Chapter 97: Ring

Jiang Jian here, temporarily made no choice to refine it.

Ghost power differs from demonic power.

Its aura is very peculiar.

It is easily detected.

“If I fully refine and assimilate the ghost power’s origin from the mountain ghost.”

“My Shen Que spiritual essence should rise to 60% of the Divine Bestowal realm.”

Jiang Jian had some difficulty estimating the progress of deep cultivation in the Divine Bestowal realm.

Cultivation is not a smooth, straight path.

It becomes increasingly difficult, increasingly steep, a winding trail.

The more spiritual essence one has, the harder it becomes to grow.

Many people.

Their early cultivation speed is extremely fast.

But by the late stage of the Divine Bestowal realm.

Consuming the same resources and energy.

Their Shen Que spiritual essence shows not the slightest increase.

Inside the cabin.

Yin Yin looked at Liu Tiezhu: “The Planetary Accord you mentioned can only bind weak planets.”

“Put it another way.”

“Weak planets.”

“Can only rely on the Planetary Accord to maintain a facade of dignity.”

“This is the Earth-Moon Four Realms.”

“The last shred of dignity.”

Yin Yin’s voice was calm.

The cabin’s atmosphere instantly grew heavy.

Shan Ye waved his hand: “The Earth-Moon Four Realms have one hundred and thirty prefectures, a hundred billion living beings.”

“Even if the sky falls, it has nothing to do with us.”

2775.

On Neptune, thirty astronomical units from Earth, impossibly distant, a god was born.

The vast Solar System.

From this moment, a transformation began.

Hundreds of years passed.

The Earth-Moon Four Realms, though not the lowest in the Solar System’s planetary hierarchy.

Still faced an grim situation.

Saturn’s ring expanded recklessly.

Jupiter, even more overwhelmingly powerful, was an unprecedented demonic spirit golden age.

The Earth-Moon Four Realms formed an alliance with the Mars Federation.

Only then did they barely maintain ring stability, preserving the planets’ dignity.

Ring.

It was the substance that appeared around planets after gods were born.

The gods’ radiance stained the stars.

Through the Sun’s light, it illuminated the world.

The larger the ring, the more solar light it absorbed.

On the planet, natural spiritual resources would continuously arise.

Living beings on planets with powerful rings cultivated at an extremely rapid pace.

Resource output could even surge explosively!

When a planet’s ring reached a certain strength.

Even an ordinary stone could instantly become a spirit-being.

A cup of water could transform into spiritual liquid!

The Age of Gods.

The ring is the foundation of a planet.

The reason the Earth-Moon Four Realms are so weak.

Is because Earth’s ring was once shattered by terrifying beings from other planets!

If not for the intervention of Neptune’s godly descendants, who established the Planetary Accord.

The Earth-Moon Four Realms would long ago have become wasteland.

Since then.

Earth’s ring, though painstakingly rebuilt and reappeared.

Had become extremely thin.

Under these influences, many living beings in the Earth-Moon Four Realms sank into indulgence, luxury, living day to day.

Those devoted to cultivation grew fewer and fewer.

The extraction of cultivation resources slowed down.

In a vicious cycle, various spiritual resources became increasingly expensive.

A terrifying chasm opened between them and everyday goods.

One pack of cultivation herbs: 500 Alliance coins.

It would be consumed completely in half an hour, with no visible growth in spiritual essence.

The same 500 Alliance coins.

Could feed an ordinary resident for two months.

“Didn’t expect Shi Xuan’s pride ran so deep.”

Shan Ye suddenly spoke: “We’ll put off the learning assignment for now.”

“For the short term, we shouldn’t be short on credits.”

No one spoke.

After Shi Xuan left, the atmosphere in the study group had remained strange.

By now.

All of them knew Jiang Jian’s Shen Que spiritual essence was nearing half of the Divine Bestowal realm.

Many Divine Bestowal university freshmen still hovered around 10%.

The Interstellar Shuttle passed through Tianzhu Mountain’s orbit, heading toward Sanzhong Jiangcheng.

“This scene feels familiar.”

Liu Tiezhu sat beside Jiang Jian, his tone odd: “Last time we went to Haicheng and came back, it was similar.”

Jiang Jian gazed out the window, softly saying: “The difference is, one person is missing.”

Liu Tiezhu spread his hands: “We can’t help him. Let’s see if he can figure it out himself.”

Linjiang Academy, first-year campus.

The Interstellar Shuttle landed, stopping at the campus airfield.

“These few Interstellar Shuttles stand out too much among all the small aerial shuttles.”

Liu Tiezhu stepped down the ramp, glancing at another nearby vessel: “Jiang Jian, this one’s yours, right?”

Jiang Jian nodded: “Probably Guilihu’s.”

Shan Ye and Yin Yin disembarked, accompanied by their two plant-spirit familiars, and greeted them: “We’re heading back.”

“Jiang Jian, are you returning to the dormitory?”

Liu Tiezhu summoned an unmanned aerial shuttle.

“No,” Jiang Jian shook his head, boarding another shuttle: “I’m going to the campus cultivation chamber.”

Liu Tiezhu waved: “Alright, stay in contact via identity device.”

Inside the shuttle cabin.

Jiang Jian opened his identity device and initiated real-time communication.

“Bring ten crates of cultivation herbs and some food to the campus cultivation chamber.”

The other end replied with a crisp, snowy voice: “You’re back? I’m coming right away!”

Clearly, after several sessions cultivating with Jiang Jian, Guilihu had already tasted the benefits.

Living daily inside the cultivation chamber—this terrifying speed of advancement—is unmatched by any of his kin.

Jiang Jian swiped away the screen, sensing the ghost power’s origin within his Shen Que.

A dark orb shimmered with flowing light, its aura profound and unfathomable.

“The ghost power origin near the Spring Surge realm—probably worth ten million Alliance coins, if you could even buy it.”

A crimson flow of light gently caressed the dark orb.

Even though Jiang Jian was not now using true fire to refine it.

But the mountain spirit’s origin continuously emitted an extremely dense yin energy.

As soon as this yin energy appeared, it was melted by true fire.

Transformed into purest spiritual energy, it flowed into the Shenque’s spiritual circulation.

“The energy it naturally emits.”

“Is already barely equivalent to the spiritual energy supply of the campus training room.”

At this moment.

He no longer used true fire to envelop and conceal his energy.

He let the yin energy radiate freely.

Only then did Jiang Jian clearly realize the value of the mountain spirit’s origin.

He couldn’t help but feel startled.

As he pondered this.

His identity device chimed.

Jiang Jian answered the call, and his sister Jiang Zhao’s voice came through.

“Jiang Jian, did you see? I’ve broken into the top 3000 of the Ladder Rankings.”

Jiang Jian paused, then smiled. “I’m doing a study task—I haven’t had time to check.”

Jiang Zhao fell silent briefly, then said, “By the way, the joint forum is flooded with news about you. Haven’t you seen it?”

“News about me?”

Jiang Jian frowned for a moment, then suspected the answer as he thought: “Is it about cultivation essence?”

Jiang Zhao said, “Yes. Someone from Linjiang Academy found your Divine Bestowal level 37% test record on the calibration device!”

“Many aristocratic families in Linjiang Prefecture are eager to recruit you.”

Her voice was soft and pleasant. “And those four other Level-4 talents have all issued you challenges on the Divine Bestowal University forum.”

Jiang Jian stepped off his aerial pod and entered the training room. “Really?”

Jiang Zhao’s tone was certain. “It’s true.”

(End of Chapter)