Wuji stood in the hall, breathing deeply after the intense battle with his replica. The flickering lanterns cast long shadows across the red and black wooden walls, but the silence was unsettling. His heart still raced from the exertion, his mind buzzing with the revelations he had experienced while fighting himself. He had learned and adapted faster than he thought possible.

Yet before he could take in the victory fully, something strange began to happen. A pulse, faint at first, thrummed in his body, spreading from his core to his limbs. Wuji blinked in confusion as a sensation of warmth washed over him, radiating through his muscles and veins. It wasn't the comforting warmth of a hearth but something different, something… otherworldly.

As the mysterious energy flowed through him, his tired muscles relaxed, the ache in his arms and legs vanishing. He felt a sudden surge of vitality, as if his body had never been tired at all. His breathing steadied, his vision sharpened, and in seconds, the fatigue that had weighed him down was gone, replaced by a sense of rejuvenation. His stamina was completely restored, as if the grueling battle had never occurred.

'What is this energy?' Wuji wondered, glancing down at his hands. They no longer trembled from the intensity of the fight. Instead, they were steady, brimming with strength and readiness.

Just as he was beginning to process this strange occurrence, the same cold, detached voice echoed inside his head once more.

"Your stamina has been restored. Fatigue has disappeared. After each round, you will return to your peak form."

The voice was the same as before—emotionless, authoritative, and devoid of any warmth. It offered no explanation for the energy, no comfort in the fact that Wuji had just been rejuvenated by something mysterious. The instructions were simple and to the point. Wuji's thoughts swirled as he tried to comprehend the nature of the trial. He had just fought himself, learned from himself, and improved. But now… what would the next challenge be?

Before he could ponder further, Wuji felt the energy settle within him, fully restoring his body to its prime condition. He was back to where he had started physically, but mentally he had grown. He had learned how to fight himself and overcome a nearly perfect version of his own fighting style.

Suddenly, the air around him shifted. The same force he had felt earlier, the one that had made him dizzy when he entered the pagoda, began to ripple through the hall again. Wuji instinctively took a step back, his senses sharpening. He knew what was coming—more replicas.

Sure enough, two identical figures began materializing in front of him. They took shape slowly, first as silhouettes, then becoming solid with each passing second until they were fully formed. Just like before, they were perfect replicas of him—same clothes, same posture, same sword in hand. But now, there were two of them.

This time, though, something was different. The replicas' cold eyes, devoid of any emotion, seemed more menacing than before. They radiated a sense of purpose, as if they were not merely reflections but hunters. And before Wuji could make his move, they attacked.

The two replicas moved in perfect sync, rushing toward him from opposite sides. Wuji's eyes widened as he realized they were coordinating their strikes. In the first round, his replica had merely mirrored his actions, but now, these two were working together, their swords aimed at him from two different angles.

Wuji barely had time to react as their blades sliced through the air. He dodged to the left, parrying the blow from the first replica while the second swung from the right. His sword clanged against the first, deflecting it with a sharp ring of steel, but the second blade came dangerously close, forcing Wuji to twist his body awkwardly to avoid being hit.

'They're faster… no, they're coordinated,' Wuji realized, his analytical mind kicking into high gear. He began studying their patterns, focusing on their movement and timing. Unlike the first replica he had fought, these two were not merely mirroring him. They were attacking with precision and coordination, exploiting any opening Wuji left in his defense.

The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

Every time he focused on one replica, the other would move to strike from a blind spot, forcing him to constantly defend from multiple directions at once. They worked together seamlessly, creating a relentless assault that kept Wuji on the back foot.

'I have to split them up,' Wuji thought. His mind raced as he tried to think of a way to turn the tide. He couldn't afford to fight them both head-on for too long. The replicas were using his own tactics against him, but they were doing it in perfect harmony. Their teamwork was flawless, making it nearly impossible for him to find an opening.

For almost half an hour, the battle raged on. Wuji dodged, parried, and countered, but every time he gained the upper hand against one replica, the other would exploit his momentary distraction. Sweat poured down his face as he struggled to keep up with their coordinated attacks. But with each exchange, he learned more about their fighting style, how they moved, and how they adapted to his strategies.

Wuji's mind was working faster than ever, analyzing every detail of their movements, every angle of their strikes. He knew he needed to find an opening—a flaw in their perfect coordination.

Then, after what felt like an eternity, Wuji spotted it. The two replicas had become so synchronized in their attacks that they had developed a predictable rhythm. It was subtle, but after observing their moves for so long, Wuji recognized a brief pause between their strikes—a small gap in their coordination that left one of them exposed for a split second.

'This is my chance.'

Wuji feinted toward the replica on his left, drawing its attention. As it moved to counter, the second replica, as expected, prepared to strike from Wuji's blind spot. But Wuji had anticipated this. Just as the second replica's blade came down, Wuji ducked and spun, swinging his sword in a wide arc. His blade cut clean through the neck of the first replica, severing its head in one swift motion.

The headless body of the replica dissolved into mist before it even hit the ground, vanishing into nothingness.

Now with only one replica left, Wuji turned his full attention to it. The remaining replica hesitated for a fraction of a second—just enough time for Wuji to exploit the opening. He pressed his advantage, driving the replica back with a series of rapid strikes. The replica parried and dodged, but it was clear that without its partner, it was no longer as effective.

With a final, powerful swing, Wuji severed the head of the second replica. It too dissolved into mist, leaving the hall silent once more.

Wuji stood there, breathing heavily but victorious. His sword dripped with the moisture that had formed in the air from the misty remains of his opponents. The battle had been hard-fought, but he had overcome the challenge by using his mind, by analyzing and learning from the very replicas meant to defeat him.

But there was no time to celebrate. The cold, detached voice echoed in his head once more.

"Your stamina has been restored. Fatigue has disappeared."

The same pulse of energy flooded through Wuji's body, erasing the exhaustion from the intense battle. Once again, he was back at his peak, his body restored as if the fight had never taken place.

He knew what was coming next. The trial wasn't over. This was only the second round.

As if in response to his thoughts, three new replicas began to materialize in front of him. Their cold, emotionless eyes locked onto Wuji, and without hesitation, they attacked.

This time, the challenge was even greater. Three replicas, all moving in perfect synchronization, attacking from every direction. Wuji had to adapt quickly, using everything he had learned from the previous rounds to keep up with their relentless assault.

The fight dragged on for what felt like hours, with Wuji constantly pushing himself to his limits. Every time he defeated one set of replicas, more would appear, each round adding another opponent. Four replicas, then five, then six. Each round tested not only his physical abilities but also his mind, forcing him to think faster, react quicker, and adapt to every new challenge.

But no matter how hard the fight became, Wuji's will remained unshaken. He was determined to push through, to learn from each battle, and to grow stronger. His analytical mind became sharper with every fight, his body moving with more precision and efficiency. He was no longer just surviving the trial—he was mastering it.

And so, the endless trial continued. Round after round, Wuji fought against his replicas, each battle pushing him closer to his limits. But with each victory, he grew stronger, more resilient, and more capable.

The pagoda was not just a test of strength—it was a test of the mind, the will, and the spirit. And Wuji was determined to emerge from it victorious.

------------

Author's Note:

Hey guys! 👋 So, here’s the deal—if this chapter gets more than 5 comments, I’ll drop an extra chapter on Sunday! Feel free to hit me up with your thoughts, plot suggestions, or even things you think I might be missing in the story. I love hearing what you think, and your feedback always helps me make the novel better. Plus, it’s always cool to chat with you all!

Catch you in the comments! 😊