Chapter 442: Dragon-Type Variants

Chapter 442: Dragon-Type Variants

Tai Cobing temporarily borrowed a guest room in the manor and quickly changed into a new set of clothes. When she reappeared before Ji Xinghuo, he was taken aback by her transformation.

"You look stunning!" Ji Xinghuo complimented sincerely.

Tai Cobing now wore an extravagant dress that accentuated her figure perfectly, revealing her delicate shoulders. The bright red fabric contrasted beautifully with her fair skin, and her hair had been restyled with intricate elegance, complementing the outfit flawlessly. She was a dazzling sight to behold.

"Thank you," Tai Cobing replied, a hint of crimson on her cheeks, but her eyes sparkling with delight.

A luxurious magnetic floating car pulled up in front of them, bearing the emblem of the Tai Cobing family, a clear indication of their status.

Escorting the car were sixteen guards, all clad in the armor of the Dragon King's royal guards. Among them, four were Sixth-Tier powerhouses, while the rest were Fifth-Tier legends, each exuding an aura of dragon-like might.

"Quite a display," Ji Xinghuo thought to himself.

As if reading his mind, Tai Cobing whispered, "These are the Dragon King's royal guards assigned to protect me by the King himself."

Ji Xinghuo nodded in understanding.

However, he still found it a bit puzzling. Who would dare pose a threat to her in Tai Ring City? Most likely, this was simply the Dragon King's way of publicly displaying his affection for Tai Cobing and elevating her status through such preferential treatment.

Once they were seated in the car, Tai Cobing asked, "Zhen, where are we headed?"

"To a place in Tai Ring City where we can purchase variants," Ji Xinghuo replied thoughtfully. "We're looking for the best quality variants, as well as expansion curios and other treasures."

He didn't specifically mention dragon-type variants.

In the True Dragon Dynasty, wherever variants were sold, dragon-type variants were sure to be included. There was no need to state the obvious.

"Then we should definitely go to the 'Celestial Dragon Pavilion,'" Tai Cobing replied immediately. "They have branches in every dragon territory across the Dynasty, with diverse sources and exceptional products. They're even more competitive than our family's variant exchange, although their prices are a bit higher. I often shop there, and the experience is always wonderful."

Without waiting for his response, she continued, "There are also several other high-end treasure shops in Tai Ring City that I can introduce you to."

"No need, let's just go to the Celestial Dragon Pavilion," Ji Xinghuo decided.

"Okay," Tai Cobing agreed.

Without any further instructions, the magnetic floating car started moving, piloted by a Fifth-Tier dragon guard. The vehicle soared into the sky, surrounded by the flying dragon guards.

Ji Xinghuo wasn't very familiar with Tai Ring City, so he gazed out the window, taking in the towering skyscrapers built upon the massive ring seats. It reminded him of a metropolis on Earth, albeit with distinct architectural differences.

But this was only the surface.

In the Star Realm, constructing a sky city like this required resources and etheric technology far beyond Earth's capabilities.

"Zhen, what do you think of Tai Ring City so far?" Tai Cobing asked, initiating a conversation.

"It's a magnificent city," Ji Xinghuo replied.

"Its construction began over ten thousand seasons ago, and it took more than three hundred seasons to complete and ascend into the sky," Tai Cobing explained proudly. "Subsequent generations of Dragon Kings continued to upgrade and transform it, investing countless resources. It's our Tai Cobing family's most important asset, so it's naturally magnificent." Her beautiful face shone with pride as she spoke.

Having been born and raised here, Tai Ring City was, to her, the greatest city in the world.

She knew every street, every building, and every landmark intimately.

As they passed by, Tai Cobing took the time to introduce each notable location to Ji Xinghuo.

He listened with great interest.

A moment later,

The magnetic floating car descended gracefully onto a spacious platform high up in a majestic skyscraper. The dragon king's royal guards also landed, forming a protective circle around them.

Passersby nearby couldn't help but stare curiously at the scene.

Upon noticing the emblem on the car, their eyes widened with awe and recognition, and some even recognized Tai Cobing's entourage.

