Location: The Mirror World — Beyond the Void Immortal Gate
The Crimson Awakening
The crimson light spread across the Mirror World.
At the end of the previous trial, Qin Huaian had declared:
"Then let them come."
The ground trembled beneath their feet.
Two enormous crimson gates appeared in the sky. One stood above Qin Fenglan, while the other appeared above Qin Meiyue.
A mysterious voice echoed through the world.
Meiyue's silver-black pupils began rotating slowly.
Qin Xiaoxiao stepped forward.
"Something is separating them!"
Before she could move, Huaian raised his hand.
"Don't interfere. This is their trial."
Fenglan looked at his father.
"Father, we'll be fine."
Huaian nodded.
"I know."
The two crimson gates opened simultaneously.
A powerful force pulled the twins inside.
The false Fenglan smiled.
"I wasn't strong enough to protect everyone."
Fenglan's Void Mark began glowing.
"But that doesn't mean I'll stop trying."
He extended his hand.
The black sword disappeared.
Not destroyed, but erased from the possibility of existence.
The false Fenglan stared at him.
Fenglan walked forward.
"Strength isn't about guaranteeing victory. It's about having the courage to stand again."
The battlefield shattered.
Meiyue closed her eyes.
After a moment, she answered.
"Something doesn't become meaningless just because it is forgotten."
Her Void Mark appeared.
A silver-black light spread across the library.
"Memories help us understand existence. But they don't create everything that exists."
The woman slowly stepped backward.
For the first time, the library began restoring itself.
A new book appeared.
"Did you understand?"
Fenglan nodded.
"Strength means nothing if I abandon the people I'm trying to protect."
Meiyue added, "And existence doesn't depend entirely on memory."
Huaian gave a faint nod.
"Good."
Suddenly, the entire Mirror World turned black.
A third gate appeared.
Unlike the previous two, it had no color or shape.
Only absolute absence.
The mysterious voice returned.
Behind him stood the destroyed Qin family estate.
Fenglan stared.
"Father... who is that?"
The young man looked directly at Huaian.
His eyes were filled with anger.
"You abandoned me."
Huaian's expression finally changed.
He recognized that face.
It was himself.
Not an alternate possibility.
Not an illusion.
It was a memory from the day of his betrayal.
And this memory had something to reveal.
To be continued...