Chapter 339: The Preliminary Completion of the Soul Heart! The Strange Mirror Realm!

Chapter 339: The Preliminary Completion of the Soul Heart! The Strange Mirror Realm!

Under the scorching sun that was not overly hot but still quite dazzling, the street in front of the All-Spirit Heart was being renovated. The construction, aided by machines and Companion Beasts, had made significant progress in less than two months, with more than half of the work already completed.

Four figures emerged from the main entrance of the All-Spirit Heart, crossed the road, and arrived at a specially constructed large gate on the side of the road. They looked up at the gate, which was distinct from the other buildings under construction, including the Dream Heart Experience Hall.

The gate's sign was a large, dark red plaque with only three characters: "Soul Heart."

"That guy with the surname Bai is quite efficient, isn't he?" Li Shu said.

Beside him were Ding Xiaolong, Zhao Qingqing, and Guan Lilili, all of whom were currently in the All-Spirit Heart. Li Shu was familiar with the place, having visited several times before. The other three, however, were visiting for the first time.

"This is the Soul Heart?" Ding Xiaolong asked, having gained a general understanding of the All-Spirit Heart over the past two days.

After learning about the scale of the All-Spirit Heart, even the proud and talented Breeder Ding Xiaolong couldn't help but admire Su Ping's ambition. Developing such a large number of Companion Beast bases was not something that could be done with just money.

As for the Soul Heart, which was dedicated to breeding Undead Attribute Companion Beasts, Ding Xiaolong was curious.

Li Shu, as a senior figure, naturally took on the role of introducer: "Su Ping's plan is to use this place not only to breed and raise Undead Attribute Companion Beasts but also to operate activities like Haunted Houses and Survival Activities. This will provide new experiences for visitors and keep the Undead Attribute Companion Beasts active. A large part of the construction has been completed, and Su Ping has been busy with it for the past few days."

Zhao Qingqing and Ding Xiaolong nodded, pushed open the gate of the Soul Heart, and entered.

As they walked in, a young man with glasses and a pale complexion, likely due to lack of sunlight, greeted them with a smile: "You've arrived. Su Ping asked me to tell you to go to the inner breeding room of the Zombie Graveyard and the Puppet Spirit Temple. He has something to discuss with you."

White Cang, the young man, quickly spoke up. He was grateful for this opportunity, as becoming a Breeder in this world was a prestigious profession that offered a chance to rise above others.

White Cang had previously worked as an intern Breeder and designer at the Ghost Dragon Breeding Base in the Imperial City, waiting for an opportunity like this. He had been preparing for this chance, and it was evident from his pale and gaunt face that he had been working hard.

"What's going on? What has Su Ping been busy with these past two days?" Li Shu asked.

White Cang shook his head: "I don't know, but Su Ping will be busy for a while. Why don't you take a look around the Soul Heart while you wait? He'll call us when he's ready."

The four of them exchanged glances, and except for Zhao Qingqing, they were all interested.

"Okay, but don't be late for the main event," Li Shu said.

The five of them, including White Cang, became the first batch of visitors to the Soul Heart, which was still under construction. As they walked, White Cang led them to a monorail car at the back of the Soul Heart.

The two monorail cars, one for entering and one for exiting, traveled through a dark and deep tunnel, reminiscent of urban legends about the last subway train. The only light came from the two cars, which emitted a faint, crimson glow, making it seem like a monster with its mouth open, waiting for its prey.

Action: - A train with blood-red lights, like a passage to hell.

- The four of them stood on the train, looking at the station signboard beside them:

'Bloody Station - Death Wheat Field - Graveyard Shrine - Mortuary Elementary School - Shadow World (Preliminary Completion) - Pyramid (Incomplete) - Ghost Castle (Incomplete) - Third Psychiatric Hospital (Incomplete) - Hell Entrance (Incomplete)...'

- "Old Bai, your speed doesn't seem to be up to par either? So many unfinished ones, are you just giving Ping Ge a false promise?" Li Shu looked at these titles and pouted.

- Bai Cang helplessly scratched his head, "Some of the settings require the addition of some special Companion Beasts, and some are mainly for the service of these Undead-type Companion Beasts. These Companion Beasts have not been placed yet, and there are also some scenes that require Su Ping's approval to continue."

