Chapter 131: Feign Death

Chapter 131: Fake Death

Shang Yunduo covered his head, thinking to himself that it was still uncertain who would win or lose, when he heard Pei Jie's laughter ring out in his mind.

"Senior!"

"You get along with them quite well."

"They keep urging me to go up and compete!"

"Hehe, this is a rare chance to witness many demon clans competing and fighting, and also to see their strengths and weaknesses. Watch carefully."

"Hmm," Shang Yunduo responded and then asked, "How is the inner valley? Is it easy to enter?"

Pei Jie answered succinctly, "Not easy."

Shang Yunduo: "Can't get in?"

Pei Jie: "I can get in, but it's not easy to avoid alarming them."

"Oh..." Shang Yunduo thought for a moment and said, "Who do you think will win this match? They taught me a method to deal with the Chaos Clan, so I should be able to win."

He quickly relayed to Pei Jie the attrition battle tactics taught by Elder Juhu and Elder Yanhu. "If I defeat him, I can choose whether to fight a life-and-death match or a win-loss match. If I win two more matches, I can enter the inner valley."

After hearing this, Pei Jie laughed and said, "You can compete. The Chaos Clan is very mysterious even among the demon clans, rarely encountered. I have traveled among the demon clans many times in the past, but only heard of them and never seen them. Since there's a chance to fight, it's naturally worth a try. However, no matter who wins, the next match will not be a life-and-death match."

Shang Yunduo: "Why?"

Pei Jie: "After a life-and-death match, they have already expended most of their energy. If they compete in another life-and-death match, the advantage lies with others. Only by using life-and-death stakes to decide wins and losses can the advantage remain with them."

Shang Yunduo took a moment to digest this. That's right—if it's a life-and-death match, at the end, it's not about winning or losing but life and death. With no way out, everyone will naturally go all out. If it's just about winning or losing, when a critical stalemate occurs, one might subconsciously think of stepping back, thinking that since it's only for third place, there are still opportunities later. Even if this match is won, there are subsequent matches, so to preserve strength, one wouldn't risk their life.

Naturally, this is not the same as those who fight with their lives, going all out without regard for cost. With different resolve, the win rate differs. Just like the Rock Ram Clan in second place—if they hadn't fought with their lives, holding a determination to die rather than admit defeat, they would never have won the final match.

Shang Yunduo: "I understand."

Pei Jie: "If you want to gain some experience, who wins or loses doesn't matter much. But you don't need to fight a life-and-death match with them, nor force yourself to enter the inner valley. We only need a little Spirit Rhino Shell. Even if we can't get it here, we can find another way. There's no need for you to risk your life."

Shang Yunduo: "Mm!"

Shang Yunduo felt much more at ease and began to watch the match seriously.

Pei Jie had never seen the Chaos Clan fight before, so he found it quite novel as well. Shang Yunduo listened to Elder Juhu and the others while also communicating telepathically with Pei Jie. When they both reached a point of confusion, he spoke up and asked, "Elder, can you tell which one is the real body?"

Elder Yanhu shook his head. "That is the bloodline talent of the Chaos Clan. How could you see through it so easily? Don't look for the original body, just burn!"

"Bloodline talent?" Shang Yunduo repeated in his mind.

Pei Jie transmitted an explanation: "Different demon clans have different bloodline talents, such as the tiger clan's special footwork, Tie Hou's innate armor, and the Sticky Mud Beast's saliva."

Shang Yunduo naturally understood this, and he nodded unconsciously.

Seeing him nod, Elder Yanhu continued, "Wherever you see a clone, just burn it. His clones are no different from the real body, and burning them enough will naturally consume him."

Shang Yunduo nodded again.

Pei Jie transmitted: "It is said that in ancient times, the Chaos Clan was formless and bodiless, like spiritual entities. The current Chaos Clan should only have inherited part of their bloodline, which is why they have such a cloning talent."

Without bloodline talent, even at the Nascent Soul Stage, it would be difficult to split into so many clones.

Pei Jie continued, "The method your elder taught you is a bit tricky but effective. The arena here is not too big nor too small. I think these seemingly scattered clones cannot be too far apart. If they exceed the range of spiritual sense, they might become uncontrollable."

Right!

Shang Yunduo's eyes lit up.

No matter how many clones, controlling them well inevitably depends on spiritual sense.

Thus, this range is controllable!

