Free Web NovelChapter 89: Chapter 89: Battle Gate
The Battle Gate placed them inside an arena with no walls.
The ground was black stone. The sky above was empty. Around the arena floated countless weapon shadows: swords, spears, axes, bows, daggers, shields, staffs, and chains.
At the center stood four figures.
They looked like Qin Yuheng’s team.
Not perfect copies.
Battle reflections.
One held a black sword like Qin Yuheng.
One carried a sword like Qin Yuchen.
One wore a shadow cloak like Qin Lian.
One held formation needles like Qin Mo.
The panel appeared.
[Battle Gate Trial]
[Objective]
Defeat the battle reflections.
[Warning]
Reflections are generated from observed team combat patterns.
[Additional Rule]
Reflections will improve if the original repeats predictable habits.
Qin Mo stared at his reflection.
"I hate that mine exists."
Qin Yuchen’s eyes sharpened.
"They know our patterns."
Qin Lian said, "Then change patterns."
Qin Yuheng smiled faintly.
"That is the trial."
The battle began immediately.
The reflection Qin Yuheng used a crude version of Thunder Shadow Flash, just like the Mirror Reed Lake reflections had. But this one was better. The Tower had observed more of his movement since then. It combined fast displacement with direct sword pressure.
Qin Yuheng met it calmly.
He did not use Thunder Shadow Flash.
Instead, he used War Thunder Advance. ƒrēewebnovel.com
The reflection expected evasive speed.
Qin Yuheng stepped forward with heavy pressure and disrupted its rhythm.
On the right, Qin Yuchen fought his reflection. It copied his predictive sword style, creating a strange duel where both tried to read the other. Qin Yuchen quickly realized the flaw: the reflection predicted based on past patterns, not current intent. He began using intentionally imperfect movements, breaking his own rhythm.
Qin Lian faced a shadow reflection that vanished and reappeared like her. Instead of chasing it, she stood still in a dim patch of arena and allowed her cloak to blend deeper. The reflection lost track for one breath.
That was enough for her to strike first.
Qin Mo faced the most insulting opponent.
His reflection immediately placed formation traps and retreated.
Qin Mo stared.
"Is that how I look?"
Qin Yuheng, mid-fight, answered, "Yes."
Qin Mo looked offended and began dismantling his reflection’s traps with unusual intensity.
The first phase went well.
Too well.
Then the reflections changed.
The Qin Yuheng reflection stopped using Thunder Shadow Flash and imitated War Thunder Advance.
The Qin Yuchen reflection began using broken rhythm.
The Qin Lian reflection stopped chasing and began waiting.
The Qin Mo reflection started counter-dismantling.
The Battle Gate adapted.
Qin Yuheng’s eyes lit slightly.
This was excellent training.
"Switch opponents!" he ordered.
Everyone moved.
Qin Yuheng attacked Qin Mo’s reflection.
Qin Mo moved toward Qin Lian’s reflection.
Qin Lian shifted toward Qin Yuchen’s reflection.
Qin Yuchen took Qin Yuheng’s reflection.
The reflections lagged.
They had adapted to individual patterns but not team switching.
Qin Yuheng destroyed three formation nodes with thunder, forcing Qin Mo’s reflection into direct movement. It was weak there.
Qin Mo used detection dust to reveal Qin Lian’s reflection, then shouted for Qin Lian to finish it.
Qin Lian attacked Qin Yuchen’s reflection from an unexpected angle, breaking its prediction chain.
Qin Yuchen faced Qin Yuheng’s reflection carefully, not trying to overpower it, only delaying.
Then they switched again.
This time, Qin Yuheng returned to his own reflection after it had adjusted to Qin Yuchen.
Its timing was wrong.
Qin Yuheng’s sword pierced its chest.
One reflection shattered.
The others weakened.
Qin Lian destroyed the second.
Qin Yuchen the third.
Qin Mo, after trapping his own reflection in a formation loop, looked deeply satisfied as it collapsed.
"I defeated myself. I choose not to think about that."
The panel flashed.
[Battle Reflections defeated.]
[Battle Gate entering second phase.]
The arena trembled.
The weapon shadows above gathered into one figure.
A tall warrior wearing black armor appeared at the center. It held no single weapon. Instead, weapon shadows circled around it.
[First Gate Battle Avatar]
[Level: 25]
[Type: Adaptive combat guardian]
[Objective]
Force the avatar to acknowledge team combat value.
Qin Mo read the objective.
"Not defeat?"
Qin Yuheng’s eyes narrowed.
"Acknowledge."
The avatar attacked.
Its first weapon was a spear.
It thrust toward Qin Yuheng with battlefield precision.
Qin Yuheng blocked, feeling the weight of Broken Spear Battlefield in the strike.
Then the spear became a sword.
Then a hammer.
Then chains.
The avatar changed weapons based on distance and response.
This was not a normal boss.
It tested adaptability.
Qin Yuheng did not fight alone.
"Pattern formation three!"
The team moved into a diamond formation.
Qin Yuheng front.
Qin Yuchen right.
Qin Lian left shadow.
Qin Mo rear support.
The avatar pressed hard, switching weapons constantly. When Qin Yuheng blocked, it changed to chains to bypass. When Qin Yuchen predicted, it used hammer force. When Qin Lian approached, it released spinning daggers. When Qin Mo set formations, it shot arrows at the formation nodes.
They were forced to adapt repeatedly.
Qin Yuheng gradually understood.
The avatar did not need to be killed.
It needed to be shown that the team could respond as one.
He reduced his personal output.
Qin Yuchen increased tactical calls.
Qin Lian began marking attack windows verbally.
Qin Mo controlled terrain with small formations.
They fought not as Qin Yuheng plus support.
But as a team.
The avatar’s pressure slowly changed.
Its attacks became sharper, but less oppressive.
It was measuring.
At the decisive moment, the avatar formed a giant axe and struck downward toward the team center.
If Qin Yuheng blocked alone, he could hold it.
But that would fail the principle.
Instead, he called, "Together."
Qin Yuchen’s sword struck the axe side.
Qin Lian’s dagger hit the wrist joint.
Qin Mo’s formation strengthened their footing.
Qin Yuheng’s sword met the axe edge.
Four forces aligned.
The axe shattered.
The avatar stepped back.
For the first time, it lowered its weapon.
[Battle Gate cleared.]
[Team Combat Value acknowledged.]
[Evaluation: Excellent.]
[All three Trial Gates cleared.]
[Tri-Gate Resonance condition met.]
The arena dissolved.
They returned to the Trial Hall.
All three gates glowed.
Red.
Blue.
Black.
Then the lights connected.
The floor trembled.
Qin Mo looked at the panel and whispered, "Here it comes."
A new gate rose behind the three.
White-gold.
[Tri-Gate Resonance activated.]
[First Gate Guardian strengthened.]
[Hidden Guardian Path opened.]
Qin Yuheng looked at the new gate.
His father’s words echoed.
Choose the explanation before the fight ends.
This time, the explanation would be simple.
The team cleared all three gates.
Now the guardian had to acknowledge them.
