Chapter 474: Inheritance of the Dragon Whale Hall
by xennovel“Xiaochi, are you really sure you’re ready? Upgrading a battleship isn’t something you can take lightly. Even a small mistake, and everything you’ve worked for could go up in smoke!”
Using the long-range communicator, Song Chi took the initiative to contact Song Shiyuan, who was stationed at Storm Calamity Floating-Land, and told him everything about wanting to start the battleship advancement mission.
After hearing him out, Song Shiyuan neither agreed nor objected. Instead, he told Song Chi to think it through carefully.
But Song Chi had already made up his mind, so he didn’t hesitate at all:
“Prime Ancestor, I’ve made my decision!”
Once he gave such a definite reply, Song Shiyuan just said a single word.
“Good!”
The two discussed things for a while after that. In the end, Song Chi would stay at Calamity Star Floating-Land for a few more months. Only after the family’s new guardian arrived would he return to Dragon-Spine Continent.
……
Half a year later, the clan member sent to replace Song Chi arrived in Dragon Spine City.
Seeing who it was, Song Chi’s eyes widened in surprise.
“Family Head? I didn’t expect you to be the one taking over!”
The visitor was none other than Song Xuancang. He hadn’t participated in the last frontier war because he was trying to breakthrough to Guiding Technique Fifth Stage. Judging by the aura he gave off now, he’d clearly succeeded.
“And, congratulations to you, Family Head. Breaking through to Guiding Technique Fifth Stage is a huge milestone.”
A warm smile appeared on Song Xuancang’s face. He’d already heard every detail about the expansion campaign.
He felt proud of the family’s impressive gains, but even more so, he genuinely appreciated Song Chi’s brilliant performance.
“The family’s short on hands these days, so I was the only one available. Also, everyone knows about the move you made for us ten years ago. You did great—without that, we wouldn’t have enough time to digest these war spoils…”
“Alright, time to head back. I hear you’re about to start your battleship advancement mission. The two Elders have been waiting for you! Over the next year, they’ll personally take you to hunt elite foreign races in the outer domains.”
Hearing Song Xuancang’s words, Song Chi couldn’t help but feel a flicker of doubt.
Two Elders? Didn’t the Prime Ancestor stay at Storm Calamity Floating-Land?
With Song Xuancang’s current status as a battleship commander, who else could he possibly call Elder?
But it was obvious Song Xuancang wasn’t in the mood to explain. Waving him off, he urged Song Chi to hurry back to Dragon-Spine Continent.
Just before leaving, Song Chi added one more thing.
“By the way, Family Head—the Dragon Spine Hall is growing lots of Heavenly Stargrass. But if we want any of it to reach super-premium three-thousand-year quality anytime soon, we’ll need to keep nurturing it with Life Crystals. I’ve left plenty of Spirit Spring Water in the secret vault to use together with the crystals. The effect is amazing, so whatever you do, don’t forget about it.”
After that, he headed for the battleship summoning chamber. Using the Market Pocket Realm as a stopover, he soon made his way back to Dragon-Spine Continent.
……
Dragon-Spine Continent. Dragon Spine Sacred Mountain. The ancestral hall of the Song Family.
Once inside, Song Chi quickly spotted two figures already waiting for him.
“Progenitor…”
But when he looked toward the second person, Song Chi couldn’t hide his excitement.
“Ru Zu, did you break through to Dreadnought Captain?”
Sitting up there on a golden chair next to Song Wujian was none other than Song Xingru.
Song Xingru’s flagship had already accumulated a solid foundation during the frontier war. Song Chi knew she’d been eager to attempt a breakthrough. Judging by the scene before him, she had clearly succeeded.
Seeing the genuine smile on Song Chi’s face, the corners of Song Xingru’s mouth turned up as well. Still, in the end she shook her head.
“Violet Moon Longsong did make it to Dreadnought, but my Guiding Technique isn’t quite there yet. Anyway, your battleship advancement takes priority. I can afford to wait another year!”
That finally clicked for Song Chi.
Thinking about it, he realized she was right. Advancing from Fifth to Sixth Stage in Guiding Technique was a process that could take a century or more. It had only been just over a decade since the end of the expansion campaign—no way anyone could break through that fast.
Back when the Prime Ancestor used the family’s rare body refinement spirit fruit, it still took nearly fifty years to succeed. Unless Song Xingru had some other high-tier treasures, Song Chi figured she’d need at least another hundred years.
