CHAPTER 132: DEFEAT YOURSELF [2]

Yu Xuan stood face to face with Yu Xuan.

Or rather... with something that had stolen his skin and perfected it.

The other’s stance was identical, his breathing steady, but his eyes... cold, indifferent, as though even looking at Yu Xuan was a mild inconvenience.

Neither moved. The silence stretched until it felt like the space between them was about to collapse.

Finally, the indifferent-eyed Yu Xuan spoke.

"Why do you keep lying to yourself?"

The real Yu Xuan looked confused and said, "What exactly is that supposed to mean?"

"You know what I mean." The fake’s voice was calm, almost bored. "You sometimes act weaker than you are because it’s easier than admitting what you want."

Yu Xuan tilted his head. "You sound like a self help book written by someone I’d punch."

"No... I sound like you, remember what the trial said, I am you, a better you. The part of you that doesn’t waste time pretending."

Yu Xuan chuckled. "Oh, so you’re my ’serious’ side. Great. My cheap knockoff not only talks nonsense but also thinks he’s a philosopher. Are we even gonna fight?"

The fake didn’t blink. "Your mission is to defeat me, so yes... we’ll fight. But I’d prefer we settle this like civilized people, one at a time."

Yu Xuan’s eyebrow twitched. "Civilized people don’t show up wearing my face while questioning my choices."

Still, a part of him was analyzing his opponent. Was this thing reading him, or simply being him?

He decided to stop talking. With a thought, [Immortal’s Gaze] flared to life — but the clone merely shook his head.

"You know this is Pointless. You and I have the same eyes. The same walls. You won’t find a weakness you don’t already know exists."

And then, without further warning, the fake raised a massive boulder with [Telekinesis], compressed it until it cracked and splintered, then scattered it into dozens of jagged spikes.

They fell like a rain of stone, fast enough to shred a cultivator before they could draw breath.

Yu Xuan didn’t flinch. A telekinetic field bloomed in a perfect sphere around him, fifteen meters wide. Every shard that touched it froze midair, hovering for a heartbeat before dropping harmlessly to the ground.

The fake gestured to the fallen debris.

"See? Effortless. You don’t need to struggle to win."

Yu Xuan smirked, eyes narrowing.

"Maybe. But a fight that ends too quickly... is boring."

A sword materialized in Yu Xuan’s hand, its blade wreathed in a pulsing red aura that shimmered like molten steel.

The fake Yu Xuan let out a quiet sigh, almost disappointed — and with a flick of his wrist, an identical sword appeared in his grip, its aura a perfect mirror.

They moved in unison, each slashing forward. Two crimson arcs ripped through the air and collided mid flight with a sound like tearing silk, the impact erupting in a shockwave that shattered the ground between them.

Dust curled away, revealing jagged cracks spiderwebbing across the floor. Yu Xuan’s eyes narrowed.

’His arc... was heavier than mine.’

A mischievous idea struck him. He pulled a talisman from his storage ring — a plain slip of paper etched with delicate, deadly runes.

The fake froze for a fraction of a second, then his expression smoothed back into indifference.

"You can’t use that. External items are sealed here."

Yu Xuan glanced down and felt it, the faint pressure of a restrictive seal, locking away the talisman’s power. He clicked his tongue, "So regretful."

Still, the reaction had been worth it. He could tell, if he could use it, the fake wouldn’t have stood a chance.

He hadn’t even dared to use this talisman against the Devouring Demon inside the Sect; otherwise the consequences would have been... unpredictable.

Slipping it back into his ring, Yu Xuan drew in a slow breath.

"It seems you’re not taking me seriously," the fake said, voice flat.

Yu Xuan smirked. "Let’s fix that."

With a sudden burst of speed, he lunged. The fake’s grip tightened on his own blade, meeting the charge head on.

CLANG!

Sword met sword, red auras flaring outward like clashing storms. Sparks danced between them, the ring of metal echoing in the vast plain.

After the clash they distanced themselves.

Yu Xuan and his fake circled each other, boots grinding over the fractured earth. Both moved with the same rhythm, the same measured steps, each waiting for the other to commit a mistake.

The fake struck now — a diagonal slash that came like lightning.

Yu Xuan pivoted, parrying with a sharp clang, the force vibrating up his arm. He twisted his wrist, sliding the blade aside, then counterattacked with a stabbing thrust.

The fake batted it away and kicked at Yu Xuan’s knee.

Yu Xuan caught the leg mid swing, shoving it aside, but his opponent spun with the momentum, slicing low.

Yu Xuan hopped back, the blade shaving a lock of hair from his temple.

They clashed again, blades ringing in rapid succession, high, low, feint, spin — each strike met with an equal and opposite block. Sparks showered the ground. If a normal Qi Condensation Cultivator saw this, their eyeballs would pop out, like characters in zero piece.

The fake suddenly stepped in close, pressing his shoulder into Yu Xuan’s chest.

The impact shoved Yu Xuan back a step, just enough for the fake to unleash a brutal overhead slash.

Yu Xuan raised his sword in a two-handed guard, the blow slamming down with such force that the ground beneath him cracked.

Yu Xuan grinned feeling the battle. "Not bad, now this is serious."

He shoved upward, breaking the lock, then swept low in a spinning slash.

The fake leapt over it, landing lightly — only for Yu Xuan to launch a telekinetic push that sent him skidding back several meters.

The fake dug his sword into the ground to halt his momentum and said, "I thought we will settle this with a sword fight."

Then he flicked his sword. A barrage of razor sharp energy blades burst toward Yu Xuan.

Yu Xuan darted forward, weaving between the glowing arcs, his own blade tracing a crimson trail in the air.

The two met again in a blinding clash, red light exploding between them like a second sun.