Receiving Rewards [Great Dao Clone Technique]

After hearing Niu Zhuang's blood-soaked words, Niu Ben's eyes, deep as a starry sky, narrowed slightly.

He understood now.

The whole story, crystal clear.

In short, his cheap father Niu Ba felt he was about to get beaten to a pulp, and only then remembered this son of his—the one who had "entered the Disciple of the Three Pure Ones and become a Saint's mount"—and wanted him back to save face.

A bit pragmatic, but... he could accept it.

"Ding!"

At that moment, the cold, vast, utterly emotionless mechanical voice in his mind arrived right on schedule.

"God-Tier Choice System activated."

"Triggering God-Tier Choice."

"Choice One: Refuse to return."

"A cultivator must sever mortal ties, with a heart unburdened."

"A mere clan conflict is but a fleeting cloud—what concern is it of mine?"

"Complete the choice to receive the reward [Hundred Thousand Years of Dharma Power]."

"Choice Two: Return to the clan and resolve the crisis."

"They gave me life and raised me; blood ties bind us. This debt of kindness must be repaid."

"Act with swift justice and clear intent—that is the mark of a true man."

"Complete the choice to receive the reward [One Divine Ability]."

Gazing at the two options shimmering with different lights in his mind's sea, Niu Ben didn't hesitate for even a moment.

Sever mortal ties?

To hell with severing mortal ties!

He snorted coldly, roaring from the depths of his heart.

"I choose two!"

He couldn't stand by and watch the Green Ox Clan fall without lifting a finger.

Even if he was a transmigrator, his soul not of this world.

Ever since he transmigrated into a green ox, Niu Ba had treated him like his own flesh and blood, pouring the clan's best resources onto him. That simple, deep father-son bond—Niu Ben couldn't deny it!

Besides, what was cultivation about?

It was about achieving a clear and unblocked mind!

If he couldn't even protect his own clan or his own father, then what was the point of cultivating this supreme Dao?

"Congratulations, Master, on making your choice. Selection successful!"

"Reward received: [Great Dao Clone Technique]."

The system's voice faded.

Great Dao Clone Technique?

Niu Ben's heart jolted, and his divine sense immediately sank into the system space to examine the details of this newly acquired ability.

[Great Dao Clone Technique: Supreme-tier clone divine ability, beyond the Heavenly Dao, born from the Origin of the Great Dao.]

[Effect: Based on each major cultivation realm the host has experienced, it can manifest a clone possessing one hundred percent of the host's combat power.]

I... damn!

The moment he saw the description of this ability, Niu Ben's heart convulsed violently from sheer shock and ecstasy!

His breathing grew heavy!

This... this was countless times more insane than Taishang Daoist's ultimate trump card, "One Qi Transforms into Three Pure Ones"!

One Qi Transforms into Three Pure Ones could split into three Dao bodies, but those bodies weren't physical entities; their combat power was far below the original, mostly used for confusion and support in battle.

But his [Great Dao Clone Technique]?

Every clone it produced was a physical entity with one hundred percent of the original's combat power!

One hundred percent!

What did that mean?

His current cultivation was at the Early Stage Primordial Unity Golden Immortal.

From the moment he stepped onto the immortal path, he had passed through Heavenly Immortal, Mystic Immortal, True Immortal, Golden Immortal, and now Primordial Unity Golden Immortal!

Five whole major realms!

Didn't that mean he could manifest five clones identical to his current self?

Each one, a combatant at the Early Stage Primordial Unity Golden Immortal!

Just imagine that scene.

When facing an enemy, before the fight began, he was just one person, composed and unhurried.

But as the battle wore on, "shua shua shua shua shua"—five identical versions of himself suddenly appeared behind him. Six Niu Bens at the Early Stage Primordial Unity Golden Immortal lined up in a row, staring at the enemy with the same cold, indifferent gaze.

Six against one!

Just imagining that scene made one's scalp tingle and soul tremble!

Thrilling!

Thrilling to the extreme!

Thrilling until the soul itself quivered!

This divine ability was practically tailor-made for him to show off... no, it was a supreme skill for protecting the Dao!

