340: Rewards for clearing levels

Xiao Shi had a premonition.

After he entered this ice plain, which was supposed to be a two-person checkpoint, by himself, not only did the number of Mirror Images increase, but the scope of the ice plain itself might have also doubled!

If that were true, it would be even more difficult to lead these guards out of this checkpoint.

“This should be a restriction put in place by this area to prevent people from lowering the difficulty of the checkpoint by killing others…”

Xiao Shi had already realized.

Once one enters a multi-person checkpoint alone,

its difficulty would double accordingly.

Fortunately, this checkpoint was a two-person one.

If it were a three-person or four-person checkpoint, then entering alone would triple or quadruple the difficulty.

Originally, with the difficulty of this checkpoint, it wouldn't have been so hard!

But because Xiao Shi entered alone,

the number of Mirror Images, their strength, the time these Mirror Images formed, the degree of ice condensation here, and the entire scope of the ice plain all increased by an additional factor of two.

As such,

if he were to lead these guards forward under normal circumstances, it would be impossible to leave this ice plain in a short amount of time.

By then, he would face increasingly stronger Mirror Images.

“Even items that provide a speed boost might not be reliable enough…”

Xiao Shi felt that even if he exchanged for items in the Myriad Treasure Pagoda that could accelerate the movement speed of these guards, he might not be able to leave this ice plain within two or three hours.

Judging by the pattern of Mirror Images appearing every hour,

Xiao Shi had to ensure that he left this ice plain within the next three hours.

Otherwise, once the strength of the Mirror Images reached seventy percent of a Demonic Body Clone, coupled with their astonishing numbers,

even if Xiao Shi himself could hold on, he couldn't guarantee the safety of these guards.

And to leave this ice plain within three hours, Xiao Shi felt it was basically impossible.

Even with items that could increase speed,

the hope was very slim.

After much thought,

Xiao Shi felt it would be difficult to clear the checkpoint by relying on movement speed boosts from items.

And the exclusive items obtained previously,

could not be used much in this checkpoint.

After all, neither the Bewitching Martial Vine nor the Bewitching Martial Evil Flower could only affect single targets.

And these Mirror Images would not just appear one at a time.

As things stood,

Xiao Shi felt there was only one way to pass this checkpoint unscathed.

Whoosh!

He directly flipped his hand and took out an item.

It was… the teleportation pendant!

This item could perform a single teleportation after activating the teleportation array within it.

But it could only teleport one person.

It could not carry others along.

However, Xiao Shi’s purpose in taking out this item was not to teleport through it.

But to further research the teleportation array within the teleportation pendant.

When he first obtained this item, he thought of creating a brand-new teleportation array by studying the internal teleportation array.

After all, the teleportation array within the teleportation pendant itself had significant limitations.

Firstly, it could only perform single-person teleportation.

Secondly, each activation of the array required a thirty-day wait before the next teleportation could be performed.

Most importantly, the teleportation destination could only be chosen in a general direction, without the ability to select a specific location.

After Xiao Shi's previous research,

he already had a certain understanding and ideas about this teleportation array, and was confident he could achieve a reduction in teleportation time and the selection of a specific teleportation location.

However, at that time, Xiao Shi had not conducted research on multi-person teleportation.

Now, he needed to research how to change from single-target teleportation to multi-person teleportation, based on his previous work.

Xiao Shi was very clear.

Instead of spending time on the road, it was better to research teleportation.

As long as he completed the teleportation research,

he could directly teleport himself and these guards out of this ice plain.

Then, he would naturally be able to pass this checkpoint.

Thinking of this,

Xiao Shi stopped moving forward and began to specialize in the research of the teleportation array on this ice plain.

With his talent in array formations,

coupled with his extraordinary comprehension, he had at least an eighty percent certainty that he could research this teleportation array within the next three hours.

Immediately,

Xiao Shi sat down on the ice plain.

And began his array research.

As he stopped moving forward,

the guards behind him also stopped.

One hour later,

numerous Mirror Images appeared again in the ice plain.

