Clone

He informed⁠‍⁠​​​⁠​​‍​​‍⁠‍​‌‍​​‍​‍‍ the Alliance of the impending Zerg invasion and immediately led the entire Dawn Legion to Eternal Cloud Planet.

This was tantamount to outright betrayal, a declaration of independence that enraged the Alliance’s leadership and destroyed all the political groundwork Pei Changyun had painstakingly laid.

The Illusory God Church took this opportunity to step in, claiming that God would protect humanity and began constructing the Skynet.

They pushed the Dawn Legion to the front lines to stall the Zergs, saying it was to buy time for Skynet’s completion.

Pei Changyun instinctively felt it was a trap, but both Huo Chao and Jiang Jingsheng acknowledged the defense capabilities of Skynet.

Two weeks later, the Dawn Legion suffered a crushing defeat against the Zergs. The Illusory God Church used space shuttle devices to ambush them, resulting in severe casualties and Ye Shu even lost an arm in the attack.

A month later, just three days before the Zergs officially invaded Earth, Pei Changyun received orders from Huo Chao to remain stationed on Eternal Cloud Planet.

[Skynet won’t be completed in time, so if we can’t hold them off and the Zergs invade Earth, we’ll have to execute the final plan.]

[Jiang Jingsheng has prepared enough lifeboats and is already evacuating the population. Zhou Jiuya will assist him.]

[Millions of nuclear warheads are buried on Earth. Once the majority of humanity has been evacuated, I’ll stay behind to detonate them and then return.]

Pei Changyun had a bad feeling, but in the hologram, Huo Chao’s voice was steady and firm, as though he had everything under control.

[Don’t worry. I have the best plan. The Zergs will be drawn to the Gardenia Roses. I’ve been cultivating a large number of them in secret on Eternal Cloud Planet, and they should bloom within the next two days. Changyun, make sure someone delivers them to me on time. I’ll use the flowers to lure the Zergs away and escape successfully.]

After a pause, he emphasized again,

[You’re the only one stationed on Eternal Cloud Planet. You’re responsible for its safety, order, and the survivors’ evacuation. You can’t leave, and since you’re allergic to the pollen, let someone else deliver the flowers.]

Given the situation, the Consul couldn’t leave Eternal Cloud Star. Besides, Huo Chao never acted without certainty and would never lie to him.

So Pei Changyun earnestly nodded.

[Alright, I’ll arrange for them to be delivered as soon as possible.]

Once everything was explained, the holographic communication should have ended. But in such a critical moment, Huo Chao didn’t hang up immediately as he usually did. Instead, he stood there, looking at him.

[…Huo Chao?]

Pei Changyun was puzzled.

[It’s nothing. You just seem very nervous.]

The man in the hologram shook his head with a smile, his gaze soft as he looked at him.

[It’s alright, Changyun. All these hardships will pass. If Earth is gone, we’ll build a new home on Eternal Cloud Planet. Everything will be fine in the future.]

His voice was soft, yet resolute, like a vow.

[—Our dream will definitely come true.]

These words sounded rather ordinary, not exactly the type of stirring or encouraging phrase that would inspire people.

However, Pei Changyun felt a lot more at ease. He nodded and responded earnestly,
[Alright.]

After a few seconds of silence, Pei Changyun clenched his fists slightly and his tone was tinged with nervousness and hesitation.
[Huo Chao, there’s one more thing…]

But at that moment, it seemed Huo Chao was suddenly occupied with something urgent. He turned to speak to someone else, then quickly looked back at Pei Changyun, replying in haste,
[Sorry, I have to go. Is it something urgent?]
[…Not particularly.]

Pei Changyun shook his head.[Go ahead. I’ll wait for you to return.]

The communication was cut off.

Later, the Consul worked tirelessly to defend Eternal Cloud Planet and diligently fulfilled all his responsibilities.

He sought out the best transport pilots and loaded all the Gardenia Roses onto the ship, preparing to send them to Huo Chao on Earth.

[—Our dreams will come true.]

But in the last moment, for reasons unknown, Huo Chao’s final words suddenly surfaced in Pei Changyun’s mind.

What was that man’s dream?

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To break free from all chains and restraints, to become the free and boundless wind.

