Infinite Terror: Infinite Reversal

Chapter 383 Fair?

To the clone Zheng Zha, his opponent's movements were like slow motion. In his destroyed state, his speed and reaction speed were greatly enhanced... Seeing the momentary opening before Zheng Zha raised his sword, he sighed inwardly and abandoned the idea of ​​breaking through with a single punch.

Every inch of physical pain was transformed into a terrifying force that erupted forth.

Lanjie!

The force that should have been delivered with a punch was completely contained within a kick, transforming into a near-tangible blade of air that shot out and crashed into the raised giant sword.

"Is this your limit?" The aura emanating from the clone Zheng Zha temporarily ceased, and the almost tangible pressure vanished abruptly. But clearly, all of this was merely a restrained display; if he wished, he could unleash his hidden power at any moment.

After taking a punch with his dark red greatsword, Zheng Zha flew backward. The once transparent greatsword was now completely stained dark red, blocking Zheng Zha's view and obscuring his expression.

Zheng Zha knelt on one knee, let out a long breath, and his mind raced with thoughts.

"I haven't even used my full strength yet... In the cycle of reincarnation, there are many enemies stronger than I am now," the clone Zheng Zha said calmly. "If this is your limit, how will you protect your companions, how will you protect your loved ones?"

"And how will you put your own path into practice?"

"Zheng Zha, answer me!"

Like a thunderous roar, the clone Zheng Zha shouted at Zheng Zha! At this moment, the foolishness that had occasionally appeared before was gone, replaced by an endless sense of oppression.

Zheng Zha shook his head silently, showing no sign of panic.

But the truth is, the situation is indeed unfavorable to him...

When the clone Zheng Zha used his self-created skill called "Destruction," Zheng Zha was unable to cope. With the dual amplification of Strong Minister and Destruction, the clone Zheng Zha's power had reached an unbelievable level. He didn't have the Kryptonian bloodline with its extremely overpowered basic stats, yet he possessed immense strength and speed.

Zheng Zha had only ever experienced this overwhelming power from Mu Xiang.

Unlike Mu Xiang's growth, Zheng Zha's leaps in strength didn't come from improvements in bloodline or energy level, but from deeper levels of energy attack. In horror movies, Zheng Zha rarely suffers setbacks, but having sparred with Mu Xiang frequently, he fully understands his weaknesses.

He doesn't get humiliated in horror movies because he's already had enough in the God Realm... and then he's improved accordingly.

After the vampire bloodline becomes stronger, the total amount and quality of energy will greatly increase, and correspondingly, the effect of using red flames will be much better... but that's not enough.

After being beaten, Zheng Zha realized that it wasn't enough.

Because of Mu Xiang in the Zhongzhou team, Zheng Zha was able to very intuitively discover the differences between his growth curve and those of others.

It's incredibly easy for Mu Xiang to become stronger. Although he's only advanced once from a B-grade pseudo-Kryptonian to strengthen his A-grade Kryptonian bloodline, each upgrade of his gene lock greatly enhances the effectiveness of his bloodline. Plus, he can get stronger simply by sunbathing; his strength, physique, and energy levels are increasing at an unbelievable rate.

Zheng Zha had once fantasized about advancing to a higher level, possessing strength and physique comparable to Mu Xiang. But when he actually reached the fourth tier, his assessment was: forget about it, don't even think about it. To others, he was a melee powerhouse, but in his sparring with Mu Xiang, Zheng Zha discovered he was actually a mage. Against Mu Xiang, Zheng Zha felt utterly vulnerable…

The reason why Zheng Zha's leap lies in the deepening of his energy level is derived from comparisons made in repeated sparring and combat. Each qualitative change in Zheng Zha does not lie in the improvement of his gene lock and bloodline; these two are merely paving the way for the deepening of his energy level.

Only by delving deeper into the energy level can Zheng Zha threaten other strong individuals of the same rank, instead of simply relying on ever-increasing energy to bombard them indiscriminately. He had seen too many of those; the fourth-ranked members of the Polar Day Society were prime examples.

In the early stages, the red flames could only slightly redden Mu Xiang's skin. If it were just a matter of advancing through bloodlines and genetic locks, this outcome wouldn't have changed much by now... However, as the red and black flames deepened their attack levels, each burn could pierce the soul. The black flames could even trigger negative emotions in the opponent with Zheng Zha's own rage, and even Mu Xiang dared not withstand it head-on.

Mu Xiang couldn't withstand it, and the clone Zheng Zha in front of him was even less able to, as his physique was far inferior to Mu Xiang's. The immense strength and speed actually stemmed from the intense conflict between positive and negative energy, a force his body couldn't bear. If it weren't for the Blazing Heart and the vampire bloodline's rapid self-healing abilities, he would have already killed himself.

The problem is that Zheng Zha suddenly lost this level of power.

He discovered that his crimson flames... could no longer reach the level of spiritual will. The crimson flames that had once allowed him to stand firm at the fourth tier seemed to have been ripped out of their soul; he had become nothing more than a humanoid battery, possessing only energy but unable to cause any effective damage!
If the clone Zheng Zha uses the Wind and Thunder Combination and Explosion, Zheng Zha will counter with the Red Lotus Transformation. If it comes to a direct confrontation, techniques like Cloud Piercing can be used, ensuring he won't be at a disadvantage.

However, once the clone Zheng Zha received the double boost from the Powerful Prime Minister and Destruction, this power could not be dealt with by a simple burst of red flames. If an equal approach were to be used, Zheng Zha could use the Asura Transformation, followed by a series of techniques, to allow his body to withstand the immense strength of the clone Zheng Zha, while the red flames would pose a threat to him.

However, after losing this level of power, Zheng Zha was unable to use the Asura Transformation... He even found it somewhat difficult to use the technique of transforming his body into red flames.

Noticing the somewhat disappointed look in the clone Zheng Zha's eyes, Zheng Zha smiled bitterly to himself. How could he not be disappointed as well... He hadn't expected that he wouldn't be able to use his equal power before such an important battle.

"Do you remember how long we trained to win the 100-meter dash in our second year of high school?" The clone Zheng Zha was silent for a moment before speaking, "We trained from before summer vacation until after school started. We tried every kind of training method in every stage, just to beat that guy from the next class and win in front of Li'er with the coolest attitude."

"But that guy broke his leg playing basketball before the sports meet... We did win first place, but he was absent, which was the biggest regret. At that time, Li'er was just a freshman in high school. She never stayed in her class's formation from beginning to end. She followed us the whole time and was even happier than we were."

"But back then, we made up our minds to beat him again next year, right?"

Zheng Zha said with a wry smile, "What, now I'm the one playing this role?"

The clone Zheng Zha did not answer, but continued, "But when we come back the following year, in our senior year... we won't be able to win against Li'er."

"She didn't have a second year of high school; she was already gone by then."

Zheng Zha was silent for a moment, then looked up and stared at his clone: ​​"You don't need to emphasize this... What exactly are you trying to say?"

A gust of wind blew by, and Zheng Zha's collar was lifted up.

"I want to prove my strength, to prove that I am capable of protecting the people and things I value, even if the opponent is another version of myself! I also hope that the other person can prove to me that they deserve my all-out effort!" The clone Zheng Zha stared intently at him, "But today, you, just like him back then, have disappointed me! What I was looking forward to was a fair clash with you, a battle with your all, but what about you?"

(End of this chapter)