Planning

Li Fan opened his eyes. The incense on the table in front of him had burned out. A wisp of smoke curled up and swirled around the beams of the Hall of Light, leaving a lingering fragrance.

Is it over...?

Or is this just the beginning...?

Li Fan recalled for a while, then recorded the information he had seen during his out-of-body experience into his log and uploaded it.

System, did you see that? That faceless god just now, could it be...?

'Level 4 Enhanced Clones'

Oh, it's a clone? Thank goodness, four...

"What, what! Level four?! What the hell?! You're telling me something that strong is only level four?!"

Li Fan almost broke down. His mood dropped significantly.

'Judging from the information logged into the subnet, this is at least a Level 4 military clone, registered under an outsourced security team and activated as private property. Interesting, it's not even considered company property; no wonder it wasn't found in the subnet...'

'Destructive power and technological level are not comparable. Metallic hydrogen bombs are just civilian-grade gadgets. Cloning technology itself is not a particularly advanced technology. The growth potential and upper limit of the clone's strength largely depend on the level of the original gene.'

Of course, from the perspective of soldier enhancement technology, even the Security Bureau's level seven artificial soldiers might not reach this level. The main reason is that the cloned God's original genetic material is too powerful. I think the complete original God's genetic material and evolutionary blueprint, packaged together, could be classified as level seven, or even level nine technology. But a mere clone isn't enough.

In theory, as long as the original gene is strong enough, and the company can collect enough growth data to support the clone's growth replication of the original, and has enough resources and enough time to fine-tune it, it is entirely possible to restore the clone almost one-to-one, and replicate and produce an existence that is infinitely close to the original gene.

Moreover, this is a surgery that can be performed even without advanced biological laboratories and gene farms, using basic civilian equipment such as virtual networks and gene repair pods; it's not difficult at all.

'Of course, the evolutionary systems of cultivators in the Taiji Realm are too numerous and complex, making complete cloning extremely difficult. This God-Lord clone didn't use any military weapons; it was likely only designed to replicate one system of the Enlightenment-level God-Lord Body Domination Technique. It immediately entered high-intensity combat, and it's already impressive that the clone didn't collapse. There's no possibility of it evolving on its own.'

Moreover, the core of cloning technology lies not only in how to replicate and restore, but also in how to manipulate and control it. If a super dangerous life form is perfectly replicated but cannot be used by us, it is just a waste of resources and time.

Therefore, the core technology lies in how to control such high-specification, high-intensity, and high-risk clones. I imagine there are also some built-in genetic locks, latent viruses, biological bombs, and other countermeasures to prevent the god from going out of control. These artificially created fatal weaknesses, defects, and limits will indirectly weaken the technology rating.

Although we don't know the specific technical methods the company used, the fact that they dared to register Clone God Lord under an outsourced team and use it in real-world scenarios suggests they already have the technology for mass production. A level four rating would be about right.

Holy crap! Mass production? That means the company probably has a lot of these high-level clones of the God-level beings??

"Isn't it obvious? Just look at the lobby manager's prosthetic body. After all these years, if the company wanted, they could easily support seventeen or eighteen clones at the level of Immortal Venerables or Gods, right?"

However, there's no need to worry too much. Within the company's system, the cloning project for Immortal Emperors and Immortal Venerables is a Level 6 reserved project, with only a handful of gene seeds preserved. Most are still in the embryonic stage. After all, Immortal Venerable clones are toys for the wealthy. Big bosses might order a couple to play with, but using them for mercenary work is simply too inefficient.

"Furthermore, I checked again, and the God-King clones are indeed not registered in the subnet. Judging from the God-King's personal experiences, this project might have been a side project secretly undertaken by the former manager while hiding in the Ziwei Yuan. Considering the time and resources required to cultivate such an Enlightenment-level clone, I estimate that the number of God-King clones completed so far is probably no more than three."

Holy crap, three isn't enough... And so you're saying there can be many Immortal Venerables, right...? What about Profound Maiden? Why not just replicate all three together?! I'm going to die, I'm going to die! Was the company really that powerful? He thought he could just go on a rampage like an unstoppable force...

