Chapter 276: Manifold Barrier

Chapter 276: Manifold Barrier

Ji Xinghuo calmed down. However, when he saw the transaction prices of the other two Heaven's Treasure Diamonds, which were less than 500 points of Eternal Daylight Merit, he felt a bit disappointed.

He had underestimated the value of merit; 1,500 points was too high a bid.

Next time, a bid of 1,000 points of Eternal Daylight Merit should still be enough to secure the win.

"I still have 1,700 merit points left," Ji Xinghuo said as he took out his Eternal Daylight badge to check his balance. He had spent a total of 105 Aether Crystals and 1,800 merit points on the Black Eternal Crystal Battle Bow and the Heaven's Treasure Diamond. If he wanted to bid for another Treasure Diamond, he had more than enough merit, but not enough Aether Crystals.

"I need to find a way to earn more Aether Crystals," he thought to himself. The Heaven's Treasure Diamond was such a valuable item that one could never have too many.

Although he could only use one himself, he had family and friends who could benefit from them as well.

He could also sell them or trade them for other treasures. Even the difference in value would bring him a substantial profit; it was indeed a great opportunity to make a fortune.

The people in the auction hall gradually dispersed. Ji Xinghuo didn't rush to collect his Heaven's Treasure Diamond but waited for over an hour. During this time, the female winged person had returned to the hotel with her subordinates.

Soon after, he met Xuan Ming again.

As soon as Xuan Ming saw Ji Xinghuo, a smile appeared on his face. "You're clever. You managed to secure the Heaven's Treasure Diamond at the lowest cost, scaring off quite a few competitors."

"1,500 merit points is not a small amount," Ji Xinghuo replied nonchalantly.

Although he acquired merit points efficiently, he had also risked his life on the Abyssal Star, and every point represented a contribution to the Jingying Tribe.

"Indeed," Xuan Ming nodded and handed over a box.

Ji Xinghuo opened it and saw a dazzling gemstone the size of a thumb. It resembled a meticulously cut diamond, translucent and emitting a bright white light. One could directly see the pure energy contained within it, similar to Aether energy but with a distinct nature.

This was the Heaven's Treasure Diamond! Using just one would grant the opportunity to fuse with two exotic species, limited to once in a lifetime.

After carefully examining it and confirming its authenticity, Ji Xinghuo closed the box and placed it in his waist pouch. Just as he was about to take his leave, Xuan Ming stopped him.

"You will continue to participate in the auctions for the Heaven's Treasure Diamond, won't you?" Xuan Ming asked.

"Of course," Ji Xinghuo replied without hesitation.

Although Xuan Ming had only asked a question, Ji Xinghuo guessed his intention, and a hint of displeasure appeared on his face.

"Don't misunderstand," Xuan Ming said calmly. "My tribe does not intend to prevent you from participating in the auctions or harm your interests. However, your bidding strategy disturbs the market of the Treasure Auction House. Once or twice is fine, but if it continues, it will inevitably cause dissatisfaction among the other guardians."

Unmoved, Ji Xinghuo asked, "So?"

"My tribe hopes that you will no longer participate in the auctions for the Heaven's Treasure Diamond," Xuan Ming replied. "As compensation, you can purchase the diamonds directly from me."

Upon hearing this, Ji Xinghuo wasn't overly delighted, knowing that there would be conditions attached.

"How will the transaction price be calculated?" he asked.

"You won't need Aether Crystals; merit points will suffice," Xuan Ming smiled. "Three thousand merit points for one Heaven's Treasure Diamond. You can purchase up to six per Stellar Year, and this arrangement can last for up to twenty years. What do you think?"

As expected.

Ji Xinghuo was not surprised in the least.

Three thousand merit points for a Heaven's Treasure Diamond was indeed an inflated price. At the auction, the average transaction price for a diamond was 200 Aether Crystals plus 400 merit points. That meant he would need 2,600 merit points to buy 200 Aether Crystals.

If Eternal Daylight Merit could be traded, 13 merit points would surely be able to exchange for more than one Aether Crystal.

Perhaps two or even three.

Of course, the conversion between merit points and crystals wasn't that simple. Although he earned merit points much more easily than others, he would still be at a loss.

Ji Xinghuo didn't immediately agree. "Three thousand merit points is too high."

"It may be high for others, but it's just right for you," Xuan Ming shook his head. "My tribe is aware of your strength. Before you, there were other Eternal Daylight Guardians who achieved the same efficiency as you, or even surpassed you. To maintain order in the auction house, my tribe has offered this trading method, with similar conditions."

Ji Xinghuo understood the underlying message.

The large spider-shaped Jingying Tribe member spoke with a smile, but his words carried a veiled threat.

If those stronger than you accepted these conditions, you have no right to refuse.

Ji Xinghuo sighed inwardly.

