The resources required to upgrade the Golden Rock Hull Armor were exactly the same as those for the Fire Sunflower Soldier Tree, aside from Adamantine.
In the end, Song Chi spent another 295 strands of Zero-Rank Floating Continent Essence and 81 tons of Adamantine, upgrading the Golden Rock Hull Armor all the way to lv10.
Additionally, during the upgrade process, he added 2 tons of Phantom Crystal at every level, using a total of 20 tons. These Phantom Crystals had been obtained after killing the Metal-Eating Vine last time. He had acquired 110 tons in total, leaving 90 tons after the upgrades.
After adding these Phantom Crystals, the Cangqiong's hull would gain a certain degree of stealth, making it more difficult for alien creatures to detect and lock onto during Alien Starfield Exploration.
The reason he had not used them all was naturally because the Golden Rock Hull Armor was of too low a quality. As white-quality hull armor, it would likely be replaced by Song Chi before long, so there was no need to spend all the Phantom Crystals on it.
Golden Rock Hull Armor lv10 Quality: White Consumption: 10/s Defense: 230 Required for upgrade: 10 strands of Floating Continent Essence (First Rank), 2,000 Energy Points, 20 tons of Adamantine.
After upgrading the Golden Rock Hull Armor, seeing that he still had some upgrade resources left, he also upgraded the Psionic Main Cannon and Sky-Patrol Radar to lv10.
Psionic Main Cannon lv10 Quality: Colorless Consumption: 40/shot (Dark Energy Points) Power: 99 Charge: 4s; cooldown: 6s Required for upgrade: 100 strands of Floating Continent Essence (Zero Rank), 1,600 Dark Energy Points.
Sky-Patrol Radar lv10 Quality: Colorless Consumption: 5/s (Dark Energy Points) Detection Range: 1 light-minute Precision: 30 Required for rank advancement: 140 strands of Floating Continent Essence (Zero Rank), 2,000 Dark Energy Points.
These two standard-issue components had essentially reached their limit at this point. Song Chi did not plan to spend any more resources on either of them, since they would soon be replaced. For now, they were merely transitional equipment.
After sorting through his remaining funds, aside from the 2,000 strands of Zero-Rank Floating Continent Essence he had set aside in advance, six Deepwater Mussel Pearls, and that Third-Rank Mermaid's Tear, all that remained were scattered unused resources.
Thinking of the bold feeling of having more than ten thousand strands of Zero-Rank Floating Continent Essence in hand earlier, only for nearly ten thousand strands' worth of resources to be completely spent in less than an hour, Song Chi could not help but sigh.
The Kindling Starship advancement system of Kindling Human Civilization was indeed extraordinarily fast, but it was built squarely upon the consumption of immense resources. The entire Kindling Human Civilization was like a gold-devouring beast, constantly plundering enormous quantities of resources from the Shattered Star Sea.
Of course, this was by no means exclusive to Kindling Human Civilization. Among all the medium and advanced civilizations in the Shattered Star Sea, which one was not the same?
After sighing, Song Chi's thoughts stirred, and the Cangqiong's full attributes appeared before his eyes.
After more than a month of upgrades, the Cangqiong's overall attributes had changed drastically compared to when it had first fused.
Name: Cangqiong Model: Kindling-Psionic Shuttle Level: lv9 Basic Components: White Kindling Hull lv9, Psionic Main Cannon lv10, Psionic Secondary Cannon lv0, Golden Rock Hull Armor lv10, Psionic Engine lv19, Dark Matter Energy Shield Generator lv15, Sky-Patrol Radar lv10, Psionic Training Room lv0 (8/8) Additional Components: Fire Sunflower Soldier Tree lv15 (1/6) Psionic Pool: 9000/9000 Supplies: 12 strands of First-Rank Floating Continent Essence, 2,215 strands of Zero-Rank Floating Continent Essence, 50 tons of Mercury Crystal, 3 three-hundred-year Deepwater Mussel Pearls...
Closing the Cangqiong's attribute panel, Song Chi took out a three-hundred-year Deepwater Mussel Pearl.
