⚔️ Age of Reflection Arc — Part II
Chapter 132 – The First Call of the Realm
In the western deserts, buried under centuries of sand, an ancient bell tolled once.
Its echo didn't reach ears — it reached souls.
Those below the age of twenty suddenly felt a pressure pulling at their spirits, calling them to the east. Clans panicked, sects gathered. The younger generation trembled with both fear and excitement.
Qin Lian heard the bell from her sect's courtyard. The faint rabbit-spirit mark on her forehead flickered. "It's starting again," she whispered. "The trial that appears every three thousand years."
At that moment, the sky split briefly, and for an instant she saw him — Yang Lin — standing in the distance, his figure like an unyielding star.
Chapter 133 – Murmurs Among the Clans
Within the sacred city of the Inner Realm, clan leaders gathered in silence.
The Heaven-Sealing Clan, the Azure Flame Sect, the Ninefold Palace — all feared what would come next.
"The last time the Secret Realm opened," one elder said, "half our holy lands vanished."
"And yet," another replied, "the one who entered last became a god."
They turned toward the great divination mirror in the hall. The mirror's surface shimmered — showing a black-robed youth walking alone beneath the moonlight.
"Who is he?"
"The omen," whispered the seer. "The one the Secret Realm itself is waiting for."
Chapter 134 – The Rabbit Spirit's Oath
Qin Lian stood before her sect's ancient monument, where names of fallen heroes were carved.
Her master's voice echoed behind her. "You intend to enter?"
She nodded. "The Secret Realm holds the key to breaking my spirit seal. If I fail, my bloodline fades forever."
The master sighed. "Then pray you never cross paths with the boy of the omen. He is not fated for our kind."
Qin Lian looked at the sky. "Maybe fate will change once it meets me."
Chapter 135 – Under the Crimson Moon
A crimson moon rose that night — the mark of alignment between the Inner Realm and the Secret Realm.
Every cultivator could feel it: spiritual energy flowing backward, as if time itself bowed to an unseen force.
Yang Lin walked across the lakeside where no reflection followed him. The wind whispered his name, though no mouth spoke it.
He paused, eyes glinting faintly blue.
"Show me," he murmured, and the lake parted, revealing runes buried deep within its floor — the coordinates to the Realm's hidden gate.
Chapter 136 – Shadows of Heaven-Sealing Clan
Meanwhile, in the Heaven-Sealing Clan's sacred hall, thunder crackled around a massive golden throne.
The clan's heir, Lei Yuan, clenched his fist. "That youth again… the mirror shows his shadow everywhere. I'll make sure he never touches the Jade Lotus."
An elder nodded gravely. "Prepare the divine arrays. When the gate opens, seal him within."
As they chanted, lightning stormed across the sky — and for an instant, Yang Lin looked up, meeting their gaze from miles away, his expression unreadable.
Chapter 137 – The Realm's Breath
At dawn, the first wind of the Secret Realm swept across the land.
Flowers closed, beasts knelt, and cultivators found their spiritual energy frozen mid-flow.
Qin Lian appeared beside Yang Lin on a cliff overlooking the horizon.
"The gate will appear at the Snow Mountains of Zhenhua," she said. "You knew, didn't you?"
Yang Lin's eyes were calm. "It called to me long before the bell rang."
Chapter 138 – Gathering of the Young Heirs
By the third day, every major sect had arrived at Zhenhua.
Thousands of prodigies stood shoulder to shoulder — some armed with divine swords, others with beast companions or ancient talismans.
Qin Lian watched the chaos with a frown. "They'll kill each other before the gate even opens."
Yang Lin remained still. "Let them. True paths never open for the noisy."
Chapter 139 – The Gate Beneath the Snow
A massive pulse shook the mountains, sending avalanches crashing down.
When the dust settled, a colossal circular gate was revealed — buried in the ice for millennia. Symbols of every known cultivation system glowed faintly across its surface.
An elder shouted, "It's opening!"
But the gate didn't respond to their power.
Only when Yang Lin stepped forward did the runes begin to tremble. The snow melted instantly, revealing ancient chains snapping one by one.
Qin Lian stared at him in awe. "You're… not forcing it open."
"No," Yang Lin said quietly. "It remembers me."
Chapter 140 – The Gate's Test
Before the portal could fully awaken, a wave of illusions burst forth — testing the hearts of all who stood nearby.
The heirs screamed as their deepest fears manifested around them: death, failure, betrayal.
Qin Lian fought to hold her ground, her spirit beast glowing behind her.
Yang Lin didn't move. The illusions avoided him, bending away like wind around a mountain.
When the storm ended, half the prodigies had vanished. The survivors looked at Yang Lin with silent dread.
Chapter 141 – Step Into the Unknown
The gate opened — a spiral of violet mist leading into a realm where stars floated like lanterns.
Without hesitation, Yang Lin stepped forward.
Qin Lian followed, her eyes fierce. "Then let's see if the legends are true."
The others hesitated, but fear of being left behind drove them in.
As Yang Lin crossed the threshold, the world behind him fell silent.
The Secret Realm had opened.
And with it, the true age of reflection began.