Chapter 2014 - 863: Objectives and the Star Tide

Chapter 2014: Chapter 863: Objectives and the Star Tide

"If you’re happy, you can call me Old Guan. If you’re not happy, call me Guan Hei Zi, that’s fine!

On our Star Ruins Star Island, there aren’t any pretenses, it’s very casual, but there are only two rules." On the Starship, Xu Jin’s new direct supervisor was explaining the rules to the subordinates he had selected.

With rather dark skin, that might be the origin of the name Guan Hei Zi, but this individual has quite a cute name: Guan Xiaoxing.

"The first rule is to obey the military order!"

"The second rule is absolutely no backstabbing! No matter who does it, if the military law can’t handle it, Old Guan can."

When saying the second sentence, Guan Xiaoxing, the Defender, who was formerly full of smiles, suddenly changed his expression, overflowing with killing intent, causing the recently selected Saint Heir candidates to feel a sudden and unexpected chill.

"Just these two iron laws, everything else we can discuss!" Guan Hei Zi changed his expression again, this time into a smile.

The group of Saint Heir candidates collectively breathed a sigh of relief.

"Now that we’ve covered the rules, let’s talk about you."

"You Saint Heir candidates, I understand you all came with goals and requirements, and your purpose is to return home alive and successfully become Imperial Palace Saints, as once achieved, the future is boundless.

But let me tell you, I have managed Changxing Star Island for over a hundred years and fought in the Star Ruins for nearly two hundred years. You guys are the sixth batch I’ve personally received.

You’re definitely after war merit!

But you need to remember, first, you have to return alive.

Otherwise, all the war merit in the world won’t do you any good if you end up dead."

"Remember, when you reach the island, follow commands; there are plenty of opportunities for war merit, as long as you’re alive, there are plenty of chances to earn war merit!

Don’t get hot-headed thinking about rushing out for war merit and end up losing your life!"

"Did you all remember?" Old Guan shouted.

"Remembered." The group of Saint Heir candidates obediently responded at the same time Xu Jin casually said, "Yeah." But in the next moment, Guan Hei Zi shouted at Xu Jin, "Hey, Xu Jin, I’m talking to you, kid, did you remember?"

Xu Jin was startled, then quickly nodded.

He somewhat understood the meaning of Guardian Guan; it was meant as a special reminder for him.

In hindsight, he was in the second round of initial selection, definitely a top-tier Heavenly Pride, with his Cultivation Level at Little Star Monarch, yet he managed to get the second place, so his ambitions were surely high.

So ultimately, Guardian Guan’s words were directed especially at him.

For other candidates, the chances of making such mistakes were much smaller.

"Before you came, your elders and friends must have talked to you about the Star Ruins, you must have some understanding of it, but what I need to tell you is that part of it is already outdated.

So while we have time, I’ll give you a briefing, and you must remember it."

"Firstly, the frequency of the Star Tide, your elders told you it occurs once every thirty-six days, but that has long changed. Now it’s divided into large, medium, and small Star Tides. Small Star Tides occur every five to seven days, medium Star Tides roughly every fifteen days.

Large Star Tides happen approximately once every two months; sometimes they come, sometimes they don’t, but when they don’t, medium tides will increase.

Large Star Tides yield the most, but are also the most dangerous and are the most likely to trigger a huge battle."

"Secondly, the Star Ruins is massive, known areas besides Tongxuan Battle Zone include the Thousand Stars Battle Zone, Red Simurgh Battle Zone, and Qingyu Battle Zone.

Theoretically, our Tongxuan Battle Zone only has our Tongxuan Domain’s elites, but occasionally, elites from other battle zones may appear.

Remember, if foreigners from the other battle zones approach within a kilometer without identifying themselves, either escape immediately or attack immediately, do not hesitate.

But there is one exception!

If you encounter an Inspection Heavenly Monarch from the Daluo Ancestral Court, look, it’s this insignia. As soon as this insignia is revealed, immediately identify yourself and report back."

