83: Chapter 83 Challenging the Mirror

The ten-minute rest period came to an end amidst this heavy deliberation and resolute protection.

"Rest period over. Do you wish to continue to the sixth stage?" The magnificent voice rang out right on time.

Lin Tian and Lord Su Wan exchanged a glance and replied in unison, their voices deep and solemn: "Yes!"

"Sixth stage challenge: Defeat the mirror images. Initiating."

"Defeat the mirror images?" A trace of confusion arose in both Lin Tian and Lord Su Wan's hearts. What kind of challenge was this? To defeat one's inner demons? Or some kind of illusion?

However, the answer was revealed quickly, in a way that far exceeded their imagination and was bone-chillingly terrifying.

"Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump!"

Neat, heavy, and rhythmic footsteps came from the other direction of the plain.

The sound was so familiar; it was the sound of heavy iron boots treading on solid ground, the unique rhythm of Lin Tian's Heavy Armored Spearmen when marching!

Everyone looked over, filled with doubt and suspicion.

They saw that on the distant horizon, the first thing to appear was a reflection of silver-gray steel.

Immediately after, rows and columns of figures wearing identical bright silver heavy armor, holding fine steel spears, with formations so neat they were almost robotic, walked with absolute uniformity, as if stepping out from a mirror, slowly entering everyone's field of vision.

Two thousand Heavy Armored Spearmen! Their numbers, equipment, and even that silent, murderous aura were exactly the same as when Lin Tian's forces were at their peak!

Behind this phalanx of two thousand "Heavy Armored Spearmen" was a vibrant emerald green. Five hundred elves wearing vine armor, holding wooden staves, with pointed ears and emerald eyes, followed with light footsteps. The expression on their faces... was a hollow calmness.

"This... this is..." Lord Su Wan covered her mouth, her eyes filled with incredulous horror. Lin Tian's pupils also constricted, and his heart gave a violent jolt.

However, this was not the end.

Surrounded by those two thousand "Heavy Armored Spearmen" and five hundred "elves," four even more familiar figures slowly walked to the very front of the formation.

On the left was a tall young man clad in dark gold-patterned armor, wielding the crimson gold coiling dragon spear, with a firm and composed face—Lin Feng! His eyes were hollow, yet he exuded an aura as steady as a mountain, exactly the same as the real Lin Feng, and even the faint Red Sun War God battle intent was identical.

To the middle-right was a woman wearing moon-white holy robes, with a breathtakingly beautiful face, holding the moonlight longbow, and possessing a cold, moon-like temperament—Lin Yin! Her stance, the subtle habits when she drew her bow, the angle of her gaze when she scanned the area... all were indistinguishable from the real Lin Yin, except that in those beautiful eyes, there was no emotional fluctuation, only a cold indifference.

Beside "Lin Yin" stood a young man with a warm smile and a sunny, slightly roguish temperament—Lin Tian!

He wore the same simple combat attire as Lin Tian was wearing at that moment, even the style of the sword at his waist was identical, and his face wore the same relaxing smile that Lin Tian usually had, only the curve of the smile was fixed, and deep within his eyes was a void.

On the other side of "Lin Tian" was a Lord Su Wan wearing a light green dress, with a gentle and dignified temperament, a soft smile on her lips, and her gaze sweeping softly over "her own" army, almost identical to the expression Lord Su Wan wore when boosting morale in daily life.

Five "mirror images" and two thousand five hundred "mirror soldiers" appeared on the other end of the plain, alive and well, with strength and equipment almost identical to the Lin Tian and Lord Su Wan coalition army, facing the real coalition army from afar.

Except for the lingering, doll-like stiffness and hollow eyes on the faces of the "mirror images," and the cold, mechanical, lifeless quality they radiated as a whole, they were almost a perfect replica of the Lin Tian and Lord Su Wan coalition army!

"Defeat... defeat the mirror images... so this is what it meant?" Lin Tian gasped, feeling a chill shoot straight from the soles of his feet to his scalp.

To be enemies with oneself? To be enemies with one's own army, one's own generals, and even... with "oneself"?

After the initial shock, Lin Yin almost instinctively and with lightning speed took a step, once again firmly blocking in front of the real Lin Tian. She raised the moonlight longbow instantly, moonlight flowing on the bowstring, the arrowhead locked tightly onto the expressionless "self" opposite her, her cold eyes erupting with unprecedented sharp killing intent and vigilance.

It was as if the very existence of that "Lin Yin" was the greatest desecration and threat to her.

"Brother Tian, be careful!" She warned in a low voice, her tone carrying a trace of imperceptible tension. She would not allow it; she absolutely would not allow anything, in any form, to threaten her lord. Even if that was... "herself."

On the plain, the real and fake armies stood in a standoff, the atmosphere eerie and murderous to the extreme. The real challenge, perhaps, had only just begun.

It is easy to defeat an enemy, but how does one go about defeating "oneself"?

"Could it be... that the bitter battles of the previous five stages, even forcing out Lin Feng's 'Command of a Thousand Armies,' were all just to collect our data, so that they could replicate a 'complete version' of us in the sixth stage?"

Looking at that well-equipped, majestic "mirror army" opposite, which was almost indistinguishable from their own forces at their peak, and then glancing at the scarred, exhausted, and decimated remnants of soldiers by his side, Lin Tian and Lord Su Wan felt a chill creep up their spines, instantly chilling their hearts.

Lord Su Wan was particularly desperate. Having witnessed the combat power of Lin Tian's army when in prime condition, the oppressive feeling of that steel torrent still made her heart tremble with fear.

Now, the opponent was a "full-status" replica, while their side... She looked at the remaining one hundred and thirty-plus elves behind her, and then looked at Lin Tian's side, where although there were still nearly a thousand soldiers, almost everyone was injured and their morale was withered. The sliver of hope in her heart was like a candle in the wind, instantly extinguished. The chance of winning... was almost zero.

However, before they could recover from this huge psychological shock and despair, the "mirror images" opposite had already launched an attack, simple, direct, and fatal.

The "mirror Lin Feng" expressionlessly raised the crimson gold coiling dragon spear in his hand. Although there was no roar, the movement and the opening stance were all too familiar to those on Lin Tian's side!

"Command of a Thousand Armies!" The real Lin Feng's pupils constricted, and he roared out almost without hesitation. Even if there was little power left in his body, even if the soldiers behind him were less than half and in terrible condition, he had to fight back!

Otherwise, a single strike from the complete version of the "Red Sun War God" would cause their defense line to collapse instantly!

"Haa... ah!!!" The remaining Heavy Armored Spearmen erupted with their final bloody courage, and the crimson blood energy and residual battle intent surged toward Lin Feng once again.

Boom! A golden-red battle soul phantom condensed once again behind Lin Feng.