Chapter 202: Awakening and

The two walked along the edge of the crystal platform; the closer they got, the more violent the abnormal energy fluctuations became.

It was an indescribable mixed frequency, containing both the corrosive noise unique to the abyss and a more ancient and primitive rhythm.

Ai Lue Te noticed that the other party's state had changed subtly.

His breathing rhythm became faster, his eyes more alert, and his body muscles tightened like a bowstring.

This subtle change might be imperceptible to ordinary people, but it was crystal clear in Ai Lue Te's perception.

When they approached the northwest corner of the platform, the energy fluctuations became exceptionally violent.

A scent of decay mixed with sweetness permeated the air, like honey smeared on rotten meat.

This corner of the platform was surrounded by several huge crystal pillars, forming a semi-enclosed space.

The red patterns on the surface of the crystal pillars were particularly active here, as if stimulated by something, constantly wriggling and occasionally spraying some dark red liquid, leaving corrosive marks on the ground.

In the shadows, two twisted human figures were tightly intertwined, like a mass of constantly wriggling flesh.

Their body surfaces were covered with purple-black tissue, occasionally extending tentacle-like structures to explore the air.

Ripples appeared on the surface of this mass of flesh from time to time, like ripples on the surface of liquid, but thicker and more viscous.

Some twisted faces could be vaguely seen in those ripples, mouths opening and closing in pain, yet unable to make a sound.

"Found them," the clone Luo En said in a low voice, his voice carrying an imperceptible tremor.

Just then, the mass of flesh suddenly stopped wriggling and slowly turned toward their direction.

As it turned, Ai Lue Te finally saw the true face of that thing—it was the upper bodies of two humans, connected together by some purple-black organic matter, forming a strange symbiont.

A male head and upper body extended from the left, his face handsome yet carrying a certain sickly paleness;

The other was a female head and upper body, extending from the right, her appearance charming but her eyes filled with inhuman coldness.

Below their chests, the two were fused into one, becoming a mass of constantly wriggling fleshy matter, the surface full of tentacles and sucker-like organs.

"It's them... Oliver and Cynthia," Ai Lue Te recognized these two faces in horror, his voice trembling with surprise.

These two wanted fugitives were also recorded in the Crystal Spire.

And just as recorded in the wanted information, they had now completely turned into some terrifying alien species.

Human features were just a thin disguise, with the pure Abyssal essence hidden underneath.

"Interesting," the clone Luo En said calmly, his hands hanging loosely at his sides, but Ai Lue Te could feel the energy gathering within him:

"So this is the work of the 'Eye of the Abyss.' Letting Awakened Ones infiltrate the Bloodline Altar in hopes of completing the final metamorphosis. It seems they utilized some spatial hidden danger and found a way to infiltrate."

The two faces in the mass of flesh turned toward the source of the sound simultaneously, four eyes staring at the clone Luo En.

"Luo En... Ralph..."

Two mouths opened at the same time, their voices mixing together, producing a hair-raising harmony effect:

"You interrupted our metamorphosis..."

A look of confusion appeared on Oliver's face, his brows locked: "No... no... you are not Luo En..."

His eyes flashed with black light, seemingly using some special perception ability: "You are just a clone? But how is that possible..."

"Of course he isn't."

The clone chuckled, his voice carrying a certain arrogant superiority: "I am just a projection of him in this trial, a clone."

"A clone?" A trace of mockery appeared on Cynthia's face, her charming face twisted into an unnatural angle:

"Then why do you have consciousness? Why can you act independently? What exactly are you?"

Her voice carried suspicion and vigilance; she clearly realized that the existence before her was far from a simple clone.

The clone Luo En did not answer, only slightly narrowing those red-gold eyes:

"You interrupted your own metamorphosis process to question me? Aren't you afraid of falling short of success?"

"It's already too late..."

Oliver said, almost through gritted teeth:

"We sensed an exceptionally powerful hostility and had to interrupt the metamorphosis process. We thought it was Luo En himself who had come, but we didn't expect it to be just a clone."

His voice trembled with anger, and the black liquid on the surface of the fusion body fluctuated violently, causing ripples.

"A wise choice."

The clone nodded, a faint, imperceptible smile hanging on his face:

"After all, Awakened Ones during metamorphosis are the most vulnerable. Just like a snake shedding its skin, the old defenses are discarded, and the new protection has not yet formed. During this time, Awakened Ones are as fragile as chicks just out of the shell."

Ai Lue Te stood to the side, cold sweat streaming down.

He could feel the almost tangible hostility in the air, knowing a fierce battle was about to break out.

His ears twitched constantly, capturing the energy fluctuations of the three parties, analyzing the possible direction of the future battle.

"We thought it was the real one who had come..." Cynthia's voice came, charming yet carrying a trace of mockery:

"I didn't expect it to be just a clone. Since that's the case, practicing on you first isn't bad!"

A flash of fanaticism crossed her eyes, like an addict who had finally obtained the long-awaited drug:

"Anyway, we were forced to interrupt our metamorphosis; we might as well devour you and start over."

