Chapter 418: Interstellar Spaceship

Chapter 418: Interstellar Spaceship

Upon seeing Ji Xinghuo enter the martial arts arena, Cheng Sheng followed suit and asked, "What are you going to practice?"

"The Spiral Force," Ji Xinghuo replied.

Having reached the seventh level of the Star Force, he needed to attain the "Ultimate Simplicity" state within the next few days to unleash the full power of his Electric Spiral Force.

Cheng Sheng's eyes lit up, and he said eagerly, "Let's spar and test it out? We'll only compare our martial arts skills."

"Sure," Ji Xinghuo agreed without hesitation.

There were others in the arena who stopped their training and moved to the sidelines to watch the upcoming match.

After just half a minute, everyone was stunned as they witnessed Cheng Sheng, who had always been undefeated among their clan, crawling up from the ground, gritting his teeth in pain.

The battle between the two was fast-paced, and it ended even faster.

Within that half-minute, Cheng Sheng had been knocked down three times consecutively, and each time, Ji Xinghuo controlled his strength precisely, ensuring that Cheng Sheng fell without sustaining any injuries, and also avoiding any damage to the arena's floor.

"I can't beat him! I just can't!" Cheng Sheng felt his body aching and numb, and he knew that Ji Xinghuo had held back.

If this had been a life-or-death battle, a single strike would have been fatal.

Although he hadn't used his full strength either, and without Gang Fenglong by his side, he still had some fight left in him. However, Cheng Sheng was well aware of the gap between his and Ji Xinghuo's strength, and he couldn't even guess how much of his power Ji Xinghuo had truly displayed.

In any case, it was unfathomable.

"Xinghuo," Cheng Sheng shook his head repeatedly, "your martial arts realm is just too outrageous. How did you train to reach this level?"

Ji Xinghuo laughed and replied, "Talent."

"Talent..."

Cheng Sheng's expression became complex. Ever since he was young, he had displayed extraordinarily high talent, excelling far beyond ordinary people in martial arts, supernatural abilities, and cultivation. Back on Earth, everyone who knew him considered him a once-in-a-century genius.

He was the very definition of talent.

But now, he had met someone else with "talent," and there was a vast difference between their talents—a difference that was simply overwhelming.

"Go ahead and continue your practice. I won't disturb you anymore," Cheng Sheng said, a little dejected, as he left the martial arts arena.

Ji Xinghuo watched Cheng Sheng's retreating figure and wondered if he should find a moment to comfort him.

"It's not that you're too weak; it's that I'm too strong," he thought to himself. "Actually, you're pretty amazing yourself."

"But saying that would probably just make him feel worse," Ji Xinghuo shook his head inwardly. He couldn't exactly tell Cheng Sheng that the reason for his dominance in close combat at the same level was due to his All-Seeing Divine Eye and Microscopic Perception.

Without dwelling on it further, Ji Xinghuo began to train his Electric Spiral Force and soon became immersed in it.

Three days later...

The entire Titanium Ring City was immersed in a grand celebration, with countless dragon flags fluttering in the breeze, creating a majestic sight. Dozens of majestic true dragons soared in the sky, their roars echoing like ceremonial cannons, piercing through the clouds. The air was filled with an indescribable atmosphere of fanaticism.

Built within the city were tens of thousands of altars, where the True Dragon Clan led the rituals.

Earth Residence:

Ji Xinghuo and a dozen other Earthlings stayed indoors today, as they were not followers of the End of Days Dragon and thus found it inconvenient to participate in the ceremony.

In the courtyard, they watched this grand ceremony from a distance.

At noon, when the sun's rays were at their most intense, the sky suddenly darkened, and a shadow passed over Titanium Ring City, blocking out the sun. It was as if an incredibly massive true dragon had cast its shadow from the distant sky, and a soul-shaking aura enveloped the entire city, as if it would bring about the end of the world!

"It's begun!"

Cheng Sheng sat upright, his gaze fixed on the sky.

