CHAPTER 880: CHAPTER 603: ARE YOU THREE YEARS OLD?

The giant egg split open.

A giant lotus bloomed, filling the secret chamber. The lotus stamen was pure white, radiating a dense World Dao Essence, giving Lu Chenzhou a sense of intimacy. The lotus petals were multicolored, large and small, etched with various mysterious and abnormal patterns, shimmering with flickering Dao patterns.

There were rainbow-colored butterflies.

There was a pitch-black turtle shell.

There was the Doomsday Mill.

...

Chaos, Mixed Cave, Withering and Flourishing, Three Great Extreme Daos, Causality, Void... all the Daos that Lu Chenzhou’s true body had mastered, were copied for the clone.

And because of the shared soul, the clone’s Dao Essence was no different from the true body’s.

At the center of the lotus sat a chubby little boy, looking about ten catties in weight, mouth agape with drool trickling down, seemingly still lost in a dream.

"Awaken at once!"

Lu Chenzhou chanted the Blood Origin Body Mantra, stripping off a wisp of soul origin from his own soul and sending it into the chubby boy’s body, nurturing a split soul within.

In an instant, his consciousness entered the infant’s mind, which appeared as a boundless chaos.

The giant lotus bloomed in the heart of the chaos.

"The Dao Essence, skills, and knowledge comprehension of the Blood Origin Clone are all exactly the same as the true body, but the fleshly body of the newborn infant is far inferior to the true body. There’s no helping it; all clones require a certain period of growth."

Lu Chenzhou controlled the infant to wake up.

The Martial Arts Tree appeared in the newborn’s mind.

[Chaos: Fifth Rank (93%)]

[Mixed Cave: ...]

"Hmm, the Martial Arts Tree can be used too, just like the Spiritual Embodiment. Seems like the Martial Arts Tree is intensely bound to my soul—no matter how many clones or embodiments I make, as long as the soul is unified, the Martial Arts Tree can be shared. In other words, even if my true body dies, if this clone survives it can grow back into a second true body. After all, with the Martial Arts Tree, I can rise up again at any time."

This sparked inspiration in Lu Chenzhou. Although the Blood Origin Clone wasn’t an independent living being, as long as Lu Chenzhou wished, should the true body die, he could cut off the soul connection at any moment, allowing the Blood Origin Clone to switch into the true body—thus living a second life.

Many members of the Demon Race did exactly this. Candidly, it’s just finding a fleshly vessel for the soul.

Before, Lu Chenzhou was worried the Martial Arts Tree couldn’t be shared, but now he had no such concern. In the future, he could search for more treasures like the Nascent Wood Blood Crystal, and use Blood Origin Body to make a slew of clones.

Then he could hide these clones in slumber all over the Three Thousand Worlds, and as soon as his true body died, he would be reborn.

Of course, that’s the ideal case.

In reality, manufacturing a Blood Origin Clone required an enormous amount of resources. Take this body, for example—the Nascent Wood Blood Crystal was only the foundation. Over the past three years, he had consumed a whole five million Mid-grade Primordial Stones just to conceive it.

He not only spent all the money earned from the Mixed Cave Furnace Technique, but even pawned everything he owned, even drew a hundred thousand Military Leader’s salary in advance from the Elder Council just to cultivate.

"But this level of resource expenditure isn’t much to an Eighth Realm Expert, especially those ancient monsters, and ’Blood Origin Body’ isn’t even considered a particularly high-level cultivation method. So for demonic characters like the Black Boat Ancestor, it’s likely they have a whole slew of clones—if you mess with them, that’s begging for trouble."

Lu Chenzhou suddenly thought.

Of course, clones aren’t omnipotent either. There is a Dao that is a perfect counter—that is, Causality.

According to the fragmentary memories Lu Chenzhou devoured from You Tong Demon Venerable, during the Divine War, Lord Toad used Causality Dao, leveraging the connection between a clone and the true body, and curse-killed all of a Great Power’s clones simultaneously.

Causality Dao doesn’t care where you hide—so long as it traces the link, with the power of the Divine, it can cast the curse across realms. Unless protected by special means, there’s no escape.

The infant Lu Chenzhou rose and swallowed the lotus on the ground into his belly, then munched up the eggshell, patting his stomach, his body visibly changing to the naked eye.

