svetikya Chapter 334 - 327: The Essence of the Golden Fortune?
Chapter 334 - 327: The Essence of the Golden Fortune?
Atop the snow mountain.
A figure appeared at the summit.
It was Chen Qingyu, the S-rank Awakened from Xirang. She possessed the skill [Knowledge Hacker] and had once met Shi Ming to discuss "Douqi Continent XXV." Right now, she was clad in a tightly sealed, lightweight protective suit, clutching the borrowed Jade Sea Cangwu as she climbed to the summit above the snow line.
She had received a mission from the Jiuzhou Platform to investigate a potential anomaly.
Chen Qingyu climbed step by step towards the highest point.
"Strange!"
"The Sub-Blade Storm... it’s gone?"
This perilous place, once considered a forbidden zone for humans, was now like an ordinary snow mountain, without a trace of danger.
Besides, this wasn’t the usual lull in the Sub-Blade Storm.
The storm had vanished completely!
Though the air remained frigid, the absence of the Sub-Blade Storm meant that a typical A-rank Awakened could easily withstand the cold with their physical fortitude. Given Chen Qingyu’s own strength, she could climb this peak freely even without her protective suit.
She did not let down her guard.
Such an anomaly had to mean something was wrong.
Chen Qingyu reached out and casually caught a few snowflakes from the blizzard in her hand.
She activated her skill, [Knowledge Hacker].
In her eyes, the snowflakes in her hand turned into a collection of data.
’A product of water vapor exposed to cold; naturally formed solid water crystals. Tainted with faint impurities and traces of life energy. The violent, space-rending power is gone.’
’The resulting meltwater can even replenish the Physical Strength of the exhausted.’
She continued to climb, step by step, until she arrived before a large stone stele.
Her eyes widened in shock!
Patches of fresh green stood out starkly against the white snow.
They were all newly sprouted Snow-Crown Jades!
So many of them!
They clustered at the base of the stele, radiating a dense life force. This was the last remnant of energy from the Creation Celestial Pillar, which had been devoured by an Active Wormhole. With its restraints gone, this final spark of life had leaked out, fusing with the frigid temperatures and ice-attribute energy of the summit to create this new life.
It was the last remnant of the Life Holy Hall Origin in this place.
One, two, three... thirteen, fourteen...
She was stunned by the sight!
"So many Snow-Crown Jades!!!"
"Could this be the ’destiny’ that Elder Zhou mentioned?"
Generally speaking, any item listed in the "Compendium of Wonders of the Endless Ocean" could be considered a destiny-grade treasure. Examples included the Taunt Stone, the Calm Sea Pearl, the Map of the Endless Sea, and of course, this Snow-Crown Jade, which could heal any external injury—even severed limbs!
How could this swath of green amidst the stark white not be considered an incredible stroke of destiny?
And they were still small.
Once they grew, one couldn’t even imagine the benefits they would bring!
Chen Qingyu excitedly recorded all of this, then continued to explore other areas.
...
「Da Yu, Jiuzhou Platform.」
On the stone slab behind Elder Zhou, the image of the collapsed celestial pillar had been erased.
To this day, he still didn’t understand. The Destiny Golden Toad had defined the collapsed pillar as a "golden destiny." Why had its golden light, and the faint red glow within it, suddenly vanished? There was absolutely no precedent for such a thing.
’Could someone else have already obtained it?’
’If Shi Ming was the one who got it, that would be one thing. He’s already created so many miracles. But if it was some other entity... I can’t say whether that’s a blessing or a curse.’
Shi Ming was now the honorary "Supreme Patrol Envoy" of the King-level Wandering Ship, Da Yu.
It was a purely nominal title.
It came with no obligations, only a share of the rights and benefits.
Elder Zhou had originally offered him a higher title, but Shi Ming had politely refused. He wasn’t suited for such things, nor did his ambitions lie in that direction. For him, combat and self-improvement were the true driving forces, the source of his dopamine.
BEEP.
Elder Zhou received a message from Xirang.
He stared at the report on the communicator in disbelief.
