Chapter 446: The Body of a Titanium-Cobalt Magnet

Chapter 446: The Body of a Titanium-Cobalt Magnet

In the western outpost of the Quiet Wasteland, over twenty hunters were drinking and chatting casually in an open-style restaurant, exchanging information. Most of them were in teams, while a few solitary hunters kept to themselves.

"Everyone!"

A tall and sturdy Dan rose to his feet, his loud voice capturing the attention of the room. "Have you noticed that hunting in the Quiet Wasteland has become increasingly difficult lately, and our hauls are getting smaller and smaller?"

The restaurant fell silent for a few seconds before someone replied, "We've noticed that too."

"Exactly!"

The captain of another team, a pseudo-dragon man, stood up and added in a deep voice, "We started sensing something amiss last month."

The pseudo-dragon man surveyed the room. "Before, my team used to hunt an average of at least five Earth Devouring Insects per day. But after the Moon-Ringing month, that number dropped to three, and now we're lucky if we get two in a day."

The hunters nodded in agreement, sharing similar experiences.

"Could there be something unusual happening with the Earth Devouring Insect swarm again?" Someone asked, bringing up a concern.

Just a couple of months ago, news of a seismic-level Earth Devouring Insect had stirred excitement in the Quiet Wasteland. However, after it was neither heard of nor seen again, hunters gradually dispersed, assuming it hadn't been hunted by anyone.

"How could those monster bugs change? They've been mutating for so many years, their genes must have stabilized by now," the pseudo-dragon man refuted this speculation.

"Yeah, that's true," another hunter chimed in.

"But I feel like the Earth Devouring Insects aren't taking the bait as easily anymore. I thought they might have gotten smarter and seen through my lures," a hunter offered his observation.

"It could also be plain bad luck," another hunter suggested. "Fluctuations in hunting yields are normal."

The hunters discussed their varied experiences and opinions.

The Dan who had initially raised the topic suddenly raised his voice again, "Haven't you considered a simpler possibility? The number of Earth Devouring Insects has decreased."

The restaurant erupted into laughter at his suggestion.

"How is that even possible?"

"Wei Chuan, are you out of your mind?" Someone who recognized the Dan spoke up. "There are more Earth Devouring Insects in the Quiet Wasteland than hairs on your body. They hide underground, and no one knows their exact number. We've been hunting them for hundreds of seasons, and there's never been a noticeable change in their population."

"Just because their numbers didn't decrease before doesn't mean it can't happen now," the Dan argued, standing his ground.

He explained his theory, "I suspect that an ultra-hunter has arrived in the Quiet Wasteland and is specifically targeting Earth Devouring Insects with extremely high efficiency."

"Have you seen this ultra-hunter?" Someone asked.

"No," the Dan admitted.

The hunters exchanged glances, all shaking their heads to indicate they hadn't encountered any such ultra-hunter either.

"Wei Chuan, you must be mistaken," someone rebutted. "If someone had indeed killed that many Earth Devouring Insects, why haven't the prices of exotic species in the market dropped? In fact, they've risen instead."

The Dan opened his mouth but couldn't come up with a response.

This was indeed something he couldn't explain.

Regardless of who hunted monsters, the motive was always the same: to collect and sell exotic species for profit. With so many Earth Devouring Insects killed, one would expect a corresponding fluctuation in the market prices for their exotic species. Unless, of course, the exotic species were being sold in a far-off market.

But for someone to be able to do that, they would either have to be an incredibly powerful individual or possess a large team.

In either case, the returns from hunting Earth Devouring Insects would not be appealing to them.

The hunters continued to debate the matter, but no conclusion was reached.

After a while, just as the discussion was losing steam and people were losing interest, a figure rose from one of the tables and walked out of the restaurant.

Suddenly, the restaurant fell silent once more.

The hunters watched the retreating back of the person, exchanging silent glances, none daring to voice their thoughts.

For that person was a true dragon man.

True dragon man hunters were a rare sight on Black Ring Star, but one would occasionally cross paths with them.

From his equipment, appearance, and aura, it was evident that this true dragon man was no ordinary hunter. The seasoned hunters in the room, seasoned hunters who had tasted the sting of battle many times, knew better than to provoke him, even though he was alone.

In fact, each hunter present had been discreetly observing the true dragon man, and now that he had left, they couldn't help but feel a sense of relief.

It wasn't until his figure completely disappeared from view that the restaurant regained its lively atmosphere.

A thoughtful look appeared in Wei Chuan's eyes. Lowering his voice, he asked, "Does anyone know who he is?"

The hunters shook their heads, except for the pseudo-dragon man captain who hesitated for a moment before tentatively saying, "If I'm not mistaken, he should be the newly emerged Yanimeng Jin."

"Yanimeng Jin!"

