Matrix Survival: I Get A Random Chest Every Day

Chapter 1091 791: Turn of the Tide

Ever since the last battle with the Fire Ape Race, when his strategy of using clones was undone by their keen sense of smell, Li Zheng's part of the Spiritual Body under the Bodhi Tree had been diligently researching countermeasures.

By using Spiritual Power to simulate an identical scent on each residual image, he could deceive their sense of smell.

It was like upgrading from a 3D image to a 3.5D image.

Moreover, he could freely traverse between these images, switching at will.

Though the principle behind the traversal was unclear to him, the inspiration for the technique came from Mirel's "Myriad Whips Return to the Root."

As long as it works, that's what matters—the principle behind Ice and Fire Attachment eluded him as well, but it didn't stop him from using it, right?

Once the images are split off, Li Zheng's main body will not be exposed unless Holiens and the other two destroy all the images.

Li Zheng could also replenish more images anytime, with the current maximum limit being nine.

The trade-off is the consumption of Spiritual Power.

The good news is, despite his Spiritual Power not being freely exerted to its fullest, he could handle the consumption.

"Spread out and chase—no matter which Mirror Image he's hiding in, destroy all the images and he'll have nowhere to run!" Holiens lunged at the nearest one; although Li Zheng's Mirror Image was behind the Celestial Dragon Race, the Fire Ape Race's sharp sense of smell pinpointed his presence precisely.

The other two Fire Apes paused for a moment, then dispersed towards different locations to search for Li Zheng's split Mirror Images.

Noting this scene through his Spiritual Power, Li Zheng's lips curled into a cold smirk: "They fell for it after all!"

He shifted to the Mirror Image that Holiens had located, raised his arm, and struck ahead, catching Holiens off guard as he rounded the front of several Celestial Dragons.

Holiens, ever vigilant, noticed something amiss immediately, deflected with a blade, but was shaken till his knuckles ached.

Suddenly, Li Zheng's figure lost its golden glow; his eyes flickered as he shouted, "Find the Mirror Image with resonance signs!"

When resonating with the Celestial Dragons, a faint golden glow enveloped the body, uncontrollable by the resonator, unless breaking away from resonance would it dissipate.

But just as he finished speaking and turned to seek the next target, the "Mirror Image" behind him blinked and quietly thrust another spear.

Thud!

Holiens, caught off guard, managed only to sidestep a few inches before the Black Dragon Spear pierced through his left shoulder.

Li Zheng sneered continuously, flicking the Black Dragon Spear to enlarge the wound and forcibly churn the flesh of Holiens' left shoulder.

"Fool, you think I wouldn't know the weaknesses you could see?" Li Zheng's body shimmered with gold again; he had merely temporarily detached from the resonance state.

Holiens lunged forward, the Black Dragon Spear drawing a spray of blood, spotting the ground.

He raised his hand, took out a bottle of anti-hemorrhagic spray, quickly treated the wound, his face full of disbelief: "How can it be? How can anyone freely resonate?"

To resonate with the Celestial Dragons, one must harbor an exceptionally pure desire for combat, free of any distractions.

Pure intent is exceedingly difficult, as conscious awareness easily leads to distraction, and even the slightest lapse causes stray thoughts to arise.

"Your inability doesn't mean others can't." Li Zheng's eyes shifted, tinged with a hint of regret.

Holiens was indeed formidable, dodging a sure-kill strike in such a brief moment.

By now, the other two had finished dealing with the images in that direction and were hurrying over.

Though the trick could be repeated, the three Fire Apes certainly wouldn't fall for it again.

"One-on-one, I can barely fight, but one-on-three, I'm definitely defeated."

Li Zheng split off more Mirror Images, randomly distributed behind nearby Celestial Dragons, choosing one arbitrarily to shift to.

Thud!

Just having moved, a metal rod scattered the scene he left behind.

"This kid is quite slippery." Holiens gritted his teeth, "Nearby, his aura again shows eight instances. Using the Mirror Image Ability so frequently surely burdens him as well. Let's pierce and defeat each individually, engage him in a war of attrition! Stay alert, be wary of his ambushes."

"Alright."

The other two Fire Apes, seemingly not adept at speech, issued sounds from their noses almost like controlled breathing.

One wielded a stick, the other a fiery-red spear again dispersed, moving to destroy Li Zheng's clones.

Trailing the large blade, Holiens walked slowly toward a distant spot, his thoughts racing, contemplating a strategy to counter the Mirror Image technique.

Initially, abilities of this kind were heavily countered by the Fire Ape Race's keen smell, yet Li Zheng's ability to simulate scent bridged a significant gap.

Coupled with the complicated terrain and the multitude of Celestial Dragons standing around, locating the Mirror Images posed more challenges.

Listening to the commotion not far away, the two companions were attacking those Mirror Images but hadn't captured Li Zheng even once.

Holiens furrowed his brows tightly: "How is he pinpointing our location?"

The dense Celestial Dragons could conceal Li Zheng's movements, equally veiling his vision.

Reflecting on the incidents not long ago, Holiens identified a crucial issue—when he advanced, was that Li Zheng's original body or merely a Mirror Image?

Did Li Zheng relocate there purposely after seeing him approach to launch a surprise attack?

If Li Zheng could perceive their movements, killing him may really require dragging him down in a war of attrition, no alternative solutions.

"Hmm?"

Holiens' nostrils twitched, noticing several Mirror Images appearing nearby, increasing the aura count to nine and some emerging sequences being slightly delayed.

"Here!"

He stomped the ground and leaped, a blade striking down on Li Zheng who entered the field of vision.

Despite such a sudden move, Li Zheng showed no signs of panic, vanishing from the original spot for a moment before appearing two meters ahead.

"Yet another Mirror Image?"

Mid-air, Holiens was plagued with uncertainty, questioning whether it was a deceptive Mirror Image or Li Zheng's genuine form.

But the next instant, the "Mirror Image" wielded the Black Dragon Spear, and its golden dragon pattern illuminated—the Black Dragon Spear manifested a golden dragon phantom, and with the spear thrust forward, the dragon baring claws soared in, biting toward Holiens' throat.

"Oh~ahhhh~"

Holiens emitted a sharp cry, displaying a robust fire-red furred ape silhouette as the primal ape braced the golden dragon's jaws with its thick arms.

The golden dragon swung its body, whipping its tail around the ape's chest, dispersing into a void.

Hit with overwhelming force, Holiens spat out blood, careening backward.

The golden dragon folded in mid-air, transforming into the Black Dragon Spear, bouncing back to Li Zheng's hand who twirled it, dispersing all Mirror Images, bounding upward, thrusting the Black Dragon Spear at Holiens' forehead.

"You fell for it too!"

Holiens grinned menacingly, abdominal muscles flexing for a bounce, slashing at Li Zheng fiercely.

Thud!

A look of shock crossed Holiens' face as his glance fell on a Thunder Light Sword tip protruding from his chest.

The raging thunder rampaged wildly within him. In less than two seconds, flesh and organs thoroughly cooked.

He wanted to turn around to glance behind but given life's cessation, this was an impossible feat.

Thump!

Crashing to the ground, Holiens caught a final glimpse of someone fittingly dressed in Concealing Clothing, flicking the Purple Thunder Longsword with flair.

He opened his mouth to inquire why the other had no scent, the throat gurgling only yielding chunks of blood.