- "Okay, but what about the first three, have you finished them?"

- After receiving an affirmative answer, the group of five people watched as the eerie train slowly started moving in the pitch-black tunnel, quickly heading forward.

- In less than ten minutes, the train suddenly stopped.

- The other four, who were not fully prepared, were momentarily caught off guard by the sudden halt after the high-speed movement.

- "Death Wheat Field, please prepare the tourists to get off!" The cold announcement sounded, and the doors opened. The five of them stepped down.

- Compared to the Soul Heart station, this place was outdoors.

- In the middle of nowhere, with no villages or shops in sight, the sunlight in the sky was still bright, but in this place where human traces were scarce, it felt like a completely opposite world from the one they had just left, which was filled with traces of human industrial civilization.

- In front of them was a world composed of golden wheat fields.

- Just a glance was enough to make them feel like they were in the midst of an autumn harvest.

- However, in the wheat field, among the wheat stalks that were nearly one and a half to two meters tall, there seemed to be something rustling within, making people's hair stand on end.

- "This is the Death Wheat Field. It covers an area of about ten square kilometers. Although it's not very big, there are quite a few suggestive arrangements, and there may be some additional resources that affect spiritual judgment later on. It's impossible to enter and discern directions, making it difficult to find your way out of this Death Wheat Field.

- It mainly consists of the failed variant of the ordinary-grade resource 'Large Leaf Yellow Wheat', which has little use other than its fast growth and ability to rapidly recover even when cut down.

- "There are also quite a few Undead-type Companion Beasts made of straw here." Bai Cang explained with a smile.

- The other four nodded.

- "We'll just take a look around, no need to go in."

- The four didn't refuse, but Ding Xiaolong, looking at the wheat field, was eager to try it out and felt a bit disappointed upon hearing this.

- Places like this required a lot of preparation, such as safety equipment and game rules.

- Since it wasn't open yet, Bai Cang took the four of them to see the results.

- After a turn, they boarded the train again.

- This time, they didn't go to the next stop, the Graveyard Shrine, but instead headed to Mortuary Elementary School.

- Compared to the previous Death Wheat Field, Mortuary Elementary School was a very traditional school-like scene, mainly inhabited by low-rank wraith Companion Beasts, divided into different grades. It was the Undead-type Companion Beast that Soul Heart had purchased the most, nearly two hundred of them!

- However, compared to other Undead-type Companion Beasts, wraiths were easier to manage. By placing some resources and tools that restrained spiritual Undead-type Companion Beasts in the surroundings, they could be controlled within a certain range.

- Moreover, these low-rank Undead-type Companion Beasts were not very intelligent, and they seemed to have taken Mortuary Elementary School as their home during this period.

- After another round of introductions, there wasn't much else to say.

- Finally, the five of them arrived at their final destination.

- "This Shadow World is a bit different from the previous ones! It's not fully completed yet, and unlike the previous scenes, this one might have some real issues.

- The main idea is to create a special scene with the Marquis-grade Tool Beast 'Reflection Mirror' and the Elite-grade Undead-type Companion Beast 'Mirror Demon' as the main components!

- There are already a few genuine Reflection Mirrors, which were sent by Miss Dong, but the Mirror Demons have yet to arrive."

- As Bai Cang explained, the five of them entered a bizarre place that seemed to be made up of countless mirrors.

- Within, countless reflections of themselves formed, making it hard to discern reality from illusion.

- "The Reflection Mirror not only can reflect the shadows of Companion Beasts and people in front of it, but it also has a powerful skill. As a basic space-type Tool Beast, the Reflection Mirror can create a partial Mirror World, allowing people to enter it unknowingly, which is extremely eerie and terrifying.

- The Mirror Demon, as a special Undead-type Companion Beast born from the Reflection Mirror, can travel through mirrors. Although its combat power is average, its ability to startle is definitely not to be underestimated."

Action: Bai Cang chuckled, knowing this was undoubtedly his masterpiece.

He had envisioned it before at the Ghost Dragon Breeding Base.

In fact, even the current configuration before him wasn't the highest-end setup he had imagined! The Reflection Mirror, as a rare Space-type Companion Beast among Lord-grade Artifact-type Companion Beasts, had immense potential!

