An Alternative Longevity

Mifeng's answer came quickly.

"No! In this world, only a very small number of humans can! It's even rare. Most people would die if they tried!"

"Holy crap, you manipulative bastard!" Zhang Hao broke out in a cold sweat.

Mifeng offered some comfort.

"You can do it! This was a very important factor in choosing you."

Zhang Hao felt slightly better and asked, "If I die, then..."

"Obviously, if you were dead, you wouldn't be talking to me?"

Zhang Hao was left speechless. He often felt powerless when talking to Mifeng. The guy truly had no filter; he didn't understand social graces but had a keen grasp of human psychology. For instance, when he'd first lured Zhang Hao, he'd used the promise of money, which immediately won Zhang Hao over.

Zhang Hao wiped away some sweat. He now understood that being chosen was a crucial reason, and it was fortunate he'd survived. Otherwise, he would have died without anyone noticing. He was alone in the city, his parents having passed away when he was in college. If he died, truly no one would care; he'd just become another missing person.

The thought sent a chill down his spine.

Mifeng said, "In about ten days, your clone will be ready. You need to confirm it before then."

Zhang Hao now understood the relationship between the jar and the water – the body and the soul. His clone would be the most suitable "jar" for his soul.

He went to the underground level where he'd obtained the nanomachines and asked, "How do I do it?"

As a small cylinder rose from the table, Zhang Hao placed his palm on it. A humanoid figure appeared, then rapidly expanded to face him.

"You can modify all parts of the body, from facial features to height, even muscle mass. The clone will grow according to your needs."

Zhang Hao began the modifications. As a designer and oil painter, he had a great interest and curiosity in altering his own appearance and body. The idea that he could change the face and body his parents had given him naturally excited him.

In just a moment, a super handsome face appeared. Zhang Hao sighed, "Actually, I wasn't bad-looking to begin with, but a little more handsome wouldn't hurt. I still want to be handsomer, haha, this is good! Let's cultivate this one for now."

"One isn't enough, design a few more! Your current body is your initial body, also known as the native body, which must be preserved. All future clones will be based on this template. Once adjusted, it will be sealed in the river of time, where time will stop. This body can be preserved for a very, very long time; it is your foundation and cannot be valued enough."

"Ah? You can do that!" Zhang Hao was stunned. "That's amazing!" He immediately grasped the benefits.

So this was how one extended their lifespan – unbelievable!

"You can clone a maximum of two bodies at a time. More would be a waste!"

Zhang Hao said, "Can't the extra ones be placed in the time-space bastion? If time flow is stopped, won't they be preserved?"

"Do you know how many resources it takes to preserve your native body? To put it in terms you can deeply understand, preserving the native body requires immense wealth. Do you understand?"

Instantly, Zhang Hao dared not speak carelessly. He truly hadn't considered that.

Then, Zhang Hao remembered another issue. "If my current body is preserved, I'll have to use this cloned body. But if I change this body so drastically, who will even recognize me?"

"Don't worry about that. Who cares about you anyway!"

Zhang Hao's face darkened, but he supposed it was true. Who would care about him?

"What about my ID card?" Zhang Hao still asked.

"Easy, just get a replacement."

Mifeng was truly unrestrained. He possessed terrifyingly powerful means. As long as he had access to a database, there was nothing he couldn't handle.

Zhang Hao secretly speculated that Mifeng must possess extremely advanced technology, and he had no idea how it ended up on Blue Star.

The modifications were displayed using light. Since the clone was the same size as him, Zhang Hao could observe it closely. He could change anything he wanted, so his thoughts returned to the modifications. The body could be greatly altered, but the face only slightly, as he couldn't make it unrecognizable.

Soon, with minor adjustments, his entire appearance changed.

His height remained unchanged; 1.8 meters was tall enough. Making him two meters would be too exaggerated. He gave himself long legs, something he'd always wanted. Longer legs meant faster running and improved appearance, so he changed it without hesitation.

After the modifications were complete, Zhang Hao was extremely satisfied. "How's the modification?" he asked, feeling a bit smug.

"Just average!"

"Better than you look now!"

Zhang Hao was unconvinced. "Much better! That's it, no more changes."

Mifeng said, "Alright. Place your hand here... to draw some blood."

A portion of Zhang Hao's blood was drawn for cloning. It was directly transmitted to the bastion, controlled by Mifeng, and the cloning process began.

According to Mifeng, this could be done many times. Zhang Hao's native body would soon be preserved in the bastion, and his soul would enter the new clone. Due to the bastion's special nature, the clone could be placed in time to grow, allowing time to flow rapidly. Eighteen years would feel like an instant.

Zhang Hao didn't want to clone a thirty-year-old body. He had initially considered a sixteen-year-old, but Mifeng explained that a sixteen-year-old body couldn't accommodate his soul and would collapse. An eighteen-year-old body could be adjusted to the most basic requirements.

Of course, if Mifeng had newer cloning technology, the age could be lowered.

So, a few days later, Zhang Hao took a special bath and excitedly entered the bastion again.

Upon entering, he saw a crystal coffin. Inside this beautiful crystal coffin lay a person. Zhang Hao recognized it instantly as the modified version of himself from a few days ago. Seeing himself, alive and breathing, felt both strange and familiar, stirring complex emotions within him.

Immediately after, another crystal coffin emerged. This one was larger and empty.

Mifeng said, "This secret coffin is yours! Once your soul is transferred, your native body will be completely sealed and placed in a fixed point in time. Without special circumstances, it will not reappear."

Zhang Hao asked, "I'm supposed to lie in that secret coffin? Uh, why does this thing always feel like a coffin to me!"

"What it's called is unimportant; what matters are its function and effect."

"Right, this newly cloned human body has already used nanomachines. And this body was cultivated for a full eighteen years, not rapidly grown. Rapid growth only takes a few years, but those bodies are consumables and might collapse after only a decade or so."

This is a body that can be used as a dungeon. Be careful and try to use it sparingly!