it perfectly.

Just as the two swords collided—

Lin Ye twisted his wrist violently!

The sword move changed mid-air; the Azure Edge Sword slashed upward at an angle, drawing the starlight sword away while his toes tapped against the jade of the altar. He lunged forward, hugging the ground, and pointed his fingers like a sword, striking toward the heart of the "True Self"!

This finger strike lacked any formal structure, yet it condensed all his strength and ferocity.

For the first time, hesitation appeared in the hollow eyes of the "True Self."

It could replicate everything that was known, but it could not predict the step of transcending oneself!

"Pfft—"

The finger force pierced through the starlight phantom.

The body of the "True Self" trembled, and the starlight surrounding it fell into chaos.

Lin Ye seized the opening, swept his Azure Edge Sword back, and unleashed his true qi.

"Break!"

A sword slashed horizontally!

The True Self turned into stardust, dissipating into the nebula.

The altar shook violently, and the magic array shrouding the surroundings slowly faded away. Lin Ye knelt on one knee, leaning on his sword, gasping for air. Wounds all over his body continued to ooze blood, and his true qi was completely exhausted, yet his eyes burned with a scorching light.

He had won; he had defeated that perfect version of himself.

In the void, that indifferent voice sounded once more, carrying a trace of imperceptible approval:

"Second trial, passed."

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