My Auto Cloning System-Chapter 84: The Echo of a Backstab

Ren Tie saw his chance. He gathered all his remaining spirit essence into his right hand. The grey shine on his skin turned into a dark, stony black. "This is it! Mountain Fist: Peak Descent!"

He leaped forward, while aiming a massive punch at Zhao Fei's face.

But Zhao Fei's eyes suddenly turned cold. He didn't move away. He gripped his sword and let out a loud roar. (ROAAR!) "Great Sword Style: Iron Grave!"

Instead of swinging the sword, he drove the tip of it into the ground and poured all his spirit essence into the blade. A wall of blue light exploded out from the sword, hitting Ren Tie mid-air.

(BOOOM!)

Ren Tie hit the wall of light and felt like he had been hit by a runaway carriage. (Crunch!) His arm felt like it was breaking. He was thrown backward, tumbling across the floor like a ragdoll. (Thump, thud, tumble!) Ren Tie tried to stand up, but his legs were shaking. (Tremble...) And Blood was dripping from his forehead and down his handsome face. (Panting...) "You... you were hiding that move..."

Zhao Fei stood there, leaning on his sword. He looked tired, but he still had a lot of power left. The blue light around him grew even brighter. The entire atmosphere suddenly became heavy, like the gravity had suddenly doubled metaphorically. The stone floor began to shake.

Some of the

elders stood up from their chairs. Even Elder Xuan Yi now looked impressed. "The climax is here," he whispered.

Ren Tie was gritting his teeth so hard they might break. (Grit!) He forced himself to stand straight.

Zhao Fei slowly raised his giant sword. It was glowing so brightly it was hard to look at. "This next strike will finish it, Ren Tie. Please Don't hate me for being stronger."

Ren Tie lowered his head and put his fists together. (Smack!) "The mountain... does not fall."

---

*****

The obsidian dagger was just an inch away from Yin Zhe's neck.

Gao Feng's face was twisted with a nasty, and greedy smile. He was thinking he had won. He thought Yin Zhe was a fool who had let his guard down.

But Yin Zhe wasn't a fool. Even with his back turned, his Divine Perception was active. In his mind, the world was a map of black and white mist, and Gao Feng was a bright red dot of killing intent.

"You really think you can try and stab me in the back?" Yin Zhe monologued, his brain moving faster than the falling dagger. "I was born in the shadows, kid. You're just playing in them."

(Ding!)

In a fraction of a second, Yin Zhe's eyes flickered. A glowing blue screen appeared in front of his face that only he could see. His visual fingers blurred as he tapped the virtual shop.

[System Shop: Skill Ticket x11 Purchased]

[Cost: 11,000 Reactive Points]

[Remaining Balance: 67,766 Reactive Points]

"System, dump every single one of those tickets into Echo Body! Right now!" Yin Zhe screamed in his head.

(Vroooom! Cinematic Hum)

A strange, silver light pulsed under Yin Zhe's skin. Echo Body was a scary skill. It didn't block an attack. Neither did It act like a shield. Instead, it took the force of a hit and threw it back at the attacker 1.5 times harder. It kinda was like hitting a wall that hits you back with a giant hammer.

The dagger touched Yin Zhe's skin.

(K-BOOM!!!)

The sound wasn't a stab. It was an explosion. A massive shockwave of silver and black energy erupted from the point of contact. Because Gao Feng had actually put every single drop of his spiritual essence and physical strength into this one sneak attack, the "Echo" was absolutely monstrous.

"GWA-HAAA!" Gao Feng screamed. (Cough! Splat!)

The poor boy's arm snapped like a dry twig. The force of his own power, multiplied by Yin Zhe's skill, slammed back into his chest like a charging bull. Gao Feng was lifted off the ground and sent flying across the arena. He zoomed through the air, past the judge, and slammed into the stone wall on the far side of the arena.

(CRACK-THUD!)

The stone wall shattered where he hit. Gao Feng slumped to the ground, his eyes rolled back into his head, he was completely unconscious. The obsidian dagger lay in pieces on the floor, broken into tiny black glass shards.

Yin Zhe stood perfectly still. He felt a sharp sting on his neck where the blade had touched him, but his Jade Skin and Iron Might had soaked up most of the damage. He reached up and wiped a tiny droplet of blood from his skin. (Sigh...)

"Well," Yin Zhe said, his voice echoing in the silent arena. "That was rude."

The judge enforcer, Wu Tiao, was frozen in place. His jaw was hanging open so wide a bird could have nested in it. He stared at Yin Zhe for a brief moment, then at the broken Gao Feng, then back at Yin Zhe.

"What in the name of the ancestors just happened?" Wu Tiao thought, his hands trembling. "The boy didn't even move. He didn't throw a punch. He didn't use a shield. Gao Feng hit him, and then Gao Feng exploded? Is his body made of living TNT? This shouldn't be possible for a Root Awakening cultivator!

[Surprised Reactive points + 2,500]

[Feared Reactive points + 1,800]

[Doubted Reactive points + 3,000]

The crowd that was outside the sound barrier was a mess of noise. Even though they couldn't hear the explosion, they saw the silver flash and watched Gao Feng fly like a kicked ball.

"Did he use a hidden weapon?" "No, he didn't even touch the guy!" "Is Yin Zhe a god?!"

Up on the high elders platform, a small number of the elders were leaning so far over the railing they were almost falling off. Elder Chen Niao stroked his silver mustache so hard he almost pulled it out.

"Is it A strange divine physique? Chen Niao thought, his eyes narrowed. Or is it a bloodline trait from a gifted family? To reflect damage without moving... that is a high-level technique. This kid is more than just a muscle-head. He has a sword master's soul and a monster's body. I must find a way to make him my disciple."

Xuan Yi, the head alchemist, was looking at Yin Zhe like he was a rare piece of gold.

(Clatter! Clatter!)

A team of medical attendants rushed onto the stone floor, while carrying a wooden stretcher. They looked terrified as they ran past Yin Zhe, who was still steaming like a boiling kettle. (Hiss...)

They reached Gao Feng and started checking his pulse. "He's alive, but his arm is turned to mush and his ribs are gone!" one medic yelled. (Gasp!) They quickly hoisted the unconscious cheater onto the stretcher and quickly ran out of the arena as fast as their legs could carry them.

Two other medics approached Yin Zhe. They were shaking. "U-uh, sir? Are you hurt?" one of them asked, holding a green healing ointment.

"I'm fine," Yin Zhe said, while acting like a victim. He slumped his shoulders and let out a long, and tired sigh. "Just a bit shaken. My neck hurts where that mean boy tried to kill me. I'm a very sensitive person, you know."