Chapter 349: The Stellar Ascension Device

Chapter 349: The Stellar Ascension Device

"Director Ke."

Ji Xinghuo found Ke Mingshan in a laboratory within the Aether Institute, where he was intently observing several researchers at work.

"Xinghuo," Ke Mingshan said, his initial annoyance turning to a smile as he recognized Ji Xinghuo. He sized him up and, guessing the reason for his visit, asked, "Are you ready?"

Ji Xinghuo nodded. "Yes, I'm afraid I'm troubling you, Director Ke."

"So soon?" Ke Mingshan exclaimed.

A few days earlier, Ji Xinghuo had informed him of his impending promotion and requested his assistance in preparing for it.

After the Global Marathon, Yan Wen, the minister of the Starry Sector, had specifically called Ji Xinghuo to his office to convey the Leader's instructions: no matter what Ji Xinghuo required, the Aether Institute must fulfill his requests at all costs.

And it wasn't just the Aether Institute—all departments under the Starry Sector were to serve Ji Xinghuo.

This order was to be kept confidential and circulated only among the higher-ups.

"Please follow me."

Ke Mingshan had begun preparations as soon as he received Ji Xinghuo's notification, waiting for him to come.

The two men passed through multiple identity verifications and blast doors, delving deeper into the underground levels of the Aether Institute.

Soon, they entered another laboratory.

In the clean, bright, and spacious room stood a massive instrument that resembled a fusion reactor. It was cylindrical in shape, about five meters tall and over ten meters in diameter, with intricate networks of pipes and cables spreading out from it.

"This is a 'Stellar Ascension Device,'" Ke Mingshan introduced with a hint of pride. "It's one of the most significant research achievements of the Aether Institute in recent years."

"What is it used for?" Ji Xinghuo asked.

"To help you ascend to the legendary realm, of course," Ke Mingshan replied with a smile. "The principle behind the Stellar Ascension Device is simple: it compresses a mutant's stellar power, enhances and transforms the state of the stellar power, and thereby induces evolutionary changes."

Ji Xinghuo gazed at the enormous instrument, his electromagnetic senses scanning the intricate interior structure. Although he couldn't fully understand it, he was deeply impressed.

"More than fifty years ago, our country obtained the blueprints for the Stellar Ascension Device from an extraterrestrial civilization in the Starry Sector," Ke Mingshan explained, his voice filled with emotion. "But it requires an extremely advanced level of technology and aetheric knowledge. I've been studying it since my university days, dedicating my life to unraveling its mysteries, and I've finally gained a preliminary grasp of how to construct it."

He led Ji Xinghuo to the control platform, where a projection screen floated before them.

"This is the only Stellar Ascension Device on Earth," Ke Mingshan said.

"However, it's currently only a prototype and possesses just a fraction of the capabilities of a complete Stellar Ascension Device."

"According to those blueprints, the most advanced version of the device is truly colossal, comparable to an asteroid with a diameter of several hundred kilometers. It could even assist a Heavenly King in ascending to become a Star Saint!"

"It's a shame I couldn't fully comprehend those designs."

"With Earth's current technology, it's impossible to build such a device. A civilization of at least Level 6 would be needed to have a chance at creating it."

As Ke Mingshan spoke, his eyes reflected his boundless yearning.

Ji Xinghuo could understand the aspirations of a scientist, but this seemed too far-fetched. Earth was currently only a Level 4 civilization, far from even reaching Level 5.

"Earth will eventually attain the Level 6 civilization status," Ji Xinghuo said.

Ke Mingshan shook his head regretfully. "I won't live to see that day."

He was a leading authority in the field of aetheric knowledge and cultivation theory, but his innate talent was mediocre, and most of his time and energy had been devoted to scientific research. Despite being nearly sixty years old, he was only a mid-level mutant and could expect to live for just over a century.

The country would undoubtedly seek ways to extend the lifespan of such a talented individual, but even then, it wouldn't be by much.

"Perhaps Director Ke will encounter a different fate," Ji Xinghuo said, a thought occurring to him. If the right opportunity presented itself, he might be able to lend Ke Mingshan a helping hand.

"Hehe, you don't need to console me. Everyone has their destiny," Ke Mingshan said with a carefree laugh, shifting the topic back to the device before them. "Our Stellar Ascension Device here can, at most, assist a super mutant in ascending to the legendary realm."

Ji Xinghuo's eyes lit up. "That's still incredible!"

If such a device could be made widely available, the number of legendary experts in the Asia-Pacific Conglomerate would surge exponentially.

There were nearly 200,000 super mutants in the country, but fewer than 800 legendary powerhouses.

On average, only one out of every 125 super mutants managed to break through to the legendary realm, illustrating just how challenging this bottleneck was.

Ke Mingshan could guess Ji Xinghuo's thoughts from his expression and shook his head. "Don't get your hopes up too soon. The Stellar Ascension Device cannot be widely applied in the short term."

