Chapter 414: The Power of the Stars

Chapter 414: The Power of the Stars

The silicon giant caught the returning heavy hammer and stared at the faint glow in front of him, his crystal-like large face filled with curiosity. After observing for a few seconds, he spoke with gravity, "I don't enjoy conversing with someone who hides their true self."

"Heh..." Qi Xinghuo chuckled lightly.

Suddenly, the vague human silhouette sharpened into a tangible form. It rapidly expanded, its massive feet stomping onto the ground. A thick, lustrous battle armor grew on its body, giving it a robust and towering stature. In its hand, it wielded a purple crystal heavy hammer, and its entire being exuded an explosive sense of power.

A look of astonishment crossed Gangui's face as he found himself facing an exact replica—another silicon giant. Not only did it mirror his appearance perfectly, but it also held an identical weapon.

"Mimicry..." Gangui instantly recognized the ability, but he had never encountered such an advanced level of mimicry that not only copied his physical form but also seemed to replicate his physical strength.

His expression turned solemn as he asked, "Who are you?"

"A mere insignificant spec." Qi Xinghuo, of course, had no intention of revealing his identity. "My identity is irrelevant. What matters is whether you desire the 'Lord of the Earth's Crust' or not."

Gangui remained silent for a few seconds before his curiosity got the better of him. "Can you find it?"

He could guess that the 'Lord of the Earth's Crust' that Qi Xinghuo referred to was none other than the seismic-grade earth-devouring worm, but it had already fled.

"If you're willing to cooperate with me, obtaining the Lord of the Earth's Crust won't be difficult. One might even say it's simple," Qi Xinghuo replied.

The Lord of the Earth's Crust was incredibly powerful. Even among the star-falling abilities, it was among the very best. However, it was evidently not a good fit for Qi Xinghuo himself. Neither Qinghong nor Jiuyou would be able to utilize it effectively.

Qi Xinghuo had considered this before. If he were to obtain the Lord of the Earth's Crust, the most likely outcome would be to sell it or trade it for something else. Hence, he didn't have a strong motivation to hunt down the earth-devouring worm. If it got away, then so be it.

Now that he could pinpoint the earth-devouring worm's location but lacked the means to kill it, the timely return of Gangui, the silicon giant, presented an opportunity for collaboration. Gangui, too, could move underground and control gravity, making him the bane of the earth-devouring worm.

Of course, Qi Xinghuo intended to keep the upper hand in this deal.

"What do you want?" Gangui asked, knowing full well that this mysterious figure hadn't revealed himself out of the goodness of his heart. There would be a price to pay for this cooperation.

"An exchange," Qi Xinghuo replied matter-of-factly. "You bring me an equivalent exotic species or treasure in exchange for the Lord of the Earth's Crust."

Gangui immediately rejected the proposal. "I assume that in this cooperation, I'll be doing most of the heavy lifting to kill the earth-devouring worm while you just locate it. The Lord of the Earth's Crust already rightfully belongs to me by half, yet you expect me to trade it for something of equal value. Do I look like a fool to you?"

A calm smile spread across the face of the silicon giant that was Qi Xinghuo. "Then forget it."

As he finished speaking, his figure began to fade into the shadows.

"Wait!" Gangui blurted out, his frustration evident. "Who conducts business like this? We should at least negotiate and make some compromises."

"Compromise is based on both parties having equal leverage. But right now, it's you who needs me," Qi Xinghuo stated, unmoved.

Gangui was left speechless.

Qi Xinghuo's words struck a nerve, as they were true. At this moment, Gangui desperately wanted the Lord of the Earth's Crust. This star-falling exotic species was of utmost importance to him. A few days ago, he had received news from the 'Extreme Dragon Domain,' and he had immediately traveled countless miles to reach the Black Ring Star, all for the sake of the Lord of the Earth's Crust.

