Chapter 37: Mirror Image

The laboratory's ventilation ducts were narrow and filthy; Zhang Jun writhed forward like a snake. His Yin-Yang Eye glowed black and gold in the darkness, clearly seeing the fork ahead and the hidden infrared sensor at the corner.

"Isolation Chamber 37 should be in this direction."

Zhang Jun dodged the final laser beam, gently removed the vent grille, and slipped silently into the dim laboratory.

The isolation chamber stood in the center of the room, surrounded by various monitoring equipment and support systems. Inside the semi‑transparent liquid floated a human silhouette—his clone.

Zhang Jun held his breath and slowly approached. The figure inside the chamber suddenly opened its eyes, locking gazes with Zhang Jun.

"Finally I've waited for you, son."

That sound came through the liquid and glass, yet was astonishingly clear. Zhang Jun shuddered all over.

"Dad?"

The figure inside the chamber gave a slight nod; its face resembled Zhang Tiangang from memory by seventy percent, yet also bore some of Zhang Jun's own features.

"There's no time to explain much." Zhang Tiangang's voice was urgent yet steady, "Help me open this chamber; the password is your birth year and month."

Zhang Jun entered the code quickly; the isolation chamber emitted a faint hum, and the liquid began to drain.

"Back then I was driven to desperation by the Extraterrestrial Spirit; the only option was to upload my consciousness into this clone." Zhang Tiangang spoke while pulling out the tubes attached to him, "On the surface I was Long Tianba's assistant, but in reality I had been sabotaging their plans from within."

"All these years, you've been right under my nose?"

"They thought I was controlled, but my consciousness is far stronger than they imagined." Zhang Tiangang slipped on the nearby lab coat, moving swiftly, "The Spirit Consciousness Bridge is about to fully activate; we must stop it."

"Lin Xue went to save her mother; Lin Xue's mother is responsible for sabotaging the control system."

Zhang Tiangang's expression shifted abruptly: "Lin Yuehua is going to sabotage the control system? No, we must stop her immediately!"

"What's wrong?"

"The Spirit Consciousness Seed inside Lin Yuehua wasn't activated today; she's been completely controlled all along! This is a trap!"

Lin Xue carefully passed through the main laboratory; her Ice Soul Power flickered at her fingertips, easily freezing the surveillance cameras into dysfunction. At the center of the Pyramid Energy Device, Zhang Yuyao was bound by purple energy chains, appearing to be in a semi‑conscious state.

"Auntie, I've come to rescue you!"

Lin Xue reached out to touch the energy barrier; her Ice Soul Power canceled the purple energy, tearing open a gap.

"What a touching mother‑daughter reunion. Too bad you'll never know who the real enemy is."

A voice came from behind; Lin Xue whirled around—Zhao Wushuang stood at the lab entrance, smirking. He raised his hand, and Lin Yuehua stepped out of the shadows, her eyes completely veiled in purple, her body emanating a strange energy fluctuation.

"Mom? What's wrong with you?"

Before Lin Xue could finish speaking, Lin Yuehua lunged forward, a palm strike of purple energy aimed straight at her face! Lin Xue barely dodged, staring in disbelief at her mother, who seemed like a different person.

"The Spirit Consciousness Seed has completely consumed her consciousness." Zhao Wushuang leaned lazily against the wall, "In fact she never betrayed the Extraterrestrial Spirit; all these years she's been our most loyal spy."

Lin Xue roared, her Ice Soul Power erupting instantly, jagged ice spikes sprouting from the ground. Lin Yuehua neither dodged nor evaded; her body twisted bizarrely, avoiding every attack.

"Useless; she's no longer human now."

As Lin Xue and Lin Yuehua fought, an even more shocking scene unfolded—Zhang Yuyao, previously trapped, suddenly opened her eyes; the purple energy chains binding her released themselves as if obeying a command. She stepped down from the suspension device, a strange smile on her face.

"Little girl of the Lin family, thank you for helping me break the final seal." Zhang Yuyao's voice was icy and unfamiliar.

