The heavens trembled endlessly beneath the raging storm.
Blue fire and dark lightning consumed the sky itself while shattered clouds spiraled across the battlefield like torn oceans cast into chaos.
Far below—
the Azure Root Forest burned.
Entire mountains had collapsed into molten ruin beneath the pressure of the battle.
And within that destruction—
the remaining Golden Core elders finally abandoned all hesitation.
The elder wielding the crimson sword steadied himself in midair, blood still dripping from the corner of his mouth.
Behind him, his cracked manifestation flickered weakly, its once-overwhelming aura now unstable.
Yet his eyes still burned with ruthless determination.
Because retreat was no longer an option.
If this creature escaped—
the Azure Sky Sect itself might not survive the consequences waiting in the future.
The elder roared sharply through the storm.
"Elder Mo!"
At the same moment—
the elder surrounded by countless rotating bronze mirrors finally moved.
His expression had become deathly serious.
The mirrors revolving around him accelerated faster and faster until even the surrounding air began to distort violently.
Each mirror reflected different scenes.
Storms.
Flames.
Fragments of shattered space.
Even reflections of Lizarius himself.
Then—
the elder slammed both palms together.
"Thousand Reflection Heaven Lock!"
BOOOOOOM!!!
The bronze mirror spirit tool erupted outward across the battlefield together with the manifestation mirrors.
Not physically—
but spiritually.
Their reflections expanded through the heavens themselves.
Suddenly—
every direction became filled with mirrors.
Above.
Below.
Left.
Right.
Even space itself reflected endlessly.
The storm clouds twisted violently beneath the phenomenon.
And then—
the reflections moved.
Within every mirror—
a reflected Lizarius appeared.
Hundreds of them.
Thousands.
All moving differently.
For a brief moment—
even the real Lizarius became impossible to identify.
Sect Leader Yuan's eyes sharpened instantly.
"Now!"
The crimson sword elder exploded forward without hesitation.
His cracked manifestation fused directly into the crimson flying sword clenched within his grasp.
The weapon screamed.
Blood-red light erupted outward from the blade as the elder coughed another mouthful of blood.
Clearly—
he was burning his cultivation.
But the power surging from the sword became terrifying.
"Heaven Splitting Blood Slash!!"
The crimson blade descended.
This time—
not toward Lizarius's body.
But toward the mirrored space itself.
The heavens rumbled violently beneath the raging storm.
Blue fire and dark lightning devoured the battlefield while shattered clouds spiraled endlessly across the sky.
Far below—
the Azure Root Forest continued burning.
Entire mountains had already collapsed into molten ruin beneath the pressure of the battle.
And within that chaos—
the crimson sword elder's attack tore downward through the endless mirrored world.
BOOOOOOM!!!
Mirror after mirror shattered beneath the blood-red slash.
Fragments of reflected light exploded across the heavens like falling stars.
Then—
the very first reflection broke completely.
And instantly—
Lizarius froze.
Not physically.
Internally.
A violent warning erupted inside his consciousness.
**[Warning.]**
**[Soul-targeting attack detected.]**
**[Protection Protocol Activated.]**
A sharp invisible ripple spread through his mind.
The collapsing reflection inside the mirror suddenly twisted—
and Lizarius felt something horrifying attempting to connect directly to his soul.
Cold.
Silent.
Absolute.
Not an attack against flesh.
Not against spiritual energy.
But against existence itself.
Yet the instant the connection formed—
something deep within him reacted automatically.
BOOM!!
The invisible assault shattered instantly before it could even touch him.
The heavens trembled faintly.
The mirror reflection exploded apart violently.
And at the same moment—
Sect Leader Yuan and the elder with the golden tortoise manifestation moved.
Not toward Lizarius himself—
but toward the shattered reflections.
The Starfall Dragon Halberd tore through the mirrored heavens.
The tortoise elder's massive spiritual spear followed immediately afterward.
BOOOOOOM!!
Hundreds more reflections shattered apart in succession.
Each destruction triggered another invisible ripple.
Another soul attack.
Another attempt to connect directly toward Lizarius's spirit.
And every single one—
failed.
Destroyed instantly by the system's protection.
But Lizarius's golden eyes narrowed slightly.
Not because of danger.
But because of realization.
*A soul attack.*
The thought surfaced sharply within his mind.
The first shattered reflection had triggered the warning.
Not the crimson slash itself.
Not the spiritual pressure.
The reflection.
His gaze immediately shifted toward Elder Mo—
the Golden Core cultivator surrounded by countless rotating bronze mirrors.
The elder's expression had already turned pale from spiritual exhaustion.
Yet his hands continued forming seals relentlessly while the mirrored world expanded farther across the heavens.
Lizarius stared at him silently.
*That one.*
Then inwardly—
he questioned the system calmly.
*Is this the power of his manifestation?*
The system responded immediately.
