Rowan nodded slightly. Repairing ships was Babata's specialty, and now that they had a massive starship in their possession, it was finally time to put that skill to good use. If they lacked materials, they could easily acquire what they needed from other factions across the world. Over the years, Earth's forces had scavenged plenty of wreckage from fallen alien vessels.
Half a month slipped by. During that time, Luo Feng had successfully seized control of the Golden-Horned Beast a process that, compared to the original timeline, had been drastically shortened.
In the original account, Luo Feng had used the Six-Pointed Star technique to slay the beast, damaging his own soul in the process. That injury had made the process of completely taking over the Golden-Horned Beast's consciousness painfully slow, costing him months. Now, however, things were much smoother.
On the surface of Jupiter, the titanic Golden-Horned Beast now inhabited by Luo Feng's soul let out an earth-shaking roar that echoed through the planet's swirling red storms. The sound alone was deafening, and every subtle movement of that colossal body exuded a terrifying sense of power.
"Not bad," Rowan said with a faint smile, floating in midair as he watched the scene unfold.
Ten days earlier, Luo Feng's new body had already begun nurturing his second clone a human form to complement the monstrous vessel he now possessed.
"Luo Feng, make sure you take full advantage of the Golden-Horned Beast's gifts," Rowan said teasingly.
The beast's massive, angular face contorted into what could only be described as an awkward grimace. "I will. But Babata, the Golden-Horned Beast's inheritance includes thousands of innate techniques and over three thousand cultivation methods. Which ones should I focus on first?"
Babata, usually sarcastic and impatient, now treated Luo Feng with newfound seriousness. After all, his new body's potential rivaled that of the top ten supreme bloodlines of the universe. He was worth nurturing.
She guided him to master the Golden-Horned Beast's core techniques methods designed to harmonize the body and the soul, cultivate multiple avatars, and expand mental control over matter and energy.
Meanwhile, Rowan had retreated into his own training regimen, remaining on Jupiter to focus on the comprehension of the Laws of Fire. Yet that wasn't all he intended to grasp a second principle: either Space or Time, the two most elusive and powerful cosmic laws.
Of course, understanding them was no easy feat. Even so, with the Space Stone in his possession, Rowan was confident he could accelerate the process. Before that, however, he needed to create a clone of his own one that could explore the cosmos and interact with the outside world, while his true self focused solely on enlightenment.
With the power of an Infinity Stone at his disposal, his comprehension would progress exponentially. Still, before stepping into the wider universe, Rowan needed to properly align himself with the cosmic structure of this world the devouring system of the "Swallowed Star" universe.
Together with Luo Feng, he entered an underground space he had created for cultivation. Babata soon led Luo Feng to Mars, where they gathered every remaining mineral and metal deposit to feed to the Golden-Horned Beast. The creature devoured them eagerly, its body shimmering with molten brilliance.
Even the wreckage of alien ships retrieved from ancient ruins was thrown into its maw. Within days, Luo Feng's beastly form had absorbed more than enough energy to grow stronger.
After nearly two weeks, Babata finally approached Rowan with a grin. "The Black Dragon is fully repaired!" she announced proudly, referring to their massive starship.
Rowan opened his eyes from meditation, his body still radiating faint waves of heat. "Good. Then it's time to take a look beyond the stars," he said calmly.
He wasn't particularly excited. After all, he'd already explored countless galaxies back in the Marvel Universe. To him, this was merely a change of scenery a new map in the same endless cosmos.
Babata smirked. "Then let's go, Captain."
Rowan stood and stretched. "We'll leave soon. But first, I want to stop by Earth."
Babata squinted suspiciously. "Earth? Don't tell me you're going back to visit your girlfriends before heading into space?"
Rowan shot her a glare. "Shut it. You can stay here if you want I'll find you later."
"No, no, I'm coming! Someone has to keep you from doing something stupid again," Babata said quickly, her tiny body bobbing in the air like a bobblehead doll.
With that, the two returned to Earth, landing at the Jiangnan Base.
