Starry Sky Professional

“Go!”

Liu Wei felt adrenaline surge through his veins.

Near the park, many others like him were ready to respond, but not everyone shared his fortune.

Boom!

He glanced back to see a truck hit by the laser cannon mounted on a mech's shoulder, instantly engulfed in a massive ball of fire.

The resistance fighters outside the nurturing pods in the truck were all reduced to ash.

Liu Wei gritted his teeth.

In such a battlefield, those without formal training didn’t even qualify to intervene!

The truck roared, quickly distancing itself from the battlefield, its color, paint, even the license plate continuously changing.

“Faster, faster!”

The voice of 'Genius' was urgent: “I've only hacked the city surveillance for three minutes... you have to reach the designated spot and use the underground passage to transport the cargo out!”

“Sixty seconds left!”

“Thirty seconds!”

“Ten, nine, eight...”

'Genius’s' voice was like the whip of death, urging Liu Wei to grit his teeth and occasionally take the wheel to steer clear of obstacles, narrowly making it into the underground garage.

He jumped off the truck and opened the container, revealing three large nurturing pods inside.

Several resistance members awaited there.

Liu Wei recognized one among them as the one who had previously taunted him.

“Quick, quick, quick!”

They lifted the cubic-meter-sized pods, ready to send them through a nearby tunnel towards the sewers.

The main sewer pipes were wide enough, half submerged in sewage, and, with the inflatable boats, were sufficient for transportation tasks.

Just as Liu Wei exhaled in relief, a sudden change occurred!

Bang!

A laser flashed, and the head of the taunter beside him was gone.

Thud, thud!

Along with the heavy metal footsteps, a figure in exoskeleton armor stepped into the underground parking: “Look... what have I discovered? A few little Resistance rats...”

Whoosh!

Liu Wei’s muscles tensed like flowing water, his sense of impending danger at its peak.

Yet, he could only see a fleeting shadow.

The black-clad figure controlled the mech, a light blade appearing in his hand, slicing through two surrounding Resistance members.

Their faces still wore looks of astonishment as their lower and upper bodies separated automatically.

Although the black-clad figure’s exoskeleton armor was of the most ordinary model, offering only basic power comparable to a four-realm warrior, the weapon modules it carried were real and lethal.

This turned him into a life-reaping machine.

If Zhong Yuxiu had been allowed to purchase and install weapon modules during the last Hundred Star Test, her results would have been far better, perhaps even contending for first place!

Such was the aid of technology and external resources.

Bang!

A set of specially crafted handcuffs was thrown onto the ground.

The man in black looked at Liu Wei, a playful smile on his face, "Put them on voluntarily..."

It seemed he wanted to capture someone alive.

"Damn it... 'Genius,' what the hell are you doing?"

Liu Wei felt enveloped by boundless despair.

In his earpiece, 'Genius' also sounded frantic, "I'm under attack... trying my best to protect most people... sorry about the leak on your side, there's not much I can do..."

"Bullshit!"

If 'Genius' were in front of him, Liu Wei swore he'd make sure they understood the folly of their actions!

He had barely finished cursing when he felt a hot gust pass by his ear, as if stung by a hornet, and warm liquid began to flow...

Liu Wei touched his head, finding it covered in blood, one of his ears gone.

"Little mouse, I did give you a chance."

The man in black was unhurried, seemingly enjoying the cat-and-mouse sensation.

Yet Liu Wei's heart sank deeper.

Today's resistance operation was uncertain in its success, but he was definitely headed for prison.

'Damn it... my dream was to get into college, not into prison...'

Liu Wei clenched his fists, preparing for a desperate fight.

Suddenly!

The man in black's expression changed dramatically, clutching his chest, "You..."

His pupils dilated, and he fell to the ground.

"This..."

Liu Wei recognized that the man seemed to have been attacked by a martial will.

But if there was martial will involved, how could he not feel anything at all?

Martial will is fundamental to a martial artist, unmistakable once experienced.

He reacted swiftly, his muscles tensing, and lunged forward, stamping the man's head with a powerful step.

Crack!

A sharp crack echoed from the man's neck, blood pouring from his orifices, even mixed with brain matter—clearly, he was beyond saving.

