Chapter 205: Bloodline Evolution

In the ruins of the battlefield, Luo En maintained a vigilant state, carefully perceiving the energy fluctuations around him.

Dust fell slowly, reflecting the faint light of the blood-colored crystals, forming strange beams of light in the air.

"Although the power is astonishing enough, it may not have completely destroyed him," Luo En calculated clearly in his heart.

He knew very well that for a spell like "Breath of the Phoenix" that far exceeded his own ability stage, he had absolutely no precise control ability like Yu Ni.

A large amount of energy must have overflowed and dispersed in the explosion, and the probability of thoroughly killing the clone was extremely low.

With the flow of magic power in the air, he could detect some residual life fluctuations, weak but stubbornly existing.

If Mentor Yu Ni had cast this move herself, it would be a miracle if the clone had even an atom left.

But the version he recorded through the "Thousand-Change Phantom," while terrifying in power, lacked that kind of lethal precision.

Being able to severely injure the clone already met his original plan.

Just as Luo En was pondering, a faint vibration suddenly came from beneath the molten crystals in the center of the concave pit.

That thin layer of glass-like substance began to tremble, and fine cracks spread from the center outward, forming spiderweb-like patterns.

Immediately after, that thin layer of glass-like substance was shattered from within.

Fragments splashed in all directions, and an existence covered in charred black, almost unrecognizable as human, slowly crawled out from within.

That once handsome face was now unrecognizable, the skin cracked like charcoal, and every movement caused debris to fall off.

Those red-gold eyes that once emanated terrifying pressure were now dim, with only faint firelight flickering in the eye sockets.

"As expected, it didn't die so easily."

Luo En nodded; this was completely within his expectations.

Rather, he was most hoping to see this situation where the enemy was half-crippled.

If the other party had been directly beaten into ashes, it actually wouldn't have maximized his benefits.

Now, the clone's strength had been greatly weakened, yet it maintained sufficient integrity, which was the state most suitable for the substitute puppet to absorb.

That charred figure stood up shakily, like a devil crawling back from hell.

With his movements, chunks of charred skin fell off, revealing the wriggling flesh beneath.

Those pieces of meat wriggled unnaturally, attempting to fill the holes and wounds on the body.

In this special environment, those wounds healed at a speed visible to the naked eye, but the speed was far less rapid than before.

The Abyssal aura surged from all directions, wrapping around the clone, accelerating his recovery.

But these energies seemed unable to fully penetrate his body, forming a thin mist on the surface, then slowly dissipating into the air.

"You... you actually..."

The clone made a hoarse sound, as harsh as metal scraping, his red-gold eyes filled with unbelievable shock and anger:

"How could you possess such power..."

He staggered forward a few steps, his footsteps floating, completely losing his previous elegant composure.

The once imposing energy fluctuations now became intermittent, like an oil lamp about to run out, ready to go out at any moment.

Luo En observed the clone's recovery process quietly, his hand already placed on the "substitute puppet" at his waist.

He recalled the scene he had once glimpsed:

The clone descended like the god of death, destroying the entire elite squad of the Crystal Spire in almost an instant.

Even that pair of Awakened Ones, Oliver and Cynthia, were no match for him.

That kind of crushing power was hair-raising.

And now, this once terrifying existence was like a toddler just learning to walk, with even standing appearing difficult.

His breathing was rapid and heavy, every inhalation accompanied by a painful hissing sound, like a broken bellows.

"Substitute puppet, prepare for battle."

Luo En took down the puppet at his waist, injecting a portion of his consciousness and magic power.

He could feel the puppet's slight vibration in his palm, seemingly full of anticipation for the upcoming battle and absorption.

The puppet expanded rapidly, expanding to the size of an adult in just a few seconds.

Under the light, the surface of the puppet reflected a metallic luster; this was a change after merging the traits of the snake demon and manticore earlier.

The muscle lines were fluid and powerful, the joints containing explosive energy, far more exquisite and dangerous than the clumsy doll form at the beginning.

And most eye-catching was the third arm extending from the right shoulder blade behind it.

It was covered with dark purple scales, the fingertips sharp as claws, emitting a ghostly blue light.

This was a special mutation obtained by absorbing the manticore's poison gland, giving it attack means far beyond conventional ones.

"Is this your secret weapon?" The clone let out a mocking sneer, his voice filled with contempt:

"A wooden doll? Does such a thing deserve to be my enemy?"

The clone could vaguely feel that the puppet contained a certain energy trait similar to his own.

That feeling was like a person suddenly seeing their own reflection, only to find that the person in the mirror possessed an independent will.

But he was simply trying to bluff at this moment.

"Not just an ordinary doll," Luo En said calmly, while controlling the puppet to move forward through the mental link:

"It actually prefers to call itself a 'substitute.' You know, it is a genuine 'Abyssal Secret Treasure'—you should be able to feel it, that kind of homologous power."