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In the end, Pei Changyun could only use his mecha to delived the Gardenia Roses to Huo Chao.

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[Huo Chao…]

[HUO CHAO—!!!]

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At the same moment, Huo Xianfeng was calling out that name too. Unlike Pei Changyun’s dream, he was attempting to reach his supposedly deceased friend through the Zergs’ spiritual network.

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Where there was light, there was life—it meant he was still alive.

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What Huo Xianfeng truly connected to wasn’t Huo Chao but the neural fluid injected into Huo Chao’s body and fused with him.

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Still, there was no response.

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A cold, sterile laboratory.

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Bernard.

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The moment Huo Xianfeng took control of the body, a shrill alarm blared throughout the laboratory—

“Warning! Warning! Abnormal spike in clone’s mental threshold detected!”
“Warning! Warning! Abnormal spike in clone’s mental threshold detected!”
“Warning! Warning! Abnormal spike in clone’s mental threshold detected!”

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This wasn’t Huo Chao. It was Huo Chao’s clone.

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Tubes were densely embedded all over him.

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Pain…

Excruciating pain…

Huo Xianfeng pressed his hand against the glass in front of him, trembling uncontrollably.

Why did it hurt so much?

It wasn’t just his mind—it was his entire body.

Every part of this body was wracked with searing pain, as if it were being forced to grow endlessly, with every cell dividing and multiplying frantically under compulsion.

“What’s happening?! Why is the test subject awake?”
“Check the neural fluid and growth factor ratios—figure out what went wrong!”
“Mr. Bernard, the mental threshold is spiking—it’s already beyond our measurable limits!”
“That’s impossible! Even the original Huo Chao never reached this level. It’s almost… almost like the one back then…”
“…”

Huo Xianfeng heard hurried, chaotic footsteps approaching from all directions, accompanied by their loud and disorganized discussions. This scene was painfully familiar—he knew it all too well.

Slowly, Huo Xianfeng clenched his fists.

This was Huo Chao’s clone, connected to him only because it had been injected with the neural fluid of the Zerg King.

But this wasn’t Huo Chao. Huo Chao was dead. And now, they had created a counterfeit…

This was an insult.

An ultimate, unforgivable insult.

Anger surged through Huo Xianfeng. Suppressed hatred erupted anew, filling his chest like molten lava.

He clenched his fists tightly, and in the next moment—

Bang!!!

The incubation chamber shook violently. The loud crash pierced through even the blaring alarms.

Everyone froze in shock. They stared in disbelief at the test subject, who had not only opened his eyes but had punched the glass panel of the chamber.

Crack!

A fine crack appeared where his fist struck the glass.

The young man coldly lifted his gaze, and within his dark black pupils was an unrestrained killing intent.

Bernard instinctively took a step back and his aged voice suddenly seemed heavy.
“Inject the sedative immediately! Activate the containment wall, and notify the security team—”

Boom—!

At the same time, the ceiling opened, and a massive, specially designed defense wall descended, separating the two sides.

Two researchers, who had been standing too close to the incubation chamber, failed to escape to the other side in time and ended up trapped in the same section as Huo Xianfeng.

“Wait! Wait!!!”

They pounded frantically on the wall, their faces pale with panic.
“We—we haven’t gotten out yet!!!”

But no one paid attention to them. Bernard, already surrounded by a group of people, retreated swiftly into a secure passageway.

Bang!
Bang, bang, bang!!!

Despite the searing pain, Huo Xianfeng continued to pound on the cracked area relentlessly. This wasn’t his own body—it wasn’t strong enough.

After a few seconds, he closed his eyes. The blood-red Holy Stigmata on his chest radiated outward from his heart, spreading rapidly across his body and creeping up the side of his face like growing, bloody thorns.

Huo Chao had mastered the use of the Holy Stigmata. Naturally, Huo Xianfeng, having studied it, could use it too.

Unfamiliar yet familiar power surged from the mark. Huo Xianfeng opened his eyes, his gaze icy and menacing.

In the next moment—

Boom!!!

The deafening sound of shattering glass drowned out all other noise. Nutrient fluid burst forth like a raging flood, mixed with countless shards of tempered glass.

Then, from the shattered chamber, the naked young man stepped out with bold, determined strides.