Bizarre Survival: I Can Devour Thousands of Talents

Chapter 225, Section 224: Don't Subscribe!

Lingxiao stood on the edge of an ancient city.

As night fell, moonlight spilled like water onto the winding streets.

He is a young explorer with sharp eyes and a brave and fearless heart.

His goal is to explore the unknown and find the secrets hidden in the corners of the world.

A few days ago, he received a mysterious letter with his name written on the envelope in an ancient script.

The letter contained only one sentence: "If you crave adventure, A Nightmare on Elm Street awaits you."

Ling Xiao's desire to explore the unknown has never been extinguished, and this letter is like a spark that ignites the flame in his heart.

He walked through the city's hustle and bustle and came to a forgotten street. There were no pedestrians, only the occasional hooting of an owl and the rustling of leaves.

At the end of the street, an ancient iron gate stood ajar, covered with strange runes. Ling Xiao took a deep breath, pushed open the gate, and stepped into Ghost Street.

As soon as Ling Xiao stepped into Ghost Street, he felt a chilling aura wash over him. The streetlights on both sides of the street flickered with an eerie, dim yellow light, as if telling endless secrets.

He glanced around warily, the Crimson Flame Sword in his hand gleaming faintly red, ready to face any potential danger. Suddenly, the deep sound of horses' hooves echoed in the silent night.

Ling Xiao turned around and saw an old carriage slowly approaching. The carriage wheels creaked and groaned on the stone pavement, each sound seeming to pound on his nerves. The coachman's figure was indistinct, only his pair of eerie green eyes gleaming in the darkness.

He asked in a hoarse, low voice, "Where to, sir?" Ling Xiao looked at him warily, knowing this was no ordinary coachman.

Seeing that he didn't speak, the coachman suddenly revealed a ferocious smile. His previously blurry body became solid, and the whip in his hand transformed into a venomous snake, attacking Ling Xiao.

Ling Xiao swiftly drew the Crimson Flame Sword from his waist, its blade radiating intense heat. It clashed with the coachman's venomous whip, producing a hissing sound.

He defended himself while looking for an opportunity to counterattack.

The coachman's venomous whip moved with the agility of a living creature, constantly changing direction, trying to find Lingxiao's weakness.

Ling Xiao's swordsmanship was agile and swift. He used the high temperature of the Crimson Flame Sword to repel every attack of the Poisonous Serpent Whip.

He noticed a wicked glint in the coachman's eyes, as if he were controlling a venomous whip.

So he decided to attack the coachman's eyes first. After Ling Xiao skillfully deflected an attack with the venomous snake whip, he suddenly leaped high into the air, his Crimson Flame Sword drawing a fiery arc, aiming directly at the coachman's eyes.

The coachman let out a piercing scream as the venomous whip instantly went out of control, turning into a cloud of black mist and dissipating into the air. The coachman's body also began to disintegrate, eventually turning into nothingness.

From his black mist, an ancient bronze coin emerged, engraved with mysterious runes.

Ling Xiao picked up the copper coin, secretly pleased; this might be his first reward.

He put the copper coin in his pocket and continued walking along Ghost Street.

The streets seemed to grow increasingly eerie, and with every step, one could feel an invisible pressure.

Ling Xiao continued walking, and the houses on both sides of the street gradually became dilapidated, as if forgotten by time.

He came to an abandoned courtyard overgrown with weeds, with a dry well in the middle.

Suddenly, a deep roar came from the depths of the courtyard, instantly tightening Ling Xiao's nerves. He gripped the Crimson Flame Sword and slowly walked towards the source of the sound.

In a corner of the courtyard, a gigantic dream-eating tapir emerged from the shadows. Its body was enormous and bloated, with a gaping maw and teeth as sharp as knives.

The Baku's eyes were like burning embers, radiating an evil aura.

The dream-eating tapir opened its blood-red maw and pounced towards Ling Xiao. Ling Xiao quickly leaped backward, simultaneously chanting a spell to summon his guardian spirit—a golden phoenix.

The phoenix spread its wings and soared high, unleashing blazing flames to attack the dream-eating tapir.

The dream-eating tapir was struck by the flames and let out a painful howl, but it quickly recovered and its body became even larger. Its skin hardened like iron, and the flames seemed unable to cause it much harm.

Ling Xiao realized that he had to find the Dream Eater's weakness. He carefully observed the Dream Eater's movements and discovered that its abdomen would slightly reveal an opening each time it attacked.

Ling Xiao's heart skipped a beat; perhaps that was its vital point.

