Chapter 51: Stellar Class!

Chapter 51: Stellar Class!

Alternate options?

By Jiang Zhe’s exacting standards, anything qualifying as a candidate must possess potential rivaling the "Spatial Core"! At his current cultivation tier, could such treasures even be accessible?

Surprisingly, yes!

It was that Divine Core obtained during the second tree-chopping session.

After holding it for so long, he’d only experienced its effects once—when it first bestowed a fragment of primordial essence, transforming his soul… or rather, his True Spirit?

"Soul" felt too superficial. This was something deeper, akin to the innate enlightenment and talent possessed by beings born in the Three Realms, far surpassing ordinary lifeforms.

Since then, the Divine Core had remained dormant, offering only minor boosts to insight when held.

Within the Primordial Chaos World, its manual only briefly outlined two primary uses.

First: Let it absorb primordial chaos energy to evolve, birthing a host of Primordial Deities, then have the strongest among them carve a chaos world from the void.

The Divine Core was the root nucleus of an entire chaos world!

If he sacrificed it to the Primordial Universe, would it call him "Dad" and grant the ultimate Doppelgänger cultivation art?

Jiang Zhe shook his head. Only a fool would part with it.

Secondly, the Divine Core—also called the World Heart—was the core ingredient for cultivating the Thousand Forms Codex.

Doppelgänger? Secondary Divine Spirit?

Though seemingly similar, they were fundamentally different!

Could this Divine Core truly serve as a vessel for a Secondary Divine Spirit?

Perhaps… feasible?

But without experimentation, Jiang Zhe couldn’t confirm.

In the Manhuang World, Secondary Divine Spirits were energy constructs, limited to cultivating the arcane arts. Translating this into the Star Devouring Realm’s system, they became energy-based lifeforms, akin to the Demoncore Race.

Guided by Supreme Rules or primordial will, the Secondary Divine Spirit vessel would likely become his Life Core.

Daring to forge a Life Core from the root essence of a world?

Who would even conceive such madness?

Someone had tried—attempting to possess the Primordial Universe itself—only to get sealed away.

Truthfully, when Jiang Zhe acquired the Second Origin Secret Art, he’d already considered the Divine Core.

"Back then, I dared not experiment, nor dwell on it. A failed Secondary Divine Spirit cultivation meant catastrophe. But now, I have a backup plan…"

A soul-fragment severed via secret art would disintegrate if not immediately housed in a vessel. Losing part of one’s soul could spell disaster—best-case scenario, losing a facet of his personality, turning cold, neurotic, a raving extremist.

"With the Thunder Crystalline Matrix, I have a fallback."

"If the Divine Core fails as a vessel, I’ll channel the fragmented soul into the Thunder Crystalline Matrix. The Secondary Divine Spirit will still form, albeit with diminished potential."

"Besides, Spatial Core-level treasures are practically unattainable…"

"Why not gamble?"

A fire burned in Jiang Zhe’s chest. He rolled up his sleeves, eager to begin.

Snapping the Metallic Case shut, he reactivated the smart lock via Orianna, then used Mental Energy to return it to the glass display on the pedestal.

The glass door locked shut, the pedestal descending slowly.

Jiang Zhe watched the case vanish underground, his excitement gradually cooling.

When he saw it again, it would be time to enact the Second Origin Secret Art.

After reviewing the contents of his World Bangle, he reappeared in his room.

Time to adjust his cultivation plan.

"First, cultivate the Second Origin Secret Art to transform my soul. Then rapidly advance my Martial Artist cultivation to Stellar-Level Eighth Stage. Once the Consciousness Ocean’s thought-energy sphere shatters, I’ll attempt to ascend to Stellar Class First Stage."

"That’ll be the perfect moment to split my soul!"

"Relying solely on the Thunder Prison Realm’s absorption of Thundervine Blood Crystals? Too slow. I’ll need an accelerated refinement process… Reaching Stellar-Level Eighth Stage would take… thirty months? Two and a half years?"

The number felt sensitive. Jiang Zhe frowned, recalculating.

"Just absorbing Thundervine Blood Crystals with steady supply… For Stages 1–3, two months per breakthrough; Stages 4–6, four months each; Stages 7–9, eight months each."

"Huh… So it really is about two years?"

"Sounds slow, but it’s faster than the Goldhorned Beast’s natural progression—the top-tier bloodline in the Universe, even without consuming its eggshell."

"Maybe buy E-grade Nutrient Pods in the Universe? Dismantling 3–5 World Rings should cover the cost."

The thought barely surfaced before he shook his head, extinguishing it.

"I’ll still go to the Universe eventually. Shallow waters don’t breed true dragons. But it won’t be me—my Secondary Divine Spirit will go. I’ll just cultivate methodically here on Earth."