One of the royal guards opened the car door, and Ji Xinghuo stepped out first.

Tai Cobing exited the car and naturally linked her arm through his, allowing the royal guards to form a protective circle around them as they approached the grand, golden hall entrance.

Even before they could step inside, a True Dragon humanoid dressed in a formal suit came rushing out, a passionate smile on his face. He bowed respectfully and greeted them, "Welcome, Princess Tai Cobing, to the Celestial Dragon Pavilion. Our establishment is deeply honored by your presence!"

Ji Xinghuo studied the man before them.

He was a True Dragon humanoid, exceptionally powerful, having reached the Sixth Tier, Third Stage. He also carried a subtle dragon vein aura, indicating that he, too, was a dragon master.

In the True Dragon Dynasty, Sixth-Tier dragon masters held an exalted status.

Yet, in the presence of Tai Cobing, he went out of his way to display his fervent respect, clearly highlighting the vast difference in their social standings.

"It's been a while, Master Kuangxin," Tai Cobing replied politely, then introduced Ji Xinghuo, "Zhen, this is Kuangxin Yue, a Sixth-Tier dragon master and the branch leader of the Celestial Dragon Pavilion in the Yuan Magnet Territory."

His surname, Kuangxin, suggested that he either originated from the Kuangxin family or possessed a Kuangxin dragon.

The Kuangxin dragon was merely an ordinary beast dragon species.

The more ordinary the dragon species, the greater the number of dragon vein families associated with it. Ji Xinghuo recalled that there were hundreds of Kuangxin families in the True Dragon Dynasty, and the fact that this Kuangxin Yue had only a surname and no clan name indicated that he was likely not from a family background.

Ji Xinghuo nodded slightly, "I am Yanmie Zhen."

"Greetings, Dragon Master Yanmie!" Kuangxin Yue's eyes lit up. Being in Tai Ring City, how could he possibly be unaware of the renowned Dragon Sacrifice Champion, Yanmie Zhen? And here he was, accompanying the princess of the Tai Cobing family, their intimate demeanor leaving no doubt that he had joined the Tai Cobing family.

"Please, come right in, esteemed guests," Kuangxin Yue said warmly, personally leading the two of them into the Celestial Dragon Pavilion.

This particular branch of the treasure pavilion occupied the top one-fifth of the entire skyscraper, and it boasted a staff of several hundred, all of whom were True Dragon humanoids.

Ji Xinghuo felt that it was similar to high-end stores on Earth, and he casually browsed around, scanning the surroundings with his electromagnetic senses to get a general idea of the place.

Kuangxin Yue enthusiastically introduced the pavilion while observing the two of them.

He quickly realized that the true guest today was Yanmie Zhen, and Tai Cobing was merely accompanying him.

"Lord Yanmie," Kuangxin Yue asked cautiously, "is there anything you require? Please feel free to let me know, and Tianlong Treasure Pavilion will do its best to satisfy your needs."

Ji Xinghuo nodded slightly.

Kuangxin Yue's heart leaped with joy at his response, and he said, "Please follow me."

He led the two of them into a luxurious and brightly lit VIP room. The attendants were dismissed, and the Dragon King's royal guards took up positions in the corners of the room, standing as still as sculptures. Their duty was to protect the princess's safety at all times.

Ji Xinghuo didn't mind their presence and casually asked, "I want to buy a few Stars' Tears. Does Tianlong Treasure Pavilion have any in stock?"

"Of course," Kuangxin Yue replied immediately. "We currently have a batch of Stars' Tears in our inventory. As it is Lord Yanmie's first time gracing our pavilion, we are offering a special price of just ten Ether Crystals per tear."

This price was indeed very favorable.

On Earth, the average price of a Star's Tear ranged from 300 million to 1 billion Asia Dollars, and they were usually sold at auctions, with the final price depending on the supply and demand of the current era.

The value of Ether Crystals was underestimated on Earth, and their worth would only increase in the future.

Ten Ether Crystals were roughly equivalent to 200 million Asia Dollars.

"I'll take 20," Ji Xinghuo said.

