Swallowed Star: The Sacred Eye of Duplication

In Hong's reception room, Ye Yun set down his teacup and glanced at the screen, where the announcement meeting had just ended. With a smile, he turned to Hong and said,

"The current Earth Alliance only exists because of our overwhelming strength. It's impossible for them to be completely united right away—everyone still has their own agendas.

But this is just the beginning. Over time, they'll come to realize the benefits of integration. After years of working together, the Earth Alliance will transform into a true community of shared interests, and we won't need to worry about it anymore."

Hong nodded, picturing the future Ye Yun described. As long as Ye Yun remained in the background, keeping everything under control, there wouldn't be any major incidents. He shifted his gaze to the screen, watching Zhuge Tao step off the stage, and spoke thoughtfully,

"I'm not too concerned about the Earth Alliance's development, but are you sure about your choice of leader? I know Zhuge Tao—he used to be a supervisor at the Extreme Martial Arts School in Jiangnan Base City. His brother is a God of War. He's competent within the school, but is it really appropriate for him to take on such a crucial position all of a sudden?"

Ye Yun simply smiled, keeping his thoughts to himself.

Zhuge Tao's name would one day be known across the heavens and worlds. He possessed an extraordinary secret technique that allowed him to identify true geniuses. If such a talent wasn't given the opportunity to fully utilize his abilities, wouldn't that be a tremendous waste?

"Brother Hong, I know Director Zhuge better than you do. Over the years, he's worked with and supported many promising young warriors—Luo Feng and I included. His ability to recognize potential is unmatched.

I appointed him as the leader of the Earth Alliance primarily for his role in training the next generation of warriors. With Director Zhuge guiding them, Earth's future will be even stronger than before!"

Hong was surprised. He hadn't expected Zhuge Tao to possess such an ability or to have recognized Ye Yun and Luo Feng's talents so early on. Any lingering doubts faded, and he continued discussing the Earth Alliance's future development with Ye Yun.

Zhuge Tao returned to his private lounge—a spacious but sparsely furnished room with only a few sofas and a coffee table. On one of the sofas lounged a man in blue, his posture relaxed.

Seeing Zhuge Tao enter, the man showed no deference to the newly appointed 'head of the Earth Alliance' and greeted him with a grin.

"Zhuge, Typhoon's great! Here, this is from Ye Yun. We have three more days of leisure—after that, we'll be swamped!"

Zhuge Tao's face twitched involuntarily. Years of maintaining his dignified supervisor's demeanor almost crumbled in an instant. Knowing he'd have to work with this man from now on, he sighed inwardly but still responded in a steady voice,

"Thank you, Councillor Gu."

On the glass coffee table sat an open box. Inside, two emerald-green crystals and five white crystals emitted a rich, grain-like aroma. Just from a single breath, Zhuge Tao felt a long-standing bottleneck at the high-level general rank loosen ever so slightly.

Gu Ye stretched lazily and spoke,

"Zhuge, these green crystals contain the 'Thousand-Year Willow Heart'—a spirit of plants. Drinking its essence should allow you to break through to the God of War level. With consistent training, another dose will help you reach the High-level God of War stage.

As for the five white crystals, I'll tell you what they're for once you get there."

Gu Ye's casual words sent shockwaves through Zhuge Tao's mind. The excitement he felt at receiving these treasures far surpassed his emotions upon becoming the Earth Alliance leader.

For years, he had been stuck at the high-level general stage, unable to advance. It had been both a regret and a source of frustration. Now, with this simple gift, that roadblock had suddenly disappeared.

Beyond the thrill, he felt a deep sense of relief and satisfaction.

Thanks to his brother, a God of War, he had secured the position of director at the Extreme Martial Arts School in Jiangnan Base City and become one of its four most influential figures. However, he had never been content with just that. He had actively mentored young warriors, offering guidance and support whenever possible.

Today, all his efforts had finally paid off.

He sank into a sofa, exhaling as he reflected,

"Who would've thought that the young man from back then would reach such heights? Since Ye Yun has entrusted us with this responsibility, Councillor Gu, we must not let him down!"

Gu Ye nodded, his usual lazy demeanor giving way to a rare moment of seriousness.

"Indeed. I always knew he had the potential of a dragon, but I didn't expect him to soar this high, this fast. Ye Yun's vision is far beyond anyone else's. We must work together to ensure his efforts aren't wasted!"

Ye Yun and Hong continued their discussions for over an hour, mapping out both short-term plans and long-term goals for the Earth Alliance.