Following his control, a light-flame longsword condensed in the right hand of the substitute puppet, the runes on the sword blade flowing, emitting scorching golden light;

The left hand held an ice sword made of water elements; when guiding Dai Er in water element manipulation, he had not fallen behind in his own practice, the ice sword cold and lingering, freezing the surrounding air;

And the extra third hand held a dark green short knife; this was an extension of the manticore's stinger trait, the poison dripping from the blade tip corroding small pits in the ground.

These powerful plastic-energy weapons were also the effect of the two skills "Elemental Affinity" and "Material Refining" as well as multiple linkage bonuses.

Three weapons of different attributes shone brightly in the hands of the substitute puppet, forming a perfect offensive and defensive system.

The stinger short knife was responsible for melee thrusts, the light-flame longsword for mid-range attacks, and the ice sword provided assistance.

A flash of wariness crossed the clone's eyes, his body wriggling, his injuries still recovering rapidly.

Strands of Abyssal energy gathered from all directions, greedily absorbed by his body.

"No need for nonsense, let's start!"

The substitute puppet made a strange sound; that sound seemed to be Luo En's, yet carried a certain metallic resonance, giving people a strange sense of disharmony.

The clone sighed in a low voice, then launched an attack first.

His movements were much slower than before, but still astonishingly fast.

A red-gold energy erupted from his body, enveloping his whole body.

That light was once dazzling, but now it was much dimmer, like the last starlight before dawn.

This was the posture of "Life Explosion" further strengthened, but the clone could not imitate the high-efficiency and energy-saving traits of "Boiling Blood."

—Sonic Oscillation Erosion State!

Invisible ripples spread from the clone's palm, carrying hair-raising whispers, striking the substitute puppet directly.

Those syllables were twisted and ancient, seemingly coming from the depths of some distant starry sky, every note containing the possibility of twisting reality.

However, the moment the sound wave was about to hit the target, Luo En in the distance lightly raised his hand, also releasing a sonic oscillation.

The two sound waves met in the air, forming a strange resonance.

But Luo En's version was clearly purer and more powerful, just like the original compared to a pirated copy.

His sound wave contained more ancient and pure Starry Whispers, easily suppressing the clone's attack, and even reflecting the other party's sound wave back.

The clone was caught off guard and was countered by his own energy.

Countless black spots immediately appeared on the surface of his body, as if invaded by some invisible corrosion.

Taking this opportunity, the substitute puppet rushed forward like lightning, brandishing three weapons simultaneously, forming an airtight attack net.

Its movements were fluid and swift, possessing both the strange flexibility of the snake demon and the explosive power of the manticore, with overall coordination far exceeding any single creature.

The light-flame longsword drew a beautiful arc, precisely slashing toward the clone's neck, the airflow brought by the blade edge even cutting the air;

The ice sword stabbed straight at the other party's chest, the cold air condensing into a blue trajectory;

The stinger short knife attacked from the side, aiming at the clone's abdomen, leaving a string of dark green strange traces.

This three-pronged attack method left almost no room for evasion.

The clone barely constructed a Flowing Barrier to defend, but his state was clearly not good.

The barrier was weak and unstable, covered with fine cracks, and the energy flow was uneven.

"Crack!"

The light-flame longsword hit the barrier heavily, immediately causing a huge crack on the surface.

The energy on the blade edge seeped into the crack, constantly burning the structure of the barrier.

The ice sword followed closely, expanding that crack.

Frost seeped into it, causing the surface of the crack to be covered with a layer of fragile ice crystals, further weakening the strength of the barrier.

Finally, the stinger short knife stabbed violently into that already severely weakened defensive point, easily penetrating it and stabbing directly into the clone's chest.

The moment it stabbed in, the poison on the stinger short knife erupted, spreading from the wound to the surroundings, forming a large net that devoured bones and flesh.

"Ah!" The clone let out a shrill scream, twisted by pain.

Blood gushed out from the wound, appearing strangely black.

That embarrassed posture formed a sharp contrast with the crushing force when dealing with the Crystal Spire squad and Oliver and others earlier.

The charred figure widened his eyes; he seemed to see pity in the other party's eyes.

The clone rushed toward Luo En like a madman, his hands turning into claws, his eyes filled with near-crazy determination.

His movements were chaotic and disorganized; he had completely lost the precise control he had earlier, more like the dying struggle of an injured beast.

"Die! Die! Die!"

The clone roared these two words repeatedly, his voice hoarse and desperate.

With the fluctuation of his emotions, the black spots on his face also constantly expanded and contracted, as if some living thing was crawling under his skin.

However, the substitute puppet just easily avoided this chaotic impact, its movements fluid as if dancing.

It turned sideways lightly, letting his claws brush past, while taking advantage of the momentum to turn around, three weapons slashing at the clone's back almost simultaneously.

With a dull thud, the clone's body was knocked flying, slamming heavily into a half-collapsed crystal pillar with a "crack" sound.

Luo En stood quietly in place, only his fingers moving slightly, guiding every step of the substitute puppet through the mental link.

For him, this battle was completely under control, neither having too much consumption nor failing to ensure the final goal was achieved.

