Alien Science Cultivation

Zhang Qiang had been feigning sophistication throughout the journey that he found it difficult to ask Wang Ling and Chen Ying questions. The unicorn beside him had been silent since entering this strange space, not daring to utter a single word. He simply followed the others with a look of shock on his face, his eyes darting left and right, as if everything before him was a dream, utterly unreal.

A moment later, several people stepped into a spherical space within the experimental chamber. As soon as they entered, the dimly lit room suddenly illuminated. Two cylindrical boxes, seemingly made of crystal, came into view, their interiors crisscrossed like a spiderweb, a complex web of wiring crisscrossing them. From the dome of the circular room, several mysterious liquids shimmered with eerie light. Beside the crystal pillars, a host of technologically advanced instruments and equipment were displayed. Zhang Qiang stared at the scene, momentarily stunned, then forced himself to calm down. Wang Ling ignored Zhang Qiang and Dujiao's reactions. She gently addressed a young female cultivator and handed her a sample of Polyhedral blood. The female cultivator understood, took the sample, and walked over to the equipment. She took a drop of Polyhedral blood, added it to a vial of blue solution, and stirred it thoroughly. The mixture was then poured into a funnel, the thin tube below which led directly into the crystal pillars. As the female cultivator's hands danced nimbly over the device, the mysterious liquid above the circular space began to bubble. Gradually, lines resembling human meridians began to emerge from thin air within the crystal column. A moment later, traces of blood seemed to flow slowly through those meridians. Immediately afterwards, organs such as the heart, liver, kidneys, and spleen also took shape within the meridian network.

Then, as Zhang Qiang and Dujiao watched in horror, muscles, fat, and skin gradually formed. Zhang Qiang was familiar with cloning technology, but this level of near-duplicate cloning was new to him. Dujiao stared at the gradually forming body within the crystal column, his jaw nearly dropping, his jaw completely forgetting to close. Chen Ying glanced at Zhang Qiang and Dujiao, her beautiful eyes rolling up as if she were scolding these two unworldly individuals. At the same time, she was certain that Zhang Qiang was not from a planet with a civilization above Level 7. In her opinion, such technology could be easily mastered by even a Level 5 civilization; as for whether a Level 4 civilization could achieve it, she had no idea. Zhang Qiang gazed at the slowly forming body, his admiration for the technology of a Level 7 civilization was unwavering. While he himself was capable of creating such a body, the effort was too immense. He recalled the time he had constructed Dulong's body; it had taken three months of desperate efforts to piece together the malnourished Dulong's body. How could he not be astonished by Chen Ying's effortless manipulation? While Zhang Qiang was confident that he would one day be able to achieve this feat with ease as his cultivation improved, he could never hope to match Chen Ying's effortless dexterity. Zhang Qiang suppressed his inner turmoil and calmed himself again. He gently lifted the chin of the unicorn beside him, then fetched a stool and sat down quietly, waiting. The unicorn, regaining his composure, graciously inched further behind Zhang Qiang, as if afraid the body would suddenly awaken. Chen Ying and the young female cultivator busied themselves reviewing the data on the instruments, occasionally flashing satisfied smiles. Although Wang Ling wasn't familiar with the technical details, she handled the supporting tasks with remarkable skill, as if this cloning operation was commonplace.

Time slowly passed, and after about an hour, the body of a middle-aged man lay peacefully within the crystal box. Aside from the lack of a soul, this body was otherwise normal. Chen Ying paused, removed her gloves, and looked at Zhang Qiang and Dujiao, asking, "How do you feel? The original owner of this body was only at the Mahayana stage, so cloning it should be relatively easy." Zhang Qiang and Dujiao exchanged glances, then probed the body with their spiritual sense, sensing the qualities of an early Mahayana cultivator. While lacking spiritual energy and inner elixir, the body and meridians were undoubtedly of the strength of an early Mahayana cultivator. Using this body to create a clone would undoubtedly save the complex process of removing the soul, inner elixir, and memories. Zhang Qiang knew that such a clone-making material would be highly sought after. After all, with this body, even a Mahayana cultivator could create a clone. However, a certain reluctance inevitably welled up within him.

Although Zhang Qiang and Dujiao understood the condition of this body, neither had ever cultivated a clone, making it difficult to judge its merits. To avoid exposing their ignorance, they tacitly chose silence. When Chen Ying received no response, she continued, "It's settled. Once the cloning machine is ready, we'll begin mass production." Zhang Qiang nodded silently, remaining silent. Dujiao simply bowed slightly, cupping his fists in greeting. He felt a mixture of emotions. On the one hand, he hated to see the bodies of the Multifaceted Tribe reduced to mere commodities; on the other, this method offered the hope of saving the Multifaceted Tribe from extinction.

Wang Ling seemed to have seen through Dujiao's inner struggles and said, "Brother Qiang, forget it. I'll lead you to explore other secrets beneath this exquisite tower." With that, Wang Ling stood up and walked out the door. Zhang Qiang was slightly startled, secretly wondering, "Other secrets? Under the tower?"