"Why not?"

"The device merely assists in breaking through bottlenecks," Ke Mingshan explained as he operated the control panel, bringing up a number on the screen. "This number is the stellar power index, reflecting a mutant's level of stellar power.

"The higher the number, the stronger the stellar power.

"A star power index of 3,500 points is extremely challenging."

"The strength of star power depends on the number and quality of merged exotic species and whether there are mutant abilities related to star power. For the vast majority of super mutants, their star power index is below 3,000 points when they reach their limit. If they cannot merge more exotic species, they can only rely on long-term cultivation, slowly breaking through their limits over time."

"Super mutants who meet this standard are truly exceptional."

"About one in ten super mutants will achieve this."

"And 3,500 points is just the minimum standard for using the Stellar Ascension Device. The success rate is less than 10%. If you want to guarantee a success rate of over 50%, the star power index must reach at least 4,000 points."

Ke Mingshan looked at Ji Xinghuo and saw that he was listening intently. He smiled and said, "Xinghuo, you definitely meet the criteria."

With his discerning eyes, he knew without testing that Ji Xinghuo's star power index far surpassed that of ordinary super mutants.

Anyone who could climb the Heavenly Ladder would meet the standards.

Ji Xinghuo, of course, wasn't worried about himself. He was surprised by the concept of the "star power index," which sounded similar to the "star power" value of his Myriad Astral Eyes.

He wondered if the two values were interchangeable and used the same unit of measurement.

4,000 points in star power index was considered excellent.

This number was very close to his previous estimates of other mutants' star power.

Just as Director Ke had said, Ji Xinghuo had met many super mutants, but the proportion of those who reached 4,000 points in star power was very low. This limited the widespread use of the Stellar Ascension Device, preventing its popularization.

"Go ahead and do the test," Ke Mingshan said.

Ji Xinghuo nodded. "Alright."

"In addition to the star power index, you'll also be tested on other data, including strength, speed, neural response, star power output, and more." Ke Mingshan explained, "The Stellar Ascension Device will be calibrated based on your data to achieve the best auxiliary effect."

Following the instructions, Ji Xinghuo took off his clothes, leaving only a pair of shorts on his body, revealing his strong and well-proportioned muscles. Even a layman could tell at a glance that this body possessed immense power.

There were over a dozen researchers in the laboratory, including both men and women.

While the men managed to maintain their composure, the female researchers couldn't help but sneak glances at Ji Xinghuo's physique, and some admired him openly.

Ji Xinghuo remained unfazed, his expression unchanged.

He stood on an instrument that resembled a weighing scale, and a light circle scanned him from head to toe, taking half a minute to produce a result.

"Star power index: 16,103!"

The result was displayed on the large screen, and the entire laboratory fell into a stunned silence.

"Whew..."

A few researchers couldn't help but gasp.

Ke Mingshan rubbed his eyes, making sure he wasn't seeing things. Ji Xinghuo's star power index had reached five digits! 16,103 points!

This wasn't a malfunction of the star power scanner. The way he looked at Ji Xinghuo had changed, as if he were looking at a monster.

The researchers in the room were all familiar with the star power index and had previously scanned mutants of various levels to collect data for research.

The strongest super mutant they had encountered before was Titanium Cobalt Dragon Man from the Daxia Summer Army, who was already a legendary powerhouse. His star power index before his ascension was over 5,200 points, which was astonishingly high. Yet, Ji Xinghuo's star power index was more than three times that of the Dragon Man!

Over 16,000 points, higher than the first level of the legendary realm.

Many legendary second-level mutants had star power indices lower than Ji Xinghuo, who was still only a super mutant.

"No wonder..."

Ke Mingshan was both shocked and enlightened. "I had guessed that your star power index would be high, but I never expected it to be this high. However, it's not surprising. You're the top of the Heavenly Ladder, and you can even match the Sun King. Having a star power index of over ten thousand points is only to be expected."

The researchers thought of Ji Xinghuo's achievements, and it all made sense to them now.

Everything had an explanation.

Ji Xinghuo, however, remained calm. He was more concerned about the star power index and how it differed slightly from his own estimation of his star power value.

But the difference was minimal, and the two values could be considered interchangeable.

"Director Ke, what is the unit of measurement for the star power index?" Ji Xinghuo asked curiously.

"One point of star power index can be roughly understood as the energy produced by the annihilation of one nanogram of matter-antimatter." Ke Mingshan explained the concept, adding, "In layman's terms, one point of star power is equivalent to the energy released by the explosion of 22 grams of trinitrotoluene, or about 92,000 joules."

"I see."

Ji Xinghuo guessed that the unit of star power value of the Myriad Astral Eyes might differ slightly from the definition on Earth.

Next, he proceeded to undergo the other tests.