The tiny old man quickly grew into a three-year-old child, looking exactly as Lu Chenzhou himself did when three. But this was only the surface—if a person with advanced cultivation looked, they’d see the infant’s flesh covered in dragon scales, hair like vines, truly a demon monster.

The child’s aura was already at the Four Realms.

"Born with Grandmaster strength—no, at least Peak Great Grandmaster strength. After all, the Dao Understanding of this clone is at the Seventh Realm level."

Feeling the hunger in his belly, Lu Chenzhou drew another three million Primordial Stones in advance from the Elder Council.

The three-year-old child gnawed at the Primordial Stones; his tiny body like a bottomless pit, no need for cultivation, his inner strength operated on its own, Qi-Blood grew day by day.

...

In the blink of an eye,

another two years passed. After devouring five million Primordial Stones, Little Chenzhou finally advanced his cultivation to the Seventh Realm.

The Land Army Master now bore a silent loan.

Eight million!

"I’ve advanced over a hundred years’ worth of pay—far too costly. If I die now, that’s the worst luck."

Lu Chenzhou’s heart bled.

At this point, Little Lu Chenzhou looked about eight years old, still unable to grow up. To test his true strength, Lu Chenzhou sought out his master.

...

Yun Meng Marsh.

"I thought he was your son." The Old Wang, hiding here, studied Little Lu Chenzhou.

"Master, come and fight!"

Little Lu Chenzhou’s childish voice rang out.

"I won’t bully a child."

Old Wang hadn’t finished speaking, but saw Little Lu Chenzhou’s aura erupt—already Middle Stage of Seventh Realm. He manifested the Canglang Song in his hand and swept out with a spear.

The long spear and Yanyue Saber collided. Old Wang’s tiger mouth shook violently, flesh split open, eyes nearly popping out, face flushed scarlet, Qi-Blood surging.

Old Wang stood his ground like the War God.

"One more spear!"

Eight-year-old Lu Chenzhou descended from the sky.

"Divine Power·Three Extremes Seal Heaven!" Old Wang immediately activated his divine skill, barely catching the second spear.

"Again—"

"No more!"

Old Wang half-knelt, panting hard.

"Is this really a clone?"

"Yes, and it’s not even in complete form yet. In theory, he can ascend to my current realm, and after that, any realms I break through, he’ll have no bottleneck either. As long as there’s enough energy, he can advance."

Lu Chenzhou was out of money, and the parliamentary vault couldn’t let this clone squander everything.

To ascend from Four Realms to Seventh Realm required nearly ten million Primordial Stones; to rise from early to late stage, several tens or even hundreds of millions, so it’s better for him to grow slowly. Although the clone was only Early Stage of Seventh Realm, the Daos were all at Fifth Rank, and his true combat power was not inferior to an ordinary Late Stage of Seventh Realm—enough to guard Tianxia.

"Crushed by a three-year-old."

Old Wang was plunged into despair.

...

The year 2295.

On the twentieth anniversary of the founding of Tianxia Civilization, the ninety-year-old Lord Lu delivered a pre-expedition speech before 30 billion citizens in Yun Meng City, just before campaigning into the Mystic Sky Realm, and held the first ever military parade. A phalanx of two thousand Heavenly King experts shook Yun Meng Marsh for hundreds of thousands of miles.

Tianxia Civilization no longer needed to conceal itself—it was time to show its strength to the Three Thousand Realms!

At the end of the ceremony, Land Army Master stood atop the city wall, his training Mysterious Robe fluttering in the gale.

"The Divine Alliance is lawless, bullying the weak. Offending my Tianxia—no different from the evil gods and demon monsters! For countless ages, the worlds have suffered the Divine Alliance. We of Tianxia do not worship ghosts or gods, do not sacrifice to heaven or earth—only revere our ancestors, only believe in ourselves. Now, to repel the evil gods we must first secure our own house—eradicate the Divine Alliance! I am willing to march upon the Mystic Sky, to trample the Divine Alliance, and pave the path to ascension for all mankind with the bones of the gods!"

For decades, the Elder Council had exposed the wicked crimes of the Divine Alliance to the citizens. Tianxia, once oppressed by evil gods, was at its zenith, needing a great war to prove itself!

