Chapter 500: Stellar Array

Chapter 500: Stellar Array

At Titanium Cobalt Blue's estate villa, the trio rushed over as quickly as they could. As they entered the gate, they saw Ji Xinghuo waiting to greet them.

"Jin!"

Titanium Cobalt Qingwei's face lit up with joy, and she wasted no time in walking up to Ji Xinghuo and linking her arm through his, as if afraid he might fly away.

"Qingwei," Ji Xinghuo gently patted her delicate hand and smiled.

He then turned to Titanium Cobalt and Titanium Cobalt Zhenhe and asked, feigning ignorance, "Blue, Zhenhe, where have you two been?"

"We just got back from East Emperor Island," Titanium Cobalt Blue replied as she observed Ji Xinghuo. His appearance hadn't changed much from when he left several starry months ago—his figure was still well-proportioned and tall, his features handsome and charming.

However, she noticed that his aura was rather obscure, hidden behind a mask of deception that prevented her from seeing through to the truth.

Titanium Cobalt Zhenhe laughed and said, "Jin, you missed quite a show."

"What show?"

"There was just a Cangming auction held on East Emperor Island..." Titanium Cobalt Zhenhe described what had happened at the auction, emphasizing the record-breaking transaction involving the solar eclipse species.

Ji Xinghuo feigned a look of shock.

"This Cangming auction was truly amazing," Titanium Cobalt Qingwei chimed in. "There was also the magnetic pole potential-severing species. We had intended to bid for it for you, but it was too expensive, and it was won by a stranger from the wastelands."

She even waved her fist as she spoke, her face full of reluctance.

"Hahaha..."

Ji Xinghuo laughed inwardly and consoled her, "It's a good thing you didn't bid for it. Otherwise, I wouldn't have been able to afford it at a price of 250,000 dragon crystals."

"Dragon crystals aren't a problem," Titanium Cobalt Qingwei said, her eyes filled with regret. "I could gather that amount if I saved up for a few years with my Aunt Blue's help. You must have some savings too." She sighed, "Ah, who knows when the next opportunity will come along now that we've missed this one."

"It's fine," Ji Xinghuo reassured her.

He felt a little guilty seeing how much she cared for him.

Titanium Cobalt Blue's eyes narrowed slightly.

Given her understanding of Ji Xinghuo, she knew that he had been determined to obtain the magnetic pole potential-severing species and had even hinted at wanting to bid for it before. Now, his attitude had completely changed, and he seemed utterly indifferent to the species.

Additionally, the person who had won the bid was a shadow clone...

Suspicion began to grow in Titanium Cobalt Blue's mind, and she realized she had been rather oblivious, but she couldn't be sure of her guess.

"Let's not stand at the door. Come inside and talk," Titanium Cobalt Blue said as she led the group into the hall at the top of the tower. She sat down on a soft sofa, feeling comfortable now that she was back in familiar surroundings. Titanium Cobalt Zhenhe sat on one side, while Titanium Cobalt Qingwei snuggled up to Ji Xinghuo on the opposite sofa.

"Jin."

Titanium Cobalt Blue once again appraised Ji Xinghuo and asked, "You've been out adventuring for quite some time now. What have you gained from it all?"

"Not much," Ji Xinghuo replied. "The biggest progress I've made is reaching the sixth stage."

"Sixth stage!"

Titanium Cobalt Qingwei sat up straight, surprised. "So fast!"

She had learned from Titanium Cobalt Blue that Ji Xinghuo was much younger than her, and he had only become an Other in three seasons. She had already felt a sense of urgency, and now that he had evolved once more, he was an entire stage above her.

Even Titanium Cobalt Zhenhe was taken aback.

Although he could reach the sixth stage without any difficulty and had chosen to remain at the peak of the legendary stage to gain more experience, he still felt a sense of pressure.

Before Ji Xinghuo joined the family, Titanium Cobalt Zhenhe had believed that no one in the family of the same age could compare to him.

Now, however, he had been surpassed by the younger Ji Xinghuo.

Only Titanium Cobalt Blue remained unfazed.

"Is that fast?" Ji Xinghuo spread his hands and laughed. "I've been at the legendary stage for almost an entire season. It was about time for me to advance."

The three of them were left speechless.

Titanium Cobalt Blue said with interest, "Now that you've reached the sixth stage, I assume you're quite satisfied with your progress. I didn't want to spar with you before because I didn't want to use my stage to pressure you, but now we can give it a try if you'd like."

"No, thank you."

Ji Xinghuo shook his head decisively, having no interest or seeing any meaning in fighting Titanium Cobalt Blue.

"Are you afraid?" Titanium Cobalt Blue teased.

"Aunt Blue, you really know how to joke," Ji Xinghuo laughed, and then his expression turned serious as he said, "A sixth-stage Other is not worthy of being my opponent, and they certainly don't deserve the title of 'strong' in my presence."

Upon hearing this, the three core members of the Titanium Cobalt family exchanged glances, feeling that Ji Xinghuo didn't seem to be boasting at all.

His arrogance and dominance seemed natural and unquestionable.

