Chapter 40: An Immortal's Feast of Ghosts
Staring at the figure, Li Xiang was completely dumbstruck. The fair skin, facial appearance, demeanor, and even the divine essence trace emitting from its body, they were the same as hers. Other than Li Xiang's dull eyes and the figure's sinister gaze, there were no differences between the two. Jerking backwards, Li Xiang could not hide her shock and apprehension from the figure, of which it displayed a tender, charming smirk.
"I was wondering who created such a masterful technique of creating divine essence from nothing by partially unraveling the Divine Script…turns out it was nothing more than a half-mortal."
The figure's soft voice pounded like war drums in Li Xiang's mind. Without giving her much chance to fully comprehend her words, the figure's next words caused her thoughts to screech to a halt and spiral out of control.
"To think it took you nearly three months to bypass the entrance gates. Of the entities that passed such an entrance, you're the slowest by an entire two months!" the figure continued leisurely, as if commenting on a play.
Maintaining her delicate smile, the figure's words caused Li Xiang's vision to blur. "Still not too bad however, barely passable for a half-broken doppelganger. Who would have thought that a mere mortal clone would actually ascend to immortality?"
"A doppelganger? How am I a doppelganger?" Li Xiang frowned in confusion. "Disregarding physical attributes, your personality is completely different than mine. Just where do you get the basis that I am a doppelganger?"
"Based on the fact that you have no immortal's construct within your soul!"
As the figure pointed at Li Xiang, both Li Xiang and the figure's butterfly wings fanned out. Compared to Li Xiang's wings whose scarlet patterns had been exchanged for an empty void, the figure had retained those patterns, yet they radiated a deep-rooted dominance and oppression.
Behind the figure rotated a massive diagram of a complex inscription of the language of the Divine Script, denoting a butterfly with crystalline wings, a fallen dragon, and rivers of blood. However, there was nothing behind Li Xiang. Not even the simplest of inscriptions, nor any presence of divine essence.
"Only doppelgangers created by the Pavilion of Mimicry would possess such capability without a construct. How daring of they, to use my appearance as a model!"
The figure's words never ceased at hammering on Li Xiang's soul, planting a deep seed of doubt. Her panic and confusion when she noticed that her connection to the Divine Script was severed, although the Heaven Core was still operating.
Breathing deeply, she willed the core to revolve, generating a cascade of divine essence to fall onto her body. As the coalesced divine essence washed over her soul causing the dizzy spell to vanish, Li Xiang's eyes glinted in doubt before returning to her usual dull and blank gaze.
Upon noticing her action, the figure nonchalantly shrugged before manifesting a comfortable chair, relaxing in bliss while observing the still Li Xiang. Suddenly, Li Xiang opened her mouth and asked a question, stumping the figure.
"Can a doppelganger form a spiritual core?"
"…Of course," the figure answered after lightly pondering. Resting her chin on her palm, she stared directly at Li Xiang's eyes before continuing, her voice infused with confidence.
"Any life form within the immortal realm has an opportunity to form a spiritual core, equally granted to all by the Divine Spiritual Vein. However, the quality of the core depends on the durability, complexity, and efficiency of the immortal construct forming the lifeform. An artificially created doppelganger forged from nonorganic materials will have no chance of forming anything better than a basic Elemental Core. An organically created doppelganger has the opportunity to obtain an Deity's Core, but a Heaven Core and above is impossible. They simply don't have the capability."
"Then how do you determine me to be a doppelganger?"
"Uh?" The figure stared at Li Xiang with a curious gaze.
What is this puppet trying to pull? Her soul was housing multiple entities without buckling under the strain or undergoing and identity conflicts, that was only possible if she was a doppelganger created by the Pavilion of Mimicry. An immortal being could only house one entity within their soul, including even the almighty Progenitors.
A half-baked immortal who had ascended mere months ago would have not yet become accustomed with their own divine soul, much less attempt to fuse with another.
"Doppelgangers are unable to possess anything stronger than a Deity's Core, those were your own words. Yet how do I have a Heaven Core? Are you the doppelganger instead?" Li Xiang questioned, diligently attempting to extricate the seed of doubt.
"We appear the same in appearance, demeanor, and divine essence trace. However, your rationale and personality far differs from mine, and our memories must diverge. If I am your doppelganger, then you must know what appearance I had prior to ascending, no? Or does the title of doppelganger become an arbitrary label denoting one's superior status?"
"How are you not a mortal clone…even your soul emanates the exact same fluctuation-"
"How do I know that you are not an apparition caused by this wretched Ghost Feast?"
Li Xiang interrupted, causing the figure to gaze at her, mouth agape. "Could it be that you are utilizing a mirror image to reflect my own appearance to distort my mind, or physical duplicates exist in the immortal realm. Perhaps I truly am a puppet created by this Pavilion of Mimicry, as I do not possess an immortal's construct. Hence, as per your logic, I am an extraneous entity, one with no true self. How do you prove you're not the same?"
"When did I claim myself to be the original? Perhaps I too am the same, a mere copy of someone else." The figure ruefully remarked before her gaze blazed with an unknown emotion at Li Xiang.
