Chapter 3914 — A Terrifying Thing

"So then—let the game begin."

Before the words had faded, the ground suddenly heaved, and then, before Wei Zhao's dumbstruck eyes, the wood surging up from beneath his feet warped into a human shape—a human shape all too familiar.

"What is the meaning of this?" Once he made out the wooden figure's face, Wei Zhao's expression turned ugly in an instant, for this puppet that had sprouted from the ground was identical to himself!

"Your strength may be pitifully weak, but surely you've fought a great many foes by now. So tell me—have you ever fought yourself?" the ghostly voice cackled with a strange, sinister laugh.

At that, Wei Zhao's voice turned cold as ice. "Is this what you call a game? So what if you can copy my appearance? When all is said and done, it's nothing but an empty shell."

"How would you know without giving it a try? Defeat it and you claim two Millennium Tree Crystals. What are you waiting for? I can hardly contain myself!" the ghostly voice urged.

Wei Zhao gave a cold snort and wasted no more words, launching himself straight at the mirror image wrought by the wooden puppet.

Any capable fighter carries a fierce pride and self-respect. To have another self copied out before his very eyes—even knowing full well the other was nothing but wood—would leave anyone thoroughly displeased. Wei Zhao was no exception.

Yet for all that his opponent was mere wood, Wei Zhao did not underestimate it in the slightest. If this unknown spirit beast dared stake two Millennium Tree Crystals, then this wooden mirror image could not possibly be anything simple.

In an instant, a heat without equal enveloped the whole hollow of the tree. Wei Zhao was as a god of fire descended, sworn to burn all before him to ashes—Raging Fire Fist, Twenty-Third Stance!

"As expected—this giant cedar is truly no ordinary tree," Wei Zhao thought in silent admiration.

With any other tree, the flames would by now have raged beyond control, even with the lake water pressing down from outside. Yet though the hollow grew unbearably hot, there was not the slightest sign of it catching fire.

Even so, Wei Zhao was confident that what this wooden mirror image feared most was still a fire-attribute attack like the Raging Fire Fist. Fire overcomes wood—an eternal, unchanging truth.

Boom! The Raging Fire Fist struck the wooden mirror square in the face, blasting it a full ten-plus zhang until it lodged deep in the cavern wall and finally stopped, setting off a thunderous crash.

"Oh? It seems I ought to take back what I said earlier. Your strength may be pitiful, but your potential is rather fine—this is getting interesting," the ghostly voice praised, cackling strangely.

Before its words had died away, Wei Zhao's brows knitted, and the wooden mirror was already rolling its shoulders and stepping out from the sunken wall. Apart from a slight charring about its body, there was no sign of any grave or fatal wound.

More than that, even the searing property of the Raging Fire Fist's Twenty-Third Stance showed no effect upon it—and that property had once left even a formidable mid-Foundation Establishment expert like Yu Jiang utterly helpless.

Was this thing really made of wood? Looking at the mirror puppet, Wei Zhao could not help but feel an absurd sense of disbelief. The Twenty-Third Stance of the Raging Fire Fist had struck a puppet, and not only had the puppet failed to burn to ashes—it seemed, if anything, more vigorous than before.

Nor was that all. A moment ago it had merely felt like a puppet shaped in his likeness; after taking the Raging Fire Fist, it seemed infused with some kind of vitality, radiating a powerful aura no different from a living man's.

"Hm? That aura?" Wei Zhao's eyelid twitched, and the mirror puppet came hurtling at him, its right fist wreathed in a blazing, searing fist intent.

That searing fist intent was identical to the Raging Fire Fist's Twenty-Third Stance he had just unleashed!

Boom! The mirror puppet drove its fist into the ground, leaving a charred, deep crater. Its power seemed, if anything, a notch above Wei Zhao's own original Twenty-Third Stance of the Raging Fire Fist—had Wei Zhao not dodged in time, that single blow would have left him gravely wounded.

Wei Zhao's wariness deepened another few degrees. It could imitate even this at a whim—just what manner of thing was this?

Every martial art demanded tireless, unceasing practice before one could hope to master it. Even a genius of the highest talent could only shorten that time—never skip it outright.

Yet this creature had copied it on the spot, before his eyes. Such an ability was outrageous to the point of infamy.

And more absurd still: by Wei Zhao's estimation, this mirror puppet before him might not even be the creature's true body—merely a toy it had fashioned on the spot, nothing more.

If a mere toy had reached such a mad level, then how terrifying must the creature itself be?

Strictly speaking, it was likely far more dreadful even than the nameless monster prowling the waters of Half-Moon Lake outside. Only this being, perhaps, could have brought a powerful Golden Core expert to perish here.

"Well? Challenging oneself—that is a required course for every cultivator. Humans so love to bandy such boastful phrases about. So now, face to face with another you, let us see what kind of answer you can give," the ghostly voice cackled.

"Interesting." Wei Zhao looked at the mirror puppet identical to himself and sneered. "But it's only an imitating puppet—and it dares call itself another me? Isn't that a bit much to swallow?"

"Is that so? Then hurry and prove it to me. For the price of two Millennium Tree Crystals, I get to watch such a fine show—I can hardly wait. And besides, if you die, I won't have to pay even that price."

"Heh. Then open your eyes wide and watch closely," Wei Zhao said with a faint smile.

Matters having come this far, he had gradually pressed his initial shock down deep within. The only thing left to do now was defeat this so-called mirror self before him.

In an instant he pushed the Butterfly Microstep to its utmost. His form flickered fast and slow, darting about the mirror puppet for a time before he suddenly struck—and this time he used no martial art at all, only plain, ordinary fists and feet, yet full of power.

To his surprise, the moment Wei Zhao moved, the mirror puppet's form too began to flicker in and out of sight, its footwork identical to his—swifter and purer still.

"It even has the Butterfly Microstep down. Truly a terrifying thing." Wei Zhao was inwardly alarmed. After the lesson of the Raging Fire Fist's Twenty-Third Stance, he had already expected as much; he was surprised, but not shaken. R1152