Chapter 51: Stellar-Class!
Alternate options?
With Jiang Zhe's discerning eye, anything that could even be considered a "backup option" had to possess potential on par with the legendary Heart of Space.
But with his current level of strength, could he really reach such treasures?
Actually… yes, he could.
It was that mysterious divine crystal he obtained during his second time chopping down the Chaos Tree.
He'd had it for a long time now. Aside from the initial contact, where it gifted him a sliver of origin power and transformed his soul—no, to be more precise, his true spirit—it hadn't shown much reaction.
Calling it "soul" was too simplistic. It went much deeper—more fundamental.
Much like the innate souls birthed by the Three Realms—beings with extraordinary talent, insight, and enlightenment far beyond ordinary lifeforms.
Since then, the divine crystal remained dormant. Occasionally, when holding it, he'd feel a slight enhancement in comprehension, nothing more.
In the Wilderness World, there were only two rough mentions of its uses:
First, it could absorb Chaos Energy and evolve, eventually giving birth to a group of innate deities and demons. The strongest among them would become a World God and open a new Chaos World.
In essence, the divine crystal was the source core of a Chaos World.
If he sacrificed it to the Primal Universe, would it call him "Daddy" and reward him with the ultimate [Clone] technique?
Jiang Zhe shook his head. Only a fool would give something like that away.
Secondly, the divine crystal was also known as the Heart of the World, the core material needed to cultivate the Thousand Body Sacred Codex.
A split body clone?
A second soul?
They sounded similar, but in truth, there was a fundamental difference.
Could this divine crystal actually serve as a vessel for the second soul?
Possibly... but Jiang Zhe couldn't be sure without trying.
In the Wilderness World, the second soul was an energy body, able to cultivate only in energy-based disciplines.
In the Swallowed Star universe system, second souls were energy lifeforms—similar to the Moshha Clan.
According to the supreme laws or the will of origin, a second soul's vessel would likely become the user's life core.
Would anyone dare use a world's source as their life core?
Such madness—did someone ever try?
Yes, someone once attempted something similar and tried to seize the Primal Universe itself. That person… is now permanently sealed.
In fact, when Jiang Zhe first acquired the Secret Technique of the Second Soul, he had already thought about using the divine crystal.
"Back then, I didn't dare to try… I didn't even want to think about it. Cultivating a second soul has no margin for error. But now, it's different. I've got a backup plan."
According to the technique, a portion of the soul must be split and immediately nurtured in a vessel. Otherwise, it would collapse.
Losing a part of the soul could have serious consequences—even best-case scenario would leave him with a cold, neurotic, unstable personality. Like a paranoid maniac.
"But now I have the Thunderglass Origin Core. That's my fallback."
"If the divine crystal fails to serve as a vessel, I can instantly shift the split soul into the Thunderglass Origin Core. The second soul will still be born—just with slightly less potential."
"Since I'll likely never get a treasure on par with the Heart of Space…"
"…Then I might as well bet everything on this!"
A fire ignited in Jiang Zhe's chest. He clenched his fists, full of anticipation.
He closed the metal case, instructed Oriana to re-lock it with the smart seal, and levitated it back into the display pedestal using his mind.
Click. The glass door sealed. The pedestal slowly lowered into the ground.
Jiang Zhe stood there, silently watching the container disappear, the excitement in his heart gradually calming down.
The next time he saw that box… would be when he began the secret soul-splitting ritual.
After a thorough inventory of everything in his space ring, Jiang Zhe returned to his room.
He needed to adjust his future cultivation plan.
"First, master the Second Soul Secret Art, complete the soul refinement, and then push my warrior cultivation to Planetary Stage Level 8. Once that happens, the mental energy sphere in my sea of consciousness will shatter, and I can attempt a breakthrough to Stellar Level 1."
"That's the perfect moment to split the soul."
"Relying solely on devouring Thunder Vine Blood Crystals from Thunder Prison Realm? Too slow. It also requires a digestion period. Reaching Planetary Level 8 would take… around thirty months? Two and a half years?"
He frowned at the number. It felt oddly specific.
"Let me recalculate…"
"With steady supply of Thunder Vine Blood Crystals:
Levels 1–3: ~2 months each = 6 months
Levels 4–6: ~4 months each = 12 months
Levels 7–9: ~8 months each = 24 months
…Okay, two years total."
"It sounds slow, but honestly, this is faster than even top-tier cosmic bloodlines like the Golden Horned Beast—especially if it skips its eggshell nourishment."
"Should I just buy an E-grade nutrient pod in the universe? If I dismantle 3–5 world rings, I can afford one…"
The idea popped up but was quickly extinguished.
"I'll go to the universe, yes. But not me personally—my second soul will go."
"This Earth is a shallow pond; no way to raise a true dragon here. But for now, I'll remain and cultivate step-by-step."
Thirty months to break through.
That would give him plenty of time—to refine his soul, understand the laws more deeply, and perfect his combat techniques… to match the explosive rise in cultivation level.
It was 2047 now. Nearly 20 years remained before the Genius War.