He was the "Dominion of the Great Earth," and his massive size allowed him to perfectly unleash the might of the Lord of the Earth's Crust. It would also greatly aid him in his pursuit of becoming a Star Saint.

He was willing to pay a higher price to obtain it.

"I'll give you 10,000 ether crystals," Gangui offered.

"If you want to buy it with ether crystals, my asking price is 100,000," Qi Xinghuo stated bluntly, giving his own quote.

Gangui was nearly choked by the amount.

If he had 100,000 ether crystals, he wouldn't have gone through all this trouble. He could have just put out a bounty for the Lord of the Earth's Crust.

Although 100,000 ether crystals wouldn't be enough to purchase an eclipse-grade exotic species, it would be more than sufficient for most exotic species below that grade. It would just be a matter of luck and waiting for someone to sell the desired species.

"I'm a poor bloke," Gangui said, spreading his hands. "Aside from this Purple Crystal Gravity Hammer, I only have a few thousand ether crystals and no other treasures. I don't have anything else that would interest you."

Qi Xinghuo's gaze fell upon the heavy hammer in Gangui's hand.

It was a three-star apocalyptic weapon, and if used to trade for the Lord of the Earth's Crust, it would undoubtedly be more than enough.

"The Purple Crystal Gravity Hammer is the Silicon Giant Clan's most prized possession. I advise you not to even think about it," Gangui warned, his eyes narrowing dangerously.

Qi Xinghuo retracted his gaze.

He didn't believe that a powerful being at the third stage of the Heavenly King realm, almost at the peak of the sixth stage, wouldn't be able to produce a treasure equivalent to a star-falling exotic species.

It was clear that Gangui was feigning poverty and trying to haggle.

The two silicon giants locked eyes for a while, Qi Xinghuo maintaining his silence, while Gangui grew uncomfortable, his thoughts laid bare.

"Alright, fine," Gangui relented with a sigh. "I'll exchange it for a star-falling exotic species, how about the Gravity Earth Field?"

Putting aside the fact that it was completely unnecessary, the Gravity Earth Field was far less valuable than the Lord of the Earth's Crust, and by killing the seismic-grade earth-devouring worm, one could also collect another Gravity Earth Field from its corpse.

Qi Xinghuo frowned, "Is this your sincerity?"

"Just a joke, haha..." Guangi quickly explained, "This is the only starfall exotic species I have. I really don't have anything else. Who carries starfall exotic species around with them? Anyone would have sold it or exchanged it for something useful."

"It looks like our cooperation is off then." Qi Xinghuo shook his head.

"Don't be hasty."

Guangi stopped him, "Although I don't have a starfall exotic species right now, give me some time, and I can get my hands on a very precious starfall exotic species that you won't be able to refuse."

"What exotic species?"

"Silicon Phase Change Armor and Stellar Power." Guangi held up two fingers, "You can only choose one of these two starfall exotic species."

Qi Xinghuo's interest was piqued.

He knew the first one, "Silicon Phase Change Armor," which was an advanced ability of the Silicon Giant Clan's racial innate ability, "Silicon Crystal Armor."

This was an extremely powerful defensive ability, offering dual protection against both physical and energy attacks, especially in terms of physical defense. Silicon Phase Change Armor utilized the principles of phase change materials to absorb kinetic impact and energy through phase transition, then release it back to inflict damage on enemies.

The crystal armor that Guangi wore was a product of this Silicon Phase Change Armor.

During the previous battle, he had withstood multiple attacks from the Light Ring Fighter without sustaining any injuries, all thanks to this Silicon Phase Change Armor.

As for "Stellar Power," Qi Xinghuo had never heard of it.

"What is Stellar Power?"

Guangi was surprised, "You don't know?"

Qi Xinghuo shook his head.

Guangi gave him a meaningful look, "Stellar Power is the best power-based exotic ability. It can increase your strength, and as long as your body can withstand it, the amplification of Stellar Power has no limit."

As he spoke, he lifted his right foot and stomped.

