I am the Clone of a Death Row Inmate

”Three materials for one question.”

”I’m not haggling with you. If you can’t accept that, then forget it.”

Su Ze knew he couldn’t let Mu Wang lead him by the nose.

”Alright, one material per question, then,” Mu Wang hurriedly agreed.

”As a show of good faith, pay a deposit first,” Su Ze said.

”What do you mean?”

”Answer one of my questions first.”

Mu Wang hesitated for a moment before saying, ”What question?”

”What is the Nian Race’s true purpose for invading Blue Star?” This was what Su Ze had wanted to know most of all.

”This concerns a secret of our people. I cannot tell you,” Mu Wang said, feigning righteousness.

Su Ze scoffed. ’He doesn’t believe for a second that Mu Wang is that loyal. He’s just worried that if he answers, he’ll lose his biggest bargaining chip.’

’The only way to get Mu Wang to answer that question would be to actually find him a suitable body.’

”Fine. Then tell me the true purpose of the Divine Dice,” Su Ze said, asking a different question.

He didn’t ask about the mysterious legacy or the puzzle pieces; those were things he couldn’t afford to get involved with at his current power level.

”There’s no harm in telling you this. The Divine Dice is a machine that allows our Nian Race commanders to select new bodies for their resurrection. You could call it a safeguard we provide for them.

”After a Nian Race soldier becomes a commander, they will condense a Bloodline Crystal to be left on our home world. If they fall in battle, the clan elders collect their remnant soul and place it inside the Bloodline Crystal prepared beforehand. Finally, the Bloodline Crystal is placed into what you call the ’Divine Dice.’

”Then, we select planetary civilizations that are dominated by intelligent life, have awakened the power of evolution, but are at a relatively low evolutionary level. We then deploy the Divine Dice to those worlds...”

Su Ze knew what happened next, even without Mu Wang saying it.

’The intelligent life on those planets must have been just like the humans on Blue Star, treating the Divine Dice as a trial ordained by the gods and sending their most elite talents into it.’

’Who could have possibly imagined that all these talents were just becoming new vessels for the resurrection of Alien Divine Spirits?’

Perhaps as a gesture of goodwill to ease the tension between them, Mu Wang added generously, ”I’ll throw in another piece of information for free. The Divine Dice can detect a planet’s evolutionary level and make adjustments based on the strength of its most powerful inhabitant.

”Take this time, for instance. The anomaly before the Divine Dice activated was because it detected god-level energy fluctuations on Blue Star. It suspected a life form had completed its seventh evolution and achieved godhood, so it increased the trial’s difficulty and made a Main General’s Bloodline Crystal obtainable.”

The Bloodline Crystal Su Ze had obtained in the Divine Dice came from a Nian Race Main General. In other words, no one before him had ever acquired a Main General’s Bloodline Crystal.

As for Mu Wang, Su Ze had learned from memory fragments when absorbing his Bloodline Crystal that Mu Wang had only been a Deputy General in his past life.

’So the Divine Dice’s anomaly was because it detected god-level energy fluctuations... Was it that sponge in the ocean?’

Su Ze immediately thought of the New King Sponge. It must have been on the verge of reaching god-level, causing the Divine Dice to change.

He feigned a casual tone and asked, ”The Bloodline Crystals in the Divine Dice are divided into three tiers. The top tier is for a Main General’s Bloodline Crystal. So, which tier were you on?”

”I’m a Deputy General, so I was placed on the second tier. I wouldn’t even consider a body unless it had clear potential to reach godhood. I have to admit, the body I possessed was certainly impressive. A pity...

”The third tier is for lesser commanders. As long as the aptitude is decent and there’s a sliver of hope for reaching godhood, they’ll take it.”

Su Ze seized the opportunity to ask, ”How do you determine if someone has the potential to reach godhood? No evolver on Blue Star has become a god yet. What are the requirements and conditions?”

”You’d better bring some materials before asking those questions.” When it came to such valuable information, he immediately clammed up.

Su Ze wasn’t bothered. He continued trying to get information for free, asking some questions that seemed less valuable:

”I just heard you say this remnant soul of yours came from a ’Sun God.’ What is a Sun God?”

