Chapter 35: The Expeditionary Force

Li Qingsong had initially used the bodily fluids of the strange birds to cultivate a total of 100 embryos. However, at this moment, only a dozen or so exhibited superior physical qualities; the rest remained unremarkable, and some even showed signs of deformity, clearly indicating a failure in cultivation.

But it did not matter.

This was likely due to his own inadequate extraction and filtration techniques.

That was not important. What mattered was whether the bodily fluids of these strange birds truly possessed higher nutritional value, granting him the potential to cultivate higher-quality clones even at this current stage where his biotechnological capabilities had yet to see a breakthrough.

If he were to further improve his filtration or purification techniques, would that mean he could use the bird fluid as an "additive" to mass-produce higher-quality clones on a large scale?

By then, he would not only possess a larger share of consciousness links, but the average quality of each clone would also improve. This dual enhancement of quantity and quality would allow the brainpower he could command to expand exponentially.

Watching this, Li Qingsong felt a burning fervor in his heart.

Although he did not yet know how many clones these embryos could support once fully grown, Li Qingsong had already made up his mind.

Not a single one of those strange birds that had arrived on Planet Luoshen would escape! He would capture them all!

Some would be slaughtered directly for their fluids, while others would be kept in captivity for research and artificial breeding, only to be slaughtered for their fluids later.

Under these circumstances, Li Qingsong mobilized his clones to manufacture over a hundred more off-road vehicles. He dispatched them all to join the previous reconnaissance fleet, spreading out across the surface of Planet Luoshen to conduct a thorough search.

Across the dimly lit landscape of Planet Luoshen, the off-road vehicles sped forward, scouting the terrain.

Just as one of the vehicles rounded a mountain peak, intending to continue its search, the clone pilot suddenly noticed something unusual.

In the gloomy sky, a bright column of light suddenly appeared.

The beam shot skyward, rising over a hundred meters before abruptly vanishing.

"What is that?"

Filled with curiosity, the clone pressed down on the accelerator, and the vehicle surged forward.

The further they went, the fewer the obstacles, and the more they could see.

The clone then witnessed a truly staggering sight.

It was a small plain nestled between two mountain peaks, with a total area of no more than two hundred square kilometers.

At this moment, the small plain was densely packed with strange birds!

Constantly, hot and bright gas and flames erupted from beneath the birds, propelling them like rockets straight into the air hundreds of meters high. Then, they would either let themselves drift slowly downward or change direction in mid-air, maneuvering like jet aircraft.

Countless birds were taking off and landing continuously, while the ground was so crowded with them that it made the plain look like a bizarre and surreal magical world.

Li Qingsong finally understood.

At this moment, it seemed that all the strange birds that had arrived on Planet Luoshen had gathered on this plain, located about 1,000 kilometers from his main base!

"Why are they all gathered here? Is this..."

After observing for a while, Li Qingsong realized the truth.

It must be the breeding season for these strange birds.

They had all gathered here to court and reproduce!

No wonder they were all congregated in one place!

The birds that kept flying up and down must be the males. They were demonstrating their strength and the richness of their nutritional reserves to the females through these displays, hoping to attract a mate.

The birds on the ground, too lazy to fly, were the females. They watched the performances of the males quietly; those who found a match would move closer to form a pair.

On this plain, Li Qingsong even saw many newly hatched, flightless chicks that relied entirely on the oxygen minerals and organic matter brought back by the adults to survive.

"It makes sense, it all makes sense."

Li Qingsong thought rapidly, "Matter in space is sparse and resources are barren; obviously, it is not suitable for reproduction. Only after finding a resource-rich planet and obtaining supplies can they gain the nutrition necessary to raise the next generation.

"Clearly, Planet Luoshen is the breeding ground they have chosen.

"Once the bird population grows and the resources on Planet Luoshen are exhausted, they will abandon this planet, migrate en masse to another, and begin the cycle of reproduction all over again..."

However, whether the birds were breeding or not held little significance for Li Qingsong. What caught his attention was something else entirely.

Since they had entered the breeding season, it proved that these birds had apparently fully recovered their nutritional status.

And recovered nutrition meant they had regained sufficient flight capability!

Even if they were not yet capable of interstellar travel, they were certainly capable of flying near the planet's surface.

This meant that he was no longer facing over a million ground-bound birds, but rather a million flying monsters.

Li Qingsong’s mind raced, and he made an immediate decision.

"I must mobilize the entire army to eliminate them immediately. Otherwise, as they grow stronger, their flight capabilities improve, and their numbers multiply, I might truly be no match for them."

In an instant, the 1,100 clones currently out on reconnaissance missions—except for those near the bird clusters—had their consciousness links severed, and the connection quotas were reclaimed.

As for their survival, Li Qingsong did not care. The loss of a thousand clones was a price he was willing to pay.

Li Qingsong transferred all the reclaimed link quotas to the backup clones, driving them all to the factory.

At the same time, all scientific research activities were halted. The clones previously involved in research were all reassigned to production.

At this stage, production was paramount; research could wait.

Furthermore, since the birds were all gathered in one place and posed no immediate threat to his base, only a small number of guards were left at the perimeter. The majority of the consciousness links were likewise withdrawn and poured into the factory.

Thus, out of Li Qingsong's total of 21,000 consciousness link quotas, a full 20,500 were dedicated to production.

At this moment, Li Qingsong had truly unleashed his full strength.

Tens of thousands of clones worked in shifts, day and night, without a moment's rest, keeping the machines running at full capacity.

Massive amounts of steel and minerals were transported from other bases and processed rapidly at the main base. Some were fashioned into tanks, armored vehicles, fuel tankers, and logistical support vehicles, while the rest were turned into countless bullets, firearms, and artillery pieces.

After about half a month of intensive production, all the weapons, equipment, and logistical supplies Li Qingsong needed were finally ready.

And so...

"Expeditionary force, move out!"