Chapter 1526: Privilege! Departing for the Outland Battlefield!

Seed of Eternal Life!

The core technique of the Life Core.

In the depths of the consciousness sea, the Life Core hung silently.

Emerald and crystal-clear, within it faint forest silhouettes swirled.

Xu Jingming stirred his will slightly, and ripples spread across the Life Core's surface.

A pure essence of life condensed from its core.

Hum—

The green light intensified, coalescing into a vortex within the consciousness sea.

At the vortex's center, a seed the size of a thumb slowly took shape.

It was utterly transparent like jade, its surface flowing with natural law patterns.

Inside the seed was not solid matter, but layered, folded spaces.

Each space bore Xu Jingming's soul imprint and life aura.

This was the Seed of Eternal Life.

Even across the consciousness sea, Xu Jingming could sense the vast vitality contained within.

As long as the seed remained intact, he could be reborn from it after death.

"Done."

Xu Jingming opened his eyes, green light flashing briefly within them.

He rose and walked toward the villa's underground.

Every villa in the Eternal Day Archipelago was equipped with an alloy secure room, designated for storing valuable items.

The island he resided on—Island No. 1—boasted the highest-grade alloy secure room.

The room's walls were forged from SSS9-grade "Star Core Alloy," three meters thick.

Without the correct password, even a Peak Eternal Life cultivator could not forcibly breach it in a short time.

Arriving before the secure room, Xu Jingming input a 128-digit dynamic password.

Boom—

The alloy door slid open silently; the interior space was small, only about ten square meters.

But it was more than enough.

He placed the Seed of Eternal Life at the very center of the room.

"Placed here, it should be utterly secure."

Xu Jingming exhaled softly.

The Eternal Day Archipelago lay deep within the Eternal Star Alliance's core, perpetually shrouded by the Lord's divine awareness.

Added to this, the secure room's own defenses.

Unless a traitor arose within the Star Alliance, no problem could possibly occur.

Closing the door, he returned to the living room and donned his gear.

The Invisible God Inner Armor clung to his body, light as nothing.

The Cang Lei Battle Robe covered his entire form, its black base adorned with flowing blue-and-white lightning patterns.

The long spear and other potions were all stored within his space ring.

All preparations were complete.

As for Yueying…

After her return, she had been summoned by Lord Lin'ge to enter seclusion for cultivation.

He didn't know whether his presence had played a part in that.

Yet whether it was him, or Yueying…

Neither were people who would linger endlessly in tender comfort.

The past six months on Blue Star had been more than enough rest.

Next, he truly needed to resume cultivation.

At that moment, a respectful voice came from outside the villa:

"Your Highness, the spacecraft has arrived."

"Good."

Xu Jingming flashed away, appearing in midair.

A silver-gray, spindle-shaped spacecraft over three hundred meters long hovered above the island, its hull emblazoned with the Eternal Star Alliance's emblem.

At the bow stood a middle-aged man clad in dark-gold battle armor.

His aura was vast as an abyss—he was unmistakably an Eternal Life cultivator.

"Your Highness."

The man bowed slightly. "I am Kuka. I will escort you to the nearest conscription base—Black Flame Star."

"Thank you."

Xu Jingming nodded.

The Outland Battlefield was not a place one could simply go to.

One had to pass through humanity's dedicated passage.

Otherwise, it was impossible to reach it via the specialized star gate.

Long before leaving the Heavenly Punishment Thunder Realm, he had submitted an application to the Star Alliance to enter the Outland Battlefield.

He had not expected the one assigned to escort him to be an Eternal Life cultivator.

"Your Highness is too kind."

Kuka bowed respectfully and gestured with an open hand, "Please board the vessel."

The two entered the main cabin of the spacecraft.

The interior was spacious, decorated simply yet lavishly.

Kuka motioned for Xu Jingming to sit, then stood to one side and spoke:

"Your Highness, you must have already researched this before heading to the Outer Battlefield."

"But according to the Star Alliance's regulations, we still must brief first-time students on the basic situation."

"First, the Outer Battlefield consists of twelve major combat zones."

"Each zone is roughly the size of a high-level civilization's cosmic state."

"But unlike cosmic states, the zones contain very few life-bearing planets—almost no ordinary people."

"Most are planetary fortresses."

Xu Jingming nodded slightly.

The Outer Battlefield was where the peak races of the cosmos slaughtered one another.

