The energy fluctuations outside Mirror Palace grew even more violent.
The ground trembled, fresh cracks spread across the walls, and the suspended mist churned fiercely.
Benjamin closed his eyes, his perception piercing through the walls of Mirror Palace to look directly at the sky.
The purple sky was also shaking violently, like a flag torn by gale-force winds, its folds rolling from one end to the other without a moment's stillness.
It seemed Alston was nearly finished.
That Level 8 Archwizard's fusion with the plane's aberration was nearing its end. The tearing apart and reassembly of the Plane Origin were about to be complete.
The clone sensed the tremors as well.
It rose from its cross-legged seat, the hem of its robe sweeping over the ground without stirring a speck of dust.
It lowered its head to look at Benjamin, who was still seated on the ground. Only calm remained on that identical face, along with a trace of regretful relief.
"Good luck." The clone's voice was soft. "Even with my experience, Dao-Integration is still a deadly undertaking. Don't think you can sleep easy just because the success rate has passed ninety percent. Plenty of cases in the research materials thought they could rest easy, lowered their guard, and ended up undergoing Dao Assimilation instead."
Benjamin looked up and nodded with a smile. "Of course. I'll be careful."
The clone extended its right hand, its five fingers slightly spread.
It stood there like a traveler seeing someone off at a station, hand outstretched as it waited for another hand to clasp it.
Benjamin looked at that hand, his pupils narrowing slightly.
Their identical thought processes made him immediately understand what the clone intended to do.
"Whoa! I never even thought of that—" Benjamin hesitated for a moment, but still reached