Chapter 102: New Year (Part 4)

“Truly befitting an immortal-class starry giant beast. Though dead for countless years, even its bones alone still exude such overwhelming pressure. If I hadn’t made progress in soul cultivation techniques and acquired several soul-related specializations, I might not have withstood it.”

In the World of the Realm Lord, Jiang Chen remarked as he carefully stored the ‘Void Dragon Bone.’

The box used to contain the dragon bone was crafted from a special material that could isolate the bone’s oppressive aura and extend its preservation period to the utmost limit.

Even after hundreds of thousands of years, it would neither decay nor deteriorate.

After some preliminary research confirming the extraordinary properties of the ‘Void Dragon Bone,’ Jiang Chen was fairly certain that his plan to use it as the core to forge a ‘Void Dragon Mecha’ was feasible.

Of course, transforming it into a warship was also a fine option.

The size of the Void Dragon already surpassed that of most small warships.

However, he was in no rush to decide which route to take.

“Twenty-one units of ‘Spatial Furnaces’ generating income is sufficient for now. I also need to accumulate resources to purchase materials. Whether I build a mecha or a warship, just one set of dragon bones won’t be enough. The other materials combined might even exceed the value of the bone. By that calculation, twenty-one ‘Spatial Furnaces’ will need to run for at least a year.”

Jiang Chen calculated swiftly in his mind and made a quick decision: “My current specialization points are barely sufficient. The two clones I left on Earth will focus solely on researching the ‘Mechanical Legion.’ The Void Dragon Mecha and warship projects can be put on hold for now. I need to first develop a rough prototype of the Mechanical Legion and create a mechanical unit powerful enough to capture the ‘Zerg Hive.’ This must be accomplished before the genius competition ends…”

Jiang Chen was quite interested in the genius competition.

When the time came, the two clones on Earth, as well as his original self, would have to enter the secret realm of the Virtual Universe Corporation.

After leaving the initial universe and entering the secret realm, they would need to train and gather resources across various test worlds.

By then, a sufficiently powerful Mechanical Legion would be necessary to ensure his safety.

The ‘starting capital’ for building the Mechanical Legion required a huge fortune.

That money could only come from the ‘Zerg Hive.’

Among the treasures available on Earth, the ‘Zerg Hive’ was the most valuable.

The Meteor Ink Starship was worth more, but it was a legacy left by Teacher Luo Feng, something difficult to sell and even harder to repurchase.

The Zerg Hive, on the other hand, could be sold and, once Luo Feng had enough strength to control it, could be bought back if sufficient funds were on hand.

Although a Realm Lord-level Zerg Hive was indeed valuable and rare, for core geniuses of the Five Great Powers, acquiring one was not difficult as long as they had the money.

However, capturing the Zerg Hive on Earth was no easy task.

Though dormant and not actively attacking, the poisonous mist surrounding the hive alone could kill a Domain Lord-level powerhouse.

Moreover, materials classified as D-grade could not withstand the corrosion of the poisonous mist.

To safely remove the Zerg Hive, at least one mechanical unit with Realm Lord-level strength would be necessary.

Fortunately, as long as some design details were resolved, most problems could be solved by accumulating materials.

Realm Lord-level, or E-grade materials, were expensive but could be afforded if gathered carefully.

Based on Jiang Chen’s simulation within the Virtual Universe, merely piling materials could solve most issues but not all.

Certain design details would require meticulous refinement to ensure a smooth breakthrough through the poisonous mist.

This was not overly difficult but would consume considerable time and effort to minimize costs.

If cost were no object, Jiang Chen could simply purchase an E-grade puppet to retrieve the Zerg Hive.

However, such a puppet would cost nearly as much as the Zerg Hive itself.

—

On Earth, during the Chinese Lunar New Year.

“Uncle, happy New Year! Give me a red envelope!”

Two chubby little hands reached out earnestly toward Jiang Chen, demanding red envelopes.

These two little rascals were Luo Feng’s sons, Luo Ping and Luo Hai, only five and a half years old—the age most people find troublesome.

