National Star Sea Era...

Chapter 897 Undercurrent
In the eternally silent starry sky, a star tree nearly a hundred billion kilometers tall, with its roots extending for light-years around it, stands tall. Near the trunk of the star tree, a warship of similar size floats silently. At this moment, a faint light is shooting out from the warship, landing precisely on the main trunk of the star tree.

In the main control room of the Sky Ruins Sky, Song Chi shook his head slightly as he witnessed the unbearable to look at the traction speed.

However, there was no way to move it easily. The size of the War Puppet Mother Tree was simply too large. Even though the Sky Ruins Sky was also a Tier 10 warship and had the active cooperation of the War Puppet Mother Tree itself, it was still difficult to move it easily.

Therefore, this transplant project took Song Chi several years.

He patiently controlled the Sky Ruins Sky, using his own tenth-order psionic energy as a supplement, and cooperated with the [Battle Puppet Mother Tree] to shrink its roots and condense its origin, finally managing to painstakingly incorporate its massive body into [Chi Cang's No. 004 Cultivation Secret Realm].

Within the secret realm, a vast and boundless exclusive area had already been created for this new resident. As soon as the roots of the [War Puppet Mother Tree] touched the fertile soil of the secret realm, which was rich in time acceleration effects, they instinctively plunged in and greedily absorbed the boundless energy. The trunk, which had been damaged by the forced transplant, began to repair itself at a speed visible to the naked eye. The shimmering light flowed among the branches again, indicating that this "puppet factory" was about to restart.

After properly securing his greatest spoils of war, Song Chi lingered. He piloted the Sky Ruins Sky, erasing all traces of the previous interstellar war and confirming that the Silver Goblin Empire would not be able to find any further information. Only then did he return to the territory of the Firewood Human Civilization through the Heavenly Ruins Market.

For the next two hundred years, Song Chi's footprints covered many ancient star fields and dangerous forbidden areas. He even searched across dimensions multiple times through the Heavenly Market, including issuing high-priced bounties.

His goal was very clear—to find the heart of a mythical starry plant in order to help the Golden Apple Mother Tree complete its final transformation.

However, mythical star plants are extremely rare. Even though Song Chi has extraordinary abilities and encounters, several clues ultimately point to nothingness or that someone else has already gotten there first.

Just as he was considering whether to offer a [Primordial Limitless Pill] as a reward, an urgent message from within his family, transmitted through the [Original Flame Source Seed]'s flame network, crossed countless light-years and touched his mind.

The message wasn't about the heart of the mythical starry sky plant, but rather—the male [Ninth-Order Dragon Spine Tyrant Whale] under the family's command had begun attempting to break through to the Tenth-Order Mythical Realm on the S08 resource floating continent, taking advantage of the floating continent's advancement opportunity.

Tianxu Divine Court, the second galactic cluster of the Fire of Heaven.

The once-peak eighth-tier floating continent S08 is now undergoing a tremendous transformation. Unparalleled energy bursts forth from the core of the floating continent, transforming into a rich primordial tide that sweeps across the entire continent. Law runes rain down like rain, the earth veins rise, the sky widens, and the entire floating continent is evolving towards a more vast and stable form amidst the roar—it is advancing to a ninth-tier floating continent.

At the very center of this immense tidal energy, in the deepest part of the Earth's core, a giant whale, its body comparable to a low-level floating continent, rose into the air, emitting a long, resounding roar that shook the galaxy.

It was the ninth-tier Dragon Spine Tyrant Whale from the Song family. Its massive body hovered above the core light cluster of the floating continent's origin, drawing upon the vast energy from the floating continent's ascension and the medicinal power of the [Primordial Limitless Pill] that Song Chi had already bestowed upon it.

Having already consumed the Nine Revolutions Golden Body Pill, his body was covered with an immortal, indestructible dark golden luster, and the characteristics of the Nine Revolutions Golden Body were activated to the extreme.

The actual promotion period was not long, but it made countless members of the Song clan who were paying attention to this place tremble with excitement and hold their breath.

After all, this is related to whether or not the third mythical unit of the Dragon Spine Song Clan will be born.

"Roar!"

