Chapter 92: New Clones
Chapter 92
Beginning clone creation process. One can say that Liyu was really excited for this; one has to know that getting a clone for himself was a major boost, like a super upgrade of some sort.
After all, they really boosted his power, and not by any small margin either. If Liyu already felt immensely powerful as he was right now, then if he were to merge with the only clone he had now, which was King Rayden, his power would almost double... if it wasn’t doubled, then it surely would be close enough.
That was just how crazy the Infinite Reflection ability was, and now he was going to be getting another clone... no, not clone, but clones, meaning he would be getting more than one now.
Liyu waited in anticipation for the clone creation process to begin, and soon he saw it: a ripple of energy spread outward, and after that came something that was way too similar and familiar that Liyu recognized it immediately.
Two mirrors rose from the ground; their presence was majestic, their aura vast and overwhelming. The energy they radiated was both immense and awe-inspiring, making Liyu feel incredibly small, which was, as well, a rather familiar feeling for him.
Liyu looked at the two mirrors, seeing his reflection within them, and almost immediately he knew that the ones staring back at him were not him by any means.
In one mirror, the reflection’s gaze was sharp and calculating, making Liyu feel as if it was watching him... targeting him somehow... while on the other side, where another reflection stood within the mirror, the Liyu there looked as if he wanted to sleep; his eyes were half-lidded, and he looked completely unbothered.
The two only stared at Liyu for a while before they closed their eyes, as if they had been forced into sleep against their will. Actually, the one who seemed like he wanted to sleep looked rather happy that he had been pulled into slumber.
Soon, the usual system customization started. On the right, the half-sleeping Liyu’s appearance began to change: his expression became relaxed, his long dark hair shortened until it became short, with two side locks framing his eyes, and his dark anime-inspired attire vanished and was replaced by ashen robes of some sort.
Although his clothes looked more like the ones Liyu and everyone else in this world wore, they were still slightly different, carrying a majestic auraand yet it seemed as though that aura had been dampened somehow. The reflection had no artifact jewelry or anything of that sort on his body; he looked plain and simple, really.
And yet, Liyu of all people knew better than to ever think that this reflection was simple. He then looked at the one on the left. The dark anime-inspired overcoat vanished as well, and in its place appeared another overcoat with several buttons on it... so many that they almost looked like beads, and many people would have mistaken them for exactly that.
His hair also shortened from Liyu’s long hair, becoming immaculate slick black hair that curved slightly at the front, giving him the appearance of someone important. And yet, the more Liyu looked at him, the more he couldn’t help but feel that this clone of his was also far from ordinary. They both gave off the same mysterious vibes that King Rayden carried as well.
As Liyu waited for the clones to finish their customization, he threw a question toward his system: "Hey, Sys, why am I getting two clones now? Is it because the amount of EXP doubles? Is that why my clones doubled as well?" He couldn’t help but ask since he was really, really curious about it.
The system answered him a few moments later: "Yes, Host. It is exactly as you believed. The leveling mechanics are designed so that every level becomes more and more difficult to attain. At every level up, you receive greater rewards compared to the previous levels.
The EXP required to level up, as well as the number of clones you are allowed to draw after each level up, both increase exponentially." Liyu couldn’t help but feel extremely excited as his eyes shone brightly. That meant that... he couldn’t help but be overjoyed. If he reached Level 3, he would be getting four clones; Level 5 would be eight, and it would keep doubling over and over.
By the time he reached Level 100, he would have clones that were simply too many to manually count, and all of them would be at the same realm and stage as him, with each one being an exception in its own right. By then, he would have no rival whatsoever; he would be invincible... Liyu couldn’t help but want to laugh.
By then, he wouldn’t even need to lift a finger... just summoning ten percent of his clones would be enough to make the world yield and bow their heads before him, because his power would be so vast, so immense, that opposing him would be more than foolish.
What was he even saying? If there truly was an exponential increase as the system had suggested, then forget Level 100; by Level 40 alone, he would probably have enough clones to make the entire world feel weak in comparison.
Of course, that was assuming Liyu himself had already reached a powerful realm. After all, no matter how many clones he had under his command, if he was still only at the Qi Gathering Realm, then they still wouldn’t be able to withstand even a single attack from a Soul Stage expert.
Such an existence could wipe them all out before they even realized what was happening. No, his plan was to become stronger. Imagine him reaching the Golden Core Realm, and then having countless Golden Core clones... that alone would be enough to overwhelm multiple Soul Stage experts and make even they feel small and insignificant.
Liyu’s face brightened more and more as he thought about just how terrifying the potential of the Infinite Reflection ability truly was; it was indeed broken. He just needed to level up, gather clones, use their combined efforts to blitz through cultivation stages and realms, level up again, and continue repeating the process over and over until he became the absolute strongest.
If anyone saw Liyu right now, they would have thought he had just won the lottery because of the foolish grin plastered across his face. Actually, Liyu would say that what he had won was far greater than any lottery; it was the fact that he was only a few level-ups away from becoming the strongest being this world... this verse... no, the entirety of existence had ever known.
And the more he thought about it, the happier and more excited he became. He was only a little away from realizing his grand dream, and very soon, he would begin his chaotic adventures.
He would make kingdoms tremble with a single word; he would make powerful sects, ancient families, and even those supposedly invincible clans weep in despair the moment they realized he was coming to pay them a visit; he would make the gods themselves shake in their boots and run away to hide whenever they heard he was merely passing through.
He would become the very existence that all would fear, respect, and bow before... the truest Supreme, Li Yu.
Liyu’s grand inner thoughts were soon shattered by the voice of his system: "Ahem, Host. I suppose you are being delusional again." Liyu raised an eyebrow.
