Ultimate Scheming System

He had purchased a replication art from the System, learning it right away. It was a one of a kind illusionary spell. More specifically, it was an Intermediate Earth Rank illusionary spell that could create ten doppelgängers.

Whoosh!

Xu Que cast the spell. Ten clouds of white smoke rose behind him, a doppelgänger emerging from each of the clouds. Each doppelgänger was dressed in a black robe. All of them looked exactly like Xu Que.

These doppelgängers couldn’t perform any offensive attacks. However, since each doppelgänger looked and acted like Xu Que, he would be able to use the doppelgängers to confuse and frighten the members of the Celestial Sect.

Xu Que was able to use Shadowmeld of Three Thousand Thunders. However, one illusory body wasn’t enough to act tough. He needed to put on a show for everyone in the Great Change Sect. With this new ability, he would end the Celestial Sect once and for all.

“Alright, System, give me a dozen black masks. Make sure that they all have red characters saying “Exploding Heavens Faction” printed between the eyebrows of each mask. Also, I like the black color of the robes, but they need something else. System, make the robes look tougher by adding some red clouds on them.”

After the System had made the adjustments to the masks and robes, Xu Que put the masks over the faces of each doppelgänger and gave them their newly decorated robes. At first glance, they looked just like the Akatsuki in Naruto.

“Little brat, little brat!” Buttface shouted excitedly. “You better count me in! Otherwise, I’ll make sure to debunk you later.”

Buttface knew that Xu Que had operated under many false names, such as Xiao Yan, Hua Wu Que, and Li Bai. However, Buttface was excited at the thought of obliterating the Celestial Sect. He also saw it as a chance to show off, which is why he was so eager to join Xu Que in this fight.

Xu Que raised his eyebrows. “You want to join me? Fine, but you need to be cooperative. When it is your turn to appear, you must shout ‘I am Buttface of the Exploding Heavens Faction.’”

“Howl! I don’t want to announce to the Celestial Sect that my name is Buttface! It’s too offensive. How about I call myself The Mighty King of the Exploding Heavens Faction!” Buttface said proudly, waving his paws in the air.

“‘The Mighty King’ is too nasty,” Xu Que said, shaking his head disdainfully. “Using a name like that would reveal your illiterate nature. Try another one. If you can’t think of a better name, then too bad for you!”

“Another one? OK... Really, I’m alright with any name as long as it’s not Buttface,” he said eagerly.

Xu Que thought about it for a moment and then asked, “How about ‘The Ultima Skin Monster?’”

“No!” Buttface refused immediately. He didn’t understand what the name meant, but he was sure it wasn’t something nice!

“Didn’t you say you were OK with any name as long as it wasn’t Buttface?” Xu Que asked, staring at him. “Fine, I will give you one last chance. Your name will be Mantis Shrimp! Take it or leave it.”

“What? Mantis Shrimp? But I’m not a shrimp,” Buttface said ruefully.

Xu Que ignored the whining dog. It was time to prepare for battle. Xu Que performed Shadowmeld of Three Thousand Thunders. With this power, he summoned an illusory body which had 70% of his normal strength. Xu Que then put a unique mask on the illusory body, turning it into “Hua Wu Que.”

Xu Que then waved his hand.

Whoosh!

Led by the illusory body, the ten doppelgängers jumped into the air and dashed towards the main gate of the Great Change Sect.

Xu Que walked over to Buttface with a smile. He grabbed Buttface’s collar and shouted, “Let’s go, Mantis Shrimp!”

Xu Que turned their figures into illusory shadows, which flew magnificently across the sky.

...

Meanwhile, in the assembly hall of the Great Change Sect...

Su Yun Lan was sitting in the middle of the assembly hall. Beside her stood three Elders of the Great Change Sect who were all at the Original Infant Stage. These four individuals held great political power within the Great Change Sect.

However, there were eight other powerhouses that were sitting at the assembly hall table. These eight other elders were all at the Original Infant Stage, making them two levels stronger than the elders of the Great Change Sect. These sanctimonious people were wearing fine clothes, on which the sign of the Celestial Sect was embroidered.

These eight powerhouses were led by a middle-aged man in a white robe. Xu Que would have definitely recognized this man if he were in the room with him. This man was no other than Zhang Dan Shan, the Sect Leader of the Celestial Sect.

After only one year, Zhang Dan Shan was far stronger than he was before. He had grown from level five of the Infant Transformation Stage to level six. This was a giant leap. He was now almost as strong as the Emperor of the Fire Nation.

He also looked much younger than before. His cultured and elegant style made him quite handsome. He was definitely one of the most powerful cultivators in the Fire Nation.

