Wizard: My career panel has no upper limit

Chapter 204 Bloodline Evolution

In the center of the battlefield, amidst a scene of utter devastation, Ron remained vigilant, carefully sensing the energy fluctuations around him.

The dust settled slowly, reflecting the faint light of the blood-red crystals and forming eerie pillars of light in the air.

“Although its power is astonishing, it may not be able to completely destroy him,” Ron calculated clearly in his mind.

He knew very well that he did not have the same precise control over the "Breath of the Phoenix," a spell far beyond his current abilities, as Yuni did.

A large amount of energy will inevitably spill out and disperse during the explosion, making it extremely unlikely that the clones will be completely destroyed.

As the magic flowed through the air, he could sense a residual life force, faint but persistent.

If it were Master Yuni herself who performed this move, the clone would be lucky to survive even with just one atom remaining.

However, the version he recorded using "Thousand Transformations" was terrifying in power, but it lacked that fatal precision.

Being able to completely destroy the clone is in line with his original plan.

Just as Ron was pondering this, a slight tremor suddenly came from beneath the molten crystal in the center of the pit.

The thin, glassy substance began to tremble, and tiny cracks spread outward from the center, forming a spiderweb-like pattern.

Immediately afterwards, the thin, glassy substance shattered from the inside.

Fragments scattered everywhere, and a charred, almost unrecognizable human figure slowly crawled out from within.

That once handsome face is now unrecognizable, the skin is cracked like charcoal, and every movement causes flakes to fall off.

Those once terrifying, crimson-gold eyes are now dull and lifeless, with only a faint flame flickering in their sockets.

"It wasn't that easy to die after all."

Ron nodded; this was exactly what he had expected.

Rather, what he most wanted to see was the enemy being crippled.

If you wipe the opponent out completely in one fell swoop, you might not actually maximize their benefits.

Now, the clone's strength has been greatly weakened, but it still maintains sufficient integrity, making it the most suitable state for the stand puppet to absorb.

The charred figure staggered to its feet, like a demon crawling back from hell.

As he moved, pieces of charred skin peeled off, revealing the writhing flesh beneath.

The chunks of flesh wriggled unnaturally, trying to fill the voids and wounds in the body.

In this unique environment, the wounds healed at a visible speed, but not as rapidly as before.

The aura of the abyss surged in from all directions, swirling around the clone and accelerating its recovery.

But these energies seemed unable to fully penetrate his body, forming a thin, barely perceptible mist on the surface before slowly dissipating into the air.

"You...you actually..."

The clone emitted a hoarse, grating sound, like the scraping of metal, its crimson-gold eyes filled with disbelief, shock, and rage.
"How could you possibly possess such power?"

He staggered forward a few steps, his steps unsteady, completely losing his previous elegance and composure.

The once powerful energy fluctuations have become intermittent, like an oil lamp about to run out, which may go out at any time.

Ron quietly observed the replication process, his hand already on the "substitute puppet" at his waist.

He recalled the scene he had previously glimpsed:

The clones descended like the Grim Reaper, destroying the entire elite squad of the Crystal Spire almost instantly.

Even the awakened pair, Oliver and Cynthia, were no match for him.

That overwhelming power was chilling.

Now, this once terrifying entity is like a toddler learning to walk, struggling even to stand.

His breathing was rapid and heavy, each inhalation accompanied by a painful hissing sound, like a broken bellows.

"Substitute puppet, prepare for battle."

Ron took the puppet from his waist and infused it with a portion of his consciousness and magic.

He could feel the puppet vibrating slightly in his palm, seemingly filled with anticipation for the upcoming battle and absorption.

The puppet rapidly inflated, growing to the size of an adult in just a few seconds.

Under the light, the puppet's surface reflected a metallic sheen, a result of the fusion of the characteristics of the snake demon and the lion scorpion.

Its muscles are smooth and powerful, and its joints contain explosive energy, making it far more refined and dangerous than the original clumsy puppet form.

What's most striking is the third arm extending from its right shoulder blade.

Its entire body is covered in dark purple scales, and its fingertips are sharp as claws, emitting a ghostly blue light.

This is a special mutation obtained from absorbing the venom glands of a lion scorpion, giving it attack methods far beyond the norm.

"This is your secret weapon?" The clone let out a mocking laugh, its voice filled with contempt.
"A wooden puppet? This thing dares to challenge me?"

The clone could vaguely sense that the puppet contained some kind of energy quality similar to its own.

It felt like someone suddenly saw their own reflection, only to discover that the person in the mirror possessed an independent will.

But at this moment, he was simply trying to bluff.

“Not just an ordinary puppet,” Ron said calmly, while maneuvering the puppet forward through a mental link.

"It actually prefers to call itself a 'substitute.' You know, it's a genuine 'Abyssal Treasure'—you should be able to feel it, that shared power."

With his control, a longsword of light and flames condensed in the right hand of the substitute puppet, the runes on the sword flowing and emitting a blazing golden light;
In his left hand, he held an ice sword made of water element. While instructing Dale on how to manipulate water element, he himself did not slack off in his practice. The ice sword he condensed was surrounded by cold air, freezing the surrounding air.

