Chapter 17: Mirror Mirage Trait

.....

After the final system notifications rang out, Azmodeus raised his impassive gaze toward the nine remaining assassins sent to take his life.

Upon noticing the astonished looks on all of their faces, he calmly uttered the name of the ability he had used to kill the lead assassin.

"Mirror Mirage."

After silently activating the ability, a faint silhouette resembling him emerged from his body, which then split and multiplied into nearly a dozen identical figures.

And while the nine shadows of the Black Tiger Family were still struggling to come out of their reveries, nine mirror mirages of a short, indifferent boy silently snuck up behind them, aiming to slice their necks and puncture their hearts.

Spurt!

Nine simultaneous splatters of blood echoed in unison as the light faded for each of the Nine Shadows' eyes.

As they tilted their shocked and anguished expressions upward while slowly bleeding out on the ground, all they saw was their target gazing down at them with an inexpressive look on his face.

As their lives ebbed away from the world of the living, the boy's voice, cold as ice, reached their ears: "You should've just taken the offer to talk things out."

However, it was far too late for them to feel regret, now they were no more, and their strength had become his.

BLING!

[Ding! You have killed nine cultivators in the Middle and Late Pulse Condensation Realm!]

[Ding! You have obtained 35,000 Evolution Essence!]

[Ding! Your Evolution Essence Bank has increased from 5,500 → 40,500.]

[Ding! Would you like to Assimilate or roll for the abilities of all the beings you just killed?]

"..."

Azmodeus thought over the matter for a moment before clicking on the 'Assimilate' button. The next second, a series of bright blue and golden lights flashed in front of him.

BLING!

[Ding! You have obtained 35 Stat points in Strength, 37 points in Speed, 33 points in Defense, 40 points in Qi, and 31 points in Cultivation Talent.]

[Ding! Your overall combat power and cultivation have significantly improved!]

After all these system notifications faded, Azmodeus began looting the bodies of the Black Tiger Family's assassins while reviewing his system interface.

BLING!

_________

{[Infinite Evolution System]}

[Host: Azmodeus]

[Race: Human]

[Lifespan: 12/92]

[Cultivation: Early Stages of the Middle Pulse Condensation Minor Realm (Body Refinement Major Realm.)]

[Overall combat power: Peak Stages of the Late Pulse Condensation Minor Realm]

[Level: 21]

[Evolution Essence needed for stepping into the next level: 2,500]

[Evolution Essence Bank: 40,500]

{[Stats:]}

[Strength: 89]

[Speed: 87]

[Defense: 85]

[Qi: 92]

[Cultivation Talent: 78]

[Spiritual Roots: Crystallized Embryo] (Rank: ???)

{[Assimilated Evolution Traits/Qualities]}

[Inherited Traits and Active Species Alterations:

[Stealth - Level 3] (J Rank) → [0/10,000]

[Mirror Mirage - Level 3] (I Rank) → [0/100,000]

_________

After taking a look at his system interface, Azmodeus immediately dumped 10,000 Evolution Essence into his Stealth Trait before allocating the remaining 30,500 to leveling up.

BLING!

[Ding! You have used 10,000 Evolution Essence to upgrade your Stealth Trait!]

[Ding Your Stealth Trait has advanced from Level 3 to Level 4.]

[Ding! You have leveled up!]

[Ding! All of your basic attributes have increased by 5 Stat points!]

[Ding! You have leveled up!]

[Ding! All of your basic attributes have increased by 7 Stat points!]

[Ding! You have leveled up!]

[Ding! All of your basic attributes have increased by 9 Stat points!]

[Ding! You have leveled up!]

[Ding! All of your basic attributes have increased by 11 Stat points!]

[Ding! All of your basic attributes have surpassed the 100 mark, thus boosting your cultivation realm into the Late Pulse Condensation Stage!]

[Ding! You have leveled up!]

[Ding! All of your basic attributes have increased by 13 Stat points!]

After all of these system notifications sounded, Azmodeus felt another wave of power wash over him as his cultivation once again made a leap!

And that wasn't all, as his overall combat power had officially surpassed his Cultivation Realm with the addition of the 'Mirror Mirage' Trait — a Trait that he rolled for when he encountered a Spirit Mirage Monkey while escaping his pursuers.

Spirit Mirage Monkey.

The Spirit Mirage Monkey was a special beast, capable of creating mirror images of itself using a unique innate ability called 'Mirror Mirage.'

This ability allowed the beast to conjure up a total of nine copies of itself, with each of those mirrored copies possessing around 10% of its total strength. (Only applicable in the Body Refinement Realm unless the ability is ranked up and leveled up.)

Thanks to this ability, Azmodeus had to waste nearly three minutes fighting a mere Bone Forging Realm beast. Their fight showered just how troublesome it was to fight something that could keep on making mirror images of itself before vanishing from sight!

However, in the end, it was all worth it since he was able to acquire an extremely effective I-Rank Skill to bolster his growing arsenal.

_____

After looting the ten Shadows of the Black Tiger Family, Azmodeus took one last look at his system interface before heading back home. He needed to prepare for the Outer Sect Disciple Admittance Test by using the various medicines he had purchased on his way from the Yang Sect.

But before that pill-grinding session could begin, a brilliant blue and golden light flashed.

BLING!

_________

{[Infinite Evolution System]}

[Host: Azmodeus]

[Race: Human]

[Lifespan: 12/95]

[Cultivation: Early Stages of the Late Pulse Condensation Minor Realm (Body Refinement Major Realm.)]

[Overall combat power: Early Stages of the Peak Pulse Condensation Minor Realm]

[Level: 26]

[Evolution Essence needed for stepping into the next level: 2,500]

[Evolution Essence Bank: 40,500 → 0]

{[Stats:]}

[Strength: 134]

[Speed: 132]

[Defense: 130]

[Qi: 137]

[Cultivation Talent: 123]

[Spiritual Roots: Crystallized Embryo] (Rank: ???)

{[Assimilated Evolution Traits/Qualities]}

[Inherited Traits and Active Species Alterations:

[Stealth - Level 4] (J Rank) → [0/100,000]

[Mirror Mirage - Level 3] (I Rank) → [0/100,000]

_________

As he absorbed the details of just what level of strength he possessed, Azmodeus realized that he might have already reached the level of a Core Disciple of the Yang Sect.

He did so before even qualifying to become an Entry-Level Disciple…

...….