D-Grade Nutrient Pod

"Hahahaha! Let's keep this from the Old Patriarch for now and surprise him later. Hahaha, this is going to make the people in the Main Sect drop their jaws. Hmph! They're always so high and mighty, every last one of them, and as stingy as misers. If the Peak Genius Tournament weren't coming up and our ancestor hadn't spoken up, the Main Sect wouldn't even have given our Yanhe Branch a single spot to study this time. We'll show them what we're made of!"

The Patriarch of the Yanhe Lingtong Race had originally been cultivating inside the primary star of the Twin Star System where Yanhe Planet was located. Elder Luo had urgently summoned him back.

After learning what had happened and having Jiang Yao demonstrate his Domain once more, the current Patriarch of the Yanhe Branch—a burly young man—laughed again and again. He looked at Jiang Yao as if he were a priceless treasure.

Elder Luo, who looked like a kindly old man, teased him, "Looks like that boy Kuman, the number one treasure in your heart, will have to step aside and become number two."

The young Patriarch waved his hand, beaming. "They're both treasures! Both of them!"

Jiang Yao listened to their embarrassingly affectionate exchange and couldn't help rolling his eyes.

After laughing for a while, the young man composed himself and spoke gently to Jiang Yao. "Now that you've awakened a Domain, there's no point in wasting any more time at the Planetary Level. I think you should advance to the ninth planetary rank as soon as possible. Then we'll teach you the secret method our Lingtong Race's Spirit Readers use to break through to the Stellar Level, so you can awaken your Bloodline Divine Ability as soon as possible.

"Elder Luo, what do you think?"

The old man smiled. "That's exactly what we should do. I doubt the other three elders would object, either."

The young man nodded. "Good! Prose, take Jiang Yao to the Core Layer and activate the D-Grade Nutrient Pod! I've just granted you access!"

Not only was Prose startled, even Elder Luo was taken aback. "The D-Grade Nutrient Pod?"

Even Jiang Yao was stunned. The Messenger inside the Taihuan Token couldn't help muttering, "Based on the information I gathered in the Virtual Universe, it would take you half a year to reach the ninth rank in a C-Grade Nutrient Pod. With a D-Grade one, it would probably take only three days. I didn't expect your Patriarch to be so generous. But it's strange—how can a backwater place like this afford a D-Grade Nutrient Pod? Did I get the price wrong?"

Nutrient Pods were also called Warrior Evolution Pods. The best one the Yanhe Branch owned was a D-Grade Nutrient Pod, and they had only one. It could even repair and evolve the bodies of Domain Lords, and it was capable of producing Universe-Level powerhouses.

Such a device was extraordinarily expensive, worth 15 billion Universe Coins. Even an ordinary Domain Lord couldn't afford one with his entire fortune. The Yanhe Branch couldn't possibly have bought it on its own, so the Main Sect had provided the D-Grade Nutrient Pod.

It was an emergency measure, to be used when the Yanhe Branch faced danger or fought the upper echelons of another faction, allowing injured Universe-Level powerhouses to recover quickly. Alternatively, if the number of Universe-Level powerhouses fell below three, they could select a Stellar-Level warrior and help him break through to the Universe Level to serve as an elder.

It could only be activated in an emergency.

After all, each use consumed Nutrient Solution, and the Nutrient Solution for a D-Grade Nutrient Pod was extremely expensive. The Main Sect wouldn't cover the cost of future refills for free. Once the Nutrient Solution ran out, the Yanhe Branch would have to buy more itself. Besides, the supply that came with the D-Grade Nutrient Pod was already nearly depleted.

"Mm." The young man continued gazing at Jiang Yao with an embarrassingly fond look and sighed. "It's a shame such a talent appeared so late. We can't afford to waste a second now. Why would I worry about using up a little Nutrient Solution?"

Seeing that the Patriarch had made up his mind, Elder Luo nodded and didn't object further.

As the Patriarch had said, it was indeed a little late. If Jiang Yao had been born a few centuries earlier and received the Main Sect's training, his Domain might have reached the seventh level or higher before the Peak Genius Tournament. With his Bloodline Divine Ability to support him, he might... might even have had a chance to set a record for the Lingtong Race in the two Universe Peak competitions, becoming the catalyst for the race to advance even further.

Besides the Genius Tournament three hundred years from now, there was also the Universe-Level Expert Tournament two thousand eight hundred years later. But competition at the Universe Level was on an entirely different scale from competition at the Stellar Level.

In the Genius Tournament, even top Stellar-Level geniuses who lacked resources had a chance to achieve good results through sheer talent, and thereby enter the Virtual Universe Company or the Core Layer of the Giant Axe Coliseum, or join one of the Three Great Dao Halls in the Xuanshang Universe Kingdom or another superpower within it, setting out on the path to becoming a powerful expert.