The extra third hand held a dark green dagger, an extension of the lion scorpion's stinger's venomous properties; the venom dripping from the tip corroded small pits in the ground.

These powerful energy weapons are also the result of the "Elemental Affinity" and "Matter Transmutation" skills, as well as various synergistic bonuses.

Three weapons with different attributes gleamed in the hands of the puppet, forming a perfect offensive and defensive system.

The Poison Sting Dagger is responsible for close-range thrusts, the Flame Longsword is mainly for mid-range attacks, and the Ice Sword provides support.

A hint of fear flashed in the clone's eyes, and its body writhed as its injuries rapidly healed.

Strands of abyssal energy converged from all directions and were greedily absorbed by his body.

"Enough with the chit-chat, let's begin!"

The puppet made a strange sound, a sound that resembled Ron's yet had a metallic resonance, creating an eerie sense of incongruity.

The clone sighed softly, then launched the first attack.

His movements were much slower than before, but still incredibly fast.

A burst of crimson-gold energy erupted from his body, enveloping his entire being.

The light that once shone brightly has now dimmed considerably, like the last starlight before dawn.

This is the enhanced form of 'Life Burst', but the clone cannot imitate the highly efficient and energy-saving characteristics of 'Boiling Blood'.

—Sonic oscillation erosion state!
Invisible ripples spread from the replica's palm, carrying a chilling whisper that struck the substitute puppet directly.

Those syllables were distorted and ancient, seemingly originating from some distant cosmic depths, each note containing the potential to distort reality.

However, just as the sound wave was about to hit its target, Ron, who was far away, gently raised his hand and released a sound wave vibration as well.

The two sound waves met in the air, creating a strange resonance.

But Ron's version is clearly cleaner and more powerful, like comparing the original to a pirated version.

His sound waves contained even more ancient and pure starry whispers, easily suppressing the clone's attack and even reflecting the clone's sound waves back.

The clone was caught off guard and was attacked by its own energy.

Countless black spots immediately appeared on the surface of the body, as if it had been invaded by some kind of invisible corrosion.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, the stand-in puppet rushed forward like lightning, wielding three weapons simultaneously to form an impenetrable attack net.

Its movements are fluid and swift, possessing both the eerie flexibility of a serpent demon and the explosive power of a lion scorpion, with overall coordination far surpassing any single creature.

The radiant longsword traced a graceful arc, precisely slashing at the replica's neck; the airflow generated by the sword tip even sliced ​​through the air.
The ice sword pierced straight into the opponent's chest, the cold air condensing into a blue trail.

The poisoned dagger attacked from the side, aiming at the clone's abdomen, leaving a trail of eerie dark green marks.

This three-pronged attack leaves virtually no room for maneuver.

The clone managed to construct a thin, flowing barrier for defense, but its condition was clearly poor. The barrier was thin and unstable, its surface riddled with tiny cracks, and the energy flow was uneven.

"Crack!"

The flaming sword struck the protective barrier heavily, immediately creating a huge crack on its surface.

The energy from the blade seeped into the cracks, continuously scorching the protective structure.

The ice sword followed closely, widening the crack.

Frost seeped into the cracks, covering them with a layer of fragile ice crystals, which further weakened the protective barrier.

Finally, the poison dagger plunged into the severely weakened defensive point, easily penetrating it and piercing directly into the clone's chest.

The moment it pierced through, the venom on the poisoned dagger erupted, spreading outwards from the wound and forming a vast, bone-crushing net.

"Ah!" The clone let out a shrill scream, its voice almost distorted by pain.

Fresh blood gushed from the wound, appearing eerily black.

His disheveled state was a stark contrast to the overwhelming victory he had achieved against the Crystal Spire team and Oliver.

The charred figure opened his eyes wide; he seemed to see pity in the other's eyes.

The clone charged at Ron like a madman, its hands transforming into claws, its eyes filled with an almost insane determination.

His movements were chaotic and disorganized; he had completely lost the precise control he had previously displayed, and his movements resembled the dying struggle of a wounded beast.

"Go to hell! Go to hell! Go to hell!"

The clone repeatedly roared those two words, its voice hoarse and desperate.

As his emotions fluctuated, the black spots on his face expanded and contracted, as if some living thing was crawling under his skin.

However, the stand-in puppet easily evaded the chaotic impact, its movements as fluid as if it were dancing.

It nimbly sidestepped, letting the claws graze past it, and with a quick turn, all three weapons struck the clone's back almost simultaneously.

With a dull thud, the clone's body was sent flying, crashing heavily into a half-collapsed crystal pillar with a cracking sound.

Ron stood calmly in place, his fingers twitching slightly as he guided the puppet's every move through the mental link.

For him, this battle was completely under control, with minimal losses and the ability to ensure the ultimate goal was achieved.

The puppet raised its three arms simultaneously, coldly approaching the clone that had lost most of its fighting power.

