Soft rhymes of humming could be heard as Number One immersed himself studying the Counterbalance scroll.

Jack observed him attentively from nearby ground.

He still felt somewhat ignorant about the artefact’s true powers even though he had learned some specifics from the creature. And the reason he never bothered to activate the dice again was that he didn’t wish to experience that weird Buddha transformation, although the ‘real Buddha transformation’ was apparently more impressive than that, and he only turned out into that giant fatso due to his limited cultivation.

A voice similar to his snapped him out of his current thoughts. “We’re done here. Affixed anew you are.”

Jack nodded appreciatively. “Thank you both, I wouldn’t be here breathing without you.”

Number Two laughed. “We three are like siblings, ok? We will always support each other whenever you are lucky to summon us.”

Jack nodded with a smile, examining his trembling hands. He may have recovered from his physical trauma, but those thunderclouds had left behind them a permanent mark of fear. His brain couldn’t stop recalling the terrifying rage that accompanied each and every lightning strike, piercing through his body, cutting apart his flash, burning his every organ.

Already making it a point to ask the Creature for explanations, he stood up, concentrating his QI and soon forming another dimensional pocket. Afterwards, he recollected his items, then approached the defeated duo.

Jack could still hear their weak breathing from up close. Face turning dark, he didn’t hesitate to slice both of their necks, effectively ending their lives. “God job assholes, you are the first cultivators I’ve killed.”

Number One had been observing Jack. He laughed. “Didn’t you kill your mother already?”

Jack pretended not to hear him as his eyes began scanning through their items, though a wryly smile betrayed his acting.

The Duo didn’t seem particularly wealthy on first glance, but at least they had some decent stuff, most notable being Li Bai’s spear. But what forced a broad smile to appear on Jack’s face was the ridiculous amount of gemstones they had collected.

Clearly satisfied with the looting, he summoned a talisman that pinpointed the location of the return portal.

“Didn’t find that herb… but I did well overall... can’t have it all…”

He let out a roar of determination, surprising his two clones. “Let’s head back to the portal guys, staying here for longer isn’t a good idea.”

The trio nodded at each other, transforming into bright prismatic beams. Number One smirked however, accelerating his speed a bit more and forcing the others to follow suit.

It didn’t taking long for the journey to turn into a race.

While the trio enjoyed their little games, a nearby cultivator could be seen rubbing his chin.

He had noticed a substantial drop of cultivators wondering around. He could only think of one possibility... that something had gone wrong with the formation. Wanting immediate answers, he decided to check on the red-haired cultivator, although a part of him didn’t really wish to see that man again.

All set and ready to depart, he suddenly detected three beams of lights approaching from the horizon. His eyes flashed with anticipation.

He quickly dashed into hiding, grinning. “Three little lambs, walking straight in a wolf’s nest… time to experience the most shocking moment of your life, ha ha ha…”

He focused his eyes, his heartbeat increasing the closer they arrived. Waiting impatiently for a while, he eventually fired up like an arrow, pointing his fingers.

“Surren—”

His flamboyant voice resounded out, the echoes slowly fading and eventually replaced by chilling silence.

He wanted to utter something, a word, a scream, a cry; anything would do. But nothing wanted to come out from that mouth of his no matter how much he forced his lungs, as if a hard object got stuck inside his throat.

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Instead, tears of despair accumulated over his eyes, while shock, astonishment, and terror inundated his mind, causing his brain to start spiralling.

Body shaking more than a banging gong, he remained to stare stupidly at the three Jacks, who mirrored his exact behaviour, creating a very bizarre scene.

“This... isn’t this that f*cker?” Number One’s face eventually turned ugly. About to recklessly charge forward, Number Two appeared next to him, blocking his way.

They both paused, glancing at the real Jack who appeared overwhelmed with emotions, his eyes never to leave the man before him.

How could he ever forget his face? The being who summoned the coffin at the lake, the one who tried to kill him when he was still a defenceless mortal.

The man that started it all.

Dong Li’s face had already turned similar to crap, his breathing like a dying old man. Was this his heavenly tribulation? How was he supposed to deal with three of these monsters, when he couldn’t even deal with one?