As their conversation wound down, Hong hesitated before asking,

"Ye Yun, are you really going through with the global evolution plan? That will require an enormous amount of resources—especially purple light dew. Distributing it worldwide would be unimaginably expensive. Are you sure you can handle the cost?"

Over the past two days, Hong had used the virtual universe's anonymous consciousness sensor—brought back by Ye Yun—to explore the network and gather intelligence. Based on his calculations, the initial costs alone would be staggering, with ongoing expenses to follow.

He couldn't fathom how Ye Yun, even as a star-level warrior, could afford such a massive undertaking.

Ye Yun replied firmly,

"Brother Hong, Earth's genetic level is currently so low that even most adults can't reach the apprentice rank. The sooner we begin genetic optimization, the better. Once the first batch is complete, subsequent investments will be smaller, creating a self-sustaining cycle that will only strengthen future generations.

As for the costs, don't worry. I've considered everything carefully. There won't be any problems!"

Seeing Ye Yun's unwavering confidence, Hong didn't press further. A soft chime from his auxiliary light brain interrupted their conversation. After checking the message, Hong's expression turned slightly intrigued.

"Ye Yun, the person you were looking for—Li Lanqing—has arrived. You still haven't told me why you want to meet her."

Noticing the curiosity on Hong's face, Ye Yun smiled helplessly.

"Brother Hong, don't overthink it. I won't do anything to her—I just have something to confirm."

Hong chuckled, shook his head, and stood up. He opened the reception room door, allowing Li Lanqing to step inside. She looked confused as she entered.

After exchanging a glance with Ye Yun, Hong left quietly, shutting the door behind him.

Ye Yun gestured toward a seat.

"It's been a while. Please, have a seat."

Li Lanqing, with her short hair neatly styled, studied Ye Yun carefully. She hadn't seen him in over two years. A mix of curiosity and nervousness played across her face.

"Ye Yun—no, Councillor Ye—what do you want to talk about?"

Although Ye Yun hadn't been in direct contact with her, he had gathered some background information. Her grandfather was a lone senator-level warrior, though his strength had stagnated at the planetary first level due to age and declining potential. He had strong ties to China and had been considering joining them in recent years.

It was this background that had made Li Lanqing and her peers dismiss Lei Meng so easily in the past.

Before coming here, she had learned of Ye Yun's current status. She had struggled to believe it, but standing before him now, she could feel the overwhelming presence he radiated. A nervous tension crept into her posture.

Ye Yun smiled warmly.

"Relax! There's nothing urgent. Just think of this as an old friend catching up. Your grandfather once helped me, and I never got the chance to properly thank him."

Under Ye Yun's calming presence, Li Lanqing gradually let her guard down. She wasn't sure why he had called her here, but her simple nature led her to stop overthinking it.

Under Ye Yun's guidance, Li Lanqing gradually relaxed. Although she still didn't know the reason Ye Yun had called her, she was simple-minded and no longer overthought it. She began chatting with him.

While they talked, Ye Yun asked Momoyu to perform a thorough scan of Li Lanqing. After about 20 minutes, Momoyu's voice echoed in Ye Yun's mind: "Dad, I didn't find anything unusual. This human female seems normal. She's at the sixth level of apprenticeship with a 5% chance of advancing to planetary level."

Ye Yun had expected this result, but he still felt a bit disappointed. He didn't believe he had made the wrong judgment, though. Li Lanqing resembled Luo Xia from Qiulong Star too much—there had to be a significant secret behind her.

After thinking for a moment, an idea struck Ye Yun. He activated the Eye of Copy and scanned Li Lanqing, who was smiling and chatting in front of him.

However, as the scan progressed, Ye Yun felt something odd. Normally, when he used the Eye of Copy on others, it would capture their talents, experiences, and insights, allowing him to copy them. But with Li Lanqing, he felt no reaction at first, as if she didn't even exist.

This sensation lasted for about ten seconds, before a 0.01% progress bar appeared in his consciousness. A familiar pain followed. Horrified, Ye Yun immediately stopped the scan. In that brief instant, his sea of consciousness had suffered serious injury, and his face turned pale.

Li Lanqing noticed Ye Yun's sudden change and hurriedly asked, "Ye Yun, what's wrong?"

Ye Yun waved his hand, gave Li Lanqing a deep look, and whispered, "I'm fine. Let's call it a day. When you go back, please give my regards to your grandfather."

...

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