Chapter 111: Chapter 91: Lin Yu’s Challenge
Time passed quickly. In the blink of an eye, it was the end of May.
At the Jade Sanctuary, the bell signaling the end of class rang. Lin Yu tossed his study notes into his personal storage space, then went to the cafeteria for a meal before heading out.
Before he could even reach the Heaven-Reaching Vine station outside the Holy Hall, a beautiful figure walked up to him, wrapped her arms around his, and swayed them gently.
"My Lord, would you like to come to the third floor and watch me fight today?" (Lin Chenxi and Yuan Xiaobo were very lucky to have passed the special competition for the Shield of Earth, successfully reaching the third floor. They had been stuck there ever since, unable to advance further. Meiying and a few other fortunate heroes had made it to the second floor.)
Lin Chenxi spoke cheerfully as a gentle breeze blew through her hair, lifting the strands to brush lightly against Lin Yu’s face. The sunlight danced on her features, casting a soft glow on her delicate face that made every fine detail visible.
Lin Yu was a little lost in the sight. The faint tickle on his cheek brought him back to his senses. He composed himself and said, feigning calmness, "No, let’s just go to the first floor."
"I learned some new skills today, so I was planning to practice in the Mirror Room on the first floor."
"By the way, why are you only heading to the arena now?"
Lin Chenxi was a little disappointed, but she quickly adjusted her mood.
"Things were a bit busy at the Government Affairs Center today, so I got held up."
"That must have been tough. You guys are doing most of my work as Lord!"
"It’s not tough at all. We’re all happy to be able to help you, My Lord."
"My Lord, can I go with you to the first floor?"
Lin Yu was about to refuse, wanting her to go to the third floor to gain more experience from her battles. But then he felt the soft touch on his arm and saw the hopeful look in her eyes. He hesitated. His resolve wavered.
"Alright, let’s go together. We haven’t really had a chance to talk this month. Let’s catch up."
Lin Chenxi was overjoyed. She danced around Lin Yu a few times before hugging his arm again and walking with a happy skip in her step.
"How has your training in the arena been this month?"
"It’s been great! I can now fight for a while in both duels and melees without relying on Little Vine (the poisonous vine)."
Lin Chenxi was very excited. In her previous battles, she had mainly relied on her special ability, Summoning Vines, and then imbuing them with her own attributes to fight. Now, she could use her own abilities more flexibly.
"My Lord, you really should come to the second floor and see me fight. My fighting style is much more beautiful now."
"How beautiful?" Lin Yu replied, curious.
"You know how the hybridization lab developed a lot of hybrid plants this month?"
"Well, I took some seeds of each type and carry them with me. Whenever I need to, I can summon a field of defensive plants. They’re so pretty!"
"Plus, with the ’Coordinated Combat (Defensive Structures)’ research the territory completed this month, the attack power of those plants has increased immensely!"
"And what’s more, I recently learned a really great spell, ’Summoning Flower Field’! I can use it to summon familiar plants out of thin air without needing seeds. With this spell, I can directly summon the old, non-hybrid defensive plants from our territory!"
"It’s that powerful??" Lin Yu was genuinely astonished this time. His own strongest ability was still the skill effect that came with "Nature’s Regent"—projecting the territory’s defenses to attack enemies. Yet Lin Chenxi could achieve the effect of his ultimate move with a single "Summoning Flower Field."
Lin Yu generally didn’t use "Nature’s Regent." As long as he didn’t use it, the mirror image wouldn’t know what to project, so it wouldn’t be used either.
Once he used "Nature’s Regent," the mirror image would use it too. The projected defenses would be identical, right down to the researched passive effects. Because no mirror image would dodge bullets, Lin Yu would actually be defeated even faster.
...
Laughing and talking, the two walked past the Peak Arena and arrived at a Teleportation Array next to it.
The area in front of the Teleportation Array was bustling with people coming and going.
