Chapter 96 The real and fake Xiao Chong. "Brother Chong, I have a feeling that the mirror contains what we are looking for." Zi Yan walked forward and reached out to touch the mirror. The image in the mirror fluctuated with her touch, gradually revealing one scene after another. Each scene seemed familiar, yet full of unknown dangers. "It seems that we have to enter these scenes separately to find clues to the 'Essence of Sand'." Xiao Chong analyzed. "But it's too dangerous to act separately." Zi Yan was a little worried. "Don't worry," Xiao Chong held Zi Yan's hand tightly, and his firm gaze gave her infinite courage. Afterwards, they each stepped into the world in the mirror. The moment Xiao Chong stepped into the mirror world, the scene before him left him dumbfounded. All around was a vortex of brilliant colors, with all sorts of bizarre reflections intertwining and overlapping as the light shone, as if each reflection led to a completely different world. He took a step cautiously, but it seemed as if he was stepping on empty air, without any sense of reality.
"Where... is this?" Xiao Chong whispered to himself, looking around vigilantly. Suddenly, a familiar yet strange breath blew in his face, causing him to freeze his smile involuntarily. "Xiao Chong, long time no see." A voice sounded behind him. The voice sounded like he was speaking himself, but with a hint of imperceptible coldness. When he turned around, a man who looked exactly like him suddenly appeared before him. The only difference was the coldness and cunningness in his eyes. This was another Xiao Chong, or the reflection of this mirror world - "fake Xiao Chong". "Who are you? Why do you look exactly like me?" Xiao Chong clenched his fists and asked warily. The fake Xiao Chong sneered, "It doesn't matter who I am. What matters is that here, I am the rule, and you are the intruder. If you want to get what you want, you have to get past me first." Before he finished speaking, the fake Xiao Chong's figure suddenly flashed and appeared in front of Xiao Chong, and a straight punch came with a whistling sound. Xiao Chong dodged sideways, quickly formed seals with his hands, and slapped the opponent's shoulder with a "Liuyun Palm". The figures of the two intertwined in the colorful light and shadow, and the speed was dazzling. "You are very strong, but in my own world, I am invincible." The fake Xiao Chong challenged, accurately predicting Xiao Chong's movements with every attack. Xiao Chong knew that relying on force alone was not the best strategy, and he had to find the opponent's weakness. While he was thinking about countermeasures, he accidentally caught a glimpse of a reflection in the mirror, which seemed to hide some secrets. "Something's wrong, the reflection here..." Xiao Chong deliberately revealed a flaw to lure the fake Xiao Chong into launching a more fierce attack. As expected, the fake Xiao Chong fell into the trap. A heavy punch hit Xiao Chong's empty door fiercely. Just as the punch was about to arrive, Xiao Chong's body suddenly split into two, one was the real him, and the other was a mirror image. "I see. Using the reflection in the mirror to confuse the opponent is quite an interesting technique." For the first time, a hint of surprise appeared in the fake Xiao Chong's tone. "It's not just skills," Xiao Chong smiled faintly, "Here, every reflection can become my strength. Although you can imitate my appearance, you can never copy the real me." After saying that, the mirror image turned into countless fragments, each of which reflected a different Xiao Chong, real or fake, hard to tell. The real Xiao Chong took the opportunity to get closer and slapped the fake Xiao Chong on the back. A pure force surged in, making the fake Xiao Chong feel dazed. "Impossible! How could you..." For the first time, panic was revealed in the fake Xiao Chong's voice. "Because I know myself better than you do." Xiao Chong said slowly. He knew very well that everyone has their own weaknesses deep in their hearts, even their own reflection is no exception. Just as Xiao Chong was about to deliver the final blow, the colorful surroundings suddenly shook violently, and a suction force came from all directions, pulling him towards an unknown direction. The figure of the fake Xiao Chong gradually became blurred in the chaos until it disappeared. As the mirror world shattered, Xiao Chong was suddenly drawn into a vortex of time and space by an irresistible force. The scenes around him changed rapidly like a kaleidoscope. Finally, he staggered, steadied his body, and found himself back inside the familiar and mysterious giant paulownia tree.
The surroundings were silent, with only his slightly heavy breathing echoing in the air. Looking around, Xiao Chong felt an indescribable sense of loneliness in his heart. Although he defeated his own mirror image in the previous battle, the joy of victory became bitter because of Zi Yan's silence. He pursed his lips tightly and decided to try to establish contact with her again. "Zi Yan, are you there? I am Xiao Chong." He closed his eyes, concentrated his mental strength, and gently threw this question to the other end of his heart, expecting to get even the slightest response. Time seemed to stand still, and everything was quiet except for the sound of his heartbeat. Just when he was about to give up, a voice so subtle that it was almost imperceptible sounded in his mind, like a whisper in the wind, ethereal and fragile. "Xiao Chong...is that you?" Zi Yan's voice was filled with uncertainty and surprise. "It's me!" Xiao Chong was delighted and quickly increased his mental power output, hoping to make the conversation clearer. "This world... is very dangerous, you... have to be careful." Zi Yan's voice was intermittent, and it was obvious that she was going through some difficulties, which made Xiao Chong's heart suddenly tighten. "Zi Yan, tell me your location. No matter what happens, I will save you!" Xiao Chong's tone was firm and unquestionable. "No...you can't come...this is my battle..." Zi Yan's voice became weaker and weaker, and then disappeared completely, leaving Xiao Chong with only empty silence. Xiao Chong opened his eyes, with a determined light flashing in them. He understood that even if Zi Yan didn't want him to intervene, as a partner, he couldn't just sit back and watch. He began to look for possible clues in the giant tree, as any detail could be the key to saving Zi Yan. Suddenly, a faint light caught his attention. It was emitted from an ancient stone platform in the center of the giant tree. When he got closer, he saw that the stone platform was engraved with complex runes and a gemstone that sparkled with strange light was inlaid in the center. Xiao Chong recognized that this was the medium that had led him into the mirror world before - the Key of Time and Space. "If this is the only way to contact Zi Yan..." He muttered to himself, gently touching the gem with both hands. A warm and familiar power came from the palm of his hand, as if it resonated with Zi Yan's heart. At this moment, the gem shone brightly, and the surrounding space began to distort. An illusory image slowly emerged. It turned out that Zi Yan was trapped in a dark place, surrounded by wriggling dark creatures. Her figure seemed particularly thin, but she still resisted firmly. (End of this chapter)