The mass of flesh surged violently, like boiling magma, with huge bubbles appearing on the surface.

The next moment, countless tentacles extended from within, carrying purple-black mucus, pouncing straight at the clone Luo En.

Those tentacles not only had astonishing speed, but also varied forms.

Some tips turned into sharp bone spurs, some turned into small mouths spraying acid, and some directly displayed structures similar to eyeballs, clearly possessing some perception ability.

The clone seemed to have expected this, dodging lightly, his movements as fluid as flowing water.

At the same time, he raised his hand and waved, a flowing metal barrier forming in the air, blocking another wave of incoming tentacles.

That flowing protective wall was as smooth as a mirror and as tough as steel; every time it received an impact, it would automatically adjust its structure to disperse the force perfectly.

The tentacles slammed into the barrier, emitting a "hissing" corrosive sound, but could not penetrate that seemingly thin yet tough wall.

"Flowing Barrier... Ha Ye Ke actually passed this spell to that kid too."

Oliver cursed, clearly having some understanding of this defensive means: "Mr. Holy Plate is right, this kid is indeed a trouble."

A flash of malice crossed his eyes, but his voice was surprisingly calm:

"Cynthia, don't waste your energy. This clone clearly inherited the traits of the original, requiring more direct means."

The clone Luo En did not respond, but suddenly accelerated, passing through the gaps of those tentacles like a ghost, aiming straight for the core of the mass of flesh.

His movements were so fast he almost left afterimages, every step landing in a precise position, avoiding all possible attack routes.

"Sonic Oscillation Erosion State!"

Invisible ripples spread from his palm, carrying hair-raising whispers, striking the mass of flesh directly.

Those syllables did not belong to any language Ai Lue Te knew, yet they carried a certain ancient and powerful force, as if coming from the deepest part of the universe.

Countless black spots immediately appeared on the surface of the mass of flesh, as if corroded by venom, and purple-black liquid seeped out from the cracks.

Oliver and Cynthia screamed in pain simultaneously, their voices mixed with anger and disbelief.

The mass of flesh instinctively contracted, tentacles shrinking back into the body, seemingly protecting the core area.

"You think only you know how to use those ancient languages?"

Oliver's voice suddenly changed, turning into a more ancient and strange tone, as if some non-human creature was imitating human speech:

"We have our own means too!"

His eyes turned completely black, like two bottomless abysses, and as his lips opened and closed, he spat out a dizzying combination of syllables.

This was another type of sonic attack, but unlike the Starry Whispers used by the clone Luo En, this sound wave carried a certain continuous echo.

Every frequency left dark red afterimages in the air, like the condensation of some toxic gas.

The clone Luo En's movements clearly lagged for a moment, and a flash of pain crossed his red-gold eyes.

"Abyssal Echo?" He grinned, revealing overly sharp teeth: "Interesting... but not enough."

The next moment, the clone Luo En's figure rushed forward like lightning, his right hand in a claw shape, stabbing straight at Oliver's eyes.

That hand seemed to undergo some change during the movement, the fingertips becoming abnormally sharp, the surface covered with a metallic luster.

Cynthia screamed, and a purple light wall formed between the two, attempting to block this fatal blow.

That light wall seemed to contain a mixture of multiple elements, having both the scorching heat of fire, the flow of water, the toughness of earth, and the sharpness of wind.

The light wall cracked like thin paper under the clone Luo En's claws, but this brief obstruction gave Oliver enough reaction time.

His facial muscles suddenly twisted and deformed, reorganizing like liquid.

His eye sockets expanded suddenly, his eyeballs protruding as if they were about to leave the sockets, staring straight at the clone.

"Curse... Trigger."

Ai Lue Te only felt a blur before his eyes, and the clone Luo En's figure suddenly froze in mid-air, as if bound by invisible chains.

—First-Ring Death Gaze.

Oliver's voice carried a trace of triumph:

"This was released by combining the magic power of both me and Cynthia; even a monster like you cannot break free."

Cynthia also revealed a victorious smile, her charming face carrying a certain sickly excitement:

"Now, let's take a good look at what exactly you are."

Her fingers turned into sharp blades, slowly approaching the frozen face of the clone Luo En:

"I want to tear you apart and see if the inside is the same as an ordinary clone, with only emptiness and nothingness."

But the moment her fleshy blade was about to touch the clone, Ai Lue Te keenly "heard" a strange energy fluctuation.

It was an extremely pure vibration, like the sound of a crystal being tapped lightly.

The next moment, countless tiny golden patterns suddenly appeared on the surface of the clone Luo En's body, and those patterns expanded rapidly, forming a complete energy field.

"This is..." A flash of horror crossed Oliver's eyes: "Impossible! No one at the same stage can break the Death Gaze!"

The clone Luo En slowly raised his head, stars seemingly burning in those red-gold eyes: "You think your curse is useful against me?"

As he spoke, his body had completely broken free from the curse's restraint, regaining the ability to act.

Oliver and Cynthia retreated simultaneously, the expressions on their faces changing from triumph to horror.

He muttered to himself, his voice filled with disbelief: "You are not a simple clone at all... what exactly are you?"