**[Negative.]**
**[Soul-transfer effect originates from spiritual tool: Bronze Reflection Mirror.]**
Lizarius's eyes narrowed further.
The system continued.
**[Artifact function: Creates a reflected soul-image of designated target.]**
**[Damage inflicted upon reflected image transfers into a direct soul-targeting attack against the original target.]**
The storm around Lizarius crackled louder.
His golden gaze remained fixed upon Elder Mo.
*So that mirror created all these reflections.*
**[Incorrect.]**
The system's voice remained cold and emotionless.
**[Bronze Reflection Mirror capable of generating only one true soul reflection.]**
**[Remaining reflected images generated through manifestation amplification ability.]**
A brief pause followed.
**[The manifestation duplicates and disperses the primary soul reflection across mirrored space.]**
Silence.
Then slowly—
understanding settled within Lizarius's eyes.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
The countless reflections surrounding the battlefield…
were not mere illusions.
At least—
not entirely.
Only one reflection was real.
One true soul anchor hidden somewhere within the mirrored world.
And every destroyed reflection redirected a soul attack toward him.
Meaning—
if not for the system's protection—
the very first strike alone might have severely wounded him.
Or worse.
Below the storm clouds—
Elder Mo suddenly coughed blood violently.
His breathing had already become unstable.
Maintaining the mirrored world clearly consumed an enormous amount of spiritual energy.
Yet despite his exhaustion—
hope had finally appeared within the eyes of the remaining elders.
Because from their perspective—
the attacks were working.
Even if the beast showed no visible injuries—
they could feel the soul fluctuations rippling outward every time a reflection shattered.
Sect Leader Yuan's voice thundered across the battlefield.
"Continue attacking the reflections!"
BOOOOOOM!!
The Starfall Dragon Halberd descended once more.
The crimson sword elder followed immediately behind.
More mirrors shattered across the heavens.
More invisible soul attacks surged endlessly toward Lizarius.
And within the storm—
the gigantic white beast floated silently.
Golden eyes cold.
Watching Elder Mo carefully now.
Because suddenly—
among all the Golden Core cultivators present—
one had become far more dangerous than the others.
The mirrored heavens shattered endlessly beneath the raging storm.
Countless reflections surrounded the battlefield while blue fire and dark lightning roared across the sky like the wrath of an ancient calamity.
And within that chaos—
Lizarius vanished.
No warning.
No fluctuation.
One moment the gigantic white beast floated beneath the storm clouds—
the next—
nothing remained.
Sect Leader Yuan's expression sharpened instantly.
"Careful!"
The remaining elders reacted immediately.
Divine senses exploded outward desperately across the battlefield.
Yet all they sensed—
were mirrors.
Storms.
Lightning.
Reflections.
Nothing real.
Then—
movement.
A violent ripple erupted beside the elder with the golden tortoise manifestation.
BOOOOM!!
Invisible claws slammed downward with enough force to distort the surrounding sky.
The tortoise elder's expression changed sharply.
But before the attack could reach him—
layers of golden light erupted automatically around his body.
A defensive treasure.
A gigantic tortoise shell phantom materialized instantly around him.
CRAAAAACK!!
The invisible strike slammed against it violently.
Shockwaves exploded outward across the battlefield while the shell barrier cracked heavily beneath the impact—
but held.
The elder's pupils contracted.
*Fast.*
Far too fast.
Even knowing the creature was nearby—
he had barely reacted in time.
Then suddenly—
he felt it.
Pressure.
Right beside him.
The hidden beast had not retreated.
It was still there.
The elder's eyes sharpened violently.
"Found you!"
His spiritual energy erupted instantly.
The gigantic tortoise manifestation behind him roared toward the heavens while he twisted his body sharply—
his massive spear already sweeping outward.
"Sky Splitting Art—"
The surrounding clouds ruptured apart.
"Third Form!"
**Sky Severance**
BOOOOOOM!!!
The spear tore across the heavens like a collapsing mountain.
A gigantic crescent of condensed earth and golden spiritual force erupted from the spearhead, ripping through mirrors, storm clouds, and even space itself.
The hidden air ahead distorted violently.
Then—
impact.
CLAAAAANG!!!
The invisible figure was forced visible for half a second.
Lizarius's claw collided directly against the sweeping spear.
Lightning and blue fire exploded outward instantly.
The sky shattered beneath the collision.
The tortoise elder's face changed immediately afterward.
Because the moment their attacks collided—
he felt it.
Strength.
Pure monstrous physical force far beyond what a beast of the same realm should possess.
CRAAAAACK!!
The spear bent slightly beneath the pressure.
The elder's eyes widened.
Then suddenly—
Lizarius's golden eyes appeared directly before him through the exploding lightning.
Cold.
Predatory.
Watching him silently.
The elder's instincts screamed instantly.
Retreat.
But before he could move—
the white beast's tail was already descending from above, wrapped in roaring dark-blue lightning.
Too fast.