Ji Xinghuo, too, looked up, and his pupils contracted as he realized that the shadow in the sky was merely a projection of a mighty being, resembling a responsive dragon. It had glanced over from an unknown spatial dimension without even opening its eyes, its vague consciousness briefly focusing on Titanium Ring City.

"The End of Days Dragon..."

Ji Xinghuo's eyes reflected a black dragon shadow, and his heart and mind were instantly impacted, causing him to feel a sharp pain in his brain, as if it were being pierced by needles.

He immediately closed his eyes and retracted his gaze.

Even without being ranked among the Four Great God-Kings, the End of Days Dragon was still one of the most powerful Star Gods, and it had always been in a state of slumber. The power it had leaked out was but a minuscule fraction of its true might.

"Roar..."

Countless followers of the End of Days Dragon in Titanium Ring City shouted in unison, and all the true dragons roared towards the sky.

The fluttering dragon flags seemed to freeze, and the black-bottomed, red-patterned design exuded a destructive aura. The dragon patterns on the altars were also tinged with a layer of black light, slowly flowing as if capable of absorbing even light itself.

The True Dragon Clan, along with their numerous followers, maintained solemn expressions as they loudly praised the greatness of the Ancestral Dragon's bloodline and supreme power, beseeching protection for the True Dragon populace.

The Ancestral Dragon Ceremony was just one part of the entire End of Days Celebration.

It was the most important part, the one the True Dragon Clan valued the most, but it was also the shortest, lasting only a few minutes.

As the dragon shadow dissipated, brightness returned to the city.

The dragon flags fluttered once more, and that terrifying aura vanished like a receding tide.

"Terrifying!"

This was Ji Xinghuo's first time participating in the End of Days Celebration, and he had witnessed the might of a Star God firsthand. He felt only one thing—his own insignificance.

After the Ancestral Dragon Ceremony concluded, the oppressive atmosphere dissipated, and life returned to Titanium Ring City, with people now free to move about.

Cheng Sheng stood up and said, "We should prepare for our departure."

Ji Xinghuo nodded in agreement and proceeded to check his weapons and equipment once more. He donned his tantalum-silicon battle armor, with the Spirit String and Electric Potential Blades at his back. The Ultimate Darkness Orb was integrated into his left eye, but he chose not to bring along Qinghong.

Qinghong's unique appearance made her highly recognizable. She had been seen in Canghu City in the Canghu Territory and might have been captured on satellite footage during the battle with the Quake-level Earth Devouring Insect on Black Ring Star. It would be troublesome if she were identified.

In fact, Ji Xinghuo was reluctant to bring even the Ultimate Darkness Orb, as losing the Interstellar Dragon Ceremony was acceptable, but having the Yu Hu Clan's treasure recognized was not.

However, he had no choice but to bring it for the sake of the Darkness Vision.

"Boom..."

A loud hum filled the air as Ji Xinghuo looked up to see the hovering Titanium Ring City activate.

The thirty-kilometer-wide ring structure began to spin, gradually increasing in speed. Visible to the naked eye, vast amounts of energy circulated through the numerous silver-white bases within the city, emitting a sharp, piercing sound. After several minutes, the energy was projected toward the center of the ring, forming a blindingly bright convergence.

Contrary to expectations, there was no explosion.

Instead, the space at the ring's heart began to distort, as if an infinite amount of energy had gathered to form a substantial sphere that swiftly expanded.

Suddenly, a figure appeared.

As Ji Xinghuo beheld the man's appearance, a chilling sensation ran down his spine.

He was a True Dragon man, standing at an imposing height of two meters. Adorned in a magnificent and majestic silver-blue armor, his body was well-proportioned and tall, with perfect features that seemed divinely crafted. Appearing to be only in his early twenties, his silvery hair flowed naturally, each strand resembling electric wires that danced with light.

The Titanium-Cobalt Dragon King!

Ruler of the Titanium-Cobalt Family, sovereign of the Yuan Magnet Territory, and one of the pinnacle powerhouses among the numerous Dragon Kings of the True Dragon Empire! His true name was unknown to mortals, and he was referred to only as the Titanium-Cobalt Dragon King.

