CHAPTER 2636: THE ART OF THE SHADOW CLONE
At this moment, it wasn't just the audience who were stunned. Even Vincent, standing on the stage, was taken aback by Kieran's sudden display of the shadow clone technique.
"When did the Yama Fist and Blade Sect acquire such a skill?" he wondered. More crucially, this technique was as flawless as Cort’s, if not better.
Vincent couldn’t immediately tell which clone was the real one. This only meant one thing: Kieran had mastered the shadow clone technique to an almost supernatural degree. It wasn’t something that could be learned overnight.
No wonder Kieran had been able to defeat Cort. He must have identified a flaw in Cort’s technique, exploiting it with his deep understanding of shadow clones. Knowing yourself and your opponent indeed led to victory in every battle.
It was clear now—Kieran had hidden his true strength well.
However, while surprised, Vincent wasn’t intimidated in the slightest. To him, the shadow clone technique was just a minor inconvenience, something that required a bit more effort to handle but nothing more.
"Impressive, but ultimately useless. You will still lose." Vincent’s voice was cold and confident.
"Whether I win or lose, we'll only know after the fight!" Kieran wasted no time, lunging forward once again.
His folding fan twisted in his hand, revealing a three-inch-long blade hidden at its tip. With swift precision, he thrust the blade directly toward Vincent’s chest.
Against such a formidable opponent, holding back was not an option. Any hesitation would only lead to defeat.
"Foolish!" Vincent scoffed. He still hadn’t moved his feet, simply raising his palm and thrusting it forward.
"Boom!"
The divine figure that loomed behind him mirrored his movements. A massive palm, as large as a truck, shot out with lightning speed, hurtling toward Kieran.
This palm strike carried an overwhelming destructive force, seemingly capable of obliterating everything in its path.
"Divide!"
With a swift hand sign, Kieran’s body split into three mid-sprint. Each clone dodged the palm strike, and the trio launched an attack from three different directions toward Vincent.
The three figures wavered between illusion and reality, making it nearly impossible to discern which one was the real Kieran.
"Get lost!" Vincent roared, his arms spread wide. With a powerful motion, he struck out at the two figures closing in from the sides.
At the same time, he kicked out with lightning speed toward the third figure rushing him head-on.
Three clones. Two palms and one kick—just enough to handle them all.
"Divide!"
But just as Vincent unleashed his attack, Kieran’s figures trembled and split again.
One became three. Three became nine.
In the blink of an eye, nine identical versions of Kieran filled the stage. Each clone was indistinguishable from the real one.
"His mastery of this technique rivals that of Cort!" Vincent thought, his brow furrowing slightly.
The battle had just taken a more dangerous turn.
CHAPTER 2637 LIKE AN ANT
The crowd watched in awe, murmuring amongst themselves.
“To be honest, I think Kieran’s clone technique is superior to Cort’s. He not only created multiple clones but also managed to evade Vincent’s attacks.”
“You’re right. In terms of skill and timing, Kieran definitely has the upper hand over Cort.”
Kieran’s stunning performance silenced earlier doubts. Though he had previously defeated Cort, many had attributed it to sheer luck. Cort, having underestimated Kieran, lost the initial advantage and was severely injured. Despite his efforts to regain control and showcase his ultimate technique, his weakened state led to a decisive defeat.
Before, people believed this outcome was due to Cort's carelessness and Kieran’s luck. Now, witnessing Kieran’s true abilities, the audience realized that Kieran’s victory wasn’t mere luck. His strength was profound, just unnoticed by the average eye.
As the fight continued, Kieran didn’t slow down. Splitting into nine clones, he attacked Vincent from all directions.
“Hmph! Clones? I can do that too!” Vincent sneered as an overwhelming aura of energy erupted from his body.
Suddenly, the divine figure behind him twisted, growing two additional heads and four extra arms. He had become a terrifying three-headed, six-armed figure!
The audience’s eyes widened in shock. No one had expected Vincent’s "Heavenly God's Four Symbols Technique" to hold such transformations. This was a skill he had only mastered after breaking through to the level of Supreme Grandmaster.
Reaching such a level was more than just enhancing one’s strength. Speed, reflexes, and even the mastery of techniques were elevated to an entirely different realm.
“Die!” Vincent roared, commanding the divine figure with its three heads and six arms to unleash a barrage of attacks on Kieran’s nine clones.
The flurry of palm strikes rained down like a violent storm, each strike carrying the force to split mountains and rivers. To Vincent, it didn’t matter if the clones were real or fake—he intended to obliterate them all.
“Boom! Boom! Boom!” The nine Kieran clones dodged relentlessly, but the sheer volume of attacks made it impossible to evade completely.
One by one, Kieran’s clones were shattered, dissipating into thin air. Within just two breaths, only two of the original nine clones remained.
But Vincent showed no signs of stopping.
“Boom!” Another clone exploded, leaving only one.
“I’ve got you now!” Vincent smirked, commanding his divine figure to strike with all six arms. The six palms crashed down from all sides, aiming to crush Kieran like an ant.
CHAPTER 2638: THE UNYIELDING DUEL
Bang!
Under the powerful onslaught of the three-headed, six-armed divine apparition, the final clone of Kieran shattered into fragments in the blink of an eye.
The crowd gasped in shock, but none were as devastated as the women who had been cheering for Kieran. Screams of disbelief echoed through the arena, some even fainting from the sheer intensity of their emotions.
“What a waste! Such a beautiful man, reduced to nothing!” one of them lamented. Indeed, for them, it felt like the destruction of a priceless treasure.
