Chapter 703 - 646: The Birth of the Avatar, Transcendent and Unworldly

Chapter 703: Chapter 646: The Birth of the Avatar, Transcendent and Unworldly

A wicked smile appeared on Tu Xiao’an’s face. ’The monk can run, but the temple can’t.’

Sooner or later, he would catch that Blackbird again.

He’d never failed to capture a Cultivated Creature he set his sights on, and he wasn’t about to let that record be broken.

Blissfully unaware of the roiling undercurrents in the Yaoling Mountain Range, Tu Xiao’an spent his days leisurely watching over his clone.

’Soon, so soon! It’s almost ready!’

Time passed, and Tu Xiao’an constantly observed the clone gestating within the ball of light. This continued until a particular day one month later.

BOOM!

The ball of light within the Ten Thousand Blood Pool exploded. The earth shook, and the blast sent thousand-layered waves surging through the blood.

The Snake Demon Spirit guarding the entrance noticed the violent commotion and pursed its lips, muttering to itself, "Lord Snake King is far too restless. At this rate, he’ll destroy the Ten Thousand Blood Pool sooner or later."

"I see nothing, I hear nothing."

The Snake Demon Spirit had learned its lesson. It was experienced now. Unless summoned by the Lord Snake King, it wouldn’t dare rush in, not for the life of it.

At that moment, deep within the Ten Thousand Blood Pool, Tu Xiao’an’s eyes shone with a brilliant light. The ball of light had exploded. This meant his clone was finally born, ready to make its grand entrance.

Sure enough, another figure had appeared in the Ten Thousand Blood Pool. The moment Tu Xiao’an’s gaze met the figure, he couldn’t help but tremble.

A familiar face stood right before him, just like looking at his own reflection in a mirror. He saw his own tall, ramrod-straight, slender figure; his sharply defined brows; his high, straight nose; and his thin, tightly pressed lips.

His skin was like a pure white snow lotus from Kunlun Mountain, and his eyes were like the sacred pools atop Celestial Mountain.

The naked clone stood woodenly before Tu Xiao’an, completely bare. He looked at it, and it looked back at him.

A sense of being connected by blood—as if this new body were one of his own limbs—welled up inside him.

Looking at this perfect, tangible body, Tu Xiao’an couldn’t hide his excitement. He took two steps forward, closing the distance, and reached out to touch the clone’s face.

Such a familiar and missed face—one that had supposedly vanished from the Human World for good.

And yet, here it was again.

"Hello, my name is Tu Xiao’an," he said, greeting it happily.

A flicker of expression seemed to cross the clone’s face. It parted its lips and softly replied, "Hello. I am also named Tu Xiao’an."

"Haha..."

"Haha..."

Two different faces and two completely different bodies, yet they contained the very same soul.

It was like he was talking to himself, like he was putting on a one-man show.

Carefully sizing up his human clone, Tu Xiao’an’s bewitching eyes narrowed. ’Display stats.’

"DING! Host’s human clone: Level 30, with a transcendent and extraordinarily powerful physique."

"DING! Congratulations, Host, on successfully creating your own human clone. You may bestow one of your main body’s Elemental Abilities upon it. You may choose freely..."

’Level 30?’

’It doesn’t have to go through Crossing the Tribulation?’

Tu Xiao’an was slightly taken aback. He had assumed his clone would also have to endure Crossing the Tribulation. He never expected it to be born as a Rank Three Creature.

’Excellent! That’s fantastic. This skips so many steps.’

On second thought, it made sense. They shared a single soul; they weren’t separate individuals. It was only natural that it wouldn’t need to undergo Crossing the Tribulation.

After all, he had already successfully completed his own.

’Haha, it seems I didn’t use the White Demon King’s Lifebound Golden Core for nothing. The clone is Rank Three right from birth. So worth it! And it has a "transcendent and extraordinarily powerful physique."’

’Just by sending this human clone to the Human World, I could make a name for myself and carve out my own domain.’

