SWNOVELXO Chapter 406: Chapter 328: Confusion!
Chapter 328: Confusion!
As soon as the new ranking appeared, the livestream scene shifted to reveal Laozi. Dressed in a gray Taoist robe, Laozi stood expressionless. Suddenly, a surge of energy erupted from him, and three identical figures emerged.
These three figures were identical to Laozi in appearance, attire, and even the strength they exhibited. After emerging, the three figures bowed to Laozi's original body. The four of them exchanged smiles before each performed one of Laozi's signature divine techniques.
The divine techniques displayed by each figure were immensely powerful, indistinguishable from those cast by Laozi himself. It was as though they were exact duplicates of him.
Viewers were shocked to realize that these manifestations were all equal in power to Laozi himself. Considering Laozi was a Saint, this meant these duplicates were terrifyingly powerful. Having three additional figures with Saint-level strength was simply unimaginable.
The three duplicates then began to fight among themselves. After enduring one divine technique each, they dissipated into pure energy, which then reabsorbed into Laozi's body.
Even though Laozi's demonstration didn't showcase some overwhelming force, the scene alone left everyone deeply shaken. The technique, Three Pure Ones from One Qi, far exceeded everyone's expectations. Creating three identical duplicates with equal strength was something most couldn't comprehend.
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[Sun Wukong]: "Am I seeing this right? Laozi's divine technique can create three figures with the same strength as himself? That's insane! If there are no limitations, who in the same realm could ever defeat him?"
From Sun Wukong's perspective, fighting Laozi would essentially mean fighting four Laozi. Given Laozi's status as one of the top Saints, no one could possibly handle such a scenario. This divine technique significantly amplified Laozi's already formidable strength.
Although Sun Wukong also possessed techniques for creating clones, they paled in comparison to Laozi's. Seeing Laozi's mastery made Sun Wukong feel envious. If he had such a skill, even if he couldn't defeat the Buddha, he could at least use a clone to ensure his escape.
When Laozi activated this divine technique, no one could determine which figure was the real Laozi. All four were indistinguishable.
Not even the other Saints could differentiate the real one. This was the terrifying aspect of Laozi's divine technique: apart from himself, no one could discern the truth.
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[Guanyin Bodhisattva]: "This is one of the most powerful divine techniques a Saint can possess. It's only fitting. Don't think it's too exaggerated; remember, this is the eighth-ranked technique, meaning the seven ahead are even more extraordinary!"
Guanyin, being familiar with the power of the two Saints of the West, could understand the immense strength Laozi wielded. The gap between Saints and quasi-Saints was enormous, and anything was possible at their level.
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[Tongtian Jiaozhu]: "It seems Senior Brother's strength hasn't diminished despite the last penalty. In just fifty years, it feels like he's become even stronger!"
Tongtian recalled that Laozi's power had been reduced by one-tenth during the last ranking event. Despite this setback, Laozi had used the rewards from the Golden List to recover and even improve slightly.
While Laozi's growth wasn't dramatic, any improvement at the Saint level was exceedingly difficult. Even with just a small increase, Laozi felt content, especially after regaining the one-tenth of his power that was previously lost.
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[Laozi]: "I've gained a little. That last incident with the Golden List was frightening. I didn't expect it to weaken me so easily."
Although Laozi was pleased with his recovery and slight improvement, the Golden List's ability to strip him of one-tenth of his power had left him apprehensive. As a Saint and one of the strongest beings, he had never encountered such a situation before.
Now, even though he had secured a ranking and several entries remained, he wasn't overly excited. If this reward mirrored the last one, it would be distressing.
Furthermore, Laozi wasn't satisfied with his eighth-place ranking. He believed Three Pure Ones from One Qi deserved a spot in the top three. The fact that it ranked so low puzzled him.
Laozi understood the divine techniques of other experts in the Primordial World. Few could rival him in this regard. The sudden appearance of so many superior techniques suggested that something unexpected had occurred.
After some thought, Laozi remembered someone: Ye Tian.
This enigmatic figure had already surprised him several times. Since Ye Tian hadn't appeared in the rankings so far, it was likely he would emerge in the remaining slots. Otherwise, it would be unreasonable for someone of his caliber to have no techniques listed yet.
Laozi speculated that Ye Tian might have one or two techniques stronger than his own, though he estimated Ye Tian's placement to be around fifth.
Even with this high estimation, Laozi couldn't imagine anyone surpassing him other than the likes of the Saint Hongjun. He couldn't think of anyone else with the capability to overshadow his technique.
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[Grandmaster Xuandu]: "With my master's strength and the power of this technique, it's impossible for him to rank merely eighth. Why is it so low? It's baffling!"