Naked Sword Art Chapter 243 – 3rd Clone

"It seems you have a real talent for teaching, Long Wang."

Su Lingxi made Zhao Pan and Bai Fan go through the first 7 steps again, just to make sure that they could actually do it properly before going on to the next step.

In the meantime, Xiao Fang was cross legged as he tried to use the [ Clone Vessel ] technique with 2 clones instead of one. Alas, it was too difficult. He figured that if he couldn't even use the [ Clone Vessel ] technique without going into a meditative state, then it made sense why he was unable to use the technique with 2 both his clones at the same time.

Despite being unsuccessful, he eventually realized how easy it was for him to control 2 clones at once. Usually it would take some effort to maintain their form, but he's been using the technique so much, controlling them felt as easy as using his own 2 hands.

'I wonder if I could make a 3rd," Xiao Fang thought.

Just a week ago, that idea would've seemed impossible to him, but now he felt like it was within his ability.

Illusory Qi escaped his body as he attempted to create a 3rd clone. Su Lingxi eventually noticed what he was doing, so she started to pay attention to him as well.

'Has he already given up with the [ Clone Vessel ] technique?' She thought, not knowing that he had already learned it the other day.

She knew it was extremely difficult for someone who hadn't reached the [ Illusory Body ] Spirit Refinement realm to make a 3rd clone. So she was about to tell him not to waste his time, but then she saw him complete the first step.

Next to his 2 clones, Illusory Qi glowed as it formed an outline of Xiao Fang's sitting body.

'How did he...'

Su Lingxi's eyes widened in disbelief as she watched his clone slowly form. A few seconds later, his Illusory Qi filled in the gaps, completing its image.

'He actually did it, how is that possible?' Su Lingxi thought in disbelief.

Although what he did couldn't be considered a 3rd clone yet, it was still impressive.

At some point, Zhao Pan and Bai Fan started watching too, but they didn't share the same shock Su Lingxi did. All they could think was that they needed to train harder to catch up to him.

The 3rd clone's figure seemed unstable, almost as if its body was made of water. What Xiao Fang was able to do just now was just the easy part. Learning how to make its image stable and control it alongside his other clones was going to take some time to learn. Thinking about it was already giving Xiao Fang a headache.

To Xiao Fang, this wasn't anything to be proud about, but to Su Lingxi this made him seem like a once in a lifetime genius.

Xiao Fang scratched his head thinking about whether he should waste his time trying to learn how to use a 3rd clone. Although it would only take him a few days to learn, he felt like his time would be better spent learning something else.

As Xiao Fang was thinking about his options, Su Lingxi tried to make sense of what just happened.

'Could it be that he's already in the [ Illusory Body ] Spirit Refinement realm? That has to be it. But how could he already make a breakthrough to that realm? Wasn't he only given the Complete Method Scroll after passing the Inner Court Exam last week?'

The [ Illusory Body ] Incomplete Scroll only allowed Outer Court disciples to learn up to the 9th stage of the [ Illusory Body ] Spirit Foundation realm. So for Xiao Fang to already be in the [ Illusory Body ] Spirit Refinement realm, meant that he made at least one breakthrough in a week.

What Su Lingxi didn't know was that Xiao Fang wasn't only in the [ Illusory Body ] Spirit Refinement realm, but he had also broken through to the 2nd stage not too long ago.

"Elder Su, there's something I would like to ask you?"

"Yes, of course. What do you need help with?" Su Lingxi replied thinking it was about his 3rd clone.

"I've been practicing the [ Clone Vessel ] technique, but I've been having trouble with the final step. Is there any other way I can learn how to perform the technique without being in a meditative state?" He asked.

"I'm afraid not. Splitting your consciousness is not an easy thing to do, so only a few people in the sect have been able to do it," she answered.

"It seems you were able to do it."

"Haha, you can say that I'm a rare case," she smiled proudly.