The puppet's three arms raised weapons simultaneously, coldly approaching the clone who had already lost most of his combat ability.

Its pace was steady and powerful, as unstoppable as fate.

"Impossible... it shouldn't be like this..."

The clone muttered to himself, the luster in his eyes fading, turning into a dead gray:

"I absorbed so much power... so many clones... that pair of Awakened Ones... I should have..."

"It has nothing to do with the energy you absorbed; the reason for your defeat is only because the source of the components that make up your main body is in my hands."

Luo En finally spoke, his voice calm.

The clone's pupils contracted violently, seemingly finally understanding something, a flash of realization crossing his eyes: "You mean..."

"That's right, you and the 'substitute puppet' are of the same root, and it can even be said that a large part of your spirituality and power was drawn from it by the rules and then generated as a similar object."

Luo En explained softly, his voice carrying a certain scholar-like calmness:

"So, when you face it, it's like facing your own origin—this battle was unfair from the beginning."

Hearing this explanation, the clone's expression completely collapsed, the fire in his eyes extinguished, turning into a dead gray.

His shoulders slumped, like a puppet that had been drained of all support.

"Don't worry, your power won't be wasted."

Luo En said, and the substitute puppet's three hands launched an attack simultaneously, thoroughly dismembering the clone.

The light-flame longsword severed his head, the ice sword pierced his heart, and the stinger short knife completely punctured his abdomen.

The three weapons exerted force simultaneously, forming a strange energy resonance, tearing the clone's body into countless fragments.

A mass of red-gold energy was liberated from the clone's broken body, forming a ball of light in the air, emitting pure and powerful fluctuations.

But it did not dissipate, instead being attracted by the substitute puppet, drifting slowly toward the three-armed doll, just like iron filings attracted by a magnet.

The substitute puppet opened its arms, as if embracing that mass of energy.

The moment it contacted the energy, a blinding light erupted at the point of contact, so bright that Luo En had to squint his eyes.

Luo En could feel the substitute puppet undergoing wonderful changes—it was absorbing the clone's energy, transforming it into a part of itself.

This process was both violent and harmonious, like two similar but different substances merging, having both repulsive reactions and attractive traits.

The substitute puppet's body began to undergo subtle changes, the surface becoming smoother.

The skin texture changed from wood to a metallic substance, yet retained the flexibility unique to living things.

The muscle lines were clearer, each one like a carefully carved work of art, containing explosive power.

The overall outline was also closer to human, losing the mechanical sense and stiffness at the beginning, becoming more full of vitality.

Most surprisingly, a new arm extended from the left shoulder blade, forming a symmetrical structure with the extra arm on the right shoulder.

This newborn fourth arm was red-gold in color, as if condensed from pure positive energy.

The surface was covered with tiny scale-like patterns, each emitting faint light, seemingly inherited traits from the clone.

After the energy absorption was completed, the substitute puppet bathed in a layer of red-gold light.

That light gradually converged, merging into every inch of the puppet's structure, like some baptism or sublimation process.

Finally, when the light completely disappeared, the substitute puppet was renewed.

"Charging progress increased by 30%!" Luo En was surprised to find that the state of the substitute puppet had changed significantly:

【Automatically absorbed active Abyssal substance, charging progress +30%】

【Current charging: 38%/100%】

This was an unprecedented huge improvement, bringing the substitute puppet one big step closer to the activation threshold of the two-way communication trait.

It jumped directly from the previous 8% to 38%, increasing the charging degree by a full 30% in one breath.

More importantly, the puppet's energy operation was smoother.

The movements were more coordinated and free, just like turning a rough sketch into a complete work of art.

Movements that previously required Luo En's full concentration to command could now be completed with a simple thought, and executed more precisely and fluidly.

That feeling was like changing from driving an old carriage to controlling a precise magic-powered airship, with comfort and control improved by more than one level.

The coordination of the four arms also reached an unprecedented harmonious state.

Previously, the three arms still had subtle coordination problems in some complex movements.

But now, the four arms were like instruments in a symphony orchestra, every movement just right, forming a perfect rhythm.

"Come back." Luo En ordered softly.

The substitute puppet immediately shrank, returning to its original size, and returned quietly to his hand.

With the complete disappearance of the clone, the entire crystal platform began to change.

The red patterns on the surface of those crystal pillars began to flow violently, like the blood vessels of some creature pulsating.

Then these patterns gradually detached from the crystal surface, condensing into streams of energy, all converging toward Luo En's position, forming a huge red energy net.

"This is... bloodline enhancement?"

Luo En quickly understood what was happening—he had defeated his own clone, and now the Bloodline Altar was fulfilling its promise, providing bloodline enhancement and improvement.

As he realized this, those energy streams began to flow faster.

Finally, they all converged above his head, forming a red energy ball about one meter in diameter.

Patterns flowed on the surface of the sphere, seemingly performing some complex calculation or evaluation.

A few seconds later, the energy ball descended slowly, gently wrapping around Luo En's whole body, then slowly seeping into his skin.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 206 =====