"Fourteen seedlings of Snow-Crown Jade discovered at the base of the great stele."
"The Sub-Blade Storm has vanished completely. The area above the snow line is now a pristine land; no dangers have been detected."
"Researcher Chen Qingyu has excavated what appear to be the remains of a high-level life-form from the shallow permafrost. No energy signature detected."
It was one piece of startling good news after another!
’Or perhaps... this is the true nature of that ’golden destiny’?’
The ways of destiny are truly mysterious and profound!
...
...
...
While those on the Da Yu were rejoicing over their heaven-sent "golden destiny," Shi Ming was leaving the location of the "red destiny"—the Extreme North Ice Sea. He took a detour, entering the European Sea Region.
He planned to make a long journey straight south.
Straight to his destination!
Along the way, he deliberately followed the markings on the Map of the Endless Sea, killing several sea beasts of varying ranks.
He had traded the Divine Revelation Stele from the Scorpion King’s Pyramid to the Da Yu, but the method for creating a Contract Core was now etched into his memory. This technique for controlling sea beasts was truly wondrous. Initially, it could only control C-rank sea beasts, but with upgrades to the Infinite Brain, the rank of beasts he could control had steadily increased.
He planned to create and stockpile a few more.
If he encountered a suitable, powerful sea beast whose skills were of no use to him, he could subdue it and bring it back as a companion for Ah Jian.
At his current level, unless a skill had a special function like the S-rank [Great Prophecy Technique], most ordinary skills were simply redundant. Even abilities like [Nether Snake Feather], [Black and White Aria], or [Abyss of Devouring] were no longer of much use to him.
He might as well use the Contract Cores to control a group of sea beasts and build his own personal army.
He already had several targets in mind.
For instance, there was the elusive Nine-tailed Fox at the Sanjiang Wall. It wasn’t large, but its fur was gorgeous, making it perfect for a pet. Unfortunately, during their last chance encounter, Shi Ming had only been S-rank. His body was saturated with a murderous aura from countless battles. The fox had taken one look at him, and before he could even act, it had dissolved into the seawater and vanished in a flash.
In the past, his resources were limited, and he was always stretched thin.
Even every upgrade opportunity for the Brain of Creation had to be carefully planned.
Now that he had more resources, his margin for error was much higher.
He brewed a pot of tea.
The tea gave off a vapor, but it wasn’t steam. It was a cold mist emanating from a Snow-Crown Jade. A single verdant sprig spun lazily in the pot, chilling the water but not freezing it. This tea, rich in both frost and Life Energy, had a unique flavor that cleared the mind. It was perfect for restoring Physical Strength after a battle.
Drinking it regularly could also slowly increase his Physical Strength.
But the speed was nothing compared to using the Right Arm Red Pattern to absorb the blood of sea beasts.
As the Da Yu sailed through the desolate North European Sea Region, Shi Ming suddenly spotted a familiar wandering ship on the 180-degree panoramic wall. It was a whaling ship, flying a flag with a salmon emblem. Its mottled hull exuded the sharp aura of a vessel long accustomed to battle.
The Dream of Salmon.
Chris, with his thick eyebrows, large eyes, and square jaw—the very picture of a hero—was on deck, directing his crew as they tallied the day’s catch.
’I wonder how much of that Heart of the White Dragon Whale he’s eaten by now.’
The Da Yu, in stealth mode, was undetectable by a Gold-level wandering ship. Shi Ming didn’t stop to reminisce, instead sailing past the Dream of Salmon and continuing south.
...
"Was that... a strange breeze?"
Chris was puzzled, but he didn’t detect anything unusual. Both the radar and visual scans were normal.
The crew member in charge of his meals brought up today’s dinner.
"Captain, today’s whale heart has been sliced. It’s paired with fermented caviar from Fontainebleau. The flavor is absolutely unique."
"BLEGH..."
Chris squeezed his eyes shut and, as if undergoing torture, forced down the slices of whale heart. For the past several months, his rations had consisted entirely of the White Dragon Whale’s heart! It had gotten to the point where the mere sight of whale meat made him gag.
But there was no other way.
This was the price of power.