The Dragon Spine Tyrant Whale let out a painful yet defiant roar. Its tough scales were constantly torn apart by the violent power of the rules that challenged the mythical rank, but they healed rapidly under its powerful vitality and golden body.

Just then, He swallowed the heart of the mythical dragon-spine whale that He had obtained from the Fuyao Pei Clan. The immense bloodline energy burned wildly within His body, transforming into the final thrust that broke through the mythical barrier.

The energy tides brought about by the ascension of the floating land became increasingly turbulent, as if providing it with inexhaustible fuel.

Even so, it only brings them closer to the mythical level; breaking through that barrier completely is still not an easy task.

As expected, the terrifying aura surrounding the Dragon Spine Tyrant Whale dissipated in just a moment, signifying its failure in this attack.

Seeing this, Song Chi, who had been hiding to the side, controlled the Tianxu Cangqiong to appear. The seven-colored power of time flowed around the ship, and soon the small core space centered on the Dragon Spine Tyrant Whale directly entered a time reversal state. The [Hun Yuan Wuji Pill] and [Mythical Dragon Spine Tyrant Whale Heart], which had been wasted, reappeared.

With Song Chi's prompting, the ninth-tier Dragon Spine Tyrant Whale quickly swallowed the two objects again. Taking advantage of the fact that the primordial energy tide of the floating land beneath its feet had not yet completely ended, it began its second attempt to break through to the mythical realm.

This time, with the experience of the previous impact, the Dragon Spine Tyrant Whale quickly regained its previous power. However, this time it did not wait. Taking advantage of the energy that had reached its peak, it directly launched an attack on the mythical barrier in its body.

After an unknown amount of time, finally, at the very moment when the energy tide was about to end, a crisp sound as if something was breaking came from inside the Dragon Spine Tyrant Whale—it was the barrier of mythology.

hum!
A brand new, vast divine power, surpassing even the supreme ruler, erupted from its body. The Dragon Spine Tyrant Whale's body expanded further in this dazzling divine light. The row of bone spikes on its back, resembling a dragon's spine, burst forth with sharp divine light that could tear the sky apart. Its scales were covered with mysterious mythological patterns, and its pair of giant eyes contained the power of the birth and death of stars.

Tenth-Order Myth!

It worked!
"Congratulations to Ancestor Chi! Congratulations to Ancestor Jing! May the Song family be blessed with another legendary achievement!"

In an instant, the Song clan members scattered across the floating continent and everywhere else were extremely excited, their cheers resounding through the sky, and they transmitted the news to every corner of the Divine Court through the communication network.

Seeing this, Song Chi, who had been silently protecting the Dharma, also showed a relieved smile.

The Song Clan of Tianxu finally possessed a third mythical-level combatant, separate from himself and the mythical Asura, who was entirely of the family's own caliber.

This is of extraordinary significance, marking a qualitative leap in the family's foundation. Even if he takes the mythical Asura away for a long time and stays away from the Fire of the Blazing Lands, the Song family of Tianxu will still have enough confidence to suppress the entire Tianxu Divine Court.

The newly ascended Dragonspine Tyrant Whale suppressed its surging divine power, its massive head slowly turning towards the Heavenly Ruins Sky, conveying a clear and respectful wave of intent:

"My lord... I thank you for bestowing this elixir and protecting my path... Ba Cang, may you forever guard the Heavenly Ruins and Star Sea!"

Song Chi nodded slightly, his voice carrying far and wide:
"Good. From this day forward, you shall be the guardian war beast of the Song Clan of Tianxu, with the title of 'Overlord' and the highest honors bestowed by the clan!"

The majestic divine sounds intertwined with the whale roars of the new myth, heralding the arrival of a brand new era for the Song clan of Tianxu.

However, Song Chi's gaze once again turned to the depths of the boundless starry sea.

Compared to that, he is more focused on the advancement of the [Golden Apple Mother Tree] at the moment.

After returning to the Heavenly Ruins Continent with the Dragon Spine Tyrant Whale, Song Chi re-entered the Heavenly Ruins Market.