"I... actually killed a mech warrior?"

Liu Wei was in disbelief, then gritted his teeth, ready to stick to the original plan and transport the cultivation pod.

Just then, a hair-raising sight caught his eye:

In the cargo container, the original three cultivation pods had somehow become only two!

"Get moving!"

Liu Wei felt a shiver run through his body, hurriedly pushing the pod into the sewer, diving in after it...

...

Inside the villa.

Fang Xing sat cross-legged, hands forming a seal.

A semi-transparent phantom floated in through the window, wearing a lotus crown and possessing an otherworldly beauty, clean and pure as jade. It was none other than the 'Great Vajra Twin Guardian'!

"This Guardian Deity can even access one's consciousness, akin to a spiritual attack... more elusive than martial will."

Moments ago, it was Fang Xing who used this technique to save Liu Wei's life.

At this moment, the Guardian Deity held a bronze ring.

Fang Xing accepted it and, with a swift mental scan, detected a cultivation pod and a substantial amount of nutrient fluid inside. He couldn't help but smile slightly.

"For this mission, I even went against my principles and brought along the dimensional treasure, the storage ring..."

"It's always best to have contingencies..."

With a flash of silver light, Fang Xing vanished.

Seconds later, he reappeared in the same spot.

"All incriminating evidence has been sent off to the cultivation world. Even if the pods had tracking devices, there's nothing to fear now..."

"That's not right, once inside a dimensional treasure, tracking was impossible in the first place, right?"

"Besides, the Resistance would've surely prepared for this..."

Fang Xing pondered for a moment and then stepped out of the quiet room.

"Fang..."

It wasn't long before Lan Fei approached him.

"What happened outside? Why such chaos?"

Fang Xing frowned, evidently displeased.

"I heard it's the Resistance daring to attack the transportation convoy from the cultivation center... It has probably been suppressed by now?"

Lan Fei sighed.

Battling within the city had led to significant casualties.

The entire Yuan Yu City had nearly come to a halt.

"But I no longer wish to stay in such a chaotic place... I'll leave tomorrow."

Fang Xing sighed. Since the incriminating evidence had been transported to another world, he felt entirely at ease, unafraid of any inspections.

【News Flash: Yuan Yu City has suffered an attack, with 12 civilians dead and 739 injured... The mayor condemns the assault...】

【Eagle Star's orbital cannon shows unusual activity, but the Space Institute rules out malfunctions...】

【A new round of college entrance exams is about to begin; let's wish the candidates success...】

...

Maple Leaf City, Happy Home Community.

Fang Xing used the excuse of college entrance exams to claim he needed to study in seclusion, casually sending Lan Fei away.

He watched TV in his abode.

As he looked at the screen filled with devastation, he fell silent.

"The Resistance, huh?"

According to classified information, the Resistance's operation hadn't been entirely successful, but neither was it a failure. They not only seized numerous cultivation pods but also made a successful retreat.

It's said that the orbital cannon and space fleet's unusual activities were linked to the Resistance's spacecraft.

"There's even higher-level forces involved on the other side in this incident..."

"But these matters don't concern me much anymore..."

"I should just focus on my college entrance exams and become an honorable university student."

Fang Xing arrived at a quiet room and pasted a charm.

With a flash of silver light, his figure vanished instantly.

...

In the immortal cultivation world, inside an underground cave.

"So this is... a cultivation pod?"

Fang Xing held a bronze ring, slowly lowering a massive cultivation pod several cubic meters in size to the ground.

The pod, entirely silver-white and exuding a futuristic aura, had a large glass front for a clear view inside.

Beside the pod lay several silver boxes containing top-grade nutrient solutions specifically for the pod.

"I have a feeling the Resistance didn't aim to acquire new blood; they were after the pods themselves... Maybe they've even amassed a clone army."

Fang Xing activated the computer on the pod, checked the system, and nodded in satisfaction: "Fortunately... all the basic functions are intact."

As for the energy source?

The energy core was inside the pod, and barring any issues, it should last for tens of thousands of hours...

"Luckily, I learned programming..."

After a series of operations, Fang Xing took out a test tube.

Inside the test tube was the blood collected earlier.

