Chapter 93: Evelyn’s Fatal Curiosity

When Shadow Transformation was combined with Shadow Devour, the ability became even more terrifying. The transformed Shadow Soldier wouldn’t merely possess the original person’s appearance and physical characteristics; it could also acquire their memories and habits, becoming an almost perfect Clone.

Although Lucian, as the Lord of Shadows, possessed all three innate talents—Shadow Devour, Shadow Soldiers, and Shadow Transformation—he had never needed to use the first and third abilities himself.

After all, with an entire legion of Shadow Soldiers at his disposal, there was little reason for him to handle such tasks personally.

However, a new possibility had suddenly occurred to him.

"Aldric, if you transform into my appearance, can you simulate different cultivation Realms?"

Lucian was particularly concerned about this question.

If Aldric could imitate his appearance while freely adjusting his apparent cultivation realm, Lucian would effectively have another version of himself.

A Clone!

"Yes, Master. It might not be possible when imitating others, but when it comes to you, Master, I can do it perfectly."

Lucian’s eyes lit up.

"Oh? Then transform and let me see. Let’s start with Martial Artist Rank 1!"

Aldric didn’t need to enter Lucian’s shadow. As one of Lucian’s own Shadow Soldiers, he could directly activate Shadow Transformation.

In the next instant, his appearance began to change.

His features shifted, his body adjusted, and within moments, another Lucian stood before the original.

The two looked almost identical.

Lucian examined his new Clone from head to toe, then nodded approvingly.

"Not bad, not bad! Sword-like eyebrows and star-like eyes. Truly a handsome young man!"

He couldn’t help praising his own appearance.

After all, who wouldn’t appreciate having such a handsome face?

"Let’s test your strength."

Aldric immediately stepped forward and struck the testing equipment.

Clang!

The display flashed.

5,060 kg!

Lucian’s smile widened.

"Very good! Very good!"

The result was exactly what he had hoped for.

Aldric hadn’t merely copied his appearance. He had successfully simulated Lucian’s chosen cultivation realm and adjusted his strength accordingly.

With this second Clone, Lucian suddenly had far more options for the future.

Whether he needed to conceal his true strength, handle dangerous situations, or carry out tasks that required another version of himself, Aldric could prove invaluable.

For the first time, Lucian began to appreciate just how many possibilities his Shadow Legion could unlock.

Lucian immediately realized how useful Aldric could be.

When it came time to update his information in the Martial Artist Registry, he wouldn’t need to show up personally. He could simply send Aldric in his place.

Although Lucian possessed secret techniques that allowed him to conceal his aura, their effectiveness had limitations. They could only prevent Martial Artists no more than two major realms above him from detecting his true strength.

But what if a High level powerhouse or an even more powerful expert happened to be present?

Lucian had no intention of taking such a risk.

Aldric would serve as his safeguard. After all, he wasn’t concealing his cultivation realm through ordinary means. He was simply simulating Lucian’s cultivation at different stages, making the displayed strength entirely consistent with the realm he wished to present.

It was a far more convenient arrangement.

Just as Lucian was considering the possibilities, a confused voice suddenly interrupted his thoughts.

"Hmm? Why are there two Lucians? What’s going on?"

At some point, Evelyn had stopped cultivating. She was now staring at the two identical young men standing before her, her beautiful eyes filled with bewilderment.

Lucian immediately grinned.

"Guess which one of us is real and which one is fake?"

He looked at Evelyn expectantly, clearly enjoying the opportunity to tease her.

However, his little plan backfired spectacularly.

Evelyn barely glanced at the two figures before pointing directly at him.

"You’re actually asking me that? Then it must definitely be you! Who else would be bored enough to come up with something like this?"

Lucian’s smile stiffened.

Seriously? She figured it out that quickly?

He had expected at least a little hesitation, perhaps even a thorough examination of the two identical faces.

Instead, Evelyn had identified him almost instantly.

Feeling slightly embarrassed, Lucian waved his hand and recalled Aldric into his Martial Soul Space.

"That was my Martial Soul," he explained. "It possesses a transformation ability that allows it to take on the appearance of other people."

Evelyn’s eyes immediately lit up.

"Really?"

Her earlier confusion vanished, replaced by unmistakable curiosity.

"That’s so interesting! Make it transform into someone else and let me try it!"

Lucian looked at her excited expression and couldn’t help smiling.

It seemed that his new ability had caught Evelyn’s interest far more than he had anticipated.

"Let’s not do that. It would be too weird."

Lucian immediately rejected Evelyn’s suggestion.

After all, if Aldric transformed into Evelyn’s appearance, he would probably feel strange every time he looked at Aldric in the future.

He wasn’t going to put himself through that.

"Let me see!" Evelyn insisted, grabbing Lucian’s arm and refusing to let go. "I’m really curious! What exactly is your Martial Soul like? Is this one of your Martial Soul talents?"

Her enthusiasm showed no signs of fading.

It was understandable, though. Back when they had visited the Slums together, Evelyn had already been amazed by Lucian’s ability to summon Shadow Soldiers.

Now, after discovering that one of those shadows could even transform into Lucian himself, her curiosity had reached an entirely new level.

As for Lucian’s Martial Soul being able to manifest outside his body, Evelyn was no longer particularly surprised.

After all, his Shadow Soldiers had already demonstrated the ability to kill enemies when he was still a Martial Artist. Now that he had advanced to the Martial Master Realm, it didn’t seem unreasonable for his Martial Soul to possess even more extraordinary abilities.

During their time cultivating together, Evelyn had gradually grown accustomed to Lucian’s seemingly endless stream of abnormalities.

Still, that didn’t mean she intended to miss an opportunity to explore another one.

Lucian looked at the excited girl clinging to his arm and felt a headache coming on.

Why is she so persistent?

Then, suddenly, his eyes shifted as an idea occurred to him.

A mischievous smile spread across his face.

"It’s not impossible," he said slowly, "but you have to promise not to get angry later, okay?"

Evelyn blinked in confusion.

"Angry about what? What’s there to be angry about?"

She tightened her grip on his arm and urged him impatiently.

"Hurry up and let your Martial Soul transform! I want to see!"

"Hehe! You’ll understand in a moment."

Lucian gave her a mysterious smile but offered no further explanation.

Instead, he patted her shoulder reassuringly.

"Don’t be afraid. This is one of my talents. Just watch what happens next!"