Return to the Training Camp

A sudden heartbeat rang out from the clone. It began as a faint thump, then grew louder and louder until it boomed like a massive bell. After reaching its peak, the sound gradually faded, eventually settling into silence...

The clone's body was still adjusting. With a thought, Yin Congyang made it ten centimeters taller than his original body and changed its facial features. This was a special ability of the Clone Secret Technique: when the clone first took shape, he could freely alter its appearance to make it completely different from his own—even into the form of a beast. Of course, Yin Congyang had no intention of doing that.

Just as Aulis's Universe Level and Star Level bodies had looked nothing alike, even though they belonged to the same person, his soul fluctuations remained unchanged. This could only fool people who had never encountered Yin Congyang before.

From now on, the clone would always appear with this fixed face. Even if it fell and had to be re-formed, its appearance would remain the same. It could never be changed again.

When the clone had fully taken shape, Yin Congyang felt something strange, as though he had gained another head, two more hands, and two more legs. Fortunately, his soul power was strong enough that he wouldn't end up fumbling around like someone trying to draw a square with one hand and a circle with the other.

Looking at the clone standing before him, also at Stellar Level Seven, Yin Congyang had one final experiment to conduct: could the fluctuations in his Dantian enhance the clone's soul power? If so, he could perfectly overcome the drawback of the Clone Secret Technique.

Yin Congyang tried to consciously adjust the fluctuations emanating from his Dantian. When he had awakened Hong and Thunder God at Planetary Level, he had tried the same thing, but he had only just entered that level, and his soul power had been too weak. It had taken tremendous effort.

Now, his soul power, willpower, and consciousness were nearly at the peak of Universe Level, so adjusting the fluctuations in his Dantian came easily.

First, he tried making physical contact. Holding hands, he sent the fluctuations from his Dantian through their joined bodies. The results were excellent: just as they did for his original body, the fluctuations strengthened the clone's body and soul.

Yin Congyang smiled with satisfaction, then frowned. If physical contact was necessary, would he have to keep the clone by his side at all times? That would defeat much of the point of having one.

After a moment's thought, he sent the clone to another cabin. Though their bodies were no longer close, the link between their souls remained clear—as it should. Even if they went as far as the Universe Ocean, with one in the Primordial Universe and the other outside it, their souls would still be connected.

With a thought, he adjusted the fluctuations radiating from his Dantian, directing some of them through the link between their souls...

It worked!

The fluctuations passed effortlessly through the soul link into the clone's soul. They not only strengthened its soul but also spread from its soul throughout its body, improving its physical qualities.

Even more astonishingly, when their bodies had been in contact, the fluctuations from the seed in his Dantian hadn't been transmitted along with the others. But when he sent them through the soul link, the seed's fluctuations traveled with them, enhancing the clone's vitality and ability to heal as well.

He was delighted. Now, the original and the clone didn't need to stay together all the time. The clone could accompany him or venture out on its own, greatly reducing the risk of losing everything.

Of course, the clone was still weak. It would be better to wait until it grew stronger—perhaps to World Lord Level—before sending it out to explore. Otherwise, if it fell, he could expend energy to re-form it, but he wouldn't be able to restore the enhancements to its body and soul from the miraculous fluctuations in his Dantian. He would have to spend time strengthening it all over again.

He had originally come here to complete the Universe Trainee Mercenary Assessment, but unexpectedly, he had also perfected the process of forming a clone. The surprise had been a pleasant one. Now that he had accomplished everything he set out to do, he didn't waste any more time and headed straight for the exit.

He had considered collecting more Jianmu Hearts to use for his next clone, but ultimately decided against it. This clone was aligned with the Wood Law, so any future clones would have to be aligned with other laws—one of the four elements: metal, water, fire, or earth. That was the only way to maintain balance.

The successful formation of this clone stirred an ambitious desire in Yin Congyang: before becoming Immortal, he wanted to form a clone for each of the laws he cultivated. This would greatly help him comprehend them more quickly.

Take this Wood Law clone, for example. Perhaps it was because he had used the Jianmu Heart, or perhaps because he had used his liver as the Soul Container, an organ associated with wood. Its affinity for other laws was about the same as his original body's, but its affinity for the Law of Wood—and its speed of comprehension—was at least ten times greater. That was an enormous difference, especially considering his considerable affinity for every branch of the laws of space, which seemed to grow stronger as his realm improved.

The spaceship soon reached the exit of Jianmu World. Yin Congyang stepped out, waved his hand to put the ship away, then flew toward the exit.

After submitting the mission items, his information was automatically recorded in the Universe Mercenary Alliance system. The Training Camp's intelligent system would automatically receive the updated information and confirm that Yin Congyang had completed the mission.

After looking around Jiaoshi Planet for a while, he flew into outer space, took out his spaceship, and headed for the Training Camp.

A month later, he returned to the Training Camp. The intelligent system awarded him the 1,000 points for completing the Apprentice Mercenary Assessment.