"If cloning were done in the main universe, environmental factors might affect it... But here in the immortal cultivation world, the spiritual qualifications should be identical, right?"

After dripping a drop of blood into the pod, Fang Xing focused his attention.

Through the glass, he could see a tiny embryo forming inside the pod.

At first, it was the size of a needle's tip, now grown to the size of a sesame seed...

The nutrient consumption was reaching staggering levels.

"Let's accelerate its growth directly..."

Fang Xing set up a program.

If one wanted proper development, they should remove the child from the pod during infancy and raise it socially.

But Fang Xing had no such intent.

He added more nutrient solution and set the pod to 'accelerated growth', effectively a fast-forward mode.

Within this setting, the infant would grow rapidly inside the pod.

In just a few days, it would transform into the young man's likeness.

Of course, such 'accelerated growth' only produced an empty shell, lifeless and mindless...

Luckily, an empty shell is exactly what Fang Xing needed!

If a soul and consciousness had already formed, it wouldn't be ideal.

After all, it was meant for possession.

"The human soul is supposedly the sum of all postnatal influences..."

"A body hastily matured will have no soul, making possession all the more convenient..."

‘If it's the legendary clone army, it surely requires consciousness infusion technology to reach the true pinnacle... But that would stifle potential, wouldn't it? It's hardly of much use, really.’

Despite calls within the Federation to build a clone army, it never gained much traction and soon faded into silence.

After all, its cost-effectiveness is low!

Not to mention the vast resources needed to maintain a clone army.

Accelerated growth snuffs out the unique vitality inherent in living beings, greatly reducing the chance of advancing to Martial Saint, Martial God, or other high-ranking professions.

Fang Xing watched silently as the embryo developed in the cultivation pod.

From the size of a sesame seed, it grew into that of a pearl, then an orange, then an apple...

Soon, a small infant appeared, curled up and immersed in the nutrient solution.

Then began to grow!

One year, two years... Until it reached about sixteen years of age, and finally stopped.

"I’ve gathered as much nutrient solution as possible... but I didn't expect the stockpile would only allow me to clone nine more..."

Fang Xing glanced at the consumption, his expression hardening.

The nutrient solution in the cultivation pod was specially formulated, and he had grabbed quite a bit on a whim.

After all, there was still some space left after he stored a cultivation pod in the bronze ring.

"Well then... let's begin!"

Fang Xing caressed the cultivation pod, finally resolving himself.

He began to chant the ‘Great Sun Tathagata Mantra’ and within his mind, the image of the Great Vajra Bull-headed Guardian Deity appeared.

The Goddess Dakini appeared, transformed into a Vajra Twin Guardian.

"Possession!"

With a single thought, Fang Xing initiated the process. The celestial guardian smiled faintly, as if its soul became embodied, passing through the thick glass and merging with the youth in the cultivation pod.

"Is this... possession? Such a wondrous sensation..."

Due to the profound connection with the Guardian Deity, Fang Xing could feel that the resistance within the clone was nonexistent... The Guardian Deity easily completed the possession.

After all, being so newly born, what thoughts or wills could there be?

Ssss!

In no time, the cultivation pod opened.

Out stepped a youth with sharp features and commanding eyes, clothed in a pre-prepared ancient robe.

"So this is what it's like to have an external incarnation?"

Fang Xing marveled at the novel feeling, as though he had gained a new perspective.

"This body has been tested and has a Metal element spiritual root..."

"Since everything unfolds in the world of cultivation... and all variables are controlled, the outcome shouldn't change much."

He didn't bother to scrutinize the clone further, merely concentrating his thoughts.

Three seconds later, a flash of silver.

Fang Xing's original body disappeared.

In Happiness Garden Estates.

Fang Xing’s figure reappeared out of thin air, touching his forehead in contemplation.

Thanks to the Guardian Deity’s deep connection, he could even see his clone adjusting the cultivation pod, preparing to clone a second, third genius...

"Excellent... With this, I won't need to shuttle back and forth between the cultivation world so frequently, avoiding the high risks of exposure."

"Now, my true self resides in the main universe, leaving my cultivator clone to manage affairs in the cultivation realm. It's quite convenient..."

]

(End of Chapter)