"Remember, our Tongxuan Domain, Red Simurgh Battle Zone, and Qingyu Battle Zone all belong to the Daluo Ancestral Court, you may not have known before, but you must remember it now!

If you commit a crime and get caught by the Daluo Ancestral Court, even the Emperor can’t save you."

"Remember, don’t be greedy, especially during Star Tides; you must learn to share."

"Additionally, if you encounter any Exotic Beast Clan or beasts, don’t hesitate after assessing their strength, either kill or flee!

Any Exotic Beast Clan here is our natural enemy!"

"Defender, are the Exotic Beast Clan the Alien Races from outside?"

"Exactly!

As long as they have beast traits on them, they are our enemies!"

...

Along the way, Defender Guan Hei Zi, Guan Xiaoxing shared many things with Xu Jin and his companions.

Making the once mysterious Star Ruins Star Island gradually clear.

Star Ruins, originally known as the Ruins of Ten Thousand Stars.

Who named it, no one knows, but that’s how it was passed down.

In the Star Ruins, there will be periodic surges, also known as Star Surges.

These Star Surges, especially at their eruption centers, are extremely terrifying, and ordinary Initial-stage True Monarchs may not withstand them.

Luckily, when Star Surges erupt, whether large, medium, or small, there are signs, and one needs to quickly move away.

While they are dangerous, they are also opportunities.

After eruption, many Star Realm Fragments will emerge, many of which are dead, devoid of life, but not entirely worthless, as rare Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures might appear.

But what is truly valuable are those Star Realm Fragments that harbor life.

These living Star Realm Fragments, which survive the Star Ruins, inherently contain at least one complete Law Path; otherwise, they would have shattered long ago.

If one can find and retrieve these, it is a Great Merit with great rewards.

Having many such living Star Realm Fragments can enlarge Star Islands or even form Small Worlds, Middle Worlds, and Great Worlds, which can then be retrieved back to the Galaxy, yielding immense gains.

It is said that one could even receive gifts from Heaven and Earth!

Different Star Tides bring about Star Realm Fragments of varying tiers.

Especially large Star Tides may present Star Realm Fragments that are exceptionally incredible in rank and overwhelm with Life Force, and when combined, might even give rise to Domain Realms like the Tongxuan Domain!

Of course, it’s not just the Star Realm Fragments.

Many Star Surges are opportunities for wealth, as Star Surges will uncover Star Ruins Primordial Sand, and occasionally Chaos Earth Embryos, highly coveted even by Emperors, along with various Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures, Innate Spiritual Materials, and Innate Treasure Materials, appear occasionally.

Extremely rare Chaos Elemental Materials or some particularly special Star Realm Fragments might appear.

But every time these emerge, they bring about bloody wind and rain.

Aside from this, the Star Realm Fragment has another important source: that is, the various sizes of Star Islands guarded by army corps.

These Star Islands are actually formed by the fusion of different quantities and ranks of Star Realm Fragments.

Once you break and shatter them, even if just a part is destroyed, you can obtain a large amount of Star Realm Fragments.

That represents gain for any side, and for individuals, it’s also War Merit.

Comparable to the War Merit of slaying enemy experts.

These have already been detailed in the Tongxuan Battle Zone’s classification methods.

Star Realm Fragments are divided into five types: Micro, Small, Medium, Large, and Giant.

Each piece brought back corresponds to different military honors.

If a large Star Realm Fragment is brought back by a single person, its military honors are comparable to slaying a Ninth-tier True Monarch.

As for the Giant Star Realm Fragment, there’s no possibility of one person bringing it back.

All other types of gains are detailed clearly.

Originally Xu Jin found it fascinating, but suddenly discerned a different meaning.

It seems many of the treasures seized here are offset with military honors. Although military honors can be exchanged for resources, they are earned by cultivators by risking their lives.

