Chapter 331: [Silver Apple Mother Tree] Key to Advancement

Chapter 331: [Silver Apple Mother Tree] Key to Advancement

A Spatial Law Fruit and two low-grade Spatial Law Crystals have increased Song Chi's Law Comprehension Speed to a level far beyond what it was when he was in the Dragon Spine Mystic Realm. In just two short days, his Law Comprehension Degree rose from 0.36% to 0.42%. This degree of Law Comprehension already places him in the upper-middle ranks among all Ember Human cruiser captains who have attained the Divine Mind State.

Though this ranking may not seem very high, the key point is that Song Chi has only been in the Divine Mind State for a little over a decade, yet he can already match cruiser captains who have been comprehending laws for over a hundred, or even two hundred years.

Therefore, the ranking is not the main focus; what matters is that Song Chi still has a lot of time ahead, and endless possibilities in the future.

Moreover, he must not forget that the law he is comprehending is the Spatial Law, which is vastly different from ordinary Star Sea Laws.

With a flow of heart essence, the Spatial Law rapidly condensed around him, and soon a miniaturized and ethereal Dragon Whale appeared.

Song Chi was familiarizing himself with this rapidly growing Spatial Law power. At the same time, deep in his mind, he was carefully sensing the degree of his Law Assimilation. The third Law Fruit had significantly increased his progress in assimilating the Star Sea Law. He estimated that in about four more years, he would complete the assimilation.

"Once I use the remaining two Spatial Law Fruits, the Star Sea Law Assimilation should be complete..."

Muttering to himself, Song Chi instinctively sighed.

Speaking of the remaining two Spatial Law Fruits, he recalled the specific effect of the third one, which only increased his Law Comprehension Degree by 0.06%. He remembered that the initial two Law Fruits had increased his comprehension by 0.1% and 0.08%, respectively. By this calculation, perhaps using two to three more Law Fruits would be the limit, and after that, the Spatial Law Fruits would no longer be effective for him.

This was clearly not good news.

After a soft sigh, Song Chi quickly regained his composure and stopped worrying about it.

Calculating carefully, the Spatial Law Fruits have already increased his Law Comprehension Degree by 0.24%. Including the few more he could use, this number should stabilize around 0.3%.

Without the Dragon Spine Mystic Realm's enhancement, normally, a 0.3% Spatial Law Comprehension Degree would require at least 90 years of continuous comprehension.

In other words, the Spatial Law Fruits have silently saved Song Chi nearly a century of time. Considering the 15x amplitude, this translates to a 4.5% Spatial Law Comprehension Degree. What more could he ask for?

Having thought it through, Song Chi quickly regained his usual calm. However, he did not rush to use the remaining two Spatial Law Fruits, deciding to adapt to the current surge in Spatial Law power first.

...

Two months later.

In the personal estate of Tian Chong Valley, Song Chi's heart essence had just returned from the powerful effects of the fourth Spatial Law Fruit.

This fourth Spatial Law Fruit only increased his Law Comprehension Degree by 0.04%, but it brought his Spatial Law comprehension to 0.46%.

Just as Song Chi was feeling pleased, his Quantum Communication Bracelet suddenly buzzed with a message notification. Turning to look, he saw that the message was from Wang Zhen, and his eyebrows raised.

"Wang Zhen... Could there be some issue with the sale of war supplies?"

A month ago, Song Chi had acquired a large amount of supplies from the gnomes, Luke, and the Market Ruins. The next day, he handed everything over to Wang Zhen. As an Ember Human cruiser captain who had been active in the Morning Star Yang Land for hundreds of years, Wang Zhen naturally had his own special channels.

Especially after his ship, the "Wolf Howl Tiger Roar," advanced to the Chasing Deer class, his personal status and related channels were further enhanced. In the past month, he had earned a significant amount of Floating Land Essence for Song Chi by selling war supplies.

If there were any issues with the sales channels, Song Chi would not be able to accept it.

"What's the matter?"

The Quantum Communication Bracelet in Wang Zhen's hand was also one that Song Chi had specially requested from the family, allowing them to communicate remotely without worrying about information leaks.

As for the Ember Network, while it was more convenient and powerful, it could be remotely monitored by those with special permissions, so it could not guarantee absolute confidentiality.

Wang Zhen's reply soon came, and it turned out to be a false alarm.

"Nothing serious, I just received some information about the Morning Star Black Market. There will be a significant auction in three days. I wanted to ask if His Highness is interested!"

Hearing this, Song Chi instinctively wanted to decline.

However, after a moment's thought, he nodded in agreement.