“Xiaochi, since you’ve already decided to advance your battleship, the family will give you full support. Still, before you can formally start the advancement, there’s another task you need to complete first.”
When Song Xingru finished, the typically easy-going Song Wujian suddenly spoke up.
As soon as he did, Song Chi noticed Song Xingru’s face change completely. Her earlier smile vanished, replaced by utter seriousness.
Seeing that, Song Chi instinctively grew alert. His gut told him that whatever Song Wujian was about to say was of great importance.
Yet for more than ten seconds, Song Wujian stayed silent. Instead, Song Chi found himself noticing a gray mist spreading throughout the ancestral hall.
Song Chi knew exactly what this was, having seen it a few times before. It was a special gray fog the family ancestral hall produced, able to fully block out outside surveillance and prying eyes.
Once the gray mist filled the entire hall, Song Wujian finally spoke.
“Xiaochi, don’t fight it!”
Before he could even react, a massive surge of power locked onto Song Chi. His mind suddenly went blank as an unknown, bizarre energy forcefully invaded his sea of consciousness.
Deep in his brow, whether it was the silver Torch Seed, the phantom Secret Arts Inheritance Stele above it, or the Shadow Puppet apparition, all three began to tremble violently, desperately fighting off and rejecting the foreign energy.
It wasn’t Song Chi resisting—it was a natural, instinctive defense of all three objects.
But remembering what the Elder had just said, “Don’t resist,” Song Chi quickly shifted gears, beginning to actively calm the Torch Seed, Secret Arts Stele, and Shadow Puppet.
With his soothing influence, the three finally stopped resisting, letting the strange energy pour into the Torch Ancestral Orifice.
As he both reassured them and observed, Song Chi realized all the special energy entering his ancestral orifice was gathering around the Torch Seed at its center.
Then, that silver Torch Seed became wrapped in the energy, which condensed into a phantom hall he found strangely familiar.
“Stone pillars and chairs… Isn’t this the ancestral hall’s shadow?”
As he muttered to himself, the vision of the ancestral hall finished taking shape. Just like the Secret Arts Inheritance Stele and the Shadow Puppet, it remained incorporeal, but the protection it offered the Torch Seed was on another level.
Where the Stele and Shadow Puppet only hovered above the Torch Seed, this phantom ancestral hall completely surrounded it. The whole structure was like a fortress, guarding the Torch Seed from every direction.
Before he could study it further, a flash of light crossed Song Chi’s eyes—one only he could perceive.
An attribute panel appeared before him!
[Oddity: Dragon Whale Hall]
[Grade: Black / Incomplete]
[Effects: {Mind Hall} {Starlight Projection} {Insight Enhancement} {Chaos Mist} {Stellar Throne} {Ancient Whale’s Fall}… ]
[Restoration (three times): 0/100 (Primal Chaos Qi)]
[Note: This miraculous Oddity was birthed from a grade-eight Dragon Spine Dominator Whale over a million years and later bathed in grade-eight source blood. However, it is not yet whole.]
Song Chi’s eyes went wide as a realization struck him.
But before he could speak, Song Wujian’s voice rang out again.
“You always wondered about those two wisps of Primal Chaos Qi, right? Well… they were used on our family’s Dragon Whale Hall.”
Song Chi looked up, about to ask something.
But before he could, another voice sounded—this time it was Song Xingru.
“Dragon Whale Hall was something our ancestor found over three thousand years ago while exploring a foreign domain. Back then, the ancestor was just a Third Stage Cruiser Captain. That stroke of luck gave birth to the Calm-Sea Dragon-Xiang and paved the way for our Song Family’s rise.”
Song Chi’s mind raced.
“Elder, so the Secret Arts Inheritance Stele, the Dominator Whale’s Mech Blueprint—those came from this too?”
“Of course!”
After hearing this, Song Chi could hardly contain himself.
He’d always considered himself lucky.
Never mind the Omniverse Market, just the Three-Eyed Clan Imperial Flagship and that small black hole in the Mixed Sky Domain—those two finds alone outshone what 99% of Torch Captains could ever hope for.
But compared to what the ancestor, Song Wujian, encountered, all that luck was nothing.
From the Dragon Whale Hall’s description, it was obvious the ancestor had stumbled upon the aftermath of the Dominator Whale’s death in a foreign domain—a grade-eight cosmic beast.
And there was no mistaking it—the Dragon Whale Hall was extraordinary. Even incomplete, it was a black-grade supreme Oddity. That made Song Chi think of just one phrase: Mythic Color.
