Chapter 146 - 116: Fierce Battle, the Shocked Senior Figures of Xingyue City

Chapter 146: Chapter 116: Fierce Battle, the Shocked Senior Figures of Xingyue City

"What?"

The moment the puppet Jiang Hao slashed out its first sword strike, Jiang Hao was completely stunned.

The power of that strike was terrifying to the extreme. It was not the slightest bit weaker than what he could unleash at the first stage of Spirit Transformation; in fact, it was significantly stronger.

"How is this possible?"

Greatly alarmed, he had no time to think. Jiang Hao hastily drew the Chaos Sword Embryo from his back. As it left its sheath, he fiercely swung it in a sweeping strike.

"Heavenly Spirit 72 Swords!"

BOOM!!!

The same Sword Technique, the same terrifying aura, the exact same power.

As the two fearsome streams of Sword Qi collided, Jiang Hao immediately felt an agonizing pain, as if his entire body was falling apart. He was sent flying once again.

The puppet figure, on the other hand, merely retreated a few steps.

Looking at the figure again, Jiang Hao’s pupils shrank into mere slits. Sensing something, he immediately looked up.

He saw that the strange stone previously used to open the stone door had somehow appeared above his head, radiating a dazzling light. Within that light, a tiny phantom of Jiang Hao was executing the Heavenly Spirit 72 Swords.

"I see. This stone and the stone walls replicated you?"

Jiang Hao finally understood why the elder had asked them to inject a wisp of Divine Sense into the stone during registration. It turned out that their Divine Sense contained his past memories. That stone, combined with this bizarre space, was able to replicate another Jiang Hao through those memories.

"Although you also know the Heavenly Spirit 72 Swords, it’s not the true Heavenly Spirit 72 Swords. You’ve merely imitated most of it by relying on the powerful energy field in this place."

Although the opponent’s Heavenly Spirit 72 Swords had flaws, the remaining one or two percent was compensated for by the terrifying energy on the stone walls, making its power no weaker than the execution of the true Sword Technique.

"No, I am the real Jiang Hao. Once I kill you, I will no longer be bound to this sunless place. Kill!" the puppet roared.

BOOM!!!

Endless Sword Qi pierced through the void, slashing toward Jiang Hao with overwhelming force.

"Haha, interesting. This kind of selection is very interesting."

Having figured all this out, Jiang Hao’s battle intent instantly soared. Fighting to the death with oneself—this method of selection was extremely novel.

For a time, Sword Qi surged into the sky within the stone walls. The two figures clashed in a life-and-death struggle, displaying terrifying power.

The moment the fierce battle erupted inside, the two elders guarding outside the stone door both sensed it. They opened their eyes and looked through the door at the situation inside. Gradually, a hint of astonishment surfaced in both of their eyes.

"Such terrifying Sword Qi. A peerless monster of the Sword Dao?" the silver-haired elder said, his eyes full of surprise.

Before he could finish, he was instantly interrupted by the other. "Is that... golden Spiritual Power?"

Unlike the silver-haired elder, the gray-haired elder had seen something different, catching a glimpse of a trace of golden power attached to the Sword Qi. Upon hearing this, the silver-haired elder noticed it as well. Waves of profound shock flooded his aged eyes.

"A peerless freak? This child... is a peerless freak?"

Not only a peerless freak, but also a terrifying existence in the Sword Dao. For a moment, the two elders trembled slightly. They no longer meditated but kept their eyes glued to the scene on the stone door.

Meanwhile, within the space behind the stone door.

HUM!!!

A series of sword cries rang in Jiang Hao’s ears. The Sword Embryo brushed past his ear, instantly leaving a shallow cut.

BOOM!

A forceful sword strike pushed them apart. Jiang Hao stood dozens of meters away. He reached up to gently touch his ear, only to find his fingers stained crimson.

Only then did he realize the danger: this replicated form could genuinely harm him.

"Not only that, this replicated version of me possesses incredibly rich combat experience. I simply can’t compare," he thought. "His understanding of battle and his combat strength are both above mine."

Although the gap wasn’t massive, Jiang Hao was truly shocked. It turned out that the Holy City’s so-called selection was also an opportunity given by Nanling to the younger generation. Its purpose was to help them break through their own limits and accumulate combat experience.

"If I want to make it out alive, I have to kill ’myself.’ Otherwise, my true self will perish here. What a cruel method of selection."

It didn’t just decide superior and inferior, but also life and death. It forced them into desperate straits to achieve a self-breakthrough.

"Die!"

BOOM!

While Jiang Hao was lost in thought, the puppet Jiang Hao attacked again. Its Sword Qi was sharp, its blade angles tricky, and it even seemed to be intentionally or unintentionally deducing the Sword Technique.

The one truly deducing the Sword Technique was perhaps the stone overhead. Furthermore, the replica produced by the stone walls had no emotions to speak of. Its only goal was to strike him down, throwing itself completely into the battle without any distractions.

If this continued, the one to perish would inevitably be Jiang Hao’s true self. Being pushed entirely to the brink would ignite endless potential. This forced Jiang Hao to also throw his entire being into the fight.

"Kill!"

BOOM!!!

As time passed, Jiang Hao became covered in wounds. He had never imagined he was so powerful; even fighting himself filled him with extreme shock. Fortunately, just as Jiang Hao was injured, his opponent wasn’t having an easy time either. Both were virtually risking their lives.

"What brilliantly tricky blade angles. Why didn’t I think of that before?"

The more they fought, the more startled Jiang Hao became. Without realizing it, he failed to notice that everything about him was improving. His combat experience, his comprehensions, his cultivation base—they were all slowly rising, breaking past his former limits bit by bit.

Toward the end of the slaughter, Jiang Hao himself completely forgot everything else. He wholly immersed himself in the state of battle, his mind devoid of distractions. The two went from their initial conventional clash to close-quarters combat. Using both Sword Qi and physical blows, they fought like two suicidal beasts, frantically tearing at each other in a desperate bid to kill the other.