This time, eight Mirror Images appeared, and their strength also increased to forty percent of a Demonic Body Clone!

Xiao Shi had no choice but to interrupt his array research first.

And deal with these Mirror Images.

After resolving all these Mirror Images, he continued his array research.

Although such interruptions would have some impact on the research, with Xiao Shi's powerful talent in array formations and his astonishing comprehension, after he continuously researched for three hours, a light suddenly flashed in his eyes.

A sudden realization!

He finally knew how to modify the teleportation array.

However,

once the array within the teleportation pendant was modified, this array… could only be used once.

After this single use, the entire teleportation array would collapse.

After all, his research time this time was limited.

He couldn't achieve perfection.

He had to make some trade-offs.

Regarding this,

he could only abandon the multi-use capability of the array.

Making it only have one chance of use.

Of course,

he had now completely mastered this type of teleportation array, and could build teleportation arrays himself in the future.

Even if this teleportation array was lost this time, the impact would not be significant.

At the same time,

numerous Mirror Images appeared again in the ice plain.

Boom!!

When Xiao Shi collided with one of the Mirror Images, he found that his full-strength punch was no longer enough to blow up this Mirror Image.

The enhancements these Mirror Images received were not just in terms of strength, but also included their bodies.

And the strongest aspect of the Demonic Body Clone was its physical body.

This meant that Xiao Shi's full-strength punch now could only barely blow up its arm.

In addition to this,

Xiao Shi also discovered that these Mirror Images possessed the astonishing healing and recovery abilities of the Demonic Body Clone.

When he couldn't destroy them with one punch, the shattered arm of the Mirror Image immediately reformed at a visible speed.

Xiao Shi had to completely destroy their bodies before their arms fully reformed.

Only then could he curb their astonishing recovery.

For a time,

Xiao Shi’s destruction of these Mirror Images suddenly slowed down.

He could no longer finish the battle in a few seconds as before.

As the number of these Mirror Images continued to increase,

when they surrounded Xiao Shi,

Xiao Shi would inevitably be hit by them.

Fortunately, with Xiao Shi's physical strength,

the attacks of these Mirror Images were far from enough to cause him injury.

But if the strength of these Mirror Images were to increase further… Xiao Shi would find it difficult.

By then, he might face a situation where it would take an hour to destroy these Mirror Images.

And an hour later, the next batch of Mirror Images would appear.

As such,

he would fall into a death loop.

Fortunately, Xiao Shi had already researched the modification of the teleportation array.

After he resolved all these Mirror Images,

he immediately began to modify the teleportation array within the teleportation pendant.

After more than ten minutes of continuous modification,

“It’s done!”

Xiao Shi’s eyes flashed.

He immediately activated this array.

Buzz!

A circular array instantly spread out from him as the center on the frosty ground beneath his feet, enveloping Xiao Shi and all the guards behind him.

Because Xiao Shi had a map of this area in his hand,

he clearly knew the exact location to exit this checkpoint.

After he selected the teleportation location through the array,

Whoosh!

The teleportation array beneath his feet immediately burst forth with a brilliant light.

Swallowed by this white light,

Xiao Shi, along with the guards behind him, instantly vanished from their original spot.

Xiao Shi only felt a flash of light before his eyes.

The next second,

he had already appeared at the end of this ice plain.

Although the ground beneath their feet was still frosty, they only needed to walk another ten meters to leave this ice plain and enter a lush forest.

Xiao Shi then let out a sigh of relief.

He had finally passed this checkpoint.

At the same time,

a crisp cracking sound suddenly came from his ear.

It was the sound of the teleportation pendant in his hand, along with the teleportation array within it, collapsing and disintegrating.

Xiao Shi didn't pay too much attention to this.

Anyway, he had now mastered the teleportation array.

He could build it himself later.

According to his idea,

as long as such a teleportation array was built inside the Azure Calamity Ancient Tree, then even if he fell into danger in the future, he could escape through the teleportation array.

It could be said that by mastering the teleportation array, he gained a powerful means of escape.

Xiao Shi looked at the not-so-distant area.