The group walked along a wide corridor, arriving at another circular space similar to the previous one. This space connected to another identical circular space, which in turn connected to a similar building. Zhang Qiang glanced around and saw dozens of similar circular spaces connected in series. As they entered the room, Zhang Qiang could no longer contain his shock. Rows of energy cannons, spaceships, and flying boats lay before him. Among them were thousands of Divine King-level energy cannons, including several modified versions. Each turret radiated a cold, eerie light, its massive muzzle displaying its immense power. Zhang Qiang gently stroked the densely inscribed runes on the turrets, and an ancient aura washed over him, filling him with awe.

Zhang Qiang turned to look at the spaceships on the other side. Though they were compressed within round, transparent crystal spheres, they looked nearly identical to the seven spaceships Che Lizi and his companions had summoned at Qingshan Sect. Each spaceship's quality far surpassed that of a true treasure, though Zhang Qiang couldn't quite put his finger on its exact rank. After all, according to past records, a true treasure was considered the pinnacle of human endurance. However, with Chen Ying's technological advancements, even this seemed beyond human control. The key point was the sheer number of these spaceships. As for the flying boat, Zhang Qiang only took a quick glance and, while impressed by its impressiveness, felt it paled in comparison to these spaceships.

At that moment, Zhang Qiang truly grasped the profound foundation of the Qingshan Exchange. Although he had envisioned its financial strength and its potential to grow to prominence with its accumulated wealth, he had never anticipated its achievement, and in just two years. He found it difficult to imagine how Wang Ling had managed it. Gazing at Wang Ling's matter-of-fact expression, Zhang Qiang felt awe in the woman before him, even greater than Chen Ying and Wang Yan. A blush crept into Wang Ling's cheeks as Zhang Qiang stared at her in awe. He recalled his first encounter with this girl, whom he had only found to be versatile and kind. Seeing her emotion after escaping death at the entrance to the underworld, and her stubbornness as she accepted Zhang Qiang's interspatial ring, Zhang Qiang suddenly realized how much effort this girl had put in over the years. Even when she saw me, her primary concern was not my judgment of her achievements, but more about my recognition of her cultivation. Her words revealed her firm willingness to follow me.

Whatever compelled Wang Ling to give so willingly and willingly, it was undoubtedly her trust and admiration for Zhang Qiang. Zhang Qiang, no fool, readily grasped Wang Ling's feelings. He instinctively approached her, placing his hands lightly on her shoulders. He gazed upon her radiant, blushing face. Her large, watery eyes, shyly avoiding Zhang Qiang's gaze, yet occasionally stealing glances at him, filled with endless longing. Zhang Qiang smiled faintly, and with a gentle push of his arms, he pulled Wang Ling tightly into his embrace. As she was embraced, Wang Ling's delicate body trembled slightly. A moment later, tears and a smile mingled as she slipped down her cheeks, her delicate hands finding their way to Zhang Qiang's waist. "Girl, thank you for your hard work," Zhang Qiang whispered soothingly. Wang Ling said nothing, merely rocking her head gently in Zhang Qiang's arms, as if his embrace were the ultimate comfort. Dujiao, who wasn't particularly adept at matters of love, was delighted to see this scene unfold. Though a tinge of jealousy lingered within Chen Ying, she had been intentionally or unintentionally trying to bring Zhang Qiang and Wang Ling together ever since she, Wang Yan, and Wang Ling became sworn sisters. She felt a need to keep Wang Ling on her side, both professionally and personally. Furthermore, she knew Zhang Qiang best, and both she and Zhang Qiang needed Wang Ling's support and assistance. Seeing Zhang Qiang and Wang Ling's relationship so smoothly established was something Chen Ying couldn't have wished for more.

Chen Ying stole a glance at Zhang Qiang and Wang Ling, then tiptoed out the door. Dujiao glanced at Chen Ying, then reacted and followed her out the door.

A quarter of an hour later, Zhang Qiang and Wang Ling shyly emerged from the circular space. Chen Ying and Du Jiao were discussing the strangeness of the space at the bottom of the tower. While both sensed a difference between this place and the outside world, they struggled to pinpoint the specific reason. Wang Ling and Zhang Qiang approached behind them and naturally overheard their confusion. Wang Ling, blushing, softly explained, "Although this exquisite tower has only nine floors, its base is a unique space all its own. While not as richly imbued with spiritual energy as the seventh, eighth, and ninth floors, it also holds the mysterious power of the Law of Time."

Upon hearing this, Chen Ying, Du Jiao, and Zhang Qiang suddenly understood. "I see. I was saying that the last few times I came here, every time I left, I always felt as if time hadn't passed at all. I thought it was an illusion, but it's actually true." Chen Ying echoed, then smiled, took Wang Ling's hand, and continued walking forward. After a long time, they finally emerged from the tower's base and appeared in a hall at the Qingshan Exchange.