Following the Ice God's instructions, Di Lintian came before an ice mirror.
"It seems I won't be leaving this place unless I complete the first trial. I just hope the later divine trials won't have to be completed here."
Di Lintian took a deep breath. Once he had steeled himself, he looked at his reflection in the ice mirror.
His consciousness gradually grew hazy, and his reflection became blurred as well.
Just like that, Di Lintian fell backward.
Just as he was about to hit the ice, the Ice God thoughtfully conjured a pile of snow beneath him.
After losing consciousness, Di Lintian arrived at an Ice Battlefield littered with severed limbs and broken arms.
Before him sat someone identical to him in a cross-legged position, a sinister smile hanging from his lips.
Di Lintian knew that this was his Inner Demon, someone exactly like him. Not only did they share the same appearance, but also the same soul skills, soul bones, and martial techniques.
"I am you," the Inner Demon said. "I am your fear of death, your resentment toward the loneliness of your past life—the amalgamation of all your negative emotions."
The Inner Demon rose to his feet and casually swung the Dragon Scale Sword twice. Then he kicked away a severed arm at his feet. "You cannot kill me."
Di Lintian was silent for a long time. The Dragon Scale Sword appeared in his hand as well. "How would I know if I don't try?"
With a light tap of his toes, Di Lintian shot forward, his Dragon Scale Sword thrusting straight toward the Inner Demon's heart.
The Inner Demon reacted swiftly, raising his Dragon Scale Sword horizontally before him.
Di Lintian twisted his wrist, changing his thrust into an upward sweep and knocking the Inner Demon's Dragon Scale Sword into the air.
Then he clenched his right fist, which instantly burst into blazing flames as he smashed it toward the Inner Demon's face.
Before the fist even arrived, the scorching heat wave had already washed over the Inner Demon's face.
"Second soul skill, Demon Dragon Body Protection."
Two purple and three black Soul Rings appeared. The Inner Demon calmly activated his second soul skill.
The phantom of the Dark Demon Dragon King emerged from thin air, protecting the Inner Demon within. Di Lintian's fist struck the dragon phantom and sent him flying backward.
"First soul skill, Hell Roar."
"Third soul skill, Nirvana Dragon Breath."
After steadying himself, Di Lintian summoned his martial soul and unleashed two soul skills in succession.
"You have what I have too."
The Inner Demon's first and third Soul Rings flashed beneath his feet, and an identical Nirvana Dragon Breath burst from his mouth.
"Boom—!"
The two dragon breaths collided in midair, frantically annihilating each other. Neither could overpower the other, while the immense shockwave wiped out all the severed limbs around them.
This wouldn't work. Their soul skill attacks were identical, so it was impossible to defeat the Inner Demon.
Di Lintian kept thinking. The Inner Demon's strength had been created based on my strength when I entered the illusion. It shouldn't grow stronger as I do.
But I can't exactly cultivate here, can I?
<Can't beat the Inner Demon? I'll cultivate directly to become a Titled Douluo!>
That definitely wouldn't work. Leaving aside whether there was enough time, the Inner Demon wouldn't just stand by and let me grow stronger.
Wait—
I got it.
There was definitely no time to cultivate, so the only thing that still had room for improvement was...
Di Lintian's gaze fell upon the Dragon Scale Sword in his hand, and his eyes gradually filled with confidence.
Petty Inner Demon, I've already found a way to deal with you.
Di Lintian deliberately reduced the flow of Soul Power. Soon, his Nirvana Dragon Breath was completely annihilated. Then, pushing Roaming Dragon Steps to its limit, he narrowly dodged the Inner Demon's Nirvana Dragon Breath.
Di Lintian tapped the ground again, swinging the Dragon Scale Sword down with immense force.
The Inner Demon neither dodged nor evaded, meeting the attack with the exact same move.
"Clang!"
The two Dragon Scale Swords collided with tremendous force, scattering sparks in every direction.
