Chapter 6: The Mirror of Fractured Souls

The Blood Blossom seed's aftertaste clung to Jian Long's tongue like congealed honey as consciousness returned. His eyelids fluttered open to blinding whiteness—an endless space where floor blended seamlessly into walls and ceiling. The air smelled of nothing, not even his own sweat.

[Trial Initiated: "Mirror of the Damned"]

• Type: Psychological Combat

• Objective: Survive until dawn (Subjective Time)

• Mechanic: The room weaponizes trauma

• Hidden Rule: Fear makes it stronger

A single drop of water fell from the void. Then another. Soon a rhythmic patter filled the sterile space as liquid pooled around Jian Long's ankles. He dipped his fingers—

—and recoiled.

Blood.

Not just any blood. His blood. The exact iron-and-sulfur tang from when he'd died in that Beijing alley. The droplets formed words on the immaculate floor:

"Welcome home, failure."

The walls wept crimson. The temperature plummeted. And floating face-up in the rising tide was his Earthly corpse—same cracked skull, same cheap sneakers, same sausage skewer still clutched in rigor mortis.

Its eyes snapped open.

"You were always going to end like this," the corpse gurgled, sitting up with a crackle of broken cartilage. "A nobody. A stain. The universe didn't even blink when you died."

[Psychological Attack Detected]

Type: Existential Dread Amplification

Source: Crucible's Soul-Reflection Array

Vulnerability Exploited: Fear of Insignificance

Jian Long's chest tightened. The system's usual golden text flickered erratically, infected by the room's influence. His fingers instinctively went to his birthmark—

—and found it cold for the first time.

The corpse lunged.

Jian Long's kick passed through the doppelgänger like mist. It laughed with his voice, the sound multiplying as the room shifted, projecting fragments of his worst moments:

Scene 1: Age 6

Abandoned at Beijing West StationDetail: His tiny fingers clutching a torn train ticket to nowhereWeaponized Twist: The station announcement whispers "Unwanted baggage will be disposed of"

Scene 2: Age 22

Failed job interview at ByteDanceDetail: Interviewer's smirk as he said "Your resume is... cute"Twist: The rejection email now reads "We found your corpse more impressive"

The corpse morphed into each version of his past self, its taunts sharper with every transformation:

"Remember the fire extinguisher incident? Even the police drone footage went viral for how pathetic you looked—"

Jian Long's fist shattered the illusion. "Boring." He wiped blood from his split knuckles. "If I wanted stand-up comedy, I'd resurrect my ex."

The room shuddered.

[Counterattack Successful]

Room's Response: Escalation to Tier-2 Trauma

New images flooded the space—but these weren't his memories.

A twelve-year-old Su Ling strapped to an obsidian altar. Elder Lian's silver bell hovering above her sternum, its chime cracking the girl's ribs like eggshells. A scream that never reached air.

Jian Long staggered. "System! These aren't mine!"

[Revelation]

• Memory Origin: Mei Xiuying/Su Ling's botched awakening

• Connection: Shared Swordbirth Mark resonance

• Implication: The Crucible merged your trials

The vision dissolved into smoke, revealing Mei standing across the white room—real or illusion, even the system couldn't tell.

Mei's dagger pressed against Jian Long's carotid before he could blink. Up close, her eyes held the same fractured light as Su Ling's—but where Su's gaze burned with defiance, Mei's was glacial. Calculating.

Her free hand signed: "You weren't supposed to see that."

Jian Long didn't resist. "Nice trick with the shadow-qi. How many seeds have you really collected?"

The dagger bit deeper.

"Three," she admitted. "Enough to make me... difficult to control."

A shudder passed through the room. The walls bulged inward, forming screaming faces that spat venomous truths:

"She's not your ally—she's Mu Rong's first success!"

"The real Su Ling died on that altar!"

"You're both just spare parts!"

Mei's dagger hand trembled. Jian Long saw it then—the faint scar circling her wrist like a puppet's string mark.

[Critical Insight]

Mei Xiuying's Nature:

60% Su Ling's fragmented soul30% Blood Blossom construct10% Something older (Celestial?)

Jian Long moved. Not to escape, but to press his birthmark against Mei's scar. Golden light erupted as their qi resonated, the room screeching like a gutted animal.

["Soul Mending" Initiated]

• Progress: 11% → 19%

• Side Effect: Shared memory bleed

Flashing images seared their minds:

Su Ling's First Kill (A guard's surprised gurgle)Jian Long's Earthly Death (The drone footage he never saw)A Third Memory (Locked behind celestial-grade seals)

The walls shattered.

System Status :

Host: Jian Long

Core Unseal: 4.3% → 5.7% (Trauma Forged)

New Ability: "Memory Resonance" (Limited)

Lifespan: 142 → 138 hours (Soul Mending Cost)

Quest Updates:

"Unlock the Third Memory" (Requirements Unknown)

"Survive the Grand Elder's Feast" (Next Trial)