He directed the phoenix to continue restraining the dream-eating tapir, while he himself seized the opportunity to rush towards its belly. The dream-eating tapir seemed to sense Ling Xiao's intention; it let out a deafening roar and lunged at Ling Xiao.

At the critical moment, Ling Xiao used the high temperature of the Crimson Flame Sword to instantly transform into a fiery meteor and pass through the abdomen of the Dream Eater.

The dream-eating tapir let out a mournful scream, and its body began to disintegrate, turning into nothingness.

Where it disappeared, an ancient mirror appeared in the courtyard, with the words "Dream Guardian" engraved on its surface.

Ling Xiao reached out and touched the mirror, which emitted a soft light that enveloped him. He felt a powerful force surge into his body—the power of the Dream Eater—which he successfully absorbed.

His body felt lighter, as if he had gained the ability to manipulate dreams. He tucked the mirror into his robes and continued along Nightmare on Elm Street. He knew this was just the beginning; more challenges awaited him.

Ling Xiao traversed a desolate wasteland and arrived at the middle section of Ghost Street. The buildings here were even more dilapidated, seemingly on the verge of collapse.

He proceeded cautiously when suddenly, a strange laugh rang in his ears. He looked around but saw nothing. The laughter grew closer, as if it were right behind him.

Ling Xiao whirled around, only to find the street completely empty. He realized this was likely an attack by some kind of invisible creature. Suddenly, a dark shadow flashed past him, and Ling Xiao felt a chill run down his spine.

He reacted quickly, his Crimson Flame Sword drawing a fiery arc as it slashed at the shadowy figure. However, the figure vanished instantly, as if it had never existed.

Ling Xiao knew he had encountered a Shadow Demon. This was a type of demon capable of invisibility, skilled in ambush and assassination.

He had to be careful, or he could lose his life at any moment. He took a deep breath, focused his mind, and tried to perceive everything around him.

Although the Shadow Demon was invisible, its presence remained. Ling Xiao used the sensory abilities of his guardian spirit, the Phoenix, to pinpoint the Shadow Demon's location. The Shadow Demon attacked again, this time targeting Ling Xiao's back.

However, Ling Xiao was already prepared. He turned around abruptly, and his Crimson Flame Sword, crackling with intense heat, slashed fiercely at the Shadow Demon. The Shadow Demon let out a scream as its body was struck by the flames and instantly became visible.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Ling Xiao launched an attack, his Crimson Flame Sword piercing the Shadow Demon's body like a bolt of lightning.

The Shadow Demon's body began to disintegrate, turning into nothingness. From the Shadow Demon's body floated an ancient talisman, inscribed with the words "Invisibility."

Ling Xiao picked up the talisman, secretly delighted. This might be the power of the Shadow Demon, allowing him to be more agile in battle.

He tucked the talisman into his pocket and continued along Nightmare Street. The street seemed to grow even more eerie, and with each step, he felt an invisible pressure.

Ling Xiao traversed a desolate wasteland and arrived at the middle section of Ghost Street.

Ling Xiao continued along Ghost Street, the houses on both sides of the street becoming increasingly dilapidated, as if they might collapse at any moment. He walked cautiously, the Crimson Flame Sword in his hand emitting a faint light, illuminating the path ahead.

Suddenly, he stopped in his tracks. A huge bronze mirror appeared on the street ahead, its surface emitting an eerie light.

"Welcome to the Realm of Mirrors, hero."

A cold voice came from the mirror, carrying a familiar yet strange rhythm, as if it came from another version of myself.

Ling Xiao looked at the mirror warily. His reflection was clearly visible in the mirror, but it was not an ordinary reflection.

The Ling Xiao in the mirror looked exactly like him, even his eyes were identical, except that the Ling Xiao in the mirror had a cold light flashing in his eyes.

"Who are you?" Ling Xiao shouted. "I am your mirror image,"

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The Lingxiao in the mirror replied in a voice exactly like his, "I am another version of yourself deep within you. Your fears, your hesitations, and your weaknesses are all embodied in me."

Ling Xiao's heart sank; he knew this was no ordinary battle.

The power of mirror projection stems from its own weakness; only by overcoming its inner fears can it be truly defeated.

"You can't defeat me," Ling Xiao sneered in the mirror, "because you can't defeat yourself." Ling Xiao gripped the Crimson Flame Sword tightly; he knew this was going to be a tough battle.

He took a deep breath, focused his mind, and prepared to meet the challenge. Suddenly, Ling Xiao in the mirror moved, his movements perfectly mirroring Ling Xiao's, as if there was some mysterious connection between them.