Pei Jie: "Given his current cultivation, his clones shouldn't be able to fly too far. If you compete with him and want to win, you can try using an Explosive Fire Talisman."

Shang Yunduo: "Huh?! But won't using a talisman expose me?"

Pei Jie said calmly, "Say you seized it from a human cultivator."

Shang Yunduo: "..."

Pei Jie: "Does he have those dots you can see?"

Shang Yunduo: "Yes."

Pei Jie: "Are they also scattered like the clones?"

Shang Yunduo: "Yes!"

It was precisely because these dots were also scattered that he found it incredible.

From the perspective of flesh, spiritual power, and dots, there was no difference between the clone and the real body.

Pei Jie: "When a clone is burned, do the dots also disappear?"

Shang Yunduo again said, "Mm."

Just like dead demon beasts, the energy on their bodies stops operating normally and gradually dissipates. Perhaps because these small clones were too small, they dissipated very quickly, as if they turned to ash.

Huh?

Shang Yunduo quickly asked, "If his clones are exactly the same as the real body, what about spiritual sense? He can't just let his spiritual sense be burned, can he?"

Spiritual sense is different from the body.

Powerful demon cultivators and demon beasts don't care at all if they lose a piece of their body when fighting fiercely; after all, such flesh and blood injuries can be healed with spiritual power.

A few demon cultivators who are plants turned into demons care even less.

But spiritual sense is different. Once injured, it is extremely difficult to recover. No amount of replenishing spiritual power will help. Only very few medicinal herbs and special magical tools can nourish spiritual sense injuries.

In that case, knowing they are about to be burned, would the Chaos Clan just leave their spiritual sense unattended?

Not to mention how hard it is to treat, spiritual sense injury causes pain that directly pierces the brain!

If it were him, he would definitely withdraw his spiritual sense. After all, withdrawing spiritual sense takes just an instant. Even when the spark touches, it's still possible to withdraw!

Shang Yunduo couldn't help but ask, "If we seize the direction in which he withdraws his spiritual sense the moment his clone is burned, can we then locate his real body?"

"Huh?" The three tiger clan elders were stunned for a moment when they heard him say this.

Shang Yunduo heard Pei Jie's low laughter in his mind. "Your training hasn't been in vain. You've learned to use your brain."

Shang Yunduo: "Heh..."

The three elders also pondered for a moment. "Mm... that seems to make some sense."

Elder Yanhu: "Can't catch it, huh?"

Elder Juhu: "We could, but our cubs can't."

Hua Guan and Cui Peng tried to observe but saw nothing, so they were speechless.

Their Tiger Clan really wasn't good at this.

Cui Peng asked Shang Yunduo in a low voice: "Can you do it?"

Shang Yunduo shook his head.

Probably not...

Just watching definitely wouldn't work; his cultivation was even lower than the two on the field. At least he'd need to spar to determine if he could seize that moment.

That's why actual combat experience is more important than training... Without practice, even with the theory, you can't know if it works.

Shang Yunduo couldn't help but send a voice transmission to Pei Jie: "Senior, can you see it?"

Pei Jie: "With my current cultivation level, I'd have to be close enough."

So his theory was right. If he got close, could he see it?

Now Shang Yunduo really wanted to go on stage and try, even if it meant taking a beating.

With a side to root for, the match on stage became thrilling. Shang Yunduo eagerly hoped that the Chaos Clan demon cultivator would win.

However, the more he wanted something, the less likely it was to happen. The situation on stage took a sharp turn; the Chaos Clan ran out of spiritual power first, the clone was forced to recombine, and was tightly coiled by the serpent-like flames of the Black Abyss Clan and burned alive.

It was a life-and-death match. Watching him burn to ashes, his clan members couldn't even step in to stop it.

The purple flames subsided, leaving only the Black Abyss Clan member on stage.

He calmly swept his gaze over the crowd and swallowed an entire bottle of pills.

In the end, the Black Abyss Clan demon cultivator won. He had no chance to go on stage.

"Alas!" The three elders sighed together. "How did that little blind guy win?"

Halfway through, the Chaos Clan was clearly in control, and the Black Abyss Clan's flame snake could barely hold up.

Elder Yanhu also sighed: "Looks like they came prepared."

Elder Juhu muttered discontentedly: "Being a Sacred Clan, and yet taking so many pills..."

Shang Yunduo: "..."

