"This... is the special ability granted to you by the Divine Mirror?"
Chenyinzi sensed a divine abnormality from the Sword Eyes on An Jing’s forehead. It was not something external, but an ability that looked inward.
Every disciple recognized by the Bright Mirror Sect can receive a unique special ability from the Bright Mirror Sect. Much like how everyone in the Taiming Sect can command ghosts and manipulate Yin Ming Spirit Fiends; everyone in the Huangyang Sect can control wind and water, summoning waves; Bright Mirror Sect martial artists have an exceptionally powerful Inner Observation ability, providing great benefits for healing internal injuries, speeding up cultivation, and learning the skills of creation.
The true transmission and some excellent Inner Sect disciples can even be granted the divine skill "Bright Mirror Bright Shape" by the Divine Mirror.
Of course, this is just the basics. Those who excel and can attract the direct gaze of the Heavenly Mirror Shard will receive a unique special ability — Mingguang Dust topped the Five Sects Great Competition and gained the favor of the Divine Mirror. His "Mirror Self" divine skill was greatly enhanced, allowing cultivation feedback to himself, effectively halving his Quiet Cultivation time while leaving ample time to seek resources.
So, what special ability did An Jing receive this time?
An Jing was quite curious as well. Though this ability was activated by the Heavenly Mirror Shard, it also combined his own True Spirit Eye and Subdue Evil’s Sword Eyes, making it extraordinarily strong.
He tried to activate it and immediately felt his Fate Pattern being triggered. Among them, the most active Taibai star slightly leaped, and a phantom started to condense behind An Jing.
The phantom seemed to be shattered and sliced by layers of swords yet fiercely pieced together. Though due to the fluctuating light and shadow, its appearance was unclear, everyone knew it was An Jing himself, only with an even more resolute and ferocious spirit, reminiscent of a lone wolf surviving in the midst of a bloody battlefield, walking the world with a single blade, a blood-soaked wanderer in the Mounts and Seas.
This soul-bound fate-patterned phantom, detached from An Jing’s body, had glittering eyes that shone like blades and swords, intolerable to direct gaze.
Seeing this scene, Chenyinzi exclaimed instinctively, but soon realized something was off: "Wait, this is not the normal Mirror Self, nor a typical avatar..."
However, with one sweep, An Jing discovered more.
Behind Chenyinzi, there was a faint glimpse of sun rays, radiating glory indescribably.
Strange Fate Pattern "Sunshine Thunder Gate"
It had reached its limit, ready to transform into a Divine Mandate, only lacking a miracle.
As for Lord Cheng Guang...
An Jing looked towards him, why did this Heavenly Lord seem to have no imposing presence—because it was merely a phantom of mirror light, not even a proper Mirror Self, but with solid matter. It was evident that Lord Cheng Guang had cultivated many skills to an incredible extent within the Bright Mirror Sect.
Yet even so, An Jing could vaguely perceive a deity phantom riding the cloud Qi and commanding a Dragon God.
Divine Mandate "Miao Gu She Mountain Immortal"
This was the true Divine Mandate of Ancient Ancestor Cheng Guang.
An Jing’s special ability manifested fully in his strength.
"Life Observation Eyes"
Inwardly, it could materialize a Fate Pattern avatar, which can carry a cultivation skill. An Jing could offer cultivation to it, promote its operation, and deepen comprehension and proficiency in the skill.
An ultimate Inner Observation method based on the Son of Heaven Method, True Spirit Eye, and the Heavenly Mirror abilities amalgamated.
Although it could not cultivate on its own and needed An Jing to provide Fiendish Qi, An Jing had an abundance of Fiendish Qi without means to utilize, needing more time to improve proficiency, making this ability ideal for him.
Outwardly, it was straightforward: An Jing could directly discern others’ Fate Patterns, as long as his strength and status were sufficient.
However, An Jing himself possessed a Heavenly Mandate, making it rare to find Fate Patterns beyond his recognition. Even other Heavenly Mandates could sense An Jing as one upon failing to hide from him.
As An Jing detected the Divine Mandate of the Heavenly Lord, Lord Cheng Guang, who had been silently observing, suddenly lit up his eyes. He stepped forward, patted An Jing’s shoulder, making both An Jing and Chenyinzi simultaneously vanish.
Bright Mirror Sect Cave Heaven.
Deep in the dark depths of the Cave Heaven, a deity phantom sat cross-legged in the void, exuding a multi-colored radiance of black, white, red, blue, and yellow, deeply profound and infinitely expansive, dazzling and brilliant.
As he breathed, his breath condensed in the void, forming clouds and water patterns. Amidst the cloud waves and water tides, green butterflies surged out, dreamlike, increasingly numerous, to the point of boundlessness.
The endless butterflies, like tides and wind, seemed to fill the entire void Cave Heaven, gathering to form divine beasts, celestial pavilions, bright and splendid as golden and jade palaces, transforming into oceans and clifftops, forested wilderness, ancient and vast lands.
The sun and moon rose and set, the sky wide and the earth broad.
Thunder rumbled, rivers flowed east.
A world was being nurtured into existence, born of a dream.
Mirror reflects my heart, my heart mirrors the dream.
Reality and illusion intertwined, which is true and which is false? Creating worlds from dreams, glimpsing heavens from thoughts.
Apart from the Butterfly Dream Mountains and Seas created by the deity, there were several other similar regions within the Cave Heaven, but those areas were lifeless, naturally shaped by creation, not man-created Cave Heavens.
At this moment, the deity opened his eyes, looking at his palm.
An Jing and Chenyinzi appeared in his hand.
Bright Mirror Sect’s Supreme Elder, the pillar supporting this ancient sect, a Pure Yang martial artist nearing the end of his lifespan, Cheng Guang Shenyou Heavenly Lord spoke aloud: [This is the core of the foundational Cave Heaven of our Bright Mirror Sect, a world of its own, even the Heavenly Ancestor Lingxiao and the Three-Life Divine Mirror cannot pry into it,]
His voice was neither loud nor soft, akin to a breeze by the ear, like mountain springs flowing naturally into the heart: [I neither deceive you nor oppress you. You are a disciple of the Bright Mirror Sect, this fact cannot be changed, it is set in stone]
[Therefore, I must ask you]
With downcast eyes, the deity’s clear and bright gaze met the young martial artist’s.
[Are you the Heavenly Mandate?]
An Jing met the Heavenly Lord’s eyes.
It was his first time facing a Heavenly Lord of the Daoist Palace Pure Yang realm directly, confronting one at the pinnacle among all heavens and worlds, capable of determining the future of realms and countless people.
He loathed lying, he refused to lie, and he understood that this moment was the perfect opportunity.
Thus, An Jing smiled, amidst Chenyinzi’s astonished and incredulous gaze, spoke the truth.
The true transmission disciple of the Bright Mirror Sect, the handler of Mingguang Peak, disciple of Mingguang Dust, a young martial artist eager to walk towards the future through the Bright Mirror Sect, calmly stated: "I am the Heavenly Mandate."