As the largest black market in the Morning Star Principality, he had heard that the scale of the Morning Star Black Market was enormous, with an extraordinary amount of resources flowing through it daily.

A significant auction within it would likely feature many valuable items.

Based on this, he agreed to attend.

Although the Sky Dome was indeed luxurious, it was not fully equipped. For example, it still carried the Fire Chrysanthemum Puppet Tree. It would be good to check out the black market and see if there were any components the Sky Dome needed.

...

Three days later, using the "Thousand Transformations" and "Mirage Shadow" properties of the Mirage Dragon Transformation Pearl, the Sky Dome silently left Tian Chong Valley.

After successfully rendezvousing with the "Wolf Howl Tiger Roar," the two warships headed toward the entrance of the Morning Star Black Market.

Given that it was a black market, despite the various connections involved, it was impossible to operate it openly within Holy Star City.

The entrance to the Morning Star Black Market was located more than 0.5 light-years away from Holy Star City.

After a spatial leap, the two warships finally arrived at the destination.

"Is this... the entrance to a mystic realm?"

Looking at the familiar spatial vortex channel in the distance, Song Chi's eyes were filled with surprise.

Previously, Song Chi had only heard of the Morning Star Black Market but hadn’t delved into it much.

Now, it seemed that the black market had quite a reputation, even using a star sea mystic realm as a trading ground.

In the communication group chat, Wang Zhen respectfully replied:

"Yes, but it’s only a low-level shattered mystic realm, and the original environment inside has been completely destroyed!"

At the entrance to the black market, there were guards who stopped the two warships.

Of course, they weren’t there to check the identities of the Sky Dome and Wolf Roar Tiger Howl. Instead, they informed the duo that upon entering the black market, they must stow away their personal warships, as per the black market’s rules.

Song Chi and his companion didn’t mind this much; the two warships quickly submerged into the spatial vortex tunnel ahead.

As Wang Zhen had mentioned, the mystic realm used as the black market’s trading ground was indeed a low-level shattered mystic realm. It was unclear what had transpired, but the floating land fragment within the mystic realm had almost entirely disintegrated, shattered by some terrifying force.

The current trading ground within the mystic realm was an aerial mechanical platform artificially assembled.

The Wolf Roar Tiger Howl and the Sky Dome, which had been renamed White Cloud due to its "thousand transformations" feature, both hovered in the designated warship docking area of the platform. They were then quickly stowed away into Song Chi’s and the other person's Flame Seed Ancestral Aperture.

Wearing a bionic skin mask, Song Chi followed Wang Zhen as they began to stroll around the entire trading platform.

Despite being artificially assembled, the trading platform was still quite large. At a glance, it was clear that it could accommodate no fewer than ten thousand Flame Torch Captains.

The large number of customers had in turn created the bustling market atmosphere of the black market.

Following Wang Zhen, they passed through various shops and stalls, where Song Chi saw all sorts of items.

Most of them were the highly sought-after war supplies, along with various quality ship components.

However, most of the items were ordinary, and after visiting dozens of shops, Song Chi didn’t find anything particularly eye-catching.

Seemingly sensing his waning interest, Wang Zhen explained:

"These are all ordinary goods. If you want something truly exceptional, you’ll have to wait for the black Market auction or try your luck at a ‘Red Shop.’”

"Red Shop?"

Song Chi was puzzled; this was the first time he had heard the term.

Wang Zhen explained, "Your Highness, the Red Shop is an insider term. It’s actually a place that deals with various kinds of ‘stolen goods.’”

Hearing the words "stolen goods," Song Chi instantly understood.

The Morning Star Yang Land was vast, and no one knew exactly how many Flame Torch Captains roamed within it. With such a large number, it was impossible for everyone to coexist peacefully, and conflicts were bound to arise.

As a result, all sorts of stolen goods would appear. Those that were difficult to transport directly would be brought to the black market to be sold.

Song Chi pondered for a moment.

"Let’s check it out!"

Although he didn’t have high hopes, the auction would only take place a few hours later, so it wouldn’t hurt to take a look.

Northeast of the trading platform, at the Mo He shop.

Just as they entered the shop, Wang Zhen immediately gave the corresponding code phrase.

Then, he and Song Chi entered a hidden door inside the shop.

Upon entering the hidden door, Song Chi felt the scenery change dramatically, and various items shimmering with different hues caught his eye.

At a glance, Song Chi noticed that this small, enclosed room contained more than a hundred various oddities.

Apart from a few blue components, the majority were purple-quality components, with some even glowing with an orange light.

Wang Zhen’s explanation soon followed.

