Chen Mo gripped the Black Nirvana Sword tightly as he squared off against Luo Qing. The moment the sword was unsheathed, Chen Mo's power surged exponentially, allowing him to match Luo Qing, a Spirit Realm martial artist, blow for blow. However, Chen Mo could tell that Luo Qing had not yet revealed all his cards.
Luo Qing's sinister laughter echoed across the battlefield.
"HAHAHA! This sword is no ordinary Earth-tier treasure. It's extraordinary! This sword must become mine!" His eyes burned with greed. "Now, brat, I'll show you the true power of the Azure Cloudy Sect. Watch closely!"
Raising his hands, Luo Qing unleashed his technique with a booming voice:
"Mirage Domain!"
From the ground up, a dense fog materialized, blanketing the battlefield and cutting it off from the outside world. Within this eerie mist, Chen Mo and Luo Qing were isolated, surrounded by an oppressive and disorienting silence. Luo Qing's voice carried through the haze, dripping with arrogance.
"Welcome to my illusion domain. Here, I can create endless copies of myself. No matter what you do, you'll never find the real me. And while you're busy searching, I'll attack from everywhere. Prepare to suffer!"
Suddenly, countless figures of Luo Qing appeared, each one attacking Chen Mo from different directions. As the real Luo Qing moved among his illusions, his strikes were fast and precise, leaving Chen Mo seemingly on the defensive.
Chen Mo, however, was calm. Scanning through the illusory figures, he smirked inwardly. With the help of the system, he could locate Luo Qing's true body within moments, but he chose not to. Instead, Chen Mo saw this as an opportunity to hone his battle instincts against a skilled opponent.
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"This guy is strong," Chen Mo admitted to himself. "The strongest I've fought so far. Perfect for my training."
He called out to the system in his mind.
"System, combine all the techniques I've gathered recently."
The system's voice replied promptly:
"Yes, Master. Combining a total of 250 techniques... Compatibility detected. Combining now... Ding! Combination successful! Congratulations, Master, on obtaining a King-tier technique: Phantom Mirror Reflection."
Chen Mo's eyes lit up with satisfaction.
"A King-tier technique? Perfect. And it does exactly what I need right now. It seems combining compatible techniques yields exceptional results."
Smirking, Chen Mo shouted: "Phantom Mirror Reflection!"
Luo Qing sneered at the declaration.
"HAHAHA! Shouting a random name won't save you! It seems my illusions have driven you mad. Enough nonsense—die, brat!"
Luo Qing attacked again, aiming a devastating blow at Chen Mo. But to his shock, Chen Mo's body dissolved into mist, vanishing like an illusion. Luo Qing scowled.
"What? A trick? It doesn't matter—it won't work again!"
He attacked once more, only to meet the same result: the figure of Chen Mo disintegrated into fog. Again and again, Luo Qing's strikes hit nothing but emptiness. Frustration began to show on his face as his energy waned.
"What... What is this?!" Luo Qing roared, sweat dripping down his face. "Brat! What tricks are you playing? How come I can't hit you?!"
Chen Mo's voice echoed through the mist, filled with mocking arrogance.
"Weren't you acting high and mighty a moment ago? What happened to your confidence? Where's that ego of yours now?"
"You insolent brat!" Luo Qing bellowed, his face twisted in rage. "I'll tear you to pieces!"
Outside the Mirage Domain
The crowd watching the fight murmured anxiously.
"What's happening inside? Why can't we see anything?"
Lianwo crossed his arms and laughed sinisterly.
"That brat must be getting beaten to a pulp by the Sect Master. Just wait—once it's over, you won't even recognize his face anymore. AHAHA!"
The fog surrounding the Mirage Domain swirled ominously, but what truly transpired inside remained a mystery to those outside.