The name sent a buzz through the room, like a pot that had just reached its boiling point.

Even those who hadn't heard of the name before were startled by the surname, which implied that the true dragon man they had just encountered owned a Yanimeng dragon!

"What's a Yanimeng dragon master doing here on Black Ring Star?"

"No wonder..."

"He's the Ender of the Dragon Sacrifice of Apocalypse, his strength is terrifying! No wonder I felt so oppressed when he was here, even though he had no ill intentions. When will I ever reach such heights?"

"Keep dreaming. Anything's possible in dreams."

The hunters' conversation shifted to Yanimeng Jin, but no one connected him to the unusual behavior of the Earth Devouring Insects.

Wei Chuan, who had initially harbored some doubts, immediately dismissed the idea upon learning that the true dragon man was Yanimeng Jin.

Given Yanimeng Jin's formidable strength and status, how could he possibly be bored enough to hunt Earth Devouring Insects?

However, sometimes, the most unlikely scenario turns out to be the truth!

Ji Xinghuo strolled through the western outpost, restocking his supplies and purchasing food. Although he himself required very little sustenance, having Qinghong, a big eater, and Doomsday, who had joined them recently, meant that their food consumption had increased significantly.

As he shopped, he couldn't help but overhear the hunters' discussions, which elicited a few silent chuckles from him.

Ji Xinghuo estimated that the population of the insects might have decreased by a third.

This decrease in density seemed insignificant, but it had a noticeable impact on other hunters.

If the numbers continued to drop, the effects would be even more pronounced.

The mysterious decline in Earth Devouring Insects might attract the attention of the Rock King Family, who were in charge of managing Black Ring Star, prompting them to send people to investigate.

"I need to be more cautious," Ji Xinghuo thought to himself. "I'll hunt these insects for a few more days, and then I'll leave the Quiet Wasteland. Black Ring Star is vast, and there are too many places to find monsters. There's no need to focus on a single species and disrupt the ecological balance. Sustainability is important."

After purchasing the necessary supplies, Ji Xinghuo packed them into the side box of his flying motorcycle and rode out of the outpost.

In a remote area far from the outpost, he stored the motorcycle and supplies in his Dimensional Stomach, and with a flick of his Lightning Sword, he transformed into a bolt of lightning that soared into the high skies above the wasteland.

Deep into the night, over a thousand kilometers away from the western outpost, and after hunting for several more hours, Ji Xinghuo set up camp.

Within his electromagnetic sensing range, there were three hunting teams and several solitary hunters, but they had also settled down for the night, posing no threat.

Ji Xinghuo opened the interface of the Myriad Star Pupils.

[Spiritual Source Energy: 2,023,245]



"It's over two million!"

Ji Xinghuo's eyes lit up as he beheld the seven-digit number, feeling a deep sense of satisfaction. This was the fruit of his labor over the past stellar month, and he had been diligently conserving his spiritual source energy without using any of it.

He glanced at Qinghong and Doomsday, who were lying on either side of him, and decided to use up all the energy now and convert it into strength.

"First, I'll upgrade the Titanium-Cobalt Dragon Body."

Ji Xinghuo's gaze fell on the interface, which displayed: Titanium-Cobalt Dragon Body (Level 3 2,328/55,511). Despite not specifically training it in the Quiet Wasteland, the progress had increased significantly, thanks to the mighty effect of the Primordial Dragon Vein.

Without hesitation, he poured his spiritual source energy into it.

Immediately, the progress of the Titanium-Cobalt Dragon Body skyrocketed, and Qinghong, lying beside him, immediately sensed the change. She lifted her head, her eyes opening wide as she looked at Ji Xinghuo.

Ji Xinghuo and Qinghong shared the same Titanium-Cobalt Dragon Body, and their progress was synchronized.

It didn't take long for the Titanium-Cobalt Dragon Body to reach (Level 4 1/277,411), and both their strength and defensive capabilities grew substantially.

"Something feels different," Ji Xinghuo murmured, sensing the changes brought about by the upgrade. The Level 4 Titanium-Cobalt Dragon Body had begun to fuse with the Titanium-Cobalt Dragon Blood, and the original "Dragon Frenzy" effect had transformed into a permanent state, constantly amplifying their strength without consuming stellar power.

"Continue," he said, his eyes fixed on the wildly fluctuating spiritual source energy.

Ji Xinghuo's skin began to radiate a silvery glow, growing brighter and brighter in the darkness, like a human-shaped lantern. Qinghong's scales also sparkled, and he quickly summoned the Nine Shadows to create a dark, lightless domain, concealing their unusual state.

A few minutes later, the progress of the Titanium-Cobalt Dragon Body reached its maximum.

Ji Xinghuo's body once again became incredibly hard, resembling an alloy sculpture, just like when he had first fused with it.