Titanium Cobalt Zhenhe's expression turned solemn.

Titanium Cobalt Qingwei gazed at Ji Xinghuo's face, her eyes filled with adoration and admiration, leaving no room for anyone else.

Titanium Cobalt Blue remained silent for a few seconds before asking, "What about the Sun King?"

Instead of asking about the four infinite geniuses at the top of the stellar sequence, she brought up the Sun King of Earth.

As someone who had personally experienced the Earth War, Titanium Cobalt Blue, like all Earthlings, viewed the Sun King as an invincible figure deep in their hearts. This psychological imprint was more terrifying than any Heavenly King.

Titanium Cobalt Blue furrowed her brows, staring intently at him as she asked again in the same language, "How confident are you?"

"I dare not say a hundred percent, but at least ninety-five." Ji Xinghuo answered.

Nothing in life is absolute.

Even now, Ji Xinghuo was unaware of the Sun King's true capabilities. Despite his confidence in his current strength and his belief that he had surpassed the Sun King's displayed combat power, he dared not claim certain victory.

The Sun King was in the process of advancing to the ultimate occupation of "Son of the Stars."

If he succeeded, his strength would surge tremendously.

However, even if the Sun King successfully advanced, Ji Xinghuo was confident that he could, at the very least, fight him to a draw.

Losing was out of the question.

With the Myriad Images Divine Eyes, two Eclipse species, over a dozen Meteor species, the Electromagnetic Overlord, and numerous top-tier Genesis artifacts, he would be better off smashing his head into a tofu block if he couldn't defeat the Sun King.

Titanium Cobalt Blue's face reflected her deep thoughts.

Numerous ideas flashed through her mind, all related to Earth's political landscape, but with Titanium Cobalt Qingwei and Titanium Cobalt Zhenhe present, she couldn't openly discuss them with Ji Xinghuo and could only temporarily set them aside.

The four of them continued to chat casually.

They talked about the auction's highlights, as well as some interesting recent occurrences in Titanium Ring City and the True Dragon Empire, creating a relaxed and harmonious atmosphere.

"I should be going now." Titanium Cobalt Zhenhe stood up to bid farewell at the right moment.

Seeing the surprised looks on their faces, he smiled, half in jest and half seriously, "Now that Jin has reached the sixth stage and his strength has far surpassed mine, I realize that I've been a bit lax lately. It's time for me to work harder and try to keep up with him."

The other three laughed and saw him out.

"Aunt Blue, I also have something to attend to back home." Titanium Cobalt Qingwei stood up as well. "Jin, you just got back, so take good rest. I won't disturb you anymore."

"Okay."

Ji Xinghuo nodded.

After Titanium Cobalt Qingwei left, Titanium Cobalt Blue said, "Qingwei is a good girl, sensible and well-behaved. Don't let her down."

"Aunt Blue, you've said this several times now," Ji Xinghuo said, feeling both helpless and guilty, as if she had already decided that he was a heartless cad.

"Hmph..."

Titanium Cobalt Blue snorted softly, her expression turning serious as she said, "If you are ninety-five percent confident that you can defeat the Sun King, then it's time for a change in Earth's political landscape. Some plans can be set in motion earlier."

"Unify the world?" Ji Xinghuo asked.

"Exactly!"

Titanium Cobalt Blue said solemnly, "There are too many countries on Earth, and a large portion of humanity's resources and strength are wasted in internal strife. We must eliminate the barriers of nations and races, uniting all of humanity under a single government to fully unleash the potential of Earth's people. This has been Brother Sheng's goal for many years!"

Brother Sheng...

Ji Xinghuo took note of this intimate address. So this was how Aunt Blue referred to the Head of State in private?

He was no stranger to these words.

Earth's unification was inevitable.

It was the natural course of events and a consensus among most Earthlings, an unstoppable force. Countless politicians, geopolitical experts, international relations observers, and key political figures had discussed it to death over the years on the internet and in the media.

The debates revolved around when it would happen, which country would take the lead, and who the key figure would be.

Ji Xinghuo had given this matter a lot of thought himself, and now he could finally answer with certainty.

It's me!

It turns out it's me all along.

He looked at Titanium Cobalt Blue with determination and said sincerely, "I fully support the Head of State and the Asia-Pacific Community. I won't participate in the planning, but I will be an executor and will unconditionally obey the Head of State's orders."

Titanium Cobalt Blue nodded happily, "I will convey your message to Brother Sheng."

If the Asia-Pacific Community were to unify the globe, then her years of investment and planning would pay off immensely. A massive alien race with a large population, countless geniuses, and boundless potential would become her greatest asset!

Even if it were just Ji Xinghuo alone, it would be worth it.

"Having someone capable of facing off against the Sun King, or even defeating him, is crucial to global unification, but it's not the only factor."

Titanium Cobalt Blue continued, "This is a long-term strategic plan, and even if we accelerate it, it will still take a few years to initiate and implement. During this time, you can further enhance your strength and increase your chances of success."

"I was thinking the same," Ji Xinghuo nodded, "That's why I'm returning to Titanium Ring City."