Boom! The ground shook violently, and a pure force propagated outward, creating a footprint over a meter deep, and countless pebbles within a few hundred meters jumped into the air.

"This is the power of Stellar Power!" Guangi was extremely confident in his strength; he brandished the large hammer in his hand proudly, "Without Stellar Power, I wouldn't even be able to swing this Purple Crystal Gravity Hammer."

"I'll take them both then." Qi Xinghuo said.

Guangi immediately shook his head, "I already said, you can only choose one." There was a hint of pride on his face.

Qi Xinghuo understood immediately.

This was Guangi's negotiation tactic, using the starfall exotic species as bait and turning the tables so that Qi Xinghuo would be the one needing his cooperation.

"Then I choose Stellar Power." Qi Xinghuo made his choice, but in his heart, he was also interested in the Silicon Phase Change Armor. Even if he couldn't use it himself, he could always give it a try with his family, friends, and Qinghong.

For now, if Guangi was unwilling to trade, he would find another way later.

"Alright."

Guangi was a little surprised that Qi Xinghuo gave up on the Silicon Phase Change Armor so quickly and didn't try to bargain further.

Qi Xinghuo added, "Aside from the Lord of the Earth's Crust, the rest of its exotic species are mine."

"Take whatever you want." Guangi nodded.

"I'll keep the Lord of the Earth's Crust with me. When you obtain the Stellar Power, come back to exchange it with me." Qi Xinghuo, of course, wouldn't be foolish enough to hand over the exotic species first and put his hopes in someone else's integrity.

However, unexpectedly, Guangi had no objections, merely hmph-ing, "When I make a promise, I never go back on my word."

Qi Xinghuo remained noncommittal.

Perhaps Guangi was such a person, but he couldn't fully trust him.

No one's promises were reliable except for his own abilities.

"Where's the Earth Devouring Worm?" After their discussion, Guangi asked impatiently.

Qi Xinghuo pointed to the south.

"Lead the way."

Guangi dove into the ground and moved swiftly underground; for him, traveling underground was much easier and safer than flying.

Qi Xinghuo transformed into a wisp of shadow and merged with the shadows.

He didn't completely conceal his presence but reappeared every few kilometers so that Guangi could keep up.

The Earth Devouring Worm wasn't far away; it dragged its heavily wounded body slowly through the ground, and the distance was less than 200 kilometers. However, it had burrowed deep into the crust and remained motionless, absorbing energy to recover from its injuries.

Soon, Qi Xinghuo stopped.

It was an ordinary stretch of wilderness, but he could clearly sense Qinghong beneath his feet. However, neither his electromagnetic sensing nor his dark vision could penetrate to see the Earth Devouring Worm; it was completely blocked from his perception.

The crust of the Black Ring Star was much thicker than that of Earth, averaging over 30 kilometers.

At this moment, the Earth-Devouring Worm was approximately 12 kilometers below the surface, the maximum depth it could stay for an extended period.

"Is it down there?" Gangui asked as he rose from the ground.

Qi Xinghuo nodded.

"At a depth of 17 dragon lengths."

Dragon lengths were the unit of length used in the True Dragon Empire. Initially, it referred to the distance a newborn baby dragon could glide with a single flap of its wings, but it was later strictly defined as approximately 709 meters on Earth.

All the aliens and races living in the True Dragon Empire were familiar with this unit of length and often used it.

"That deep!" Gangui's face turned solemn. "With my strength, I can only hold on for less than half a star-time at a depth of 17 dragon lengths in the Earth's crust."

"I'll guide you to its location, and you can force it to the surface." Qi Xinghuo said, "Once it's on the ground, I'll cover you during the fight, and together, we can take it down quickly. As for how to get it to the surface, that's your responsibility."

The reason for his collaboration with Gangui was to have him solve this problem.

"Let me think."

Gangui pondered for a few minutes, then nodded slightly, seemingly having come up with a plan that he was confident about.