Mu Wang didn’t conceal anything this time, answering readily, ”Of course, there are divisions within the god-level. A god who has evolved seven times is called a ’Star God.’ Evolving eight times makes you a ’Moon God,’ and nine times, a ’Sun God.’”

”I see.” Su Ze nodded, processing the information: Mu Wang had been a Deputy General in his past life, a rank below a Main General.

’Since a Main General is a ’Sun God,’ then Mu Wang himself was most likely a ’Moon God’ who had evolved eight times.’

After that, Su Ze tried to probe for more information with a few indirect questions, but Mu Wang refused to say anything else.

So, Su Ze put the jade stone away.

’He certainly couldn’t trust Mu Wang completely. When it came to critical information, he wouldn’t dare believe it even if Mu Wang was willing to talk.’

’Still, for now, this was his best channel for learning about the Nian Race.’

He wasn’t foolish enough to immediately run off and help Mu Wang gather the materials. Working with Mu Wang was like asking a tiger for its hide—he had to be extremely careful.

After some thought, Su Ze immediately set off to find Liou Wenxin.

「...」

Arriving at Liou Wenxin’s laboratory, Su Ze handed her the milk tea he had just bought. ”Wenxin,” he said, ”can you help me figure out what these materials are used for?”

He then listed the materials Mu Wang had asked him to collect for Liou Wenxin.

Liou Wenxin’s brow furrowed as she listened. ”I only know the specific effects of two of these,” she said. ”I’ve heard of a few of the others but don’t know what they do, and the rest I’ve never even heard of. Where did you get the names for these materials?”

She was incredibly knowledgeable and had a photographic memory, so there were very few materials she wasn’t aware of. For Su Ze to list several at once was bound to make her curious.

Su Ze had nothing to hide, so he explained that Mu Wang’s consciousness had reawakened.

Liou Wenxin thought for a moment, then said, ”That’s very strange. The two materials I know of are indeed used in applications related to the soul, but they aren’t for repairing it. On the contrary, they have a detrimental effect. They can actually harm the soul!”

Su Ze was baffled. ’What would Mu Wang want with materials like that?’

”Let me consult some of my senior colleagues who specialize in evolutionary materials. I’ll see if they know anything,” Liou Wenxin said.

The top evolutionary scientists had their own circles and often discussed difficult problems together.

”Okay.” Su Ze nodded and waited to the side, his mind racing as he tried to figure out Mu Wang’s purpose for wanting those materials.

A little over half an hour later, Liou Wenxin finished her discussions with numerous colleagues and returned to Su Ze’s side.

”I found out the specific functions for two of the materials, and we figured out the probable uses for two others. Without exception, all of these materials affect the soul, and they all have a negative impact...

”You could say these are all high-grade, toxic materials. If even a Saint-level evolver were to ingest one by mistake, they’d likely be reduced to a mindless simpleton, losing all self-awareness.”

Su Ze’s brow furrowed. He racked his brain, trying to deduce Mu Wang’s intentions.

’Is Mu Wang trying to kill himself? Or turn himself into a simpleton?’

’Impossible. That guy values his life far too much.’

’Wait a minute...’

’Lose self-awareness?’

Su Ze felt like he had just grasped a key point!

Mu Wang didn’t have the power to destroy the consciousness of that Nian Race Main General. He had only managed to fuse with a portion of it.

Mu Wang was only in the dominant position because the Main General’s consciousness hadn’t fully awakened from its slumber.

’But what happens if the Main General’s consciousness fully awakens?’

’Will Mu Wang still be the one in control?’

’Or... will he be devoured by the Main General’s consciousness?!’

After all, Mu Wang was a full life level lower than the Main General.

Su Ze instantly understood Mu Wang’s goal. He wanted to use materials that damage consciousness to wear down and destroy the Main General’s consciousness.

No wonder he was in such a hurry. For him, every day was a countdown. The moment that Nian Race Main General—that Sun God powerhouse—fully awakens, Mu Wang’s consciousness will inevitably be consumed.

With this, he now had Mu Wang right where he wanted him.

Su Ze couldn’t help but break into a smile.