Chapter 2302: Judgment
A person stepped out from beneath the broken saber. Sure enough, it was Xia Shenji. Rather, it was not the Xia Shenji who had fought against Mu Xie, but another clone. Still, this clone was also a Progenitor.
"I already said that you would die today." The clone then instantly appeared in front of Lu Yin, but Lu Yin could not make out what the clone was doing. No matter how Lu Yin moved, he could not break away.
Lu Yin"s expression changed, and he quickly used Truesight and glanced around at the runes, but there was nothing unusual to be seen beneath his feet. Instead, the surrounding runes flickered oddly. He used Inverse Step and created a chaotic field of time and s.p.a.ce. It was at that moment that Lu Yin saw a bit of gray surrounding him. That was the power of time. This clone possessed it as well, though its method was different from the shackles of time that Xia Shenji’s main body used.
The Nine Clones Secret Technique allowed each clone to cultivate separately. Lu Yin had no idea how many of Xia Shenji’s clones there still were, or how many possessed the power of time, but it was clear that the clone confronting Lu Yin had mastered the power of time. On top of that, this clone was a Progenitor, and Lu Yin had no way to stand up to such a powerhouse.
"Die." The clone pointed a finger, determined to kill Lu Yin. However, Xia Shenji was quite cautious. After Progenitor Smoke had appeared, two of Xia Shenji’s clones had shown up. One had stopped the woman, while the other had gone after Lu Yin. At the same time, another clone had always been protecting the broken saber. This was not because Xia Shenji had ever considered the possibility of Lu Yin escaping, but because the man was afraid that the jiao would return and take advantage of the situation to steal the broken blade.
Unexpectedly, the jiao had been scared away, and the clone that Xia Shenji had left behind had become the guarantee that Lu Xiaoxuan would die. Lu Xiaoxuan could only blame himself for his death. After all, if he had not stolen the broken saber, Xia Shenji would have never needed to leave a clone behind to protect it. Yes, Lu Xiaoxuan was to blame for everything.
Lu Yin took out the corpse to protect himself, but Xia Shenji had already antic.i.p.ated that. The corpse could not stop his attack.
The blade that formed at the Progenitor’s fingertip pierced the sky, instantly appearing above Lu Yin"s head.
Lu Yin gritted his teeth and immediately released the power that he cultivated within his chest. The area around him was replaced with Lu Yin’s universe, and the unbelievably oppressive power actually managed to weaken Xia Shenji"s blade. As it weakened, it also slowed down, shocking the Progenitor. What sort of power did this young man possess? Why was he not completely exhausted?
Xia Shenji and the others had all seen Lu Yin evade an attack by using the power of time to disappear for a single second. While they believed that Lu Yin had used the power of time, no one knew that what they had perceived as a single second had been extended to nearly a year for Lu Yin.
During his time in his Timestop s.p.a.ce, Lu Yin had not only physically healed, but he had also managed to recover a great deal of his death energy reserves. At the moment, Lu Yin was once again capable of fighting against four Semi-Progenitors on his own.
Xia Shenji was able to truly sense just how horrifying the power that Lu Yin cultivated within his chest was. This power was something that not even a Progenitor’s might could overwhelm.
While the clone that was attacking Lu Yin was far weaker than Xia Shenji’s main body, there was no denying that Lu Yin was facing a genuine Progenitor. The clone had truly reached that level, and its strength was not something that a Semi-Progenitor could resist, let alone a mere three-tribulation Envoy.
The only thing that could be said was that the power within Lu Yin’s chest defied belief.
Still, no matter how Lu Yin struggled, there was only one outcome possible against a Progenitor like Xia Shenji"s clone. It was impossible to escape, so the only option available to Lu Yin was to drag things out for as long as possible no matter what it took.
Even Xia Shenji felt that it was a pity to lose someone with Lu Yin"s combat strength. If not for the fact that Lu Xiaoxuan was the four ruling powers" greatest enemy, Xia Shenji himself would have done whatever it took to recruit this young man. It really was a shame.
Lu Yin had done his absolute best, but no matter what he tried, it was impossible for him to stand up to a Progenitor. Even though this clone was weaker than even the Sixth Mainland’s three Progenitors, it still was not an opponent Lu Yin could resist.
Despite the futility he faced, it was impossible for Lu Yin to accept death. It seemed that there was no way to avoid revealing the G.o.d of Death’s left arm to the Perennial World.
