Chapter 458: Strengthening and Intelligence Source

September 7th, Falling Plum Star Domain, Blood Spirit Holy City.

Today is already the fifth day since Xu Jin entered the Falling Plum Star Domain.

"Daniu, are you ready?"

"Senior Brother, I am ready." Mo Daniu nodded heavily, his small face full of determination.

Daniu, who had struggled in hardship, understood better how hard-won the opportunity to gain power was, and was especially eager for the chance to gain power.

This young powerhouse before him said he was a friend of his father, but he wasn't clear about it.

His father was also very mysterious to him.

But he clearly knew that this powerful Senior Brother before him was truly helping him.

In just five short days, he not only let his soul condense a star, but also taught him two very profound Star Patterns.

Compared to the soul Star Patterns he had learned in the Blood God Sect before, they were far more profound.

Although he hadn't been on the path of cultivation for long, some things were very intuitive.

Just like eating; although he was a country boy with no experience, he could still distinguish between delicious food and pig slop.

At this moment, he completely trusted this young powerhouse before him.

He even wanted to call him "Master."

But this young powerhouse before him wouldn't let him, only letting him call him "Senior Brother," which he couldn't quite understand.

"It will be very painful in a moment, painful enough to make you doubt life! But remember, guard your soul, and continuously circulate the 'Clear Soul' Star Pattern. Don't worry about the injuries and pain on your body! As long as I am here, you will not die!" Xu Jin said.

These past few days, Xu Jin used pills to let Daniu directly condense a star with his soul, and then taught him the two Star Patterns of "Clear Soul" and "Suppress Intent."

Learning them should have been very difficult and slow.

Even if Daniu had high talent, it would still be very slow.

But Xu Jin had created a method of teaching and practicing in dreams last time, shortening the entry difficulty of the "Clear Soul" Star Pattern by tenfold, which allowed Daniu to successfully engrave the "Clear Soul" Star Pattern in three days.

Although it was only third-tier low-grade, it was enough.

"I believe you." Mo Daniu looked at Xu Jin and nodded heavily.

"Guard your spiritual platform, guard your soul."

Amidst Xu Jin's soft shout, Mo Daniu slowly closed his eyes.

The next instant, Xu Jin's palm, which was resting on the star palace in Mo Daniu's chest, spat out a trace of star power!

Boom!

A flash of starlight blasted into Mo Daniu's middle star palace like lightning, accurately blasting onto the blood-colored star core, and the blood-colored star core shattered into pieces in an instant!

Blood light rampaged, colliding within Mo Daniu's middle star palace.

Instantly, Mo Daniu's internal organs shook, the blood color on his small face disappeared in an instant, and his whole body trembled violently.

But to Xu Jin's surprise, even though blood kept overflowing from the corners of his mouth and the pain was extreme, Mo Daniu bit his lips tightly, and even though he bit his lips to shreds, he didn't make a single sound.

This willpower was something even Xu Jin found surprising.

However, this was just the beginning of shattering the star.

The moment the middle star palace's star core shattered, the soul star core in Mo Daniu's upper star palace was also affected, trembling violently.

But it only trembled; no cracks appeared, and there was no state of losing willpower or fainting.

This showed that Daniu's divine sense had been guarding the spiritual platform tightly without the slightest wavering.

This point was the most critical.

The physical body is easy to recover, but the heart and intent are hard to cultivate.

If he lost his spiritual platform due to extreme pain, that would be a nightmare for Daniu for the rest of his life, and even if he stepped onto the path of cultivation again in the future, his achievements would be extremely limited.

This was also the reason why Xu Jin strengthened his soul beforehand.

But more importantly, it was his own willpower.

The next instant, Xu Jin's star power probed into Mo Daniu's middle star palace, like scraping bone, and began to clean up the remaining blood-colored star core fragments within the middle star palace.

This process was similar to the feeling of surgery without anesthesia in later generations.

Even though Xu Jin had powerful cultivation, it took a full quarter of an hour to finish cleaning up for Mo Daniu.