Following the force of the Inner Demon's strike, Di Lintian twisted his wrist. His Dragon Scale Sword slid close past the Inner Demon's sleeve, cutting off a strip of cloth.
The Inner Demon showed no reaction at all. His Dragon Scale Sword stabbed toward Di Lintian again—fast, precise, and ruthless!
Using Roaming Dragon Steps, Di Lintian retreated and dodged the Inner Demon's Dragon Scale Sword. Then he transformed into a dancing bolt of black lightning, his sword moves unceasing as a tide surging toward the Inner Demon.
The Inner Demon used Roaming Dragon Steps as well to deal with Di Lintian's sword moves, but because he could only defend passively, he gradually fell into a disadvantage.
As Di Lintian gained the upper hand, his confidence swelled.
"It should be over."
He spoke softly. The Dragon Scale Sword in his hand suddenly erupted with intense, dazzling Soul Power fluctuations, emitting a resonant hum.
Di Lintian leaped into the air, turning into an indistinct streak of black light.
The Inner Demon raised his head and quietly watched Di Lintian without making the slightest move.
Di Lintian sensed something strange, but his momentum had already built to its peak. The arrow was on the string and had to be released.
"I'll bet on it!"
He had to be putting on an act.
The Dragon Scale Sword thrust straight toward the Inner Demon's heart. There was no way he could block this attack.
Just as the Dragon Scale Sword was about to pierce the Inner Demon's heart,
a cold smile appeared at the corner of Di Lintian's lips.
The Inner Demon moved.
He neither blocked nor dodged. Instead, he stepped forward into Di Lintian's sword.
At the same time, he extended his Dragon Scale Sword at the exact same angle, aiming it at Di Lintian's heart.
Di Lintian's pupils constricted sharply.
I bet wrong!
He wants to die with me!
Instinctively, he wanted to withdraw his sword and retreat, to twist aside and evade.
But at that critical moment, his instinctive fear of death slowed his movements by 0.01 seconds.
"Pfft—"
Di Lintian could clearly feel the cold Dragon Scale Sword pierce through his chest and plunge into his heart.
Agonizing pain swept through his entire body in an instant, nearly robbing him of all strength.
The Dragon Scale Sword in Di Lintian's hand fell to the ground with a clang.
"I told you, you fear death, so you will definitely dodge." The Inner Demon leaned close to Di Lintian's ear and spoke in a voice only the two of them could hear.
Di Lintian looked at the Inner Demon's mocking face. He opened his mouth, but in the end, he unwillingly closed his eyes.
He died.
His consciousness vanished once more, leaving only endless darkness before his eyes.
When his consciousness returned again, Di Lintian looked around.
It was not an endless icy plain, but still the same Ice Battlefield.
The Inner Demon was still sitting cross-legged before him.
This time, Di Lintian did not immediately enter battle. He walked before the Inner Demon and sat cross-legged facing him.
"You cannot defeat me." The Inner Demon shook his head.
"We already fought once. I almost won, didn't I?" Di Lintian refuted.
"That was because I knew you would fear death." The Inner Demon shook his head again. "If we do it again, perhaps you will force yourself not to fear death, but you will still lose."
"Then how am I supposed to pass the trial?" Di Lintian simply asked directly.
The Inner Demon remained silent.
"Then let's do it again!"
The Dragon Scale Sword appeared in Di Lintian's hand as he rapidly retreated.
The Inner Demon slowly rose to his feet as well, his sword pointed at Di Lintian.
Neither of them used soul skills. It was a pure duel of swordsmanship.
After several hundred exchanges, Di Lintian found another opening and prepared to deliver the final blow to the Inner Demon.
But the Inner Demon shamelessly used the soul skill of his hundred-thousand-year left-arm soul bone—Eternal Night Rush.
The Inner Demon's speed instantly increased by 300 percent, while Di Lintian's was reduced by 100 percent.
Di Lintian did not even see the Inner Demon's movements clearly before a sword pierced through his heart.
Before you continue