Darkness.
It wasn't just the absence of light—it was alive. It pulsed, breathed, and whispered. Within it stood Priyanshu Yadav, facing the most dangerous opponent of all… himself.
The Mirror of the Abyss reflected not merely his image, but his essence—the hidden villain, the manipulator, the ruthless tactician who smiled at chaos.
His doppelgänger was smirking. "You act righteous to the world, but you enjoy every moment of their downfall. You wear masks, but none more real than the one you're wearing now."
Priyanshu didn't flinch. "You're not wrong. But you forget one thing..."
The demon tilted its head. "Oh?"
"I wear the mask willingly. I embraced the darkness not out of necessity, but out of choice. You are my creation—not the other way around."
The reflection roared, charging with a shadowy blade, dripping in the sins of the past. Around them, the void shimmered with illusions—scenes from Priyanshu's transmigrated memories.
The betrayal by his brothers.
The torment of the original body's soul.
The first time he killed in cold blood, hidden beneath layers of smiles.
Each memory was a blade.
Each regret, a weight.
But Priyanshu moved forward, undeterred.
The Mirror Clone attacked with violent arcs, infused with the same techniques Priyanshu had mastered: Immortal Sutra of Demons and Gods, Cold Hearted Flame Art, and even glimpses of the Create and Destroy Domain.
They clashed, universe-shaking force inside a world of nothingness. Lightning cracked, shadow flames roared, and time itself twisted.
But Priyanshu had something his shadow didn't—control.
He calmly activated his Villainous Fate Array, summoning dozens of black and white lotus petals to bind the clone's movements.
His voice was cold. "You are everything I was… but I've grown beyond you."
With one calm thrust of his sword—Plum Blooming Blade—the doppelgänger shattered into fragments.
The void trembled.
[Trial of Corruption – Part One Completed.]
[You have acknowledged and dominated your darker self.]
[Trait Gained: Unshakable Mind — Immune to spiritual corruption below Supreme Rank.]
[Reward: +20% affinity with all forbidden and dual-path techniques.]
The world reshaped.
He now stood in a grand obsidian chamber, walls lined with murals of ancient villains: some tragic, others monstrous.
And in the center, a throne of bones.
[Trial of Corruption – Part Two: Rule the Forgotten Court.]
Priyanshu stepped forward, each footstep echoing with authority. This was his element—power in shadows, influence in silence.
He didn't fear corruption. He was the corruption refined—sharp, beautiful, and utterly untouchable.
The throne awaited.