I did not transfer, nor did the clone.

I did not must act, to start with, I would like to grasp what the hell is happening. I am in some Laughing Slaughterer’s pagoda, maybe his trial space the place he assessments the cultivation noobs for lack of a greater time period. And the primary take a look at is a battle towards one’s self, so I am going to must show that I could be higher than who I at the moment am to proceed ahead.

Proper, now, the clone will not be attacking, most likely ready for me to assault first, and if I have been to do it can begin the battle. I am not prepared but, I am going to want to remain my hand till I am positive of the whole lot round me. By beginning with the setting I discovered myself in.

An octagonal room, with a locked ceiling, and closed partitions, no home windows or doorways opened. Even the one behind me was tightly locked, and there have been no stairs to the subsequent room, so I must assume that when I defeat this man I am going to be capable to go to the subsequent stage.

Proper, assumptions apart, I am going to must know of 1 factor.

I pulled out my sword from behind me, and so did the clone, he pulled out the same Creeping Demise. Now that is dangerous. As a result of it signifies that no matter is powering this factor is able to replicating my stuff, so utilizing X is a giant no. I do not wish to face a duplicate of my very own puppet. Nor would I danger having my very own X battle towards the enemy’s X, in case mine will get ruined in a meaningless battle of attrition.

So, I figured that except I pull out one thing from my pockets, the enemy won’t have any prior data of the merchandise I personal. It will be finest if I stored my playing cards hidden. That is an unintended lesson I discovered.

So, how do I beat myself? Easy, by reducing my neck, I am bodily weak. Bodily weak in comparison with common cultivators thoughts you as I can simply dispose of some hundred mortals with out breaking a sweat.

However towards myself? I am not too eager on battling this copy, merely put, as a result of I already know the best way to defeat the clone. It is a take a look at to see if one is ready to come to perception in the midst of battle. As one would undoubtedly battle till the bitter finish towards themselves, and solely on this battle the place one is equally pitted towards his clone would one would perceive that except they got here to a brand new perception, a brand new killing transfer, or a brand new talent, that they might be capable to defeat the clone. As a result of solely by bettering oneself would one be capable to defeat their older self.

The thought settled in my thoughts and I used to be positive of it, this was the reply to this take a look at. But when I have been to battle and never come to a brand new perception of my battle prows, then I can be killed right here by a clone.

However what selection do I’ve? If I have been to remain my hand, wait then nothing will change, there is no such thing as a room to again down, and just one manner ahead. Then, show myself higher than myself is the one choice left for me.

I took a step ahead and so did the clone, then one other step, then the clone charged me, with way more velocity than I ever believed ‘myself’ succesful off. Nonetheless, the assault was predictable, an extended sword sweep that I might simply dodge if I have been to leap again.

But, doing so will certainly trigger me to be on the backhand, defensive stance. I do not wish to try this, if I have been to play this battle defensively then I will be pressured on the defensive from the beginning, and that is a recipe for catastrophe.

The sweep got here near lobbing my head off, however with a flick of my wrist, Creeping demise sprang to motion. Placing towards the size of the clone’s sword and parrying it with ease. A superb parry, I am impressed I managed it on the primary strive, however there was no want for me to be all giddy I am in the midst of battle.

I adopted up, reposting with one other flick of the sword, this time slicing on the clone’s wrist. The ripost was good, as I sliced the clone’s wrist, then I noticed one thing unusual. The clone’s wrist bled, however the blood on it was a transparent wholesome crimson.

I took a step again. A horrible transfer in any battle when one has the benefit, however I deemed this was one of the best transfer. Just because, I discovered a greater technique to defeating this enemy, particularly since what I noticed occurring proper in entrance of me proved that my motion to again off was one of the best plan of action I took.

The wrist on the clone healed at astonishing speeds. So, except I landed a demise blow, I’d have been caught in a battle of attrition towards an enemy that most likely can heal itself indefinity.

I took a deep breath and spat out my poison breath, to which, the enemy did the identical, spewing a strong gust of Poison in direction of me, the place I greedily smiled as I opened my mouth broad, gulping again my very own poison and the enemy.

The motion triggered the clone to frown and immediately act, because it opened its mouth to suck within the remaining poison.

Just for me to bawl out laughing, “Dumb fool.”

A press release that proved greater than true earlier than the clone started shuddering, shaking then outright melted in entrance of me in a puddle of corroded melted flesh.

“Magnificent show of talent!” the Laughing Slaughterer’s voice sounded loud and clear. This straightforward assertion was sufficient to point that this was an automatic response to the victor of this stage, and wasn’t an precise particular person watching and talking on to me. In any other case, they’re going to be asking what the hell simply occurred, or at the very least know that it had nothing to do with talent and simply luck.

The clone was product of human flesh and powered by some type of mechanism, additionally it was made in a manner that it will completely replicate the being that it was cloning. The one distinction that it did not totally copy the enemy’s inside physique. In any other case, I’d be going through a creature that was actually inflicted with the Bone and Physique Grinding Poison, as an alternative of simply the looks of the affliction such because the pustules and the tumors.