’What’s more, this human clone’s potential is terrifying. Its Cultivation could advance by leaps and bounds.’

But the key was the system’s other notification, which left Tu Xiao’an overjoyed.

He could bestow one of his main body’s Elemental Abilities upon the clone.

This was a godsend.

The clone was like a newborn. Its starting point was high, but it was still a blank slate. If it could master one of Tu Xiao’an’s main body’s Elemental Abilities, it would have a trump card for self-preservation and a weapon for offense.

The strength of Elemental Power was undeniable. Tu Xiao’an had gotten this far entirely by relying on his various Elemental Abilities to slay his enemies.

’But only one?’

If it were possible, Tu Xiao’an would have given the clone every single one of his main body’s abilities.

But since the system specified only one, Tu Xiao’an had to give it some serious thought.

He currently possessed the Power of Thunder and Lightning, Flame Power, Ice Frost Power, the Gold Element, and the most unfathomable of all, the Power of Darkness.

Five Elemental Powers in total.

The first two, the Power of Thunder and Lightning and the Flame Power, both contained the Might of Heaven and Earth. When unleashed, they became Celestial Thunder and Celestial Fire, their power magnified severalfold.

’However, that raises a question. If I passed on the Power of Thunder and Lightning or the Flame Power, would it also contain the Might of Heaven and Earth?’

’Obviously not.’

If not, the power of those two Elements would be greatly diminished.

Then there was the Ice Frost Power. It didn’t contain the Might of Heaven and Earth, but its strength had skyrocketed after he absorbed a massive amount of Su Rushi’s Cold Yin Qi.

It was nearly on par with the powers of Thunder and Flame.

As for the Gold Element, Tu Xiao’an hadn’t mastered much of it and rarely used it, mostly just for defense to enhance his durability.

It wasn’t that the Gold Element was weak, but simply that Tu Xiao’an’s first three Elements were too exceptional.

He often forgot it even existed.

And finally, there was the Power of Darkness.

The Power of Darkness was absolutely one of the world’s supreme destructive forces—unfathomable and unpredictable. During his battle with the White Demon King, the black hole cage he’d created had been unbreakable; not even the Deep Mountain Demon King had been able to escape it.

Tu Xiao’an had yet to push this ability to its limits; its power still had enormous room to grow.

If he could only choose one, Tu Xiao’an was leaning toward the Dark Ability. It was just too ridiculously overpowered.

With his clone in control of the Power of Darkness, it could at least advance and retreat at will and wouldn’t be easily killed.

’The clone can’t be allowed to die. If it dies, it’s gone for good.’

Tu Xiao’an’s human body had already been cremated; he didn’t have a second drop of Essence Blood to create another.

"System, bestow the Power of Darkness upon the clone," Tu Xiao’an declared, no longer hesitating.

The moment he spoke, strands and wisps of black mist began to swirl and churn around the naked clone, looking as if it were about to be consumed by Dark Devouring.

Tu Xiao’an watched with a calm smile, unalarmed.

Gradually, the black mist solidified on the clone’s body, forming a sharp, black suit of clothes.

"DING! Power of Darkness bestowed successfully!"

"DING... Host’s human clone: Level 30, possesses the Power of Darkness."

’Good. Excellent.’

"Time to give Mom a surprise."

Tu Xiao’an’s main body smiled, and the clone nodded.

Then, the main body transformed into a small, delicate snake and settled onto the clone’s shoulder.

The clone began to move, walking toward the entrance of the Ten Thousand Blood Pool.

One mind, two bodies!

The door opened, and the Snake Demon Spirit immediately dropped to one knee. "Lord Snake King."

But after kneeling, the Snake Demon Spirit immediately shot back to its feet, its face twisting in alarm. "Who are you? How did you get out of there? Wait—you’re human!"

A human’s aura is completely different from that of a Demon Spirit.

As a Deep Mountain Great Demon, how could the Snake Demon Spirit possibly fail to distinguish between a human and a Demon?

With that, the Snake Demon Spirit’s aura flared with the power of the Snake Race as it prepared to attack.