For a moment, Li Fan was a little dazed. Although he knew that new maps and new bosses would appear when he reached a certain level in the game, the fact that a dozen or twenty people were suddenly appearing to achieve enlightenment or ascension was just too ridiculous...

Is the combat power system starting to collapse...?

"What's there to worry about? You can go on a killing spree now. Just use that head-patting trick on him."

So, does that mean you can just touch the head of that deity whenever you want?!

"Master, Master, your disciple has something to report."

Just then, Qin Jiu's voice came from outside.

"What's wrong? Are you injured?"

Li Fan asked absentmindedly.

"No, no, this disciple was just collecting the remains of those demons, and then... and then... um..."

Qin Jiu was momentarily at a loss for words. What should he say? That he encountered a naked woman who uttered a bunch of strange things? But where to begin? Should he start with her thighs? Wouldn't discussing such a topic with his master be too disrespectful...?

"Oh, Nangong's Demon Prince... Huh??"

Li Fan took the gourd and examined it, immediately figuring it out.

After all, it's obvious just by looking at his face! This batch of Nangong is himself! A clone of Qingyue! Good heavens! Replicating the God Lord Immortal Venerable is one thing! But he even wants to clone Qingyue?! He really thinks too highly of himself!

That makes sense, even the natives know he's Tai Su Daoist, with an exceptionally high deviation value. The company is definitely eyeing his superior genes. They might even send spies to beg for a child sometime. You want it that badly? Then take it! My seed! Cough cough cough!

"But this is actually good news. It means the company has huge potential, and you're more useful alive, so they won't be in a hurry to get rid of you."

"It seems the company has made considerable progress in its research on the Tai Su Realm. They can simulate the same-frequency radiation of the False Moon at Juelong Ridge, altering the surface radiation field and stopping the production of spiritual energy from the earth's veins at will. They can even accelerate the growth of goat calves on a large scale. It seems the only thing they lack is information about the Six Ancestors of Tai Su Six Ancestors and the Heavenly Book."

Wait a minute, didn't he just hand over the Thousand-Faced Immortal?

"Who cares? That Thousand-Faced Immortal isn't so easy to deal with; he's practically the bane of Earthlings. Of course, the company isn't exactly a pushover either; those bigwigs on the Board of Directors aren't as easy to talk to as we are. Who knows who'll win this time?"

In just a short while, the signal blind spot radius of Juelong Ridge has expanded more than 140 times and is still increasing, almost covering the entire Kun Country. This deviation value has already broken the sky! How many people from the company have arrived?

"Over four hundred ships from the three squadrons, including cruisers and above, have jumped in, and about two hundred more are waiting to join the flotilla."

... Cruiser and above? Aren't cruisers enough?! What the hell is "above"?!

'Battlecruiser, battleship, aircraft carrier, flagship, Titan, fortress, Death Star—all ships above cruiser are Tier 7. Their strategic beacons are classified, and Tier 8 ships aren't specifically marked. You can't find out what they are without hacking them.'

Damn... It's just a pot, is it really worth all this fuss...? This setup, are they here to arrest the entire legion? Surely they're not here to arrest Qiongqi, are they?

'No, that's not the case. The sweeping legion wouldn't need to use so many ships. Besides, they didn't jump directly into near-Earth orbit, so they probably weren't after 49327.'

I've detected three fleets so far: one is on standby at Troy, one has been deployed to the asteroid belt, and one is on Jupiter's moon. Judging by this, they're probably here to protect Earth.

What, what... the company wants to... protect the Earth...

"After all, they bought this Earth with their own money. If they don't protect it, who will? It was probably caused by the trouble caused by the Third Division. The board members also need to be wary of someone else taking down 49327 when the company war starts. They'll leave after the war is over, no need to panic."

Moreover, judging by the timeline, those things in the Void Abyss are almost ready to enter the Solar System. It seems the company also detected their migration towards Earth and took this opportunity to come ahead of time.

"We haven't received a single command from the local aircraft carrier. That lobby manager's account is probably being monitored. I suspect the company is serious; I reckon they'll probably disconnect 49327 from the internet later, then restart the local subnet system and set up a Deep Web server, so all connections will be cut off from the public internet, and the Security Bureau and such won't be able to connect."

"Li Fan, don't Moon Worship for now. Communication isn't secure right now. Stay hidden until our ship arrives to ensure your survival."

