The courtyard had fallen silent.
Jiang Ming lay on the ground, clutching his chest, his face pale with shock and humiliation. The surrounding disciples stared at Jiang Chen as if seeing him for the first time.
"…He actually won."
"No… Jiang Ming was pushed back!"
Jiang Chen ignored them all.
Inside, his focus was entirely on the system panel now glowing brighter than before.
---
**[Reward Distributed]**
**[Primordial Points: +20]**
**[Experience Absorbed]**
**[New Function Unlocked: System Trial Space]**
---
Jiang Chen's eyes narrowed slightly.
"System Trial Space?"
The mechanical voice responded immediately.
**[System Trial Space: A simulated environment where the host may train, fight, and improve without real-world consequences.]**
**[Note: Time inside flows differently. 1 hour inside = 10 minutes outside.]**
Jiang Chen's heartbeat quickened.
A training ground… beyond reality itself.
"…Activate it."
---
The world shifted.
In an instant, the courtyard vanished.
Jiang Chen found himself standing in a vast, empty plain. The sky above was gray, endless, and silent. There was no wind, no sound—only stillness.
"This…"
Before he could react further—
A figure appeared in front of him.
It looked exactly like him.
Same face.
Same body.
Same aura.
Jiang Chen's pupils contracted.
"A mirror opponent?"
---
**[Trial Objective: Defeat Reflection]**
**[Reward: +50 Primordial Points, +1 Technique Unlock]**
---
The reflection moved first.
Without warning, it stepped forward and struck.
Fast.
Precise.
Jiang Chen barely raised his arm in time—
*Bang!*
The impact sent him sliding backward across the ground.
Pain shot through his arm.
"…It's using my own movements."
Worse—
It was using them better.
The reflection attacked again, its movements smoother, more efficient. Every step, every strike—it was as if Jiang Chen's own potential had been perfected and turned against him.
Jiang Chen gritted his teeth.
"Then I'll surpass it."
He steadied his breathing, activating **Primordial Body Stage One** fully. Qi surged through his partially repaired meridians, reinforcing his body.
This time—
He didn't dodge immediately.
He observed.
The rhythm.
The pattern.
The intent.
The reflection struck again—
Jiang Chen shifted slightly, redirecting the force instead of avoiding it completely.
A subtle change.
But critical.
*Boom!*
Their fists collided.
For the first time—
They were equal.
---
Minutes passed.
Blow after blow.
Step after step.
Jiang Chen's body ached, his breathing grew heavy—but his eyes became sharper with each exchange.
He was learning.
Adapting.
Improving.
Faster than ever before.
"This is what I needed…"
Real combat.
Real pressure.
Not mockery.
Not pity.
But a true opponent.
---
Suddenly—
The reflection changed.
Its movements became faster.
Stronger.
More aggressive.
Jiang Chen's expression hardened.
"It's evolving…"
---
**[Trial Difficulty Increased]**
**[Warning: Host performance threshold exceeded. Opponent scaling initiated.]**
---
A punch came faster than before—
Jiang Chen barely blocked it.
His arms trembled.
*Too fast…*
But instead of retreating—
He stepped forward.
His eyes burned with determination.
"If you can evolve…"
"Then so can I."
He forced more qi through his meridians.
Pain exploded across his body.
Cracks echoed internally—
But he didn't stop.
His movements sharpened again.
Faster.
Cleaner.
More decisive.
---
Then—
An opening.
Just a fraction of a second.
But enough.
Jiang Chen stepped in—
And struck.
*Boom!*
His fist landed squarely on the reflection's chest.
The figure froze—
Then shattered into countless fragments of light.
---
Silence returned.
Jiang Chen stood there, breathing heavily.
Victorious.
---
**[Trial Complete]**
**[Reward: +50 Primordial Points]**
**[Reward: Technique Unlocked — Primordial Strike]**
---
A stream of information flooded his mind.
A technique.
Simple.
Direct.
But devastating.
Jiang Chen slowly clenched his fist.
A faint aura gathered around it.
"…This changes everything."
The gray world began to fade.
And as reality returned—
A small smile appeared on his lips.
"Now…"
"Let's see who can stop me."