Secrets and the Full Mastery of His Clones

"I lost..."

As he stared at the axe blade hovering before his brow and felt its keen edge, capable of cleaving through any obstacle, Zhao Yun felt the sudden turn from death to life. A bead of cold sweat slid down his temple.

"I hereby declare the final winner of this Universe-Level Expert Tournament on Gaishi Star to be—Yin Congyang!"

The clear voice rang throughout the arena.

Amid the cheers of countless spectators, Yin Congyang put away the Heaven-Opening Axe and raised both hands to accept the thunderous acclaim.

He turned to Zhao Yun, who looked a little dejected, and cocked his head. "Want to go drinking?"

"Sure. Of course I do. If I can't beat you in a fight, surely I can outdrink you..."

Zhao Yun quickly hid his disappointment, smiled, and answered loudly.

"Hold on, you two. There's still one more formality," said the owner of the clear voice. He was a slender middle-aged man dressed in blue battle attire, with the air of a learned scholar. "I still need to present you both with your certificates of strength, so you can return and complete your missions."

Yin Congyang and Zhao Yun exchanged a glance, then reached out to accept the certificates of strength as they slowly floated toward them. After putting them away, they both bowed respectfully to the middle-aged World Lord.

"Gaishi Star has beautiful scenery and abundant resources," the World Lord said with a smile. "You're both welcome to visit anytime. As long as you present your certificates of strength, you'll be treated as honored guests."

The two bowed again in thanks, then left together under his somewhat complicated gaze.

Iron Flow City, Immortal Arrival Pavilion.

Yin Congyang and Zhao Yun sat across from each other, drinking and chatting happily.

"...So you haven't been to Chaos City yet. No wonder you're still in the End-of-the-World Secret Realm despite your strength," Zhao Yun said, slightly tipsy and sounding somewhat relieved. "Your strength is nowhere near that of an ordinary member of the End-of-the-World Region. That's restored some of my confidence. I'm a proud member of the Radiance Secret Realm, and I lost to someone from the End-of-the-World Secret Realm. I was afraid I'd be kicked out when I got back..."

"Zhao Yun, don't sell yourself short over one defeat." They'd been drinking for quite a while, and the liquor was a strong brew made on Gaishi Star especially for high-level cultivators. Yin Congyang was feeling the effects too. "Back in my hometown, we have a saying: 'As long as the green hills remain, there'll be no shortage of firewood.' As long as you're alive, you'll always have another chance..."

"Still, from what I've heard, your strength really is quite a bit below that of the Primordial Secret Realm members," Yin Congyang continued. "How many levels of the Heaven-Reaching Bridge have you passed? Five? Six?"

"You haven't even entered Chaos City, and you know about the Heaven-Reaching Bridge?" Zhao Yun said, surprised. "Looks like you're not without connections after all. I passed the fifth level more than a hundred years ago, but I'm still a little short of the sixth."

Yin Congyang nodded. "As far as I know, setting aside the new batch of geniuses in the Primordial Beginning District, even its oldest members have passed at least the sixth level of the Heaven-Reaching Bridge. A few have even passed the seventh. And among this batch of newcomers, there really are a few with exceptional talent..."

"Haha, no matter how talented they are, are they really more talented than you? Not many have made it through the Elite Training Camp and passed the sixty-first level of the Heaven-Reaching Tower at Star Level. And what's even more impressive is that you've reached the fifth level of the Heaven-Reaching Bridge without ever studying a Chaos Stele. Once you've studied one and spent a hundred years cultivating in Chaos City, your strength will make another leap..."

Yin Congyang nodded, then shook his head. "I do think my talent is pretty good, but I won't know how I measure up against those geniuses until I've faced them. I'll get my chance eventually. By the way, does this mean your mission is complete? When are you heading back? If you're not in a hurry, why not come with me to the End-of-the-World Secret Realm?"

"I'm afraid I can't. I'm a little pressed for time. You and I can keep in touch through the Virtual Universe from now on. And of course the mission counts as complete. I have you to thank for going easy on me."

They drank for a long while after that, talking about their future cultivation. After a rare day of relaxation, Yin Congyang was about to take his leave when Zhao Yun stopped him.

With a wave of his hand, Zhao Yun formed a Force Shield and spoke in a mysterious tone. "Brother, where are you planning to go when you reach Domain Lord Level?"

"How could I know that now? I doubt I'll be able to return to my home Universe Kingdom. Why, do you have a suggestion?"

"If—just if—you manage to enter the Primordial Beginning District in a few hundred years, or better yet, the Primal Region, then when you reach Domain Lord Level and are sent out, you should consider going to the Jiyuan Universe Kingdom if you don't have somewhere else in mind. It lies near the border of Human Territory, so its location is rather special. All Five Great Forces have permanent Universe Legions stationed there. And..."

He paused, looking rather pleased with himself. "I got this from a secret source: every ten thousand eras, a Cosmic Secret Realm in the Jiyuan Universe Kingdom opens for a hundred years. It's an extremely unusual secret realm. Only Domain Lords and those below them can enter; cultivators above Domain Lord Level can't get in. That secret realm will open again in a few hundred years... Based on the information I've gathered, several of the Universe Mercenary Alliance's most famous experts entered that secret realm when they were Domain Lords. So I suspect it must offer tremendous benefits to Domain Lords..."

Yin Congyang couldn't help feeling touched. Though they'd known each other for less than a day, his new friend lived up to his title of War God. He was not only strong but also generous and bold—a friend worth getting to know.

"Fine. If I manage to break into the Primordial Beginning District or the Primal Region, I'll choose the Jiyuan Universe Kingdom when I'm sent out at Domain Lord Level. So you're planning to reach Domain Lord Level in a few hundred years too?"