In the Black Paradise sect, the number of people that could split their consciousness only numbered in the dozens. However, only a few in the Black Paradise sect's history had ever managed to do so under the age of 30 like Su Lingxi did. That was the reason why she was given such a prestigious role in the inner court despite her only being in her 30s.

Xiao Fang wasn't too happy to hear that, but as long as it was possible, he wasn't going to give up. For now, he just pushed it to the back of his mind, and tried to think of something else he could practice during his time in class.

"Elder Su, would it be alright if I joined the other girls in the training room. I would like to start practicing the [ 10 Step Clone Maneuver ] technique," Xiao Fang asked.

"Sure. When you're ready, I'll be waiting for you on the other side of that door," she replied.

Xiao Fang had practiced the technique last night, but he didn't spend too much time on it because it required him to move in a way his body wasn't comfortable with. From what he could tell, it was more of an attack maneuver than an escape. He found it a bit interesting, because it required him to be more flexible than he was. Since training the Divine Sword method made his body so rigid, this wasn't a technique he could easily learn.

When Xiao Fang opened the door to the training room, he found that the whole place was organized into a moving obstacle course. No one seemed to notice him walking in because they were all too focused on the moving terrain in front of them as they ran.

The girls did acrobatic flips, kicked off the walls, and spun through tight places, never stopping for even a second. Although it seemed like fun, he didn't think he could do any of it. Being a swordsman required him to always have his feet firmly planted on the ground in an unshakeable stance, so his body shuddered as he watched all the girls' bodies flipping and bending in ways he's never done before.

'Perhaps this wasn't such a good idea, after all.'

For the duration of the class, Xiao Fang spent his time practicing the [ 10 step Clone Maneuver ] technique with the rest of his classmates, but since he wasn't as flexible as them, he only made his [ Solid Clone ] go through it while used [ Clone Vessel ] to control it. He thought it would be a good way to practice both techniques at the same time; hitting two birds with one stone.

Although he was quick, he wasn't very acrobatic. He failed very often, but that didn't discourage him. Whenever his clone ran into something, he'd make it disappear, create another clone, then make it start all over again.

It became like a game to him. He wasn't very good at the game, but it was fun nonetheless.

When class was over, Xiao Fang returned back to the classroom to meet up with Bai Fan and Zhao Pan.

"How did it go?" He asked, but he could tell by their faces that they didn't learn nearly as much as they liked.

"We made some progress, but it will take some time till we can learn the last two steps for the [ Illusory Clone ] technique," Bai Fan sighed.

Zhao Pan, on the other hand, didn't seem too concerned about learning the technique. She knew once she reached the [ Illusory Body ] Spirit Refinement realm it would become much easier to learn that technique on her own.

"Hey, Long Wang. Are you free tonight?" Bai Fan asked.

Bai Fan was hoping that he could tutor her again, but also she wanted to spend some time with him.

"Unfortunately, I'm a bit too busy today. Maybe I can help you learn the [ Illusory Clone ] technique some other time," he replied.

Although she wished that she could go to his guild house again, she wasn't so unreasonable to think that he wouldn't be busy. She was already happy enough that they would be able to spend some time together at the inscription club today, so she wasn't upset by his words.

She didn't know why, but just thinking about spending more time with him was making her feel happier than anything else in this world. This was the first time she ever felt this way towards anyone, so it often brought a smile on her face when she was around him.

_______________________________________

Body/Spirit Cultivation Realms:

> Foundation (9 stages)

> Refinement (9 stages)

> Core (9 stages)

> Profound (9 stages)

> Divine (9 stages)

> Heavenly

Xiao Fang's Cultivation Realms:

Body Cultivation = 1st Profound

• Divine Sword = 1st Profound

Spirit Cultivation = 1st Profound

• Dual Cultivation = 6th Core

• Death Reaper = 3rd Refinement

• Illusory Body = 2nd Refinement

Chapter end