Li Fan was momentarily dazed. He didn't know how to handle this chaotic situation.

Wow, this is intense!

In the blink of an eye, two of the Three Great Sects are about to be wiped out. The legion is probably still in a daze, wondering, "Who am I? Where am I? What happened?" It didn't even have a chance to get to the table before being swept away by three fleets. The company and Taisu's Dao Ancestor are now going head-to-head. Damn it, he hasn't even taken down the Nangong Family yet, this is really tough...

Qin Jiu finally organized his thoughts.

"Master, Master, actually, I just met a woman whose face I couldn't see clearly, but it didn't seem like a dream, nor an illusion..."

Oh, has the seal loosened?

Li Fan sighed, patted Qin Jiu's head, and helped strengthen his Dao heart a little.

"Xiao Jiu, you've worked hard tonight. Now that you've killed all the demons, go back and rest. Don't worry or overthink things. I'll handle Nangong's matter. I'll hold the sky up even if it falls."

"Ah, ah... Yes, disciple will remember..."

Qin Jiu opened his mouth, then forgot what he wanted to say and left in a daze.

The system fell silent for a moment, with no one to complain to. So this time, Li Fan put his hands behind his back, jumped onto the roof of the Hall of Light, looked at the stars, and processed the large amount of information that had just been thrown at him.

Damn, three fleets, over six hundred Tier VII warships... What's going on? Is your company that rich? Jumping around like this doesn't cost money? Or do you think spaceships grow out of thin air??

Oh right, what the hell are those 'things migrating to Earth'?! I never heard those two nobodies mention them! What new expansion trailer is this?! What kind of new faction is this at this hour?!

And where has Xuanmen gone now? Even on the verge of death, he's still obsessed with money, insisting on moving the Yuntai Treasure Vault! His Qiongqi is still sealed under the Demon-Locking Tower! Didn't they even notice if it was moved along with him?

And who really won at Juelong Ridge?! What's happening to the Divine Cult?! What's happening to the Divine Lord?! What about Xiantong and the Thousand-Faced Immortal?! Damn it, I'm so worried!

Li Fan tried to perform a divination, but just as the system said, the final battle was taking place at Juelong Ridge, the secrets of heaven were obscured, the future was uncertain, and he couldn't predict anything.

I don't know if it's because the weather has changed drastically, rendering even the Xuanmen's algorithms ineffective, or if it's being interfered with by the three fleets overhead...

Sigh... Well, it seems I'll have to play it safe for now and pretend to be a harmless native.

However, despite the vast difference in skill levels, the game shouldn't be unplayable yet.

At least Li Fan never sensed anything about the two fish being worried. It was as if the army of clones of a fourth-level god, the fleets of three companies, and some stuff from the Void Abyss were no big deal. In this situation, they were even rushing to 'send the ship over'.

In other words, they either have the means to protect themselves, or this world truly offers something worth taking the risk for.

After thinking for a moment, Li Fan simply drifted off into the Tai Sha Star Realm.

The Purple Void Dao Lord of Hengshan, the Spiritual Child of Danxia Mountain, and the one from Xieluo Mountain whose name I don't know.

Now, three sect leaders are sealed in the Star Realm, and four sect leaders are trapped in the Juelong Ridge, manifesting as those undergoing closed-door cultivation. Mount Song has suffered a calamity, and a new sect leader has probably not yet been chosen. Even if some old Xuanmen sects are still hiding in the mountains, it will probably be difficult to restore the glory of the Xuanmen sects before last night.

As expected, this native world will be reshuffled according to the company's plan, and the future of the various mountains of Xuanmen is probably destined to be dungeon monsters that are easily defeated by the new forces of the Luo Sect.

The "Cult of God" is basically the company's chosen one, the chosen one of the versions. With so many flagships of the company jumping on the bandwagon, the Legion Observers on the side of the Light Dharma King can probably only flee in terror.

As for those Nangong, they are now directly imitating 'Qingyue' and starting to clone her, which clearly indicates that there is a company operating behind the scenes.

If the company successfully establishes the new Three Great Sects as planned, then Ink Bamboo Mountain, Nangong's sworn enemy, who joined the Xuanmen at the last minute and is backed by the Thousand-Faced Immortal, will inevitably become the target of everyone's criticism and receive the company's close attention.