A big gap opened up on the ceiling the place a spiral case of stairs got here spinning down, permitting me entry to the higher flooring.

Then a small capsule bottle flew at me, it was quick sufficient that I did not notice it was in entrance of me till it was.

“Obtain your reward, costume your wounds and go to the second flooring, to your take a look at has but to finish!” the voice stated as soon as once more, additional confirming this was only a ‘recording’ in any case I wasn’t wounded to decorate any wounds.

I took the capsule bottle and opened it. A robust non secular scent assaulted my nostril, it was candy and potent. A mid-grade restorative capsule, however to me, it was extra like poison. Religious Tablets have been ineffective to me, and a restorative capsule will truly attempt to heal my affliction which is the poison plaguing me, however in doing so, it can actually destroy me from inside, or so I theorized, however I am higher off simply maintaining this as an alternative of throwing it just like the ineffective trash it’s.

As soon as I used to be on the second flooring, I noticed that the ground was barely smaller than the one I used to be on, nevertheless it did not take from the majesty of the pagoda. Solely, as an alternative of the none existent ornament on the decrease flooring, this one had a small desk with a teapot and a cup prepared.

“May is true! However what can one do towards inconceivable odds? Drink up cultivator and present me!”

The laughing Slaughterer’s voice sounded louder this time.

I sat down and gulped the cup’s content material in a single single movement. The poison god’s e book did not warn me that it was harmful, and if it had poison, then I am going to profit from it even.

However the drink truly triggered my imaginative and prescient to develop woozy and I discovered myself misplaced in a dreamlike state earlier than my eyes centered, the place I sat sporting leather-based armor. my naked arms, I noticed that I had a darkened pores and skin, for somebody who had toiled underneath the glare of the blazing solar excess of anybody ought to. This was not my physique. It was the physique of some soldier as I observed many others with the identical options. Although their faces have been blurred. I might see that they talked, laughed, and joked with one another, this was a scene from a battle maybe.

We have been in a desert-like setting, the place cliffs rose excessive above us as we have been shaded by their sheer dimension from the blaze of the scorching solar.

Tents have been pitched so far as my eye might see, however seeing from the ragged garments and armors of many of those troopers, even the lifeless and dying coming out and in of a number of the close by tents, I noticed that this might solely be the camp of a defeated military.

I walked away from the place I stood and took one other look at my surrounding.

We sat cradled between two excessive cliffs, and outdoors these cliffs was sand, reaching all the best way to the horizon. The cliffs round us stretched in an extended line again, the place many, many wounded troopers marched, slowly funneling away from the camp. Whereas the healthiest of the bunch remained standing the place we’re proper now.

Earlier than I puzzled why is not the entire camp shifting deeper between the cliffs, a person got here dashing in, as he roared out a warning.

“THE ENEMY IS UPON US! PREPARE FOR BATTLE!” the rider shouted, many times as he raced by way of the camp, waking everybody to a grim actuality.

Although I could not see anybody’s face, I might really feel the rising pressure, despair, and outright defeatist morality of the camp.

I used to be however a mere soldier on this battle, and I did not have my sword, nor my potential to make use of poison Qi, as I did not really feel my meridians irrespective of how exhausting I attempted to rotate my vitality.

‘Huh, again to being a mortal so quickly,’ I grimaced on the realization.

“Troopers! Rank up! Kind a line to carry the enemy! We’ll pave manner for the wounded to flee!” a person with a bristling voice known as, his voice booming by way of the camp in commandeering everybody into motion.

A bunch of troopers gathered up and lined up in entrance, the place the 2 cliffs stood as pure barricades, the troopers lined as much as defend the one entry level to the place we stood. A superb technique to restrict the variety of enemies we’ll be going through.

“Soldier!” a loud shout woke me from my stupor as the identical man who had known as everybody to line up was shouting at me.

Trying again, I noticed a person in barely extra ornate garments, a spherical helm protecting his face, and in considered one of his palms a spear that held a blue bloodied banner.

“Are you too scared to maneuver your ass! Present indicators of cowards and I am going to kill you myself earlier than you style the enemy’s metal!”

I nodded on the man and scurried ahead, lining up alongside the opposite troopers. So, we’re supposed to carry the enemy for the remainder of the camp to flee. Fairly determined, fairly silly, and outright suicidal.

The general public round me regarded rattled to their cores because the enemy was upon us. Tons of upon lots of of horses have been charging their manner towards us, and with such a flimsy-looking line of troopers to carry the road, I used to be sure that we’ll be overrun with the primary cavalry cost.

Now, I am fairly positive this very take a look at was not tailor-made in direction of somebody comparable to me. This was a take a look at for the battle-hungry, sword-happy swinging martial artist who will use their abilities in slaughtering as lots of the enemy troopers as they will. It is a take a look at of martial abilities, of which I did not have a lot data.

And since I did not have any martial abilities to talk of, then I am undoubtedly screwed.

God, I want if I might run together with the nonetheless scurrying troopers ‘unfit’ to carry the road. Preventing right here is outright suicide, and backing away is desertion, rewarded with instantaneous demise delivered by the captain himself.

I am too outdated for this shit…