Su Zhan's strength had grown again—both in defense and in killing power. If things kept going like this, the next upgrade would give him six more clones.
But the thought soured — many more clones could only mean the next function was still far away.
"No. I can't assume that yet. Maybe there's something new I just haven't found," he told himself.
He sank his consciousness into the black mark.
As expected, the hazy black figures in his mind's eye had increased to sixteen. The internal storage space had doubled again, from two cubic meters to four, and the storage area was noticeably larger.
That was all.
Unwilling to give up, he probed the black mark over and over, checking every corner of his body.
An hour later, he let out a slow breath.
"Nothing… so it's really just more clones this time."
Maybe that was why each stage demanded so many low-grade spirit stones—new abilities only came after long cooldowns, stacked on top of the huge resource cost.
And the cost was steep. The clone space had needed only 81 low-grade spirit stones. The next ability had taken nearly a thousand. The next upgrade alone would need 2,187 low-grade spirit stone, totaling more than 3,000 low-grade spirit stones. Enough to drain most miners dry.
If the reward wasn't worth it, that would be painful.
At least his mining speed had soared. In just two more days, he'd reach the seventh stage.
"This time," he murmured, eyes gleaming, "don't disappoint me."
⸻
Elsewhere, in the exchange room…
"What? He broke through to the second level of the Mortal Realm and went to Area 18?"
Zhou Yueshan set down his wine cup, brows furrowing.
"Yes, Mr. Zhou. Yin Tiancheng even offered him a place in Area 9, but he refused."
It was strange. Richer areas had higher efficiency and several times the chance of producing natural spirit stones. With Su Zhan's ability, Area 9 should have been an easy choice.
"Rapid progress, strange choices…" Zhou Yueshan muttered.
The bald man leaned in. "Since your last meeting, he hasn't exchanged a single spirit stone. The day he reached the second level, he went straight to the mining zone. I think there's something unusual about him."
"Check him. If you find anything, tell me immediately," Zhou Yueshan ordered, eyes narrowing.
"Yes, Mr. Zhou!"
⸻
He didn't realize he had already drawn someone's attention.
Sixteen black-cloaked clones mined away while he absorbed spirit stones nonstop.
Two quiet days passed—yet he kept sensing people hovering near his mine. They never came close, but they didn't leave either.
"Are they watching me?" he wondered.
He had kept a low profile, avoided trouble, and even with the power to fight a third-level Mortal Realm cultivator, he stayed out of fights. So why the interest?
"Probably just my imagination," he told himself. Someone like Zhou Yueshan wouldn't bother with him.
"Master," came the voice of his lead clone, clear as speech. "Spirit stones… ready."
He still found it strange to hear them speak so fluently now.
"Good," Su Zhan replied with a faint smile. "No matter who's watching—once I reach the seventh stage, I'll wipe them out."
"Master, the presence outside has left," reported Fifteen Clones.
"He's sensible."
"The last bit… absorbed!"
"It appeared!"
As the final pile of low-grade spirit stones dissolved into wisps of spiritual energy and merged into the black mark, a swirl of black smoke—signifying the birth of new shadow clones—rose out of thin air.
Six! Six! Six!
Su Zhan's eyes tightened with anticipation.
If the number of clones didn't increase, it would mean a new ability had emerged… It was a contradictory feeling—on one hand, he hoped for more clones to quickly build a formidable Clones army; on the other, he wished the count would stay the same so the long-awaited new function could finally arrive, marking a true breakthrough.
But either outcome was a win for Su Zhan.
"Six, really six!!"
"Finally here!"
Seeing only six wisps of black smoke condense into six solid shadow clones, Su Zhan's face lit up with joy and energy.
Without hesitation, he closed his eyes, letting his awareness sink into the vast sea of consciousness.
With just one glance, he saw it.
"Is that… a clone?"
If his inner self could make an expression, Su Zhan's face would be filled with bewilderment.
Beside the slightly larger black cube, a new shadow clone had appeared—different from the others.
It was more ethereal, its form less solid.
Through it, Su Zhan could see every meridian and acupoint clearly.
It sat cross-legged, mirroring his own cultivation posture… like a shadowy version of a human meridian and acupoint diagram brought to life.
"This function… what does it mean?"
Su Zhan stared in surprise.
Then, he noticed something else.
Around the cross-legged clone floated 22 clouds of black mist—no more, no less.
"The perspective mist? Why are you here… circling this one?"
The perspective mist that usually existed separately had somehow gathered here, orbiting the seated clone like satellites around a star, moving silently in unison.
The strange, unfathomable sight left Su Zhan utterly puzzled.
"Go inside and try."
Recalling his previous experiences, Su Zhan attempted to enter the cross-legged clone to investigate… but failed.
"What the hell?"
He tried again.
Same result.
He shifted position—no change.
He backed up, rushed forward, even tried angling in—still nothing.
"No way… what is this new function? Why's it so complicated? At least give me a hint!"
Su Zhan was stumped.
"Master… we can enter…"
The voice came from the clones surrounded by the black mist.
"You can enter?!" Su Zhan was startled.
"Yes, Master… we can feel it," one of the clones replied, its words halting but clear in meaning.
"I see… so this new ability isn't for me directly—it's for the clones to use!"
Realization dawned on Su Zhan, and he felt his excitement rise. "Alright, then—let's have you try it!"
With a mere thought, he gave the command.
The flickering black mist moved forward and entered the cross-legged clone.
In the very next moment—