It could even be promoted to become a Holy-grade Reflection Mirror with Imperial-rank potential. If an Imperial-rank Reflection Mirror were placed within, this Shadow World would truly become an indistinguishable intersection between reality and the Mirror World.

Of course, there was also the legendary Heavens Reflection Mirror of the Holy-grade, but Bai Cang's imagination was limited by his own cognition.

So, after Bai Cang's introduction, an unexpected event occurred that went beyond everyone's imagination.

"Lord-grade?"

With these words, the four people in the room became cautious.

For them, the highest rank among these five young people was only Ding Xiaolong and Zhao Qingqing's Elite Peak. If there were indeed a few Lord-grade Reflection Mirrors, it would be truly dangerous.

Seeing their cautious expressions, Bai Cang smiled slightly:

"Don't worry, although Artifact-type Companion Beasts are still Companion Beasts, they don't have much individual personality. As long as you don't actively threaten them, they won't bother you! Furthermore, the Reflection Mirror was sent by Miss Dong with specific instructions, so there won't be any issues."

Upon hearing this, the group breathed a slight sigh of relief. Li Shu looked at the corridor filled with mirrors, feeling a headache from the reflections. He quickly spoke up:

"Alright, alright, we've seen enough. Let's go, we don't want to keep Ping Brother waiting. Old Bai, do you remember the way out?"

This Shadow Maze was like a real labyrinth, making it impossible to distinguish one area from another. Li Shu was now wary of underestimating this 'fellow' again.

This guy might be as good at flattering as himself, but designing such a sinister contraption was no small feat.

Bai Cang chuckled and took out an electronic map. As the designer, he obviously had a backup plan. After glancing at the map's location, he said:

"Okay, follow me."

Ten minutes later, the group of five stared at the corridor with mirror corners, looking at Bai Cang with suspicion.

Bai Cang blinked, slightly taken aback, scratching his head: "Hmm? Did I mark it wrong? No, I remember it being in this direction."

"It should be around here, let's search for it." Zhao Qingqing said.

"Hey, haven't you guys watched horror movies? Splitting up in small groups is a sure way to die!" Guan Lilili spoke up weakly, causing everyone in the room to laugh:

"Guan, you have a Necromancer right beside you. What are you afraid of?"

Li Shu smiled and patted his not-so-broad chest:

"That's right, if Lilili is scared, just stay with me. Brother will protect your safety. What's there to fear from these broken mirrors? Haha!"

"Yeah, and this is Bai Ge's own design. It's just a broken instrument." Ding Xiaolong, who was nearby, also spoke.

"Alright, let's split up and search." Zhao Qingqing also felt helpless.

She had no interest in the Mirror World and only came because Li Shu wanted to see it with Bai Cang. What truly mattered to her was Su Ping asking them to come.

It wouldn't be good to be late.

"Sister Qingqing, I'll go with you." Guan Lilili quickly grabbed Zhao Qingqing's sleeve.

She was genuinely afraid of these places and things.

"Alright, just shout when you find it. This Shadow Maze looks big, but as long as we don't go too far, it should be fine."

Li Shu agreed, "Okay, I'll go first. Wah wah wah, Lilili, if I don't come back, you must notify Ping Brother to come and save me, hahaha!"

Before leaving, he couldn't resist teasing Guan Lilili, who was standing beside him.

However, she was already used to his behavior and gave him a cold look: "I hope you get caught by ghosts!"

Li Shu took the lead and entered a nearby corridor, also made of mirrors.

"Li Shu took the lead and entered a nearby corridor, also made of mirrors."

Li Shu walked into a nearby corridor made of mirrors. He couldn't help but think: "Old Bai is just an Elite-rank Beastmaster, and this is just a Haunted House he designed. What's there to be afraid of? The Reflection Mirror isn't even activated yet. What a little girl..."

But after walking for a full two minutes, Li Shu couldn't find any trace of an exit and became impatient: "Is Old Bai sick or something? Getting trapped by his own design? And he still wants to be Ping Brother's student? Could he be doing this on purpose, wanting us to test the effects of this Shadow World?"