Amid the chaos below, Vincent, standing on the stage, showed no signs of satisfaction. His face remained stern.
He had noticed something off the moment the divine apparition struck Kieran. What exploded wasn’t a body—it was merely a gust of air.
In other words, the Kieran he had just defeated was yet another clone!
“If all nine shadows were clones… then where is the real body?” Vincent thought, his brows furrowing in confusion.
Just as the thought crossed his mind, a sudden, chilling sensation crawled down his spine. Danger!
Without thinking, Vincent’s head shot upward. Above him, Kieran was diving down from the sky, headfirst, feet pointed to the heavens. He held a folded fan, silent as a shadow, yet descending with the force of a meteor.
The tip of the fan gleamed dangerously, revealing the sharp edge of a hidden sword.
“Courting death!” Vincent snarled.
Reacting with lightning speed, Vincent slammed both palms above his head. A surge of Grandmaster energy erupted from him like a tidal wave, crashing upward toward the descending figure.
Boom!
The arena shook from the force of the explosion.
Kieran’s figure disintegrated into nothing but air, vanishing like smoke in the wind.
“Another fake?”
Vincent froze, momentarily caught off guard. This time, the danger he sensed was real, but how could it still be a clone?
Suddenly, the sound of metal clashing against metal rang out behind him.
Clang!
Kieran had appeared behind Vincent, fan in hand, with its hidden blade thrusting fiercely at Vincent’s back.
But instead of the sword piercing through flesh, it was stopped cold by a thin layer of energy surrounding Vincent's body. As the blade touched his skin, it was met with an impenetrable barrier.
Few knew the full extent of the Heavenly God's Four Symbols Technique. While it was famed for its offensive power, its defensive capabilities were equally formidable. Once activated, it made the user impervious to most attacks, rendering them nearly invincible.
This sneak attack wasn’t even close to leaving a scratch.
"Of course, it won’t be that easy," Kieran muttered, retreating swiftly as Vincent turned to face him.
Though Kieran’s trickery had momentarily fooled him, the gap in their raw power was undeniable. He had been unable to break through the Heavenly God's Four Symbols Technique defense, no matter how clever his strategy.
The battle wasn’t over yet—but neither side had gained the upper hand.
CHAPTER 2639: A GAMBLE WITH FATE
“What a pity…”
“He’s still alive? Kieran didn’t die?”
“Not only that, but he nearly wounded Vincent! This guy is no joke!”
“He plays with illusions and reality so seamlessly, blending truth and lies. To reach this level of mastery with clones is simply mind-blowing!”
The crowd murmured in disbelief. Everything had happened so fast—Kieran had deceived Vincent twice with his clones, ultimately creating a single chance to strike. Though the attack failed, his battle instincts and strategic brilliance left many in awe.
“You… are impressive.”
Vincent glanced at his torn robe where Kieran’s fan had grazed him, then locked his gaze on his opponent, a dangerous glint in his eyes. “You were just a hair’s breadth away from wounding me. Unfortunately, that small distance is an uncrossable chasm for you.”
He had to admit that Kieran’s skills were exceptional. If this had been before his breakthrough, defeating him might have been difficult.
But now, things were different.
No matter how brilliant Kieran’s movements were, no matter how profound his techniques, at the end of the day, he was merely a martial grandmaster (Note: this could mean 'Early Stage Grandmaster'].
Vincent, however, was now a Supreme Grandmaster.
A single word marked a vast gulf between their abilities.
With his current cultivation level, as long as he activated the Heavenly God's Four Symbols Technique, Kieran wouldn’t even be able to break through his defense.
That was the difference between them.
From the moment this fight began, Vincent had been standing in the realm of the undefeated.
“You seem much stronger than yesterday. I suppose you finally broke through your limits. Must’ve cost you quite a bit,” Kieran remarked, a flicker of light flashing in his eyes.
The Vincent standing before him now had an aura that was worlds apart from the one he had faced yesterday.
“Sharp eyes. But you’re mistaken about one thing. My breakthrough was effortless—no obstacles, no challenges. It simply came a few days ahead of schedule,” Vincent replied coolly.
“Well then, congratulations.” Kieran smiled faintly. “But even with your breakthrough, securing the championship won’t be that easy.”
“Whether I win or not is none of your concern,” Vincent’s voice took on a cold edge. “You already understand the gap between us, so do yourself a favor—surrender. It’ll be better for both of us.”
Normally, Vincent wouldn’t even bother to speak so much. If it were any other opponent, he would have subdued them in an instant.
But Kieran was different. His mastery of the clone technique was extraordinary, and dealing with him would require considerable effort.
Vincent had a tough battle ahead against Billy later today, and he didn’t want to waste too much energy on Kieran.
“Conceding would be far too embarrassing,” Kieran replied with a smile. “Though I can’t defeat you, I’d still like to see for myself just how powerful the Heavenly God's Four Symbols Technique’s killing move really is.”
“If you want to see my killing move, you’ll have to wager your life. The question is, can you afford to lose?” Vincent asked, his voice icy.
“I’d like to try,” Kieran responded, his grin never fading.
“Fine! Since you insist on seeking death, I’ll gladly oblige!” Vincent’s eyes flashed with fury, his patience finally wearing thin.
There had been no enmity between them, and Vincent hadn’t planned on killing Kieran.
But the man before him clearly had no intention of backing down. If he wished for death, Vincent wouldn’t hesitate to grant it.
His killing intent surged. Today, there would be no holding back.
all the cuckoo land talk in the mud.
The one that pantheon prepared is a serum, not a pill.