Dark energy gathered in his palm. Then, the Deepwater Mussel Pearl resting there began to tremble faintly. As time passed, the frequency of its vibrations became increasingly alarming. From the outside, it looked as if it would burst apart at any moment.
Yet that was not what happened. Once the vibrations reached a certain frequency, they gradually calmed. When the pearl finally stopped trembling, countless tiny cracks suddenly appeared across its surface before it crumbled directly into a pile of powder.
This was naturally no magic trick. Song Chi's control over his own dark energy had reached an exceedingly meticulous level. He injected dark energy into the pearl, then thoroughly shattered its interior without damaging its exterior.
Taking out an Intermediate Body-Tempering Potion, Song Chi carefully poured all the powder into it, then gently shook the potion until it was evenly mixed.
That was right. This was how a Deepwater Mussel Pearl was used. Taking it together with a Body-Tempering Potion, combined with the All-Attribute Cultivation Room, would produce an exceptionally remarkable effect.
Quickly arriving at the All-Attribute Cultivation Room, Song Chi swallowed the Intermediate Body-Tempering Potion in one gulp. Then he planted his feet firmly, held his hands flat with his palms facing upward, and entered cultivation of the Psionic Guidance Technique as quickly as possible.
As for the Mermaid's Tear aboard the Cangqiong, it was naturally inconvenient to give it to his mother now. He would have to wait until he returned from the next Alien Starfield Exploration. If he brought it out then, he could conveniently attribute it to Alien Starfield Exploration.
If he took it out now, it would be difficult to explain. Though his mother and father would not press him if he did not want to say anything, finding a more reasonable time was always better.
Inside the All-Attribute Cultivation Room, the moment he began cultivating in the standard Guidance Art posture, the dark energy throughout the sealed space began converging at tremendous speed. Even though he had been mentally prepared, Song Chi was still greatly shocked by this terrifying cultivation speed.
As the Psionic Guidance Technique circulated, he felt as though the dark energy outside was like fledglings returning to their nest. He did not even need to draw it in with all his strength; it actively gathered into his body on its own.
If his usual cultivation speed in the Omni Training Room was rated as 6, then his cultivation speed at this moment was 60. The Guidance Art, which he had broken through less than twenty days ago, showed obvious progress once more.
For a moment, Song Chi became somewhat absorbed. This cultivation speed felt almost dreamlike.
A day and a night later, Song Chi withdrew from cultivation. The accelerating effect of the three-hundred-year Deepwater Mussel Pearl had ended.
After leaving the All-Attribute Cultivation Room, Song Chi focused his mind inward. He soon determined the results of this cultivation session. Just this single day of cultivation had produced an effect equivalent to two months of practice. What had originally required roughly half a year to reach lv6 would now take only four months.
Song Chi's heart brimmed with excitement. This effect was truly astonishing.
After his excitement faded, he quickly calmed down. He knew very well that this had much to do with it being his first time using a mussel pearl to assist his cultivation. The effect would definitely be significantly reduced when he used one a second time.
Clenching his fists, Song Chi felt a few traces of regret.
"This is only an Intermediate Body-Tempering Potion. If I had an Advanced Body-Tempering Potion to use with it, the effect would definitely be even better."
Though he felt regret, Song Chi also understood that he could only think about it. Advanced Body-Tempering Potions were different from low- and intermediate-grade Body-Tempering Potions. They were likewise classified as strategic resources of the Morning Star Duchy and rarely circulated outside. Only the duchy's noble class received fixed annual quotas; ordinary citizens could forget about them.
At the entrance to the Market Ruins, Song Chi's figure gradually turned illusory before quickly vanishing completely from the Myriad Heavens Market.
Although he wanted to use all five remaining Deepwater Mussel Pearls at once, he had already stayed in the Market Ruins for two days and two nights. If he did not go out and show himself soon, his mother would probably force the door open before long.
In the living room, Song Chi had just stepped out of his bedroom when he unexpectedly discovered that his father was actually home today. His father sat on the living room sofa, staring at the star map projected by the communication wristband in his hand as though weighing something.
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