Boom!
The Leader of the Mysterious Spirit Cult's Doppelganger Secret Art exploded the instant it touched the World Sword, sending a terrifying shock wave sweeping in every direction.
The doppelganger's body and Divine Soul were destroyed on the spot!
The World Sword also took the force of the explosion. Though it did not dissipate, it could no longer catch up with the Leader of the Mysterious Spirit Cult.
"A Ninth-Order Doppelganger Secret Art." Qin Hao shook his head slightly. "Such an art can create a doppelganger no weaker than the user's True Self. The Leader of the Mysterious Spirit Cult knew he could not withstand my sword strike, so he sacrificed his doppelganger to save his True Self."
"But..."
"Such arts often come at a steep price. Even though his True Self survived, he will certainly suffer a backlash. In severe cases, his cultivation could fall to the Eight-Tribulation Sovereign realm."
There was no need to think twice: the Leader of the Mysterious Spirit Cult must have been gravely wounded, far worse than the Nether Demon Venerable. Compared with Spirit Venerable Xiu Ling, though, he had fared much better. At least he had escaped with his life.
"Elder Ling, I'm sorry. I couldn't stop the Leader of the Mysterious Spirit Cult or the Nether Demon Venerable," Qin Hao said.
Only then did Lingxiaozi recover from his shock. He opened his mouth, but it was a long while before he spoke. "It's enough. More than enough! Qin Hao, if the Former Master knew what you had achieved, he could rest in peace!"
"With those three sword strikes, you Slaying Venerable Xiu Ling and forced the Nether Demon Venerable to use a secret treasure. The Leader of the Mysterious Spirit Cult had to use his Doppelganger Secret Art just to escape death."