This was the Cosmic Arena Teleportation Array. Through this array, anyone from the territory could teleport to the first three floors of the Cosmic Arena (it had been upgraded with schematics purchased on the third floor), and there was no limit to the number of people.
However, only those with the proper authorization could compete on the upper floors. Otherwise, they could only participate on the first floor.
Furthermore, each teleportation consumed a certain amount of Spiritual Energy. To conserve resources, only heroes in the territory were currently permitted to use it.
Now, as soon as the territory’s heroes finished their daily tasks, they would enter the Cosmic Arena to hone their skills.
Lin Yu and Lin Chenxi used the Teleportation Array to enter the first floor of the Cosmic Arena.
The first floor entered via the Cosmic Arena Teleportation Array was different from the first floor entered through the Peak Arena.
The first floor from the Peak Arena was a specially cordoned-off space within the Cosmic Arena’s first floor. However, entering from the Teleportation Array led to the general public area of the Cosmic Arena.
Just like the second floor, there were many, many beings of different races here.
Moreover, there were also a great number of ordinary life-forms. Many beings who had not yet become Extraordinary (heroes) would compete here on this floor, seeking rewards in the hope of making that leap.
Lin Yu was already used to all of this. He made his way to a regional teleportation array on the first floor, chose a less crowded destination, and teleported there with Lin Chenxi.
Then, Lin Yu found an empty Mirror Room and walked inside.
Lin Chenxi followed him in and sat down in the spectator seats—another small difference between the general area and the exclusive area for the Lord’s competition.
Standing in the arena, Lin Yu selected a complete mirror image (talents, skills, equipment, combat techniques), and set its proficiency to be just slightly higher than his own.
An identical mirror image immediately appeared across from him.
The moment the mirror image appeared, it immediately cast an Earth Spike at Lin Yu.
A subtle bulge appeared on the ground at the mirror image’s feet and shot toward Lin Yu.
Lin Yu was already on guard. After a month of fighting, he was no longer a combat novice. He wouldn’t be taken out by a single volley of skills like before.
He cast Haste on himself, then layered on a Thorn Armor, and charged toward the mirror image in a flanking maneuver.
Along the way, he casually sent out several Wind Blades.
The mirror image sidestepped the Wind Blades with a slight turn. With a wave of its hand, several deep pits appeared on Lin Yu’s path.
’It doesn’t want me to get close?’
Lin Yu halted his charge and began to circle around from another direction.
Every few steps, he would stomp his foot heavily on the ground, sending an Earth Spike rushing toward the mirror image.
The mirror image turned lightly on its feet, leaving behind a faint afterimage as it dodged the Earth Spikes.
"Damn, ever since I learned this ’Phantom Streaming Light Step,’ this mirror has gotten even harder to fight!"
Immediately after, a similar cluster of Earth Spikes surged toward Lin Yu, forcing him to dodge hastily.
The Earth Spikes launched by the mirror image were arranged more systematically than Lin Yu’s. It even predicted his movements, with each spike followed by others appearing exactly where he was most likely to dodge.
Lin Yu dodged the Earth Spikes, looking a bit disheveled. His footwork wasn’t pretty, but at least he wasn’t hurt.
Just then, the mirror image in the distance stopped moving. Lin Yu immediately fired several Earth Spikes at it.
’Something’s wrong. Why isn’t it dodging?’
The mirror image showed no reaction to the incoming Earth Spikes. Lin Yu was instantly on alert. Thinking of the skills he had just learned, he immediately condensed his Spiritual Energy, forming a layer of it over his body.
Then, he dodged backward and vanished, becoming invisible. In front of him, a clone of Lin Yu formed from Spiritual Energy continued to charge forward.
At that moment, the Earth Spikes reached the spot directly beneath the mirror image. A sharp protrusion rose from the ground and pierced straight through its body.