The lowest rank there was Cosmic Stage!

With the power of a Cosmic Stage being, even smaller planets could be shattered outright.

Naturally, within the battlefield's range, ordinary life-bearing planets or ordinary people were exceedingly rare.

"When a Cosmic Stage enters the Outer Battlefield,"

"they must first register at a conscription base, then be assigned by the system to a specific zone."

"This is to balance troop deployment across zones and prevent overcrowding in certain areas."

Kuka paused, then continued, "But Your Highness is different—you are a core member of the Eternal Star Alliance."

"You have the freedom to choose your destination zone and specific planet."

Xu Jingming smiled.

Privilege—that was the advantage conferred by status.

A regular Cosmic Stage could only leave their fate to chance, tossed to some frontline with no control over life or death.

But he could go directly to the Seventh Combat Zone to find his senior sister, Lin Qianxue.

"Heiyan Star is approximately 8.7 light-years from Star Dome Academy."

After summarizing the general situation, Kuka said, "At this 'Star Shuttle-7' vessel's speed, we will arrive in eighteen cosmic hours."

The spacecraft activated its warp engine; outside the window, streaks of light blurred past.

Xu Jingming closed his eyes to rest, mentally organizing his known skills and equipment.

Shattered Star Lei Mao, Everlasting Vitality, Soul's Eye, Flashing Thunder Piercing Strike, Heavenly Thunder Break…

Added to these were the Ice Heart Crown and the Hidden Divine Inner Armor—enough to let him dominate among Cosmic Stage warriors.

But in the Outer Battlefield, prodigies who killed across stages were the most common thing.

"Don't let your guard down," he silently thought.

Eighteen hours later.

The spacecraft shut off its warp engine; a dark red planet appeared in view.

Heiyan Star.

It was a transit planet exclusively used for conscription, its surface covered with vast military installations.

Thousands of cosmic spacecraft were moored in orbit.

Constant streams of light rose and fell, transporting warriors from all star regions.

The arrival of the Star Shuttle-7 immediately drew attention.

The Eternal Star Alliance emblem on its hull gleamed brilliantly under the star's illumination; nearby spacecraft swiftly veered away.

When the cabin door opened and Xu Jingming and Kuka stepped out, countless eyes from the plaza below turned toward them.

"Is that… a Numinous Stage warrior escorting him?"

"Gah, who is this young man?"

"It's a genius from Star Dome Academy! Only Cosmic Stage One, and he's already heading to the Outer Battlefield?"

"..."

Whispered murmurs spread like a tide.

Xu Jingming remained calm, following Kuka down the gangway.

The plaza's ground was paved with obsidian—hard and cold.

In the distance, a long line of people moved slowly.

They were ordinary Cosmic Stage warriors queuing for registration and assignment.

As soon as Xu Jingming and Kuka landed, a middle-aged man in blood-red battle armor flew over.

He too was a Numinous Stage!

"Lord Kuka!"

The middle-aged man bowed respectfully, then turned to Xu Jingming and said with deference:

"This must be the Prince heading to the Outer Battlefield? I am Herman, Chief Commander of the Heiyan Star Conscription Center."

In status, a genius of Star Dome Academy was a core member of the Eternal Star Alliance.

Within the academy, this might not be obvious.

But outside, even Numinous deities treated such figures with utmost respect.

"Commander Herman," Xu Jingming nodded.

"Is the prince going to the Seventh Combat Zone?" Hermann asked.

"Yes, the Seventh Combat Zone, Fortress 102."

Hermann immediately stepped aside: "The ship to the Seventh Combat Zone is at Berth 3; follow me."

"No need for trouble—I'll go myself."

Xu Jingming shook his head, then turned to Kuka: "Kuka my lord, you've endured much on this journey."

"Your Highness, take care—the Outer Battlefield is perilous beyond measure; may fortune favor your martial path."

Kuka smiled.

"I accept your good wishes."

Xu Jingming also smiled, then rose into the air, becoming a streak of black Lei Guang that shot toward Berth 3.

Below, countless eyes followed.

The cosmic-rank warriors waiting in line filled their gazes with envy.

"Choosing your own combat zone—that's the treatment of a prodigy from a great power."

"We either get randomly dumped onto the front lines or must hoard enough military merit just to apply for a transfer; comparing ourselves to them is enough to drive one mad."

"Stop being bitter—they have the right to it."

"True—that's a core member of the Eternal Star Alliance."