Ji Xinghuo only needed four Stars' Tears for himself, but since it was a rare opportunity to be able to buy so many, he decided to stock up. He figured that it would be useful for his family and friends back on Earth, saving them the trouble of participating in auctions.

A mutant could only use a Star's Tear up to three times.

Ji Xinghuo's decision to buy so many might seem strange, but Kuangxin Yue didn't hesitate for a moment. "We'll prepare them for you right away."

Soon, 20 Stars' Tears were presented to Ji Xinghuo, each carefully packaged in a delicate box and neatly arranged. The lids were opened for inspection, and after Ji Xinghuo confirmed their quality, he stored them in his dimensional stomach.

Then he took out 200 Ether Crystals to complete the transaction.

Ji Xinghuo continued, "Does your pavilion have any high-quality variants? At the very least, they should be Super-Limit level. Even better if you have Starfall variants."

He didn't mention Eclipse variants as they were virtually impossible to find on the market.

"We do!"

Kuangxin Yue's spirits lifted, knowing that they were getting to the main event. "Please give me a moment, Lord Yanmie." He quickly sent a message from his personal terminal.

A few minutes later,

A row of True Dragon humanoids entered the VIP room, each carrying a preservation box. They placed the boxes on the table and opened them before exiting the room.

"Here is the catalog, Lord," Kuangxin Yue said, handing over a beautifully designed list.

Ji Xinghuo took the list and looked it over.

There were a total of twenty-three variants in this batch, including twenty top-tier or rare Super-Limit variants and three Starfall variants!

Starfall Blast, Ether Resonance, and Mind Reader.

The first was a Creation Energy variant, converting a large amount of spiritual energy into a massive ball of high-pressure, high-temperature flame that descended from the sky like a meteor, causing widespread destruction. It was most suitable for a String of Heat user. The second variant required no introduction. As for the third, it was a super-model variant for a spiritual hacker, allowing the user to directly read the thoughts of others.

All three Starfall variants were extremely powerful and rarely seen at this level.

Although Ji Xinghuo hadn't come to buy Starfall variants today, he was still attracted to them. He picked them up one by one to examine them.

Information about the variants appeared in his vision.

However, aside from Ether Resonance, the other two variants had low fusion rates, and the same was true for the three battle pets.

"What a pity..."

Ji Xinghuo shook his head inwardly.

Ether Resonance was indeed good, with a fusion rate of 99%, but he could upgrade it himself using spiritual source energy, so there was no need to purchase it.

Moreover, the prices of the three Starfall variants were astonishingly high.

The average price exceeded 18,000 Ether Crystals.

Ji Xinghuo only had a little over 12,000 Ether Crystals in total, not nearly enough to afford even one Starfall variant. Otherwise, he could have considered buying 'Mind Reader' and taking it back to Earth for the President, though the President might already possess it.

Ji Xinghuo put them down and turned his attention to the twenty Super-Limit variants, his eyes gleaming with interest. Indeed, several of these variants belonged to the dragon-type.

Among them, three variants particularly caught his attention.

Flash Wing, a Super-Limit variant derived from the "Sky Feather Dragon," allowed the dragon's wings to accelerate using light energy pulses, greatly increasing long-distance flight speed and achieving short-distance bursts of speed comparable to teleportation.

Crystal Scale was a unique dragon vein variant of the "Crystal Shine Dragon," which, when activated, crystallized the dragon's scales, drastically increasing defense and granting high resistance to energy attacks.

Ether Dragon Heart, derived from the heart of an "Ether Dragon," could accelerate the absorption of ether energy, restore stellar power, promote growth and evolution, and conserve stellar power when using variants, essentially combining ether affinity and ether energy conservation, although the effect was slightly inferior to specialized variants in those areas.

All three variants originated from the Celestial Dragon species.

There were a few other dragon-type variants, but their abilities were not as impressive as these three, and they weren't worthy of Doomsday. Ji Xinghuo didn't give them a second glance.

He picked up each dragon-type variant and inspected them one by one.

For all the dragon-type variants, both he and Doomsday had a 100% fusion success rate!

Ji Xinghuo selected the three variants and said to Kuangxin Yue, "I'll take these three."

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end