Hmm... Instead of using the [Primordial Chaos Pill] as a bargaining chip to launch a new bounty, he set his sights on a certain spatial anchor point in the market.

Remaining at the spatial anchor point on the outskirts of that [City of Transcendence].

He always held a wary and repulsive attitude towards that "City of Transcendence." Song Chi couldn't quite explain why, but his instinct made him unwilling to have much interaction with it.

The fact that he had not yet found the heart of the mythical starry sky plant made him remember this mysterious city with its astonishing character.

Based on the information I had gathered in this City of Transcendence, it was certain that I could find the heart of the Mythical Starry Sky Plant. However, trading in this city required Transcendence Contribution Points, which was somewhat troublesome.

After a moment's thought, Song Chi decided to make a trip to the City of Transcendence. Of course, he wouldn't go himself, but rather send one of his eight-star ancient demons to give it a try.

Having made up his mind, he no longer hesitated.

With a slight thought, an eight-star ancient demon, enslaved by the [Ring of Heavenly Authority], highly intelligent, and skilled in social interaction, was summoned before him.

After giving him detailed instructions, he didn't rush to give the ancient demon too many resources. Instead, he sent it to explore the city of transcendence first. If it really found the [Mythical Starry Sky Plant Heart], then it would be better to send the ancient demon back.

After giving his instructions on various matters, Song Chi activated the spatial anchor point that pointed to the outer perimeter of the [City of Transcendence].

hum!
Spatial ripples spread, and the figure of the Eight-Star Ancient Demon instantly disappeared from the main control room of the Heavenly Ruins Sky Dome, where it was absorbed into the Void Market within its body. Immediately afterwards, it appeared through the Void Market on the outer platform of the mysterious region located outside the Chaos Divine Continent and deep in the endless void—the City of Transcendence.

Over the next few months, Song Chi remotely sensed the ancient demon's actions in the City of Transcendence through a soul link.

The city remained as magnificent and indifferent as I remembered, with strange races from all the worlds constantly traversing it, trading unimaginable treasures.

Following instructions, the ancient demon discreetly moved between various areas and private stalls, carefully inquiring about the news of the Mythical Starry Sky Plant Tree Heart.

The process went more smoothly than expected, but it also had a strange feel to it.

Fortunately, in just the third month, the ancient demon secured a tree heart that met the requirements through official trading channels—a specialty from a high-magic plane on the verge of extinction, the [Tenth-Order Evil Spirit Divine Tree Heart].

This tree heart contains extremely pure death and soul essence. Although its attributes slightly conflict with the life laws of the Golden Apple Mother Tree, its mythical quality is sufficient to serve as core resources to propel the Mother Tree's advancement.

However, the strange thing is the way the transaction was conducted.

When the ancient demon expressed its willingness to trade various rare resources, Star Sea hard currency, and even certain rare mythical materials, the force behind the [City of Transcendence] coldly chose to refuse, instead giving a reply that greatly surprised Song Chi:
"The City of Transcendence has recently been giving priority to accepting all kinds of war materials indefinitely: energy weapons, interstellar artifacts, universal armor materials for interstellar warships, one-time strategic weapons, large-scale defense matrix components, high-efficiency repair fluid, legion-level supplies... all of which can be exchanged for contribution points at the internal valuation. This [Tree Heart of the Evil Spirit Divine Tree] can only be exchanged for war materials, or... a high amount of Transcendence contribution points."

War supplies?

A warning bell rang in Song Chi's mind, and he immediately instructed Gu Yao to subtly inquire about the situation.

Before long, more detailed information gradually came together.

This large-scale, priority procurement policy for war materials is not a recent development, but has been ongoing for over 1,300 years. Moreover, the procurement efforts have not weakened but have been gradually strengthened in the last century, covering almost all equipment, materials, and strategic resources that can be used in large-scale warfare, from Tier 0 to Tier 10.

The official explanation from the City of Transcendence was vague, only stating that it was "to deal with the possible encirclement and suppression by the transcendent forces of the Chaos God Continent." However, privately, some resident star-sea forces had already been discussing it extensively, with various speculations, none of which had been confirmed.

Suddenly, Song Chi felt a sudden sense of urgency, as if a storm was brewing.

