Sharpening the Spear Before the Battle

Originally, after witnessing the grand event of the Grand Tutor's tribulation, the Heavenly Demon's death, and the destruction of the Immortal Palace, Li Fan planned to immediately return to Ink Bamboo Mountain, stay home, and cultivate for ten or eight years.

Putting aside the fact that he has three sect leaders in his belly and is temporarily indigesting, he has to throw them into the big town of Moshan to behead and seal them, or use them as hostages to negotiate with the Xuanmen and exchange them for some ransom or something.

The fact that they fought tooth and nail for half a day but failed to achieve the final kill, losing a large number of Three-Flower Realm warriors and allowing a group of people to escape with only a sliver of health exposed many shortcomings in Li Fan's current combat system. Of course, this small test also allowed Li Fan to see, through comparison with those at the Enlightenment Stage, that the new techniques he had developed were indeed effective and still had great potential to be explored.

The Great Slaughter Sword Scripture system is not yet mature, and the routines need further refinement. Although its power is decent and it can break through the defenses of monsters of higher levels, its speed cannot keep up with monsters that have attained enlightenment, and its accuracy is also substandard. All attacks are dodged, so no matter how high the damage, defense penetration, and critical hits are stacked, it is of little use.

Although the Tai Su Mo Shan Transformation System is unpredictable and can currently easily defeat monsters of the same or lower level, such as Cloud Sky Venerable and Beichen Jiangui, using the Micro Dust Dao Body and Thousand-Faced Immortal Dao Body, it does have an extremely high lower limit but insufficient upper limit. It cannot withstand the Gang Fist of the Martial God head-on, nor can it withstand the Dao attacks of a higher realm, and it cannot cope with the high-intensity battles of the Enlightenment Stage.

The potential of the Tai Sha Star Realm is limitless. The effect of the Topological Array is unexpectedly good. Even those at the Enlightenment Stage can forcibly control it to Great Slaughter Sword Scripture to output damage. However, it can be done better. For example, seven or eight Ten Ultimate Formation can be inserted to strengthen it. When it is used again, it will guarantee a devastating kill. Of course, there are still hidden dangers. The loopholes in the 'surrender and lose half' mechanism need to be filled in to make it perfect.

In addition, there are the Blood God Child clones from the Blood Talisman God Sect, the improved Blood Refining Technique, the Organic Dao Body, the System Puppet Flow Primordial Spirit Technique, the improved Immortal Venerable Body from the Immortal Palace Sect, and the improved Gang Fist Ink Mountain Fist. Li Fan himself has not had time to study these things, nor has he integrated them into his own combat system. He may need to ask Qin Jiu, Guiche, Amao, and other disciples for help.

After all, Li Fan's time is not unlimited. He has barely mastered one of the five arts and six arts, but he still has a lot of classes to catch up on and a lot of problems to solve. At night, he has to Moon Worship and devour the starry sky. He can only catch up on his classes and also take care of the Tai Sha and Tai Su paths. This is already his limit.

Oh, right, we also need to seize this rare strategic window of opportunity and wipe out the Nangong Family.

It's time. Once we connect Ink Bamboo Mountain and the South China Sea, and stabilize the entire south, we can gradually expand into the Central Plains. We should observe the war between the Divine Sect and the Xuanmen Sect, and then make our move towards Xun, Kun, and Zhen. If we miss this opportunity, and a stable regime is established in the north again, forces like Ink Bamboo Mountain, which are confined to a corner of the country, will have no choice but to submit and pledge allegiance.

Well, then the seclusion plan will have to be postponed again. No matter how trashy the Nangong Family is, they seem to have some kind of 'divine protection' now. They can't be wiped out in just a few days, right?

However, Zhi Jingzi has been struck by a sword and probably won't dare to appear before him again. As for Nangong, at most he has two Divine Transformation cultivators, the Immortal King and Immortal Queen, which can be dealt with in one move. But it's better to be conservative and plan to settle things within a month.

But as everyone knows, plans are meant to be broken. Nine times out of ten, pre-arranged schedules cannot be completed on time. Now, the third and Seven Departments on the other side of the "door" have jumped in to go on business trips again. Can Li Fan just sit idly by? At the very least, he has to pin the blame on the Legion, make sure it's properly secured, and only then can people feel at ease.

Moreover, according to the system, this mission is very difficult, and it might fail miserably.

Because the agents from all three locations are Earthlings.

If someone can be called an 'Earthling' without being assigned a number, they are most likely from Earth 0.

On Earth 0, on the other side of the 'door,' lies the pinnacle of technological civilization in the multiverse, a force to be reckoned with.

