The moonlight slipped through the windowpanes of the Zi Xuan Sect's rest halls, bathing the room in silver hues. After the intense battle in the Shadow Ruins and the awakening of Zhang Xin and Lian Hua through the ancient soul link, the air in their residence felt still—yet something unseen was stirring.
Zhang Xin sat cross-legged in his chamber, wrapped in a meditative state. The soft hum of energy coursed through his veins, repairing wounds and strengthening meridians. The golden dragon in his Sea of Consciousness lay curled around the ancient map, watchful and silent.
Suddenly, the map shimmered faintly.
A corner of the map—previously faded—glowed a deep azure. A new location revealed itself like a breath held too long: "The Mirror Lake of Forgotten Fates."
Zhang Xin opened his eyes, sharp as blades. The room felt colder. He stood and wrapped his robe, stepping outside where the soft murmurs of his teammates floated in the air.
The Gathering
In the main hall of their residence, the seven team members gathered. Lian Hua leaned against the wall, her gaze distant, though her presence calmer since the soul link. Xiaobo, chewing roasted seeds, cracked a joke that Yuxin quickly rolled her eyes at. Mei Lan prepared tea for the group while Wei Luo and Chen Bo reviewed their cultivation scrolls.
Zhang Xin entered, and all attention turned to him.
"I have seen something," he said. "A new piece of the map... the Mirror Lake of Forgotten Fates."
Lian Hua stirred, her expression unreadable.
"I've heard of that place," she whispered. "A cursed lake... it reflects not your face, but your regrets. Your deepest fears. Some say the water shows fates that were never meant to be."
"Legend says that the Mirror Lake was once a sacred ground for the Celestial Scribes," added Mei Lan, her voice soft. "They wrote destinies and sealed them under the waters. If we go there... we may face illusions. Or worse, truths we aren't ready for."
"And that's exactly why we should go," Zhang Xin said, his voice resolute. "This isn't just about strength anymore. If that place is connected to fate... and the map... then our answers may lie there."
The Warning
Just then, a knock echoed on the door. A robed figure stood outside—an emissary from the Ascension Hall.
"Honored cultivators," the emissary bowed, "for your bravery in the Shadow Ruins, you are now recognized under the Copper Slip. But be warned—the next steps are not only dangerous, but cursed. The Mirror Lake has claimed many spirits. The Ascension Hall advises caution."
Zhang Xin accepted the token scroll that marked their new status, his eyes unreadable.
The Departure
That night, preparations were made. Zhang Xin slid the locket holding the Stone Realm over his neck and tucked away the scrolls. Chen Bo sharpened his sword in silence. Lian Hua stared at the moon, her fingers gently brushing her petal sword. Yuxin practiced her frost techniques while Wei Luo murmured a small protection chant. Xiaobo packed extra food—"just in case they met a hungry beast," he joked—and Mei Lan collected herbs in case injuries occurred again.
"We leave at dawn," Zhang Xin said. "But remember—this is not just a trial. It may be a turning point."
Before sleep, Zhang Xin once again entered meditation. The Golden Dragon spoke in his mind for the first time in days.
"The Mirror Lake is older than memory. There, the map will test your will, not just your sword."
"What should I be prepared for?" Zhang Xin asked.
"Your past... and the truth of your bloodline."
A Glimpse of Shadows
Far away, in the cold, twisted towers of the Demon Realm, Fan Hua sat on a throne carved from obsidian bone. His eyes suddenly flicked open, a grin stretching across his cruel face.
"So... the boy found the lake."
A dark mirror swirled beside him, revealing an image of Zhang Xin and his companions preparing for their journey.
"Then it begins."
The Dawn Journey
At first light, the team stood at the edge of the forest that led to the Mirror Lake. Mist curled through the trees like ghostly fingers. Birds were silent. The path ahead shimmered unnaturally—as though the very air was warped by fate itself.
"Once we enter," Zhang Xin said, "there may be no turning back. But remember this—no mirror can define us.
Lian Hua nodded, silent but firm. The others followed.
Together, they stepped into the mist.
