Chapter 1331: Contesting the Number of Harbors

"Is this cloning?""They actually possess such methods?"The saints, secretly observing this epic battle, were filled with dread. Only now, through the act of cloning, did they grasp the true nature of the potato wall. The section rooted in the ground surprisingly revealed itself as a pair of sexy, long, and shapely feminine legs clad in black stockings, while above the legs sat an adorable potato."This potato, with its appearance, girl's legs, and the way it oozes a wet, potato-like substance to ward off viral intrusion—it's truly uncanny!"

"Are these truly extraordinary offensive and defensive tactics?""They obtained the opponent's blueprint and cloned a cosmic life-form?"The saints began to converse in hushed tones. They wondered if they, too, needed to develop countermeasures. What if their own species were to be cloned? Such thoughts swirled in their minds.

The waves of attacks, from quantum viruses to cloned universes, employed remarkably terrifying and peculiar methods. Even these ancient saints were compelled to acknowledge the opponent's sophisticated tactics and their seasoned expertise in waging evolutionary species wars, which utterly broadened their perspectives. The saints, who had no prior experience in evolving species or engaging in such battles, found themselves up against an opponent displaying such profound mastery that it seemed this was far from their first engagement. Some saints couldn't help but discreetly absorb these lessons, constantly marveling and studying, as they watched, exclaiming in astonishment: "They possess such techniques? This type of combat? You can even play like this? It's simply outrageous!" While such biological PvP species combat was commonplace for players accustomed to the *Spore Evolution* sandbox, it was entirely unprecedented for the saints.

"The 'Tycoon Gold Potato' has been successfully cloned," Akina Mountain Speed reported after careful observation. "It is indeed a plant-type terrestrial creature, quite remarkable, possessing the ability to move on land." Previously, their own universes were composed of marine fish, unable to venture onto land. While they were capable of evolving such traits, in an emergency, waiting for their own terrestrial species to emerge would prove too late; the opponent would have already firmly established themselves, creating an unbreachable stronghold."Now, with the opponent having just settled, we must eliminate them swiftly," Mengmei chuckled. "Since we lack the time to evolve our own terrestrial creatures, we'll simply clone their land-dwelling potatoes! I've observed that their long-legged 'girl potatoes' are incredibly agile and fast, making them ideal for our next wave of assault."

"Not yet," the Alchemy Emperor stated, shaking his head. "The opponent's potato is a defensive plant-based universe. As an offensive unit, even extensive cloning wouldn't enable a breakthrough; it would merely deplete our vast resources.""That's alright," Emperor Qi interjected with a sudden smile. "My new version of the Nine Revolutions Profound Art allows my fish to withstand those projectiles. The sole limitation is their inability to move on land."

Abruptly, these long-legged plant potatoes hoisted a fish, using it as a shield to charge forward. These were Emperor Qi's cosmic clans. Each universe had assimilated the new version of the Nine Revolutions Profound Art, not only allowing for substantial energy storage but also integrating the Green Vine Meridians of the Earth Mother, enabling them to absorb external energy.

The third wave of assault commenced directly. Numerous legged plants, each bearing a wet sea fish as a forward shield, charged frantically. From a distance, the players' expressions shifted slightly. "Attack! Attack now!" they urged. A barrage of energy blasts erupted as countless pea shooters unleashed their cannons. However, the opponent's defenses proved exceptionally formidable. Possessing high concentrations of internal energy, extraordinary regenerative capabilities, and the power to absorb a portion of incoming attacks, they astonishingly endured the ferocious onslaught.

"Is that the main body of Emperor Qi's clan universe?" Zhi Ji exclaimed in surprise. "These are multiple plants rooted in the earth, drawing energy for offense, yet the enemy can still endure for a period."Emperor Zun smiled. "Unlike ordinary universes, their opponent can store immense amounts of energy and possesses formidable natural regenerative abilities, in addition to siphoning off a portion of incoming attack energy for their own use. This combination creates such a terrifying spectacle. Nevertheless, even with such power, they won't last more than ten seconds. After all, they rely on significant energy drawn from the earth, supplemented by the dual supply from the sunflowers behind them."As anticipated, under the furious bombardment, one universe swiftly began to degrade and decay. Yet, in the very next moment, the three universes at the front retreated, replaced by another three, moving forward. Zhi Ji's expression shifted once more. "This is a relay! They're taking turns holding the line, a shield formation. It seems they intend to force a breakthrough."

The very next second, an even more astonishing sight unfolded before her. Several balloons abruptly appeared in the sky, each carrying a fish, having stealthily approached from above."An aerial invasion as well," Zhi Ji remarked, looking skyward. "It's a short-lived gliding species. They even have this maneuver.""There's no need to worry," a voice calmly interjected. Beside them, the Great Octopus, with six tentacles resting on its back and two poised elegantly, spoke plainly: "The Nine Revolutions Profound Art, for all its potent regeneration and external energy absorption, finds its bane in me. Though the opponent may have evolved defensive mechanisms against me, they cannot withstand my unique prowess!""And that fish in the sky will be dealt with directly."

"Transform," he murmured, instantly merging into a colossal octopus universe. Positioning himself beside a pea shooter, he combined his own dark energy with the pea's energy cannon and unleashed a direct blast.A thunderous roar echoed! A black cannonball struck the opponent, which immediately began to reek and decay. Its vibrant life force proved incapable of healing the damage; instead, that very vitality fueled the encroaching death energy, which swiftly grew and consumed the target. In mere moments, an entire universe perished."Retreat! Retreat quickly!" the cosmic clans shrieked, hastily turning to flee.