Just as Lu Yin prepared to pull out the left arm, a surge of spiritual force swept towards Xia Shenji from the distance, and at the same time, a pair of scales appeared beneath Xia Shenji"s feet. On the other side of the scales, Qing Ping appeared.
Lu Yin was completely relieved. "Senior Brother!"
Xia Shenji’s brow furrowed, and he automatically spun around. Had Mu Xie returned?
However, Xia Shenji was met with the sight of a stranger. This man clearly was not Mu Xie, but some Semi-Progenitor.
The clone felt a surge of relief at the sight of a Semi-Progenitor. As long as Mu Xie did not return, no one could stop him.
"Judgment rule: Complete." Qing Ping"s voice rang out, but Xia Shenji had no intention of paying any attention to the Semi-Progenitor. The power of a Progenitor caused the void to tremble, and the scales cracked, but they were not instantly crushed. In fact, Xia Shenji’s clone was instead moved around by the scales he stood upon, and he rose higher and higher into the sky, moving further away from Lu Yin.
Xia Shenji was startled by the fact that he had failed to destroy this innate gift. He finally turned to take a clearer look at Qing Ping, but the Progenitor had never seen this Semi-Progenitor before. He was a hidden powerhouse. Still, that did not matter. No matter what, this man was only a Semi-Progenitor.
"You are courting death!" Xia Shenji then waved a hand to chop at the scales. Qing Ping was forced to take several steps back.
Kui Luo"s voice rang out, "Hey, didn"t you say that your master requires Semi-Progenitors to be able to fight against Progenitors? That guy isn’t even a normal Progenitor, so don"t try to brag."
Lu Yin had not expected Senior Brother Qing Ping"s innate gift to be broken so easily.
Xia Shenji said nothing at all as he simply raised a hand to launch a palm strike against Lu Yin. The Progenitor was clearly using a battle technique, though it was one that Lu Yin had never seen before. It was unavoidable, as the power of time that this particular clone used had rendered Lu Yin unable to dodge or evade.
At the last possible moment, a bright blue sky replaced the Higher Realm’s sky. No, everything in sight had been replaced. This scene was all too familiar, as it practically duplicated what had happened when Xia Shenji’s main body had used his Shenwu World to envelop the Higher Realm and replace it. Unfortunately, the blue sky could not approach Xia Shenji’s clone. No matter what, Qing Ping was still just a Semi-Progenitor.
Xia Shenji resumed completely ignoring Qing Ping. Something like a Semi-Progenitor’s inner world could never affect a Progenitor like Xia Shenji.
The clone’s attack approached Lu Yin, only for him to be pulled away once again. At some point in time, a plate appeared beneath the Progenitor’s feet. It was once again a side of a pair of scales, but unlike the first time, the plate that Xia Shenji stood on was not connected to a matching pair beneath Qing Ping"s feet; instead, the plate hung from the blue sky by two strings. The strings pulled on the plate, dragging Xia Shenji"s clone upwards. The other side of the scales was still connected to Qing Ping, but it felt as though there were a pair of eyes watching the trial from the void high above the sky.
"Judgment rule: Complete." It was the same trial as before, but this time, Xia Shenji’s attempts to break the scales failed. The scales remained undamaged, and he was lifted high into the sky, where he suddenly faced an invisible pressure that originated from every direction. The unseen eyes pierced Xia Shenji"s heart, causing him to cough up blood. The clone’s face grew pale, and he turned to stare on the opposite end of the scales. "Impossible! How could a mere Semi-Progenitor injure me?"
Kui Luo and Lu Yin were also startled by this development. No matter how weak Xia Shenji’s clone might be, it was still a Progenitor. Even if it was clearly weaker than even the Sixth Mainland’s three Progenitors, all Progenitors were capable of changing the very universe. And yet, one such invincible powerhouse, who had already proven himself capable of absolutely crushing Lu Yin, who had the strength to fight off four Semi-Progenitors at once, had just been wounded by Qing Ping.
Kui Luo gulped. An Envoy challenging a Semi-Progenitor, and a Semi-Progenitor challenging a Progenitor. Qing Ping actually had not been boasting.
Qing Ping stared at Xia Shenji. "It wasn’t I who wounded you, but the Judgment rules of this trial. According to the Judgment rules, you lose if you are incomplete. You are nothing more than a clone, while I am complete."
Lu Yin and Kui Luo both found this extremely odd. Could this really be considered a rule? If this worked, that meant that no one who had ever cultivated the Nine Clones Secret Technique could defeat Qing Ping, not even Progenitor Chen! This should be impossible.