"That's right. I am. I'm from the Jiyuan Universe Kingdom, so when I'm sent out, I'll definitely go to my home Universe Kingdom. Then we can explore that secret realm together. Wouldn't that be great?"

"Then it's settled!"

They raised their cups, clinked them together, and drained them.

They exchanged smiles. Having made this pact, they found each other's temperaments increasingly agreeable, and their desire to become friends grew stronger.

Yin Congyang set down his cup and smiled. "We became friends through fighting, and it feels as if we've known each other for ages. What a stroke of fate. After we part today, we'll have to meet again in the Virtual Universe. When we meet again in the real universe, I'll drink you under the table, Brother Zhao Yun!"

Zhao Yun stood to see him off, watching Yin Congyang fly out through the window and soar into the sky. A moment later, he disappeared from sight.

He let out a long breath. His tipsiness vanished at once. He, too, flew out through the window, heading in the opposite direction, and vanished a few breaths later.

Two months later, Yin Congyang returned to the End-of-the-World Region aboard his E9-Grade Forest Ranger spacecraft. He went first to the End-of-the-World Region Management Office and submitted the mission item. His points increased by 5,120, bringing his total to 5,590.

After returning to his residence, he told his Optical Computer to search for treasures related to the Law of Water and the Law of Earth. He also exchanged points for two Life Fruits.

He spent 300 points each on treasures for his water and earth clones, and another 100 points on the Life Fruits, leaving him with 4,890 points.

The treasures and Life Fruits arrived the next day. Yin Congyang went into seclusion again and successfully completed the cultivation of his water and earth clones.

Thanks to the vast vitality of the Life Fruits, all five clones eventually reached Universe Level Fifth Order. Each clone's affinity for its corresponding law had risen considerably, bringing it close to that of Azure Dragon, his earliest clone, toward the Law of Wood.

With the affinities of his clones as a foundation, the original body also found it much easier to comprehend the laws of the Five Elements.

The instant his earth clone fully took shape, Yin Congyang suddenly understood something deep in his soul: cultivating five clones was the limit.

The [Clone] secret technique didn't specify how many clones one could cultivate, but the universe had its limits. It wouldn't allow anyone to create an unlimited number of clones. This secret technique could grant a person at most five clones. Attempting to cultivate a sixth would cause irreparable damage to the soul, diminishing one's comprehension and willpower, among other things. Resistance to mental secret techniques such as Illusion Techniques and Soul Attacks would also plummet...

Yin Congyang set aside a trace of regret. Having five clones was already an enormous boon, and he'd spent very few resources on them—barely over a thousand points in total. His clones needed so few resources because he was still weak. If he'd only obtained this secret technique after becoming Immortal, the resources required for even one clone would have been staggering.

There was another issue: the mysterious fluctuation in his Dantian and the life fluctuation of the Mysterious Seed had initially enhanced the evolution of only his original body. Then a clone was added, then two, and now two more. As expected, the evolution process had become less efficient. It wasn't as simple as dividing the efficiency by five: the original body's rate had fallen by about half, and that lost half had been distributed among the five clones.

But there was one advantage: the rate at which his soul evolved had not changed. By his own calculations, his soul's power would only just reach the World Lord Level limit by the time his body reached the Universe Level limit. Now his body's evolution had slowed, but his soul was still evolving at the same rate. It was possible that his soul would reach Immortal before his body even reached the Universe Level limit.

Every gain came with a loss, and every loss with a gain. That was simply one of the universe's fundamental truths.

Now that his clones were complete, it was time to arm them. His water clone, Black Tortoise, already had the Mysterious God Weapon he'd obtained on Gaishi Star. He decided to exchange points for the other four types of god weapons for his other four clones. They would not only boost his combat strength but also help him comprehend the laws.

Of the Nine Great God Weapons, the ones that combined the Space-Time Law cost a little more; the rest were similarly priced, each slightly more expensive than a Life Fruit at 80 points. Four weapons would cost 320 points.

He also needed five Force Battle Blades at Fifth Order, each costing 12 points, for a total of 60. Axe techniques and blade techniques had much in common, and countless experts across the universe wielded blades. Since he'd altered his clones' appearances to distinguish them from his original body, using blades would be more convenient when traveling through the universe.

"Exchange complete. 380 points deducted; 4,510 points remaining. Your order will arrive in one day. Please collect it from the End-of-the-World Region Management Office."

The next day, Yin Congyang went to the management office and picked up the four god weapons and the battle blades he'd ordered. He handed each weapon to the corresponding clone, and they began studying their weapons. Meanwhile, his original body continued cultivating the Drifting Blood secret manual.

The deeper he got into the Drifting Blood secret manual, the more difficult it became. The first nine mysteries of the Law of Space were the easiest and most basic. Before, he'd been able to master a set of sword techniques in just over a year, but naturally the time required rose sharply as he progressed.

With the help of the mysterious space in his Dantian, Yin Congyang was able to steadily analyze and comprehend the sword techniques in the Drifting Blood secret manual.

Ten years after returning from Gaishi Star, Yin Congyang emerged from his cultivation chamber. He gazed at the light of several stars shining through the window, a smile appearing on his face.

"I mastered the ninth set of sword techniques a few years ago, but it took these past few years to master the tenth. The difficulty really has shot up. Still, as long as I keep making progress, I can accept going more slowly. That should make me more efficient once I get my hands on a Chaos Stele..."

By the standards of the Nine Universes Chaos Tablet, he'd now mastered the first diagram. Next came the twenty-seven mysteries of space in the second diagram. But without the sweeping guidance of a Chaos Stele, relying on the Drifting Blood secret manual alone still made cultivation quite difficult.

"By my calculations, it'll be decades before I can set out for the Initial Universe. Should I take on a few more cultivation missions and earn some more points...?"