"Your Highness, this is the largest Red Shop in the black market. It’s said to be backed by several veteran Chasing Deer-class warships of the fourth tier."

Song Chi nodded lightly, showing no unusual expression.

However, the Flame Torch Captains standing in the corners of the enclosed room, including a fourth-tier Flame Torch Captain and several veteran cruiser captains, all wore looks of surprise. The fourth-tier Flame Torch Captain was the owner of this Red Shop.

They were familiar with Wang Zhen, a regular customer, and knew that his warship had recently ascended to a Chasing Deer-class warship, elevating his status significantly. However, the title "Your Highness" that Wang Zhen used only added to their uncertainty.

Immediately, everyone’s attention shifted to Song Chi, their eyes filled with curiosity.

The fact that Wang Zhen, who had one foot in the Chasing Deer-class, respectfully called him "Your Highness" clearly indicated that Song Chi, who had always seemed unremarkable, had a significant identity.

Ignoring these gazes, Song Chi’s eyes roamed over all the oddities in the room.

Compared to the ordinary components outside, there were indeed some valuable items among the stolen goods, but currently, he hadn’t found anything that particularly caughthis eye.

Seeing him browsing on his own, the others did not interfere, and the entire room fell silent.

After a few minutes, Song Chi finally found a particularly interesting component.

Virus Spore Repelling Membrane lv0

Quality: Purple

Feature: Can isolate star sea viruses and other rank +1 threats.

Consumption: 7/s (Nether Energy Points)



Effect: Equipping this on a warship provides a virus-repelling membrane, currently capable of isolating rank 1 (tier 0 +1) strength star sea spore viruses.

No need for charging or buffer period.

Upgrade Requirements: 7 strands of floating land essence (tier 0), 700 Nether Energy Points

This was a component similar to the Water Molecule Isolation Membrane, but it isolated star sea virus spores instead.

The shattered star sea was vast and boundless, with countless special star domains, many of which were rife with spore viruses.

Although the Sky Dome had not encountered such viruses yet, Song Chi was the type to prepare for the worst.

"How much for this purple component?"

Seeing the mysterious "Your Highness" finally speak, the Red Shop owner quickly responded.

"Rare isolation special component, 20 strands of Fourth-Rank Floating Land Essence!"

Without waiting for Song Chi to speak, Wang Zhen, standing beside him, said coldly:

"20 strands of Fourth-Rank Floating Land Essence, Boss Three, your price is already unreasonable. Ordinary purple components only require 5 strands of Fourth-Rank Floating Land Essence!"

The Fourth-Rank Red Shop owner's expression remained unchanged.

"Old Wang, you said it yourself, that's the price for ordinary purple components."

As one of the largest Red Shop owners in the black market, his intelligence network was not lacking, and Wang Zhen's identity was no secret to him.

Wang Zhen wanted to say more, but Song Chi spoke calmly:

"10 strands!"

This was the highest price he could accept. If the other party still refused, Song Chi would not hesitate to turn and leave.

However, the other party seemed to have also gauged his attitude and agreed after a moment of hesitation.

After receiving the purple [Virus Spore Repelling Membrane] component, Song Chi did not linger any longer and left the Red Shop with Wang Zhen. There were no more components of interest to him here.

What Song Chi did not know was that as soon as they left, the "Mo River" Red Shop owner immediately mobilized his energy to investigate his identity.

But even if he knew, Song Chi would not have cared.

Throughout the entire process, his relationship with Wang Zhen had not been exposed in the slightest. Combined with the [Mirage Dragon Transformation Pearl] component, any force trying to investigate him would be in vain.

Of course, this did not apply to forces possessing special golden void components.

In the face of such components, even the [Mirage Dragon Transformation Pearl] would be powerless to hide.

After the Mo River Red Shop, Wang Zhen took Song Chi to a few smaller Red Shops, but the results were unsatisfactory. They did not find any components that met Song Chi's requirements.

While they were wandering, the black market auction finally began.

This auction was somewhat unusual, held right in the center of the trading platform, with no specific auction venue. It was an open-air event, and all Flame Heart Captains in the black market could bid.

Interestingly, the auction method was quite different from a regular auction, with no bidding process.

Each item put up for auction by the black market had a 10-minute bidding period, during which all Flame Heart Captains in the black market could bid. After 10 minutes, the black market would select the most suitable bidder from all the bidders to conduct the transaction.

Song Chi was not unfamiliar with this new auction method, as it was very similar to the final [Market Guest Permit] and [Market Walker Permit] auctions at the end of each market transaction.

As he was thinking, the black market's manager had already brought out the first item for auction.

