Star Origin Core

In the Virtual Universe, at Thunder Mountain, Chen Qing entered the Chaos City Lord's palace for the second time.

The palace was still as magnificent as ever, but its unchanging nature made it feel less weighty with the passage of time.

"City Lord, you wanted to see me?"

Chen Qing gave a polite, unhurried bow. The Chaos City Lord seemed gentler than he had the first time.

"I called you here to discuss your reward for the Jade Lotus Body. Your situation is special, so I wanted to hear your thoughts and find out if you have any particular needs."

He paused. Seeing that Chen Qing had no reaction, he continued explaining:

"The value of ordinary secret techniques is easy to assess, but the Jade Lotus Body is different. We can only offer you a point of reference."

Chen Qing was familiar with that sort of reference. In the Primal Universe, the closest comparison was the Divine General Inheritance.

Even a King-Rank expert applying for a spot would usually need tens of billions of points, not to mention connections.

And they couldn't be in a situation like Luo Feng's, either, or they would have to wait countless years. Very few could reach the six-thousandth level.

The Jade Lotus Body was different. It saved time and effort, worked well, and could be passed down indefinitely.

Forget a hundred thousand King-Rank experts—even thousands of Venerables would want it. The Hong Alliance could even make a profit from it, and it could be used repeatedly in the future.

If it were widely adopted, this single resource could raise the overall strength of the race by two or three levels!

Still, to prevent spies from the Alien Races from getting their hands on it, it would probably be passed down much like the Foundation Inheritance, though access might be a little less restricted.

None of that was for Chen Qing to worry about. He trusted that the higher-ups wouldn't let caution keep them from making the most of it.

"There's no need for a reference. Just let me choose some of the company's better secret techniques. Oh, and let each of my three brothers choose three secret techniques as well!"

The Chaos City Lord paused, evidently surprised by Chen Qing's choice, but also relieved. At least it showed that Chen Qing wasn't selfish.

After all, secret techniques weren't a big deal for Chen Qing. Judging by the comprehension he had shown, and the secret techniques he had given his women, he could probably produce a whole pile of them in just a few eras.

"You may not know the rules of the race. Before one becomes a powerful expert, the race invests resources in raising them.

"But you're different. You haven't received many resources. As for the secret techniques you mentioned, I'll choose some suitable or distinctive ones for you to broaden your horizons.

"Also, the race intends to give you an opportunity to obtain a clone, which will at least offer you more security.

"You may not be famous now, but powerful experts aren't made through research alone. One day, you'll have your chance to shine.

"The race does have several options in this regard. You can take a look."

Chen Qing didn't answer right away. Instead, he lowered his head and looked over the information the City Lord had sent him.

He couldn't help weighing his options. Given his situation, he hadn't even produced the Green Lotus yet. The prospect of obtaining a clone seemed unlikely.

But his women needed them. He still had ten thousand Supreme Treasure points unused, and letting them sit there gathering dust would be a waste.

As Chen Qing browsed the catalog, he pondered. First, he could rule out body possession. The risk was too great.

Even if it worked, he'd be wasting a slot like Luo Feng had. But the thought of sharing a bed with his own clone made him cringe. He couldn't exactly cuddle up to some alien, could he?

After eliminating that option, only two or three choices remained.

The Primordial Embryo wasn't bad, but the Origin Core was absurdly tough. It would be ridiculous if his women couldn't break it, and he wouldn't be able to help them at all.

"I appreciate the race's kindness. I'll take the Star Origin Core, and I'll use Supreme Treasure points to get another one."

Star Origin Cores were treasures occasionally tempered by the cycles of time and space on the surfaces of secret realms as they formed.

They were exceedingly rare. Most were sucked into the void, and only a tiny fraction fell into secret realms, where someone still had to be lucky enough to find them.

They offered only one clone slot, and the clone they produced couldn't have more than ten times the original's genes. But they could also increase one's origin, improving one's aptitude and raising one's own genes tenfold.

Immortals and those above them weren't willing to use these things. They could increase one's genes, but they also wasted the clone slot.

It was better to return them to the race and exchange them for other treasures that improved one's genes. That way, one could get twice the benefit.

More importantly, there were three Star Origin Cores, and the seasoned Chen Qing—the master of keeping everyone happy—was back in action!

"You're not using them yourself!"

The Chaos City Lord's voice grew heavy, and the palace around them trembled slightly.

"Ahem. Well, because of the inheritance, I may not be able to produce a clone."

Chen Qing gave an awkward explanation. The City Lord meant well, after all. He couldn't be too impolite.

At Chen Qing's explanation, the atmosphere around them eased.

"There's really such a thing?"

The Chaos City Lord murmured, but he still believed Chen Qing. No one could be so foolish as to ignore the principle that the strong only grew stronger.

"I'll give you the other one, too. These things have been piling up for years. Anyone who could use them doesn't want them!"

Hearing the City Lord's confirmation, Chen Qing broke into a grin. Setting everything else aside, if he chose his clones well, his women might have a chance of becoming Venerables. He'd have to think about how to squeeze a reward out of them later!

"I've already sent you the secret techniques. There's no need to worry about Hong and Thor. I'll speak to my junior brother and Long Xing. As for Luo Feng, I'll take a look for him."

After returning from the City Lord's residence, Chen Qing didn't go straight to his wife to claim credit. After all, a surprise would earn him a much bigger reward!

He also needed to figure out the final mysteries of time and space. That was the foundation of everything. Then there was the matter of the secret scripts.

Just thinking about that pile of secret scripts gave Chen Qing a headache. Luckily, they weren't as complicated as the Beast God's secret scripts.

And with the foundation he'd built over the first three levels, the later scripts followed the same principles. Otherwise, he wouldn't have seen any hope of making progress in the short term.

Luo Feng had spent a hundred million years comprehending the sixty-four Secret Script Diagrams, after all. Thinking of that, Chen Qing decided he'd have to get them from him later!

But for now, he had to finish the fourth level. Chen Qing was eager to get his hands on Supreme Treasures.

And judging from the information he'd received from the Original Ancestor, the Mist Shadow Race might become part of a Supreme Treasure, taking the form of guardian puppets.

If so, after being nurtured by the Primal Universe, the Supreme Treasure's quality should be even higher.

The only problem was that to claim it, he'd have to break through the guardian puppets' blockade. He just didn't know how strong they were.

The Original Ancestor estimated they wouldn't be stronger than an Overlord, and would most likely be ordinary Venerables.

But Venerables were no simple matter. So whether it was his genes, secret techniques, or treasure-making skills, Chen Qing had to reach a certain level in every area.

That was probably the Primal Universe Will's intention, too. It wasn't leaving him even the slightest opening!

Back in his quarters, he built a study inside the palace, one no smaller than the library.

It held more than a hundred thousand ordinary secret techniques and over thirty Peak Secret Techniques, covering every major category, including attacks, speed, defense, the soul, and research.

Among them were familiar works like Black Hole Evolution and Space-Time Essays.

"I feel like I've just taken on a massive project!"

Standing at the study entrance, Chen Qing couldn't help sighing. Each of those Peak Secret Techniques filled more than ten thousand volumes—enough to fill an entire shipping container.

"Forget it. I'll stick to the plan: sort out the laws first, then comprehend the secret scripts, and leave the secret techniques for last!"