The Second Clone

After his main body exited the Myriad Things Space, Chen Ze used his consciousness to enter it once more.

Arriving at the Myriad Things Shop, he handed all the spiritual herbs he had harvested to the Green-robed Woman.

In no time, the spiritual herbs were all exchanged for Points.

There were five stalks of spiritual herbs that had matured in ten years, and since each had a different value, Chen Ze received a total of 200 Points.

I have 200 Points again; it's time to buy another clone.

"I want to redeem a clone."

"Redeeming a clone costs 200 Points. Do you confirm?"

Chen Ze had already looked over the shopping interface for the Clone Skill, so there was no need for any tedious navigation.

This time, he made his request directly to the Green-robed Woman.

"Confirm."

The 200 Points he had just acquired were instantly returned to the system.

Without looking at the newly coalescing Phantom of the clone, Chen Ze took a glance at the description of the clone in the Skill Section.

Does the next clone require 300 Points? Thankfully, the price only increased by 100.

Chen Ze confirmed that the price hadn't doubled as he had feared, and his gaze returned to the Phantom of the clone.

What kind of clone should I create next?

His first clone looked exactly like Chen Ze, but he felt that was still a bit too strange.

I can't have it look like me anymore.

A moment later, a figure appeared in Chen Ze's mind.

Slowly, the Phantom of the clone began to change its appearance, its form solidifying bit by bit.

A heroic figure emerged; he was tall and upright with handsome features, thick eyebrows, and large eyes. His presence was imposing and his spirit vibrant, making him appear exceptionally valiant.

"Is he a bit too handsome? Even better-looking than me," Chen Ze sighed as he looked at the figure before him.

The face that the Phantom had coalesced into was none other than the man famous for charging in and out of enemy lines seven times, the Ever-Victorious General known as Changshan Zhao Zilong—Zhao Yun.

A moment later, the Phantom solidified completely, and the eyes of the clone Zhao Yun regained their clarity.

"Master." The clone Zhao Yun bowed with cupped hands.

"Good. From today on, you shall be called Zhao Yun."

"Yes, Master."

"Follow me out."

With those words, Chen Ze brought the clone Zhao Yun out of the Myriad Things Space.

"You stay here in Wannan City to familiarize yourself with the area, gather some information, and keep an eye on Shopkeeper Tong at Tongfu Restaurant."

"Yes, Master."

As the clone Zhao Yun departed, Chen Ze communicated with his clone Chen Fan through his thoughts.

Shopkeeper Tong hadn't made a single move these past few days, and since the clone Chen Fan didn't need to rest, he had been observing the activity outside the house from dawn until dusk.

"Continue waiting here. I suspect Shopkeeper Tong will make a move within these next two days."

"Yes, Master."

After finishing his exchange with the clone Chen Fan, Chen Ze began his cultivation.

In the backyard of Tongfu Restaurant, Shopkeeper Tong had been feeling restless for the past few days, as if something terrible were about to happen.

First, Wu Li had suddenly gone missing, and now there had been no word from Zhang Tai for days.

He had no usable men left at his disposal for the moment, as his other subordinates were all guarding the Mine.

Shopkeeper Tong had already sent word to the Mine, ordering a few men to return.

He hadn't mentioned this matter to the family he was collaborating with; it wasn't the time to ask for help yet.

His influence was currently waning, and if he wasn't careful, the collaborating family might just wipe him out to claim the Mine for themselves.

The strength of the two parties was already unequal, and the distribution of the Mine was set at a ratio of three for him and seven for that family.

Although he was the one who discovered the Mine, his strength was insufficient, so he had no choice but to swallow his pride; otherwise, he might not have ended up with anything at all.

Shopkeeper Tong felt physically and mentally exhausted; ever since he had come into contact with Chen Ze, everything had veered off its original course.

No, this Chen Ze definitely has something wrong with him. Both Wu Li and Zhang Tai disappeared because they went to capture him; there must be some connection between these events.

Shopkeeper Tong began to suspect that the disappearances of Wu Li and Zhang Tai were related to Chen Ze.