According to the system, the reason why Zhang Ling, the company manager on the sun, was subdued by Li Fan in one move was mainly because the company system subnet in the Taiji Realm was now completely under the monitoring of the mood system.

He uploaded the data directly to the Feather Transformation Immortal Emperor clone combat vehicle manufactured by the company. Before he could adapt to the environment and the carrier, before he could test, fine-tune, or modify it, before the system firewall was updated, before he could even open his eyes, Li Fan directly attacked him with a head pat and physically hacked him. It was a classic case of being caught off guard and capsized in the gutter.

In reality, once he completed the installation of the company system and stood face to face with Li Fan, it would be extremely difficult for him to directly invade the system using the Yuan Shen magic puppet.

The company's managers and executives only use level 5 system technology. But the people in the third division, especially those from Earth 0, are different; they are all at level 7 on average.

What is the concept of system technology grading?

Specifically, "one, two, three" refers to general civilian technologies, which can be compared to the function of implanted prosthetics.

Level 1 technology is defined as supplementary or complementary, typically referring to assistive devices covered by public health insurance, such as prosthetics, artificial eyes, artificial hearts and lungs, and organ replacements for cancer patients—products that help patients and people with disabilities live normal lives.

Level 2 technology is defined as auxiliary because it is a product of medieval civilization. The technology is open source and the patents are free. With the support of 3D printer and nanorobot factories, it can be mass-produced and made into civilian products at low cost.

For example, computers, cars, and smartphones can be considered Level 2 technologies, as can virtual network access pods, metal exoskeletons, projectile guns, and mining ships.

Level 3 technology is essentially an enhancement. Take the same prosthetic arm; Level 1 only allows for normal daily life, Level 2 adds engineering tools, network cables, impact drills, screwdrivers, and jacks, and Level 3 adds Gauss rifles, rocket launchers, folding knives, polymer threads, and the like. Its output is also greatly increased, making its combat power rival that of Golden Core cultivator.

In reality, Tier 1, 2, and 3 civilian goods are more than enough for ordinary people to navigate the multiverse. Legions, who scavenge for resources, mainly acquire Tier 3 civilian goods and modify them into weapons using Legion technology. You can roughly think of Legion stuff as Tier 3.5.

The company provides its outsourced employees, low-level security guards, and mercenaries with Level 4 technology products. Level 4 technology products are the best choice in terms of cost-effectiveness and output, and they generally come with system support. Basically, large companies have private systems that are independent of the public network, and the private security companies that serve the company also receive firewall support to prevent hacker intrusion.

For example, the SBS combat armor is a typical Tier 4 product. You can roughly think of a Tier 4 combat cyborg as Nascent Soul Realm cultivator. Although its firepower may not be much stronger than the old Legion's modified technology, the difference in combat efficiency between having system support and not having system support is like night and day. Generally, missions to expel Legion remnants can be easily completed by companies with Tier 4 technology support outsourcing private security teams.

Level 5 products are benefits provided by the company to full-time employees, offering further advancements in both technology and access rights. These include various personal protective equipment (PPE) devices such as private gateways, lightsabers, and anti-Newtonian fluid molecular shields.

Of course, many of the company's full-time employees also use level two or three civilian equipment; there are also differences in position and rank within the company. In terms of performance, level five products are already the best available on the market.

Products at Level 6 technology are already considered top-tier luxury items, such as various supercars, golden shuttles, ivory prosthetics, and multi-tube Armstrong-style customized enhancement systems that can be made large or small, long or short, thick or thin, with a sensitivity 3000 times greater, super latency, and unlimited output...

These technologies, ranging from Level 1 to Level 6, can all be broadly categorized as 'civilian use,' meaning it's simply a matter of whether you have the channels or the capital to purchase them.

According to the definition of the Earth 0 Security Bureau, equipment at level seven and above falls under the category of clearly 'controlled technology'. In other words, it is a destructive technology developed to protect the survival of human civilization in the unknown multiverse.

Weapons of Level 7 technology are no longer aimed at humans, but at extraterrestrial civilizations, extraterrestrial civilizations, or even those unknown beings in deep space. Even using them to deter and target fellow humans is already an act that violates human reason.

This is the fundamental reason why science Ethics Committee exist.

To determine whether a technology itself has the potential to destroy humanity.

Possible, Level 7; Certain, Level 8; Unknown, Level 9.

However, in reality, since the Omnic Wars and the Legion Wars, Earth 0 has not had a proper all-out war with a worthy opponent for a long time.