"To prepare for the condensation of the Star Node?" Titanium Cobalt Blue mused.

"Yes."

Even though she had been mentally prepared, she was still startled. Such a cultivation speed was unprecedented in the True Dragon Empire. She couldn't help but ask, "How long do you estimate it will take to cultivate your stellar power to the upper limit of the first stage of the sixth stage?"

At the sixth stage, one had to continue cultivating stellar power and reach a bottleneck.

He estimated that the upper limit of his stellar power at the first stage of the sixth stage would be around 320,000 points.

Currently, he had 180,000 points.

He would only need 175 Star Realm days, or about five Star Realm months, to reach the bottleneck of the first stage of the sixth stage.

It was already a bit late to be preparing to condense the star nodes.

Ji Xinghuo honestly replied, "About five Star Realm months."

"That's too fast!"

Titanium Cobalt Blue exclaimed in disbelief. She knew that Ji Xinghuo's stellar power was much more robust than others at the same stage, and according to reason, he should have needed to cultivate for much longer than others, even several times as long.

However, this freak, Ji Xinghuo, had always defied common sense.

Titanium Cobalt Blue thought for a moment and said, "The condensation of star nodes in the second stage of the sixth stage and the construction of the stellar array in the third stage are interconnected and should be carried out simultaneously to some extent. The type of stellar array you will form is determined from the moment you condense the first star node."

"I was hoping to seek your guidance on this, Blue," Ji Xinghuo said humbly.

"The first step in condensing star nodes is to choose the star seed shell that suits you best," Titanium Cobalt Blue explained. "Implant it into your body and use your stellar power to nurture and grow it, using the fused exotic abilities as seeds. This seed will then grow within the shell, forming a node."

"You can think of the star seed shell as a new star gland," she continued.

"It needs to be compatible with your own exotic ability system and also relates to the stellar array you want to build."

"When you have condensed a certain number of star nodes, you can initially form the most basic stellar array, marking your entry into the third stage of the sixth stage. During this third stage, you will continue to condense star nodes to perfect your stellar array."

"Star seed shells, condensing nodes, and constructing arrays—these three are interconnected."

"They are one and the same."

As he listened, Ji Xinghuo nodded from time to time.

"Since you are an Electromagnetic Overlord, your options are actually quite limited," Titanium Cobalt Blue laughed. "The Titanium Cobalt family possesses the star seeds that are the most suitable for Electromagnetic Overlords, as well as the best stellar arrays."

Ji Xinghuo's eyes lit up; this was precisely why he had returned. "Which ones are they?"

Titanium Cobalt Blue waved her hand.

Several beams of light projected images into the air between them, forming a row of strange images.

"These are the types of stellar arrays," she said.

"In other realms and civilizations, stellar arrays are sometimes called 'configurations,' referring to the spatial structure of the nodes." Titanium Cobalt Blue pointed to one of the images and introduced it. "This is the electron configuration."

Ji Xinghuo observed it carefully.

Anyone with a basic knowledge of physics would be familiar with this configuration image.

It resembled the electron configuration of an atom, with a bright core representing the star gland, surrounded by multiple layers from the inside out, each layer containing a varying number of star nodes like a concrete atomic structure model.

"The electron configuration is the most common stellar array and is suitable for almost all Exotics and profession templates," Titanium Cobalt Blue continued.

"Its essence is to simulate the movement of atoms."

"There are countless variations of the electron configuration, from the most basic to the most profound. If you're unsure which stellar array to choose and are afraid of making a mistake, then selecting the electron configuration is a safe bet."

Titanium Cobalt Blue then pointed to the second projected image.

This one resembled a miniature Milky Way galaxy, with spiral arms extending from the galactic center, and the star nodes were like the twinkling starlight, slowly rotating.

"The galactic spin configuration," she said.

"This is also a rather versatile stellar array, suitable for most Exotics who primarily use stellar power with exotic abilities as a supplement, as well as all branches of the Stringers."

Titanium Cobalt Blue proceeded to introduce the various stellar arrays.

There was the Human Body Configuration, suitable for the Pan-Human race, which distributed the star nodes throughout the body; the Super Crystal Configuration, which simulated solid-state crystals to build an ultra-strong defense; the Lone Star Configuration, which gathered all the star nodes into a cluster for extreme burst damage; the Gravity Field Configuration, which simulated the principles of gravity; and the Stellar Evolution Configuration, which mimicked the evolution of stars.

There were also the Photon Configuration, the Biochemical Covalent Bond Configuration, the Ring Configuration, the Celestial Sphere Configuration, and more. These were the broad categories of stellar arrays, each applicable to different exotic abilities, races, and profession templates.

Under each category, variations in exotic ability systems, star seed shells, and node numbers could lead to significant differences.

Even the slightest difference could result in a world of disparity.

These were the top-secret research findings of the True Dragon families and civilized realms, closely guarded secrets that were crucial for aspiring to become a Star Saint.

Finally, Titanium Cobalt Blue pointed to a three-dimensional projected image.

She said softly, "This is the electromagnetic field configuration, the number one choice for all electromagnetic Exotics worldwide."

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end