But then, the Snake Demon Spirit froze. Perched on the human’s shoulder was a delicate little snake, staring at it with a terrifying Snake Gaze.

"Lord Snake King, you..."

The Snake Demon Spirit stood as if petrified. ’What is going on?’

Tu Xiao’an, the clone, simply smiled. He ignored the Snake Demon Spirit and walked right past it.

In a magnificent palace, a mother and daughter from the Tu Family resided. Snake Beauty Maids bustled in and out, serving them with the utmost care.

"Yue’Er, has something happened to your brother recently? Why haven’t I seen him for months on end?" Wen Qiu had already lived in the Snake Palace for three or four months. Truth be told, she still hadn’t fully adjusted. She felt like she was living in an Immortal Realm, liable to wake up at any moment.

To wake up would be to find it was all an illusion.

Tu Xiaoyue narrowed her eyes as she snacked on a fruit never before seen in the human world. "Mom, Little Bro said he’s in closed-door Cultivation," she said nonchalantly. "You don’t have to worry."

"Then when is he coming out?" Wen Qiu pressed.

Tu Xiaoyue shook her head. "I don’t know, but it should be soon. Mom, just relax and enjoy yourself. Look how good you have it! You live in a magnificent palace, with so many maids waiting on you hand and foot. You’re more of an Empress Dowager than the empress dowagers of old."

Wen Qiu shot her daughter a mock-glare. "I just feel so unsettled here. None of it feels real."

"Well, Mom, do *I* feel real to you?"

Tu Xiaoyue was perfectly happy here. If it weren’t for the lack of cell service, she would have spammed her social media feed every single day. It was a shame to be in such a wonderful place with no one to share it with.

"Yue’Er, please go ask your brother when he’s coming out. I miss him."

"Alright, alright, Mom. This daughter will tell your son to hurry up and come out of seclusion to pay his respects."

Wen Qiu laughed. "Pay my respects? Are you really treating your mother like an Empress Dowager?"

"Of course! Here, you *are* the Empress Dowager."

"Haha... My sister’s right. Mom, you are the Empress Dowager. It’s your rightful title."

Just then, a young man with a smile on his face approached from outside the palace. Dressed head to toe in black, he was quite conspicuous.

Tu Xiaoyue shot up from her chair. Looking at him, she said, "Little Bro, you finally decided to grace us with your presence! Mom has been nagging me to death about you."

"I’ve come to pay my respects, Mother."

Tu Xiao’an, committed to the bit, mimicked the etiquette of the ancient Imperial Palace and gave his mother a formal bow.

"An’Er, you..." When Wen Qiu saw Tu Xiao’an’s face, she stared in stunned silence, utterly shocked.

Tu Xiao’an suppressed the excitement in his heart as he stood before his mother.

The slow-witted Tu Xiaoyue asked in confusion, "Mom, why are you staring at his face? Is there something on it?"

"Nope. But his skin is so dewy, it’s more flawless than a woman’s," Tu Xiaoyue said, pinching her brother’s cheek. "Little Bro, you could totally endorse a skincare brand now. Your skin is smoother and clearer than a newborn baby’s."

Tu Xiao’an was speechless. ’My own sister still hasn’t noticed the change?’

’Is she that dense?’

He could only smile and prompt her. "Sis, are you sure you don’t notice anything different about my face?"

"What’s there to notice? It’s the same face as always. Your sister has been looking at this mug for twenty-some years," Tu Xiaoyue said nonchalantly. But as the words left her lips, she suddenly froze and stumbled back several steps.

’The face from before?’

"Mom... Mom! It’s his face!" Tu Xiaoyue finally cried out.

This was the incredibly familiar face she had grown up with, which was why, at first glance, Tu Xiaoyue hadn’t found anything amiss.

But she knew her brother had died long ago. The person before her was a snake who had undergone Transformation and taken on a different face.

Now, that once-familiar face was standing right before her.

Once the realization hit, it was as if she’d seen a ghost.

"Mom, your son... has now truly returned."