Height: 182 centimeters, having grown 2 centimeters taller over the past three years; Weight: 140 kilograms. From his physique, one wouldn't be able to tell that he weighed this much, as his muscles, blood, and bone density had undergone several evolutions and merged with related exotic species, far surpassing that of a normal person;

Without any equipment, he could bench-press 180 tons. His endurance, speed, neural response, and other test results all set new records for super mutants.

Compared to the comprehensive data, Ji Xinghuo's performance was akin to that of a Heavenly King.

What puzzled Ke Mingshan the most was Ji Xinghuo's "stellar power output," a metric determined by the star gland.

The higher the output, the more stellar power one could burst forth in a short period, leading to formidable combat prowess.

And Ji Xinghuo's stellar power output was off the charts.

It was an entire order of magnitude higher than that of a Heavenly King!

Ji Xinghuo himself understood the reason behind this phenomenon. It was the effect of the "Magnetic Spirit Star Core." Previously, he had thought that it only imbued his stellar power with electromagnetic properties, but now he realized that it offered so much more.

Additionally, the three Aether Resonances played a significant role as well.

"Your star gland is unique and exceptionally powerful," Ke Mingshan mused. "With such high output power, its input power and energy conversion rate must also be remarkably efficient. Even without the Stellar Ascension Device, you'll be able to reach the legendary realm soon enough."

Ji Xinghuo silently nodded in agreement.

Ke Mingshan hesitated, wanting to say something more.

If only Ji Xinghuo could cooperate with him in his research, they might be able to achieve some groundbreaking results. However, this would involve prying into Ji Xinghuo's secrets, and Ke Mingshan wisely chose not to inquire further.

He had initially intended to ask Ji Xinghuo about the exotic species he had merged with, but now he let that idea go as well.

The data they had collected was more than sufficient for Ji Xinghuo's ascension.

"Let's begin," Ke Mingshan said.

One of his researchers opened the Stellar Ascension Device, and Ji Xinghuo stepped inside. The interior was a spherical space, about five meters in diameter, with a human-shaped chair in the center, similar to the one in the Aetheric Energy Chamber. He lay down on it.

The researchers secured Ji Xinghuo's limbs to the chair. Ke Mingshan stood by and instructed, "The ascension process will be painful. Try to endure and remain still. If it becomes unbearable, press this button to immediately halt the process."

"Can't I be anesthetized or something?" Ji Xinghuo asked.

Ke Mingshan shook his head. "Pain is one of the body's most important protective mechanisms. Numbing the pain is like removing that protection, which can be extremely dangerous during ascension."

As he spoke, a researcher picked up a metal wire with a sharp needle at its tip. They intended to insert it into Ji Xinghuo's limbs, chest, shoulders, and head, but the moment they touched his skin, the Holy Scale Armor activated. Trichromatic scales emerged from beneath his skin, repelling the needles.

"Please cooperate," a female researcher murmured, gently touching Ji Xinghuo's solid skin.

"Sorry, it was a reflex," Ji Xinghuo said, quickly dispelling the Holy Scale Armor and softening his skin to allow the needles to pierce through.

At that moment, five mutants approached the Stellar Ascension Device. Ji Xinghuo's electromagnetic senses swept over them, identifying two legends and three super mutants.

"Who are they?" Ji Xinghuo asked.

"They are here to assist your ascension," Ke Mingshan explained.

These five individuals were specially cultivated by the Aether Institute as ascension assistants. Each of them had merged with "Aether Affinity."

Additionally, they had each merged with one of the following abilities: "Aetheric Echo," "Energy Efficiency," "Star-Shaping Ring," "Condensation," and "Stellar Power Resonance." These five abilities, combined, played a crucial role in the Stellar Ascension Device, making it indispensable for mutant ascension.

The Aether Institute had cultivated over a hundred such ascension assistants.

And the five present today were the most outstanding among them.

A researcher brought over a tray with several medicines on it.

"Drink these. They will boost your conversion efficiency and success rate during ascension," Ke Mingshan said.

Without hesitation, Ji Xinghuo consumed all the medicines.

Ke Mingshan and his team exited the area.

The Stellar Ascension Device was now completely sealed. Ke Mingshan directed his researchers to bring in four boxes of Aether Crystals, each containing fifty crystals. They installed them into the slots on the outer layer of the device to serve as the source of Aetheric energy.

Just the consumption of these Aether Crystals made the Stellar Ascension Device impractical for widespread use. The average super mutant simply couldn't afford such a luxury.

The instrument, the drugs, the researchers, the ascension assistants, and the requirement for a high stellar power index—all these conditions combined meant that only a handful of people worldwide could even attempt this process.

The interior of the ascension device was incredibly quiet.

Ji Xinghuo lay still on the chair, his mind quickly calming down. Outside, the five ascension assistants took their positions, each operating a part of the Stellar Ascension Device.

"Begin!" Ke Mingshan's voice echoed.

The Stellar Ascension Device rumbled slightly as it activated.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end