[Oddity: Heartburn Flame]



[Quality: Orange]



[Convertible: {Flame Seed Ascension Fire Source}]



[Note: A rare fire seed that has evolved over ten thousand years in the Red Flame Demon Realm, with various effects.]



After displaying the attributes of this orange fire seed oddity, the black market manager continued:

"This [Heartburn Flame] is a supreme orange ascension fire source, capable of promoting a purple Flame Seed to an orange Flame Seed. Its value is comparable to some red oddities. Now, everyone can submit their bids on the bidding device. After 10 minutes, we will select the most suitable bidder from all the bidders to conduct the transaction."

Opening with a supreme orange ascension fire source, as expected, the entire trading platform was instantly in an uproar, followed by a flood of bids.

Even Song Chi was somewhat tempted.

While he personally no longer needed it, both his grandfather and parents would find it useful.

Looking at Wang Zhen beside him, there was a clear hint of excitement in his eyes.

But it quickly turned to helplessness.

To promote the [Wolf Roar Tiger Howl], he had almost spent all his funds. There was no way he could afford this [Heartburn Flame] now.

Without paying much attention to Wang Zhen's expression, Song Chi thought for a moment and then entered "one orange main cannon + one Fourth-Rank Silver Apple + one supreme Dragon Blood Fruit" on his bidding device.

He actually had a red energy shield from Anderson's flagship, but he felt it wasn't worth it, so he didn't include it.

A supreme orange ascension fire source might be comparable to a red oddity, but that refers to red oddities that cannot be converted into ship components. It still cannot compare to genuine red components.

After 10 minutes, the final result was out. Song Chi did not become the lucky bidder. The successful Flame Heart Captain offered a red main cannon, which was nearly double the value.

Song Chi's reaction was not significant. He had not expected much from the start, so he could accept it.

After the first item, the second item quickly appeared.

This time, it was not a star sea oddity but an extremely weakened giant ape-like star sea alien.

"This is a Fourth-Rank Long-Armed Demon Ape. In its prime, it had the combat power of a senior Fourth-Rank. Now, its injuries ensure that a purple enslavement component can successfully enslave it. A Fourth-Rank enslaved creature can provide sufficient safety assurance in the upcoming Great Expansion War and can also help in plundering more resources. Alright, you can start bidding!"

...

Song Chi was not particularly interested in the Long-Armed Demon Ape.

It wasn't that he looked down on a Fourth-Rank enslaved combat power, but he felt it was unnecessary to waste money on it.

The Great Expansion War was imminent, and the family had already prepared all the necessary war supplies in advance. There would certainly be arrangements to ensure the safety of the clan members.

As a family sequence, he would likely be allocated a Fourth-Rank enslaved unit by the family upon returning to the Dragon Spine Continent.

However, just because he was not interested did not mean others felt the same.

Noticing the fiery gaze of Wang Zhen beside him, Song Chi quickly thought of his contracted servant's meager resources. The entire Chasing Deer Ship only had one orange hull armor.

After a moment of contemplation, he said softly:

"Do you want this Long-Armed Demon Ape?"

Seeing Wang Zhen nod hesitantly, he asked further.

"What can you come up with?"

After a moment's thought, Song Chi decided to help Wang Zhen secure this Long-Armed Demon Ape. After all, there were many uses for it in the future, and it would not be good to let it be easily killed.

Wang Zhen's face lit up with surprise, and he quickly said:

"5 strands of 4th Tier Floating Land Essence, 75 strands of 3rd Tier..."

"Stop!"

Seeing that he was about to reveal all his assets, Song Chi quickly interrupted him.

A few seconds later, he took out two Ten-Thousand-Year Dragon Blood Fruits and 20 strands of 4th Tier Floating Land Essence and handed them to Wang Zhen.

"Try to see if you can bid for it!"

He still had more than twenty Ten-Thousand-Year Dragon Blood Fruits, so taking out two did not affect him much. The 4th Tier Floating Land Essence could now be synthesized on the [Spirit Machine Synthesis Platform], so he was not lacking in them.

"Thank you, Your Highness!"

Wang Zhen took them with excitement, and his gaze toward Song Chi became even more determined.

Soon, Wang Zhen successfully bid for the 4th Tier Long-Armed Demon Ape, and he did not even use up all his funds, only taking out 1 Ten-Thousand-Year Dragon Blood Fruit and 15 strands of 4th Tier Floating Land Essence.

The Flame Torch Warship Captain who had commissioned the auction of the Long-Armed Demon Ape was likely of considerable age, so upon seeing the Ten-Thousand-Year Dragon Blood Fruit, he immediately agreed.