At this point, only one Beast Emperor remained on the planet the Eight-Armed Sea King. It posed no threat to humanity. In contrast, humanity's own Beast Emperor, the Azure Dragon King, had become Earth's guardian, stationed outside Jiangnan's walls.
At first, the military had been on edge, keeping a constant watch on the enormous creature that lay coiled outside the base. Even though the dragon was Rowan's companion, no one dared to be careless around such an enormous monster.
But as months passed, they realized the dragon had no hostile intent. Soldiers and warrior teams passed through its territory without issue, and even civilians occasionally flew drones close to it.
The Azure Dragon King tolerated it all peacefully. Occasionally, it would leave to hunt other high-level beasts sometimes dragging back the carcasses of lord-class or even king-class monsters it had slain. When it couldn't finish eating them, it simply left the remains by the walls.
Warrior teams, tempted by the valuable materials, would sneak in to cut off pieces of the corpses. The dragon never minded in fact, sometimes it even used its claws to slice off the choicest parts for them.
Over time, a strange friendship developed between the dragon and the human warriors. They even started offering it fine liquor in exchange for protection.
The dragon, having never tasted alcohol before, quickly became addicted. Soon, the mighty guardian of Jiangnan had turned into something of a drunken recluse. Yet even in its inebriation, it still came to the aid of warriors in danger, saving lives time and again.
When Rowan finally arrived, the commander Jia Yi had just finished purchasing an enormous shipment of Erguotou hundreds of massive barrels of the dragon's favorite drink. The Azure Dragon King was happily using telekinesis to lift entire casks into its mouth, while Jia Yi floated nearby, laughing and drinking with the creature.
The sight was almost comically peaceful: soldiers working below, warriors entering and leaving the base, and a dragon getting tipsy in the sunlight.
Suddenly, thunder cracked overhead. A figure streaked through the clouds at breakneck speed.
The dragon looked up, eyes lighting with recognition. It roared joyfully and launched into the sky.
"Rowan!" Jia Yi shouted in delight, flying up to meet him.
The man, the commander, and the dragon converged in midair.
"Good god, that breath of yours have you been bathing in alcohol?" Rowan said, waving a hand in front of his nose. "I leave you here to guard the base, and you turn yourself into a drunkard?"
The Azure Dragon lowered its head guiltily, eyes shifting side to side like a scolded child.
"Don't be too hard on him," Jia Yi said quickly. "He's been protecting us nonstop. The soldiers adore him now."
"I'm not angry," Rowan said with a faint smile. "But I need a word with him. Alone."
Jia Yi understood immediately and flew off.
Rowan turned to the dragon, studying its massive frame. "Planetary-level seven, huh? Not bad. Looks like you absorbed all the Muya Crystals I gave you."
He placed a hand on the dragon's head. "I'm giving you something new training methods meant for beings like you. Master them well. Next time I return, I want to see what you've become."
In that instant, streams of golden light poured from Rowan's palm, embedding themselves deep into the dragon's consciousness. The Azure Dragon King shuddered violently, its eyes glowing as countless fragments of cosmic knowledge surged into its mind.
Among the techniques was the legendary heritage of the Destruction Titan, one of the twelve mightiest cosmic beasts granting powers like Temporal Stasis and Celestial Thunderstrike.
Rowan smirked. "Fitting. You're born of lightning. The 'Nine Heavens Thunder Art' and 'Time Stasis' will be perfect for you. Start with the thunder art it'll temper your body and heighten your genetic potential. Learn to devour lightning. Make it your strength."
The dragon nodded solemnly, electricity flickering across its scales.
Babata floated nearby, arms crossed. "You really think an Earth-born beast can rise to the level of a cosmic monster? You're wasting your time."
"Maybe," Rowan said calmly, his gaze never leaving the dragon. "But whether it's worth it or not doesn't matter to me. I just want to see how far he can go."
And in that moment, as the air shimmered with the hum of latent thunder, it felt as though Earth itself was about to witness the birth of its greatest monster.