"What do you mean? If my clones increase exponentially as you have already confirmed, then everything I’m dreaming of is totally possible. It will happen sooner or later... because I’ll make it happen."
The system spoke, its voice calm and emotionless as it effortlessly ruined Liyu’s magnificent fantasy: "Host, you are only looking at the reward and not at the mission or the path required to reach it, which is, in one word, foolish."
"Remember, just as the number of clones you receive increases exponentially, so too does the amount of EXP required to level up. Trust me, with every level, it will become increasingly and steeply more difficult to earn EXP."
"So concerning all this, don’t even think that you’ll have an easy time or be able to rule the universe anytime soon. Who knows? With your impulsive nature, you might very well die before you even make it that far."
"Hey, Sys! Stop throwing accusations at me. It’s not as if I willingly go looking for death, you know." The system fell silent, almost as if it were holding itself back from cursing Liyu. Liyu sighed.
Now that he actually calculated the amount of EXP it would take him to reach Level 100, he couldn’t help but feel a cold shiver run down his spine. He didn’t even want to think about how he was supposed to gather that much EXP. Using his extraordinary brain to calculate everything, and when he finally got the answer, he really couldn’t help but wince.
Just as the rewards were incredible, the EXP required would also be massive... so massive, in fact, that Liyu couldn’t help but wince once more. Why couldn’t good things come without requiring such an exorbitant amount of effort behind them? His mood was completely ruined.
Fortunately, it didn’t stay ruined for long. Right at that moment, the two mirrors before him suddenly shuddered violently as several cracks spread across their surfaces.
Then, both mirrors, at the exact same time and in perfect synchronization, began to dissipate; they crumbled into countless specks of cosmic dust before completely vanishing, leaving behind two figures standing where they once were.
The two figures, each radiating a completely different aura and presence, opened their eyes at the exact same moment. At the same time, the familiar sound of the system echoed inside Liyu’s mind:
"Ding! Congratulations, Host, for successfully creating your clones. Ding! New clone has been created. Clone Rank: S. Ding! New clone has been created. Clone Rank: S. Ding! System feature: Clone Archive has reached Level 2." Liyu stared blankly at the series of system notifications, countless emotions flashing through his eyes.
Without wasting any more time, he decided to quickly scan the two newly created clones. The one wearing the gray robes had the following scan result: Name: Liyu (Host may customize the name.);
Cultivation Realm: Qi Gathering Realm - First Stage; Physique: Heavenly Efficiency Physique; Grade: Divine; Rank: Emperor; Short Description: Heaven believes that perfection is not achieved by doing more, but by wasting nothing; Passive Effects:
100% Qi Utilization; 100% Stamina Efficiency; Repeated techniques consume progressively less Qi; Remaining motionless accumulates potential that greatly empowers the next movement;
Innate Affinity: None; Title: The Lazy Genius; Core Personality: Lazy; Cultivation Technique: None; Items: None; Artifacts: None.
Liyu couldn’t help but blink. Then he blinked again. And then he blinked once more. What was this? A Divine-Grade physique whose rank surely surpassed even his own? Not just that, but this guy was actually given the title The Lazy Genius... a genius... that was lazy.
Even his core personality made Liyu’s eyes twitch. Then twitch again. And then twitch once more. Core Personality: Lazy. Like... seriously?
He didn’t linger any longer than necessary before moving on to scan the second clone: Name: Liyu (Host may customize the name.); Cultivation Realm: Qi Gathering Realm - First Stage; Physique: None; Innate Affinity: Velocity; Rank: Elite; Classification: Rare;
Title: Perfect Hitman; Core Personality: Absolute Obedience; Cultivation Technique: None; Items: None; Artifacts: None; Note: Host, remember that you may choose to grant clones without physiques the Primal Tyrant Physique. Liyu read the scan result.
Then he read it again. And then again.
Finally, he could only resign himself. Another one with a rare innate affinity... something he didn’t even know existed. Since when did Velocity become an innate affinity?
Countless questions exploded inside his mind. However, there was one question that had been bothering him for quite some time now; he had wanted to ask the system many times before, but he always ended up forgetting.
Now that he finally remembered, he wasn’t going to let the opportunity slip away. "Hey, Sys." "Yes, Host." "Tell me... is S-Rank the only clone rank? And if it is, are they all at the same power level, or are some stronger than others?"
Sincerely, Liyu felt as though these two clones might somehow be stronger than his first clone, which made absolutely no sense. After all, weren’t they all S-Rank? The system cleared up his confusion a few moments later:
"No, Host. Clone ranks range from C, B, A, and S. Beyond S-Rank, there exist three extremely elite ranks. They are SS, SSS, and finally... EX Rank."
Liyu blinked. "Wait... there are that many ranks? Then why am I only getting S-Rank clones?" The system continued its explanation: "Hosts naturally inherit C-Rank and B-Rank clones because they are weak and possess little intelligence, deep understanding, or independent thought. In other words... you become them."
Do you understand now? Liyu stared blankly at the system, his gaze practically asking... I don’t understand a single thing. The system patiently broke it down further:
"Host, you will directly take control of lower-ranked clones such as C and B because they possess no true consciousness. In short, they are your clones in the truest sense, since you yourself will become them whenever you use them." Liyu’s eyes immediately lit up. "That’s actually great."
But only a moment later, his excitement faded, because he was more than certain those clones would be far weaker compared to S-Rank and above. "I don’t want C-Rank or B-Rank clones... but an EX-Rank clone would definitely do."
The system remained silent for several moments; when it finally spoke, its voice was solemn... the most serious Liyu had ever heard it: "Host... let me give you a warning, because it is directly tied to your survival. If an EX-Rank clone is ever created... you must immediately cancel the creation process before it finishes."
"Because if that clone is allowed to come to life... your chances of surviving are practically none. Total zero."
"You will surely die."