At this very moment, Mo Daniu looked like he had been fished out of water, sweating like rain, but he still had consciousness.

"Alright, it's over."

Bright green Star Healing radiance surged into Mo Daniu's middle star palace along Xu Jin's palm, beginning to repair the damaged middle star palace.

Mo Daniu opened his eyes with difficulty, "Senior Brother, is it okay?"

"It is."

The moment Xu Jin nodded, Mo Daniu breathed a sigh of relief, but the corners of his mouth relaxed, and his whole body curled up like a shrimp in pain.

The next instant, Warm Dream was activated.

Mo Daniu immediately fell into a deep sleep.

After the treatment was finished, the star shattering was over.

After Xu Jin used the Tui Fan Pill and his Yuanling divine sense to re-refine Mo Daniu's body, he could re-forge his star and cultivate again.

This kid had good talent and very resilient willpower; with his cultivation and some resource investment, Xu Jin estimated that this kid's future prospects were immeasurable.

In this way, Xu Jin could be considered to have resolved a worry.

In the future, if he truly discovered that Uncle Mo Ji had died in that sixth-tier star domain, Xu Jin would also be at ease.

Now the only regret was Teacher Qi Qi Shanye.

If Teacher Qi Qi Shanye had truly died in battle, what should he do?

Teacher Qi Qi Shanye had no bloodline descendants in the current world.

Even if Xu Jin wanted to repay this kindness, he had no chance.

To be honest, without the original Qi Qi Shanye and the Clear Soul Star Pattern, there would be no Xu Jin today.

However, Xu Jin also thought of one point.

He remembered Old Qi telling him that when the Lord Lingji Star Palace was locked down, he was a branch palace master, but his family was in the main palace of the Lord Lingji Star Palace.

This was the rule of the Lord Lingji Star Palace.

The families of high-ranking officials needed to be sent to the main palace, one for protection, and two as hostages.

He could search in this direction to see if he could find Teacher Qi Qi Shanye's family.

The Lord Lingji Star Palace was only locked down; as long as Xu Jin's strength was strong enough, he could find a way to get in.

And the reason Xu Jin was so pessimistic, thinking Teacher Qi Qi Shanye and Uncle Mo Ji were in dire straits in that sixth-tier star domain, was because of the predicament Xu Jin had faced in the sixth-tier Falling Plum Star Domain these past few days.

The alien experts within the sixth-tier star domain still had extremely strong control over their territory.

Two current-world humans breaking in were like light bulbs; sixth-tier and seventh-tier combat powers stronger than them were everywhere.

Especially seventh-tier powerhouses, the number should not be small.

The difficulty of survival was too great.

However, what the final situation was still required Xu Jin to kill his way in and search.

At that time, he would see the person if they were alive, and see the corpse if they were dead!

Looking at Mo Daniu who was already in a deep sleep, Xu Jin first swallowed a Three-Essence Dragon Turtle Soul-Forging Pill himself and began to absorb and refine it.

Half an hour later, the refining ended.

Xu Jin looked inside; the medicinal power of the Three-Essence Dragon Turtle Soul-Forging Pill was as always, every five pills could increase the linear radiation distance of his Yuanling fetal light by 0.1 meters.

Persisting with one pill a day, the improvement was not small.

As for the quantity?

During the great battle in the Seven Kill Secret Realm, he had captured many, enough for Xu Jin to eat for a long time.

After refining the medicinal power, Xu Jin took out a fifth-tier soul-type spiritual herb, the hundred-year Yin Spirit Crystal, which had been nurtured well, and swallowed it again to begin refining and absorbing the medicinal power.

Counting the ones he had obtained and accumulated before, Xu Jin had at least eleven fifth-tier soul-type spiritual herbs in his hand. He had started taking them intermittently recently.

The medicinal power of spiritual herbs would decay if taken continuously, but taking one every seven or eight days would have a very good effect.

Anyway, there were plenty, so convert them into strength first.

Two hours later, the soul aura rising in Xu Jin's body gradually dissipated, as the medicinal power had been absorbed.