But it was only a suspicion, after all, Chen Ze's cultivation level was plain to see.

He still remained convinced that he was being targeted, and perhaps it was that collaborating family playing games with him.

Meanwhile, the clone Zhao Yun had already wandered all over Wannan City and had gained a certain understanding of the place.

Currently, the doppelganger Zhao Yun was using the Breath Concealment Art to suppress his aura, hiding in the shadows while keeping a close watch on Tongfu Restaurant.

Back at his residence, Chen Ze received the message transmitted back by his doppelganger Zhao Yun.

"Shopkeeper Tong hasn't stepped out for the past few days; he has been managing the restaurant at Tongfu Restaurant the entire time, showing no unusual behavior."

After receiving the news, Chen Ze pondered for a moment, "Zhao Yun, continue to monitor every move Shopkeeper Tong makes."

"Understood."

Having arranged things with the doppelganger Zhao Yun, Chen Ze sent a message to his other doppelganger, Chen Fan.

"Chen Fan, enter the Myriad Things Space and stand by. Tonight, you and Zhao Yun will work together to capture Shopkeeper Tong."

"Understood."

With a single thought, the doppelganger Chen Fan entered the Myriad Things Space.

The dilapidated room instantly emptied, appearing desolate.

For a long time to come, this room would no longer be inhabited by anyone.

After the doppelganger Chen Fan entered the Myriad Things Space, Chen Ze used his thoughts to communicate with both doppelgangers, planning the operation for tonight.

Now that they had the Breath Concealment Art, combined with the Ignition Art, Chen Ze believed that with Zhao Yun and Chen Fan working together, dealing with Shopkeeper Tong should pose no problem.

Although he still wasn't certain of Shopkeeper Tong's cultivation level, as long as he hadn't reached Foundation Establishment, there was a fair chance of success with both doppelgangers attacking together.

Even if both doppelgangers failed, it wouldn't matter; at the very least, they would have probed Shopkeeper Tong's true strength.

Shopkeeper Tong's existence was destined to be a threat, and Chen Ze still didn't know if he had any other hidden cards up his sleeve.

Tonight's operation would serve as a test, and in any case, there would be no real loss.

With the plan finalized, Chen Ze immersed himself in cultivation once again.

The feeling of his strength increasing, the sensation that he could control everything, left him yearning for more.

As the sky gradually darkened, Chen Ze had already cultivated for 15 hours today, and with the constant cultivation from the Automated Training Room, his progress was steady.

Now, his Breath Concealment Art had reached Perfection, with its proficiency hitting the legendary realm.

His Earth Shield Art had also reached Major Accomplishment.

Most importantly, after the proficiency of the Xuantian Record reached Minor Accomplishment, his cultivation would increase by 1 point every time he circulated the technique.

Chen Ze was now only 10 points away from breaking through to the Qi Refining Fourth Layer—a matter of sleeping through the night and waiting for tomorrow's dawn.

Finally, I'm no longer a cultivation failure.

Surprised by his increasingly rapid cultivation speed, Chen Ze stopped his practice. The sky had turned dark, and it was time to be ready to strike at Shopkeeper Tong at any moment.

Chen Ze had the doppelganger Chen Fan emerge from the Myriad Things Space to prepare a meal.

The doppelganger Chen Fan had perfectly inherited Chen Ze's cooking skills.

Chen Ze enjoyed the delicious food, while the doppelganger Chen Fan stood to the side, waiting to clean up once he finished.

Since he had doppelgangers, there was naturally no need for him to do everything himself; if there was a task, he could just let a doppelganger handle it, and he could simply enjoy himself in peace.

"Hmm, next time I should really create a female doppelganger; that would truly be the perfect combination of sight, smell, and taste," Chen Ze muttered to himself, pausing mid-meal.

Standing to the side, the doppelganger Chen Fan's expression shifted, a wry smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. He's being looked down upon.

Not long after, Chen Ze finished his meal.

The doppelganger Chen Fan cleared the table and returned to the Myriad Things Space to stand by.

Now, all that remained was to wait for Zhao Yun to infiltrate the backyard of Tongfu Restaurant.