If we succeed, Tianxia will soar to new heights!

"Crush the Divine Alliance!"

"Annihilate the Divine Race!"

"Descendants of these dogshit gods, we don’t even fear evil gods—why would we fear a bunch of decrepit Divine Court elders?"

...

The next day.

Inside Aurora Palace.

Prince Northern Guardian, Old Ghost Yellow River, Li Xiuying, Alcohol King, Star Hammer King, and five other Seventh Realm experts, led eight hundred Heavenly Kings and three thousand Great Grandmasters, fully prepared.

Below Great Grandmaster level, remained to guard the realm.

Now, Da Xia had sixteen Seventh Realm experts holding Human World. This campaign to Mystic Sky dispatched half of them.

Moreover, veteran Seventh Realm middle and late stage powers roaming the Three Thousand Realms—Hui Kong Abbot, Daoist Xuanwu, Sea Covering Spear, Sky King, and others—also joined the war effort.

Lu Chenzhou’s figure appeared.

He said to Prince Northern Guardian, "You take charge of the Aurora Palace for now. First proceed to support the Mystic Sky branch. If anything happens, seek help from Emperor Shitian. I have some affairs to deal with; once I’m done, I’ll head to Mystic Sky for decisive battle with the Divine Alliance."

Prince Northern Guardian nodded.

"Take care on your journey."

"Also, I’ve temporarily transferred some Heavenly Person List master permissions to you. If you encounter an Eighth Realm attack on the road, you can mobilize the four great Town Vein Treasures!"

The Aurora Palace, carrying the army, set out for Mystic Sky, while Lu Chenzhou shattered the void with his flesh and entered the Ruins Sea.

Void Fifth Rank, plus Speed Extreme Dao—his fleshly cruising speed even surpassed the normal Aurora Palace.

...

Three months later.

Lu Chenzhou descended on Kun Gu. After destroying the Corpse Palace, his Spiritual Embodiment had departed this world for other Doomsday Level worlds to hunt demons and slay monsters.

Returning to old haunts,

he went first to the High Grade Ore Veins, spending a month collecting 3.34 million Mid-grade Primordial Stones and ten High Grade Primordial Stones, with tens of billions of Low Grade Primordial Stones. Excluding the High Grade ones, he uploaded all others to Source Space via the Candle Dragon Order to replenish the treasury deficit.

Heavenly Immortal Dew also successfully delivered to Bai Feng.

"Many thanks, Military Leader."

Bai Feng’s projection appeared.

"Tianxia’s Mystic Sky branch surviving to this day is thanks to your great contributions. This is only what you deserve."

Soon after, having consumed Heavenly Immortal Dew again, Bai Feng’s injuries healed completely. The surplus medicinal effect advanced his cultivation further, bringing him to the Middle Stage of Seventh Realm.

Heavenly Escape Mysterious Light’s range instantly increased from ninety thousand to a hundred thousand miles, and the number of uses also grew.

With the treasures collected, Lu Chenzhou also took the corpses of Demon Emperor and Demon Venerable buried here. These could all be exchanged for money at Mountain and Sea Tower or Yuanbao Mountain.

With this done, Lu Chenzhou recited a spell, using Hidden Element and Concealed Qi divine skill to transform into the appearance of a bald Martial Monk, with a ring of holy Circular Light hovering behind his head.

"Qingyunzi was once Eighth Realm. Now that my true body’s in action, it’s better to keep a low profile."

Thanks to the Shadow Stream Dominator, many self-assured Seventh Realm and Eighth Realm experts were all searching for Lu Chenzhou’s whereabouts, wanting to kill and rob him. Lu Chenzhou wasn’t afraid, but he didn’t want unnecessary trouble either.

...

Great Rift Valley.

The Martial Monk stood silently, gazing at the broken walls and ruins.

"Qingyunzi’s Artifact Spirit Body can’t leave the Inheritance Land too far, let alone break through the void."

The Martial Monk’s Dharma Eye split open on his forehead; complex, tangled lines of causality spread like a spiderweb, filling the world.

He looked up, and saw the line of causality between him and Qingyunzi pointing directly to the boundless heavens above.