Genetic Force

Muya Crystals had many uses because they contained an enormous amount of Life Energy of an extremely high order.

Aside from the High Priest's Force Weapon, what attracted people most to the Goddess Temple was the Temple of Life. As long as their Force Multiplier was high enough, absorbing a large amount of Life Energy could let them advance directly.

But the absorption rate was painfully slow. Going from Planet First Order to the second order took ten hours.

Going from the second order to the third took twenty-five hours.

Even if you absorbed without stopping, you couldn't take in much Life Energy in a day. The Life Energy in the Temple of Life was the most basic kind of energy. It was like trying to fill a water tank by cupping water in your hands—an incredibly inefficient method.

Muya Crystals, on the other hand, held energy of an extremely high order, packed into a highly concentrated form. The Temple of Life was like cupping water in your hands, while Muya Crystals were like drawing water with a bucket. The difference was obvious.

Not to mention that Muya Crystals helped one break through to the next level. Even if your Force Multiplier was high enough, your body might still be constrained, so advancing wouldn't happen automatically. Absorbing energy on your own was a slow, grinding process.

The Temple of Life was like using a high-pressure hose to break through a boulder. Naturally, that was faster.

Muya Crystals were like using explosives to blast the boulder apart, making them even more helpful for breaking through.

With a Muya Crystal, even a Kejia Beast could immediately advance to Planetary Level with just one.

Muya Crystals were precious even in the universe. Guen hadn't expected to find them in the Aoyu Empire. That was what truly surprised him.

"They're all gifts from Tucha Planet. Tucha Planet favors the Imperial Council and the Council of Elders. Every fifty years, it gives them some Muya Crystals. I heard the High Priest say they're considered precious even in the universe, so the Imperial Council and the Council of Elders often trade some of them. That's why I think you should ask for more Muya Crystals this time. The Imperial Council may hate to part with them, but they want you to go into the sea even more, so they might be willing to give them up." The East Guardian spoke with confidence.

It seemed the East Guardian and the Imperial Council didn't really understand the value of Muya Crystals.

Guen blinked.

Thanks to Moto's information, Guen knew that Muya Crystals were treasures too advanced for Planetary Level and Star Level beings to use. They weren't currency, but they were still hard currency throughout the universe. Anyone who got their hands on one—even someone at Universe Level—wouldn't want to use it in a trade. Judging by the East Guardian's attitude, neither he nor the Imperial Council had truly realized how valuable Muya Crystals were.

It was better that they hadn't. Guen smiled to himself. He needed to take the opportunity to get as many as he could.

Tucha Planet surely knew the value of Muya Crystals, but it hadn't said so outright. It seemed to be deliberately allowing them to circulate in the Aoyu Empire. That made sense. Tucha Planet had always been cultivating talent, and Muya Crystals could help people overcome bottlenecks, so it was naturally better for them to spread.

"By the way, Guardian, could you get me some paper and a pen? I have another list. Everything on it is essential to me. Apart from those items, I'm willing to follow your lead and ask for as many Muya Crystals as possible," Guen said.

Paper and pens were easy to find, and they soon brought some to Guen. He wrote down all the materials needed for Star Body Forging.

"Planetary-level ferocious beast bone marrow, Lanlan Wood Heart, Seven-Foot Grass..." The East Guardian looked at Guen in surprise, then warned him seriously, "These materials are for tempering your body, aren't they? Guen, you can't just do this carelessly. Every Planetary Level life-form has its own Genetic Force, whether it's fire, lightning, or earth. If you temper your body recklessly and add things with other attributes, you could cause irreversible damage. The materials you use should ideally match your Genetic Force. That applies to body tempering, techniques, and Secret Methods alike."

Guen smiled. "I understand, sir. I got this from the Trial Grounds, so it should be fine."

"The Land of Inheritance? Then there's no problem." The East Guardian studied the list again. "The rest can be deducted from the supplies our Goddess Temple owes you. Only these two items will be tricky: a Hundred-Year Wood Lotus and two portions of pure Essence of Vegetation with no other functions. Most Essence of Vegetation has some special use, like enhancing beauty, improving health, or tempering the body. Pure Essence of Vegetation is rarer. But don't worry about it. I'll cover those items for you."

Guen bowed slightly to thank the East Guardian. Then something occurred to him. "By the way, sir, you just said Secret Methods should also match one's attributes. But the Secret Method I got from the Trial Grounds is fire-based, while the ability I awakened is lightning. Does that matter?"

The East Guardian thought for a moment. "You don't need to worry. The Trial Grounds are backed by Tucha Planet. Do you think Tucha Planet couldn't find a Legacy for every attribute? There must be a reason for this, or perhaps they decided that this fire-based Secret Method was right for you. You'll have to figure it out for yourself."

Guen's brow gradually relaxed.

That was right. The Trial Grounds could ignore distance and kill any Planetary Level or even Star Level being in the Aoyu Empire. It would be unreasonable if Tucha Planet, which had created the Trial Grounds, couldn't provide a lightning-based Secret Method. As for why it had given him the fire-based Flame Slash, Guen decided not to dwell on it.

He'd only just gotten a hint of the fourth move, Cinder Fire. He could think about it more when he reached the fifth move.

The East Guardian chatted with Guen for a while longer before leaving. Guen settled into the palace, where he could calm his mind and think over the plan to go into the sea.

The plan had two specific objectives.

The first was to locate the Sea Gel colonies. If they also found the red algae there, they were to record the location and immediately report it to Dinghai City. With both of those things present, the sea beasts could quickly produce large numbers of low-level sea beasts or several Planetary Level sea beasts. The threat was significant.

The red algae made its users go berserk, letting them overdraw their life potential to increase their combat power. The authorities had given it the simple name Berserk Red Algae, but that didn't mean it could be underestimated.

The first objective was relatively simple. High-level Planetary Level Fighters would survey the general layout of the seabed and hand the map to the people going into the sea. They only needed to patrol the areas on the map to complete it.

The second objective was to search for sea beast nests in the deep sea, especially nests belonging to Planetary Level sea beasts. If there were no adult sea beasts protecting them, the team was to destroy the nests in retaliation. If the nests were protected, and the sea beasts were numerous, they were to report back to Dinghai City.

This would certainly anger the sea beasts, but it would also make some of them retreat and stay away from East Sea Province. Over the years, the benefits had outweighed the harm, so the rule had been maintained.

Guen waited quietly in the palace, occasionally receiving guidance from the East Guardian or learning about the situation outside from Carl and Alpha. The sea beasts' attacks hadn't let up. Humans could no longer hold their ground in the coastal regions. The main battlefield was now the Xiang River, which ran through most of East Sea Province and passed through its heart, Dinghai City. If the river fell, East Sea Province would essentially fall with it.

Since Alpha had only just advanced, he was still allowed to remain in Dinghai City. Carl, however, had been ordered to reach her assigned defensive position along the Xiang River before nightfall.

Carl left Dinghai City that very day.

One day later, the Imperial Council agreed to Guen's demands.

Two days later, the East Guardian told Guen that everyone assigned to the expedition had assembled. They would meet at the west gate of Dinghai City that evening.