Wang Zhen wanted to return the remaining Ten-Thousand-Year Dragon Blood Fruit and 10 strands of 4th Tier Floating Land Essence, but Song Chi waved him off.

"Keep it to exchange for other things you need. The configuration of your ship is far too low; you should put more effort into it!"

...

Time passed, and the black market management brought out a considerable number of auction items.

These items were all of good value, with the lowest being purple quality components, and occasionally a few orange quality components would appear.

Wang Zhen's luck was truly excellent. Using the Ten-Thousand-Year Dragon Blood Fruit and 10 strands of 4th Tier Floating Land Essence, he managed to secure another orange quality super main cannon, which somewhat compensated for the [Howling Wolf and Roaring Tiger]’s lack of firepower.

However, Song Chi's mood was far from as good. Apart from the initial [Heartburn Flame], no other items caught his interest, leaving him quite disappointed.

Finally, after another purple supreme component was auctioned, the black market management officially announced the final highlight segment.

There were only three items in this highlight segment.

The first was a low-grade Law Crystal of the Earth Attribute.

For the Flame Torch Warship Captains present who had comprehended the Earth Attribute Law, this low-grade Law Crystal undoubtedly caused a significant stir.

It was eventually bid for by someone with 10 strands of 5th Tier Floating Land Essence.

Song Chi did not bid, as he was on the path of Spatial Law, and this Earth Attribute Law Crystal was of no use to him.

However, the second-to-last item that appeared gave him a pleasant surprise.

It was the tree heart of a half-step 5th Tier star sea plant.

"This is the tree heart of a half-step 5th Tier [Desolate Ancient Tree]. As the origin tree heart of a star sea plant, it originally should have a strong effect in extending one's lifespan. However, the desolate force that permeates the Desolate Ancient Tree has affected this, making this tree heart ineffective for extending lifespan.

However, as a half-step 5th Tier star sea plant tree heart, it still has many uses, which I will not elaborate on. You may now bid!"

When the tree heart first appeared, it indeed drew the attention of many Flame Torch Warship Captains. However, upon learning that it had no lifespan-extending effect, most people quickly lost interest.

What surprised Song Chi, however, was that with the appearance of the [Desolate Ancient Tree Tree Heart], a strange change suddenly occurred in his Flame Seed Ancestral Aperture.

Originally, he had little interest in the [Desolate Ancient Tree Tree Heart], but this sudden change made him instantly more serious.

His mind sank into the Flame Seed Ancestral Aperture, and soon he discovered the source of the anomaly.

Just like the neutron star remains he had encountered before, this time the miniaturized Sky Dome was the one trembling. However, this time it was not the [Neutron Star Core Armor] component, but another component within the Sky Dome.

[Chikura's 004 Cultivation Secret Realm]?

Feeling the source of the tremor within the miniaturized Sky Dome, Song Chi was taken aback.

He had never expected it to be this component. However, he soon realized that it was not the [Chikura's 004 Cultivation Secret Realm] itself that was trembling, but the [Silver Apple Mother Tree] inside it.

With this realization, Song Chi immediately made many connections.

"Could it be that the [Silver Apple Mother Tree] is reacting to the [Desolate Ancient Tree Tree Heart]? Could this [Desolate Ancient Tree Tree Heart] be the key to its advancement to 5th Tier?"

This was the first thought that came to Song Chi's mind.

There was no other way around it. The [Chikura's 004 Cultivation Secret Realm] component had been reinforced to 5th Tier a long time ago, but the [Silver Apple Mother Tree] inside had never shown any signs of advancing. This had been a headache for Song Chi for quite some time, and he had considered various reasons without finding a satisfactory answer.

So, the unusual activity of the [Silver Apple Mother Tree] immediately made him think of its advancement to 5th Tier.

Suppressing his excitement and the chaotic thoughts, Song Chi calmed himself down and began to consider what he could offer to trade for the [Desolate Ancient Tree Tree Heart].

Since it might be the key to the [Silver Apple Mother Tree]'s advancement, he had to secure the [Desolate Ancient Tree Tree Heart].

The value of the [Silver Apple Mother Tree] was immense. Once it returned to 5th Tier, combined with the "Secret Realm Accelerator" feature, it could produce a steady stream of orange artifacts. If it could advance to 6th Tier in the future, it would produce red artifacts. This alone was worth taking action, even if there was only a slight possibility.

After some thought, Song Chi had his answer.

He took out the bidding device and quickly entered the following:

"Red energy shield [Red Canopy Shield] or three Ten-Thousand-Year Dragon Blood Fruits!"

After making his bid, he began to wait quietly.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end