His instincts told him that this was definitely not a good thing.

The City of Transcendence holds an extremely high position, and the controlling forces behind it are unimaginable. The fact that they can hoard war materials for such a long time and on such a large scale suggests that their ambitions are immense, and the "trouble" or "enemy" they face is probably beyond imagination.

Is it some kind of super war affecting multiple chaotic star realms? Or is it a response to some terrifying cosmic catastrophe? Or... a foreign invasion?
Regardless of the type, once it erupts, its impact will not be limited to the [City of Transcendence] itself, and may even sweep across the entire starry sky.

The shattered star system where the flame of human civilization resides may not be able to remain unscathed.

After careful consideration, Song Chi made a decision.

He sent the ancient demon back to the market, and at the same time, he used the market's convenience to collect all the war supplies needed to trade for the [Tree Heart of the Evil Spirit God Tree]. As soon as the trade was completed, the ancient demon immediately activated the spatial anchor point and returned to the Heavenly Market.

Holding the icy, bone-chilling tree heart, which contained immense spiritual energy, Song Chi showed little joy.

The abnormal, millennia-long war supplies procurement operation of the City of Transcendence hung over his mind like a heavy cloud.

This intense sense of oppression prevented him from immediately addressing the matter of the Golden Apple Mother Tree's advancement. Instead, he immediately withdrew from the market and first held an emergency private meeting with Song Yan, Song Wujiang, Song Shiyuan, and other core members of the family.

He then contacted four veteran Fire Emperors, including Jiang Yuan and Ying Yi, through the highest Fireline Network, and revealed his experiences and concerns in the City of Transcendence.

At first, Jiang Yuan, Ying Yi, and the others were somewhat skeptical, after all, it was the first time they had ever heard of the "City of Transcendence," and it was far removed from the Torch Civilization.

However, when Song Chi mentioned keywords such as "lasting for a thousand years," "comprehensive acquisition," "highest priority," and "suspected response to a great calamity," and combined this with the terrifying status of the [City of Transcendence] that seemed to be comparable to the Chaos God Continent, the four people's expressions gradually became solemn.

I would rather trust it to have it than to trust it to have nothing.

At their level, they take the premonition of impending danger extremely seriously.

Soon, a secret meeting was held, limited to the highest levels of the human civilization. With detailed intelligence provided by Song Chi and supplementary information and endorsement from Jiang Yuan and the other three, the meeting finally reached a consensus: the civilization would enter a state of "silent preparation for war".

The entire civilization of the torch began to secretly adjust the direction of resource allocation:

The production capacity of major military-related floating platforms and research institutes has been secretly increased.
The government and major clans and forces began to consciously, dispersedly, and on a small scale hoard various strategic resources, especially energy crystals, rare metals, and warship repair materials;

During the development efforts, the priority for competing for resource-rich river systems was increased;
In foreign trade, the import of finished standard warships, advanced shipborne components, and upgrade resources for mid-to-low-tier fire-type warships has been increased, while the export of luxury resources and non-essential technologies has been appropriately reduced.

All of this was done quietly, in an effort to avoid causing panic among the surrounding communities and the citizens within the city.

As the master of the Heavenly Market, Song Chi possesses a vast reserve of resources accumulated over the past 20,000 years, coupled with the gains from his previous expedition to the Third Fire River System (Lani Kea River System), making his actions even more direct and efficient.

He took advantage of the convenience of trading in the Heavenly Market to begin large-scale operations:

They quietly sold off the massive amounts of low-level materials, luxury goods, non-urgent technologies, and technical blueprints they had stockpiled in the market.

The funds and resources obtained were quickly converted into orders—countless types of war materials, like rivers flowing into the sea, were secretly transported and stockpiled in multiple hidden floating warehouse bases under the jurisdiction of the Song Clan of Tianxu through the channels of the Zhutianxu Market.

Song Chi was unsure whether the possible "storm" would actually occur, or if it would, when and in what form.

But he knew that only by preparing in advance and stockpiling enough "supplies" could he secure more safety and survival for himself, his family, and even the entire civilization in the chaos that might come in the future.

(End of this chapter)