The Xuanmen sect cannot perish so quickly.

If all the capable fighters are dead, who will stand with him against the impending calamity?

"Are you really going to let me go?"

Even the Kui Niu was startled.

Li Fan was filled with righteous indignation.

"Of course, I'm a man of my word. We're all fellow practitioners of the Xuanmen sect, why would we need to resort to violence?"

Since your sect has extended such a sincere invitation, why bother with any deposit? I trust the reputation of Danxia Mountain, I trust the promises of fellow Daoists Xuanzhen and Xuanfa, and I have even more faith in Senior Chonglingzi's character. Please leave the formation and return to the mountain."

"... How much did they pay to ransom me?" 'Kui Niu' glanced sideways at Li Fan from within the formation.

The Jiuying also raised its head.

Li Fan smiled and held up three fingers.

The 'Kui Niu' nodded.

"Three hundred years' worth of harvest? That's about right. But I thought you'd ask for an exorbitant price, fellow Daoist. Although you claim to be a descendant of the Sword Sect, your bargaining is quite fair."

Li Fan: "... Damn it, hurry up and get going, or I'll change my mind!"

Seeing that Li Fan was about to turn hostile, the 'Kui Niu' quickly leaped out of the formation with its hooves, and in the next instant, it teleported out of the Tai Sha Star Realm.

"Thank you, fellow Daoist! I will remember this kindness!"

Chong Lingzi acted decisively; as soon as he was freed, he vanished into the distance.

Li Fan, his face dark, glanced sideways at Xieluo Mountain's 'Jiuying'.

"Three hundred years! Three hundred years it is! A promise is a promise!"

'Jiuying' nodded hurriedly.

Hmm... fine then. Li Fan was too lazy to haggle with him, so he flicked his sleeve and put down another one.

Then all that remained was Purple Void Dao Lord had transformed into a rooster.

"Daojun, what about you? Do you really want to visit Ink Bamboo Mountain?"

However, he said, "It wouldn't be a bad idea to go and see Guanzhu Feng."

Oh?

The purple phoenix opened its eyes, staring at Li Fan, "Fellow Daoist Qingyue, we have already fallen into your hands."

In our Xuanmen sword duel, victory is life and defeat is death. If one's skill is inferior, one accepts the defeat wholeheartedly. Even if you only grant us the chance to reincarnate, it will be enough to settle our grievances.

"But you've deliberately spared our lives like this. I fear there's some enormous karma waiting for me outside, isn't there? If this matter will implicate our sect's Daoist Tradition, you might as well just kill me right here and now."

Li Fan nodded, "Daojun truly lives up to his title as the Master of Huangting and the Head of Hengshan Sect. Qingyue admires him."

If you were the final boss of the dungeon, I would definitely kill you to see what new loot you drop. It's just a pity that the version updates too quickly now; you're just some outdated native elite monsters.

Honestly, I'm not interested in mounts, outfits, honor achievements, or anything like that. Killing you all only gives me a small reward. It's tasteless to eat, but a pity to throw away; I might as well release you and annoy the new players who are about to join."

Purple Void Dao Lord couldn't understand Li Fan's 'dialect' at all, but as expected of a Daojun, she keenly caught some key information.

"Are other Celestial Devil about to descend?"

"Good..."

After thinking for a moment, Li Fan decided to go all out. With a wave of his hand, he used the <Yuan Shi> method to write down the entire plan of 'Heaven's Will' on the spot and threw it to Purple Void Dao Lord.

"Haven't you Hengshan always wanted to contend for the world? But unfortunately, the world has no place left for Hengshan, for Supreme Purity, or for Xuanmen."

"It would be an honor if Daoist Lord wished to visit Ink Bamboo Mountain. Please spend the next few days in my star realm thinking about what we can discuss with Guanzhu Feng."

So Li Fan left the Star Realm, leaving Purple Void Dao Lord alone to comprehend the Yuan Shi and carefully consider the future of Hengshan, Supreme Purity, and even the entire Xuanmen.

This volume is finished.

This volume is finished. I need to take a day off to work on the outline! Thank you all for your support!!