If Dragon Whale Hall truly reached Mythic Color rank, Song Chi couldn’t even imagine its value.
Seeing his dumbfounded expression, Song Wujian gave a light chuckle, then spoke casually:
“Alright, don’t just stand there—come take a seat on the Stellar Throne!”
Song Chi nodded, letting his whole body surge with spectral energy as he floated upward.
When he finally settled into one of the bronze chairs, his eyes gleamed with intensity.
“This is… an insight buff?”
Song Chi could feel his mind becoming incredibly clear, his spirit so much more vibrant than before. Even his affinity for the nearby traces of space and light laws around the ancestral hall was noticeably amplified.
Of course, the boost was significant, but compared to Dual Pupils or high-grade Primeval Pocket Realms, it still didn’t quite stack up.
“When we last restored the Dragon Whale Hall, the Stellar Throne had only thirty seats, and every one was occupied. It was impossible to free up a seat. But just recently, with those two wisps of Primal Chaos Qi from the Doomstar civilization, we got enough for a second restoration—the throne count jumped to one hundred. Don’t get any ideas, Xiaochi.”
The Stellar Throne did improve fundamental law perception, especially valuable to someone at the third stage. Noticing Song Chi’s thoughts, Song Xingru took the initiative to explain.
Song Chi just shook his head, unconcerned.
In fact, what really intrigued him was whether the Stellar Throne could be summoned outside. If it worked in the Market, combined with Dual Pupils, the Market’s own bonuses, and the Enlightenment Mat, his law comprehension would soar to another level.
On top of that, he wondered what the Ancient Whale’s Fall effect actually did.
He’d more or less figured out the other five effects already.
{Insight Enhancement}, {Stellar Throne}, {Mind Hall}, and {Chaos Mist} spoke for themselves. As for Starlight Projection, Song Chi guessed it allowed distant clan elders to project themselves into the ancestral hall for major meetings, even if they were off exploring other star domains.
“Elder, what exactly does ‘Ancient Whale’s Fall’ do?”
Song Chi didn’t bother to hide his curiosity and asked directly.
Seated above him, Song Wujian replied softly:
“Think of it as the final attack from an ancient Dragon Whale’s true spirit. When activated, it unleashes a devastating blow.”
“But this attack can only be used within the Dragon-Spine Continent—it’s the family’s ultimate defense.”
Understanding all this, Song Chi’s eyes shone with satisfaction.
Regardless of the Dragon Whale Hall’s true rank, it now perfectly shored up the mental side of his defenses. With the supreme black-grade Dragon Whale Hall protecting him, no outside threat could easily shake his spirit.
……
Up in the Dragon-Spine sky, Song Chi started the Heavenly Ruin’s battleship advancement mission, sandwiched right between two dreadnoughts.
Starting from 0.01%, Song Chi loaded in resources: Millennia Ice Mother Stone, grade-six Doomstar source blood, grade-six peak Evil God Blood, ordinary Doomstar Sovereign Blood…
Soon enough, the advancement mission’s success rate rose to an impressive level.
[Battleship Advancement Mission (Heavenly Ruin)]
[Current Advancement Success Rate: 37.01%]
[Special Advancement Resource Recipe (2/2): Millennia Ice Mother Stone x1, Intermediate Space Law Crystal x1]
[Additional Advancement Resources: Grade-six Doomstar Source Blood (14%), Grade-six Peak Evil God Blood (12%), Regular Sovereign Blood (1%)]
[Baptism in Alien Blood: None]
He hadn’t even started the blood baptism, but the chance of success had already reached 37%. For regular Torch Captains, hitting a success rate like that would be unthinkable.
But for Song Chi, it was nowhere near enough. Battleship advancement offered no do-overs—if you failed, you lost everything.
As for that special component Corpse Dog once mentioned, which could let a battleship survive a failed upgrade, Song Chi didn’t bother to ask.
It wasn’t that he felt awkward about it—someone had already asked before. The component didn’t belong to Corpse Dog, anyway. He’d borrowed it from a friend and returned it long ago.
Once he explained, everyone at Yaoguang Star Tower understood—even though Corpse Dog could borrow it again, it just didn’t feel right to take a friend’s item and lend it out.
No one at the Yaoguang Star Tower doubted this. Knowing Corpse Dog’s personality, if it had been his own, he’d have lent it to everyone in the tower by now.