Not long ago, he had fallen in love with Su Yun Lan at first sight. This caused his tranquil mind to be stirred up. He wanted desperately for Su Yun Lan to be his cultivation companion. However, Su Yun Lan always kept her distance from him. Zhang Dan Shan had sent her rare treasures on numerous occasions, but Su Yun Lan had returned all of them.

Zhang Dan Shan couldn’t endure this rejection any longer. Thus, he came to the Great Change Sect personally to send his betrothal gifts and ask Su Yun Lan to marry him and become his cultivation companion.

The atmosphere in the assembly hall was dull and depressing.

“Sect Leader Su, as a powerful expert and Sect Leader, Zhang Dan Shan has condescended to discuss this issue with you several times. However, you keep avoiding the topic. Where is your respect?” an elder of the Celestial Sect snorted.

“The Celestial Sect, in general, is not a large sect. However, it is one of the three largest sects in the Fire Nation. If you refuse Zhang Dan Shan’s proposal, you will make us a laughing stock,” another elder said, staring at Su Yun Lan coldly.

“I am flattered by Sect Leader Zhang’s appreciation,” she said, smiling calmly. Su Yun Lan was still an elegant and competent beauty, just as she was a year before. “However, my heart already belongs to someone else. So, I can’t be the cultivation companion of Sect Leader Zhang. I hope Sect Leader Zhang can be sensible and considerate and stop pushing me.”

Bang!

Immediately an Elder of the Celestial Sect stood up, pounding the table angrily.

“Hmph,” he snorted. “Do you plan to make your sect an enemy of the Celestial Sect, Sect Leader Su? Xiao Yan of the Exploding Heavens Faction is nothing compared to our Sect Leader Zhang!”

The rest of the elders also struck the table, stood up, and shouted angrily.

“You are insulting our Sect Leader Zhang!? This is outrageous!”

“You think we are afraid of your spell and the God Powered Cannon, right? For your information, if Sect Leader Zhang hadn’t personally stopped us from attacking the Great Change Sect, you and your men would have been killed long ago because of your sect being allied with the Exploding Heavens Faction!”

The elders then began to attack Su Yun Lan with their Soul Strengths. Clenching her teeth, Su Yun Lan resisted the Soul Strengths of the Celestial Sect elders as best she could.

“Behave yourself!” an elder of the Great Change Sect beside her said. “You have gone too far! You are still within the Great Change Sect’s assembly hall! How dare you attack us here?!”

Bang!

All of a sudden, a formless force hit the angry Great Change Sect elder in the chest. The force was so heavy that it crushed him with the weight of a mountain. The elder flew off his chair and smashed into the wall of the assembly hall.

Puff! The injured Elder of the Great Change Sect spit out a mouthful of blood. His face became pale.

Su Yulan couldn’t stand this any longer. She stood up.

“Sect Leader Zhang!” she shouted. “Are you seriously just going to use your power to bully us?”

She hadn’t expected Zhang Dan Shan to be this unreasonable. He seemed like such an elegant and cultured man. Why was he attacking her people over a simple disagreement?

“Yunlan, I just punished your rude underling. Why are you angry?” Zhang Dan Shan said, smiling lightly. His eyes were full of mockery. He then picked up his cup and started to fiddle with it, as if he were playing with Su Yun Lan.

“I’m here to give you two options,” he continued, smiling indifferently. “You can marry me and become my cultivation companion, or...the Great Change Sect will be slaughtered.”

“I...dare you!” Su Yun Lan was so angry that her face was red. However, her heart was filled with a sense of powerlessness.

She knew the Great Change Sect could be easily defeated if Zhang Dan Shan launched an attack since he was a powerhouse at Level 6 of the Infant Transformation Stage. He was more powerful than anyone else in the Five Nations. He was practically unstoppable.

“You continue to collude with the Exploding Heavens Faction. Xu Que of this faction used explosions to destroy much of the Celestial Sect. Therefore, it is right and proper for us to eradicate the Great Change Sect. No one will dare to meddle in this matter, even the Exploding Heavens Faction!” Zhang Dan Shan said, smiling coldly and arrogantly.

Whoosh!

An air-piercing sound came from the outside of the assembly hall. A miserable cry was then heard.

“Ah!”

The next moment, Bang! A disciple of the Celestial Sect who had been guarding the door was thrown into the assembly hall. The disciple was drenched in blood. He was already dead.

All at once, everyone in the assembly hall stood up in shock, looking at the door.

“This is outrageous! Who did this?” Zhang Dan Shan scolded.

Many deafening and majestic voices answered in reply.

“I am Hua Wu Que of the Exploding Heavens Faction!”

“I am Ye Liangchen of the Exploding Heavens Faction!”

“I am Li Bai of the Exploding Heavens Faction!”

“I am Yang Guo of the Exploding Heavens Faction!”

“I am Wu Wu Kai of the Exploding Heavens Faction!”

“I am Snake Skin Monster of the Exploding Heavens Faction!”