Chapter 430: The Body of a Titanoboa Dragon

Chapter 430: The Body of a Titanoboa Dragon

A Dragon King Guard stepped forward, holding a sword in his hand.

This was a one-handed sword, about twelve meters long, with a pale purple color from the hilt to the blade. The silver-white hilt was carved with dragon scale patterns, and the blade shimmered with a faint glow. The most striking feature was the hilt, crafted into a hollow ring with a floating ball of electricity in the center, flickering like raindrops and emitting strands of current into the sword's body.

"Thunderstorm!"

"A Genesis One-star weapon, the Spirit Energy Sword!"

The geniuses and legends in the grand hall had their attention drawn to the sword, their faces filled with awe.

Weapons of the Genesis tier were rarely seen even in the True Dragon Empire. One would need not only sufficient Aether Crystals but also a great deal of luck to find a suitable weapon.

This Thunderstorm sword was quite famous in the Electromagnetic Domain.

It was developed by the Titanoboa family and tailor-made for the Dragon Masters of their clan. Only those who could manipulate electromagnetic fields and spirit energy could unleash its true power.

Thunderstorm was of exceptionally high quality.

Although it was only rated as a Genesis One-star weapon, in the hands of a compatible strong user, it possessed killing power comparable to a Genesis Two-star weapon.

The Titanoboa family never sold the Thunderstorm sword externally. The fact that they offered one as a reward for the Killing Rankings surprised many, which was why numerous genius legends participated in the World-Extinction Dragon Ceremony, frantically killing their opponents to compete for rankings.

If it were put on the market, countless people would go crazy for it.

Even a markup of several times its value would be considered normal.

"Thank you, Your Majesty, for your gracious gift!"

Amid the envy of the other genius legends, Ji Xinghuo thanked the king loudly before respectfully receiving the long sword with both hands.

As soon as Ji Xinghuo held the Thunderstorm sword, the first thing he noticed was its lightness—it weighed only about thirty kilograms. Then he felt the wonder of the sword; it appeared to be cast as a whole, but it was actually assembled from 9,999 tiny fragments.

These fragments were mostly needle-shaped, shuttle-shaped, and diamond-shaped. When assembled into a complete long sword, it could be used as a close-quarters weapon.

However, its true prowess lay in its decomposition form! Each fragment could be considered a separate small sword, capable of attacking enemies by manipulating metal and infusing spirit energy currents.

Fragments could also be combined in specific quantities to form larger blades.

Moreover, the multitude of fragments could construct electromagnetic fields to amplify the power of lightning.

It was versatile and flexible, limited only by the user's imagination.

Both offensive and defensive capabilities were at the user's command.

The Thunderstorm sword had an extremely high operational ceiling, dependent on the wielder's spirit energy strength, cognitive speed, and creative ideas.

"A fine sword!"

Ji Xinghuo gently stroked the blade of Thunderstorm, unable to hide his delight.

This sword was perfect for him.

Compared to the Spirit String Song, Thunderstorm's potential was equally impressive, undoubtedly a masterpiece among Genesis One-star weapons.

Next was the second-ranked person on the Killing Rankings, Gu Xingli, who chose his reward.

Naturally, the Thunderstorm sword was the most valuable item, and the other treasures paled in comparison. There were a couple of items worth almost as much as the "Doomsday Dragon Eye," and there was even a Starfall exotic species, but it was a relatively easily obtainable one.

Without hesitation, Gu Xingli chose the "Doomsday Dragon Eye."

No one was surprised by his choice.

High-level exotic items that could be used by advanced humans were always hard currency. Even if one had used it themselves, it could still be easily exchanged for something else.

A Dragon King Guard handed the "Doomsday Dragon Eye" to Gu Xingli.

Ji Xinghuo took a couple more glances at it.

The Doomsday Dragon Eye was a thumb-sized treasure bead containing a pitch-black pupil surrounded by chaotic colors. Dragon eyes were typically very large, so it was clear that the eye had been refined and extracted to condense into such a small volume.

