Chapter 506: Star Seeds and Cultivation

Chapter 506: Star Seeds and Cultivation

The magnetic star seed was no larger than a grain of rice, a spindle-shaped silver-gray particle with distinct edges. Its magnetic field was extremely subdued, and its strength was over ten thousand times greater, creating a void in the electromagnetic induction.

The magnetic star seed was the foundation of the Primordial Magnetic Array.

When Ji Xinghuo applied for the star seed, each one implanted contained his information.

The implantation position and serial number were fixed and tailored specifically for him.

Even if they were meant for constructing a Primordial Magnetic Array, giving this magnetic star seed to someone else would be useless.

Ji Xinghuo glanced at it a couple of times before beginning the implantation process.

He injected a wisp of electromagnetic stellar power into the seed, activating it. The magnetic star seed trembled slightly, floating in the air and radiating a dazzling light. Subtle currents of electricity burst forth, and a radiating howl echoed through the air.

Zizizi...

Ji Xinghuo controlled the magnetic star seed, bringing it close to his body and pressing it against his chest with his finger. It seamlessly merged into his skin and entered his body.

He felt a numbing current penetrate his chest, reaching the star gland near his heart in an instant. It was using the star gland for positioning, and after a few adjustments, it fixed itself in a location not far from the star gland, no longer moving.

The entire process was almost automatic, requiring little of his attention.

Once the magnetic star seed had located its position, it established a connection with the star gland, creating a magnetic field channel between the two.

At all times, stellar power flowed out from the star gland, entering the star seed and then exiting back into the gland.

This was a very simple two-point, one-line cycle.

With each cycle, the star seed grew slightly stronger, a very subtle increase. Even with Ji Xinghuo's keen perception, he would have to wait for two or three hours and complete tens of thousands of cycles before he could detect any changes.

"Condensing star seeds is indeed difficult," Ji Xinghuo shook his head inwardly.

However, the benefits of star seeds were also evident. In just these two hours, he had barely focused on cultivating, yet his stellar power had already increased.

Originally, it was 281,897 (50,000).

Now it had broken through the upper limit and become 281,900 (50,000), an increase of 3 points.

Since cultivating the star seed was possible, Ji Xinghuo tried for a few hours and found that his cultivation efficiency had increased by about 10%. This was the effect of the magnetic star seed, but for now, it was still just an empty shell.

There were three steps to cultivating a star seed into a node.

The first step was implantation, which he had completed.

The second step was to nurture and strengthen the star seed, a process similar to cultivation that could increase the alien's stellar power.

The third step was that once the star seed's shell stabilized, the growth of stellar power would stop, and only then could the alien ability be transferred into it. Cultivation could then continue, further increasing stellar power to its limit and ultimately forming a true node.

Only one star seed could be cultivated at a time.

At least, that was the case with the Primordial Magnetic Array. One had to cultivate a star seed into a node before cultivating the next one, and this process would be repeated until one possessed 11 nodes to construct the most basic Primordial Magnetic Array.

Ji Xinghuo quickly adapted to the cultivation of the node, and in fact, there wasn't much difference from his previous cultivation methods.

He just needed to be more focused.

He thought to himself, "With a magnetic star seed, I can transfer my alien ability into it once the shell is formed with about 8,000 points of stellar power."

"The quality and level of the alien ability determine the upper limit of this star seed."

"At most, it can increase my stellar power by 30,000 points."

"I currently have 29 alien abilities." Ji Xinghuo calculated briefly, "14 Starfall abilities, 2 Eclipse abilities, 12 Superlimit abilities, and 1 Exceptional ability. The sole Exceptional ability is Star Power, which is now at Level 7."

"Whether it's the quality or level of my alien abilities, they are more than sufficient to cultivate each star seed node to its utmost limit."

"With all 29 nodes forming an array, my stellar power can reach 1.2 million!"

"Whoa..."

Even Ji Xinghuo himself found this hard to believe.

Typically, the stellar power of an ordinary Heavenly King at the peak of the Sixth Stage was around 300,000. He had already surpassed that.

As for the strong cultivators on the Rising Star Sequence, those on the Fourth Sequence at the peak of the Sixth Stage could attain 400,000 points of stellar power.

Those on the Third Sequence could exceed 500,000 points.

As for the Second Sequence, the peerless geniuses of the Hidden Dragon Sequence, their stellar power should be above 600,000, perhaps even higher.

As for the Heaven's Pride of the Infinite Sequence, Ji Xinghuo couldn't be sure.

He estimated that they wouldn't surpass 1 million points of stellar power.

"If we're just talking about stellar power cultivation, when I reach the peak of the Sixth Stage, I'll already be stronger than the Heaven's Pride of the Infinite Sequence."

Ji Xinghuo smiled at the thought.

However, stellar power cultivation didn't determine an alien's overall strength; their alien ability system was also a crucial factor. He didn't believe that there was any Sixth Stage alien in the world who possessed more powerful and higher-level abilities than him.

