If People Imitate Me

Gu Qingfeng stared at the projection resembling an abyssal beast, frantically lodging complaints.

Yet, no one paid him any heed.

ROAR!!

A deafening roar erupted from the projection's maw, forming visible soundwaves that sent the void into violent tremors.

Bathed in terrifying demonic light, it appeared as though a calamity-bringing demon god had emerged from the abyss of all evils, with all living beings prostrating at its feet, trembling in fear.

BOOM!

The sound of shattering space echoed as the projection vanished from its spot, surpassing the limits of time, and reappeared before Gu Qingfeng in an instant.

Its pale claws slashed toward him with ruthless force!

Infinite demonic light erupted, carrying traces of indestructible demonic runes. The void cracked like a spiderweb under the assault before shattering into a rain of light, unleashing waves of terrifying energy.

Gu Qingfeng was stunned. Such a powerful strike—was this really his own projection?

He wasn’t even sure he could unleash an attack of this magnitude himself—it depended on his condition.

Much like sprinting, a slight difference in form could make or break a record.

Faced with such overwhelming force, his choice was simple... run!

Or, to put it more elegantly, a tactical retreat to avoid the enemy’s momentum.

Though the Sin of Annihilation was indestructible, Gu Qingfeng couldn’t be certain whether one Sin could annihilate another. Caution was wise.

SWOOSH!

At the last possible moment before the attack landed, Gu Qingfeng erupted with full power, transforming into a streak of demonic light that traversed ten thousand miles in an instant.

He was fast, but the projection was no slower—in fact, with its four limbs pounding the darkness, it was even slightly quicker.

Its limbs tore through the abyss, sending ripples through the blackened void like disturbed water.

For a time, their speed seemed to transcend time itself, as though both had vanished from existence.

Dodging and weaving, Gu Qingfeng’s expression darkened. He knew he couldn’t keep evading—once caught in the enemy’s rhythm, seizing the initiative would be nearly impossible.

Yet, what puzzled him was the projection’s complete lack of reason. It fought like a savage beast, tearing at everything in sight without any semblance of strategy.

Perhaps this was his chance!

Gu Qingfeng’s eyes flashed as he abruptly halted and threw a punch.

Three thousand strands of primordial chaos descended, while seven black serpents coiled into inky darkness around his fists. Indestructible demonic runes etched themselves onto his body, and behind him, the phantoms of three thousand demon gods emerged—each one grotesque and radiating overwhelming demonic might.

The frenzied projection didn’t even attempt to dodge. Instead, it let out a piercing howl as endless demonic light surged forth. A monstrous demonic shadow rose from its body, transforming it into a true abyssal beast that met the attack head-on.

But the projection struck nothing.

Everything had been an illusion—a feint conjured by Gu Qingfeng’s Reality Mirage technique. The real killing blow came from behind!

BOOM!

A devastating wave of energy erupted against the projection’s back, striking with full force.

CRACK!

The projection’s body exploded without resistance, splintering into tens of thousands of fragments.

Gu Qingfeng didn’t stop there. In the blink of an eye, he unleashed billions of demonic rays, piercing and annihilating every last piece of the projection’s remains.

Not a single speck of dust remained.

Yet Gu Qingfeng remained vigilant.

Sure enough, the next moment, endless black mist surged from the void, and the terrifying demonic shadow—like an abyssal beast—reemerged, completely unharmed.

Gu Qingfeng’s heart sank. The Sin of Annihilation could not kill another Sin, for both were rooted in the evil thoughts of all living beings. Though the projection was a replica forged by the Emperor’s Path, its essence was the same—neither could overcome the other.

As for devouring one another? Equally futile. With identical power, mutual consumption would only result in an endless cycle, achieving nothing.

Damn it!

He cursed inwardly.

If neither could destroy the other, how was he supposed to break through the fifth trial?

Without defeating the projection, he couldn’t escape this darkness. And without escaping, he couldn’t compete for the Mandate of Heaven.

Failure to seize the Mandate meant handing victory to Emperor Yan—and losing his family forever.

The mere thought of Emperor Yan resurrecting the corpses of fallen emperors sent a searing pain through Gu Qingfeng’s heart. Who could understand the agony of being left utterly alone?

BOOM!

Lost in thought, Gu Qingfeng barely registered as the beast-like projection lunged again, its abyssal maw gaping wide to devour him.

This time, however, he didn’t dodge. His earlier attack had proven one thing—the Sin could not harm another Sin.

So why bother evading? Better to calm his mind and...

DING!

Host has been attacked by own projection.

All attributes +100,000,000...

What the—!?

Gu Qingfeng’s eyes nearly bulged out of his skull.

What’s going on!?

Why did my stats increase? That doesn’t make sense—I’m a genuine human! If my identical copy attacked me, why did the system trigger?

While he reeled in shock, the projection continued its mindless assault, and the system’s notifications kept chiming.

Gu Qingfeng could feel himself strengthening in every conceivable way—his Sin, his Primordial Chaos Body, his demonic path—all surged uncontrollably.

"System, what the hell is happening? Why does my projection’s attacks make me stronger?"

The system’s icy voice responded:

"This system is named ‘Grow Stronger When Attacked by Demons.’ Host must deduce the rest."

"I’ll deduce your ancestors!"

Gu Qingfeng swore loudly. This damn system was utterly useless—couldn’t even give a proper explanation.

Well, after years of relying on it, he knew better than to expect coherence.

If the system wouldn’t clarify, he’d have to figure it out himself.

Then, an idea struck him.

"Wait... am I a demon?"

The thought startled him so much that he immediately punched himself.

No stat increase.

This confirmed he wasn’t a demon. He’d tried exploiting this loophole before—attempting to turn himself into a demon—but always failed. So why would his projection count?

If he wasn’t a demon, why did the projection’s attacks trigger the system?

Let’s think this through.

Only demon attacks grant stats. My own attacks don’t, so I’m not a demon.

The projection’s attacks do, meaning the projection is a demon.

But here’s the problem—isn’t the projection supposed to be an exact copy?

Speaking of exact copies... Gu Qingfeng took a closer look at the rabid creature tearing into him—its inhuman visage, terrifying fangs, and razor-sharp claws.

"Exact copy" my ass. This thing looked nothing like him!

Suddenly, it clicked.

Drawing on his years of demonic cultivation expertise, he understood.

Initially, the projection had mirrored him perfectly. But as their power escalated, the projection’s form had twisted—becoming a monstrous fiend, as though consumed by demonic energy.

What did this mean?

It meant his own power had corrupted the projection.

Both the Sin of Annihilation, born from the collective evil of all living beings, and his demonic path, forged from countless wicked arts, were the epitome of corruption.

They embodied the absolute pinnacle of malevolence.

All the wickedness of the world converged into a single being—no existence could possibly withstand such power. Even the Heavenly Dao would succumb to demonic corruption, let alone a mere projection.

The only difference between the projection and oneself lay in the System.

With the System's suppression, one could wield this supreme evil force without any adverse effects. Yet, in the hands of the projection, this power transformed him into a fiend of utter malevolence, plunging him irrevocably into the abyss.

In other words, without the System, the projection's depravity would be one's true nature.

This realization reminded Gu Qingfeng of a poem from his past life—one whose first half was widely known, while its latter half remained obscure.

The first half went: "Wine and meat pass through the gut, but the Buddha remains in the heart."

And the second half?

"If the world follows my example, they tread the path of demons!"