Qinghong, beside him, underwent a similar transformation.

Gradually, the silvery glow on Ji Xinghuo's skin faded, revealing a body that now appeared less dazzling and somewhat ordinary, reminiscent of the "Steel Body" super-limit ability.

However, this was a case of returning to simplicity and purity, fundamentally different from the Steel Body!

The Myriad Star Pupils interface displayed new information.

[Ability: Titanium-Cobalt Magnetic Pole Body (Level 5 1/811,081)]



"The Titanium-Cobalt Dragon Body and Titanium-Cobalt Dragon Blood have merged," Ji Xinghuo said, a hint of surprise in his voice. He had expected them to evolve, but instead, they had simply merged without advancing in rank.

He had assumed that they would evolve into the "Titanium-Cobalt Dragon Vein."

It was common knowledge within the Titanium-Cobalt family that the Titanium-Cobalt Dragon Vein remained a Star-Falling ability at lower levels. Generally, a Titanium-Cobalt Dragon needed to undergo a metamorphosis and reach the Falling Star level before it could merge multiple dragon vein abilities into a single Titanium-Cobalt Dragon Vein, which would then continue to evolve. Only upon attaining the Star-Killing level would the Titanium-Cobalt Dragon Vein advance to the level of an Eclipse ability.

For a Dragon Master or Dragon Warrior, even more dragon vein abilities would need to be fused to advance the Titanium-Cobalt Dragon Vein.

A complete dragon vein possessed all the abilities of a dragon.

Ji Xinghuo had no intention of merging so many Titanium-Cobalt Dragon abilities. His plan was to focus on enhancing the primary abilities to a higher level and then advance to a complete dragon vein.

Now it seemed that having only the dragon blood and dragon body was not enough.

Perhaps his level wasn't high enough.

However, he didn't dwell on it too much. "Titanium-Cobalt Magnetic Pole Body" was the core ability of the Titanium-Cobalt Dragon Vein, and everything else was secondary and could be dispensed with.

Ji Xinghuo stood up, and the ground trembled beneath his feet.

He exerted a little more force with his right leg, and his entire foot sank into the ground, past his knee. The earth seemed as pliable as water, unable to bear the immense power of his body.

But he quickly gained control and adapted to his new state.

"Strength, defense, and magnetism!" Ji Xinghuo murmured, reveling in the extraordinary sensations of his body. It felt as if he possessed limitless power, an indestructible form, a perfect fusion of offense and defense. The invisible electromagnetic field had been amplified to its utmost limit, and the might of all electromagnetic abilities had skyrocketed.

His electromagnetic sensing radius exceeded 200 kilometers!

Even the electromagnetic oscillation had been amplified!

The two electromagnetic Star-Falling abilities reacted in a wondrous manner, complementing and enhancing each other perfectly, like the two poles of an electromagnetic field, each indispensable.

Ji Xinghuo's eyes sparkled with electric light.

Boom!

Thunder exploded, and a brilliant flash of light ripped through the sky. A thick bolt of lightning, over a kilometer long, suddenly appeared, writhing and twisting hundreds of times before tearing through the pitch-black night and slamming into the ground, creating a massive crater over ten meters in diameter.

However, none of their Titanium-Cobalt Magnetic Pole Bodies compared to his own.

"This is the amplifying effect of the Primordial Dragon Vein," Ji Xinghuo mused, his gaze falling on the "Primordial Dragon Vein" interface, which still displayed: (Level 2 124/100,999), with minimal progress.

Beside him, Qinghong let out an excited roar.

It, too, now possessed the Titanium-Cobalt Magnetic Pole Body, although it didn't use it to amplify electromagnetic abilities. Nonetheless, its strength and defense had skyrocketed, and it now dared to engage in close combat with any apocalyptic monster, relying solely on its formidable physique.

Ji Xinghuo soothed Qinghong, calming its excitement, before turning his attention to the eager Doomsday.

"First, I'll upgrade the Titanium-Cobalt Dragon Body of Doomsday."

"Then, I'll upgrade the Primordial Dragon Vein."

He placed his hand on Doomsday's dragon head and channeled over 330,000 units of spiritual source energy into it, upgrading the Titanium-Cobalt Dragon Body by two levels to reach Level 5 as well. The slender body beneath its dark golden dragon scales began to transform.

Surprisingly, Doomsday's Titanium-Cobalt Dragon Body also transformed into the Titanium-Cobalt Magnetic Pole Body.

"Ah?"

Ji Xinghuo regretted his decision.

It was apparent that this was also due to the influence of the Primordial Dragon Vein. If he had known this would happen, he would have used the Melting Bead earlier to erase his Titanium-Cobalt Dragon Blood and gain an additional fusion opportunity.

But now, the abilities had already merged, and the fusion opportunity was lost.