"Senior Brother, has the clan run into trouble? Do you need us Junior Brothers and Sisters to lend a hand?"

Beside him, Bixiao Immortal, clad in a water-blue Daoist robe, and Jade Cauldron True Person, holding his Three-Pointed Double-Edged Halberd, had also grasped the gist of the matter. They stepped forward and asked with concern.

The way they looked at Niu Ben was filled with heartfelt respect.

Although Niu Ben was nominally just the mount of Taishang Saint, his status among the Disciples of the Three Pure Ones was unparalleled.

He stayed by Taishang Saint's side day and night, listening to the true words of the Great Dao. This fortune was something even they, as Personal Disciples, envied but could not obtain.

In terms of seniority, being by Taishang's side meant that, in a sense, he was the "Senior Disciple Brother" to all disciples under the Three Pure Ones.

His matters were naturally Kunlun Mountain's matters as well.

"No need."

Niu Ben suppressed the wild joy in his heart and slowly shook his head, exuding a powerful confidence from within.

"The mere Savage Ox Clan is hardly worth mentioning. This is a private matter of my clan, and I wouldn't want to trouble you, Junior Brother and Junior Sister."

He solemnly clasped his hands toward the two of them.

"Please wait here for a moment. I must first go to the Eight Views Palace to report this to Master and request leave."

With that, his form flickered, and he transformed into an Azure Stream of Light of extreme speed, tearing through the void and flying straight toward the deepest part of Kunlun Mountain—the Taiqing Realm Eight Views Palace, suspended above the Nine Heavens Above.

Inside the Taiqing Palace.

The Formless Great Dao, the Silent Dao Sound.

Taishang Daoist still sat cross-legged on the Cloud Bed, without joy or sorrow, without thought or intention, as if merged with the entire Heavenly Dao, unchanging for eternity.

Niu Ben knelt reverently on the ground and recounted the entire matter from beginning to end.

After hearing it, Taishang Daoist slowly opened his eyes—those ancient, well-like orbs that seemed to contain the birth and death of universes and the reincarnation of all things.

That single glance seemed to pierce through past and future, seeing through all of Niu Ben's thoughts.

He merely nodded lightly, his voice flat, betraying no emotion.

"Go."

Just two words, yet they felt like a decree from the Heavenly Dao, where speech itself became law.

Then, his seemingly withered finger casually flicked.

Swoosh!

A profound light, containing all the principles of "Purity and Non-Action" in heaven and earth, shot forth from his fingertip. It moved so fast it ignored time and space, instantly vanishing into Niu Ben's brow.

Hum—!

Niu Ben felt his Primordial Spirit Sea shake violently. A supreme imprint of law, brimming with the aura of destruction and creation, was deeply etched into the core of his Primordial Spirit.

The Taiqing Dao Seal!

He understood instantly what it was.

This imprint contained the full-force strike of Taishang Daoist, a Late Quasi-Saint Great Expert!

It was a true trump card—a sure kill against anyone below the Quasi-Saint level!

Whenever he faced a life-or-death crisis, he only needed to will it, and it could be activated to save his life.

Taishang Daoist, seemingly detached and inactive, was in fact fiercely protective of his own!

He naturally wouldn't allow his mount to fall easily outside—that would be a loss of face for Grand Pure One Laozi himself.

A warm current surged through Niu Ben's entire body.

"Thank you, Master, for bestowing this treasure!"

Deeply moved, Niu Ben kowtowed three times respectfully to Taishang Daoist.

With permission granted and this heaven-defying life-saving card in hand, he wasted no more time. His form flickered, and he reappeared at the entrance of Kunlun Mountain.

Now, though his aura was restrained, the powerful confidence radiating from within had completely transformed his entire demeanor.

He looked at Niu Zhuang, who was waiting with eager anticipation, and a cold curve tugged at the corner of his mouth.

"Let's go. We're heading back."

He said this to Niu Zhuang, who had been waiting, then swept his sleeve, wrapping Niu Zhuang up. The two transformed into a streak of light, tearing through the void and speeding toward the direction of the Ox Clan Territory.