"Sir, how did you...?" Ram was baffled. It was perfectly normal for someone stronger than him to have greater power; too many things affected strength. But the power of this clone technique depended solely on one's understanding of the Mysteries. Sean's understanding was clearly inferior to his own, so why was his clone still stronger?
"There's no point in telling you," Sean replied. "What matters most is that we keep improving. Come on. This time, I'll use only the Shadow Clone Profound Mystery."
The Plane Overseer probably knew about fusing Mysteries, but he hadn't told the Saint-level or god-level experts of the Zhongyuan Plane. The most likely reason was that there was no point in telling them.
Fusion Profound Mysteries were incredibly difficult. In the Higher Planes, even an ordinary member of a race who was an Upper God and had fused two Mysteries would be a Five-Star Fiend. Such people could dominate a region in the Higher Planes, and as long as they didn't go looking for trouble, they were practically impossible to kill.
After all, the Higher Planes were vast, and there were so few experts above the Six-Star Fiend level that it was difficult to run into one. Besides, Five-Star Fiends could easily afford to buy a home in a city.
Of course, some people fused Mysteries while still Middle Gods. But they were so rare that they rivaled powerful divine beasts in number. Anyone capable of such a feat was an extraordinary genius.
Sean had been able to start fusing Mysteries so early because he had inherited the God-Eater Rat's bloodline. As time went on, he would naturally come to understand the Shadow Clone Profound Mystery. As for the other one, he had chosen the most basic Darkness Element Profound Mystery.
Even so, he had only managed to fuse a trace of the two. Further progress seemed difficult, and he had no confidence that he could fuse them successfully before mastering the Shadow Clone Profound Mystery. All he could do was keep trying.
"All right, sir. Here I come." Ram knew there were secrets he shouldn't pry into. He once again created four tiger-shaped clones and charged at Sean's human-shaped clones.
Soon, the eight figures were locked in combat. This time, however, Sean was at a disadvantage. Before long, his human-shaped clones were defeated one by one. Without using fused Mysteries, his understanding of the Laws was still inferior to Ram's. And Sean's powerful God-Eater Rat body offered no advantage to his clones' offense or defense. This was purely a contest of the Shadow Clone Profound Mystery.
"Not bad. You're much stronger than me. Keep going." Though his energy avatars had been defeated, Sean's eyes were filled with delight. There was more value in fighting a powerful opponent, since that was how he could grow faster—especially when they were cultivating the same Profound Mystery.
"All right, sir. Get ready." Ram didn't hold back. He seemed to have learned what kind of person Sean was. Though powerful, Sean wasn't unpredictable or quick to anger. And since he had spared Ram earlier, he must have wanted Ram to spar with him.
Besides, fighting such a powerful opponent was a way for Ram to improve, too. It was hard to find an opponent like this in the Dark Forest. Even if one existed, Ram wouldn't dare entrust his life to them. Now, his life was already in someone else's hands, but Sean had spared him, and Ram still had value to him. That made it safe to put his trust in Sean.
"Fine." Sean smiled faintly, then created four more energy avatars and resumed the fight against the four tigers.
Their battles over the course of several months had deepened Sean's understanding of the Shadow Clone Profound Mystery. It was true that even if he did nothing, he could slowly master it and become a Lowgod. But actively studying and comprehending it, while also trying to fuse it with the Darkness Element Profound Mystery, was far more beneficial to his growth.
Fusing Mysteries was fascinating. Two Mysteries that were both weak in attack and defense could, once fused even slightly, undergo a qualitative improvement in every respect—including the soul.
One day, after a sparring match, Ram was quickly defeated. This time, he knew Sean hadn't used some special method. He had beaten him simply by using the Shadow Clone Profound Mystery.
Ram could clearly sense that a few months earlier, Sean's energy avatars had been unstable. Now, they were more stable than his own. With Ram's soul power, he couldn't even tell which avatar was which. It was clear that every so often, Sean grew stronger.
In other words, in just a few months, Sean's understanding of the Laws and Mysteries had surpassed Ram's achievements over a hundred thousand years. That level of talent sent a chill through him. He had never heard of a genius like this. Even the god-level experts of the Zhongyuan Plane had all spent thousands or tens of thousands of years before they happened to become gods.
One winter, heavy snow blanketed the Dark Forest. Eight figures darted across the snow, and the shock waves sent the falling flakes scattering in every direction, creating a beautiful sight.
"Lord Sean, you're truly incredible. I'm no longer any match for you," Ram said after his energy avatar was dispersed.
"That's true. But without your help during this time, I wouldn't have improved so quickly." Sean smiled.
There was no great significance in Sean's improvement in the Shadow Clone Profound Mystery. It was a skill that came naturally to his divine beast bloodline. But he had gained many insights through their repeated battles. On top of that, the dark elements in the area were especially dense, making it a suitable place to cultivate the Darkness Laws' Darkness Element Profound Mystery. As a result, he had gained a deeper understanding of how to combine the two Mysteries.
At the Saint-level, even a slight improvement in one's understanding of a Law's Profound Mystery could multiply one's strength. That was even more true of fused Mysteries, even if he had only grasped the barest beginnings of a fusion.
Sean still hadn't fought any other Saint-level experts, especially those at the Saint-level peak, like Pope Urban or Leilia's father. Of course, Sean also had the advantages of his weapon and body.
"It's my honor to serve you, Lord Sean. It's just a pity that sparring with me doesn't help you much anymore," Ram said sincerely. If he could follow a future powerhouse, there would be nothing but benefits for him. Breaking through to godhood on his own was little more than a dream. Countless Saint-level experts lived in the Zhongyuan Plane, but only a handful ever became gods.
"No matter. If I get the chance, I'll reward you." Sean smiled. He needed to prepare to leave.
Suddenly, several different waves of soul power swept over the area. They belonged to Saint-level experts.
Sean released his own divine sense and spotted five experts in the uniforms of the Darkness Church, flying rapidly toward them from a hundred miles away.
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