Ultimately, they become just numbers; if one dies, the military honors are gone with them.

Unless the military honors accumulate to a very high level, granting the title of Marquis or Prince, possibly benefiting future descendants.

"The person who invented this military honor system is more capitalist than any capitalist!

This isn’t just white-collar wolves tactics.

Exchanging lives for numbers!"

Xu Jin sighed, feeling helpless, as now he, too, was enmeshed in the vast network woven by these military honors.

Their selection as Saint Heirs, one of the direct targets this time is military honors!

This time, the Imperial Palace issued only two targets.

The duration of the final selection round lasts for three years.

The first target is to survive within three years.

The second target is to have a military honors balance exceeding 150,000 by the time of settlement in three years.

If both targets are achieved and one makes it into the top hundred, they can be selected as Imperial Palace Saint Heirs.

If one is ultimately selected, they will be ranked based on the military honors balance.

The higher the military honors ranking, the higher the rank of Imperial Palace Saint Heir, enjoying higher treatment.

Among the top ten, one or two may be taken as Direct Disciples by the Emperor, while the rest are Inner Chamber Disciples.

The targets are simple.

But from these simple targets, Xu Jin sensed a strong scent of bloodshed.

Because, until now, over half of the former records show that Imperial Palace Saint Heirs have become True Monarchs.

And among all the Emperors in the Tongxuan Domain, aside from Chiyun, all others were once Inner Chamber Disciples or Direct Disciples of the Emperor!

In other words, getting into the top hundred gives you a fifty percent chance to become a True Monarch!

Getting into the top ten gives you the possibility to step onto the Emperor Path, with hope for future Emperorship!

How intense is this competition?

Xu Jin somewhat understood why Mr. Guan specifically told them not to rush for military honors.

Under such great expectations, those who take risks might not be few.

In the Star Ruins, aside from the command center Tongxuan Star City in the Tongxuan Battle Zone, other locations cannot perform long-distance transmission; travel is either by flight or by Starship transportation.

Xu Jin and his group departed from Tongxuan Star City, flew by Starship for a full three days, only then arriving at Changxing Star Island.

From afar, Changxing Star Island looks somewhat like a floating island in the sky.

Large, suspended in the void of Star Ruins.

Mysterious, and desolate!

Though billions of stars still flash within the Galaxy, here, there’s nothing at all.

If not for occasional flashing of Starlight, it truly feels desolate.

"Alright, we’ve arrived!"

With a shout from Guardian Guan Xiaoxing, the group of Saint Heir candidates stepped off the Starship.

The moment they stepped off, as their Divine Thoughts spread, Xu Jin felt stunned.

In this void, let alone the Chaotic Star Gang, he couldn’t even sense a trace of Star Power.

"Mr. Guan, isn’t there any Star Power or Chaotic Star Gang here?" Xu Jin quickly asked.

If there’s no Chaotic Star Gang, the battle situation here would be different.

Mr. Guan looked back at Xu Jin, glanced at the desolate void surrounding them, "Here, aside from untouchable Dead Force, there’s no Star Power!

But don’t worry, the island has abundant Star Power.

As for Chaotic Star Gang, it’s generally not visible!"

Hearing this, Xu Jin slightly relaxed, as generally not visible means there’s still a chance of encountering it.

Without Chaotic Star Gang, Xu Jin’s outburst limit would be lessened significantly.

A dozen breaths later, as they crossed the island’s barrier, a thick surge of Star Power washed over them, instantly giving reassurance to the group.

"In the military, arrival means being on duty; since you’re here, let’s first assign tasks..."

Boom!

Almost at the moment Mr. Guan spoke, a terrifically dull thunderous sound rumbled from afar.

As everyone turned their heads to look, they saw on the distant barren void, a dazzling Starlight exploded, multicolored and incredibly brilliant!

While the crowd was still bewildered, Guardian Guan Xiaoxing softly sighed, "The Star Tide has arrived! But it’s good, we made it!"