DipNovel Chapter 31: The Function of Magic Crystal Cores
Chapter 31: The Function of Magic Crystal Cores
The morning sunlight streamed into the living room through the floor-to-ceiling windows, making the entire room bright and warm.
Lin Yun sat on the sofa, holding a bowl of millet porridge, sipping it while reflecting on his cultivation the previous night. The martial arts cultivation of a high-level general, and the mental power of a peak mid-level war god—this result was even better than he had expected. Although he knew that the first cultivation of genetic energy would result in a significant improvement, directly leaping across a realm still surprised him.
"It seems the combined effect of the dual-realm resonance is even stronger than I imagined," Lin Yun thought to himself.
After finishing his porridge, he tidied up the dishes, told his grandfather, and went upstairs to his room.
Lin Yun closed the door, sat down on the edge of the bed, and took out the dark silver spatial ring from his pocket.
This ring was obtained from the necromancer Morton, whom he kept hidden close to his body, afraid to show it to anyone. Spatial rings are rare treasures even on the Yulan Continent, let alone on Earth. If they were discovered, the consequences would be unimaginable.
Lin Yun probed the ring with his mental energy, his consciousness sweeping over the storage space that was about 100 meters long, wide, and high.
Gold coins, magic books, various magical materials, changes of black robes, bottles and jars... and—crystal cores.
A large number of crystal nuclei.
Lin Yun carefully checked the items, and a sense of satisfaction welled up in his heart.
These crystal cores mainly came from two sources. The first was during his month-long training in the Monster Mountain Range, where he hunted a large number of monsters, ranging from level three to level seven. He carefully extracted the crystal cores from each monster, accumulating over a hundred of them. The second source was the main source—Morton's spatial ring. As an eighth-level necromancer, Morton had lived for hundreds of years, accumulating wealth that Lin Yun could not even imagine. The ring alone contained over a thousand crystal cores.
Among them, level three and four crystal cores were the most numerous, with two to three hundred each; level five and six crystal cores were also plentiful, with over one hundred each; level seven crystal cores numbered fifty to sixty; and level eight crystal cores numbered nearly thirty. In addition, there were several crystal cores with exceptionally powerful auras, emitting heart-palpitating fluctuations—those were the crystal cores of level nine magical beasts, treasures of Morton before his death, each one priceless.
"These crystal cores are used to make magical items and exchange for gold coins in the Panlong World," Lin Yun murmured. "But in this world, they may be the best cultivation resources."
He took out a level three magical beast's core from the ring.
The crystal core was only the size of a fingernail, pale green in color, and emanated a faint life force. It was one of the earliest crystal cores he had obtained, acquired while hunting wind foxes in the Monster Mountain Range. At the time, he simply thought, "Maybe it will be useful later," and casually put it away. Later, he used the small cauldron to teleport several crystal cores to the Devouring Star World, and finding the teleportation process to be smooth, he gradually sent over a batch more.
Now, it's time to see what they're actually used for.
Lin Yun held the crystal core in his left palm, closed his eyes, and used his mental power to carefully perceive the energy structure inside the crystal core.
The energy within the crystal core shares some similarities with the cosmic energy permeating the Swallowed Star world, yet they are not quite the same. Cosmic energy is more "primitive" and more "neutral," requiring cellular refinement to be transformed into genetic energy; while the energy within the crystal core is more "vibrant," carrying a distinct life force, as if it were a condensation of the life essence of an entire magical beast.
"Let's see if I can absorb it," Lin Yun decided.
He sat cross-legged on the bed, held the crystal core in his left palm, closed his eyes, and began practicing the Five Hearts Towards Heaven cultivation method.
The palms of both hands, the soles of both feet, and the crown of his head—five parts of his body—simultaneously began absorbing cosmic energy. But this time, he deliberately guided the absorption path, aligning his left palm with the crystal core, attempting to "extract" the energy from it.
Initially, the crystal nucleus did not react at all.
Lin Yun wasn't in a hurry. In cultivation, the worst thing is to be impatient. He had already learned patience when he cultivated magic in the Panlong World. He continued to circulate his cultivation technique, while simultaneously penetrating his mental energy into the crystal core, attempting to establish a connection with its energy, just as he had sensed magical elements in the Panlong World.
Time passed by, second by second.
About fifteen minutes later, the crystal core finally reacted—a wisp of warm energy slowly flowed out of the crystal core, along the meridians in Lin Yun's left palm, and into his body.
The moment that energy entered his body, Lin Yun's pupils widened suddenly.
He could sense that the energy was completely different from cosmic energy. Cosmic energy, after entering the body, needs to be refined by cells to be transformed into genetic energy. This process is somewhat like refining iron ore into steel, which requires time and effort. However, the energy in the crystal core hardly needs any refining; it is directly absorbed by the cells! It's like cooked food, ready to be eaten as soon as it's served.
Moreover, as that energy enters the cells, it also brings a strange "nourishing" effect. It not only strengthens the cells but also repairs tiny damage within them, even enhancing the cells' ability to divide and regenerate. The feeling is hard to describe—it's like a parched riverbed receiving timely rain, with every cell cheering and rejoicing.
"This is... life energy?" Lin Yun was shocked.
Monster cores are the crystallization of a monster's essence. Throughout their long lives, monsters devour other creatures and absorb the energy of heaven and earth, storing vast amounts of life essence within their cores. This life essence is the most precious nourishment for any living being. In the world of Panlong, cores are primarily used to craft magical items or inlay them into weapons to enhance their power; few people absorb them directly—because the cultivation system of Panlong emphasizes comprehending laws and refining magical elements, and directly absorbing the energy from cores would interfere with the purity of magical power.
But the world of Swallowed Star is different.