The next instant, Xu Jin circulated his Yuanling, and the majestic Yuanling fetal light instantly radiated linearly, about 31.9 meters.

This nurtured hundred-year Yin Spirit Crystal directly increased Xu Jin's soul cultivation by about 1.9 meters; the effect was good.

Glancing at Mo Daniu who was still sleeping, Xu Jin's mind sank into the Wood Source Star Pattern, and he began to strengthen the Wood Source Star Pattern.

Strengthening the soul cultivation before was actually to speed up the strengthening of the Star Pattern.

The speed at which star patterns are strengthened is related to the intensity of the star constellations and the strength of one's Yuanling cultivation base.

Among them, the stronger the Yuanling, the faster the strengthening speed.

Xu Jin remembered that at the beginning, when his Yuanling cultivation was still in the early Yuanling stage, the Yuanling fetal light was about six or seven meters.

Strengthening a Star Pattern by one layer required six to eight days.

Even that was already the maximum speed.

Like Hou Hou Yunzhang, because he hadn't condensed a Yuanling, even if his cultivation reached the fifth-tier, ninth-layer peak, wanting to strengthen a Star Pattern by one layer required more than a month and a half.

But now, Xu Jin's Yuanling cultivation had reached the late Yuanling stage, directly doubling the speed of strengthening the Star Pattern.

At the same time, Xu Jin's cultivation base had reached the peak of the fifth tier, ninth layer, and his star constellations were formed from thirty-six star cores; theoretically, his speed in mobilizing star power to strengthen star patterns was three to four times that of an ordinary cultivator.

In this situation, Xu Jin's speed of strengthening the Star Pattern was one layer per day.

If he used the assistance of corresponding fifth-tier heavenly materials and earthly treasures, Xu Jin could strengthen two layers in one day.

Therefore, Xu Jin began to improve his strength from this aspect.

In the past, due to the time required for strengthening, he could only strengthen main combat Star Patterns.

But now, it was different.

Xu Jin felt that all source-power or combat-type Star Patterns could be strengthened.

Even with Xu Jin's current strength, strengthening a Star Pattern by one layer only increased the combat power of the related star art by about ten percent.

But Xu Jin's combat power foundation was there; even a ten percent increase was very considerable.

If he strengthened it by thirty or fifty percent, or even sixty or seventy percent, his strength could also be greatly improved.

What Xu Jin looked forward to even more was, if he strengthened all the source-power Star Patterns that condensed the Five Elements Divine Thunder, would the power of his Five Elements Divine Thunder be improved again?

With the power of the Five Elements Divine Thunder, even if it only improved by ten or twenty percent, the magnitude of the power improvement would be very large.

Xu Jin was doing this now.

The Thunder Source Star Pattern, as well as the Earth Source Star Pattern and Wind Source Star Pattern, had already been strengthened to the fifth layer.

Now, Xu Jin planned to spend a few days strengthening the Fire Source Star Pattern, Wood Source, Gold Source, and Water Source Star Patterns to the fifth layer.

Among them, the Fire Source Star Pattern had already been strengthened to the fourth layer, while the Wood Source, Gold Source, and Water Source Star Patterns had not yet begun to be strengthened.

Previously, the fifth-tier wood-type heavenly materials and earthly treasures Xu Jin collected were in the dozens; leaving them was a waste, so he used them all to strengthen the Star Pattern now.

Under the mobilization of his Yuanling, the star power within the star constellations surged toward the Wood Source star pattern like a tide, beginning to continuously expand and strengthen it, making the internal channels wider and the patterns more stable; the most obvious effect was that the star patterns became three-dimensional, and strengthening one layer in this way was like establishing a layer of a star tower.

This was also the foundation for breaking through to the sixth-tier "Standing Cloud Tower."

When Xu Jin swallowed a fifth-tier wood-type spiritual herb, the speed of strengthening the Star Pattern accelerated again.

Half a day later, the Wood Source Star Pattern was successfully strengthened to the second layer.

