Thunderglow Source Mother!

"Right here!"

As Oriana's voice fell, hidden doors in the walls around the hall slowly swung inward, revealing alloy staircases spiraling downward.

In other words, the Mechanical Race Immortal's true collection had been beneath their feet all along?

"And up there!"

Oriana raised a hand and pointed. Part of the ceiling opened, revealing an attic above the top floor, with a section of stairs extending down.

"Anna, what's in each of the rooms below?"

Oriana shook her head. "Alpha never came in, so he doesn't know. I only gained control of the tower's control center. I didn't obtain any information about the individual rooms."

"Uh... so we're going to inventory them in person?"

"More or less. We'll be busy for a while... There are quite a few World Rings and spatial rings inside."

World Rings could be placed inside other World Rings.

They were different from a World Within a World.

The latter was more concealed and suited for hiding treasures. The two spaces blended together seamlessly, making them difficult to detect.

After all, when a World Lord's World Projection descended, there were no secrets to that World Lord within its coverage. A World Ring could not be hidden there at all.

A World Within a World, on the other hand, could remain concealed.

Master and servant chose a nearby door and began their tedious yet pleasantly surprising "inventory."

Primal Force Weapons, battle suits, Psychic Weapons, spatial rings... This was a warehouse specifically for storing Spoils of War. It had likely gone uncleared for some time.

Judging by the equipment ranks, quite a few Cosmic Levels, Domain Lords, and World Lords must have died at its hands.

One warehouse resembled a laboratory. A half-finished F-Rank Mechanical Puppet rested on the workbench. This was its area for improving and developing technological weapons.

There was a "small" storage room of just over a thousand square meters. More than ten World Rings sat on shelves, each containing an E9-Tier alloy spaceship. Apparently, these were its backup vehicles.

After Oriana inspected them, Jiang Zhe felt that they were the same model as the one in Bermuda.

—Their power systems were especially outstanding. Other than their defenses, their performance was fully comparable to the Yunmo Starship.

Considering that fellow had been a spy.

E-rank spaceships were inconspicuous while possessing all the capabilities of a Class F Starship. Their cost on the Human Race side was only several thousand Hunyuan Units, and they were certainly cheaper on the Mechanical Race side.

They were extremely suitable for a spy traveling through Human Territory.

After inventorying every storage room below, master and servant returned to the top-floor hall.

The hidden doors in the surrounding walls slowly closed.

Jiang Zhe gently rubbed the spatial ring on his middle finger.

Finding an A-rank Thunder Element Treasure suitable for his current level among that pile of Spoils of War was truly fortunate.

With a thought.

Fist-sized purple crystal diamonds suddenly appeared, nearly a hundred in total, held aloft by his Psychic Power.

"Thunder Vine Blood Crystals!"

"Condensed droplets of sap from the wounds of Thunder Vine Plant Lifeforms. They contain abundant thunder-element source energy and rich vitality, and can promote bodily evolution."

"You could call them thunder-attribute Wood Essence Crystals, but they only work up to Planetary Level Nine. The energy inside is violent, so the absorption rate must be slowed."

"Few people are willing to use them directly. They are generally used as raw materials for potions."

Oriana possessed Barabata's memories and had long since identified this Thunder Element Treasure, explaining all of its information.

"I have a better method of absorption. I don't need to worry about violent, conflicting energy. As long as it has the thunder attribute, I can use it!"

Jiang Zhe confidently pulled open his collar, revealing the Rhombus Mark at the center of his chest.

Special Ability: Thunder Prison Realm!

Using Psychic Power, he controlled the purple crystal diamonds as they approached his chest.

The secret pattern lit up, and dim light flashed.

The blood crystals were swallowed into the Thunder Prison Realm.

Jiang Zhe could feel the blood crystals that entered it being rapidly broken down.

They transformed into pure source energy, filling the space.

Seventy in a row—the source energy produced from their decomposition filled the 10m × 10m × 10m Thunder Prison Realm.

Jiang Zhe's thoughts stirred.

He immediately felt that he could control this energy as easily as his own limbs.

Whether it was:

Integrating it into his body to strengthen his physique;

Condensing it into lightning that overflowed from his chest, granting him the ability to control lightning;

Burning part of the energy in exchange for a brief, slight burst in his basic physical abilities;

Or simply absorbing it to promote Life Evolution!

Just like the Golden Horn Beast that devoured metal.

After trying every ability one by one, Jiang Zhe was very satisfied with the Special Ability he had awakened.

"Anna, the rest are yours."

"Thank you, Master!" Oriana bowed gracefully.

A red light shot out from the core in her chest, collecting the remaining nearly thirty Thunder Vine Blood Crystals into her Original Core.

Master and servant could both increase their strength through "devouring"!

Afterward, the two began cultivating on the spot.

Fourteen days passed in an instant.

Jiang Zhe opened his eyes and sensed the two Micro-Planets in his Dantian.

