The morning sunlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows into the living room, filling the entire room with light and warmth.
Lin Yun sat on the sofa, holding a bowl of millet porridge as he drank and reflected on last night's cultivation. His High-Level War General Warrior cultivation and peak Intermediate War God Spiritual Force—this result was even better than he had expected. He knew that his first attempt at cultivating Genetic Origin Energy would bring a great increase, but he was still surprised to have advanced an entire level.
The combined effect of Dual World Resonance is even stronger than I imagined, Lin Yun thought.
After finishing his porridge, he cleared away the dishes, told his grandfather he was going upstairs, and returned to his room.
He closed the door and sat down beside the bed, then took the dark silver Space Ring from inside his clothes.
He had obtained it from the Necromancer Morton and had kept it hidden on him ever since, never daring to show it to anyone. Space Rings were rare treasures even on the Yulan Continent, let alone on Earth. If anyone discovered it, the consequences would be unthinkable.
Lin Yun sent his Spiritual Energy into the ring, sweeping his awareness through the storage space, which was roughly a hundred meters long, wide, and high.
Gold coins, magic books, all kinds of magical materials, spare black robes, bottles and jars... and—crystal cores.
A great many crystal cores.
Lin Yun counted them carefully, and a sense of satisfaction rose within him.
These crystal cores had come mainly from two sources. The first was the more than month he had spent training in the Magic Beast Mountain Range, where he had hunted a great number of magical beasts, from Level Three to Level Seven. He had carefully removed each beast's core, and the small amounts had added up to over a hundred. The second source was the real trove—Morton's Space Ring. As an eighth-level undead Archmage, Morton had lived for several centuries and amassed a fortune beyond Lin Yun's imagination. The ring alone held over a thousand crystal cores.
There were the most Level Three and Level Four cores, with two or three hundred of each; plenty of Level Five and Level Six cores, with over a hundred of each; fifty or sixty Level Seven cores; and nearly thirty Level Eight cores. On top of those, there were several cores that gave off especially powerful auras and a heart-stirring pulse. They were the cores of Level Nine Magical Beasts, prized treasures Morton had kept during his lifetime. Each one was worth a fortune.
"In the Coiling Dragon World, these cores are used to make magical items and exchanged for gold coins," Lin Yun murmured. "But in this world, they might be the best cultivation resources there are."
He took a Level Three Magical Beast crystal core out of the ring.
The core was only as big as a fingernail. It was pale green all over and gave off a faint aura of life. It was one of the first cores he had obtained, taken from a Wind Fox he had hunted in the Magic Beast Mountain Range. Back then, he had merely thought, "It might come in handy someday," and put it away. Later, he had used the Small Cauldron to send several cores to the Swallowed Star World. After discovering that the transfer went smoothly, he had sent over a batch.
Now it was time to see what they could really do.
Lin Yun held the core in his left palm, closed his eyes, and used his Spiritual Force to sense the structure of its inner energy.
The energy in the core was somewhat similar to the cosmic energy that filled the Swallowed Star World, but there were differences. Cosmic energy was more "primitive" and "neutral." It had to be refined by the cells before it could become Genetic Origin Energy. The energy in a crystal core, on the other hand, was more "vibrant" and carried a distinct aura of life, as if it contained the concentrated essence of an entire magical beast.
"Let's see if I can absorb it." Lin Yun made up his mind.
He sat cross-legged on the bed, holding the core in his left palm. Then he closed his eyes and began practicing the Five Hearts Toward Heaven Cultivation Method.
The palms of his hands, the soles of his feet, and the crown of his head—the five points all began absorbing cosmic energy at once. This time, however, he deliberately guided the flow, aiming the center of his left palm at the core and trying to "draw" the energy out of it.
At first, the core showed no reaction.
Lin Yun didn't rush. The worst thing in cultivation was to grow impatient. He had learned patience long ago while practicing magic in the Coiling Dragon World. He continued circulating the method, while using his Spiritual Force to probe into the core and trying to connect with the energy within it, just as he had sensed magical elements in the Coiling Dragon World.
Time passed, second by second.
After about a quarter of an hour, the core finally reacted—a thread of warm energy slowly flowed out of it, following the meridians in Lin Yun's left palm and entering his body.
The instant that energy entered him, Lin Yun's eyes flew open.
He could feel that it was entirely different from cosmic energy. After entering the body, cosmic energy had to be refined by the cells before it could be converted into Genetic Origin Energy. The process was a little like smelting iron ore into steel, requiring time and effort. The energy in the core, however, needed almost no refining. His cells absorbed it directly! It was like a cooked meal, ready to eat as soon as it was served.
What's more, as the energy entered his cells, it also had a strange nourishing effect. It didn't just strengthen his cells; it repaired tiny injuries within them and even improved their ability to divide and regenerate. It was hard to describe the feeling—it was as if rain had fallen on a dry riverbed. Every cell was cheering and rejoicing.
"This is... life energy?" Lin Yun was astonished.
A Magical Beast Crystal Core was the crystallized essence of a magical beast. Over its long life, a magical beast devoured other creatures and absorbed energy from heaven and earth, storing a great amount of vital essence in its core. This vital essence was the most precious nourishment for any living creature. In the Coiling Dragon World, crystal cores were mainly used to make magical items or embedded in weapons to increase their power. Few people absorbed them directly, because cultivation there focused on comprehending laws and refining magical elements. Directly absorbing the energy in a core would instead interfere with the purity of one's magical power.
But the Swallowed Star World was different.
Warriors here cultivated Genetic Origin Energy, which was essentially a matter of absorbing energy from outside the body to strengthen themselves. The life energy in crystal cores was practically made for cultivating Genetic Origin Energy!