Many people, like Ji Xinghuo, were intrigued by the Doomsday Dragon Eye.

Gu Xingli's expression remained indifferent as he put it away.

"He must have used it already," Ji Xinghuo speculated.

The Legion, an advanced profession, was indeed powerful, but such power came at the cost of greater effort and resources. Each clone cultivated and fused with exotic species separately, meaning that the Legion required several times the resources of other advanced humans.

Two clone avatars would need double the amount of expansion curios and exotic species.

Four avatars would require four times the amount.

Gu Xingli possessed eight clone avatars, and he needed eight times the resources of an advanced human of the same rank, if not more!

A single Doomsday Dragon Eye would definitely not be enough.

If he could exchange a Doomsday Dragon Eye for a larger number of expansion exotics, Gu Xingli would undoubtedly accept without hesitation.

Ji Xinghuo thought about how to negotiate a trade with Gu Xingli until the rewards for the Killing Rankings were all distributed.

The Titanoboa Dragon King stood up and proclaimed, "May you all reach the pinnacle of your dragon veins and witness the end together!"

"Reach the pinnacle of dragon veins and witness the end together!"

Everyone shouted in unison and bowed to the Dragon King on the throne.

Ji Xinghuo joined in the shout as well. This was the most solemn blessing among the True Dragon people, wishing for one's strength to grow stronger, for the True Dragon bloodline within them to climb to the peak of evolution, and then to witness the moment when the End Dragon destroys the world.

By the time they stood up, the Titanoboa Dragon King had already left.

Everyone began to exit the Electromagnetic Palace.

Most people dispersed, boarding magnetic levitation trains or flying directly out of the Upper Titan Ring City.

Ji Xinghuo felt the gazes of many people on him, but he didn't try to avoid them. Instead, he turned to Gu Xingli beside him and said, "How about a trade?"

"What did you have in mind?" Gu Xingli's expression was as expected, as if he had anticipated Ji Xinghuo's proposal.

"Two Red Emperor Blood Crystals in exchange for your Doomsday Dragon Eye, but I'll need some compensation from you," Ji Xinghuo said, and two blood-colored gemstones appeared in his palm, emitting peculiar energy fluctuations that immediately drew the attention of those around him.

But this was the square in front of the Electromagnetic Palace, and no one dared to harbor any ill intentions.

Gu Xingli's eyes lit up.

"Red Emperor Blood Crystals!"

He had heard of this expansion curio before. In the True Dragon Empire, the Red Emperor faith was a taboo, and Red Emperor Blood Crystals were extremely rare. Whenever a small number of them appeared on the market, they were always snapped up immediately.

Ji Xinghuo had already checked beforehand.

While the True Dragon Empire prohibited its people from worshiping the Red Emperor, it did not ban the trade of Red Emperor Blood Crystals.

The outflow of Red Emperor Blood Crystals served to weaken the power of the Red Emperor's followers, and the demand for expansion curios among advanced humans couldn't be curbed by a mere prohibition.

"Four," Guxingli replied.

Ji Xinghuo immediately understood that his opponent had already used the Red Emperor Blood Crystals for four of his clone avatars, which was why he needed four more.

Ji Xinghuo had five more Red Emperor Blood Crystals on hand, enough to meet Guxingli's request.

However, he was reluctant to trade away all of them as expansion curios were a valuable hard currency that could be used for future exchanges with other advanced humans.

"What will you offer in return?" Ji Xinghuo asked.

"Follow me," Guxingli said.

This particular clone avatar of Guxingli was a Skyfeather Dragon Warrior, and he spread a pair of broad energy wings and took off into the sky.

Ji Xinghuo had no fear of tricks and followed suit.

The two flew at low altitude over Titan Ring City and soon arrived at a high-end hotel. They flew directly into a suite through the balcony, and the spacious room, spanning thousands of square meters, was bright and well-equipped. Ji Xinghuo's electromagnetic senses detected Guxingli's other seven clone avatars, all of whom were cultivating.