The mirror image’s body instantly dissipated. A peculiar wave of energy flew from where it vanished toward Lin Yu’s position.
It instantly enveloped the Spiritual Energy clone Lin Yu had created, and the clone immediately froze in place.
A figure suddenly appeared next to the clone. It was the vanished mirror image. It held a long green sword, and with a flurry of sword shadows, it stabbed at the clone. Several holes instantly appeared on the clone’s body, and its head was run through by the sword.
The clone instantly dissipated, and an identical energy wave enveloped the mirror image, paralyzing it.
"Ha, I knew it!"
Elated, Lin Yu lunged forward, leaving a streak of light, and appeared beside the mirror image in an instant. Several sharp blades of grass extended from his hand. This was "Blade Grass," a special plant newly discovered in the territory, possessing sharp edges and incredible toughness.
The defensive plant hybridization lab was currently busy trying to combine it with Steel Earth Spikes to enhance the attack power of Earth Spikes.
As for Lin Yu, he had learned to grow several strands of Blade Grass in his hand and weave them together to form a sharp and resilient Grass Sword.
He wielded the Grass Sword and executed the "Seven Stars Pierce the Sun" technique, striking the mirror image with seven sword phantoms.
Several sword gashes immediately appeared on the mirror image’s body.
Unfortunately, the strike aimed at its head was blocked by a protective shield.
The next moment, the mirror image broke free from its paralysis. It didn’t flee, but instead took up its own Grass Sword and began to clash directly with Lin Yu.
Their Sword Techniques were identical, as was their footwork. Each and every move was like that of martial brothers practicing together, one feeding the other moves.
However, the mirror image was clearly more proficient. Although neither side had won yet, Lin Yu was obviously being suppressed, forced to fight while retreating.
CLANG! CLANG!
The two swords, formed from Blade Grass, periodically rang out with the sound of clashing metal.
As they fought, they arrived at the spot where Lin Yu had previously turned invisible. Lin Yu was sent flying several meters backward by a horizontal slash from the mirror image.
The mirror image followed closely, wanting to take the opportunity to unleash a combo.
Suddenly, the ground beneath its feet gave way. A deep pit appeared below, with several sharp Earth Spikes at the bottom. If it fell in, even if it wasn’t killed outright, it would be finished off by the approaching Lin Yu.
The mirror image didn’t panic at all. It plunged its Grass Sword into the pit’s wall, planted its feet, and prepared to use the leverage to leap out.
Seeing the mirror image fall into his trap as planned, the distant Lin Yu immediately began to cast a spell. Several vines spread from the mouth of the pit, attempting to seal it shut. At the same time, the temperature inside the pit dropped rapidly, and a thin layer of ice formed on its walls.
Caught off guard for a moment, the mirror image’s feet slipped, and it fell downward.
Before it could hit the bottom, a vine shot up from below. It broke through the Earth Spikes at the bottom of the pit, carrying the mirror image rapidly upward.
The mirror image sheathed its longsword and quickly began to cast. A flame appeared in its hand. With a stretch of its arm, a raging fire swiftly burned away the vines above.
Once through the burning vines, the mirror image would be back on solid ground.
Just then, a strong gust of wind dispersed the flames. Lin Yu appeared above the mirror image, his Grass Sword thrusting toward its face.
The mirror image clapped its hands together, catching the blade between them. Then, the vine beneath its feet shot out a thorn, instantly piercing through Lin Yu’s figure.
Lin Yu instantly dissipated. The mirror image was paralyzed once again. It was another Spiritual Energy clone.
Outside the pit, the real Lin Yu was still casting. He was unleashing a large-scale spell. While the mirror image was paralyzed, a burning Magma Fireball (Bursting Lava, an advanced version of Bursting Fireball) appeared above it and smashed down into the pit.
This time, the mirror image was completely destroyed.
"Haaa..."
Lin Yu panted heavily, waving excitedly at Lin Chenxi in the spectator seats.