He took out a finely polished crystal and threw it to Qi Xinghuo.

"Guide me."

Gangui sank into the ground.

Qi Xinghuo quickly figured out how to use the crystal, which was similar to the sight and sound bracelet, allowing him to synchronize his senses with Gangui over a short distance and guide him to the Earth-Devouring Worm's location.

Gangui swiftly descended deeper into the Earth's crust, soon surpassing the range of the synchronization.

With Qi Xinghuo's guidance, he silently approached Qinghong, his speed also slowing down.

A few minutes later, there were intense fluctuations in Qinghong's senses, and Gangui had made his move.

Qi Xinghuo vaguely heard vibrations coming from underground, and the gravity under his feet also changed, but he didn't know the specifics. Qinghong, inside the Earth-Devouring Worm, couldn't see the outside battle either.

Not long into the fight, Gangui gained the upper hand and seemed to be controlling the Earth-Devouring Worm to rise to the surface.

However, the ascent was slow.

During this process, the Earth-Devouring Worm frantically struggled and counterattacked, breaking free several times, only to be suppressed again by Gangui, who was guided by Qi Xinghuo to chase it down. It was getting closer and closer to the surface.

"Fortunately, the Earth-Devouring Worm is heavily injured and hasn't recovered yet, or else Gangui would have a hard time controlling it."

Qi Xinghuo's spirit lifted.

Half an hour later, the vibrations from underground became more and more violent and closer. Gravity fluctuated wildly, and within a radius of several kilometers, the gravity field became extremely chaotic. Finally, with a loud bang, a massive creature was forced out of the ground.

The Earth-Devouring Worm's body had only partially recovered. It was bound by invisible gravity, struggling and writhing helplessly.

The silicon giant, Gangui, raised his hands high, his muscles bulging.

He held up the Earth-Devouring Worm, weighing over 3,000 tons, and slowly rose from the ground before stomping his feet and unleashing his gravity field with full force.

"I'm coming!"

Qi Xinghuo waved his hand, releasing the 'No-Light Dark Domain' to cover the sky, but he left enough gaps to not obstruct Gangui's vision.

At the same time, a dark energy vortex appeared in the air, pulling the Earth-Devouring Worm upward.

This greatly reduced the pressure on Gangui.

The Earth-Devouring Worm was completely dragged out of the ground, severing its connection with the earth.

Gangui raised his hand, and gravity instantly reversed, turning into repulsion, and he pulled and tugged on the Earth-Devouring Worm with his gravity control, holding it in mid-air.

Qi Xinghuo transformed his body into a black wave, and the liquid-like black fire engulfed the Earth-Devouring Worm, corroding its crystal armor and flesh. Once it was cut off from drawing energy from the earth, the Earth-Devouring Worm's strength plummeted, unable to withstand the killing power of the "Cold Flame Wave."

The Earth-Devouring Worm screamed in pain but couldn't break free no matter what.

Its cries grew weaker and weaker.

Its crystal armor was completely eroded, and Qinghong seized the opportunity to escape from the Earth-Devouring Worm's body, merging with Qi Xinghuo's torrent. The Earth-Devouring Worm's body was corroded until only a few meters were left, and eventually, it fell silent.

The torrent rolled back, and Qi Xinghuo instantly transformed into a silicon giant, raising his simulated purple crystal gravity hammer and smashing it down.

Boom!

The Earth-Devouring Worm's remains exploded into bloody mist, splattering onto Qi Xinghuo's body.

His left hand reached into the bloody mist and accurately grasped a uniquely shaped organ, and a interface popped up in his vision.

[Exotic Species: Lord of the Earth's Crust]



[Grade: Starfall]



[Fusion Success Rate: 63%, 71%, 16%]



[Can it be upgraded: Yes]



Qi Xinghuo hovered in mid-air, staring at the exotic species in his hand—the Lord of the Earth's Crust!

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end