In corporate warfare, which is an internal conflict between companies, the companies and their outsourced mercenary fleets generally only use level four or five technology and equipment. You can secretly use prohibited technology, but you can't get caught, and you certainly can't mess around recklessly. Otherwise, from a self-preservation perspective, everyone will have to eliminate you, the one who breaks the rules, from the game.

This is also the root cause of the outbreak of corporate wars.

Of course, top-tier companies wouldn't throw the baby out with the bathwater and stop developing prohibited technologies through various secret private laboratories, dimensional branches, and outsourced native teams. After all, losing technological advantages and product competitiveness would be a dead end for any company.

For example, the company in the Taiji Realm, with its Immortal Venerable clone vehicle hidden on the Sun Mothership, has undoubtedly illegally used a considerable amount of 'Level 7' technology in terms of biochemistry and genetic modification. Of course, it's not connected to the internet for the sake of technological secrecy, but at least this company should be a biological specialist, even surpassed by the Mood System in network intrusion technology; otherwise, Li Fan wouldn't have succeeded so easily.

It is precisely because the company uses the multiverse as a testing ground and continues to conduct unethical scientific research that it is impossible to report before successful research and development. Therefore, in addition to the Ethics Committee, the public Public Security System was launched through a public vote via a virtual network by all citizens.

In short, all companies' and citizens' systems should be connected to the Public Security System through a virtual network to share intelligence. In accordance with the Public Security System's specifications and based on complex confidentiality agreements, all aspects should be monitored and calculated in real time to maintain the systemic stability of human civilization.

Any drastic fluctuations in physical constants outside of system calculations that could affect the very foundation of human existence are called deviations. The higher the deviation, the greater the probability of human existence ceasing. Therefore, the owners of the plane have an obligation to eliminate the root causes of deviations, that is, to eradicate pests.

Once the deviation value exceeds the limit, the security system will sound an alarm, and the Security Bureau will initiate a search, interrogation, and assessment of the unit belonging to the target dimension.

If the experiment fails to pass, or if it is discovered that the company is conducting unethical scientific experiments, then not only will the plane be cleaned up, but the company will also face huge fines and economic sanctions.

However, in the Taiji Realm, especially in Ink Bamboo Mountain, although the deviation values are off the charts all day long, the problem is not actually that serious.

According to the system, they had already tampered with the alarm threshold of the local subnet, and the Thousand-Faced Immortal seemed to have made some preparations as well. Therefore, the Security Bureau was definitely not here for this reason. Otherwise, it wouldn't have been agents from the Third Division who came, but a dense fleet of agents.

Regardless, it's highly probable that Earth 0's Security Bureau, or the agents of the Third Bureau of Investigation and Statistics, specifically tasked with tracking down and arresting the inhumane scientists developing 'Level 7 technology,' are equipped with the same level of 'Level 7 weaponry.'

To put it absurdly, as long as the Security Bureau gets enough compensation from the Tax Bureau, these agents can carry out pest control missions single-handedly, achieving harmless treatment of planetary-level areas.

Moreover, when dealing with a company, daring to link into its private subnet only indicates that their virtual network access warehouse is at least a Level 5 electronic warfare product, and it is definitely hacker-proof. This is completely different from the Legion's ghost shell cans that can be listened to and tampered with at will.

Even the usually carefree and unreliable system was genuinely unsure this time, and Li Fan didn't dare gamble that his personal head pat would be 100% effective.

Therefore, if this mission fails, it will not only harm him, but also affect the survival of the entire Taiji Realm. Naturally, Li Fan dared not be careless.

So now we need to prepare an escape route. Not only should we pin the blame on the Legion and the Cult, but Li Fan is also preparing to cut off the gecko's tail. Given that Guiche is relatively ambitious while Qiongqi is lazy, it has already been chosen to take the blame.

Following the system's advice, Li Fan will do everything he can to avoid appearing in front of the agents from the three departments. Instead, he will control the Guiche clone to provide assistance from the shadows, while Qiongqi, the bait, will directly appear and, in the name of the Legion's Apostles, hunt down and assassinate the agents from the three departments.

Yes, the main reason Qiongqi can be used as this chess piece is because its output is truly sufficient.

Don't let Qiongqi's clumsiness and laziness fool you; it stays cooped up in its den all day. To be fair, its den is a blessed cultivation ground modified with the <Tai Xuan Scripture>, and its Qingyang Divine Transformation involves both internal and external cultivation. Over the years, Qiongqi's physique has been fully restored; its plumpness is a testament to its overnutrition. Although it hasn't been able to break through to the next level, that's mainly a matter of intelligence, not combat power. Right now, judging solely by its destructive power, Qiongqi is definitely at the peak of the Divine Transformation. If Li Fan really releases it from the mountain, it will be ruthless in its devouring of people.

