Chapter 424: Inferno of the Micro Neutron Star

Without missing a beat, the Bind‑God Chains–Pseudo component locked on successfully, and Song Chi activated the Neutron‑Star Fission trait.

Since the Neutron‑Star Core Armor upgraded to silver quality, this trait seldom triggered. Now, this sudden change drove the micro neutron star’s power to its limit.

Sizzle!

The first to suffer wasn’t the micro black star ahead, but the alloy chains spawned by the Bind‑God Chains–Pseudo component. Under tens of millions of degrees, even orange‑rank chains couldn’t withstand it.

After the chains melted, Changsun Wu’s flagship’s silver energy shield bore the brunt.

Its shield had already taken heavy damage from Song Chi’s earlier attacks, and since Changsun Wu had just snapped out of time stasis, he’d only activated the hull armor’s protection without repairs. The shield overloaded almost as quickly as the chains did.

Next came the black star form of Changsun Wu’s ship.

Though both are relics of the pre‑multiverse era, the black star paled before a neutron star—an extreme entity that rivals black holes.

Sizzle!

The fierce sizzle echoed as the black star’s dark rock surface vaporized at high speed.

In under two seconds, nearly half the black star melted away in that terrifying heat.

But that was the peak. Once Heavenly Ruin exited micro neutron star mode, the extreme heat faded—it spikes only at the outset.

Voluntarily exiting that form, Song Chi pressed on.

Restricted by the anti‑magic domain from using most traits, he shifted Heavenly Ruin into Mythical Mech Form. The Silver Dragon Spear in its mech arm slashed repeatedly across the half‑melted black star’s surface.

He continued until it reverted to warship form and lost all mobility.

With his objective achieved, Song Chi ceased his attack.

Everyone tacitly accepted that as the limit. Crossing it would’ve drawn objections not just from the Right Heir Branch but from every line of the Changsun family.

Intentional or not, as the Silver Dragon Spear retracted, Heavenly Ruin’s mech head turned to gaze at the Chilong Floating Isle below.

At the same moment, the hologram above Heavenly Thunder Plaza froze on that very image of the mech giant’s gaze shifting their way.

It was pure theater by Song Chi—meeting every VIP’s eyes in the plaza and slapping the Right Heir Branch with a blatant show of force. The senior members’ faces turned sour.

Soon the projection vanished, but the plaza’s atmosphere remained tense.

Then an ally of Cui Yulong and the Qinghe Cui Family stepped forward, laughing:

“What a thrilling battle! But that prodigy from Yaoguang Star Tower clearly outshone him. Yulong, we old geezers need to see you in action next time!”

“Absolutely. Defeating a direct heir of the Changsun family face‑to‑face—that strength speaks volumes!”

Their banter didn’t need words to dismiss the Right Heir Branch as inconsequential.

After all, Changsun Wu came from that branch.

Elsewhere on the Chilong Floating Isle, in Chilong City…

As Heavenly Ruin returned, on the rooftop of the Tiger‑Dragon Arena, the Tang Dynasty’s Second Prince waited with a smile.

When Song Chi and Cui Ze emerged, Li Chengxuan’s grin grew wider.

“Brother Jingzhe, congratulations. Looks like the spoils already have an owner.”

With that, he tossed Song Chi two boxes of Sixth‑Rank Moon Springs, the Pulsar Energy Shield, and a ten‑kilogram chunk of Hunyuan Copper.

Song Chi accepted without hesitation. With Changsun Wu’s ship disabled in space, the victor was undisputed.

After stashing everything in his Torch Ancestral Orifice and storage capsule, Song Chi and Cui Ze had no reason to linger. After this battle and several days of travel, Cui Ze only wanted to return to Yumei Courtyard.

At that moment, Li Chengxuan spoke up again.

“Brother Jingzhe, I hear you’re collecting Fifth‑Rank Void Crystals, Dense Black‑Hole Stones, and Void‑Escape Stones?”

Song Chi paused and turned, replying:

“Yes. Your Highness, do you have those resources?”

As a contemporary Second Prince of the Li Tang royal Family, his power—Cui Ze said—surpassed Changsun Wu’s by far. He must have rare items.

Li Chengxuan considered for a moment, then nodded.

“I don’t have Dense Black‑Hole Stones or Void‑Escape Stones, but I do have a few Fifth‑Rank Void Crystals.”

He produced four translucent crystal cores from his robes—Fifth‑Rank Void Crystals.

Song Chi offered a Sixth‑Rank Floating-land Origin in exchange, but Li Chengxuan shook his head.

“Tell me, Brother Jingzhe, would you part with those Sixth‑Rank Moon Springs?”

Without hesitation, Song Chi shook his head.

He only had two, destined for the Progenitor; he couldn’t trade them away.