"The Great Octopus has shot itself in the foot!""How tragic!""This stench is absolutely unbearable.""Run, the septic tank exploded!"This assault resulted in the loss of several universes. Although the beings within these perished universes possessed avatars in others, and saints of the All-Heaven Era were immortal, the destruction of a single universe still represented a monumental loss.From a distance, the secretly observing saints blanched. Witnessing the screams and wails, they felt a chilling thrill, relieved that they were not enduring such torment."What is this now?""It's a singular combat unit; the opponent also possesses such units, imbued with an aura of malevolent death.""That universe, which fled back before its demise and fell into the seawater, has now rendered the waters murky and emits an odor we find repellent, making it impossible to approach."

Many saints perceived this as utterly terrifying and insurmountable. That death-aligned universe, which corrupted bloodlines, was indeed a product of the All-Heaven lineage from the Underworld's cycle of reincarnation. It proved incredibly difficult to confront directly, necessitating specialized spatial or other remote tactics to gradually wear down the enemy."So that octopus was located here?"Upon realizing this, Akina Mountain Speed abandoned the idea of further assault. He chuckled, "His presence in this particular universe means the other eight universes are unguarded by him. Let's proceed to conquer those."Caroline and the others nodded in agreement, stating, "Precisely."With that, they turned and departed without a backward glance.

The Immortal Saint was left speechless. They were fighting so intensely, only to suddenly cease?In contrast, the tower defense players controlling the pea shooters took a deep breath. "This is terrible," they lamented. "They still managed to force us to reveal the Great Octopus's location. They're definitely going to other universes to seize territory now."Their previous tactics could have secured a universe if the Great Octopus hadn't been deployed. After all, the Nine Revolutions Profound Art remained a formidable challenge. Their "dojo" had only just established itself, making its energy utilization extremely inefficient. Meanwhile, the opponent had forcefully developed legs, enabling them to come ashore, and there was no way to resist a direct frontal assault.

"They have proceeded to other universes," Emperor Zun remarked calmly. "However, we cannot relocate the Great Octopus, a strategic weapon, as it might fall prey to their stratagem. Once the Great Octopus universe enters the Sea of Chaos and ventures into other universes, it might never return. It's plausible they already have encirclement tactics prepared, awaiting its entry into the water."Zhi Ji nodded, her astuteness evident. She, too, grasped the broader strategy. "While they reacted incredibly swiftly, the delay has consumed their time. They can now only reach the next universe and exploit its unstable foundation to conquer it. But that's their limit. If they capture one, they won't have time to assault another, because we will surely use this period to solidify our position, firmly rooting ourselves and forging an impenetrable stronghold. Even those highly regenerative fish will eventually be overwhelmed."This was a strategic gamble that had already yielded significant gains. Their current vulnerability stemmed from their recent settlement and unstable foundation. Once granted sufficient time to consolidate, the opponent would find it exceedingly difficult to breach their defenses.

"We have indeed profited," Emperor Zun affirmed with a nod. "However, given their temperament, they will likely split up, with each of the three factions targeting a separate universe to maximize their gains."Zhi Ji, however, merely smiled. What if they seized three universes? Each of their opponents would have one, whereas her own side would command six. It would be no exaggeration to call this a resounding victory! She had never anticipated gaining such an overwhelming advantage from this maneuver! Initially, she had considered securing the nine prime cosmic locations to be a pipe dream. Yet, it had actually succeeded, directly seizing the best ports in six of the nine universes. Was this not a direct leap to becoming the supreme hegemon?"It truly is unbelievable," Zhi Ji chuckled, a sense of surreal wonder washing over her.

However, ill tidings soon arrived."That Demon God has launched a sneak attack, preemptively seizing a universe on the other side? And is now advancing towards a second?" A message caused all players to freeze in stunned silence.The reporting player quickly explained, "It's a water route. The opponent directly instructed the God of Rivers, Lakes, and Seas to open a river, allowing their fish to swim through it and strike directly at our vital points! They've outflanked the sunflowers and pea shooters from behind... they've outmaneuvered us completely."Everyone was taken aback. A water invasion? In *Plants vs. Zombies*, there were not only balloon zombies but also water zombies. How had they overlooked this? Any energy attack launched into the Sea of Chaos was rendered ineffective. The opponent advanced slowly within the river of chaotic seawater, making it impossible for tower defense projectiles to target the creatures within the river.

Zhi Ji was instantly dumbfounded. "It's Wen Meng and Liu Qi, the two who evolved the rivers, lakes, and seas. They must have allied with that Demon God, directly attacking a universe while our attention was diverted."Zhi Ji's voice abruptly grew calm and chilling. "What a cunning scheme. To have such a tactic up their sleeve, a surprise attack from behind.""The enemy seized the first universe very quickly and has already begun advancing towards the second. What should we do?" the player asked anxiously.A sense of urgency pervaded them. After all, water routes were difficult to defend against, and there was a real risk that their occupied territories could fall.

Emperor Zun paused for a moment before smiling. "They intend to carve out a river spanning countless light-years. Even cosmic saints who wield control over fundamental rules would find such an endeavor immensely taxing. They simply cannot create multiple rivers.""We will immediately initiate emergency species evolution for the 'Gate of Hell'—a monumental gate-universe with a beheading blade suspended above its entrance, positioned directly over the river. Anyone who dares to swim through will be summarily executed. Should anyone surface from the water to assault the 'Gate of Hell,' our pea shooters will open fire with a barrage of artillery." Emperor Zun swiftly presented his countermeasure."An excellent idea," Zhi Ji agreed, deeming it the most effective response.