Heavenly Genius

Lin Xiao rushed towards his shadow with all his might, igniting his inner energy, but just as he was about to strike, the shadow suddenly disappeared and appeared behind him.

"Too slow…"

Before Lin Xiao could react, he received a powerful punch to his back that made him retreat backwards. The blow carried a cold energy, as if it had drained a portion of his inner strength.

"What is this?" He muttered as he quickly got up, but he felt a strange weakness in his body.

The shadow laughed faintly. "The more you fight me, the stronger I will become and you will become weaker."

Lin Xiao's eyes narrowed, and he realized that this was not just a physical fight, but a spiritual struggle. The shadow was not just a copy of him, but rather represented all of his fears and weaknesses.

"Then… you really have to face yourself."

He took a deep breath, trying to calm his thoughts. A random attack was useless. He began to recall his training, how he learned to control his emotions, how he used his inner energy to focus.

When the shadow rushed towards him again, he did not retreat this time. Instead, he closed his eyes, sensing the energy around him.

"A shadow cannot exist without light."

At the last moment, he opened his eyes and swerved his body, easily dodging the attack. Then, with one focused strike, he released a bright energy that struck the shadow straight in the heart.

The shadow cried out in a frightening voice, slowly fading away.

Before disappearing, he said in a low voice, "You won this time… but a shadow never disappears."

Everything around him disappeared, and Lin Xiao returned to find himself standing in front of the gate of true power.

The Grand Elder was silently watching him, then smiled and said, "You have passed the test… but this is just the beginning of your path to true power."