But the Universe-Level Expert Tournament demanded even more resources. Even two Stellar-Level geniuses of equal talent could end up worlds apart at the Universe Level if one grew up in a superpower while the other lacked substantial support.

Therefore, the contestants who truly achieved good results in the Universe-Level Expert Tournament were usually drawn from the Three Great Dao Halls of the Xuanshang Universe Kingdom and other superpowers.

Superpowers trained geniuses by having them compete in one Genius Tournament first. Those who failed to enter the Virtual Universe Company or the Core Layer of the Giant Axe Coliseum would then receive resources according to their performance, so they could shine in the Strongest Battle and hopefully enter the core of one of the five great powers of the Human Race.

Ordinary people only had a chance to rise through talent in the Genius Tournament.

Even though the Lingtong Race was known as one of the six Sacred Lands of the Kasolo Empire, it was still just an ordinary player.

After that, Jiang Yao followed Prose off the island to begin his advancement in the D-Grade Nutrient Pod.

Watching Prose walk away, his burly frame nearly matching the Patriarch's, with the slight-built youth following behind him, Elder Luo suddenly asked, "Why didn't you inform the Main Sect, Patriarch? By custom, any branch that produces a genius who surpasses the upper-grade threshold must send him to the Main Sect for training. The Main Sect's conditions really are beyond what we can offer."

The burly young man snorted. "Once bitten, twice shy. Have we learned nothing from Gaichen's fate? Sending a youngster who's only just reached the Planetary Level to the Main Sect would be like sending a meat bun to a dog. He'd never come back."

Elder Luo smiled helplessly. He knew the Patriarch had never gotten over it.

"Hmph! They quibble over every last study slot when we ask, but they sure are quick to snatch people away."

In the Primal Universe, lone experts were not the norm. Most powerful individuals were tied to a race, bloodline, or faction. Among a bloodline-based race like the Lingtong Race, the powerful had a strong sense of belonging to their people. It was much like the Human Race, whose powerful members still felt a strong connection to their race even upon reaching the highest level.

The most common way for a race-based faction like the Lingtong Race to grow stronger was to split off branches.

After all, the Kasolo Empire had only so much prime territory, and the six Sacred Lands and the Emperor had already divided it among themselves. If the Lingtong Race wanted to expand its territory, the other five Sacred Lands and the Emperor of the Kasolo Empire would never allow it.

So, like other factions built on bloodline races, the Lingtong Race kept spreading its branches, splitting off smaller sects and branches from the Main Sect and sending them to regions beyond the Kasolo Empire to settle and multiply.

The benefits were immediate. Apart from the initial investment in resources to support them, once a branch had established itself in a local star system and civilization, it entered a virtuous cycle and the Main Sect no longer needed to provide much support.

And the Main Sect could continuously absorb geniuses from its branches. It was a remarkably profitable arrangement.

Of course, the downside also stemmed from the powerful members' sense of belonging to their own people.

After a branch had been away for long enough, it could develop a desire for independence. Though it still needed the Main Sect's high-level resources, its people would increasingly identify with their own branch.

Some powerful branch sects even grew strong over time or gained a fortuitous opportunity and rapidly rose in power, eventually breaking away from the Main Sect and establishing a new one.

Of course, this could be considered a good thing for the race as a whole. Having multiple strongholds made it better equipped to weather major crises and expanded the race's living space.

It was simply that the Main Sect's leaders never wanted to see a branch break away and become independent.

The Yanhe Branch had a history spanning more than a thousand eras. By the time of the current Patriarch, its people had developed a deep sense of belonging. Even Stellar-Level powerhouses who went to the Main Sect for further training would still miss the place where they were born and raised, and would return to the Yanhe Branch once they became powerful.

Young Planetary-Level warriors, however, might not be able to resist. The Main Sect had all kinds of ways to absorb geniuses from the branches and make them one of its own.

In the Patriarch's eyes, that was just leeching off the branches.

Of course, the Main Sect had better training conditions, more resources, and access to higher levels of cultivation. The Patriarch was happy to let his own geniuses train there—but ideally, they'd take the candy coating and return the shell.

So they had to be at least Stellar Level before he'd feel comfortable sending them to the Main Sect.

The burly young man argued emphatically, "It's not like our Yanhe Lineage can't help him awaken his Bloodline Divine Ability. We have the secret methods and the resources. Why send him to the Main Sect now?"

Elder Luo looked thoughtful. "So that's why you insisted on having the young Jiang Yao use the D-Grade Nutrient Pod?"

The Patriarch smiled without answering.

If not now, when would he show Jiang Yao his goodwill?

Both the C-Grade and D-Grade Nutrient Pods could help Jiang Yao reach the ninth rank in a short time, but their costs were on completely different levels. The prices of the two types of Nutrient Pods and their Nutrient Solution differed by more than an order of magnitude.

Even if Jiang Yao didn't understand it now, he would eventually.

