As Li Feng and his companions continued down the passageway, the air grew cooler, and a faint, silver mist began to swirl around them. The light from the walls dimmed, and the tunnel widened into a new chamber that was unlike any they had encountered before. The floor was polished to a mirror-like sheen, reflecting everything above, and the mist settled like a blanket, obscuring the far end of the room.
"This place feels... strange," Xin Ling muttered, her eyes scanning the surroundings. "It's like the air itself is alive."
Chen extended his staff, brushing it through the mist. "It's not just mist—there's spiritual energy flowing through it. Be on guard."
Li Feng felt a shiver run down his spine as he stepped forward, his reflection staring back at him from the polished floor. The cosmic energy within him reacted, sending ripples of light across the mirrored surface. "This chamber is designed to test our spirits, not just our strength. We must tread carefully."
As they moved deeper into the chamber, the mist thickened, swirling around their feet and reaching up to their waists. The reflections in the mirrored floor shifted and twisted, warping into ghostly figures that mimicked their movements. The figures' eyes glowed with a faint blue light, and the air was filled with a low, haunting hum.
Mei Lin shivered, her water aura glowing faintly as she summoned a protective barrier. "There's something off about these reflections. They're not just illusions."
The hum grew louder, and the figures in the floor began to rise, stepping out of the mirrored surface. They solidified into shadowy doppelgängers, each one a perfect replica of Li Feng and his companions, except their eyes shone with an otherworldly blue light.
Li Feng's eyes narrowed as he faced his own double, who raised a cosmic sword identical to his own. "These are soul reflections—they mirror our abilities and our strengths. This is a trial of the soul."
The doppelgänger lunged, and Li Feng parried, their swords clashing in a shower of sparks. It was like fighting his own shadow; every move he made, his double countered perfectly, as if it anticipated his every thought. The same was true for the others—Chen's doppelgänger mirrored his wind techniques, Mei Lin's used water arts, and Xin Ling's moved with the same agility and precision as she did.
"These things are matching us move for move!" Xin Ling exclaimed as she dodged a series of rapid strikes from her double. "It's like fighting ourselves!"
"We can't overpower them," Chen said, blocking a wind strike with his staff. "They know our moves as well as we do."
Mei Lin's expression was tense as she summoned a wave of water to push back her double, but it mirrored her technique exactly, canceling out her attack. "We need to find a way to break the reflection. If they're part of this trial, there must be a weakness."
Li Feng fought his double with precision, their swords clashing in a blur of light. As they exchanged blows, he noticed something—while his doppelgänger matched his techniques, it lacked the subtle nuances and instincts he had honed through real battle. It was a reflection, but not a perfect one.
"Everyone, listen!" Li Feng called out, sidestepping a strike. "These are imitations. They only replicate our abilities on the surface. We need to go beyond our usual techniques—use what we've learned from our journey."
Xin Ling's eyes lit up with understanding. "We need to improvise!"
Taking Li Feng's advice, she switched up her fighting style, incorporating unpredictable movements and feints that threw her doppelgänger off balance. As the double hesitated, Xin Ling seized the opportunity, landing a swift blow that dissipated it into mist.
Mei Lin and Chen followed suit, combining their powers in ways their doubles couldn't anticipate. Mei Lin used her water arts to create ice, which disrupted the flow of her doppelgänger's water, while Chen used wind currents to manipulate the mist around his double, confusing it long enough to land a critical strike.
Li Feng faced his double with renewed determination. He infused his cosmic sword with energy, focusing not just on the raw power but on the subtleties of his movements. He feinted left, then twisted his wrist, redirecting his strike to bypass the double's defense. The blow connected, and the doppelgänger dissolved into the mist.
With their doubles defeated, the chamber fell silent once more, and the mist began to recede. The polished floor cleared, revealing a path ahead that glowed with a soft, inviting light.
"We did it," Xin Ling said, catching her breath. "We defeated our own reflections."
Li Feng nodded, sheathing his sword. "This trial was meant to test our spirits—our ability to adapt, to overcome not just our enemies, but our own limitations."
Mei Lin stepped forward, her eyes reflecting the light from the path ahead. "We've grown stronger, not just in power but in understanding. The Celestial Monarch's legacy is not just about strength; it's about growth."
Chen smiled, his expression calm. "Every trial has taught us something different. We've faced our shadows, our doubts, and now our reflections. We're becoming more than just cultivators."
As they moved toward the glowing path, Li Feng felt a sense of clarity. The Celestial Monarch's legacy was not just a series of challenges; it was a journey of enlightenment, one that required growth in both body and soul. With each trial they overcame, they moved closer to the truth and power that lay at the heart of the Celestial Abyss.
"Let's go," he said, leading his companions forward. "The next trial awaits, and we will face it together."