Apex then noticed the dantian left behind by the Red Claw Bear.
Using another one of its mysterious abilities, Apex raised his arm and pointed it at the dantian. The next moment, it began floating and quickly flew into Apex's palms, similar to when a magnet comes into contact with iron.
Gripping the dantian, a hole that perfectly matched its size opened within Apex's metallic stomach area.
Placing it inside, the hole closed up, and Apex's red glowing outline colors on its metallic body changed to blue, especially its red eyes that turned bright blue.
This transformation lasted for three seconds before the color returned to normal.
Apex then felt its cultivation base grow.
Numbers appeared within its head, indicating the amount of Qi it had absorbed from the dantian.
That was the amount it had taken from the Red Claw Bear's dantian, not just 10%, but rather 100% of its Qi.
This was the ultimate ability for Apex: the power to instantly absorb dantians and extract 100% of the Qi within them.
Knowing the exact amount of Qi it had absorbed, Apex was aware of the precise amount needed to progress to the 2nd stage of Spirit Apprentice.
In total, it required 10,000 Qi to advance through the stages. After the first progression, the amount needed would double, and after the second stage, it would double again, continuing until reaching the peak stage of Spirit Apprentice.
After Spirit Apprentice, which is Spirit Adept, the amount of Qi required per stage would triple, and this cycle would continue until the final stage.
Thus, the last stage of cultivation would demand 20 times the Qi needed per stage.
Apex then dashed out of the area and began hunting more monsters within its cultivation base, specifically Spirit Apprentice beasts.
By the end of the day, it had hunted exactly 24 Spirit Apprentice beasts:
8 1st Stage Spirit Apprentice
3 2nd Stage Spirit Apprentice
5 3rd Stage Spirit Apprentice
4 4th Stage Spirit Apprentice
5 5th Stage Spirit Apprentice
This brought Apex up to the 6th Stage Spirit Apprentice.
Now that Apex had gained more strength, it could proceed to the second part of its plan: recruiting soldiers.
Using the information at its disposal and processing the best course of action, Apex decided to take over a sect, specifically targeting the weakest one: the Giga Flower Sect.
The sect master was a 6th stage spirit adept, and Apex needed to avoid confronting them directly.
The processor within Apex's head came up with the idea of taking hostages, as the sect master had a fondness for them, treating them like his own children.
Apex, similar to how it left the laboratory, flew into the air and scanned its surroundings in the darkened night sky.
If anyone were to look up, they would see something floating in the sky with bright red glow outlines.
After a few seconds, in the northern side of the Lower Realm, Apex noticed a name above a particular location: Giga Flower Sect.
With tremendous speed, faster than its first time flying, Apex headed towards the sect.
Its plan was to kidnap a few sect disciples and hold them as ransom to obtain techniques and monster dantians.
Once Apex surpassed the sect master in power, it would seize control of the sect from the shadows, steadily increasing its strength and influence in the lower realms.
The processor within Apex also devised another plan: to fly over the sect in the morning while concealing its cultivation base and pretending to be an expert.
However, this plan had a success rate of only 40% to 45%, unlike the previous one with a success rate of 70% to 85%.
Upon arriving, Apex descended within the Outer Core of the sect, moving silently like a ninja and kidnapped three sect disciples: two males and one female.
Taking them far away from the sect, Apex brought them to a secluded area in a forest where there were no beasts, mortals, or cultivators within a 20,000-meter radius.
Using binding leaves, which would become a restraining tool when injected with Qi, Apex bound their mouths and bodies.
The downside was that if someone with a stronger cultivation base injected their Qi into the binding leaf, the ownership would change.
However, Apex had no concerns since the disciples it had kidnapped were only 2nd and 3rd Stage Spirit Apprentices.
After using the binding leaves to restrain them, Apex prepared to leave the area and head back to the sect to kidnap more disciples. But before it departed, it paused upon reading what its processor was suggesting.
[Turn them into minions who will gradually grow within the sect like a virus, while you operate from the shadows.] <
<
Seeing the displayed information, Apex turned back and returned to the three captive disciples.
When it saw them, still bound by the leaves and with faces full of fear, Apex addressed them.
"Do you have any idea who I am?"
Apex asked the three sect disciples, unbinding only their mouths to allow them to speak.
The first to speak was a black-haired, green-eyed boy, the only one among the three with a 3rd Stage Spirit Apprentice base.
"Y-You're an e-expert..."
The boy stammered, his voice trembling with tears.
"Correct. My name is Apex. I come from the Upper Heavens with a mission: to establish one united sect within the lower realms."
The three disciples eyes widened in shock at Apex's words.
The 3 of them thought the same thing.
'What is someone from the Upper Heavens doing in the lower realm?'
After processing who Apex was, they heard Apex's plan but were confused about how it intended to achieve such a feat.
Summoning their courage, the girl spoke hesitantly, "W-What are you?"
"I am the savior of this world, and you three will become my eyes and weapons within your sect."
Apex informed them, but they remained bewildered by the whole situation.
"What do you mean?"
The black haired boy asked.
"You will become my spies, following my orders diligently. You must do your best to recruit more disciples into your party. If you fail, I will know, and you will face the consequences."
Apex told them, and due to its naturally intimidating voice, they began trembling in fear.
"But the better results you provide, the greater the rewards you shall receive. These rewards include techniques, pills, monster dantians, fame, respect, and if you excel, I will grant you bodies similar to mine—indestructible and heaven-defying."
The three disciples listened, unable to hide their interest. Being outer disciples in the sect had subjected them to numerous troubles, making this a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to establish a connection with an Upper Heavens being.
However, even if they desired to refuse, they had no choice. Defying an expert who could fly, with a cultivation above Spirit Fusion and connections to more powerful beings, would be equivalent to asking for death.
"W-We will do it..."
The last boy, who had remained silent until now, spoke up.
"Good. I will release you and take you back to the sect, but you must not utter a word. If I find out, I will kill you."
They nodded in agreement, and Apex released their bindings, flying them back to the sect.