However, the Luo family’s upbringing was decent; although the two kids were a bit mischievous, they were far from becoming unbearable “bratty children.”

Jiang Chen smiled warmly as he handed them two gift boxes. “Here, go play with these.”

“Yay, New Year gifts!” The two children grabbed the boxes and dashed back inside, epitomizing the phrase “grab and run.”

“Jiang Chen, you’re just in time. We’re about to eat the New Year’s Eve dinner,” Luo Feng’s mother called out repeatedly. “Don’t mind those two little stinkers; they’re spoiled rotten by Luo Feng and have no manners at all.”

In this lifetime, Jiang Chen was an orphan who came to the Luo family every New Year to enjoy a meal. The family had long since accepted Jiang Chen as one of their own.

“They’re a bit naughty but quite sensible,” Jiang Chen said cheerfully. Seeing Gong Xinlan and Xu Xin making dumplings, he quickly said, “Auntie, let me help you.”

“No need; we’re almost done and about to put them in the pot,” Gong Xinlan quickly stopped him, pointing toward the living room. “Go sit with Luo Feng. When I finish cooking the dumplings, we’ll eat.”

“All right, Auntie, you go ahead.” Jiang Chen obediently slipped out of the kitchen and sat beside Luo Feng, casually picking up a bottle of wine from the table and examining its label.

“Oh, ‘Taiska Storm’ from before the Great Nirvana? You actually still have some of this? Where did you get it?”

Before Luo Feng could answer, Jiang Chen poured himself a large glass.

“You rascal!” Luo Feng looked at him with a mixture of amusement and disbelief.

Before the Great Nirvana, this wine was considered average—its flavor unique but not top-tier, regarded as a cost-effective choice among connoisseurs.

After the Great Nirvana, it became rarer and thus more precious, but compared to the exquisite wines of the universe, it was still just a nostalgic relic, not truly valuable.

With Earth’s ecosystem gradually recovering, many well-known pre-Nirvana wineries had reestablished themselves, even adopting advanced universal techniques to produce finer wines.

This bottle of ‘Taiska Storm’ was neither valuable nor exceptional by current standards; drinking it was more about savoring a bygone era’s sentiment.

Still, Jiang Chen’s eagerness to snatch the wine amused Luo Feng, sparking a playful tussle between them.

The bottle slowly emptied during their antics, with more than half consumed by Jiang Chen and only a small portion by Luo Feng.

For ordinary people, sharing such a strong drink would induce at least a mild intoxication.

But given Jiang Chen and Luo Feng’s stellar physiques, not even dozens of bottles would affect them without using original force to dispel the alcohol.

Their stellar-level bodies were essentially a different species compared to ordinary humans.

“Jiang Chen, have you been to the Virtual Universe’s ‘Killing Grounds’ recently?” Luo Feng suddenly asked. “In the past two or three months, many unfamiliar strong fighters have appeared there, many at Domain Level 6 or above, even several at Level 9. Occasionally, someone crosses into the Threshold of Laws.”

“I’ve heard about that,” Jiang Chen nodded and looked at Luo Feng. “Do you remember when I told you about the grand gathering of stellar-level geniuses across the universe?”

Luo Feng seemed to recall something and asked, “You mean the Cosmic Peak Genius Battle?”

“Yes, the genius competition is about to begin,” Jiang Chen confirmed. “I received definite news from my teacher—it’s next month.”

“The genius competition… I’m really looking forward to it!” Luo Feng’s eyes gleamed with anticipation.

Since taking over the Golden Horned Beast, Luo Feng had made rapid progress, gaining considerable insight into the ‘Golden Law.’

Moreover, his Golden Horned Beast’s consciousness had already reached the Universe level, while his Earth clone remained at Stellar level—competing in the genius battle was practically cheating.

“You’ve made good progress with the Golden Law, but your cultivation time is still short. Securing a high rank in the genius competition will be challenging,” Jiang Chen pondered before continuing, “However, the competition lasts a long time. Once your ‘Demon-Killer Clan’ clone matures and comprehends the Spatial Law, combined with your derivative divine weapon, you’ll have a significant advantage.”

