Chapter 223: Duplicate

Jiang Xia's body surged upward, the wings behind him like two broad auroras, and the power of the Hundred Insect Sword in his hand gradually solidified.

The sky became exceptionally clear in his eyes, every speck reflected in his azure pupils.

The teal veins resembled branches, supporting the sky, each filament visible; the power flowing continuously within those roots was poured into the countless vines falling from the sky.

Jiang Xia raised the sword in his hand and swung it toward the air.

Crimson radiance bathed the entire space in a blood‑red hue.

The surrounding vines shattered under the Hundred Insect Sword's might as if rotting away, and that was only a light swing.

These things were, compared with last time, even excessively fragile.

"I see, I understand," Jiang Xia said softly.

Within his massive Hundred Insect Sword flowed shifting light, reflecting the true scene around him.

Jiang Xia suddenly brandished the Hundred Insect Sword, instantly unleashing a crimson blade flash capable of cleaving heaven and earth.

His target this time was no longer the vines that had re‑coalesced in the sky, but the source of this anomalous space.

The blade of the Hundred Insect Sword traced a perfect arc in the air, a massive, radiant crimson curve that seemed more like a line dividing heaven and earth, its dazzling red completely enveloping the anomalous space.

Even the meridians above the sky seemed to sense this all‑destructive aura; the plant meridians across the heavens contracted rapidly, and the teal crystals that once filled the sky instantly formed a glowing crystal giant tree at the boundary of the anomalous space.

"I finally can't hold back."

Jiang Xia gazed at the distant, resplendent and beautiful crystal tree, its appearance, like a priceless artwork, vividly reflected in his mind.

Although the seal had been lifted, the aura at the sky's junction quickly grew fierce.

The crimson light arc accelerated again, slicing the air at astonishing speed and stirring a hurricane beyond human imagination.

In an instant, the earth tore apart, the surrounding meadow was ripped up in one massive chunk, tens of thousands of tons of soil were hoisted into the air by the hurricane, then violently exploded.

Amid a thunderous sonic boom, a light blade that pierced heaven and earth, bearing an annihilating aura, slashed the crystal giant tree's trunk.

The Alien Insect Queen, already transformed into a tree shape, was also seized by the force of the strike; a white light burst from her, a brilliance so intense it seemed like the sun rising, erupting violently.

When the white sun collided with the crimson light blade, a fierce shock rippled outward in concentric circles, and a crisp sound cracked across the sky,

The hurricane‑thunder, capable of destroying everything, seemed to pierce the anomalous space.

The time that had been paused began to flow again.

But Jiang Xia knew clearly that the battle was not over.

A colossal insect wing emerged from the hurricane, its jade‑green claws crushing the ground, space trembling as a beast awoke in a rampage; countless tentacles slowly unfurled, trembling as they emitted a roar like a lion.

Seeing this beast, Jiang Xia understood that it was not the true body but a duplicate the Alien Insect Queen had fashioned with a crystal, a vessel capable of bearing part of her power.

It was the Alien Insect Queen speaking, but she knew that with the duplicate's power she could not kill Jiang Xia, only stall for time as much as possible, so the sense of threat was not real—it was merely an illusion.

This explains why those tentacles, though appearing formidable, were in fact empty shells that shattered on contact; although Jiang Xia had grown considerably stronger, he still could not crush an S‑rank lifeform.

Although in sheer power it surpassed the beast he first slain, its strength was still limited.

This situation likely stems from the Alien Insect Queen deliberately creating a duplicate to reclaim her power, intended to locate Jiang Xia and pinpoint his position; the true body is on its way, which explains why it appeared here alone.

"I won't hand the initiative to the enemy," Jiang Xia said, looking at the beast before him.

With a swish.

The aurora‑like wings behind him jolted violently, his whole body erupted in an instant, and surrounding temporal particles coated Sea Pa Jia Dou's body.

The beast also surged forward at an unimaginable speed, charging toward Sea Pa Jia Dou.

Their sizes were mismatched, but suddenly the tentacles behind the beast were severed, and countless crimson sword scars instantly appeared on its body.

The beast's speed could surpass ordinary clockup, but against the specially‑crafted Sea Pa Worm's acceleration, the previously unimaginable speed now seemed to Jiang Xia as slow as a turtle crawling.

It had just spent its internal energy resisting the Hundred Insect Sword; otherwise it wouldn't be crushed now by Sea Pa Jia Dou.

It let out a mournful howl and its massive body crashed to its knees.

In an accelerated world, even a slight lag can decide victory or defeat.

The jade‑green wings turned to ash, green blood slowly seeped from the hollows in its body, twisted broken bone spines protruded from the knee joints, the Hundred Insect Sword had sliced its knees, the insect wings were severed, and the body was pierced through.

The earth shattered, cracks spreading outward, Jiang Xia's body seemed to teleport; he grasped the Hundred Insect Sword, and the insect devices above lit up one by one.

The Hundred Insect Sword's cooldown had arrived.

"I'll wait for the day you come looking for me," a cold voice sounded beneath the deep‑blue helm.

In this anomalous space at the edge of time, the beast roared as the power within its body boiled, the jade‑green blood erupting like a volcano; its tentacles regenerated rapidly, the tips shimmering with blade‑like edges.

It was forged from countless Alien Insects, capable of wielding most Alien Insect abilities; any hit would weaken Jiang Xia's combat power.

But it no longer had a chance.

The Hundred Insect Sword pressed against the beast's neck, and Electric Arc emanated from Sea Pa Jia Dou's body, widening and enlarging the blade.

Six insect devices resonated, and the beast's entire body turned red, glowing hot like burning coals.

This is the weapon he forged; although not the final version, it is more than sufficient for the current battle.

The bright red Electric Arc spread gradually over the beast's body, its jagged skeleton shattered into countless fragments.

The beast lifted its head, roaring, attempting a final bite at the person before it, but its entire skeleton had been destroyed and its muscles no longer obeyed it.

Finally, the Hundred Insect Sword tore the burning beast apart completely, turning it into fragments scattered across the sky.

The flesh, built from countless Alien Insects, at that moment turned into snow‑white ash, and a blanket of white smoke drifted into the sky.

The metallic blade that radiated stayed just behind Sea Pa Jia Dou, only an inch away from the spread wings.

But that inch was forever unattainable; it was a defense across the time axis, and without a power that disregards time, one could not harm the present Jiang Xia.

Watching the beast he had devoured, Jiang Xia withdrew the Hundred Insect Sword; his coordinates were now exposed, and any misstep could draw a small asteroid teeming with Alien Insects into collision with Earth.

That is the Alien Insect version of a wandering planet, and the one piloting it is the Alien Insect Queen.

At this moment, the Alien Insects themselves mattered less; a planetary collision threatened not only humanity but also Earth itself with destruction.

Jiang Xia lifted the Hundred Insect Sword, stood in the anomalous space reduced to scorched earth, and lightly patted the Sea Pa Worm at his waist.

"Hyperclockup"

(End of chapter)