As Jiang Yao continued to grow, the Yanhe Lineage would never again have such a small price to pay for a chance to show him kindness.

Unfortunately, the boy was still too young.

The young man sighed. "Actually, that's not the only reason. If we sent Jiang Yao to the Main Sect now, Longshan Company would definitely attack him on the way."

Elder Luo was startled. "Prose told me he'd immediately ordered the connection between Xinghe Building and the Virtual Universe cut off. I also just ordered everyone to keep quiet..."

"It won't help!" The young man cut Elder Luo off. "Longshan Company has been plotting against our race for a long time. Who knows how many spies they've planted? Jiernuo has definitely already found out. Sigh, why did he have to show up during the assessment? There's no way we can keep it secret. I nearly lost my temper with Prose just now. Why hadn't anyone noticed before?"

Elder Luo's expression darkened. "Even if Longshan Company knows, they should understand what a genius like this means to our race. This isn't just a matter for the Yanhe Branch. Would they really dare make a move?!"

If the Yanhe Lingtong Race had any enemies, it was the Longshan Company, the ruler of the low-level universe civilization known as the Longshan Federation, which their star system belonged to.

The two sides maintained a peace in which neither interfered with the other, but minor clashes were common.

"We can't afford to take chances. Our race would suffer a tremendous loss otherwise!"

On the other side of Yanhe Planet, tens of thousands of kilometers from Starry Sky Building, another tall building stood. Its sign bore the name "Longshan."

The building housed the Longshan Federation's office on the Yanhe Planet system.

Naturally, it also served as the Longshan Company's office on the Yanhe Planet system.

It was, after all, two signs and one staff.

At the top of the building, Jiernuo, the Longshan Company's representative in the Yanhe Planet system and a Universe-Level powerhouse, looked incredulous. "A Planetary-Level warrior with a Domain? Are you sure about this?"

The subordinate who had delivered the report looked grave. "Absolutely certain!"

After confirming the news several times, Jiernuo's face twisted with a complicated mix of resentment and jealousy. The pressure of a Universe-Level powerhouse spilled from him. If he hadn't still had some restraint, the subordinate before him would have suffered far worse than a mere trembling body.

"Send the news to headquarters immediately. No, I'll report it to headquarters myself in a moment. And... kill him! Kill him!"

The subordinate was taken aback. Mustering his courage, he asked cautiously, "How?"

The question brought Jiernuo back to his senses.

This was the capital of the Lingtong Race's Yanhe Lineage. What's more, a genius like this would certainly be under tight protection. The few D2-Grade Laser Cannons in orbit around the planet weren't there for show.

Besides, Jiernuo had always suspected that Yanhe Planet had even more powerful weapons, possibly even E-Grade weapons.

Who knew how many hidden treasures the Lingtong Race of the Jiuyuan Holy Land had given the Yanhe Branch when it split off?

The Yanhe Lingtong Race was on the front line in the fight against Longshan Company.

"By convention, a genius like this would definitely be reported to the Jiuyuan Holy Land and sent there for training. We have to confirm the details, then make our move on the way!"

"My lord, a genius like this is extraordinary. Wouldn't acting against him..."

"Hmph, would the Jiuyuan Holy Land really fall out with Yinhu Island over him? As long as we don't leave direct evidence that we were involved, what can the Lingtong Race do to Longshan Company?"

Jiernuo looked excited.

Longshan Company was a famous outside power in the universe. Five hundred eras ago, with permission from the Emperor of the Kasolo Empire and approval from the Xuanshang Universe Kingdom, it had established the low-level civilization known as the Longshan Federation. It ruled more than two hundred star systems, far exceeding the norm for a low-level civilization.

But there was one local power that was impossibly hard to deal with.

Though the Yanhe Lingtong Race occupied only the Yanhe Star System, its geniuses often received training from its Main Sect, the Jiuyuan Holy Land. As a result, it had no shortage of Universe-Level powerhouses, and its weapons and warships were plentiful.

Besides, it was a branch of the Jiuyuan Holy Land. The successive Patriarchs of the Yanhe Lingtong Race were inducted into the Holy Land's Elder Council whenever they broke through to the Domain Lord level. Their backing was formidable.

Longshan Company had powerful backing, too, but it still couldn't do anything about the Yanhe Lingtong Race.

He was a Universe-Level powerhouse, a ruler in any star system, yet he had to put up with serving as an office representative in the Yanhe Star System, right under the Lingtong Race's nose. It was proof that the system remained under the direct control of the Longshan Federation. He felt more than just frustrated.

He was jealous, too. Though he was a Universe-Level powerhouse, he didn't have a Domain. Truly powerful Universe-Level experts and Universe-Level geniuses would never be exiled here to suffer.

A Planetary-Level warrior already had a Domain? If he didn't kill such a genius before he could grow, then even if Longshan Company agreed to leave him alone, Jiernuo himself couldn't.