Ling Xiao swung his sword to attack, and Ling Xiao in the mirror also swung his sword at the same time. The two swords collided in the air, making a crisp sound.

"You cannot defeat me," Ling Xiao sneered again in the mirror, "because I know every move you make." Ling Xiao was startled; he realized that the mirror projection could predict his every move.

He had to find a way to break this cycle of prediction. He quickly retreated, trying to create distance, but Ling Xiao in the mirror followed closely behind, his movements no slower.

Ling Xiao knew he couldn't rely on conventional combat techniques; he had to find the weakness in the mirror image. He began observing Ling Xiao in the mirror, trying to find a flaw.

Suddenly, he noticed that although Ling Xiao's movements were identical to his in the mirror, there was a hint of confusion in his eyes. Ling Xiao realized that although the mirror projection could replicate his movements, it did not truly understand his intentions.

"I understand," Ling Xiao murmured to himself.

"You are just a projection of me; you cannot understand my inner thoughts." He quickly adjusted his strategy, no longer relying on conventional attacks, but instead began to utilize the environment and his own wisdom.

He noticed a loose stone slab on the street, so he deliberately directed the mirrored projection toward it.

Ling Xiao in the mirror followed closely behind. When he stepped onto the loose stone slab, the slab suddenly collapsed, causing the mirrored projection to lose its balance and fall to the ground.

Ling Xiao seized the opportunity and rushed forward, his Crimson Flame Sword, burning with intense heat, fiercely stabbing towards the mirror projection.

The mirrored projection let out a scream as its body began to disintegrate, turning into nothingness.

In the instant of disintegration, a flicker of fear flashed in the mirrored projection's eyes, as if it too had realized it was merely a projection. "You have defeated me," the mirrored projection's voice echoed in the air.

"But you must remember, the real enemy is yourself." As the voice faded, the mirror's light gradually dimmed and eventually disappeared into the air.

Ling Xiao stood rooted to the spot, his heart filled with complex emotions. He knew this battle was not merely against the mirrored projection, but also a battle within his own heart. He sheathed the Crimson Flame Sword and continued along Nightmare Street.

He was filled with confidence because he knew that as long as he could overcome his inner fears, nothing could stop him.

As the illusory projection of the mirror completely dissipated into the air, the night on Nightmare on Elm Street seemed to soften. Ling Xiao stood before the bronze mirror that had once reflected the deepest fears in his heart, slightly out of breath.

His heartbeat gradually calmed down, and an unprecedented sense of tranquility welled up inside him.

Just then, a faint ripple appeared on the surface of the mirror, as if a pebble had been thrown into the water.

The ripples gradually spread, eventually converging into a ball of light radiating a soft glow. The ball of light slowly drifted towards Ling Xiao and stopped in front of him.

"This is your reward, brave warrior."

A gentle yet mysterious voice echoed in Ling Xiao's mind, as if from some ancient being.

"You have overcome your fear and proven your courage and wisdom." The ball of light gradually solidified in Ling Xiao's hand, eventually transforming into an exquisite badge. The badge's main body was a small mirror, its surface smooth as water, with a ring of pale blue gemstones inlaid around the edge, emitting a faint glow.

In the very center of the mirror was engraved a complex rune, resembling either an infinity symbol or a twisted heart. Ling Xiao examined the badge closely, his heart filled with curiosity.

He could sense a powerful force contained within the badge, but this force was not as fiery and direct as that of the Crimson Flame Sword; rather, it was a deeper and more restrained power.

"This badge is called 'Heart of the Mirror Image,'" the mysterious voice said again. "It represents your self-awareness and understanding."

It will grant you greater power, helping you to better face yourself in future adventures. Ling Xiao gently placed the badge in his palm, feeling its warmth.

He could feel a subtle connection between the badge and his soul, as if it had become a part of him.

The power of "Mirror Image Heart" gradually merged into Ling Xiao's body, and he felt a warm power flowing through his body.

This power is different from the scorching heat of the Crimson Flame Sword; it is a gentler, more inclusive power.

It seemed to be able to see into his heart, giving him courage and wisdom.

"This badge is not only a reward, but also a guide," the mysterious voice continued.

"It will help you better understand your own heart, allowing you to face future challenges with greater composure."

Ling Xiao raised his head and looked at the bronze mirror. The mirror's light had completely disappeared, but it still stood there quietly, as if waiting for the next brave explorer.

(End of this chapter)