Luo Feng’s current ‘setup’ was largely the same as in the original story.

Jiang Chen had not interfered much in Luo Feng’s path, even deliberately avoiding influencing it.

He simply motivated Luo Feng’s cultivation so that his strength was slightly higher than his counterpart’s in the original tale.

But only slightly.

Without major changes, it would not affect the final outcome.

“I’m basically cheating by using the Universe-level consciousness of the Golden Horned Beast to power my telekinetic weapons,” Luo Feng joked self-deprecatingly. “If I don’t get a good result in the Stellar-level competition, that would be truly embarrassing.”

“You think the other geniuses don’t have godlike opportunities?” Jiang Chen shook his head. “Your takeover of the Golden Horned Beast was a fortunate chance, but other geniuses with extraordinary luck have their own blessings—some might even be greater than yours. Some have powerful backgrounds, receiving abundant resources from childhood, even having immortals as mentors. There’s no need to overthink it. As long as the rules allow you to compete, that’s what matters.”

“I understand, don’t worry. I won’t get hung up on it,” Luo Feng said with a smile, sensing Jiang Chen’s reassurance.

Jiang Chen nodded, having no concerns over Luo Feng’s mindset.

Due to Earth’s unique nature, Earthlings generally had excellent mental dispositions.

Luo Feng was among the best.

If Luo Feng’s mentality faltered?

That was simply impossible.

“Enough chatting, wash up and come eat!” Gong Xinlan’s voice interrupted their conversation.

From another room, Xu Xin transformed into a fierce lioness, shouting, “Luo Ping, Luo Hai, stop fooling around and come eat!”

Hearing the lioness roar, Jiang Chen and Luo Feng exchanged glances and laughed.

—

Elsewhere, within the Virtual Universe.

Jiang Chen’s clone, Eso, respectfully reported to the Phantom Spirit King, “Teacher, I have mastered the 31st kind of soul defense secret technique, the ‘Soul Calming Tower.’”

The Phantom Spirit King was speechless. “I gave you over six hundred secret techniques, and you’ve only practiced soul defense methods? How afraid of death are you?”

Then the Phantom Spirit King’s expression softened, as if recalling something. He said gently, “Eso, I know your background is special. But there’s no need to be so extreme. Soul defense is important, yes, but offense and other methods are equally crucial. Otherwise, if you only defend, you’ll be at a great disadvantage against enemies.”

The Phantom Spirit King considered that Eso was once a slave and might be obsessively studying soul defense to avoid being enslaved again through soul control, aiming to become invulnerable in the soul realm.

Jiang Chen immediately realized the Phantom Spirit King had misunderstood.

Yet this made Jiang Chen feel a twinge of guilt.

Since apprenticing, the Phantom Spirit King had been wholeheartedly devoted, taking time to instruct every month or two.

Even great cosmic powerhouses rarely gave such attention to direct disciples, let alone Eso, who was only a registered disciple.

Besides cultivation, the Phantom Spirit King cared deeply for Eso, arranging everything so he could focus solely on training without distractions.

He even patiently provided psychological counseling personally.

Though Jiang Chen initially sought the Phantom Spirit King merely as a ‘support,’ after more than two years, he truly regarded him as his master.

Thinking of the secret he concealed from his teacher, Jiang Chen felt increasingly remorseful.

“What’s wrong? Do you have something on your mind?” The Phantom Spirit King asked with concern.

“Teacher…” Jiang Chen felt an urge to confess.

But as he was about to speak, hesitation stopped him.

He was uncertain of the outcome if he revealed the ‘truth.’

“If you have concerns, you can tell me directly,” the Phantom Spirit King smiled. “If you’re confused, I have some experience and might help analyze it. If you prefer not to say, that’s fine too. Just be clear about what you want and steadfastly pursue your goal.”

Jiang Chen was deeply moved. After a long silence, he finally spoke softly, “Teacher, there is something I have hidden from you…”

(The End of This Chapter)