Title: Infinite Shadows: Rise of the Clone Emperor
*Chapter 1: One Million Shadows
The night was cold and unforgiving. Blackstone City's slums stretched beneath the pale moonlight, a labyrinth of broken homes and shattered dreams.
In a dark alley, Shen Ziyan lay motionless. Blood trickled from a gash on his forehead, soaking into the dirt beneath him. His ribs ached with every breath—a gift from the Iron Wolf Gang.
For as long as he could remember, he had been nothing—a nameless orphan scraping to survive in a world where the strong ruled and the weak were trampled.
His vision blurred, but the bitterness in his heart burned brightly.
"Why… am I always the one suffering?" His fingers trembled as he clawed at the dirt. "Why can't I… fight back?"
A faint glow flared against his chest. The jade pendant, his only possession from the mother he had never known, pulsed with a strange warmth.
Suddenly—
[System Initialization Complete.]
A cold, mechanical voice echoed in his mind.
[Welcome to the Infinite Clone System.]
Shen Ziyan's breath caught in his throat. "A… system?"
In the cultivation world, systems were legendary artifacts—mystical powers that defied the heavens themselves.
A translucent panel appeared before his eyes:
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Host: Shen Ziyan
Cultivation: None (Mortal)
System Ability: Infinite Clone Creation
Clone Limit: 1,000,000
Current Clones: 0
Clone Abilities: Independent Cultivation, Knowledge Sharing, Combat Synchronization
Mission: Survive and Ascend.
---
His heart pounded in disbelief. One million clones?!
"If this is real…" A spark of madness glinted in his eyes. "Then no one will ever step on me again!"
His voice trembled with anticipation. "Create… one million clones!"
The jade pendant blazed like a miniature sun.
A tidal wave of energy exploded from his body. All around him, the air twisted and bent as countless figures emerged from the shadows—each one an exact copy of himself.
Alleyways, rooftops, even the skies above Blackstone City—everything became filled with his clones.
The system's voice echoed again:
[Clones Created: 1,000,000.]
Shen Ziyan staggered to his feet, his blood boiling with excitement. "All of you… cultivate!"
In an instant, a million clones dropped into meditation. Spiritual energy surged like a hurricane, converging on his endless army.
A million cultivators—working for him.
His hands trembled as he opened the system panel:
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Clone Progress:
10,000 Clones: Qi Condensation (1st Layer) – 1%
50,000 Clones: Qi Condensation (2nd Layer) – 0.5%
100,000 Clones: Qi Condensation (3rd Layer) – 0.2%
---
"In just a few hours…" Shen Ziyan's lips curled into a wild smile. "I'll surpass everyone in this wretched city."
A sudden memory flashed—Wei Feng, the Iron Wolf Gang's leader, laughing as he beat him senseless.
"Soon," Shen Ziyan murmured, his voice cold. "I'll make them kneel."
From this moment on, he would no longer be prey.
He would become the shadow no one could escape.
And this… was only the beginning.
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