The clone Luo En did not answer, but launched an attack again.

The energy in the air instantly condensed, forming a light-flame longsword.

"Radiance Ring Sword Form!"

The clone brandished the light-flame longsword, aiming straight for the fusion body of Oliver and Cynthia.

Where the sword edge passed, the air emitted a harsh screech, as if even the airflow was being cut open.

The fusion body released all its power to defend, countless tentacles weaving into an airtight net, while a purple-black energy shield appeared on the surface.

But all this was in vain.

The light-flame longsword easily cut through all defenses, stabbing deeply into the core area of the fusion body.

A shrill scream resounded throughout the platform, the fusion body convulsed violently, and black liquid on the surface gushed out like a burst water bag.

The clone Luo En pulled out the sword, the blade covered in purple-black liquid, but those liquids were quickly evaporated by the light flames on the sword.

The fusion body of Oliver and Cynthia had lost most of its combat ability and could only curl up in the corner.

A large amount of black liquid flowed out from the wounds, forming a strange puddle on the ground.

"Truly disappointing."

The clone Luo En said in a low voice, his voice carrying no emotion:

"I thought it was some Awakened One with potential, but it turned out to be nothing more than this. It seems the plan of the Eye of the Abyss has failed once again."

Oliver raised his head, his eyes filled with despair and unwillingness: "You... what exactly are you..."

"I already said it." The clone smiled, his smile cold and ruthless: "I am just Luo En's clone in the Bloodline Altar."

"Liar!" Oliver gritted his teeth, his voice twisted by pain:

"No clone can possess such powerful strength and clear self-awareness... and no clone can resist the Death Gaze..."

"Perhaps I am just more powerful than you imagined?"

The clone chuckled, stepping forward, preparing to deliver the final blow: "Or perhaps you are just too weak."

This sentence was like a sharp knife, stabbing straight into Oliver's self-esteem.

His face became even paler, and the luster in his eyes gradually dimmed.

"No... impossible... we have awakened... we have absorbed so much power... according to Mr. Holy Plate, we should..."

"Mr. Holy Plate?" A flash of curiosity crossed the clone's eyes: "Who is he?"

Oliver was silent for a moment, seemingly considering whether he should answer this question.

"That's no longer important," Cynthia suddenly interjected, her voice unusually calm, forming a sharp contrast with their current predicament:

"Anyway, we are both going to die, aren't we?"

A look of near relief appeared on her face:

"We have long known the risks of this path, Oliver. We chose to pursue power, so we must be prepared to bear all the consequences."

"But... we could have..."

Oliver's voice was filled with pain and struggle: "If Luo En hadn't appeared..."

"No, it's not that kid's fault either," Cynthia said softly:

"It was we who chose this path. I don't regret it, really. I have experienced enough pleasure, experienced power that transcended my own limits; that is enough."

A flash of tenderness crossed her eyes as she turned to Oliver:

"At least in the final moment, we are one; isn't that wonderful?"

Oliver looked at Cynthia, the anger in his eyes gradually subsiding, replaced by a trace of relief:

"You have always been like this, Cynthia... no matter when, you only care about those things."

He gave a bitter smile, his voice carrying a trace of helplessness:

"You're right; compared to those guys who have done nothing all their lives, at least we have tried many more things."

When a man is about to die, his words are good...

The clone watched this scene quietly, a trace of imperceptible fluctuation flashing in his eyes.

But this fluctuation quickly disappeared, replaced by a cold determination: "Then let's end it early."

Ai Lue Te observed silently from the side; naturally, he had no good feelings for Oliver and Cynthia.

Seeing the Luo En clone preparing to act, he almost clapped his hands in applause.

Just as the clone was preparing to launch the final blow, Oliver suddenly raised his head, a strange light flashing in his eyes:

"Wait... before I die, I want to tell you one thing, about that 'Mr. Holy Plate'."

The clone stopped his action, somewhat curious: "What is it?"

"I suspect he is my mentor... that curse-type mentor."

Oliver's voice had become weak, but still clear:

"He has always had a special interest in Luo En... saying that Luo En has some kind of 'trait'... I think, with Luo En's development momentum, he will be targeted by him sooner or later..."

The clone frowned: "I am not Luo En; what is the use of telling me this?"

Oliver sneered, a playful look flashing in his eyes:

"I guess you will eventually be defeated by Luo En himself, and then become a part of him. So telling you is equivalent to telling him, isn't it?"

This sentence seemed to touch a sensitive nerve somewhere in the clone, and his expression instantly became gloomy: "Are you overestimating him too much?"

"Is that so?" Oliver suddenly felt that his defeat didn't seem so unacceptable:

"Then why can I feel that you are afraid of him? Just like prey fears a predator..."

Anger flashed in the clone's eyes, and the light-flame longsword in his hand stabbed violently into Oliver's throat, cutting off his words.

Oliver's eyes widened, but a sneer appeared at the corner of his mouth, as if saying: "I was right, wasn't I?"

The next moment, the fusion body began to disintegrate, like a sand sculpture being washed away by waves, peeling off layer by layer.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 203 =====