Within his Sea of Consciousness, there were four Micro-Planets.

Warrior cultivation: Planetary Level Two!

Psychic Master cultivation: Planetary Level Four!

From this moment onward, the title of Strongest on Earth should change hands!

"Anna, how long has it been?"

"Master, today is February 25. This cultivation session lasted fourteen days, eight hours, and thirty-two minutes."

"Also, tomorrow is the second day of the second lunar month. Your grandfather came to the courtyard and asked whether the family dinner tomorrow should wait for you."

"I can make it. Have the clone outside send Old Master a message."

After giving the instruction, Jiang Zhe looked up at the attic above.

"One last place. Still no suitable vessel... Do I really have to wait..."

Until he entered the Virtual Universe Corporation's core layer and split off a Second Primordial Spirit at the Cosmic Level?

Jiang Zhe sighed and flew toward the stairway.

Oriana followed.

The top-floor attic, spanning over a thousand square meters, was completely empty. Its dark silver alloy floor was polished bright enough to reflect people, like an ice rink.

Before Jiang Zhe could grow puzzled, Oriana had already activated the corresponding mechanism.

One alloy floor panel after another rose, forming square platforms with sides roughly two and a half meters long.

Their tops were dark silver alloy flooring, while all four sides were transparent glass, like museum display cases.

The glass covers should have contained displayed objects.

But when Jiang Zhe swept his gaze around, he found that among the twenty-five platforms, only the first one in the right row held a metal box. Every other platform was empty.

Oriana controlled the glass door and opened it.

Jiang Zhe used Psychic Power to draw the metal box to his side, then sent it before Oriana.

She brushed her hand over the clasp of the box.

A few breaths later, she removed her hand, and the intelligent lock had failed.

This was the passive effect of the Mechanical Pioneer.

—Beyond replicating and deducing technology, Oriana possessed an unreasonable Suppressive Force over technological creations and lifeforms!

From controlling Barabata to invading the Mechanical Race Immortal's Mechanical Empire, this trait had already begun to reveal its ferocity!

Open the box!

The packaging inside was luxurious, clearly designed according to gift-box standards.

Jiang Zhe immediately realized that this was probably a gift from the Mechanical Race to a Human Race traitor!

At the center of the box was a purple crystal sphere around thirty centimeters in diameter. It was hollow within and filled with an unknown liquid sparkling with points of starlight.

The entire sphere also carried a dense aura of the Lightning Source Laws.

"Artificial or natural?"

Jiang Zhe abruptly turned to Oriana, clenching his fists with some tension.

Nearly ten breaths later, Oriana finally found this object in Alpha's memories, though the records were somewhat vague.

"It formed naturally!"

Oriana cared deeply for her master and answered the key point first, making Jiang Zhe breathe a sigh of relief.

"This is Thunderglow Source Mother. It originally came from the Insectoid Thundergod Hall Mystic Realm, but it has now been completely monopolized by the Mechanical Race!"

"If the Thunderglow Source Mother is shattered, its outer crystal shell can be used to create alloy. Forging it into a mechanical body can improve the clarity with which an Intelligent Life Form fused into it senses the Thunder Element Law."

"If a Flesh and Blood Life Form drinks the liquid inside, its body will become more suited to the Law of Thunder. Its perception will become clearer, and its law-based attacks will be smoother and more powerful!"

An incredibly powerful treasure!

Yet Jiang Zhe secretly frowned as he calculated inwardly.

My true body has thunder-element affinity. Does my Second Primordial Spirit also have to choose the thunder element? Can't I find a better vessel?

My true body can drink the liquid inside the Thunderglow Source Mother.

The Second Primordial Spirit can use a treasure containing Upper Source Laws, like a Heart of Space, as its vessel... That would Maximize Interests!

But right now, it seems I only have two choices before me?

Thunder attribute?

Or split off the Second Primordial Spirit later?

No, even if I join the Virtual Universe Corporation, a mere Cosmic Level like me could only dream of obtaining a treasure like Thunderglow Source Mother, much less a treasure with time or space attributes!

Wait!

I actually have another option, don't I?

Jiang Zhe's expression shifted in realization as he remembered something.

One investment was completed yesterday—the one requiring thirty consecutive days of updates.

Today was Tuesday, and for some reason, it got three rounds of recommendations. So please, I'm begging for follow-ups. Let's see if it can make it to the fourth round?

Just scroll or turn pages to the final page.

I saw someone say the content was padded. There is definitely a difference in content between 2,500-word chapters and 4,000-word chapters.

Tomato's big-shot novel from 2012—some readers may no longer remember it, or may simply remember it incorrectly. Some things from the previous chapter still needed to be explained, to emphasize the importance of the two secret techniques.

I have to spend time with my younger cousin, who came to visit me today. I'm not sure whether there'll be an update tonight, so don't wait, everyone.