At that moment, countless individuals within Titanium Ring City beheld the man in the sky. Despite his seemingly diminutive stature, he exuded an overwhelming aura that dominated the heavens and the earth.

The True Dragon people shouted frenziedly, calling out the name of the Dragon King.

Even the Dragon Lords soaring in the sky bowed in deference.

In Ji Xinghuo's eyes, the Titanium-Cobalt Dragon King was the center of a terrifying magnetic field, and through his own field, he controlled the magnetic field of Titanium Ring City, extending his influence to hundreds of kilometers beyond, dominating the very heavens and earth.

Compared to the ethereal and vast Star Gods, the Titanium-Cobalt Dragon King felt more immediate and his power more tangible.

The Dragon King then threw something.

It was a Spirit Realm Stone, which landed in the energy mass at the heart of Titanium Ring City, immediately causing a reaction. The originally chaotic energy evolved instantly, transforming into the form of a planet, complete with poles, an equator, and distinct ecological climates.

This was the Spirit Illusion Realm!

Or more accurately, a spiritual realm world, but the ether technology of the True Dragon Empire far surpassed that of Earth, allowing them to create a spiritual realm on a far grander scale.

In essence, the Spirit Realm was still a virtual world, yet it was almost indistinguishable from reality.

Since Cheng Sheng had participated in one before, he was not surprised.

"The Spirit Illusion Realm that we see is just a miniaturized projection for the convenience of the Titanium Ring City residents watching the Interstellar Dragon Ceremony."

"It's actually much larger, slightly bigger than our moon."

"You'll know once you're inside..."

Ji Xinghuo couldn't help but marvel, asking, "How much energy does it take to create such a massive spiritual realm world?"

"It consumes 100,000 ether crystals each time it's activated, and to maintain it until the end of the Interstellar Dragon Ceremony, it will probably take around a million crystals in total." Cheng Sheng smiled and added, "The Titanium-Cobalt Family doesn't do business at a loss; we all paid a registration fee."

The registration fee was ten ether crystals per person.

For this Interstellar Dragon Ceremony, the number of participants had exceeded 160,000, resulting in a total registration fee of 1.6 million ether crystals.

It was clear that the Titanium-Cobalt Family was making a substantial profit.

Ji Xinghuo couldn't help but understand why the Titanium-Cobalt Family held the Interstellar Dragon Ceremony once every five starfield years.

At that moment, the sky outside Titanium Ring City seemed to tear open, and a pitch-black stargate opened at an altitude of tens of thousands of meters. A massive spaceship emerged from the stargate, transitioning from the galaxy into the starfield.

The spaceship was over 2,400 meters long, with a silvery-gray body and wings on both sides, resembling a true dragon in its overall design.

This was a typical spaceship design of the True Dragon Empire.

The spaceship slowly advanced toward Titanium Ring City, and an energy shield enveloped its body. As it moved forward, the shield created colorful lights from the friction with the air, leaving a rainbow-like trail that was dazzlingly beautiful.

"Star Rainbow Bubble!"

Ji Xinghuo's eyes widened as he gazed at the spaceship in fascination.

However, there existed a type of ether technology that could install force field generators on spaceships and warships, enveloping them in a layer of protective bubbles that countered the rules of the Starry Realm and safeguarded the electronic equipment on board.

With this technology, spaceships could freely travel between the Starry Realm and the galaxy, achieving true interstellar navigation.

When a spaceship traveled at high speeds within the Starry Realm, the resistance field generated a rainbow-like trail due to friction with the ether energy, thus the name "Star Rainbow Bubble."

The Star Rainbow Bubble was not infallible.

It had no defensive capabilities, and yet it had to ensure the absolute integrity of the protective bubble. Should it rupture, even a pinhole-sized breach would instantly cause all the electronic components on the spaceship to fail, turning it into a pile of scrap metal.

Spaceships and warships that crashed in the Starry Realm would never take off again.