"This is my temporary residence," Guxingli said, his demeanor relaxing as he poured two drinks and gestured for Ji Xinghuo to sit down.

Ji Xinghuo took the drink but didn't sip it.

"To be honest, I thought I would easily secure the first place in the World-Extinction Dragon Ceremony. The only one who posed a threat was Tai Co Zhen He, but I never expected to lose to you. Nonetheless, I admit your strength," Guxingli said.

He observed Ji Xinghuo, his expression unfazed, and continued, "I accept my loss this time, but there won't be a next time."

Ji Xinghuo's eyebrows rose.

Clearly, Guxingli had an ace up his sleeve, which explained his unwavering confidence.

"Hehe..."

Ji Xinghuo didn't refute, but his brief laugh conveyed a silent warning, as if telling Guxingli not to provoke him.

"You..." Guxingli was intimidated and shook his head, deciding to drop the topic.

He took out a vial of potion and handed it to Ji Xinghuo.

"This is the Bihai Essence, a precious elixir made from the blood of a deep-sea behemoth mixed with Aether Sacred Spring. After using it, you can break through the limit of your starlight and further cultivate to increase your starlight by about 3,000 dragon power," Guxingli introduced.

Ji Xinghuo examined the glass bottle in his hand.

There was very little of the potion, just over 10 milliliters. The liquid was transparent with a hint of sky blue, and its energy fluctuations were peculiar.

Ji Xinghuo was familiar with the Aether Sacred Spring.

It was one of the most precious treasures in the Star Realm.

It was said that just one sip of the Aether Sacred Spring would not only increase the number of times one could fuse with exotic species but also cause one's starlight to surge and prolong one's lifespan.

The more one drank, the better the effect! It was reasonable that a potion mixed with Aether Sacred Spring could increase the limit of one's starlight.

However, Guxingli didn't disclose what kind of "deep-sea behemoth" blood was used in the Bihai Essence, apparently to maintain secrecy.

A single dose of Bihai Essence could increase the limit by 3,000 dragon power, roughly equivalent to 3,000 points of starlight. It was indeed quite remarkable.

Ji Xinghuo immediately guessed that the Bihai Essence could be used multiple times. Guxingli's starlight was close to 100,000 points, so he must have consumed a significant quantity of Bihai Essence. Thus, he asked, "How many times can one person use the Bihai Essence?"

"It depends on the individual," Guxingli replied. "Everyone's situation is different. The higher the affinity with Aether energy, the more doses of Bihai Essence one can use. The minimum is three doses, and the maximum..."

He smiled faintly without revealing the upper limit.

Then he added, "Bihai Essence is one of the specialties of the 'Bibo Dragon Domain.' You can't buy it anywhere else, and it's not available on the market."

Ji Xinghuo nodded, "How do you propose we make the exchange?"

"Three doses of Bihai Essence, plus one Doomsday Dragon Eye, in exchange for your four Red Emperor Blood Crystals," Guxingli replied.

Ji Xinghuo thought about it. The value of Bihai Essence was roughly comparable to the Red Emperor Blood Crystals, perhaps even slightly higher. This trade was fairly equitable, and Guxingli's willingness to make the deal showed his strong desire for expansion curios.

"Tell me where I can get more Bihai Essence," Ji Xinghuo said.

"The Canglong Family," Guxingli replied without hesitation.

Ji Xinghuo immediately thought of Cang Ya.

She was a direct descendant of the Canglong Family, and they were no ordinary Dragon Family. Not only were they a Dragon King Family, but the current Dragon Emperor of the 'Bibo Dragon Domain' also hailed from the Canglong Family.

Not every Dragon Emperor came from a family with a Divine Dragon lineage.

Dragon Emperors could also emerge from other dragon lineages as long as they reached the eighth stage and their strength suppressed all the True Dragon Families and Dragon Kings within their Dragon Domain.

This was the case with the Bibo Dragon Emperor.