The martial artists here cultivate genetic energy, essentially absorbing external energy to strengthen themselves. The life energy within the crystal core is practically a tailor-made cultivation resource for genetic energy!
Lin Yun suppressed his excitement and continued to absorb the nutrients.
The energy from the crystal core flowed continuously into his body, his cells frantically devouring it like a ravenous beast. About half an hour later, the crystal core in his hand suddenly cracked open with a "crack." Immediately afterward, the cracks multiplied, becoming increasingly dense, until the entire crystal core resembled a dried-up ball of mud, its surface covered in cracked patterns. Lin Yun stopped absorbing it, opened his palm, and the crystal core crumbled into powder with a gentle touch, scattering between his fingers.
He had completely absorbed all the energy inside.
Lin Yun looked at the powder in his palm, remained silent for a moment, and then couldn't help but laugh.
"It really worked," he said softly, his eyes gleaming with excitement.
He closed his eyes and carefully sensed the changes in his body. This absorption, while not bringing a qualitative leap like his first cultivation of genetic energy last night, still had a noticeable effect. His total genetic energy increased by about one percent—this number may not seem large, but it's important to remember that this was only the crystal core of a level three magical beast, and the absorption time was only half an hour. If he were to absorb the cosmic energy of heaven and earth in the same amount of time, an increase of one-thousandth would be quite good.
In other words, the efficiency of absorbing crystal nuclei is more than ten times that of absorbing cosmic energy.
Moreover, the energy of the crystal core can repair hidden injuries in the body and enhance vitality, which is something that cosmic energy cannot do.
Lin Yun took a deep breath to calm himself down.
He began to plan in his mind how to use these crystal cores.
Level 3 and 4 crystal cores are the most numerous and can serve as "rations" for daily cultivation. Absorbing a few each day will allow for steady improvement. Level 5 and 6 crystal cores have even purer energy and can be used to break through bottlenecks. Level 7 and 8 crystal cores have enormous energy; one is enough for him to cultivate for a long time and can be saved for crucial moments. As for the few level 9 crystal cores—those are strategic resources. He will only use them after breaking through to the War God level or even higher.
"Thousands of crystal cores are enough for me to use for a long time," Lin Yun thought to himself.
When the first crystal core was transferred from the Panlong World, the cauldron's light dimmed considerably, indicating significant energy depletion. At that time, he was only six years old, his soul power was pitifully weak, and the cauldron's energy reserves were severely insufficient. Now, he is fifteen years old, and his bodies in both worlds are constantly strengthening. Mental power, magical power, genetic energy, and soul power—all these forces are nourishing the cauldron. With his current strength, the energy expenditure from the transfer is no longer a burden for him.
Lin Yun touched the small bronze cauldron on his chest, feeling its warm and smooth texture.
This small cauldron is his greatest secret and his strongest trump card. Resources from both worlds can be exchanged through it, making his path of cultivation wider than anyone else's.
The magic, fighting spirit, monster cores, and magical materials of the Panlong world; the genetic energy, mental power, technological weapons, and secret techniques of the Swallowed Star world—the essence of both worlds converges in one body.
As for the monsters in the Swallowed Star world, Lin Yun had already learned from the martial arts school's information that they didn't have anything like a crystal core inside their bodies. The monsters' energy cores were dispersed throughout their cells, and would quickly dissipate upon death, making them unusable by humans. This was completely different from the magical beasts in the Panlong world.
Therefore, the crystal cores he possesses are a unique resource. He is the only one on the entire Earth who owns them.
"It's a pity that every crystal core we use is one less available," Lin Yun murmured. "But it doesn't matter, there are plenty of magical beasts in the Panlong World. Once I'm stronger, I'll go back and hunt a few Saint-level magical beasts and get a few Saint-level crystal cores. That will be the real weapon of mass destruction."
Of course, that's a matter for the future. Saint-level magical beasts require at least a level nine mage, or even a Saint-level mage, to deal with. He's only at the peak of level eight now, far from that level.
Lin Yun carefully hid the spatial ring again, stood up, and stretched his body.
After a night of cultivation and the absorption of the crystal core, his body felt not fatigued, but rather unprecedentedly relaxed and full of energy. Genetic energy flowed slowly within his body, like warm spring water, nourishing every cell.
He walked to the window and opened it.
The morning sun streamed in, warming his face. In the distance, the detached villas of Mingyue Community stood gracefully in the morning light, dewdrops glistening on the lawn. The spire of the Extreme Club shimmered in the sunlight, like a beacon guiding the way.
Grandpa was already busy downstairs; the sounds of pots and pans clattering came from the kitchen, and the aroma of millet porridge filled the air. On his first day in the new house, Grandpa's spirits were noticeably better; he even walked with a brisk pace.
"Yun'er, come down for breakfast!" Lin Guodong's voice came from downstairs, full of energy.
"Here comes, Grandpa!"
Lin Yun turned and went downstairs with light steps.
As always, the dining table was set with millet porridge, salted duck eggs, and meat buns. But this time, Grandpa had specially gone to the supermarket at the entrance of the community to buy a few side dishes and filled the table with them. The old man sat at the table, looking at the dishes, his face full of a satisfied smile.
"Grandpa, it's just the two of us, why do so much?" Lin Yun said with a smile.
"Celebrate! Celebrate!" Lin Guodong grinned from ear to ear. "My grandson has become a martial artist and moved into a big villa. Shouldn't we celebrate?"
Lin Yun sat down opposite his grandfather, picked up the bowl of porridge, and felt a warm feeling well up in his heart.
From today onwards, he will make sure his grandfather lives the best life possible.
As for cultivation—the road is long, no rush.
He has plenty of time, resources, and patience.
Two worlds, two bodies, the same path to becoming stronger.
Lin Yun touched the small bronze cauldron on his chest.
The future is something to look forward to.