Standing before the light curtain, Ye Wushuang surveyed the scene before him, his brows furrowing deeper. His eyes were fixed on the dark figures. ’How can this be? Are these... me?’

There were ten dark figures in total, all of whom had stepped out from the light curtain. Though somewhat blurry, their faces were identical—as if carved from the same mold.

The only difference was that they were shrouded in darkness, and their auras carried a hint of baleful energy.

’These are images of me, imprinted on the curtain. The images can actually emerge from the light, creating copies of me... my own Heart Demons. And I’m supposed to fight them? What a bizarre technique. It seems the Barbarian God Battle Path is anything but simple.’

Ye Wushuang murmured to himself, his eyes glinting.

Dii Qingxue had warned him that the Barbarian God Battle Path was the final trial. He had barely begun, and already this strange phenomenon had appeared—a battle against himself, against his own Heart Demons!

’Fighting my Heart Demons... The Barbarian God Battle Path can’t be this straightforward. And it’s not just me; the others are probably facing the same thing. To pass and continue onward, one must defeat their Heart Demons, overcome themselves, and achieve a breakthrough.’

Ye Wushuang considered this. It was a challenge—a challenge to his Dao Heart. By conquering the self, one could achieve a breakthrough!

’As someone who walks the Path of Invincibility, my conviction must be invincible, my Dao Heart must be invincible, and I must be unbreakable. Only by annihilating these Heart Demons can my Dao Heart remain flawless.’

With this thought, Ye Wushuang stepped forward and shot toward the Heart Demons.

BOOM!

The instant Ye Wushuang moved, the Heart Demons moved as well. They shot forward in perfect unison, their auras equally powerful, the Primordial Power they unleashed just as vast and torrential.

Ye Wushuang’s eyes narrowed as he blasted a palm strike forward.

In perfect unison, the ten figures unleashed the exact same palm strike, blasting it toward Ye Wushuang.

BOOM!

The attacks collided violently, and the powerful shockwave sent Ye Wushuang staggering back more than ten meters. The ten figures were likewise thrown back an equal distance.

’They might be illusory, but in terms of appearance, strength, and techniques, they are identical to me. It’s like fighting ten other versions of myself.’

Ye Wushuang’s gaze hardened, his expression grim. ’Fighting ten of myself... it’s an unwinnable battle.’ This was beyond anything he could have imagined, exceeding his very comprehension.

"I refuse to believe it! They’re just Heart Demons! What is there to fear? Die!"

Ye Wushuang took another step, charging toward the ten imposters as a torrent of True Essence erupted from him, sweeping through every corner of the space.

Dragon Emperor Mountain Sealing Stamp!

With a flick of his hands, Ye Wushuang formed a seal, and a vision of the Immortal Dragon Mountain descended with crushing force. The terrifying pressure made the very space around them grow unstable, as if it were about to collapse.

As he did, Ye Wushuang’s gaze was fixed on the figures opposite him.

Dragon Emperor Mountain Sealing Stamp!

Just as he expected, his opponents executed the exact same Combat Skill. Their vision of the Immortal Dragon Mountain was a perfect replica, and its terrifying, oppressive power bore down upon him.

BOOM!

The terrifying Immortal Dragon Mountains collided in the void.

The two mountains canceled each other out in a deafening explosion. Terrifying energy radiated in all directions, making the entire space tremble.

Ye Wushuang was forced back several more steps.

After steadying himself, he didn’t attack again. He simply stood there, watching, replaying everything in his mind as his expression grew calm and collected.

’I need to be calm.’

Faced with this, Ye Wushuang did not panic. He forced himself to calm down and think. As his gaze flickered, it suddenly lit up with realization.

’I’m wrong. Completely and utterly wrong!’

Suddenly, Ye Wushuang’s gaze focused. He thought to himself, ’From the very beginning, I made a mistake. I fell into a conceptual trap. Since I walk the Path of Invincibility with an invincible conviction, how can I even have a Heart Demon? Heart Demons only prey on the weak. Those with powerful minds temper their Dao Hearts through cultivation until they are unbreakable and impervious to such things.’

BOOM!

As he came to this realization, a smile spread across Ye Wushuang’s face. He moved once more, charging toward the ten figures.

This time, he didn’t unleash his power. He simply charged straight ahead, suppressing his aura until it was barely perceptible.

The ten figures charged to meet him, and eleven pairs of eyes locked in the void.

There was not a single ripple of emotion in Ye Wushuang’s eyes. He took a step, pressed forward, and passed right through the bodies of the shadows.

"It’s all an illusion—flowers in a mirror, the moon’s reflection in the water!"

"So, break!"

The instant he passed through them, a blood-red flash of saber light erupted, slashing at the light curtain.

The light curtain billowed and buckled. At the same time, the ten phantoms also struck the light curtain. Subjected to eleven identical attacks, the curtain shattered like glass, revealing a passageway.

"’Just as I thought. This trial preys on one’s desire to prove themselves, leading them astray. I imagine the others who entered the Battle Dao are all focused on conquering their Heart Demons and achieving a breakthrough, trapping themselves in the process,’ he mused."

Ye Wushuang gazed at the newly appeared passageway, a faint smile playing on his lips.

And at that very moment, just as he had surmised, many of the others who had entered the Battle Dao were locked in combat with their own Heart Demons, challenging and trying to prove themselves.

What they didn’t realize, however, was that in doing so, they had fallen right into the trap. The imposters grew stronger to match their own strength; the more fiercely they fought, the more damage they took. Ultimately, they were only hurting themselves.

In other words, they were destined to lose—defeated by an illusory trial of smoke and mirrors.

’I, too, was shaken for a moment. It seems my Dao Heart isn’t as unbreakable as I thought.’

Ye Wushuang acknowledged his own weakness.

On the Path of Invincibility, one’s strength must be peerless, but one’s heart must be even more so. The two are intertwined.

Taking a deep breath, Ye Wushuang dashed into the passageway, but he quickly came to a halt.

Before him stretched a long corridor.

Flashes of light from countless, terrifying saber afterimages raged through the corridor, hacking against the walls with metallic CLANGS. The killing aura and domineering power of the saber—its very Saber Intent—permeated the air.

Standing at the entrance, Ye Wushuang could feel the terrifying power emanating from the blades of light. A single one seemed to possess more power than any person could hope to withstand.

’These blades of light are terrifying. The Saber Intent they contain far surpasses my own.’

Gazing at the endless storm of blades crisscrossing the void, he knew that to pass through it, even if one didn’t die, they would be skinned alive.

Despite this, Ye Wushuang smiled faintly. ’For others, this might be the ultimate challenge. But for me, it is a heaven-sent opportunity.’

’This trial was made for me!’

Ye Wushuang stepped forward. Facing the myriad blades, his expression remained unchanged as he strode into their midst as if taking a leisurely stroll.

BOOM!

Instantly, the blades in the corridor erupted into a frenzy.

SWOOSH! SWOOSH! SWOOSH!

Peerless blades of light slashed down to annihilate him, leaving Ye Wushuang with nowhere to run.

But he had no intention of running. He opened his arms wide, welcoming the utterly terrifying storm of blades.