The current Dragon Emperor of the Candle Dragon Domain, where the Yuan Magnet Domain was located, also did not come from a Divine Dragon lineage but from the Jingyao Dragon bloodline.

"Deal," Ji Xinghuo said as he took out four Red Emperor Blood Crystals.

Guxingli, in turn, produced the remaining two doses of Bihai Essence and the Doomsday Dragon Eye, and they exchanged their items, finalizing the trade.

"Do you have any more Bihai Essence? Are you willing to sell?" Ji Xinghuo asked after putting away his newly acquired items.

"I have a few more doses, but I'm only willing to trade, not sell," Guxingli shook his head, his interest piqued. "What other treasures do you have? Preferably expansion curios."

Ji Xinghuo considered for a moment before taking out the "Gravity Earth Field" exotic species.

"A Starfall exotic species?" Guxingli asked as he appraised it. "So, it's the Gravity Earth Field! It would be great for my Tungsten Dragon Warrior clone avatar, but the success rate of fusion is low, and the risk is too high. Never mind." This exotic species could be purchased with Aether Crystals, so it wasn't particularly rare.

Ji Xinghuo then took out a Melting Pearl.

This was a prohibited item, and he signaled for Guxingli to keep it discreet. Indeed, Guxingli recognized what it was, and his eyes lit up.

"One for two," Ji Xinghuo proposed.

Guxingli didn't haggle and handed over two more doses of Bihai Essence, "These are my last two doses."

As Ji Xinghuo had no other treasures to trade, he nodded and took his leave.

Ji Xinghuo added Guxingli's personal terminal and took off shortly after.

As soon as he left the Yuan Magnet Palace, Tai Coban sent him a message, and Ji Xinghuo quickly flew to her mansion.

Even before landing, he spotted Tai Coban and Cheng Sheng from a distance.

"You're finally back!"

Cheng Sheng rushed over and gave Ji Xinghuo a tight hug, his face still beaming with excitement. "I never would have dreamed that you could defeat so many genius legends and become the Dragon Ceremony champion!"

"Not bad, haha..." Ji Xinghuo revealed his true nature in front of his friends.

He then bowed to Tai Coban, "Lady Hulan."

"Just call me Sister Lan from now on." Tai Coban smiled at him, her gaze warm and friendly.

Ji Xinghuo nodded.

According to the lifespan of True Dragon people, Tai Coban was still very young, in her youth.

However, given her relationship with the head of state, if Ji Xinghuo called her Sister Lan, and the head of state was Ye Jing's great-grandfather, then the generational dynamics would be a bit confusing.

Tai Coban suddenly remembered something and regretted, "It's a pity that you couldn't join the Tai Cobalt family. Otherwise, you would have been my junior. If I had known that Tai Cobalt Yanluo would interfere, I would have gone to the Yuan Magnet Palace earlier."

"What happened with Lady Yanluo?" Ji Xinghuo asked.

"Come inside and talk."

Ji Xinghuo and Cheng Sheng followed Tai Coban into the top-floor hall and took their seats. Only then did Tai Coban explain, "Because of you, Tai Cobalt Yanluo lost a bet with me for 100,000 Aether Crystals. You should be careful around her in the future."

"Ah?"

Ji Xinghuo was taken aback.

Tai Cobalt Yanluo was a Star Shepherd Saint, and she could crush him with just a flick of her finger. What good would being careful do?

Tai Coban then recounted what had happened during the viewing ceremony.

After listening to her, Ji Xinghuo was speechless. This was truly an unexpected disaster. No wonder Tai Cobalt Yanluo had tried to prevent him from joining the Tai Cobalt family in front of the Dragon King. Aside from the reasons she had stated publicly, there was also this personal grudge.

However, the root of the problem probably lay with Tai Coban, and he had just been caught in the crossfire.

"Where there are people, there is intrigue. This saying from Earth also applies to the Empire." Tai Coban sighed.

She continued, "The Dragon King is the highest authority in the family, but the people below him are divided because of interests, resources, and the closeness of blood ties. There are also some emotional entanglements, and the family is divided into several factions that are constantly struggling against each other in secret."

