NOVEL ONLINE FREE Chapter 21: Chapter 21 The Glacier Citadel Ambush
Recap:
After triumphing in a sacred duel against Mei Ling from the Emberlight Sect, Long Tianyu discovers the location of the Fifth Chain, hidden deep within the Vault Glacier Citadel. But as secrets begin to unravel, he learns that the chain not only seals ancient power but also Jilung's twin. Now, Tianyu is heading north into treacherous, icy lands, completely unaware that Ren Feilong and the Vault Sect are lying in wait, armed with the deadly Soul-Mirror Blade.
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The skies above the Northern Wastes were a dreary slate gray as Tianyu's airship sliced through the Vault territory.
The cold wasn't just a physical sensation; it gnawed at his spirit shields and Qi flows. Below, the Vault Glacier Citadel loomed into view: a colossal fortress made of crystal ice, shaped by spiritual frost and elemental mastery.
It rested atop the remains of ten forgotten sects, now entombed beneath glaciers that never thawed.
Qin Yao shivered.
"This place reeks of blood."
Long Shen nodded in agreement.
"This is where the Vault carried out its earliest soul experiments. Some of their creations are still... alive."
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> [Location Reached: Vault Glacier Citadel Frozen Sect Graveyard]
> Chain Status: Locked by Triple Seal Soul, Ice, and Blood
> Warning: Enemy presence detected. Ambush probability 92%
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Tianyu didn't hesitate.
"I'll break the chain. Hold the line if they come."
As he descended toward the Heart of Ice, where the Fifth Chain was sealed, flames began to swirl around his boots, melting the frost in circular patterns.
But just before he reached the base chamber, the ice cracked.
A mirror of flame flickered into existence in the air.
Then, Ren Feilong stepped out.
Not a projection.
Not a puppet.
It was him, fully armed.
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> [Boss Encounter: Ren Feilong - Vault Flame Twin]
> Weapon Equipped: Soul-Mirror Blade (Reflects spiritual weaknesses)
>Modifier Active: Glacier Territory Flame Aura Suppressed
Ren Feilong smirked.
So, the exile makes his return.
Tianyu stood firm.
You've always been the embodiment of this world's fears.
And you've always been the unattainable dream.
They clashed.
Ren's blade sparkled like glass.
It didn't just slice; it reflected.
Every move Tianyu made, Ren countered with precision.
When Tianyu executed his Ashen Sovereign Step, Ren mirrored it flawlessly.
When Tianyu unleashed Water-Flame Harmony, the reflection absorbed his water aspect and amplified the flame's backlash.
Tianyu gritted his teeth.
> [Condition Update: Mirror Feedback Causing Internal Qi Reversal]
Qin Yao tried to break through the icy dome that surrounded them.
But this was a soul duel, sealed by the Vault.
Tianyu coughed up blood.
Ren Feilong laughed.
You can't defeat yourself. That's the lesson of the mirror.
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1
But Tianyu wasn't finished.
He closed his eyes and smiled.
You're not my reflection.
Ren hesitated.
What?
Tianyu raised his hands and unleashed something entirely new—not a skill, not a technique, but a choice:
He let go of every flame move Ren had learned to imitate.
Instead, he called forth something deeper—the Sign-In Flame, a formless, primordial essence earned only through unique system events.
> [Hidden Power Activated: Origin Sign-In Flame Cannot Be Reflected]
Tianyu ignited the air with pure creative energy.
The Soul-Mirror shattered.
Ren staggered back, screaming as the mirror blade turned against him.
> [Soul Reflection Broken Boss Immunity Cancelled]
With one powerful strike, Tianyu's fist connected directly with the mirrored flame core.
The blade splintered.
Ren was hurled across the glacier, buried beneath a pile of frozen debris.
---
The chain chamber swung open.
Inside, a swirling vortex of frozen souls danced around the jagged spine of the Fifth Chain, linked to the heart of the glacier.
Tianyu stepped forward, feeling the Flameborn Key pulse in his hand.
> [Fifth Chain Severed]
> Vault Suppression Barrier Falling System Lockdown Lifted for 48 Hours
> New Ability Gained: Mirror Resistance + Soul Flame Memory Slot Unlocked
---
As the fortress shook, a final whisper drifted from the sealed chamber:
> Jilung's twin is awake.
Tianyu turned to leave.
But behind him, a second flame flickered. Not Ren's.
It was his own face, twisted and forged from ice.
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Teaser for Chapter 22:
A shadow born from Tianyu's repressed past begins to stir. Meanwhile, the Vault unlocks a realm that has been sealed even before Jilung's rise—the Abyss of Origin, a place where no sign-in has ever taken place, and where Tianyu must venture next.