hen Yuan sat cross-legged on the Qi Platform, his eyes closed as he focused on replenishing his spiritual energy. The casting of the Split Incarnation Art had taken a considerable toll, and even with his vast reserves, he needed time to recover. His five companions—Tang Jiyan, Dong Chen, Xiang Xiaoli, Guo Bohai, and Shi Meixiu—stood around him in a protective formation, their gazes sharp and unwavering.
None of them spoke. There was no need to. They had already come to an understanding, Shen Yuan's tactics were ruthless, but they worked.
Outside the chaotic battlefield, outside the dying universe, within the real universe, the World Lord Han Bolin observed the events in all points of space and time, unfolding inside the dying universe. His divine sense flickered as he watched various sects and clans struggle for survival.
Beside him, the envoy, dressed in flowing jade robes, observed with narrowed eyes. His attention was fixed on one figure in particular.
"This kid... he's different from the others," the envoy remarked, a hint of amusement in his voice. "Since he couldn't leave, he made a clone body to bypass the rules. Cunning indeed. World Lord, this one seems interesting."
The World Lord remained silent for a moment, watching as Shen Yuan's clone vanished and reappeared near an unsuspecting team.
"...Interesting," Han Bolin finally muttered, but his tone was neutral. "But the competition has only just begun. Let us not make hasty judgments."
The envoy cupped his hands and nodded. "Of course."
Inside the dying universe, far from where Shen Yuan and his companions were stationed, 10,000 kilometers away, a lone figure floated in the cosmic sky, his presence concealed within the shadows of the dying universe's shattered galaxies.
Shen Yuan's clone.
The chilling aura of extreme Yin radiated from his form, distorting space around him. His light purple eyes flickered as he observed his first prey—a team of cultivators sitting idly on their Qi Platform, unaware of the danger that had just set its sights on them.
Their leader, a bulky, middle-aged man, finally noticed the intruder's presence. He stood up, his deep voice echoing through the cosmic sky.
"Fellow cultivator!" he called out. "Why have you come? Are you here to negotiate, or do you intend to attack us?"
Shen Yuan's clone merely smirked, remaining silent.
The man's eyes narrowed as he examined the newcomer. Suddenly, realization struck.
"Wait… I know you!" His expression darkened. "You're Shen Yuan, the leader of the twin soul sect team! But… why are you here? Did you abandon your team?" A sneer spread across his face. "If that's the case, then you've already lost!"
The clone's smirk deepened.
Just as expected.
People were already mistaking him for the real Shen Yuan.
Without another word, he vanished.
BOOM!
In the blink of an eye, he reappeared right in front of their Qi Platform, his presence now oppressive.
"Hand over your flag," Shen Yuan's clone ordered, his voice like an eerie whisper in the void. "Do that, and I might let you live."
The leader of the opposing team let out a mocking laugh.
"Ridiculous! A mere first-layer Nirvana Realm cultivator dares to act so arrogant? Do you think we're weaklings?!"
The other cultivators on his team erupted with their Qi, preparing for battle.
Shen Yuan's clone remained unmoved.
Then—
A terrifying wave of extreme yin erupted from his body.
CRACK!
The very space around them froze, turning into solid sheets of ice that crept towards their bodies. The cultivators barely had time to scream as their Qi, their blood, their very souls began to freeze over.
"Impossible!" the leader gasped as his body stiffened. "Y-You—!"
SHATTER!
Their forms broke apart, scattering into fragments of frozen corpses.
Silence.
Without sparing a glance at the fallen, Shen Yuan's clone stepped forward and ripped the sect's flag from its platform, causing the already frozen platform to briefly tremble.
First team eliminated.
With a satisfied smirk, the clone disappeared into the cosmic sky, leaving only a frozen battlefield behind.
Seven Days Later
The rumors about Shen Yuan spread like wildfire.
Shen Yuan's clone had become infamous.
Countless teams had fallen before his overwhelming power, and no one could understand his motives. Some believed he had abandoned his team and was now acting as a rogue cultivator, preying on the weak without allegiance. Others thought he was simply mad, eliminating sects for his own amusement.
No one knew the truth.
And that was exactly what Shen Yuan wanted.
At the Fengyue Royal Team's base, atop an enormous Qi Platform, the prince lounged lazily at a corner with his eyes closed, once he opened his eyes, they were filled with boredom.
One of his subordinates, a meditative man, suddenly opened his eyes and spoke in a grave tone.
"Your Highness… Shen Yuan has destroyed over a thousand representatives of our vassal families and sects."
For a moment, there was silence.
Then—
The prince merely waved his hand, dismissing the information as irrelevant.
"Shen Yuan has always been a rogue," he scoffed. "Let him do as he pleases. It doesn't change anything—he'll fall eventually."
A few nodded in agreement.
But one person did not.
Bai Chen.
The former friend of Shen Yuan frowned, his eyes filled with doubt.
"You're being foolish, Your Highness," Bai Chen spoke up. "This isn't as simple as you think. I know Shen Yuan—he wouldn't act so recklessly without a reason. There's something deeper at play here."
The prince smirked but said nothing.
Bai Chen clenched his fists.
"Just what are you up to, Shen Yuan?"
Meanwhile… Somewhere far away in the Dying Universe…
A shadow drifted through the cosmic sky.
Shen Yuan's clone had just annihilated another vassal family of the Fengyue Royal Family. His light purple eyes shimmered with amusement as he gazed at the destruction below.
Over the past seven days, he had traveled more than 100,000 kilometers, leaving behind only destruction and confusion.
And he still wasn't done.
"The fun is just beginning."
With a final smirk, his figure vanished once more, leaving only silence in his wake.