Zhang Jun and Zhang Tiangang broke through the laboratory defenses all the way, father and son working in perfect sync, their Yin‑Yang Power combined seamlessly with Zhang Tiangang's vast combat experience.

"We have to reach the main control room; that's where the key device to interrupt the Spirit Consciousness Bridge is!" Zhang Tiangang fended off attacking security personnel while explaining, "Every person controlled by the Extraterrestrial Spirit carries a Spirit Consciousness Seed inside, and all those seeds link to the main entity—the Spirit Master!"

The two rushed into the central control room, but the sight before them made Zhang Jun feel as if he'd fallen into an ice cave—Lin Xue was restrained by Lin Yuehua, unable to move. Meanwhile Zhang Yuyao stood before the control console, her fingers dancing across the holographic keyboard.

"Son, come help Mother finish the final ritual." Zhang Yuyao turned, her smile holding an indescribable eeriness.

"You're not my mother!" Zhang Jun instinctively stepped back.

Zhang Tiangang stepped forward: "You've finally shown your true face, Spirit Master."

"Zhang Tiangang, this memory fragment of yours is truly tenacious." The Spirit Master masquerading as Zhang Yuyao sneered, "Twenty years ago I should have wiped you out completely!"

"What was really imprisoned twenty years ago wasn't Zhang Yuyao, but you—the leader of the Extraterrestrial Spirit!" Zhang Tiangang glared at his opponent, "You used Zhang Yuyao's appearance as a perfect disguise, making even Long Tianba merely your pawn!"

"Where is the real Zhang Yuyao?!" Zhang Jun demanded.

"Perhaps in another dimension, maybe still alive, maybe long gone—who knows." The Spirit Master idly fiddled with the control console, "Anyway, it's already too late."

The entire building suddenly shuddered violently; the exterior walls' glass glowed purple, turning into a massive energy collector. Above the city, the purple vortex spun faster and faster, a blinding white light appearing at its center.

"The Dimensional Gate has opened; my kin are descending!" The Spirit Master laughed maniacally, "Human emotional energy will become our nourishment; this planet will become our pasture!"

At that moment, Zhang Jun's Yin‑Yang Power surged out of control like a tide toward his left arm. He gasped to find his arm beginning to glow, mysterious runes faintly visible beneath the skin.

"This is…"

"The Yin‑Yang Mark!" Zhang Tiangang exclaimed, "It's the last resort I left in your bloodline!"

Lin Xue also noticed the same symbols appearing on her arm, an icy‑blue glow resonating with Zhang Jun's gold‑black intertwined light.

"Wake her up, Zhang Jun!" Zhang Tiangang shouted, "Awaken your mother's consciousness! She resides within that body, coexisting with the Spirit Master!"

Zhang Jun's left eye was as black as ink, his right eye blazing gold; his Yin‑Yang Eye perceived the truth invisible to ordinary eyes—within the Spirit Master there was indeed another faint light, that of his mother's consciousness!

"Mom!" Zhang Jun called, his inner Yin‑Yang Power surging forth, "I know you can hear me—fight alongside me!"

The Spirit Master clutched his head in pain, his body convulsing violently, as if two consciousnesses were vying for dominance. Lin Xue seized the moment to break free from Lin Yuehua's control, her Ice Soul Power condensing into an ice spear that pierced the purple crystal in Lin Yuehua's chest.

"Sorry, Mom." Lin Xue wept tears streaming down her face.

The instant the purple crystal shattered, the purple light in Lin Yuehua's eyes faded, restoring her clarity. She weakly nodded to her daughter, then turned and rushed toward the control console.

"I'll shut down the Spirit Consciousness Bridge!"

Above the city, the purple vortex began to flicker unstably; the Dimensional Gate wavered between opening and closing. The Spirit Master emitted a non‑human shriek, charging toward Lin Yuehua.

Zhang Tiangang stepped in the middle: "Your era is over!"