Clones and Assault

Soto Great Soul Arena, Soul Battle Stage No. 65.

The match had already been declared underway. Susu did not rush to attack. Instead, she said to Ye Buqun, "I know that match yesterday proved you're indeed an opponent worthy of fighting me. But I'm not like that brute who only knows how to use strength. Please give it your all and let me see your true ability."

Give it his all?

Hearing that, Ye Buqun could not help but feel like laughing.

He had to admit, this girl was quite spirited.

In truth, even without Susu saying so, Ye Buqun had not planned to win as easily as he had yesterday. If he stayed that high-profile, wouldn't that be too embarrassing for them?

As he quietly made that decision, Susu had already summoned her Martial Soul.

Her eyes immediately turned dark green. A pair of adorable cat ears stood upright, and her hands transformed into sharp claws. As her ten fingers flexed, razor-like nails sprang out from between them. Her slender body lowered slightly, her eyes fixed intently upon her opponent. At the same time, two yellow Soul Rings rose beneath her feet, and the icy aura in her beautiful eyes sent a chill through the air.

Susu, Martial Soul: Shadow Cat, Level 28, two-ring Agility Attack System Battle Soul Grandmaster.

Ye Buqun had already made his plans. A somewhat battered, ancient mirror appeared in his hand, while two yellow Soul Rings rose beneath his feet.

As previously mentioned, after the first Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Ring of his Body Martial Soul, the Concealment Mask, he could hide any Soul Ring. He could also use visual deception to alter his appearance and even change the form of his Martial Soul.

Ye Buqun put that ability to use now. He hid the third through seventh Soul Rings of his Mirror Beast Martial Soul and altered the Mirror Beast Martial Soul into an utterly inconspicuous, even shabby-looking mirror.

Since even its aura had been concealed, no one could sense any fluctuations in his Soul Power. Ye Buqun now looked like a Soul Grandmaster with virtually no strength at all.

"His Martial Soul is actually a broken mirror? What the hell is that?!"

"Seriously, they said this guy defeated Li Dali? That has to be a lie!"

"It must be fake. A toy Martial Soul like that is fine for show, but how could it be used in battle?"

"Ha, good thing I bet on Susu this time."

Another wave of discussion broke out in the stands. Even the audience members who had watched yesterday's match found this unexpected.

Doudou, who had been following the matches closely, also found it strange. "Wasn't his Martial Soul a sword? He has a mirror too? Could he have Twin Martial Souls?"

Seeing this, Susu revealed a disdainful expression on the Soul Battle Stage. "This is your Martial Soul?"

Behind his mask, Ye Buqun's expression remained calm. "Is there a problem?"

"If that's the case, then let's not waste any more time. Let's end this quickly."

As she spoke, Susu immediately felt certain of victory. Her sharp claws tore through the air as she lunged straight for her opponent's face.

Ye Buqun stood there with his arms folded, not moving as she attacked.

When her claws were already right before him, the air even let out a ripping screech.

Hm?

Was that it?

But Susu immediately sensed that something was wrong.

She abruptly turned around and saw another "Ye Buqun" standing in the same spot, in exactly the same pose as before.

Had she just torn through an illusion?

Not entirely. This was the First Soul Skill of Ye Buqun's Body Martial Soul: Illusion Clone.

The people in the stands revised their opinion of him slightly.

If he had a clone skill, then that mirror Martial Soul was not completely useless.

But when had this guy moved over there?

Could it be that, from the very beginning of the match, he had been talking to this illusion the whole time?

"Hmph! Such a petty trick. If we're competing in speed, this young lady won't lose to you!"

As Susu spoke, her first Soul Ring immediately lit up.

"First Soul Skill: Shadow Assault!"

In an instant, Susu's body shot forward. A string of afterimages even trailed behind her as she pounced at Ye Buqun from the side.

"Looks like you're quite eager to win this match."

Ye Buqun teased her, remaining motionless where he stood. Yet at that moment, another twenty or thirty copies of him appeared across the arena, completely surrounding the Soul Battle Stage!

"What? He can make that many?"

Some spectators in the stands cried out in shock.

Even ordinary people with a little knowledge of Soul Masters knew that a Soul Grandmaster's Soul Power was not particularly high. In theory, creating so many clones at once was nearly impossible.

But what they did not know was that, if Ye Buqun wished it, his clones could even cover the entire Soto Great Soul Arena!

At that moment, Susu was thoroughly frustrated. Though she was extremely fast and her claws sliced through several "Ye Buquns" like blades, they were all clones. Not one was the real body.

"Bastard! This isn't a guessing game!"

After Susu tore through those clones, even more clones appeared on the Soul Battle Stage.

"Enough already!"

"Second Soul Skill: Shadow Hundred Slash!"

Susu's Second Soul Ring lit up as well. She began moving across the arena at even greater speed; people could no longer catch sight of her actual body. The battlefield was now filled with Ye Buqun's clones and Susu's afterimages and phantoms.

Susu darted about at high speed, swiping her claws to shatter clones wherever she went. Yet those clones seemed like earthworms—the more she destroyed, the more appeared. Before long, they covered nearly half the arena.

At this point, Susu had already stopped attacking. She panted heavily, drenched in sweat.

That relentless series of attacks had drained a considerable amount of her stamina and Soul Power.

What kind of monster is this damned bastard? How can he create so many phantoms?

As Susu cursed her opponent inwardly, Ye Buqun willed it, and the many clones on the field instantly vanished, leaving only his true body behind.

"Miss, you're done attacking. It should be my turn now, right?"

Compared to Susu, who was gasping violently with her Soul Power nearly depleted, Ye Buqun did not seem to have changed his breathing in the slightest.

"Then excuse me."

As Ye Buqun spoke, he shot forward almost skimming the ground, driving his right elbow into her waist and abdomen. Susu was sent flying off the Soul Battle Stage.

"I hereby announce that in the first match of today's sixty-fifth Soul Battle Stage, the victor is Ye Buqun!"

After the host announced the result, scattered applause rose from below the stage.

"That kid's got some skills."

"See? I told you I wasn't lying."

"He can actually create so many clones, and it doesn't even look like it costs him any Soul Power."

"Damn it, I bet twenty Gold Soul Coins on Susu. Now I've lost it all."

Just like that, Ye Buqun earned another point. It seemed he now had a few supporters—