"Slow and steady wins the race.

After all, with his current strength, he was already unbeatable below the Seventh Stage, and with the backing of the Titanium-Cobalt Family, as long as he didn't provoke enemies of the Dragon Emperor level, he wouldn't face any crises. He could afford to slow down the pace of his life and cultivation.

After cultivating for half a day, Ji Xinghuo left the house.

A flash of lightning streaked across the sky above Titanium Ring City and descended into Titanium-Cobalt Qingwei's villa. She had just finished her martial arts training for the day and greeted Ji Xinghuo with a sweet smile, taking his hand and leading him into the large swimming pool in the backyard.

After a refreshing exchange, they lay half-reclined on the poolside lounge chairs, soaking in the sun.

Ji Xinghuo glanced at Titanium-Cobalt Qingwei's flat stomach.

"Still no signs?"

"Not yet," she replied.

Qingwei's delicate face flushed with a hint of shyness. "For True Dragonfolk, conception is relatively difficult. Both you and I have evolved five to six times, and our genes are different from ordinary humans, making the probability of having offspring even lower. It's been only a few months, so it's normal that I'm not pregnant yet."

"Then I'll keep trying," Ji Xinghuo said with a smile.

"There's no rush. I'm still young and not mentally prepared to be a mother yet," Titanium-Cobalt Qingwei said, blinking. "Moreover, the King hasn't set a deadline. We can take our time and enjoy ourselves."

Ji Xinghuo laughed, "You're right, hahaha..."

In fact, producing offspring was quite simple with the help of artificial insemination and artificial womb technology, which was extremely advanced for the True Dragonfolk.

However, the True Dragonfolk did not resort to these methods on a large scale.

All extraterrestrial civilizations and stellar races had discovered early on that naturally conceived and delivered offspring had a much higher probability of being born with superior talent and potential compared to those conceived through artificial means.

Some races didn't mind this, choosing to mass-produce infants to increase their population and address the low probability issue through sheer numbers.

This could alleviate their race's population crisis.

Earth was one such example.

However, the culture and social ideology of the True Dragonfolk strongly favored elitism.

They would rather have fewer or no children than produce dozens of mediocre offspring in exchange for a genius.

Therefore, True Dragonfolk almost always opted for natural conception and birth, which also meant that their population could not increase rapidly and remained at an extremely low level. It was only after Ji Xinghuo joined the Titanium-Cobalt Family that he learned the astonishing fact that the total population of the True Dragonfolk was less than one billion.

One billion!

It seemed like a large number, but compared to the tens of trillions of beings under the rule of the True Dragon Dynasty, it was almost negligible.

To rule over such a vast domain with such a minuscule population ratio, and to maintain their reign for over a million years, was an absolute miracle!

It also reflected the terrifying potential of the True Dragonfolk's racial talents.

Consequently, the True Dragonfolk valued their bloodlines and offspring above all else.

The stronger the Dragonblood lineage, the more difficult it was to conceive offspring. The combination of the Titanium-Cobalt Dragon Vein and the Annihilation Dragon Vein was sure to produce descendants with unparalleled talent, but only if they could successfully have children.

And having just one child wouldn't be enough, given Titanium-Cobalt Dragon King's intention to have as many grandchildren as possible.

This was a long-term endeavor.

Ji Xinghuo thought of Ye Zhen as he conversed with Titanium-Cobalt Qingwei. She was carrying his three children in her womb.

The Macrocosmic Eye looked towards the south of the True Dragon Dynasty.

His gaze traveled across millions of kilometers, entering the Bloodline Plateau, and landed on Peach Blossom Valley, but Ye Zhen was nowhere to be seen.

Ji Xinghuo retracted his gaze and thought, "Sister Ren's due date is only about three months away, but it's not very accurate. It could be earlier or later."

"It's about time I returned."

His attention returned to Titanium-Cobalt Qingwei, who was by his side, and he suddenly said, "Qingwei, I plan to go back to Earth."

Titanium-Cobalt Qingwei was not surprised. "How long will you be gone?"

"It could be a few months, or a season or two," Ji Xinghuo replied honestly. "Earth is my home planet, and it's about to enter a critical phase. For the sake of my family and country, I must go back and do my part."

Titanium-Cobalt Qingwei had already learned about Earth and Ji Xinghuo's background from Titanium-Cobalt Lan.

She bit her lip lightly and asked, "Will you be meeting Zhao Manying when you go back?"

Ji Xinghuo's expression froze.

Damn!

Lan Jie couldn't keep her mouth shut, and now Qingwei even knows about Manying! Ji Xinghuo's mind raced as he tried to come up with an explanation.

However, Titanium-Cobalt Qingwei didn't seem upset, and there was no anger on her face. She remained calm as she said, "I wanted to go to Earth with you, but I know you wouldn't want that, so I won't cause you any trouble."