He couldn't help but look at the two of them speechlessly, thinking, just now you two were the ones telling me to rely on pills to outlast opponents!

But the Black Abyss Clan was indeed prepared. After finishing one bottle, he actually downed another.

The two bottles dropped to his feet one after the other, and he stomped them deep into the ashes of the Chaos Clan demon cultivator.

"Huh?!"

Elder Juhu: "What are you 'huh'ing about?"

"Ah, nothing. He, he... ah! He wants a win-or-lose match!" Shang Yunduo exaggerated his reaction.

Elder Juhu: "Whatever he's competing in, it's none of your concern. Just watch closely. Aguan, you too. When you get inside the valley, watch out for his moves."

Hua Guan: "Yes!"

Shang Yunduo nodded obediently, but secretly sent an excited voice transmission to Pei Jie: "Senior! He's not dead! That Chaos Clan demon cultivator isn't dead! There are still specks in the ashes, lots of them!"

"Oh?" Pei Jie watched quietly for a while. "His spiritual power has already dissipated."

And it dissipated so thoroughly that none of the Core Formation cultivators on site noticed that the Chaos Clan member was pretending to be dead.

The match on stage started again.

The major clans vying for the Inner Valley spots all seemed to be using an attrition strategy. The ones taking the stage were all their second or even third picks. The Tiger Clan, on the other hand, didn't plan to send Cui Peng or Shang Yunduo up. Only Elder Yanhu deliberately faked an attempt to join the chaos, while pressing down on Shang Yunduo and Cui Peng's shoulders to hold them back and shouting, "Kid, get up there and beat him!"

Shang Yunduo: "..."

"What overacting!"

Fortunately, everyone's attention was on the stage, so no one noticed them at all.

Shang Yunduo: "Elder, aren't we going up?"

Elder Yanhu: "No, no. Your fire doesn't counter his element. What's the point of going up?"

Shang Yunduo nodded and stared carefully at the stage, but his attention was mainly on the ashes.

They haven't fled yet.

What does he want to do?

The match on stage started once again.

The one who went up this time was also a demon cultivator skilled in spells. Spells clashed, and they fought fiercely with that Black Abyss Clan cultivator, a fierce wind that bent the surrounding plants out of shape. The ashes naturally used the wind, drifting and scattering amid the spell's blinding light, drifting toward the Inner Valley.

Shang Yunduo sent a voice transmission to Pei Jie: "Senior, he's heading to the Inner Valley!"

Was he trying to secretly sneak in an extra spot for himself to enter the valley, going in early to get a jump on everyone?

How cunning!

At this rate, they won't even decide the top ten before dark!

Pei Jie: "I'll go take a look."

Shang Yunduo wanted to go with him, but it was hard to leave. He could only sneak peeks in that direction while updating Pei Jie on the other's location.

The second match was almost over, and things instantly got white-hot.

Even Cui Peng was told to get ready to jump in.

Elder Yanhu: "If there's a chance..."

Cui Peng nodded.

Two rounds had already gone by, and the Black Abyss Clan cultivator on stage was clearly on his last legs. The third round would almost certainly be a chance to take him out.

Although killing him wouldn't necessarily secure the qualification, eliminating a powerful Black Abyss Clan member would benefit all other tribes more than harm them.

Shang Yunduo couldn't help but turn his attention back. The moment his gaze returned, he suddenly caught a flash of something in the clouds.

Before he could see it clearly, the massive formation above was violently triggered, and a tremendous surge of energy slammed into the array.

The world spun, and Shang Yunduo fell heavily to the ground, his vision went dark. Three layers of temporary spiritual energy barriers rose above him. On the barriers, the vines and rocks summoned by the three elders slowly began to crack.

"You three stay here. Stay sharp—if anything goes wrong, get the hell out of here," Elder Juhu said, tossing an artifact to Hua Guan. The three of them shot out like beams of light. Shang Yunduo scrambled to his feet and stood at the cave entrance. The protective formation above the valley had already cracked open with huge fissures.

He quickly sent a telepathic message to Pei Jie: "Senior, are you alright?"

Pei Jie replied, "A Transformation stage cultivator has arrived."

Shang Yunduo asked, "From the Spirit Rhinoceros Clan?"

Pei Jie answered, "Not just them. It's none of our business. Stay hidden."

Author's note:

Yun Duo (Shang Yunduo): Wow, wow! Not enough eyes to see everything!