Indeed, he had no right to refuse. The Heaven's Treasure Diamond was unique to the Jingying Tribe, and they controlled the Treasure Auction House, the merit points, and the stargates on the Abyssal Star. Outsiders had no leverage when negotiating on someone else's turf.

"Of course, it won't affect anything else," Xuan Ming replied.

His smile widened as he continued, "As long as you agree, your Eternal Daylight badge will immediately be upgraded to the highest level, the Black Crystal Badge, and you will instantly become an esteemed Eternal Daylight General."

These were all tangible benefits.

The Black Crystal Badge reduced handling fees to 5%, which would save him a lot of money on future auction commissions. Additionally, it would grant him discounts in many shops run by the Jingying Tribe in the city.

The title of Eternal Daylight General was even more extraordinary.

According to one's contributions to the Jingying Tribe, a guard could be promoted to army commander, and the rank above that was the Eternal Daylight General, the pinnacle of this system.

The vast majority of Eternal Daylight guards remained as such for their entire lives, and only a tiny fraction, less than one percent, ever became army commanders. As for the Eternal Daylight Generals, they were few and far between.

Eternal Daylight Generals were considered foreign members of the Jingying Tribe, akin to holding a green card on Earth.

They could move freely within the city, had access to the tribe's high-ranking members, could directly purchase property in the Eternal Daylight City, and enjoyed numerous other privileges.

For example, they could pass through the stargates at any time without having to wait for assigned batches.

With the Black Crystal Badge and the status of an Eternal Daylight General, one could walk proudly in the Eternal Daylight City.

"I agree," Ji Xinghuo said without hesitation, nodding his head.

Being able to buy six Heaven's Treasure Diamonds per year would require 18,000 merit points, which seemed like a lot, but to him, merit points were merely a byproduct.

What he truly sought was spiritual source energy.

Even without the Eternal Daylight merit, he would still need to hunt monsters on the Abyssal Star for an extended period, so it was all profit anyway.

Xuan Ming, unaware of Ji Xinghuo's thoughts, smiled and said, "Congratulations. We haven't had a new Eternal Daylight General in many years. You are the first in the past hundred years. Please give me your badge."

Ji Xinghuo handed over his Eternal Daylight badge.

A gleam of light flickered, and although there were no visible changes on the surface of the badge, anyone from the Jingying Tribe would be able to tell its new level of authorization.

Ji Xinghuo took back his badge and noticed the new functions it now possessed.

With it, he could now mobilize a portion of the defensive sentries in the city, and he also had a communication tablet that allowed him to be in constant contact with dozens of members of the Jingying Tribe, enabling him to convey his needs at any time.

"If you ever want to buy a Heaven's Treasure Diamond, come find me directly," Xuan Ming said.

"Alright," Ji Xinghuo replied.

After expressing his gratitude, he left the auction house.

He had intended to withdraw the remaining 55 Aether Crystals from his account, but considering that he might need to bid for other items in the future, he decided to leave them there for now.

Back at the hotel, he took out the Heaven's Treasure Diamond to admire it.

The dazzling gemstone was incredibly light, weighing only a few dozen grams. As he held it in his hand, he felt a strange attraction, as if he wanted to absorb it. The method of using the Heaven's Treasure Diamond was similar to that of the Tear of the Stars; one simply had to absorb its energy to gain the opportunity to fuse with exotic species.

Ji Xinghuo could see the underlying principles at play.

The Heaven's Treasure Diamond was likely a semi-artificial creation, with natural materials as its base, further processed and enhanced by the Jingying Tribe to achieve its current function.

The radiant light within the gemstone was a transformed form of Aether energy, very unique, and when it merged with pure Aether energy, it produced unimaginable changes.

However, the specific principles eluded him, as his knowledge was too rudimentary to fully understand it.

"I should absorb it first to avoid any potential complications," Ji Xinghuo thought to himself.

Without hesitation, he began the absorption process.

Even though he had absorbed the Tear of the Stars previously and still had one unused fusion opportunity, it wouldn't affect his ability to use the Heaven's Treasure Diamond.

The remaining fusion chances wouldn't disappear but would be retained.

Subsequently, he placed the Heaven's Treasure Diamond over his chest.

Then, he released a faint stellar power, stimulating the gemstone, which promptly drew out the pure energy within it. The energy flowed into his body relentlessly and was swiftly absorbed by the Magnetic Spirit Star Nucleus, transforming into his own stellar power.

This energy wasn't particularly massive, far less than what he had gained from the Tear of the Stars.

In less than five minutes, the process was complete.

Ji Xinghuo opened his interface and saw that his stellar power had increased by a little over 100 points, reaching a total of 3330 points.

The nature of his stellar power remained unchanged as electromagnetic stellar power, but as it coursed through his body, it subtly altered his physique in ways that were difficult to perceive. This transformation persisted for several hours, lasting until well past midday, and by then, he had gained an additional fusion opportunity.

Before nightfall, he gained yet another fusion chance.

"It's done," Ji Xinghuo said to himself.