Jiang Zhe resolved to use the thirty months for thorough preparation—gradually transforming his soul, enhancing Law Comprehension, refining techniques… to adapt to his surging cultivation base.

Now, 2047. The Genius War was nearly twenty years away. Time was abundant.

He entered the Nuclear Core Space.

Sitting on a stone bench, he unfolded the Golden Fragment, beginning his study of the soul-transformation art.

February 2nd.

In the morning, Jiang Zhe arrived at the main courtyard’s meeting hall two hours before lunch.

The younger generation had gathered early, the room buzzing with chatter and laughter.

Peeking in, Jiang Zhe spotted two unfamiliar women.

One was Second Brother Jiang’s fiancée from the HR Union’s Ye family.

The other was the girl sent here half a month ago for martial arts initiation.

The room fell silent as he entered. Lei Lei turned, her eyes meeting his.

She recoiled instantly, as if seeing a monster.

Jiang Zhe frowned. "This is a family banquet. Why are you here?"

"She’s my brother Le Shen’s wife—your little aunt. Strange she’s here? Hurry, greet her properly!"

Elder Jiang’s voice boomed from behind.

Jiang Zhe’s lips twitched. He’d feared this.

Before he could dodge, Elder Jiang kicked him into the meeting hall.

"Half a month without a peep, and now you’re loitering here, slouching like a delinquent! It irks me!"

Brushing off his pants, Jiang Zhe flashed a wry smile at Elder Jiang before grabbing a chair.

Does Elder Jiang still hold a grudge over me scaring off those girls?

"Temper your fierce tiger aura. Don’t stare at the girl—give her a complex!"

Jiang Zhe stiffened. Was that secret voice transmission?

Elder Jiang’s. He replied mentally.

"I barely exuded a shred! How’d she notice?"

"It relates to her cultivation. Lei Lei’s practiced yoga since childhood, specializing in meditation. Her perception’s razor-sharp."

"Even the faintest pressure from you amplifies tenfold, a hundredfold in her senses… Like a fly on a bald man’s head—blatant!"

Sounded like a variant of Heaven-Man Unity, albeit immature.

Jiang Zhe nodded, then mentally dispelled his favored "fierce tiger" aura.

Blending light with dust.

Instantly, he became as unremarkable as a stone, minimizing his presence—a byproduct of his soul cultivation, distinct from Earth Triarchs’ threefold soul states.

Monitoring Lei Lei, he noted her relaxed posture as his aura faded, her demeanor easing.

What an odd soul cultivation path!

Autumn winds stir not, yet cicadas sense change?

A gentleman avoids standing beneath crumbling walls?

A sudden premonition?

Clearly, Hong and Lei Shen’s development of the Third and Second Soul States in the original story had been incomplete.

The First Soul State’s ability to catalyze will metamorphosis and enhancement was extraordinary. The Second and Third shouldn’t lag—it must’ve been the cultivators’ limitations.

"Half a month now. How’s your physical training?"

After the banquet, Jiang Zhe sought Lei Lei, feigning polite concern.

"S-still okay. My punch force is over 400 kilograms", she stammered, clearly intimidated.

"Take these two rings." He handed her two rings.

Rings? Two?

The precocious Lei Lei flushed crimson, like a steamed crab.

"What are you thinking?!" Jiang Zhe glared. "They’re for your father and Uncle Hong."

"Th-them? Rings? No, impossible!"

Her face shifted from crimson to deathly pale—a feat even non-genetic face-painting masters would envy.

Jiang Zhe blinked, baffled.

Now what’s wrong with her?

Why’s she jumping to romantic conclusions? No wonder Le Shen killed her boyfriend at sixteen…

"They’ll know what they are and how to use them."

He tossed the two World Rings, then turned to leave.

The rings bonked her head, snapping her out of her daze as she scrambled to catch the bouncing rings—one black, one blue, labeled with Le Shen and Hong’s names.

Inside were spoils from his World Bangle: a Tier-3 Primordial Force Weapon/armor, generic cultivation arts from unclaimed AI archives, resources accelerating Life Evolution…

Back in his courtyard, he reviewed the AI’s report on the Martial Arts Hall.

Adjusting Earth’s elite training programs, he replaced the AI with Alpha to oversee the Traditional Martial Arts Hall, then dove into cultivation within the World Bangle.

That night, Hong and Le Shen called, thanking him for the gifts.

Orianna’s Doppelgänger informed them Jiang Zhe had begun closed-door cultivation, with no timeline for reemergence.

Methodically cultivating until thirty months later…

August 13, 2049.

The violet-golden thought-energy sphere in Jiang Zhe’s Consciousness Ocean shattered, unleashing a Mental Energy storm. Nine miniature planets trembled, expanded to their limit, then exploded.

A terrifying vortex formed at the Consciousness Ocean’s center, devouring the raging Mental Energy. It collapsed, condensing into a blazing "fireball."

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end