Its steps were steady and powerful, as unstoppable as destiny itself.

"It can't be like this; it shouldn't be."

The clone muttered to itself, its eyes growing dimmer and dimmer, turning a deathly gray:

"I absorbed so much power. So many clones. Those Awakened Ones. I should have..."

"It has nothing to do with the energy you absorbed. The reason for your defeat is simply because the source of your main components is in my hands."

Ron finally spoke, his voice calm.

The clone's pupils suddenly contracted, as if it had finally understood something, a look of realization flashing in its eyes: "You mean..."

“That’s right. You and the ‘substitute puppet’ are of the same origin. In fact, you could say that a large part of your spirituality and power were drawn from it by the rules and regenerated into a similar entity.”

Ron explained softly, his voice carrying a scholarly calmness:
"So when you face it, it's like facing your origins—this battle was unfair from the start."

Upon hearing this explanation, the clone's expression completely collapsed, the flame in its eyes went out, and it turned a deathly gray.

His shoulders slumped, like a puppet whose supports had been removed.

"Don't worry, your strength will not be wasted."

As Ron spoke, the puppet's three hands launched an attack simultaneously, completely dismembering the clone.

The blazing longsword severed his head, the ice sword pierced his heart, and the poisoned dagger completely pierced his abdomen.

The three weapons worked together, creating a peculiar energy resonance that tore the clone's body into countless fragments.

A ball of crimson-gold energy was released from the clone's shattered body, forming a sphere of light in the air, radiating pure and powerful energy.

But it did not dissipate; instead, it was drawn to the stand-in puppet and slowly drifted toward the three-armed puppet, like iron filings attracted by a magnet.

The stand-in puppet opened its arms, as if embracing that ball of energy.

The moment it came into contact with the energy, a blinding light burst forth at the point of contact, so bright that Ron almost had to squint.

Ron could sense a strange change happening to the stand-in puppet—it was absorbing the clone's energy and converting it into part of itself.

This process is both violent and harmonious, like the fusion of two similar but distinct substances, exhibiting both repulsive and mutually attractive properties.

The substitute puppet's body began to undergo subtle changes, its surface becoming smoother.

The texture of the skin changed from wood to a metallic-like substance, but it retained the unique flexibility of living organisms.

The muscle lines are more defined, each muscle is like a meticulously sculpted work of art, containing explosive power.

The overall silhouette is also closer to that of a human, losing the original mechanical and stiff feel and becoming more vibrant.

Most surprisingly, a new arm extends from the left shoulder blade, forming a structure symmetrical to the extra arm on the right shoulder.

This newly formed fourth arm is entirely reddish-gold in color, as if it were formed from pure yang energy.

The surface is covered with tiny, scale-like patterns, each emitting a faint glow, a characteristic seemingly inherited from the replica.

After absorbing all the energy, the stand-in puppet was bathed in a layer of crimson gold light.

The light gradually receded, merging into every inch of the puppet's structure, like a process of baptism or sublimation.

Finally, when the light completely disappeared, the substitute puppet was completely transformed.

"The charging progress has increased by 30%!" Ron was surprised to find that the Stand puppet's condition had changed significantly.

[Automatically absorbed active abyssal substances, charging progress +30%]

[Current charge: 38%/100%]

This is an unprecedented and massive upgrade, bringing the Substitute Puppet one step closer to activating the two-way communication feature.

It jumped from 8% to 38%, a full 30% increase in energy.

More importantly, the puppet's energy circulation is smoother.

The movements became more coordinated and fluid, as if a sketch had been transformed into a complete work of art.

Actions that once required Ron's full concentration to direct can now be accomplished with a simple thought, and are executed with greater precision and fluidity.

The feeling was like going from driving an old horse-drawn carriage to controlling a sophisticated, magical airship; the comfort and sense of control were elevated to a whole new level.

The coordination of the four arms also reached an unprecedented level of harmony.

Previously, the three arms would have had minor coordination issues in certain complex movements.

Now, the four arms are like instruments in a symphony orchestra, each movement perfectly timed to create a harmonious rhythm.

“Come back,” Ron commanded softly.

The substitute puppet immediately shrank back to its original size and quietly returned to his hand.

As the replica completely disappeared, the entire crystal platform began to change.

The red veins on the surface of those crystal pillars began to flow violently, like the pulsating blood vessels of some kind of creature.

Then these patterns gradually detached from the crystal surface, condensing into streams of energy that converged towards Ron's location, forming a huge red energy network.

"This is...bloodline enhancement?"

Ron quickly understood what was happening—he had defeated his clone, and now the Bloodline Altar was fulfilling its promise, providing enhancements and upgrades to his bloodline.

As he realized this, those energy streams began to flow faster.

Ultimately, all of it converged above his head, forming a crimson energy ball about one meter in diameter.

The flowing patterns on the surface of the sphere seem to be performing some kind of complex calculation or evaluation.

A few seconds later, the energy ball slowly descended, gently enveloping Ron's entire body, and then slowly seeped into his skin.

(End of this chapter)