He clearly felt a sense of "hunger," an indication that he now possessed three chances to fuse with exotic species!

"Three times..." He couldn't help but scratch his head, feeling a bit overwhelmed.

"I don't have a suitable exotic species!" Ji Xinghuo lamented.

For the time being, he only had 'Aether Affinity', but he wasn't at the stage where he needed to seclude himself for cultivation, so he wasn't in a rush to fuse with anything.

He took out his Eternal Daylight badge to check the auction house information, but still found no exotic species that piqued his interest.

"Hmm, I can directly check the store information now."

With his upgrade to the Black Crystal Badge, Ji Xinghuo discovered a new function.

As long as it was a shop run by the Jingying Tribe in the Eternal Daylight City, he could directly check the items currently for sale without having to physically go to the store. It was similar to online shopping platforms on Earth, where one could select the desired item and have it delivered after payment.

He skillfully browsed through the options.

His main focus was on exotic species, and the Jingying Tribe's exotic species shop was quite extensive. Many people from the plateau would come to the Eternal Daylight City to sell their exotic species, and the output of exotic species on the Abyssal Star was also quite high.

However, most of the exotic species were repetitive, and their quality was below the Superlimit level.

Suddenly, the screen froze, displaying information about an exotic species: "Manifold Barrier, Excellent Exotic Species, Price: One Aether Crystal or 50,000 True Dragon Coins."

Ji Xinghuo's eyes lit up.

Manifold Barrier!

This was one of the professional template abilities of the Spirit String Master, and although it was only at the Excellent level, its potential was immense. It could significantly enhance the defensive capabilities of the Spirit String Master, hence the price far exceeding that of ordinary Excellent exotic species.

"I'll take it."

Without hesitation, he paid one Aether Crystal.

Moments later.

A member of the Jingying Tribe arrived at the hotel and personally delivered the exotic species to Ji Xinghuo. This exotic species was a piece of supple leather, about half the size of a palm, with a grayish hue, seemingly peeled from some unknown monster. It was as thin as paper yet remarkably durable.

The exotic species information popped up in his vision.

[Exotic Species: Manifold Barrier]



[Grade: Excellent]



[Fusion Success Rate: 94%]



[Upgradeable: Yes]



"The fusion success rate is very high!" Ji Xinghuo exclaimed. Any exotic species with a success rate above 90% was now proven to be highly suitable for him, and the fact that the Manifold Barrier could be upgraded was an added bonus.

"Increasing defense and improving survivability is always a good choice."

He had witnessed the power of the Manifold Barrier firsthand.

Previously, the Ice Master he had slain in the Ice Finger Mountains possessed this ability, and its defensive capabilities were quite impressive. Although his spear and lightning had pierced through the barrier, it was not due to any flaw in the ability but rather the insufficient level of the Ice Master's Manifold Barrier.

Ji Xinghuo took off his clothes and used Lei Chi to make a small cut on his chest. He then placed the thin, papery piece of exotic species onto the wound.

The exotic species absorbed the blood like a sponge.

Soon after, it began to melt, turning into a liquid that seeped into his skin and spread throughout his body, from head to toe, leaving no area untouched.

During the process, Ji Xinghuo felt a cool and refreshing sensation, as if he were soaking in water.

His entire skin underwent a transformation.

He struggled to describe the feeling, but he understood one thing: the Manifold Barrier ability was closely related to his skin. The fusion took about ten minutes, and when he felt his skin stabilize, the Manyeyed Star Pupil interface displayed the information of a new ability.

[Ability: Manifold Barrier (Level 1, 1/97)]



"Fusion successful!"

Ji Xinghuo willed it, and a transparent layer of energy armor, about one millimeter thick, appeared around his body. It was so thin that one might easily overlook it if they weren't looking carefully.

This protective layer perfectly conformed to his body, like a flowing form of clear water, without hindering his movements in any way.

He used Lei Chi to make a light cut on his palm.

The Manifold Barrier automatically activated, and the blade glided across without leaving any marks.

At the same time, a few points of stellar power were consumed.

Ji Xinghuo carefully sensed the ability and realized that the Manifold Barrier didn't directly consume stellar power; instead, the stellar power had to be converted into spirit energy, which then activated the energy armor.

"No wonder..." he murmured, understanding the underlying principle.

The Manifold Barrier relied on spirit energy, so it was useless to anyone who didn't possess spirit energy.

He conducted further tests and found that the defensive power of a Level 1 Manifold Barrier could withstand a single laser shot from a laser gun or a bullet from an electromagnetic rifle. It provided both physical and energy resistance, making it a highly effective defense, and it activated automatically, ensuring protection against ambushes.

"Time to upgrade it!"

Ji Xinghuo glanced at the interface.

He had accumulated over 80,000 points of spiritual source energy, which he had intended to keep in reserve. Now, he decided to use a portion of it to upgrade the Manifold Barrier.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end