Xia Shenji’s eyes flickered. "A mere Semi-Progenitor wants to talk about rules? Do you even understand what rules are?"
As the clone spoke, everything surrounding his body started to warp, and the scales quivered. It looked like it would shatter from the power of a Progenitor, but the scales remained intact. Furthermore, Xia Shenji was lifted higher and higher into the sky. Those unseen eyes were fixated on him. He could not see them, but he could feel them.
Those eyes were the origin of the judgment that he faced.
Xia Shenji could not fathom how a mere Semi-Progenitor could possess such a terrifying inner world. Not only was this inner world able to envelop a ma.s.sive area, but it could be used as a weapon. There was no denying that Xia Shenji was being raised upwards on one of the scales’ plates.
Throughout the history of mankind, very few Semi-Progenitors had had such an inner world, and each one had been a peerless master.
Xia Shenji suddenly turned to look at Lu Yin again. Senior brother? Was this person another one of Lu Xiaoxuan’s senior brothers?
First Mu Xie, and now a peerless Semi-Progenitor? Just who was their master?
Xia Shenji felt that he could not afford to delay any longer. If these men’s master arrived himself, it might be impossible to kill Lu Xiaoxuan.
At this thought, the clone raised his head. "My body as a blade!"
As the words rang out, a blade appeared that dominated everything else in the world for a moment before dropping down to slice through the scales.
At this same moment, a burst of light swept across s.p.a.ce, and it pushed the blade away from the scales. The light had come from Mu Xie.
Xia Shenji was furious at the interference, as it had already been difficult for him to overpower the Semi-Progenitor’s inner world. The man turned to stare at Lu Xiaoxuan. If there were no other option, then he would just drag Lu Xiaoxuan in.
Kui Luo had already arrived next to Lu Yin, but he was unable to get any closer.
"It"s the power of time. You won’t be able to get any closer," Lu Yin told Kui Luo.
The words startled Kui Luo. "Xia Shenji controls the power of time? He has something that ridiculous?"
Just as Lu Yin was about to respond, his body was abruptly dragged through the sky and on top of one of the scales’ plates and next to Xia Shenji"s clone.
Lu Yin and the Progenitor stared at each other. Killing intent filled Xia Shenji’s eyes, and he threw a palm strike at Lu Yin. "d.a.m.n you!"
Lu Yin"s pupils shrank to pinp.r.i.c.ks, but he showed no other reaction at all. His body had been locked in place by a Progenitor’s power, which had left him unable to move at all.
Suddenly, the restrictions disappeared, freeing Lu Yin. Xia Shenji stared in disbelief. "You broke through my power?"
Lu Yin felt terribly confused, as he had not done anything at all.
Wait, Senior Brother Qing Ping also knows Origin Tracer.
Xia Shenji noticed Lu Yin looking over at Qing Ping, and the clone spun around as well. He glared at the interfering Semi-Progenitor. "It was you?"
Qing Ping calmly observed Xia Shenji. "The power of time? The Xia family certainly kept this trick well hidden."
Xia Shenji"s eyes flickered. "First Mu Xie, and now you. It appears that you three really have been taught by the same master. No matter what, you will all die here today!"
The Progenitor then made his move, and the broken saber rose up from the ground and into Xia Shenji"s hand. He turned to face Lu Yin and the two Semi-Progenitors. "My ancestor’s saber can cut through everything in the universe!"
The blade slashed out, and at the same time, Divine Martial Armor formed chains while also spreading across the blade of the saber, completing it and replacing the broken sections. At this moment, it was no longer a broken saber, but a complete weapon that belonged solely to the Xia family.
The blade shattered the scales.
Qing Ping spat out blood and fell back, his face pale. He was able to cross realms to fight against Xia Shenji, but Qing Ping could not handle the clone when it wielded the saber of Xia Shenji’s ancestor.
Lu Yin had also been affected by the saber’s slash, and wounds riddled his entire body. Fortunately, he had not been struck by the blade itself, or else his wounds would not have been so trivial.
"This is not good. Quickly, retreat! I can’t handle this."
Hearing those words, Kui Luo grabbed Lu Yin and fled to the Middle Realm.
Qing Ping was still staring at Xia Shenji. Suddenly, darkness covered the Semi-Progenitor’s entire body, and it almost instantly replaced the bright blue sky that had been released. Xia Shenji could not see anything at all.
By the time the Progenitor’s vision had recovered, all three of his opponents had fled from the Higher Realm and were racing into the Middle Realm.
Xia Shenji instantly gave chase, still holding the broken saber.