In a spacious room, the Training Camp's Chief Instructor, Feilaoshen, smiled at Yin Congyang.

"Your progress has been rapid. The speed at which your strength has improved has exceeded my expectations, and your foundation seems even more solid than when you first arrived. You've only been in the Star Level Training Camp for twenty years, yet you've already reached Star Level Nine. Most importantly, you won the ten-year tournament ten years ago, when you were only Star Level Seven, and you won it again last month. Excellent!"

He picked up the cup on his desk and took a sip of water before continuing. "I looked through your records. You spent your first ten years in the Training Camp without taking on any missions. Over the past ten years, you first completed the Apprentice Mercenary Assessment, then went on to finish five solo missions, three of which were extermination missions. Your completion rate is 100%.

"These were all dangerous Star Level missions. They weren't extreme challenges, but judging by how easily you handled them, they were no trouble for you. So, have you come to apply for a mission on Hell Star?"

"Yes, sir. I feel that my progress has slowed recently, and I want to find some stronger pressure." Yin Congyang stood before Feilaoshen's wide desk. "Only greater pressure can help me progress faster and grow stronger!"

"The missions on Hell Star are divided into outer and inner regions. You can go to the outer region whenever you like. Since you came to see me, are you applying for an inner-region mission?" Feilaoshen fixed his eyes on Yin Congyang, his gaze imposing. "The Training Camp usually waits until you've been here for thirty years before gradually assigning you missions in Hell Star's inner region. Are you sure you want to take one on now?"

"I'm sure."

Feilaoshen withdrew his gaze and nodded. He pointed, and a screen appeared in the air, listing various missions in Hell Star's inner region.

Monster Race Satellite (obtain one Purple Hotaru Fruit)

Machine Race Satellite (obtain one Machine Heart)

Gugu Race Satellite (obtain 100 ml of Spring of Wuwang)

Qibula Race Satellite (obtain one cubic meter of Geng Crystal)

Qingyin Race Satellite (obtain ten strands of Silk of Green Wind)

Yin Congyang looked puzzled. "Sir, may I ask why there isn't a Zerg Race mission?"

"The Zerg Race is relatively weak at Star Level. Hell Star doesn't have enough resources to let the Zerg hatch their warriors. A Star Level Zerg Mother Empress on its own..." Feilaoshen smiled. "Wouldn't that just be handing you a meal?"

Yin Congyang supposed that made sense. The Zerg's threat came mainly from their overwhelming swarms. Aside from mental attacks, a Mother Emperor probably wasn't very strong physically, so it wouldn't offer the Training Camp's geniuses much of a challenge.

"Every Hell Star has an outer and an inner region. The outer region is the satellite's surface, while the inner region lies beneath it," Feilaoshen explained in detail.

"Though they're called satellites, each is tens of thousands of kilometers in diameter, larger than the planets commonly found in the universe. And because they're located in a secret realm, mental force is heavily suppressed there, while the various detection devices don't work well either. Beneath the satellite's surface are countless interconnected passageways...

"You should have studied the common languages of the Monster Race, Machine Race, and Zerg Race in the Planetary Level Training Camp. Their subsidiary races would also have to learn the common languages of the Monster Race, Machine Race, and Zerg Race, in addition to their own.

"The Monster Race and Machine Race need no explanation. The Gugu and Qingyin Races are subsidiary races of the Zerg Race. They're among the races that once inflicted enormous losses on my Human Race in the Outer-Domain Battlefield...

"As elites cultivated by the Virtual Universe Company, you'll inevitably end up either in the Core Layer or in the Universe Legion. In either case, you'll have to go to the Outer-Domain Battlefield. This will let you familiarize yourselves in advance with some of the traits and tactics of enemy races. You may have studied them in the Virtual Universe, but without firsthand experience, you can never truly understand them..."

Yin Congyang nodded silently. From that perspective, the Virtual Universe Company's Elite Training Camp had clearly put a great deal of thought into its program. It cultivated elite after elite. Those who didn't enter the Core Layer would join the Universe Legion, which formed the main force on the Outer-Domain Battlefield.

After all, even when the geniuses selected by the Giant Axe Dojo were included, of the thousand geniuses in each batch every five thousand years, fewer than two dozen would ultimately become Immortal. The success rate was dismally low. So why keep cultivating elites and geniuses? Because even if they couldn't become Immortal, they could still become capable fighters below that level and join the Universe Legion, providing the Human Race with a steady supply of soldiers for the Outer-Domain Battlefield.

And among that enormous, constant flow of soldiers, if even one mighty being emerged from the endless trials of life and death, all the effort invested beforehand would have been worthwhile. Even if no such being emerged, inflicting losses on enemy races would still make the investment worthwhile.

"Now, tell me: which Hell Star do you want to enter first?"

Yin Congyang silently looked over the screen once more, then made up his mind. "Sir, I want to enter the Monster Race Satellite!"