And thus, the path to forgotten fates began…
The moment they stepped into the mist, the world around them shifted.
It was like walking through a silk curtain of memory. One step forward—and the sound of birds faded. Another step—and the warmth of the sun vanished. They were now inside a realm where reality and reflection twisted together like two serpents dancing.
"This doesn't feel right," Mei Lan muttered, brushing her hand against a tree that wasn't there a moment ago.
The forest path was gone.
Instead, they found themselves standing at the edge of a vast, silver lake—perfectly still, unnaturally smooth. There were no ripples, no breeze. Just the reflection. It mirrored the sky above, yet had no depth. One could not tell where the water ended and the reflection began.
"Is this… even real?" Xiaobo asked, his voice unusually serious.
"It's the Mirror Lake," Lian Hua said quietly. "This place shows you… what you buried long ago. You must not fall in."
Zhang Xin took a step forward, his eyes locked on the center of the lake. There was a small island in the middle, shrouded in white mist, with a single tree at its heart. And there, carved into the bark of the tree… was a fragment of the ancient map.
But between them and the island stretched an unnatural stillness—an illusion, or a trap.
"Let me test the water," Wei Luo offered.
He tossed a pebble toward the lake. It never hit the surface.
It vanished mid-air, like swallowed by a dream.
Everyone froze.
"It devours reality," Zhang Xin whispered.
The Trial of Reflections
Suddenly, the lake began to shimmer—waves spreading out from the center. Then, one by one, reflections of each of them emerged on the surface. But they weren't ordinary reflections.
These were versions of themselves—but twisted, corrupted, broken.
Lian Hua's reflection had blood on her hands, her eyes wild with vengeance.
Wei Luo's reflection had a people calling for help.
Xiaobo's reflection was silent, with no smile, eyes cold and empty.
Zhang Xin's reflection—stood alone, surrounded by corpses, holding a crown he never wanted.
"They're not real," Mei Lan said, her voice shaking. "They're who we could've been."
The reflections stepped out of the lake like ghosts taking form—no splash, no ripple—just a soft, terrifying silence.
"You must defeat the version of yourself," a voice whispered in the wind. "Or become them."
Zhang Xin vs. Zhang Xin
His reflection was already waiting, sword drawn.
"You always feared being alone," it said.
"You think strength protects them. But your strength will be their ruin."
Zhang Xin gritted his teeth.
"You're not me."
"I'm the part of you that will be, if you continue on this path."
The battle began—steel against steel, power against power. The reflection fought like him, moved like him, but held no hesitation, no morality. It was merciless.
Behind him, he heard screams—his teammates were locked in their own battles.
Yuxin froze as her reflection whispered her greatest betrayal. Xiaobo's clone taunted him with silence and abandonment. Mei Lan faced a world where her healing only ever caused more death.
Zhang Xin was pushed to his knees, his sword knocked aside.
"This is your fate!" the reflection hissed. "You will be emperor of nothing!"
Zhang Xin closed his eyes.
He remembered the words of the Golden Dragon:
"The lake will test your will, not your sword."
He took a breath.
And laughed.
The reflection hesitated.
"You think I fear becoming you?" Zhang Xin said, rising slowly. "No. I know I carry the darkness. But I choose who I become. That is power."
He didn't strike the reflection.
He accepted it.
Light burst from his chest. The map piece hidden in his soul resonated, and the reflection dissolved, screaming as if torn from time itself.
Across the battlefield, one by one, the others began to win—not by destruction, but by acceptance. Facing regrets. Grieving mistakes. Embracing their scars.
The Island of Destiny
The mist parted.
The lake settled.
A path of white lotus blossoms unfurled across the lake, leading to the island.
As they stepped onto the island, a strange sensation overtook them—like walking into a dream too old to name.
The black tree stood in silence, and at its base… the next piece of the Map of Realms shimmered. Zhang Xin reached for it—and as his fingers touched the surface, visions poured into his mind:
A massive battle in the sky.
A phoenix trapped in ice.
A woman screaming his name—his mother?
A door opening…
And then darkness.