The next instant, Xu Jin opened his eyes, looked up, and a "Wood Divine Thunder" was thrown out; then he raised his hand again, and it was the "Five Elements Divine Thunder."

At the same time, the Mingji Star Pattern used for sensing was circulated to the extreme by Xu Jin.

Outside the Blood Spirit Holy Palace, a group of alien experts on duty were trembling with fear from this terrifying thunder light.

If this were thrown on top of their heads, every one of them would be blasted into slag directly.

Xu Jin, however, frowned slightly.

Just now, he was testing the power improvement of the related star art after strengthening the Star Pattern.

After strengthening the Wood Source Star Pattern to the second layer, the power of the Wood Divine Thunder improved by about ten percent, but the power improvement of the Five Elements Divine Thunder was not large, not even five percent.

However, there was an improvement.

Thinking for a while, Xu Jin began to strengthen the Gold Elephant Star Pattern.

To see how much the power of the related star art improved after the elephant-type Star Pattern was strengthened.

Half a day later, the Gold Elephant Star Pattern was successfully strengthened to the first layer, and then Xu Jin did a series of tests.

Taking the Geng Metal Divine Thunder as a representative, the power improvement was only five percent, and the improvement magnitude of the Five Elements Divine Thunder was even smaller, only a tiny improvement. Xu Jin estimated that the overall improvement might only be between one and two percent.

However, if the number of layers strengthened was large, the improvement would also be very considerable.

"The cost-effectiveness of strengthening source-type Star Patterns is higher than strengthening elephant-type Star Patterns. It seems I should prioritize strengthening source-type Star Patterns."

The next instant, Xu Jin began to strengthen the Gold Source Star Pattern.

Strengthening source-type Star Patterns, the improvement magnitude for the power of the Five Elements Divine Thunder was only about three percent.

This was the result Xu Jin obtained after multiple strengthenings.

The improvement magnitude was very small.

However, what if he strengthened it by more than ten layers?

If he strengthened the Gold Source, Wood Source, and Water Source Star Patterns, which were all currently at the first layer, to the fifth layer, that would be an increase of twelve layers, and cumulatively, it would be at least a forty-two percent increase.

With the terrifying power of the Five Elements Divine Thunder, such an improvement magnitude was very terrifying.

If he also strengthened all the elephant-type Star Patterns to the fifth layer, cumulatively, the power might be doubled.

However, if Xu Jin strengthened the Star Pattern to the fifth or sixth layer, he could consider breaking through.

For several days in a row, Xu Jin was cultivating and strengthening the Star Pattern, and Mo Daniu also began to temper his body and start cultivating again.

The Grand Master gave several suggestions, but after discussion, none of them worked.

He still needed to scout the latest situation of the Falling Plum Manor.

September 12th, while cultivating, Xu Jin's heart suddenly moved.

It was the Heaven and Earth Authority of the Falling Plum Star Domain that fluctuated slightly.

There were outsiders entering!

More than one person!

There were five of them!

This "outsider" was relative to the Falling Plum Star Domain.

In an instant, Xu Jin's mind sank into the Heaven and Earth Authority of the Falling Plum Star Domain, and as soon as he circulated it, it was like the most precise radar; in just an instant, he found and locked onto the aura of those few intruders.

Fifth-tier, ninth-layer peak cultivation, current-world humans, five of them.

At this time, they were just scattered in all directions of the Falling Plum Star Domain.

Xu Jin laughed; they were here!

The intelligence source he was waiting for had finally arrived!

"You five, go to this direction; there are current-world humans who have broken into the star domain. Capture them if you can, and kill them if you can't. I will guide you on the way." Xu Jin ordered.

"Yes!"

The seventh-tier and sixth-tier alien expert elites whose souls were controlled by Xu Jin immediately set off in batches.

Xu Jin arranged for three teams of alien experts to set off.

And Xu Jin himself also soared into the sky, rushing toward another direction.

There were two, whom Xu Jin wanted to capture himself to obtain intelligence.

As for the other three, Xu Jin needed them to transmit intelligence!

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 459 =====