At the end of this ice plain,

two items were quietly placed there.

This was also an important reason why Xiao Shi did not directly teleport out of this checkpoint.

If he had teleported out directly… he might not have been able to obtain the exclusive items after clearing the checkpoint.

And the exclusive items for this checkpoint, as he had thought before, were a total of two exclusive items!

After all, this was a two-person checkpoint.

Naturally, there would be two exclusive items after clearing it!

Xiao Shi immediately eagerly picked up these two exclusive items to examine them.

【Name: Ice Domain Yama Blade】

【Type: Blade (Area Exclusive Item)】

【Grade: Saint Grade】

【Description: This is a blade forged by a powerful Saint in the Mirror Martial Era, and can be combined with the ‘Myriad Mirrors Handle’. This blade contains a powerful Ice Domain, which, when activated, can form this Ice Domain.】

【Remark 1: This item is an exclusive item of this area and can only be used within this area; it cannot be taken out of the area.】

【Remark 2: All enemies within the Ice Domain will be frozen by the ice; once the freezing time exceeds thirty seconds, body necrosis will occur.】

【Remark 3: In addition to physical freezing, the power within the body will also be frozen.】

【Remark 4: The Ice Domain can only be cast twice in total.】

【Remark 5: All martial artists below the Upper Three Realms cannot evade it, including Saints.】

...Obviously,

this Ice Domain Yama Blade was equivalent to an enhanced version of this ice plain.

Its freezing ability was even more powerful than the ice plain.

It could no longer merely restrict speed through freezing.

It could also cause body necrosis through freezing.

The most terrifying thing was that it could even freeze power!

It was truly powerful!

Xiao Shi continued to look at the other item.

【Name: Myriad Mirrors Handle】

【Type: Hilt (Area Exclusive Item)】

【Grade: Saint Grade】

【Description: This is a hilt forged by a powerful Saint in the Mirror Martial Era, and can be combined with the ‘Myriad Mirrors Handle’. Gripping this hilt allows one to create Mirror Images.】

【Remark 1: This item is an exclusive item of this area and can only be used within this area; it cannot be taken out of the area.】

【Remark 2: It can form a Mirror Image controlled by oneself, which will inherit all of one's strength. One can choose to form an enemy's Mirror Image, or one's own Mirror Image.】

【Remark 3: It can also form Mirror Images not controlled by oneself. These Mirror Images will only inherit half of the target's strength, but there is no quantity limit; a Mirror Image will form every minute.】

【Remark 4: This item can only be used twice.】

【Remark 5: All martial artists below the Upper Three Realms cannot evade it, including Saints.】

...This item was also extremely powerful.

The Mirror Images it formed were much stronger than the Mirror Images previously found in this ice plain.

It could directly form a Mirror Image that inherited all of one's strength.

And most importantly,

this Mirror Image could also be controlled by oneself!

In other words… Xiao Shi could completely use this item to form a Mirror Image of himself!

Under his own control, many of his techniques and ultimate moves could also be performed by the Mirror Image!

Furthermore, Mirror Images could ignore soul attacks.

Previously, when fighting the Mirror Images in the ice plain, Xiao Shi discovered that those Mirror Images were somewhat rigid in combat.

And many of the Demonic Body Clone's techniques could not be performed by them.

If he could control it himself… the strength that a Mirror Image could exert would definitely be incomparable to those uncontrolled Mirror Images.

Although there was only one Mirror Image, it was enough.

As for the other type, forming uncontrollable Mirror Images, with no upper limit on quantity and the ability to be born infinitely over time, it was also a good choice for wearing down opponents.

In addition,

these two exclusive items could also be combined.

Or rather, these two exclusive items were originally one.

If they belonged to two different people,

it would probably be difficult to combine them.

However, now that they both belonged to Xiao Shi, this problem did not exist.

Immediately,

Xiao Shi tried to connect the hilt and the blade.

Click!

With a soft sound,

when the hilt and the blade were joined,

they instantly formed a long saber with dazzling ice crystals on its blade!