"However, how does an immortal house more than one soul at once? A mortal soul, an immortal soul, and an abominable existence for the third, a messy collection of warped desire. Whether one is a mortal or immortal lifeform, housing more than a single divine soul is impossible. Especially with such a quality of fusion only attainable by a nonorganic puppet!"
Li Xiang parted her mouth in reply, then suddenly paused, her mind wandering. Reflecting back on the trance of which she had renounced her mortal's definition of the moon and balance, her eyes glowed as divine essence whirled around her, gently tousling her ragged clothes.
Her left eye radiating a golden splendor and her right a scarlet malice, the entire world changed before Li Xiang when she opened her eyes once again. No longer the monochrome world that previously lay before her, what existed before her eyes was a massive disk of an unknown, grey material. The mirror-like figure was quickly ignored, its voice falling into nobody's ears.
Surveying around, she saw several formations of chains poised in the air, as if waiting for a signal. Remembering that the figure sharing her appearance had repeated gazed in those directions, Li Xiang scoffed coldly. Had she not recalled her act of breaking free of her fetters back in the dark chamber, she would have fallen for that mental trap and wasted away like the others!
Upon the large disk whose ends could not be seen from the middle, Li Xiang could spot innumerable channels forming a massive inscription of the Divine Script, copious quantities of divine essence rushing through the circuit. She could not help but frown.
This place was filled with great malice towards her being, yet the only sensation she felt was comfort, as if she had found a relaxing niche.
Turning her gaze on the figure, Li Xiang could clearly spot a distortion within the mirrored appearance. Near the ridge of the nose and chin were multiple glowing lights radiating a sinister and cunning aura, and the body was flickering in and out of existence, concealing a demonic existence.
Appearing akin to a massive lizard, the 'Li Xiang' presented before her eyes was nothing more than its face. Very easily, she could spot the lizard occupying around half of the disk, greedily gazing at her figure as if it were some divine treasure.
She was about to gaze at the lizard to determine the immortal construct within, then changed her mind. Such acts of spying would be difficult to conceal from any experienced individual, and Li Xiang was clearly lacking in such experience. In addition, there were small tendrils of divine essence connecting Li Xiang and the figure, causing her to experience the previous mental shock.
Unfortunately, the moment her gaze swept over the enormous lizard, the monster snapped its head upwards, directly locking onto Li Xiang's face with its gleaming red eyes. Baring its teeth, the mirror-like figure before her vanished alongside of the monochrome world, allowing the massive disk to become visible on the regular visual plane. Before Li Xiang, the lizard released a loud hiss as an ancient voice rang in her ear.
"Little one, do you dare attempt to complete the Immortal's Ghost Feast?"
"What is the Immortal's Ghost Feast?"
Li Xiang questioned. Upon this, the lizard shook, its massive body roiling and writhing as its limbs gouged deep ridges in the ground. The ancient voice laughed uproariously, before speaking with scorn and ridicule.
"Stepping into the Immortal's Ghost Feast without even knowing what it is, you must either have great courage or have 'naivety' engraved in your construct! Consume before you, and temper your soul. That is all I will inform you!"
With that, the ancient voice faded away. The enormous lizard rolled its limbs slightly before dashing at Li Xiang at breakneck speed. Caught off guard, Li Xiang could only hastily condense a shield of divine essence before rolling to the left.
As if shredding paper, the lizard's claw tore through the shield, demolishing the ground just a few meters away from Li Xiang. The lizard released a playful hiss as its red eyes stared at Li Xiang, mocking her for her delayed and clumsy reactions.
Gritting her teeth, Li Xiang could only dodge the incoming attacks by a hair's length; the lizard's speed was far too quick for her to immediately follow, and only her Heaven Core's preemptive warnings kept her alive until now. Had the Heaven Core been deactivated alongside of her connection to the Divine Script, Li Xiang would have been crushed to a paste by the first strike.
Over time, Li Xiang's accumulated fatigue began to display its effects, bringing her to near death at some instances. Having been without a single proper moment of rest ever since she had been thrown into the Ghost Feast, Li Xiang's vision gradually turned blurry to the point that attempting to rely on her vision was worse than utilizing her other senses as a guide in dodging the lizard's attacks.
Slowly but surely, she acclimated herself to the lizard's attacking rhythm, adjusting her judgement based on the changes in the wind. The lizard would rush in a straight path, and could only swing its forelimbs to the sides; the rear limbs were reserved for regaining its balance rapidly. Odd enough, the lizard's capability of attacking objects in the air or even on top of its head was extremely weak. Li Xiang had even landed on the lizard's head once, of which she was only thrown off after a few minutes of the lizard howling and bashing the ground with its head.
Dodging to the left and luring the lizard back to the center of the disk, Li Xiang vaulted over the body of the lizard to land on its back, obtaining purchase on the rough scales. Grasping her sword with both hands in a reverse grip, she thrust downwards with all of her strength…
Upon striking the skin of the lizard, the blade of divine essence blessed with moonlight and the Divine Script…shattered without leaving a single trace.
Weekly Power Status
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