Plenty of time.
He entered his Prokaryotic Space.
Seated on a stone bench, he unfolded the golden manuscript and began studying the soul-refining techniques.
---
February 2nd
That morning, Jiang Zhe arrived at the main courtyard two hours before mealtime.
The younger generation had already gathered inside the conference hall, chatting and laughing.
Jiang Zhe peeked in from the doorway, scanning the room—and immediately noticed two unfamiliar women.
One was his second brother's fiancée, from the Ye Family of the HR Alliance.
The other was a young girl who'd arrived two weeks ago for martial arts initiation.
As soon as he appeared, the room fell silent.
Lei Lei turned her head in surprise, and her eyes met Jiang Zhe's.
Her head shrank back instantly, like she'd seen a ghost.
"…Why are you here?" Jiang Zhe asked, confused. "This is a family gathering."
"I'm sort of your cousin through Thunder," she replied. "Doesn't that make me your little aunt? Why would it be weird for me to be here? Mind your manners."
A voice spoke from behind.
It was the old man.
Jiang Zhe's mouth twitched. A bad premonition rose in his heart.
Before he could dodge, the old man kicked him into the hall.
"Gone for half a month, and the moment you show up, you're blocking doors like some hooligan. Just looking at you pisses me off!"
Jiang Zhe dusted himself off, smiled apologetically, and pulled a chair over.
He grumbled silently—Seriously? It's been half a month and you're still mad just because I scared off a few girls?
"Tone down that ferocious aura of yours," the old man whispered telepathically. "You'll traumatize the poor girl."
Jiang Zhe paused. Telepathy?
It was the old man's voice, so he responded mentally: "I only let a tiny bit leak. How could she tell?"
"Her perception is very sharp. Lei Lei's practiced yoga since childhood—meditation and introspection. She can sense emotional energy more intensely than most."
"Even a flicker of your intent will feel like a hurricane to her."
Huh. Feels like a juvenile form of 'Unity of Man and Nature.' Just far less refined.
Out loud, he muttered, "Got it."
Then, with a single thought, he suppressed the feral "tiger aura" he liked so much.
Calm and still. Unremarkable. Almost invisible.
A trick born of his honed spiritual mastery—very different from the three-layered mental cultivation used by Earth's top three powerhouses.
He observed Lei Lei with spiritual sense.
The moment he suppressed his presence, her tense posture eased. She seemed more relaxed.
What a bizarre development path for mental cultivation…
"Cicada senses wind before it stirs"?
"A gentleman does not stand beneath a dangerous wall"?
"A sudden ominous feeling"?
…Seems like the original novel's Hong and Thunder God didn't dig deep enough into the second and third mental realms.
The first was great for strengthening will. No reason the second and third should be inferior.
In the end, the limitation was probably… the people.
---
After the family feast, Jiang Zhe approached Lei Lei.
"How's your physical training going?" he asked politely.
"I-it's okay… my punch strength is over 400 kg now…" she answered nervously.
"Here. These are for your father and Uncle Hong." He handed her two rings.
"Rings? Two?"
Lei Lei blushed furiously, like a boiled crab.
"W-what are you thinking?" Jiang Zhe rolled his eyes. "They're not for you. They're for your dad and Uncle Hong."
Her face shifted colors faster than a Peking Opera mask—from bright red to pale white.
Jiang Zhe: ???
His expression resembled that meme of the old man on the subway looking at his phone in disbelief.
Girl, something's wrong with you. Seriously wrong.
No wonder Thunder God took out your first boyfriend when you were only sixteen…
"Give the rings to them. They'll know what's inside and how to use it."
Without another word, he tossed them at her and walked away.
The rings bounced off her forehead, snapping her back to reality. She scrambled to catch them.
One was black. The other blue. Each had a name tag: Thunder God and Hong.
Inside were treasures Jiang Zhe had stashed in his World Bracelet—third-tier artifacts and armor, common-level secret techniques from unclaimed AI databases, and evolution-enhancing resources.
Back in his courtyard, Jiang Zhe reviewed reports from the Virtual Martial Hall.
He made adjustments to the Earth elites' training regimen and had Alpha replace the assistant AI as the new host of the Martial Hall.
Then, he dove into the World Bracelet and began another round of closed-door cultivation.
That evening, Thunder God and Hong received the rings and called to thank him.
Oriana's external avatar informed them: Jiang Zhe was in seclusion. No idea when he'd emerge.
---
He cultivated diligently for thirty months.
August 13th, 2049.
BOOM.
The golden-purple mental sphere in his sea of consciousness shattered violently.
A storm of spiritual energy erupted. Nine micro-stars shook and exploded.
A vortex formed at the center of his mind, devouring the chaos.
Finally—it collapsed inward…
…And ignited.
A scorching stellar core was born.
---
Author's Note:
Not satisfied with this chapter, but I had to post it.
Bit filler-ish, but no major issues.
I'm totally out of it today. Yesterday was exhausting—I didn't even wake up until 3 PM.
I feel dead.
Left foot's killing me—some bone below the ankle feels fractured…