Chapter 1441: Didn

Long before on Blue Star, after reaching the sixth tier, Xu Jingming no longer needed to eat.

Now, as a Star Tier Six cultivator,

he can absorb cosmic primordial energy to sustain all consumption, long having no need to rely on ordinary food.

The last time he ate, he could no longer recall when.

This rare visit to the dining hall, coupled with having just decisively dealt with the challenger Barton, left him in high spirits,

so Xu Jingming made no pretense and selected numerous dishes from the smart menu that looked utterly mouthwatering.

The dining hall aboard the starship gathered signature dishes from countless civilizations across all star regions of the human domain.

Xu Jingming ate with abandon, thoroughly satisfying his appetite.

This pure, sensory pleasure, after prolonged cultivation and killing, carried a unique kind of relaxation.

In contrast, Yue Ying sitting across from him appeared far more restrained.

Her dining movements were elegant and slow, as if performing some ritual.

Yet her attention did not seem fully fixed on the food.

Those cold, gray-stone-like eyes would occasionally lift quietly, settling on Xu Jingming across from her.

"I'm treating you to a meal, not to have you stare at me."

When Yue Ying stole another glance his way, Xu Jingming couldn't help speaking up.

Yue Ying's icy, beautiful face flushed faintly, visibly.

She instinctively wanted to avert her gaze.

But then she felt that would make her seem too guilty.

So she forced calmness, meeting Xu Jingming's eyes, her red lips parting slightly:

"No, I'm just curious about your strength.

Did your rank truly rise through the use of heavenly treasures and earthly essences?"

After witnessing Xu Jingming defeat Barton, this question had lingered in her mind.

"Whether yes or no, didn't you already have the answer inside you?"

Xu Jingming did not answer directly, but asked instead.

"Since you say that, it must be no."

The brilliant Yue Ying immediately deduced it—she had expected as much, and felt no surprise.

Instead, she wore an expression of relief, leaning back in her seat and sighing:

"Your talent is incredible.

I don't know how you did it, but I'll likely never catch up to you in the future."

She couldn't help recalling the scene when, after being defeated repeatedly, she had been full of confidence.

Now, it seemed laughable.

Watching Yue Ying's utterly defeated, completely resigned expression,

Xu Jingming smiled and said:

"I've formally become a disciple of Frost Crown Dominator."

"With my master's guidance, plus some fortune, my cultivation progress being faster is only natural."

"Formally becoming a disciple?"

Yue Ying paused slightly, her red lips parting in surprise:

"When did this happen? Why didn't you tell me? And why hasn't the academy announced anything?"

Frost Crown Dominator taking a disciple—especially as a direct disciple—

should be major news throughout Star穹 Academy and even the Eternal Star Alliance.

"It happened not long ago."

Xu Jingming explained, "I just didn't make a big deal out of it."

"I see."

Remembering Xu Jingming's composed nature, Yue Ying nodded in understanding, though her heart stirred with turmoil.

Frost Crown Dominator!

He was the undisputed strongest among the supreme dominators of Star穹 Academy!

His status and power even surpassed that of Lin Ge Dominator, who had taught her.

She had been accepted into Lin Ge Dominator's sect largely due to her Elven Royal bloodline, a special circumstance.

But Xu Jingming had genuinely met the requirements of the strongest dominator through his own talent and potential alone.

The weight of this was entirely different.

"If you've formally become Frost Crown Dominator's disciple, then such rapid progress isn't surprising."

Yue Ying raised her cup to Xu Jingming, a sincere, faint smile breaking across her icy face:

"Congratulations."

"Thank you. May your strength grow ever stronger."

Xu Jingming smiled slightly and raised his cup as well.

…

Aside from the brief interruption of Barton's provocation,

the rest of the journey was utterly peaceful, with no further incidents.

Even the events of that day quickly spread throughout the entire academy community.

Everyone now knew Xu Jingming's achievements, and no one questioned Ye Li's arrangement anymore.

Xu Jingming spent most of his time inside the room.

He continued refining the newly exchanged T4-range combat technique, "Lei Yuan Shu," or used his smart bracer to review more data about Xuelian Star.

Yue Ying, Lan Yu, and the others were also making their final preparations.

Seven days passed in the blink of an eye.

On this day, Xu Jingming sat cross-legged inside the room.

His consciousness settled, guiding the Jiemie Shenlei within his body along the initial pathway of "Lei Yuan Shu."

Though far from being able to truly cast it, let alone master it with skill points, he could already faintly touch upon a thread of its essence.

Suddenly, a soft yet clear alert tone echoed throughout the room:

"All students, note that Explorer 7 is about to reach its destination.

Immediately cease deep cultivation and organize your personal equipment.

Assemble at your respective docking ports within one hour and prepare for disembarkation.

Repeat..."

As the broadcast sounded, the massive curved viewing window in Xu Jingming's room automatically adjusted its transparency.

The outer armor plates slowly retracted, revealing the starry expanse beyond.

The starry background, which had previously blurred into streaks of light as it rushed backward, now seemed to slow.

Against this deep, dark canvas, a colossal planet was gradually filling the entire field of view.

Xu Jingming retracted his Yuan energy, rose to his feet, and stepped to the window, gazing outward.

There, in the vast emptiness of space, a planet hung motionless.

Its size was staggering—roughly comparable to Jupiter in his memory of the Solar System.

That is, over a thousand times the volume of Lanxing!

But this was no gas giant; through its thin atmosphere, its rugged surface could be faintly discerned.

Most striking was its color: a deep, uniform crimson.

As if the entire planet were coated in congealed blood, radiating a desolate and dangerous aura.

"Xuelian Star—finally arriving!"

Xu Jingming's eyes glinted faintly, as if he already saw vast quantities of Source Points beckoning to him.

An hour later, the Star穹 Mother Ship hovered in midair, roughly a kilometer above Xuelian Star.

"All students of Star穹 Academy, descend to the platform below!"

Ye Li's cold voice echoed in everyone's ears.

The hatch opened, and everyone—including Xu Jingming, Yue Ying, and the others—shot downward like streaks of light toward the ground.

"This gravity..."

As soon as he left the Star穹 Mother Ship, Xu Jingming immediately felt an immense gravitational pull!

"Gravity is far stronger than at the Academy—only a Star-Class cultivator could fly here."

Xu Jingming instantly concluded.

Then again, if gravity weren't this strong, with Star-Class cultivators' flight speed—

Even if Xuelian Star was over a thousand times the volume of Lanxing, they wouldn't need a year, just one month, to sweep the entire planet clean.

"But this is my advantage," Xu Jingming smiled faintly.

With Tian Lei Yi, he possessed terrifying top speed!

The slower others flew, the better it was for him.