Infinite Awakening: My Exp Doubles Everyday - Chapter 185

Chapter 185: Final Fight [PART 5]
Xiang Yu’s heart raced as he continued his charade, the deadly palm strike drawing ever closer. The cold sensation of impending death washed over him as he braced for impact. Did I lose the 50/50? He lamented his bad luck, even in this new life… If only he could have another roll.

Just as the strike was about to connect, it abruptly halted. Relief flooded through Xiang Yu as he returned from his morbid thoughts. Perhaps this was indeed just a test, but he remained acutely aware that danger still surrounded him. He maintained his facade of ignorance, walking straight through the soul clone as if it didn’t exist.

As he passed through the soul clone, his mind raced with possibilities. Should he use the talisman now? The thought flashed briefly before he instantly suppressed it. The speed difference between them was insurmountable. He was certain the man’s divine sense already enveloped his entire body, monitoring his every movement. One wrong muscle twitch would result in instant death. He needed to catch the soul clone completely off guard, but how?

Xiang Yu continued forward, bending to examine the growing herb buds with fabricated interest, his movements deliberately slow and casual despite the storm of calculations in his mind.

The soul clone observed him with growing curiosity. Though every instinct screamed at him to kill this seemingly harmless youth, he couldn’t help but wonder what had triggered such a visceral reaction. Was Xiang Yu concealing something that could make a Nascent Soul cultivator uneasy? Had he stumbled upon some extraordinary inheritance? If so, the soul clone wanted it desperately.

A menacing smile spread across the soul clone’s features. “There’s only one way to find out,” he thought as he placed his hand on Xiang Yu’s head. He would use a soul search technique to extract whatever secrets this young man was hiding.

When Xiang Yu felt the hand settle on his head, he tensed internally, wondering if this was finally the end. But suddenly, the sensation vanished. He realized with horror that the soul had been pulled into his spiritual sea. “Not good, he’s trying to possess me,” Xiang Yu thought frantically.

Concentrating his awareness inside his spiritual sea, Xiang Yu found only his soul infant peacefully cultivating. The soul clone was nowhere to be seen. Perplexed, he decided to extend his senses throughout the spiritual sea, searching for any trace of the intruder.

As his awareness expanded to engulf the entire spiritual sea without result, an idea formed. Xiang Yu stretched his senses even further, venturing into the dark void that surrounded his spiritual sea. Sweat formed on his forehead as the tremendous strain threatened to overwhelm him. The Abyssal Void Flame marker on his forehead blazed with dark luminescence, slightly alleviating the pressure though he still felt the crushing burden.

After what seemed like an eternity, he finally located the soul clone—struggling desperately against the all-encompassing dark void that surrounded his spiritual sea.

“What is this thing?” the soul clone shouted, thrashing violently but making no progress. “My soul is being torn apart. I need to get away!” Terror laced every word as the clone abandoned its attempt to infiltrate Xiang Yu’s spiritual sea and desperately retreated toward the physical realm.

When Xiang Yu heard this, he instantly withdrew his expanded awareness and returned full attention to his physical body. “This is my chance,” he realized. With perfect timing, he could turn the tables and survive this deadly encounter.

In the next heartbeat, the soul clone materialized exactly where it had been before, collapsing to the ground. Dark tendrils covered its form, slowly retreating into the void as the clone struggled to recover. As it raised its gaze, its eyes met Xiang Yu’s—who had already closed the distance between them and slapped a fifth-grade soul shock talisman directly onto the clone’s forehead.

Xiang Yu smiled and offered a casual wave. “Adios,”

“You-you-you are actually…” the soul clone stammered, but before it could complete the thought, it exploded in a blinding flash of light, leaving nothing behind—not even a trace of soul energy.

…

Li Yao observed the battle with intense focus, her eyes tracking every movement as the elemental spirits hovered at her side. The clash between the sect masters and the cult leader had reached a fever pitch, the air itself seeming to distort under the pressure of their spiritual energy. She found herself grudgingly impressed—she had clearly underestimated these sect masters. Their coordination was nothing short of immaculate.

In this moment of crisis, these longtime rivals showed no trace of their centuries-old feuds over territory and resources. Instead, they moved with the seamless harmony of warriors who had fought side by side for thousands of years, anticipating each other’s movements perfectly.

[You need to be prepared to make a move,] the Empress’s voice resonated within Li Yao’s consciousness. [That girl won’t last long.]

Li Yao’s brow furrowed slightly as she considered what move she was supposed to make. She could see the toll the battle was taking, not only on Huan Meng, but also on all the sect masters. Their attacks were beginning to lose some of their earlier sharpness. Yet the cult leader, though visibly wounded, still possessed enough strength to match their combined assault.

[Don’t worry,] the Empress continued. [A chance will appear soon. Remember the talisman you received from Xiang Yu?]

“Yes, what about it?” Li Yao replied, her fingers unconsciously brushing against the sleeve where she kept the item. She wondered if the Empress wanted her to use it immediately. Hadn’t she specifically warned that it needed to be deployed at precisely the right moment for maximum effect?

[Don’t worry,] the Empress reassured her. [Just get it ready and listen to my instructions.]

Li Yao nodded slightly, not bothering to argue. She retrieved the talisman from her sleeve, holding it gently between her fingers.

The battlefield erupted in chaos as the cult leader’s patience finally shattered.

“Damn it! Stop these childish games!” he roared furiously. The spiritual energy surrounding him crystallized into a visible aura, condensing and then exploding outward in pulsing waves that distorted the very air.

The waves slammed into the sect masters with force, sending them tumbling through the sky. Huan Meng, who had been maintaining her concealment at the periphery, took the brunt of the attack as her illusions collapsed. Her physical form materialized abruptly, her body arching in pain as she coughed a mouthful of blood. The strain had been too much—her eyes rolled back as consciousness fled, her limp form plummeting toward the ground below.

Wang Jian streaked through the air, catching her moments before she crashed into the earth. With gentle but swift movements, he placed her in a sheltered location before soaring back to rejoin the battle. The four remaining sect masters all bore visible injuries—torn robes, blood-streaked faces, labored breathing—but determination still burned in their eyes.

Wang Jian cast a glance at his compatriots. They had lost their greatest advantage. Still, they couldn’t afford to lose momentum. He took a deep breath, gathering his remaining strength.

They needed to push even harder now.

…

Author’s Corner

What do you think of the sect masters? Who’s your favorite?