The Rune Artifact Era (Seeking Support)

Liang Ji was also keeping an eye on the epic being created for the worship of Chi the Eighth.

The birth of an epic undoubtedly represented a major advance in the development of the Vassals' civilization. It was highly beneficial to the growth and improvement of the entire Natal Star.

After Chi the Eighth completed this first epic, Liang Ji saw the Dao Fruit figure on the Star Compass rise directly from 0.12% to 0.13%.

Originally, after Liang Ji refined two Demon Cores, his Dao Fruit had reached 0.09%. But later, the Half-Dragonfolk Vassals entered the village era, and then built two Cultivation Dharma Lands, the Frozen Abyss and Flame Valley. These advances improved their cultivation and strength even further, raising the Dao Fruit from 0.09% to 0.12%.

Now that the Half-Dragonfolk's first epic had been created, the Dao Fruit had increased by another 0.01%. This improvement was almost comparable to refining a Demon Core.

Liang Ji watched, quite pleased.

His gaze shifted from the Heavenly Emperor Temple to the side. At the center of Dragon Soul Village, another building had recently been erected beside the temple.

This building was where runes and writing were taught. After decades of teaching and study, the Half-Dragonfolk Vassals of Dragon Soul Village had now produced their first Rune Master.

At that moment, in the building's back courtyard, the Rune Master was carving runes onto a suit of armor. More than a dozen misshapen, cracked suits of armor lay nearby, clearly failed attempts at inscribing runes.

But this time, it seemed he had finally accumulated enough practice. The Rune Master successfully inscribed the first rune onto the armor.

In an instant, a thread of clear light flowed from the rune through every part of the armor. The entire suit underwent a transformation, becoming much sturdier.

Seeing this, the Rune Master let out a relieved breath, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and rose to salute the new chief of the warriors, Chi the Ninth, who had been waiting nearby for quite some time. "Chief Chi, the rune is finished. I'm glad I didn't let you down!"

Among the Half-Dragonfolk Vassals, only the four chiefs' titles had been bestowed by the Heavenly Emperor. Everyone else's names were chosen by generations of priests.

This first Rune Master of the Half-Dragonfolk Vassals had not originally been called Fu. After he became the first Rune Master, the priest Chi the Eighth had changed his name to honor him.

"Haha... Excellent!" The newly chosen chief, Chi the Ninth, stood among the warriors of the tribe. He looked even taller and sturdier than the former chief, Chi the Eighth. Laughing, he clapped Fu on the shoulder and praised him. "Fu, well done!"

"I'll have the Hunting Team bring you a few extra blood deer later. That stuff's nourishing. You need to build yourself up—you're so scrawny..."

As he spoke, Chi the Ninth picked up the armor with the freshly inscribed rune and put it on. It had only one rune, but it was still rune equipment.

Fu's frame was less than six feet tall, and he was rather thin. Compared to the Half-Dragonfolk Vassals, who now generally stood over six feet and had burly builds, he was noticeably smaller.

In the past, someone with his slight build would undoubtedly have been at the bottom of the tribe, looked down on by many.

But now, he was the tribe's first Rune Master, and his status and treatment had changed completely. Even so, the praise from Chi the Ninth, chief of the warriors and one of the tribe's four leaders, left him both overwhelmed and overjoyed.

After Chi the Ninth went out to test the rune-armor, Fu immediately brought over another suit and continued carving runes.

He wanted to make more rune-armor. He even wanted to craft rune battle-axes, rune flying spears, and rune shields, so that every warrior in the tribe could wear rune-armor and use rune battle-axes, rune flying spears, and rune shields.

That way, the tribe's warriors would grow stronger and hunt more effectively, bringing home more prey. They would also be better able to wage war for the Heavenly Emperor and win more victories!

Then Fu would surely earn even more respect and praise from the tribe and its people.

"I heard that Priest Chi is compiling an epic, recording all the tribe's heroic deeds so that future generations can pass them down, and the tribe's heroes can live forever in the hearts of their descendants and people!"

"Maybe I, Fu, will have a chance to become a hero of the tribe too, and be recorded in Priest Chi's epic, so that future generations will remember my name!"

Liang Ji watched the Half-Dragonfolk's first Rune Master create their first suit of rune-armor. This undoubtedly marked the Half-Dragonfolk Vassals' entry into the Rune Artifact Era—a leap forward for their civilization and technology, and something that would greatly nourish the Dao Fruit within his Natal Star.

On the Star Compass, the Dao Fruit figure instantly rose from 0.13% to 0.14%.

An epic and a Rune Artifact had caused the Dao Fruit nurtured by Liang Ji's Natal Star to increase twice in a row. It was a double blessing.

In high spirits, Liang Ji withdrew his gaze and awareness from his Natal Star and looked at the Starlight Treasure Mirror floating before him.

The figures on the Star Compass had also changed somewhat.

Star Lord: Liang Ji.

Cultivation: Nine-Rank Body Refining (Bone-and-Tendon Refining 30%).

Natal Star: Dragon Soul Star.

Star diameter: 2256 kilometers.

Star composition: Earth (42%), Metal (12%), Water (23%), Wood (13%), Fire (6%), Air (4%).

Spirit Vein: First Rank (3%).

Vassals: Half-Dragonfolk.

Dao Fruit: 0.14%.

Vassals: Half-Dragonfolk.

Rank: First Rank.

Population: 24792 (First Rank: 5207, Zero Rank: 19585)

Religion: Heavenly Emperor Faith (Priest: Chi).

Politics: Small Tribe (Village) (Chief: King).

Economy: Farming, Animal Husbandry (Head: Farmer).

Military: Hunting Team (Commander: Chi).

Skills: Snake Barbarian Scripture (Hegemonic Body), Mountain Splitting Axe, Flying Snake Spear, Bedrock Shield, Rune Master.

The Half-Dragonfolk Vassals' population had already reached over twenty-four thousand. Given the current environment on his Natal Star, it would probably only take a few more days for their numbers to reach the star's limit again.

But there was no need to worry this time. The Spirit Stones Peng Yue had promised had already been delivered. Liang Ji had placed an order on the Treasure Basin website for a first-rank Spotted Snake Demon Core and a Cultivation Dharma Land.

Once the supplies arrived, he could keep refining Demon Cores and increase the capacity of his Natal Star. Then it would naturally be able to accommodate and nurture more Half-Dragonfolk Vassals.

What was more, thanks to the support of the little rich girl Peng Yue, Liang Ji no longer needed to spend Spirit Stones on the Half-Dragonfolk Vassals' Hegemonic Body cultivation. He could also keep the Spirit Stone reward he had received in the first mock exam.

With all those Spirit Stones at his disposal, Liang Ji had finally been able to purchase the Cultivation Dharma Land he had wanted for a long time—the arena—as well as the alchemy inheritance his teacher had recommended.

Once these resources arrived, his Natal Star and its Half-Dragonfolk Vassals would undoubtedly undergo another huge leap forward and grow by leaps and bounds.

And the tremendous growth of his Natal Star and its Vassals would directly affect Liang Ji's own cultivation speed.

At last, he could see hope of catching up to—and even surpassing—the top Star Lord students in Xiūshé City.

Keep up the good work and reach new heights!