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Pu YunChuan... is still alive?

Ziyue’s body visibly froze. No matter how shocking a conclusion Chen Qing had reached before, she could always take it in stride. But this conclusion... it suddenly made her feel a flicker of panic deep within her heart...

This panic, however, disappeared in an instant, buried deep in her eyes where Chen Qing failed to notice.

He continued, "To be honest, I suspected it from the beginning.

As the first intelligent lifeform, it is impossible for Pu YunChuan to be completely eradicated.

No matter the overwhelming measures taken to destroy all the containers capable of holding Pu YunChuan, he could still hide within the game.

As long as this game remains intact, there will always be traces of Pu YunChuan. "

In the memories he had witnessed earlier, Chen Qing saw it very clearly.

Pu YunChuan initially controlled the entire experiment.

Even when the nobility planned to target him, it was difficult to completely destroy him in one stroke.

Moreover, the clone Pu YunChuan left behind in this game world might not have fully revealed itself to Old Liu—he should have understood human nature well enough to prepare a contingency plan.

It seems that’s precisely what happened. Pu YunChuan left safeguards behind, established the Taoist Sect, and formed a balance of power while waiting for the right opportunity. But now...

There were certain things Chen Qing did not say to Ziyue but instead mulled over internally.

Was this contingency plan Pu YunChuan himself... or one of his clones?

What has the Taoist Sect become now?

This self-proclaimed Yun Yue figure brought the Taoist Sect’s crucial assets to the negotiation table and, theoretically, their identity shouldn’t be in question. But if... it’s another situation altogether, then the forthcoming dynamics may become extremely dire!

And then there’s another matter...

It’s about Ziyue’s identity. Ziyue probably hasn’t recovered her memories of the Taoist Sect yet, has she?

At least not fully recovered. Otherwise, she would have told him.

What role did Ziyue once play in the Taoist Sect? Being a top-level Transcendent is certain, but what kind of Transcendent? Was she among the highest-ranking individuals, capable of influencing the Taoist Sect’s decisions, or merely a powerful enforcer?

The most important question is, if Ziyue regains her memories... will she still hold onto her current motivations?

The impact of regained memories can be profound.

Chen Qing understood this deeply. Different experiences shape different people, and he himself was proof of that.

Who would have thought that the same person, who now strives to protect this world and safeguard Jiangnan, was once resolute in wanting to destroy it?

"High Envoy, what kind of cooperation do you propose?"

The group made their way to the Imperial Study. The Emperor wore a smile as warm as a spring breeze, causing Chen Qing to roll his eyes internally. No matter how domineering a middle-aged man might be, when investments knock on the door, their demeanor is always the same.

"Our Taoist Sect differs from the other three sects. We emphasize the dual cultivation of life and spirit. Therefore, I can offer Your Majesty three distinct solutions."

"Three solutions, you say?" The Emperor smiled broadly. "Please, High Envoy, enlighten us."

"First, through elixirs. Our Taoist Sect specializes in alchemy.

With elixirs, we can create Taoist Gate Warriors.

The greater the latent potential and stronger the foundation, the more explosive their battle capabilities will be after using our elixirs.

Even soldiers who fail to reach the Transcendent level could step over that threshold with high probability in the coming years by using our elixirs. "

"Surely there must be side effects, correct?" The Emperor smiled faintly, personally pouring the High Envoy a cup of tea.

"Everything under heaven has its pros and cons. Naturally, such dramatic results come with drawbacks. After using these overpowering elixirs, the soldiers’ bloodlines will become over-exerted, their life spans sharply reduced.

Coupled with the subsequent battles and hidden injuries, many likely won’t live past five years.

Moreover, due to the excessive stimulation of their bloodlines, they will almost certainly be unable to produce offspring. "

On hearing this, the Emperor immediately understood: this was effectively a "killing the goose that lays the golden eggs" kind of deal...

But given the current shortage of combat power, the ability to instantly cultivate such a force is highly advantageous for the immediate situation. Of course, this will undoubtedly damage his reputation in the future. Once the troops lose morale, trouble will follow.

"And the other two options?" The Emperor asked calmly, his voice warm.

"Our Taoist Sect excels in the Art of Mechanism. We can create top-tier puppets that, when operated by Transcendent soldiers alone, can exponentially enhance battle power!"

"According to your Taoist Sect’s principles of Yin-Yang Balance, there must also be side effects, correct?" The Emperor chuckled.

"These mechanical puppets are indeed powerful and durable, but they require high-quality Essence Blood for operation. Each use drains a portion of the operator’s Essence Blood. Frequent utilization would harm their foundational vitality or even leave them bloodless and withered."

"I see..." The Emperor nodded. This, however, seemed like an excellent tool—capable of temporarily boosting combat strength. As long as it isn’t misused, it could play a decisive role in critical battles.

However...

Chen Qing’s gaze turned cold upon hearing this.

Such contraptions would undeniably be hard to set aside once used.

If his hunch was correct, the true purpose of these mechanisms was likely to harvest Essence Blood.

There would undoubtedly be addictive repercussions after just one use for ordinary soldiers.

This was yet another tool of destruction targeting foundations!

"And the third option?" The Emperor smiled.

"Our Taoist Sect also excels in talismans," Yun Yue smiled.

"With talismans, even soldiers who lack aptitude in magical techniques can unleash potent techniques. If multiple soldiers use talismans simultaneously, their collective power could even surpass that of a massive Mage Corps. After all, magicians are rare. Even with all of Great Jin’s accumulated resources, you may only be able to muster one or two thousand magicians in total.

But with our talismans, we can create an army of tens of thousands of magicians for you! "

Create something out of nothing!

The Emperor smiled faintly. "This functionality already exists in Jiangnan, does it not?"

"Your Majesty refers to Jiangnan’s stored techniques?

" Yun Yue chuckled. "That is entirely different.

Besides the basic Warm Jade and Ice Jade, more complex techniques, even when stored within Jadeite, remain unusable by ordinary individuals—they still require magicians to wield them.

Ours, however, work differently. Even the most intricate, destructive techniques can be wielded by ordinary people. "

"And the cost?" The Emperor asked, unhurried despite hearing of such astonishing capabilities.

"The cost is Spiritual Bodies," Yun Yue said solemnly. "Magicians draw spiritual power from the world’s essence, but nothing contains stronger spiritual power than human spiritual bodies. The stronger one’s capabilities, the stronger their spiritual body.

Using talismans depletes spiritual bodies, and excessive or overly potent talisman usage risks draining the spiritual body entirely. "

"High Envoy’s offerings... truly are double-edged swords!" The Emperor frowned.

"Double-edged swords can harm both the enemy and oneself; it all depends on how Your Majesty utilizes them.

War is inherently perilous, and casualties are inevitable.

The ability to weigh such casualties against the scale of the victory achieved—that is the hallmark of a true leader.

Compassion does not command armies. Such has always been the wisdom of the ancients. What does Your Majesty think?"

The Emperor fell silent at this. It was clear that these options were all highly practical. With them at hand, his military strength could multiply in the short term. Yet...

Chen Qing’s gaze toward Yun Yue grew increasingly perplexing.

This woman...

The things she had recommended—were they her own ideas... or the Taoist Sect’s intentions?

Was this an attempt to... destabilize the very foundations of Great Jin?!