Moreover, the Star Rainbow Bubble constantly contended against the forces of the Starry Realm, and the pressure it endured increased the longer it stayed within the realm. Eventually, it would collapse.

Therefore, spaceships and warships could not linger in the Starry Realm for extended periods and had to return to the galaxy at regular intervals.

Despite its flaws, the Star Rainbow Bubble was a jewel in the crown of ether technology.

It was one of the hallmarks of a Level 7 civilization.

The True Dragon Empire was indeed a Level 7 civilization, although they focused more on cultivating individual power and paid less attention to scientific development and ether technology. Nonetheless, they had long ago mastered the Star Rainbow Bubble technology and were capable of building interstellar fleets.

Ji Xinghuo watched intently as the second, third, and more spaceships emerged...

A total of five Star Rainbow spaceships appeared through the stargate.

Each one was identical.

Four of the spaceships dispersed to the four directions of Titanium Ring City and hovered above the squares that had been prepared beforehand.

The last one remained above Titanium Ring City itself.

These five spaceships were specially crafted for the Interstellar Dragon Ceremony, and the participants were to board them.

A clear and resounding voice echoed throughout Titanium Ring City, "Children of the End of Days, the time has come to showcase your strength to the Ancestral Dragon! Board the ships!"

It was the voice of the Titanium-Cobalt Dragon King.

In Titanium Ring City, figures took to the skies, flying towards the spaceships hovering above the squares.

"Xinghuo, let's go."

Cheng Sheng leaped onto the back of his Steel-edged Dragon, and Ji Xinghuo followed suit. The dragon flapped its wings and took off, soaring through the howling winds towards the Star Rainbow spaceship located to the east of Titanium Ring City.

As they drew closer, the spaceship loomed like a towering wall, its size imposing and overwhelming.

Numerous entry channels opened on the sides of the spaceship.

Many participants began to line up.

Cheng Sheng's Steel-edged Dragon flew directly into a platform resembling a landing pad, a privilege accorded to dragon masters. Although Cheng Sheng was not a true dragon master, having a true dragon paving the way meant that no one dared to stop them, and they smoothly entered the spaceship.

The two jumped down from the dragon's back and took out their ID cards for registration.

Ji Xinghuo surveyed their surroundings.

Electromagnetic induction had already scanned the entire spaceship, and he immediately sensed the difference. Inside the spaceship, it felt as though they were on a planet, with countless electronic components and integrated systems operating unaffected by the rules of the Starry Realm.

"If I were to release an electromagnetic pulse here..."

The thought crossed Ji Xinghuo's mind.

Although the spaceship had a strict electromagnetic shielding device, the strongest fortresses were often breached from within. All it would take was slight damage to the spaceship's systems, followed by an electromagnetic pulse, to immediately cripple it.

The spaceship was under the control of the True Dragon Clan, with tens of thousands of elite dragon guards stationed on each level, and a Level 6 peak expert in the command bridge!

"Please follow the directions."

After verifying their identities, the dragon guards gave each of them a wrist-mounted terminal to wear.

A virtual arrow appeared in Ji Xinghuo's field of vision, guiding him through the spaceship.

Since Cheng Sheng was bringing a true dragon with him, their login cabins were different, and they soon parted ways.

Ji Xinghuo followed the arrow to the upper level of the spaceship and entered a solitary cabin. He sat cross-legged and scanned the other cabins with electromagnetic induction, finding that most people were squeezed into shared rooms, with some cabins housing hundreds of people in tight quarters.

The kind of treatment he and Cheng Sheng received was reserved for only a select few.

Gradually, the spaceship filled up with people.

"Over thirty-five thousand people..." Ji Xinghuo estimated, and these were just the participants on this one spaceship.

A voice sounded in his ear, "Prepare for login!"

Boom!

Ji Xinghuo felt his mind tremble as a strange wave emanated from the cabin, linking with his senses. His vision warped, and when it returned to normal, he saw through the porthole an endless dark space with a massive planet looming before them.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end