Lin Yun suppressed his excitement and continued absorbing.
The energy in the core streamed into his body, and his cells devoured it like beasts that had gone hungry for a long time. After about half an hour, the core in his hand suddenly cracked with a click. More and more fissures spread across it, until its surface was covered in cracks like a dried-out ball of mud. Lin Yun stopped absorbing and opened his palm. At the slightest touch, the core crumbled into powder and slipped through his fingers.
He had absorbed all the energy inside.
Lin Yun stared at the powder in his palm in silence for a moment, then couldn't help laughing.
"It really works," he said softly, excitement shining in his eyes.
He closed his eyes and carefully sensed the changes in his body. This time, the absorption hadn't brought a qualitative leap like his first attempt at cultivating Genetic Origin Energy the night before, but the improvement was still obvious. His total Genetic Origin Energy had increased by about one percent. That might not sound like much, but it had come from just one Level Three Magical Beast crystal core, absorbed in only half an hour. If he had spent the same amount of time absorbing cosmic energy, he would have been lucky to gain one-thousandth.
In other words, absorbing crystal cores was more than ten times as efficient as absorbing cosmic energy.
The energy in a core could also repair hidden injuries and improve his vitality, something cosmic energy could not do.
Lin Yun took a deep breath and calmed himself down.
He began planning in his mind how to use the crystal cores.
The Level Three and Level Four cores were the most plentiful, so they could be his daily "rations." He could absorb several each day and steadily improve. The energy in Level Five and Level Six cores was purer, making them suitable for breaking through bottlenecks. Level Seven and Level Eight cores held vast amounts of energy, and a single one would last him a long time, so he could save them for crucial moments. As for the few Level Nine cores, they were strategic resources. He should wait until he had reached War God Level or even a higher realm before using them.
"Over a thousand cores should last me a long time," Lin Yun thought.
When he had first sent a crystal core over from the Coiling Dragon World, the Small Cauldron's light had dimmed noticeably. The transfer had taken a heavy toll. But he had been only six years old then, with a pitifully weak soul and a severely depleted reserve of energy in the cauldron. Now he was fifteen, and both his bodies were growing stronger. His Spiritual Energy, magical power, Genetic Origin Energy, and soul power were all nourishing the Small Cauldron. At his current strength, the cost of transferring things no longer put any pressure on him at all.
Lin Yun touched the Small Bronze Tripod against his chest, feeling its smooth warmth.
This Small Cauldron was his greatest secret and his strongest trump card. The resources of the two worlds could flow back and forth through it, making his path of cultivation broader than anyone else's.
Magic, Battle Qi, Magical Beast Crystal Cores, and magical materials from the Coiling Dragon World; Genetic Origin Energy, Spiritual Force, technological weapons, and secret techniques from the Swallowed Star World—the essence of both worlds had come together in him.
As for the monsters in the Swallowed Star World, Lin Yun had learned from the martial arts school's records that they had nothing like crystal cores inside them. Their energy cores were dispersed among the cells throughout their bodies, and dissipated quickly after death, so humans couldn't make direct use of them. In that, they were completely different from the magical beasts of the Coiling Dragon World.
That made the crystal cores in his possession a unique resource. He was the only person on Earth who had them.
"It's a shame that every core I use is one less core," Lin Yun murmured. "But that's all right. There are plenty of magical beasts in the Coiling Dragon World. Once I'm stronger, I can go back and hunt a few Saint Realm beasts, then bring over some Saint Realm cores. Those will be real weapons."
Of course, that was for the future. Saint Realm magical beasts required at least a Level Nine Mage, or even a Saint Realm Mage, to handle. He was only at the peak of Level Eight, still a long way off.
Lin Yun hid the Space Ring again, stood up, and stretched.
After a night of cultivation and absorbing a crystal core, his body wasn't tired at all. Instead, he felt lighter and more energetic than ever. Genetic Origin Energy flowed slowly through him like warm spring water, nourishing every cell.
He went to the window and pushed it open.
The morning sunlight fell across his face, warm and bright. In the distance, the detached villas in Bright Moon Residential District stood in neat rows beneath the morning light, and dew sparkled on the lawns. The spire of the Limit Hall gleamed in the sun like a beacon guiding the way.
His grandfather was already busy downstairs. The clatter of pots and pans came from the kitchen, and the fragrance of millet porridge drifted through the air. On the first day in their new home, his grandfather seemed to be in much better spirits. Even his steps had a spring to them.
"Yun'er, come down for breakfast!" Lin Guodong called from downstairs, his voice full of vigor.
"Coming, Grandpa!"
Lin Yun turned and went downstairs, his steps light.
As always, millet porridge, salted duck eggs, and meat buns were laid out on the table. This time, though, his grandfather had also gone to the supermarket at the entrance to the residential district and bought several side dishes, filling the table. The old man sat beside it, smiling with satisfaction as he looked at the spread.
"Grandpa, it's just the two of us. Why make so much?" Lin Yun asked with a smile.
"We're celebrating!" Lin Guodong grinned from ear to ear. "My grandson became a Warrior and moved into a big villa. Isn't that worth celebrating?"
Lin Yun sat down across from his grandfather and picked up his bowl of porridge, a warm feeling welling up inside him.
From this day on, he would give his grandfather the best life possible.
As for cultivation—the road was long. There was no need to rush.
He had plenty of time, plenty of resources, and plenty of patience.
Two worlds, two bodies, and the same path to strength.
Lin Yun touched the Small Bronze Tripod against his chest.
The future was full of promise.
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