So this roundabout approach serves two purposes: firstly, it's just in case. Those special agents are incredibly capable; if things go wrong, at most one Qiongqi will be lost, and maybe another Guiche will be lost—it won't be a complete financial ruin. Secondly, Li Fan has confidence in Qiongqi, so he doesn't need to handle everything himself.

The system hasn't detected any signs of an agent intrusion yet, and the main body hasn't returned to Ink Bamboo Mountain. Qiongqi is still being ordered around by the Pure Dharma King, registering and filling out forms, deploying troops, attending military conferences, preparing to gather manpower and supplies, and reorganizing the Qingyang Altar followers into something like "bixi ti biti" according to the legion system, as the vanguard of the army to conquer the Central Plains.

So Li Fan continued to study the Blood Raven Puppet, cramming for the last minute to improve the combat power of this Guiche clone.

After flying from the main altar of the Divine Sect in Tianshan to the main altar in Kunlun, Li Fan had already conducted a preliminary analysis of the combat strength of the Guiche's Dao body.

There's no need to elaborate on the Yuan Shen Fa Special Attack. Thanks to the bird-specific cultivation method in the Taiyi Nine Songs, and by following the Saintess around to freeload, plus having nine heads that can take turns cultivating, studying, and sleeping, Guiche's cultivation speed is not slow at all. Just like Li Fan's main body, he diligently cultivates for twelve hours straight, and his cultivation level advances by leaps and bounds.

However, it can't compare to the ancient ferocious beast Qiongqi, which relies on the <Tai Xuan Scripture> to gain power and its cultivation level increases rapidly while sleeping in its cave. By Li Fan's standards, Guiche's current progress is only considered not bad, but it's only at the level of a mid-stage Nascent Divine Transformation. It wouldn't survive a single move in Li Fan's hands. To be honest, he's not too comfortable using Guiche to fight head-on. It's better suited for supporting roles.

"The divine court invades! Gua!"

"Spiritual Reset! Croak!"

"Blood Puppet Embraces Me! Croak!"

Li Fan flapped his wings and landed on the shoulder of a divine protector. The Blood God Child, who was at the Divine Transformation stage, trembled and became a puppet of the Blood Raven, like a walking corpse.

Yes, the Primordial Spirit Technique is indeed quite useful, especially since the nine heads of the Guiche are connected in parallel, directly multiplying the Primordial Spirit Technique damage by nine. Alternatively, they can be freely combined to instantly unleash nine different puppet effects. Basically, even the Blood God Child Protector of the Divine Cult, who is at the same Transformation Stage, can be controlled in one move and turned into his puppet. This shows the power of the Divine Lord's Primordial Spirit Great Dao.

Furthermore, the Guiche holds the title of Saintess Protector, granting it extremely high authority within the cult. It can move freely within the main altar, and the cult's internal spiritual restrictions have no effect on it. No wonder some people go to great lengths to grind monsters in order to infiltrate the cult...

However, simply manipulating the blood puppets and altering memories is not enough. These guardians of the divine sect are, after all, cultivators at the Transformation Stage, and the Blood God Child Great Law is also very troublesome. If they don't expand their nine heads as they did when they cheated earlier, completely sealing off the target's five senses and six senses, the control cannot last for long. If the other party notices something is wrong, they will look inward into their divine court and search for the blood crow puppets that are interfering with their primordial spirit.

After repeated tests, including using the "Blood Puppet Embrace" and "Memory Erasure" techniques, Li Fan estimated that Guiche could control Divine Transformation cultivator for about one-third of an incense stick's time, or roughly ten minutes.

In the extreme case of using all nine heads simultaneously, one can control three Blood God Child for about a minute, which is enough for them to act as Blood Puppet henchmen, launching the first wave of attacks to attract the attention of the agents and create an opportunity for Qiongqi to kill them.

Of course, the Human Race cultivators of the Divine Cult are resistant to the Primordial Spirit Technique, so the better choice of puppets should be the demon gods, monsters, and corpse soldiers produced and modified by the Divine Cult using legion technology.

That's easy to find. Over the years, the Divine Cult has been preparing for war, recuperating and rebuilding. The demonic war beasts used to invade the Central Plains have long been ready. These war beasts have all had their primordial spirits sealed using the Divine Cult's methods, and have been bio-modified using legion technology. They can be remotely controlled and are now hidden in the mountains at the northern foot of Kunlun, waiting for the right time to strike.

There are probably tens of thousands of powerful demons and monsters at the Divine Transformation Nascent Soul Stage, whether officially registered or not, wild or artificial, cloned or modified. Stealing a few to make puppets wouldn't attract any attention.