Unrivaled Martial Emperor

Chapter 651 - Illusory Realm

It didn’t take long for the hundred or so people who had entered the Flood Dragon Grotto to disperse into the thirty-six passages.

Shortly after stepping into the passageway, Chen Fan encountered a water door. Through it, he could see his own reflection.

Chen Fan walked toward it.

Without hesitation, he stepped forward and passed through the water door. As he did, it rippled and dissolved into the surrounding cave, releasing a faint glow resembling the light of true primeval.

Chen Fan’s figure flickered as he advanced swiftly, occasionally scanning his surroundings.

Soon, a group appeared in front of him. Rumbling noises rang out. Large boulders moved, transforming into huge walls that blocked his way.

“People?” Chen Fan narrowed his gaze slightly. These boulders had morphed into stone men, obstructing his way.

“Hmph.” Chen Fan snorted coldly and stepped forward.

They were little more than stone puppets. Although crafted to resemble humans, they were still just rocks. No matter how powerful a puppet was, it could never match a human.

Several powerful stone fists flew toward him to stop his advance.

Rumble!

Judging by the force of their aura, Chen Fan sensed their power—equivalent to the fourth-level Divine Nascent realm.

“They’re at my cultivation level?”

Chen Fan charged at the stone figures and unleashed a violent palm strike. A terrifying force erupted, blasting and destroying everything.

Boom, boom!

The stone men shattered.

Though these puppets had fourth-level Divine Nascent realm strength and defense, they were no match for Chen Fan. He could effortlessly destroy those at the same cultivation level.

They might have the same cultivation level, but their combat strengths were on completely different levels. How could they withstand Chen Fan’s attack?!

Chen Fan pressed forward. However, before long, another water door blocked his path.

Raising his eyebrow, Chen Fan didn’t slow down and was about to pass through it again when a silhouette slowly emerged from within the water door, forcing him to halt in his tracks.

To his surprise, the figure stepping out looked exactly like him.

“Hmm?” Chen Fan furrowed his brow, staring fixedly at the copy.

How could this be? This figure wasn’t just similar—it was an exact copy of him.

The first water door... could it have copied me when I passed through? Chen Fan thought.

That was the only explanation. Otherwise, why was there a copy of him here?

“I knew it. This Flood Dragon Grotto wouldn’t be so simple. It’s not just me; I am sure the others are facing the same challenge. We have to fight and overcome ourselves. It’s a test—a trial to surpass one’s own limits."

“Wait!” Chen Fan suddenly awoke with a start, a look of shock flickering in his eyes.

“Wait! Where are Xiao Zhen and Qiu Yuexin? Why aren’t they here with me? They entered this passage with me. So why didn’t they appear?” A sharp light flashed in Chen Fan’s eyes. Only now did he notice that they had vanished.

Chen Fan wasn't the only one. It seemed that everyone who had followed him into the passageway had disappeared as well.

“Could this be an individual test?” His eyes flickered with uncertainty, unable to piece things together.

“Forget it, I’ll complete this challenge first. Hopefully, they’re both fine,” he muttered, shaking his head to clear his thoughts.

Stepping forward, Chen Fan shot toward that fake him.

The doppelganger moved simultaneously, its palm strike carrying power equal to Chen Fan’s.

Rumble!

The collision sent both Chen Fan and the fake figure flying backward, the exact same distance.

“Its power is identical to mine. How is this possible!” Chen Fan’s gaze became completely serious.

He had expected this imitation to crumble like the stone puppets, but the reality was far different. The fake figure’s strength was on par with his own.

“Die!” Chen Fan stepped forward. An extremely bitingly cold murderous aura churned.

Just as he unleashed his killing intent, so did the fake, mirroring him perfectly.

“Slash!” Chen Fan swung his Purgatory Divine Halberd. A rumbling explosion rang out as he looked closely at his opponent.

“Slash!”

The doppelganger summoned an identical Purgatory Divine Halberd and mirrored Chen Fan’s attack, even matching the precise trajectory of his slash.

The two attacks collided violently, producing rumbling noises. The space rippled intensely.

“Calm down!” Chen Fan told himself, briefly closing his eyes before opening them again, now calmer. A faint smile tugged at the corner of his lips as he stepped forward slowly.

This time, he released no aura, his presence so serene it seemed as though he had merged with the stillness around him.

The doppelganger lifted its feet simultaneously, walking toward Chen Fan, until the two figures met.

“Goodbye.”

Chen Fan tilted sideways slightly. The other him also tilted. Facing one another, the two brushed past each other.

Buzz!

A soft, trembling sound filled the air. The fake figure before Chen Fan dissolved into vapor, vanishing as if it had never existed.

I was wrong. The real challenge isn’t about defeating oneself. It seems others might be trapped in the same misconception, trying to defeat their reflection. Chen Fan thought.

The goal wasn’t to win against oneself but to see through the illusion.

The more one fought, the more they proved their failure, as this was an illusory realm—like a reflection in the water. It tested their state of mind.

Chen Fan turned around. Qiu Yuexin and Xiao Zhen were right behind him. Both were engaged in relentless attacks against the void, trapped in their own illusions.

It was not only the two of them. Others who had entered after them were also ensnared, fiercely battling their own doppelganger, oblivious to the real trap.

“Amazing, it can trap people in illusions without them realizing it. If they can’t see through it, they might be stuck here forever. I wonder if the other thirty-five passageways are also like this?” Chen Fan sighed in admiration. He couldn’t help but admit that the Sky Dragon Divine Stronghold’s methods were truly brilliant.

“Wake up!”

Chen Fan sent out a powerful spirit will. Like thunder rumbling in a clear sky, it exploded in Xiao Zhen and Qiu Yuexin’s illusory realms.

Chen Fan’s voice suddenly rang out while they were fiercely battling against themselves. As if they were enlightened with perfect wisdom, the two realized that they had been tricked.

Soon, their gazes became focused as they snapped themselves out of the illusory realm.