Chapter 1617: The Divine Palace Opens! Isn't This Just Handing Over an Inheritance?

"Brother Xu is mighty!"

"Too fierce! Those alien races are no match for you!"

"Haha, once the secret realm ends, the alien races are going to be dumbfounded!"

"......"

The moment he landed, Duncan and the others who were on closer terms with Xu Jingming all swarmed around him with excited faces.

Brody's expression was as unpleasant as if he'd just swallowed a fly.

Still, he steeled himself and stepped forward, forcing a smile:

"Xu Jingming, congratulations......"

Xu Jingming glanced at him coolly and said nothing.

Brody immediately broke out in a cold sweat, not daring to say another word.

"Junior Brother, what was that move just now?"

Lin Qianxue walked over to Xu Jingming's side on her long, shapely legs.

She asked through spiritual transmission, her voice trembling with barely suppressed excitement.

Xu Jingming smiled faintly and replied through transmission as well:

"It's the Source Core Secret Codex. I've already broken through to the fourth layer.

I just checked—my life gene tier has reached perfection."

Even though she'd long expected it, hearing it confirmed with her own ears—

Lin Qianxue's delicate frame still trembled slightly, and dazzling light burst from her pale golden eyes!

"He really did it!"

She murmured to herself, her gaze at Xu Jingming impossibly complex.

There was shock, envy, pride, and a trace of something beyond words... a stirring.

This Junior Brother, who had only joined the sect less than ten years ago—

had actually accomplished something she had failed to achieve in ten thousand years.

Cosmic tier, perfect gene!

This meant that as long as he broke through to the Immortal tier, Xu Jingming would surely condense a perfect divine body.

His future achievements were boundless!

"A blessing for the human race!"

Lin Qianxue drew a deep breath, and a stunning smile bloomed across her breathtakingly beautiful face:

"Junior Brother, congratulations."

As she spoke, she asked with a touch of concern:

"In that slaughter just now, you weren't hurt, were you?"

"Don't worry. They couldn't even break through my Lei Gang, let alone hurt me."

Xu Jingming smiled faintly. "But I am a bit tired, admittedly."

Three million bug-race warriors!

Plus the other alien races.

Even though the Doushen Shenlei could kill the vast majority, the rest still left his hand aching from the killing.

The hardest to kill among them was undoubtedly the Machine race!

Every single one of them was constructed from SSS-grade alloy.

After destroying their mechanical cores, one could indeed obtain source points.

But they were just too hard to kill.

Among the alien races that escaped, the Machine race had the most survivors.

"It really is tiring. There were just too many aliens to kill."

As Lin Qianxue spoke, she very naturally extended her hand.

A wisp of cool aura condensed at her fingertip, and she gently tapped it against Xu Jingming's brow.

That aura wasn't for healing wounds, but carried a calming, soothing effect, helping him settle his surging qi and blood and spirit.

Xu Jingming gave a slight start, then relaxed.

He felt that wisp of coolness dissolve within his sea of consciousness, dispelling some of his fatigue.

He smiled: "Thanks, Senior Sister."

"Being polite with me? For the past few months, it's been entirely you taking care of me."

Lin Qianxue shot him a look.

That one glance, so full of charm, nearly made Duncan—who was sneaking a peek nearby—and especially Yin Hongyu and the others, pop their eyes out of their sockets.

That ice-cold Fairy Lin... had such a coquettish side to her?

Xu Jingming paid no heed to the others' thoughts, and turned to Haili, who was respectfully standing by:

"Once the bug-race warrior corpses on the battlefield are recovered, how much can your bug sea scale up?"

Haili calculated briefly and answered respectfully:

"Reporting to Master, if I can fully absorb these kin-corpses,

my bug sea's overall scale is projected to increase by roughly five times.

And the speed at which I can subsequently gestate high-tier warriors will also greatly accelerate."

"Five times?" Xu Jingming's eyes lit up, and he nodded with satisfaction. "Not bad."

He could already envision the future scene of Haili's bug sea blotting out the sky.

When the swarm grows a few more rounds, he can resume efficient harvesting and gain massive Source Points!

This is practically a sustainable, high-quality "Source Point mine!"

"Continue collecting loot—all spatial equipment left by the alien races, not a single one missed," Xu Jingming added.

"Understood."

After making arrangements, Xu Jingming immediately sat cross-legged.

He had maintained the Purple Nightmare Demon Body for an entire hour, conducting intense slaughter.

Even though it was a one-sided crushing victory, it still weighed heavily on him.

He needed time to recover.

Lin Qianxue naturally walked over and sat nearby.

Five hours later,

Xu Jingming opened his eyes; his gaze gleamed with brilliant spirit, his state restored to peak.

At this moment, Haley had also completed her mission.

She stepped before Xu Jingming and waved her slender hand.

A cascade of spatial rings piled onto the ground like a small mountain, shimmering with varied hues.

These were all looted from the corpses of alien races, including precious collections from powerful Demon Clan and Beast Clan members.

In the past, Xu Jingming would have struggled with how to carry them.

But now, he possessed the World Ring, its interior space vast.

With a thought, he effortlessly absorbed all the spatial rings into it, relaxed and at ease.

"The alien races are cleared. Next, we wait for the Starfall Divine Palace to open," Xu Jingming gazed up at the towering, endless silver-gray palace, anticipation rising in his heart.

The wait did not last long.

Three days later.

"Hummm—!!!"

The Starfall Divine Palace suddenly trembled!

The ancient, intricate runes on its walls came alive, erupting in dazzling, brilliant light!

Within the silver-gray structure, it seemed as if hundreds of millions of stars ignited simultaneously.

A vast, overwhelming pressure surged like a tidal wave across the entire plain!

"The Divine Palace is opening!"

"Ha! No one's competing with us this time!"

"Even if the chance of receiving the legacy is minuscule, at least only our human race is here—how satisfying!"

"......"

Everyone's spirits lifted; all eyes snapped toward the majestic palace connecting heaven and earth.

Xu Jingming also raised his head; his dark eyes flickered with Lei Guang.

At this moment, a grand, ancient voice, as if originating from primordial time,

Rumbled from deep within the palace, clearly reaching every ear on the plain:

"Starfall Legacy—Initiated!"

"Now, the Legacy Trial begins!"

"The trials are divided into 'Blue Trial' and 'Red Trial' based on biological gender traits."

"Both trials center on deciphering secret runes."

"When the total number of deciphered secret runes reaches one million eight hundred thousand, you shall obtain the core legacy left by the Starfall Sovereign!"

As the words faded, countless beams of light erupted from deep within the palace!

Shhh—shhh—shhh—

The light rained down, precisely enveloping every individual on the plain.

Male cultivators were engulfed by deep blue light columns.

Female cultivators were enveloped by blazing red light columns.

Xu Jingming was naturally enveloped by a blue light column.

Inside the column, countless complex, mysterious runes appeared, constantly shifting and flowing.

Like living star maps, awaiting decryption.

"The Legacy Trial is divided by gender? How peculiar."

Xu Jingming felt a hint of confusion but did not dwell on it.

His attention focused entirely on the vast ocean of secret runes.

Immediately, a faint smile curled his lips.

The Legacy Trial was based on deciphering secret runes.

His system panel still held over thirty billion Source Points.

This wasn't a trial—it was the legacy delivering itself to his door!