Ji Xinghuo was about to speak, but Titanium-Cobalt Qingwei shook her head. "You don't need to explain. I understand.

She looked at Ji Xinghuo, "Before you returned this time, I had thought about never seeing you again, but I couldn't bring myself to do it..."

She didn't finish the rest of her sentence.

Titanium-Cobalt Qingwei reached out to caress Ji Xinghuo's face, her eyes filled with sorrow. "Now I can't live without you. I hope you'll always treat me well and never forget that there's someone waiting for you in Titanium Ring City."

She couldn't disobey the King's order, nor could she abandon her family's responsibilities.

Moreover, the True Dragonfolk had no marriage system; stronger individuals, be they men or women, could have multiple spouses.

Which True Dragonfolk stronghold didn't have several lovers?

Even the King was no exception.

Titanium-Cobalt Qingwei was well aware of the nature of her relationship with Ji Xinghuo. Whether it was strength, status, or future prospects, Ji Xinghuo far surpassed her, and the gap would only widen. He was the absolute dominant force in their emotional relationship.

Unless one day she could surpass Ji Xinghuo and overturn their power dynamic.

Otherwise, she could only accept the situation.

Ji Xinghuo finally understood Titanium-Cobalt Qingwei's thoughts and couldn't help but marvel at the realistic social norms of the True Dragonfolk, where strength dictated relationships. He also felt a sense of pity and hugged her slender waist, whispering words of comfort.

After some sweet nothings, Titanium-Cobalt Qingwei was cheerful again.

She turned over and sat up, coquettishly saying, "Come on, increasing the number of times will improve the probability of conception!"

There was another reason she couldn't resist, something she found hard to say out loud. Over the past few months of intimate exchanges with Ji Xinghuo, she felt that something about her had changed, though she couldn't pinpoint exactly what it was. It seemed like her cultivation was faster and her talent had improved!

Even without the goal of conception, she thoroughly enjoyed this feeling and couldn't help herself.

"Haha, of course."

Ji Xinghuo naturally didn't refuse.

Before leaving Titanium Ring City, Ji Xinghuo spent almost every day with Titanium-Cobalt Qingwei, day and night. For several consecutive days, they were immersed in their passion until Ji Xinghuo received a message from Titanium-Cobalt Lan, after which he washed up and went to meet her.

As soon as he entered the hall, Titanium-Cobalt Lan's eyes fell on Ji Xinghuo, as if sensing something. Her expression turned strange.

"You must have been busy these days?" she asked in a mocking tone.

"I'm enjoying myself!"

Ji Xinghuo had thick skin, and he laughed in response.

"You shameless man." Titanium-Cobalt Lan spat, her face reddening slightly before quickly regaining her composure. She said softly, "I've already exchanged the 500,000 dragon crystals you gave me for resources."

She took out a Dragon Ring, which floated over to Ji Xinghuo, "Check it."

Ji Xinghuo caught the Dragon Ring and probed it with his consciousness.

The dimensional space inside was packed. The most abundant items were exotic species, and they were complete professional templates, most of which were Exquisite-grade and Superlimit-grade. Among them were a full 1,000 Titanium-Cobalt Dragon Blood.

There were also weapons and equipment, most of which were Superpower one-star and two-star, with a small number being Superpower three-star.

In addition, there were a large number of auxiliary cultivation potions.

All of these were produced by the True Dragon Dynasty, along with expansion curios, high-tech firearms, and armor that could only be used on planets.

These resources were enough to cultivate an elite exotic legion. While they might not be able to cause much of a stir in the True Dragon Dynasty, they would be desperately needed on Earth, and they could greatly enhance the overall strength of the Asia-Pacific Community in a short period.

"Sister Lan, this is worth more than 500,000, isn't it?" Ji Xinghuo asked in surprise.

Titanium-Cobalt Lan nodded, "I also subsidized some of it. In total, it's worth nearly 800,000 dragon crystals. Take it all back to Earth."

"Okay." Ji Xinghuo didn't say any polite words.

"And this letter." Titanium-Cobalt Lan took out a handwritten letter, her eyes softening, "Please pass it on to the President for me."

Ji Xinghuo solemnly took the letter, "I'll make sure it's delivered."

After putting away the Dragon Ring and the letter, he asked, "Sister Lan, aren't you coming back to Earth with me?"

"The time isn't right yet." Titanium-Cobalt Lan shook her head.

Ji Xinghuo didn't ask further about what kind of timing it would take. Everything that needed to be said about the Earth's plan had already been discussed.

After bidding farewell, he turned and flew out of Titanium-Cobalt Lan's mansion, turning into a bolt of lightning that left Titanium Ring City far behind. He then leaped thousands of kilometers away to the primeval forest where Qinghong had been bored for several months, and once again leaped away.

Tomorrow: Entering Volume 6: Unifying the Globe!

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end