"Tai Cobalt Yanluo is the leader of one of those factions. Because of her close relationship with the Dragon King, she wields a lot of influence and has the support of many family members and vassal families."

Tai Coban paused here.

"Which faction does Sister Lan belong to?" Ji Xinghuo asked.

"I was initially discovered by Tai Cobalt Hengye, and I am his great-granddaughter, so naturally, I'm closer to him." Tai Coban said softly.

Ji Xinghuo understood.

Tai Cobalt Hengye was the second most powerful figure in the Yuan Magnet Domain, only after the Tai Cobalt Dragon King. He was a Seventh-Stage Dragon Lord, or "Dragon Sovereign". He did not have his own fiefdom, but he had also not left the Tai Cobalt family to establish a new True Dragon family.

If the current Tai Cobalt Dragon King were to fall, he would be the next in line for the throne.

He could also be considered the "Crown Prince".

Since ancient times, being a crown prince has never been easy.

To avoid suspicion, Tai Cobalt Hengye spent most of his time away from Tai Huan City, even staying away from the Yuan Magnet Domain. He only appeared once every few years.

Tai Coban was Tai Cobalt Hengye's great-granddaughter, and he had personally discovered her talent, so it was natural for them to be close.

From the perspective of the family's overall interests, the Tai Cobalt Dragon King did not show favoritism and treated Tai Coban with great importance.

However, from a personal standpoint, the Dragon King's actions were not in Tai Cobalt Hengye's best interests.

This was a tricky situation!

Ji Xinghuo could understand why the Dragon King would heed Tai Cobalt Yanluo's suggestion. Because of his background and origins, he naturally belonged to Tai Cobalt Hengye's faction. Now, by heavily cultivating him and bringing him into the family's core, the Dragon King might be creating future troubles for himself.

However, if he was so wary, then he should have stuck to the initial reward and let Ji Xinghuo join the Tai Cobalt family, no longer as Tai Coban's subordinate, thus severing their relationship of subordination.

Or perhaps, he shouldn't have offered such a shocking reward in the first place.

Now, with this ambiguous situation, Ji Xinghuo wondered if the Dragon King was indecisive or if he had other plans.

Ji Xinghuo couldn't figure it out.

The mind of an absolute top-tier Shepherd Star Sage was beyond his comprehension.

Tai Coban was equally puzzled, and they exchanged a glance, each guessing what the other was thinking. But they dared not speak their thoughts aloud or discuss them in Tai Huan City.

"Oh, right."

Tai Coban produced a piece of dragon scale the size of a palm. It was silver-gray, like metal, but it was full of surging vitality, like flesh and blood.

She said to Ji Xinghuo, "This is the Body of the Titanoboa Dragon. I've already obtained the Dragon King's permission to give it to you."

"Thank you, Sister Lan!"

Ji Xinghuo happily accepted the dragon scale, and immediately, information about the exotic species appeared before his eyes.

[Exotic Species: Body of the Titanoboa Dragon]



[Grade: Starfall]



[Fusion Success Rate: 98%]



[Upgradable: Yes]



Finally...

Ji Xinghuo looked at the information in his field of vision. He had finally obtained the exotic species he had been seeking for so long, with a fusion success rate as high as 98%, indicating an extremely good match. He couldn't wait to find a quiet place to fuse with it.

"I've already prepared it for you." Tai Coban said softly, "However, if you only have one fusion opportunity, I suggest you fuse with the 'Dragon Vein' first and then go to the Dragon Nursery to try your luck. You might get a Titanoboa Dragon."

Previously, in the Yuan Magnet Palace, the top ten genius legends had each received a 'Dragon Vein' exotic species.

Only after successfully fusing with it could they choose their dragon.

Ji Xinghuo had just obtained the Doomsday Dragon Eye, which gave him two fusion opportunities, allowing him to fuse with both the Dragon Vein and the Body of the Titanoboa Dragon.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end