Chapter 482: Chapter 422: Thunder Shadow Clone

’Its strength is slightly reduced, but its speed and agility are almost completely unaffected.’

Zhao Lin’s figure flickered as he dashed forward and traded a punch with his clone.

He silently gauged the force behind his clone’s punch and came to this conclusion.

He then cast the Ice Blade Skill and found that the blade’s flexibility and hardness still reached the level of perfection.

However, the ice blade was noticeably smaller, its power diminished.

This was understandable. The efficacy of a Magic skill primarily depended on a cultivator’s realm, their level of mastery over the skill, and their Spiritual Power.

The clone only consumed a portion of his Spiritual Power; the first two factors remained unchanged.

’If I break through to the Qi Refining Eighth Layer, my Spiritual Power will be more abundant, and this problem should disappear.’

"This Magic is unorthodox, but it’s certainly powerful. It’s like getting an extra helper out of thin air."

Zhao Lin muttered to himself, but his expression suddenly changed as he felt the Spiritual Power in his body draining away at an alarming rate.

The Thunder Shadow Clone consumed a massive amount of Spiritual Qi—this was one of the skill’s drawbacks.

Zhao Lin hastily recalled the clone, took out a Spirit Pearl, sat down cross-legged, and began circulating his technique to restore his Spiritual Power.

After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, a loud roar echoed from outside, and the Array began to shake violently.

Zhao Lin opened his eyes and looked up to see Ji Zhang casting the Water Spear Skill, striking at the Array’s "Zhongfu" position—the weak point in the Small Tai Chi Array’s final line of defense.

The Array teetered, on the verge of collapse!

"How much longer can you hide?"

Ji Zhang seemed to peer through the barrier, his eyes locking onto Zhao Lin hiding within the Array as a murderous glint flashed within them.

To prevent Zhao Lin from escaping the moment the Array shattered, he once again cast the Thunder Shadow Clone.

Ji Zhang remained at the front, continuing his assault on the Array, while his clone moved to guard the rear.

Seeing this, Zhao Lin stood up. With a series of flashes, he too released his own clone.

He knew his greatest advantage wasn’t the Thunder Shadow Clone itself, but the fact that Ji Zhang didn’t know he had learned the Thunder Shadow Clone Skill.

’I have to catch him by surprise and either critically injure or kill him in a single blow.’

’And I have to target his real body. It’s the only way to inflict maximum damage on him.’

’Otherwise, if he creates some distance, he’ll be able to use his Mana advantage to become untouchable.’

With this in mind, Zhao Lin had his clone walk to the edge of the barrier. He, meanwhile, took out the Array Plate and channeled an incantation into it.

A white light flashed, and the Small Tai Chi Array ceased to function.

Ji Zhang had just launched a water spear. Not expecting it to hit empty air, he watched it pass harmlessly through the water and froze for a second in surprise.

Just then, a figure charged out from within the fading white light, throwing a punch.

"You’re courting death!"

Ji Zhang sneered. He sidestepped and threw a palm strike. Because he had diverted some of his power to his clone, his physical strength was now inferior to Zhao Lin’s, so he avoided a direct clash of fists.

At the same time, he extended his Divine Sense, ordering his clone to come over and pincer Zhao Lin from the rear.

BAM!

As fist met palm, Ji Zhang was surprised to find that the force behind Zhao Lin’s punch was much weaker than expected. It felt as if he had only used forty percent of his strength, far from his previous ferocity.

Just as he was marveling at this, he suddenly saw another Zhao Lin appear behind the first one. This second figure was fast as lightning, aiming a punch straight at his side.

"What! You..."

Ji Zhang couldn’t believe his eyes. His face was a mask of terror.

He was stunned that Zhao Lin had somehow managed to create a clone as well. It was simply inconceivable.

’He must have learned it just now out of sheer desperation.’

In his haste to stop Zhao Lin, Ji Zhang had held nothing back with his palm strike. The move was already spent, leaving him no room to alter its course.

With no other choice, he could only desperately twist his body, trying to dodge Zhao Lin’s full-force blow.

Zhao Lin had anticipated this. Midway through his punch, he paused his advance, took a sharp step to the side, and splayed his fingers. His fist became a claw, which he then viciously sank into Ji Zhang’s ribs.

"AHH!" Ji Zhang screamed in agony. He desperately leaped backward while forming a hand seal to cancel the Thunder Shadow Clone Skill, instantly recalling his clone.

If the main body suffered a fatal injury, the clone wouldn’t survive either.

Even after taking the hit, under the protection of his Divine Body Skill, Ji Zhang could still flee as fast as the wind.

Zhao Lin noticed that Ji Zhang was fleeing directly toward the location of his trap. A flicker of joy ignited in his heart as he leaped in pursuit.

The clone possessed its own combat instincts. Without any command from Zhao Lin, it followed suit, flanking him to form a pincer attack.

"You’ve shaken my Dao foundation! Sooner or later, I will kill you!"

Ji Zhang gritted his teeth against the pain and struggled to flee from the Pearl Shoals, his heart ablaze with monstrous hatred.

Ever since reaching Foundation Establishment, he had never lost a duel, let alone been injured. He never imagined he would suffer such a massive setback today.

But that wasn’t the worst of it. He was in his Transformation Stage and subject to the restraints of the Celestial Dao. The consequences of injury were severe. Even if he returned to recuperate immediately, his breakthrough to the Purple Mansion Realm would be delayed by at least twenty years!

He knew this was no time for such thoughts, but he couldn’t stop himself. ’The Thunder Shadow Clone is a secret art of my Earth Dark Sect, never taught to outsiders. How did an outsider like Zhao Lin learn this Magic?’

’Who on earth leaked the skill?’

’When I get back to the sect, I will get to the bottom of this!’

After running for a short distance, Ji Zhang noticed Zhao Lin closing in. Alarmed, he immediately cast the Wave Riding Skill, his body shooting forward like an arrow.

’Three... two...’

Seeing Ji Zhang about to enter the range of the trap, Zhao Lin began a silent countdown in his mind.

As he reached "one," the seawater let out a deafening roar and began to churn violently. Waves of Mana rapidly spread in all directions.

"A trap!"

Ji Zhang’s face fell. He skidded to a halt and charged back toward Zhao Lin.

Zhao Lin had anticipated this. He unleashed an Icy Spinning Hammer, striking straight ahead, while his clone executed a Water Demon Fist from the flank.

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