Li Shu shook his head as he walked, touching the mirror walls with his hands to determine which were real and which were reflections.

However, his hand soon relaxed.

The cold mirror surface he had just touched was gone.

Li Shu looked around and scratched his head: "Didn't I walk past here before? Is this a fork in the road?"

But when he extended his arm, there was indeed nothing there.

This place, filled with mirrors and reflections, was too difficult for people to distinguish between reality and illusion. Unfortunately, Li Shu couldn't summon his Companion Beast, as it was Ping Brother's territory, and he didn't want to cause any damage.

Li Shu didn't think much and directly followed the path, taking a step forward and entering the fork in the road.

The world composed of mirrors seemed to be endless, and after walking for several minutes, Li Shu began to feel that something was off.

"Hey! Have you guys found the exit?"

There was no response, only the sound of echoes in the mirror corridor.

Aside from the silence, the only sound was the soft hum of silence, like the sound of a needle falling.

There was no response, no footsteps, only Li Shu's increasingly heavy breathing and heartbeat.

Li Shu turned his head, and in the countless mirrors, it seemed that numerous versions of himself were looking back at him.

He clearly saw his own panicked and terrified expression reflected in the mirrors.

However, Li Shu still managed to force a smile: "Stop joking, Guan Mei! Where are you?"

"Old Bai!"

"Qing Jie!"

"Newbie!"

There was no response in the cold, mirror-filled world.

Li Shu looked around, and without thinking, he wanted to summon his Beast.

At this point, he didn't care if it would destroy the mirror world.

It was obvious that something was off!

But what made him even colder was that his soul-bound Beast, Songzi, and his second contract Beast, Lin Lang, didn't respond.

What was going on?

What was this place?

Li Shu finally panicked, and the countless reflections in the mirrors made him feel like he had ants on his back. Especially when he turned to look, the walls of the mirror maze reflected his terrified expression so vividly.

Run!

At this point, Li Shu's only instinct was to run.

Run!

The countless reflections behind him seemed to become strange, Undead Attribute Beasts, and Li Shu ran, with the reflections chasing after him.

Fortunately, Li Shu hadn't completely lost his mind, and he relied on his memory to navigate the path he took earlier.

Especially the strange place he encountered earlier, he remembered that there was no path at the fork in the road.

Was it there?

Yes, it was there!

Li Shu panted and ran towards that direction, although he wasn't sure, but at this point, hope was the most important thing.

His memory was excellent, and although the maze was confusing, he had only walked for a few minutes.

Finally, Li Shu felt that he was getting closer.

As he turned a corner, Li Shu's lifted heart finally returned to his stomach.

Because at the end of the road, he saw two familiar figures.

At that moment, Guan Li Li and Zhao Qing Qing's figures seemed so familiar and warm, and the past few minutes seemed so long:

"Guan Mei, Qing Jie?"

He waved his hand, but strangely, the two figures at the end of the road seemed to not see him.

His footsteps slowed down, and when he was less than three meters away from the two figures, Li Shu stretched out his hand.

With a loud thud, his fingers seemed to hit something, and the two figures in front of him seemed to be separated from him by an invisible barrier.

He even heard their conversation.

"This Li Shu, where did he run off to?"

"He's not responding, even when we call him. White Brother has already found the exit, what is he doing in here?"

Guan Li Li snorted:

"I know him. He's definitely waiting to scare me. He's always like this when he's not cultivating his Beast. Ping Ge has told him off countless times. I say we just leave him and go. When the time comes, let Ping Ge teach him a lesson."

"Su Breeder is waiting for us. This guy is really bad at timing."

Zhao Qing Qing looked annoyed.

However, the two girls seemed to not see Li Shu, who was standing right in front of them, looking at them with a terrified and desperate expression.

"I'm right here, I'm right here... stop joking... Ping Ge is waiting for us..."

Li Shu shouted until he was hoarse, but the two girls didn't even glance at him, passing by the corner and continuing on their way.

The two figures disappeared from sight.

Li Shu sat down powerlessly, and the countless reflections around him did the same, as if mocking his powerlessness and retaliating against his earlier disdain for them.

Li Shu had no time to care about the reflections around him.

At that moment, he finally realized something:

He seemed to have entered the world within the mirror...

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end