A second-tier initiate, revered as an elder of the Green Mountains by those outside the sect, lived a life vastly different from the common initiates scraping by in crude caves. Their chambers were no longer damp stone cubbies but well-furnished quarters lined with carved bookshelves, fragrant with herbs and alchemical reagents. They no longer fetched water or tended furnaces for others; now, junior initiates bowed in their presence, eager to curry favor. More importantly, they had access, true access. Vaults of rare alchemical formulas, aged journals from long-dead masters, annotated scrolls whispering lost techniques. They were allowed into the lower floors of the Grand Repository, where tiered permissions decided who could read which ancient texts. What a first-tier might glimpse once a year through a cracked door, the second-tier could pore over for days under quiet candlelight. But perhaps the greatest privilege was connection. Other sects treated them as emissaries of the Green Mountains, powerful in both knowledge and influence. Whether trading ingredients, attending auctions, or representing the sect in cross-valley symposiums, they walked like true elders, only a step away from ascending further. Liam's first few days were interesting, considering he had no connections whatsoever with the many worlds of the myriad realms. There was no one queuing up outside his quarters, wanting to give him commission for pill making or potion brewing. Liam did not care. He was happy and content with simply accessing the archives and fulfilling the quota that was required of the second-tier initiates. Day in and day out, he simply continued to study, learn more, meditate on his soul cultivation and practise more alchemy. It was liberating. He was making huge progress. Naturally, no good thing would remain unnoticed. News soon spread that there was a new elder in the second-tier initiate group. Usually, the elders were all completely booked up, no one having empty slots to accept new orders. Now that a new person had popped up several groups quickly flocked over to Liam to place their orders. Surprisingly, Liam was also unavailable. Wondering what was happening, the many groups waited around his living quarters for days and nights. Soon, Liam's door opened. Liam walked out with a smile on his face and seeing the crowd near his home, he casually welcomed them inside, accepting orders one after the other. All the groups were surprised. They had all come from different worlds scattered throughout the sector, and no one had expected a Green Mountain elder to casually accept so many orders. Some even began to feel apprehensive about whether the person was capable or not. However, they could only swallow their doubts and try this one time. Otherwise, they had to return home empty-handed. The various groups once again waited anxiously outside Liam's living quarters, hoping for a miracle to happen. Meanwhile, inside the building, Liam's figure, who had been accepting orders all this time, silently disappeared. Shockingly, another figure walked out from inside. "Not bad for a first try clone. No one even suspected that they were talking to a clone." Liam rubbed his chin in amusement and placed all of the raw materials, the recipes and the order details in his spatial ring. It had taken him a while but he had finally managed to create a soul clone of his own. He had used a combination of techniques he had seen back at the sword palace, along with his knowledge of the myriad constellations technique and finally the knowledge in Green Mountain allowed him to complete the vague technique. However, he was still not satisfied with it. The soul clone was not very stable. It lacked a corporeal body and couldn't exist on its own. The technique needed a lot of refinement. On the plus side he was able to make more than one such soul clone and each clone was able to function extremely well, even hiding the unique soul aura as long as it was only for a few hours. More importantly, all the clones were him and they had the ability to think the same as him. Their cultivation base was only partial but they were still able to think and act independently just like how he would do. And all it would take from his side was a single thought to integrate all of their thinking and see everything from their eyes. They were him and at the same time they could also be independent of him. "I need more techniques to research this." Liam's eyes glinted with determination as more and more ideas started forming in his head. The second tier initiates only had access to so much information in the Green Mountain. Perhaps after he became a second-tier advanced disciple, he could improve his standing in the sect. Liam still needed a lot of time to meditate on his soul strength and his new technique so he did not rush anything. He took a deep breath, and the next second, two soul clones emerged from his body. The soul clones left a sense of weakness within the core of his soul but Liam used it as an opportunity to use the Myraid Constellations technique to further strengthen his soul. "Perhaps a single soul could possess the entirety of a constellation?" he pondered. "Maybe that is the way to make them more stable." Meanwhile, his other two clones immediately started working on the numerous orders they had received. Both clones worked in seamless harmony, their movements crisp and precise as they set up dual alchemical arrays. The room was soon filled with the delicate scent of powdered lotus, flamefruit resin, and starlight flowers. The clones moved quietly, measuring, grinding, infusing with none of the hesitation or clumsiness of assistants. They didn't need instructions. They were Liam. As cauldrons bubbled and the gentle rise of medicinal mist warmed the chamber, Liam sat in a corner, completely still, eyes half-closed. A faint shimmer hovered around his soul core as the Myriad Constellations technique worked in tandem with his depleted spirit. Each clone pulled threads of his essence outward, stretching them like astral filaments. The experiment was dangerous. Overextending a soul could lead to collapse, but Liam wanted to see how far he could go.