Almost fainting on the spot, a glimmer of hope recovered his reason. These three appeared somewhat different from the other one, and they had expressed emotions. Maybe he could reason with them.

“Why are you doing this? What are you exactly?” He wanted to ask more questions, but he stopped at those two.

Number Two expressed a frown. “Guys, I know how you feel against this man… but we shouldn’t fight him. Remember, he has a heavenly artefact and that particular essence…”

Number One rolled his eyes. “Aye? He can stick that stick in his ass. It’s shit, the lowest out of the seven.”

Dong Li’s face instantly turned white as snow. The bamboo stick and the godly essence were secrets that nobody knew about, not his brothers, not his master, and not even his father, the emperor. And yet these two here were casually talking about his ultimate trump cards as if they were some unimportant matter.

That faithful day, he had made sure that nobody trailed after him, and the only person who knew about his little adventure was just a barbaric mortal that should have been decimated by that wraith.

He suddenly recalled the image of that man, full of scars and messed up hair. The image of his memory then began overlapping with the image of this Jack before him.

He soon arrived at a terrific realisation; this Jack and that mortal were one and the same.

His eyes couldn’t stop vibrating. Even a fairy-tale was more believable than this reality presented before him. Amidst this ocean of absurdities, the most unexpected questions rose up. How did this guy manage to survive the wraith of the underworld? How did he manage to follow him to the Divine Vajra Continent? Was the godly essence actually destined for this guy, and he stole it away? Is this Karma?

Dong Li shook his hand, glancing at his opponent. “You… I finally recognise… I cannot fathom how you followed me here, or how you succeeded in unlocking your cultivation… there must be someone else pulling the strings from behind... but it matters not, this time I’ll make sure to finish my job properly.”

Powerful spiritual energies exploded out, causing the winds in the area to encircle them. The three Jacks could already feel their bodies succumbing to the heavy pressure.

Number Two raised his hand, protecting his face from the winds. “What unbelievable strength!”

“Bleh, stay back you wuss.” Number One created his solidified claw, then charged ahead.

Dong Li awaited the attack to arrive. He appeared unfazed, smashing the bamboo stick against the claw with ease and also crushing it in the process.

Number One uttered a soft moan, retreating back towards the other two.

That one exchange was enough for him to understand the gravity of their situation. He switched his irises towards the real Jack. “Hurry and leave, we will keep him busy as long as we can.”

The real Jack hesitated however, addressing his opponent with anger. “Shameless bastard! Just wait till I become stronger! One day I’ll pay you back for everything you’ve done to me!”

Dong Li let out a sigh of disgust. “Oh really? Says the maniac.”

Jack grinded his teeth, clenching his fists. “Hypocrite bastard…”

Dong Li gazed at the angered Jack, then furrowed his brows, pausing for a while. What’s with this sudden change of attitudes? Did this man suffer from multiple personalities? What the hell was wrong with this guy and his clones? And why these three seemed much weaker than before? The more he tried to understand, the more confused he became. Faced with a dilemma, he decided that no matter how many Jacks appeared before him, he had to kill them all. He couldn’t afford his secrets to come out in the open. That would be a disaster of unprecedented proportions.

He aimed his bamboo stick, aiming a lethal slash towards the real Jack, but an overbearing aura suddenly approached from the west, taking everyone by surprise.

Amidst the confusion of the elements, Jack stared dumbfounded ahead.

Back in the Navira Planes, he always felt deep sorrow whenever he looked at a body of water, the reflection reminding him about the various scars that ruined his face. But since his rebirth inside the Azure Realm, any reflective surface made him generate a smile of a healthy young man.

But the reflection that appeared before his eyes right now made his previous scarred face pale in comparison. It seemed very real, very perfect, and yet it was empty, lifeless and disturbing.

He wanted to react, to ask anything, but a hefty punch had already slammed against his stomach.

Blood sprayed from his nostrils as his body was sent flying down with incredible force, eventually slamming against a cliff and producing a soft plume of dust.

Number One, Number Two and Dong Li both rounded their eyes with a sense of dread, affixing their shocked gazes over the new presence.

Another Jack had arrived, like a devil of destruction about to judge the final moments of their life.