"What a waste," Ji Xinghuo sighed, shaking his head. There was no use in dwelling on it.

Doomsday's strength surged with the acquisition of the Titanium-Cobalt Magnetic Pole Body, and through the Dragon Vein Controller, 50% of this increase was conveyed to Ji Xinghuo, further enhancing his power.

Without pausing to fully appreciate the extent of his newfound strength, Ji Xinghuo proceeded to upgrade Doomsday's Primordial Dragon Vein, infusing over 100,000 units of spiritual source energy into it. The Primordial Dragon Vein advanced to (Level 3 1/505,559).

As the upgrade took effect, Doomsday's body rapidly grew in size, now measuring over fifteen meters from head to tail.

Subsequently, Ji Xinghuo's own Primordial Dragon Vein also reached Level 3.

"Let's continue!"

Ji Xinghuo gritted his teeth and proceeded to consume 500,000 units of spiritual source energy for each of his companions, amounting to a total expenditure of 1,000,000 units!

The auras of Ji Xinghuo and his companions soared.

Finally, both Primordial Dragon Veins reached (Level 4 1/1,555,579).

Ji Xinghuo's physique remained largely unchanged, but the aura of the dragon vein intensified, his eyes gleaming with a dark golden light like electricity, exuding an air of divine authority. Meanwhile, Doomsday's body continued to grow, surpassing twenty meters in length when its Primordial Dragon Vein reached Level 4.

This length was comparable to the size of most common dragon hatchlings, but for an annihilation dragon like Doomsday, it was already quite impressive.

Doomsday had not undergone a metamorphosis and remained at the Shock grade.

However, Ji Xinghuo discovered that Doomsday had awakened two abilities.

[Ability: Ion Flame (Level 1 1/307)]



[Ability: Dragon's Roar (Level 1 1/277)]



Both were super-limit abilities. Ion Flame was the breath attack of the Titanium-Cobalt Dragon, so it was not surprising for Doomsday, with its Titanium-Cobalt Magnetic Pole Body, to awaken this ability.

On the other hand, Dragon's Roar was entirely unexpected. This was the ability of the Celestial Dragon species, "Soul Captivating Dragon," which involved emitting a dragon's roar filled with mental shocks, attacking the enemy's mental consciousness and causing them to become briefly dazed or have their resistance crumble.

Ji Xinghuo scratched his head, perplexed.

Despite both having Level 4 Primordial Dragon Veins, why had Doomsday awakened abilities while he himself had not gained anything?

After much contemplation, he could only attribute it to the fact that he was human and not a dragon.

Nonetheless, Doomsday's abilities were as good as his own.

With the amplification of the two Primordial Dragon Veins, their strength continued to climb.

Ji Xinghuo further invested 70,000 units of spiritual source energy, upgrading the Dragon Vein Controller to (Level 6 1/291,199). It did not advance in rank, but the proportion of strength gained from Doomsday increased from 50% to 70% as the Dragon Vein Controller progressed from Level 5 to 6!

"I don't even know how strong I am now," Ji Xinghuo marveled.

"I'm going to be invincible!"

His heart swelled with excitement.

With over 300,000 units of spiritual source energy remaining, Ji Xinghuo decided to invest in Doomsday's "Aether Dragon Heart," which advanced through the levels: (Level 4 6,932/34,739), (Level 5 1/160,009), ultimately reaching (Level 6 1/777,877) after consuming nearly 200,000 units of spiritual source energy.

As expected, the Aether Dragon Heart had evolved.

A moment later.

Doomsday gained another Star-Falling ability, just as Ji Xinghuo had predicted—the "Aether Clarity Heart." This ability possessed the effect of aetheric resonance and reduced the stellar power consumption of any ability by a quarter!

This calculation did not even include the strengthening effect of the Primordial Dragon Vein.

With over 100,000 units of spiritual source energy still in reserve, Ji Xinghuo decided to upgrade Doomsday's newly awakened abilities to Level 4 each, enhancing its offensive capabilities. He also upgraded Qinghong's "Gravity Mutation" and "Biofield" abilities, merging them into the Star-Falling ability "Gravity Biofield" (Level 5 1/421,181).

Over two million units of spiritual source energy were spent in the blink of an eye.

"The next step is to upgrade Electromagnetic Oscillation and advance it to an Eclipse ability," Ji Xinghuo said to himself as he perused the information on the interface. He had not forgotten about Jiuyou, but with insufficient spiritual source energy, he would have to wait until next time.

With so many abilities between himself and his three battle pets, it was impossible to focus on upgrading all of them at once.

He instructed Jiuyou to maintain the Lightless Dark Domain.

In the darkness, Ji Xinghuo began to familiarize himself with his newfound bodily strength and the changes brought about by the upgrades to his numerous electromagnetic abilities.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end