With a Sixth‑Rank Moon Spring and the Tri‑Eye Spirit‑Lock Ring, the Calm‑Sea Dragon‑Xiang could attempt a Seventh‑Rank breakthrough anytime. Failure wouldn’t be too costly for the three‑thousand‑year‑old Song Wujian, who could rebuild another flagship.

Each Sixth‑Rank Moon Spring was a trial for the Song Family’s future bid into the Immortal Gate families—key to their rise. External trade wasn’t an option.

Li Chengxuan wasn’t surprised and didn’t press further, but asked:

“Do you have any Fifth‑Rank Moon Springs?”

As a Second Prince of the Li Tang royal Family, he was confident of breaking into Fifth‑Rank Battleship Captain next.

But reaching Sixth‑Rank Dreadnought Captain was another matter.

The Tang Li Family, a powerhouse far stronger than the Changsun family, had an almost unimaginable population. They never lacked Dreadnought Captains; the leadership focused on star‑destroyer talent.

Although Li Chengxuan excelled in the past two hundred years, in ten thousand years of heritage he wasn’t standout.

Thus the Li Family wouldn’t allocate many resources to him—his potential to become a star‑destroyer captain seemed limited.

That’s why he wanted a Fifth‑Rank Moon Spring: it’d give him another shot at Sixth‑Rank, instead of losing family support after failure.

Once he reached Sixth‑Rank, he could explore most of the shattered star sea—and still aim for star‑destroyer captain.

Song Chi thought for a moment, then said:

“One Fifth‑Rank Moon Spring for four Fifth‑Rank Void Crystals?”

“Exactly!”

Li Chengxuan nodded, and Song Chi handed over his Fifth‑Rank Moon Spring to seal the deal.

Song Chi’s logic was simple: if the tribe behind that Fourth‑Rank Night Elf could spare two Sixth‑Rank Moon Springs, they’d have even more Fifth‑Rank ones. Getting more later wouldn’t be hard.

Plus, a Fifth‑Rank Moon Spring was worth a red‑epic component, while four Fifth‑Rank Void Crystals equated to four strands of Sixth‑Rank Floating-land Origin—far more valuable.

With the trade complete, both parties were pleased.

After parting with Li Chengxuan, the two quickly headed back to Yumei Courtyard.

The next day, after days of busyness, Cui Yulong finally reappeared.

Her first words praised Song Chi highly.

“Jingzhe, you did well—gave the Right Heir Branch a good slap and earned your sister a lot of face.”

With that, she produced hundreds of space‑infused stones—the Void‑Escape Stones she’d promised.

After Song Chi accepted them, Cui Yulong shot a glare at the hunched Cui Ze. As the Changsun Family’s renowned strongwoman, she’d learned the whole story from her subordinates.

She knew the conflict stemmed from her nephew. If not for Song Chi’s strength, Cui Ze would’ve been crushed by the Tiger‑Dragon Arena.

But now Song Chi defended Cui Ze.

“Sister Yulong, no need to blame him. The Right Heir’s spies are everywhere. Unless you never leave Yumei Courtyard, they’ll always find reasons to pick on you.”

Cui Ze nodded fervently beside him.

Seeing Cui Yulong’s intention to forgive, Song Chi continued:

“Now that it’s settled and you’re done here, should I head back to the Star Tower?”

Cui Yulong frowned, then glared at Song Chi.

“Why the rush? The old man’s grand birthday starts in two days. There’ll be plenty of good things at the feast. Are you sure you want to leave?”

At that, Song Chi’s eyes lit up.

“Of course not! I’ll follow Sister Yulong’s arrangements!”

Two days flew by.

In that time, Song Chi upgraded the Divine Realm Task Platform to Rank Four. But to officially launch it, he needed Rank Six—anything less would undermine the Omniverse Market’s prestige.

The Chilong Floating Isle buzzed nonstop. Every day dozens of Torch warships descended from the sky—mostly Zhulu‑class Cruisers. Song Chi saw at least five hundred of them. It was staggering.

Even the entire Morningstar Duchy probably didn’t have that many cruisers, and that was only a fraction of the banquet’s guests.

That alone revealed the immense gap between the realms.

After that reflection, Song Chi turned back.

With the Yaohan Kingdom’s Grand Expansion War in full swing, he believed Morningstar Duchy’s territory would swell massively. On its current diameter under thirty thousand light‑years, doubling or even tripling wouldn’t be an exaggeration.

Though still far from the Tang Dynasty’s two‑point‑four‑million‑light‑year span, he trusted his own strength would rise in this war.

On the third day, the Changsun Family’s Ancient Progenitor, Changsun Wuyong’s hundred‑thousand‑year grand birthday officially began.

After the feast, Song Chi’s horizons expanded again.

At the head table, besides Changsun Wuyong, an Eighth‑Rank Progenitor of the Li royal Family appeared, flanked by twelve Seventh‑Rank star‑destroyer captains.

Sixth‑Rank Dreadnought Captains numbered over a hundred, with Battleship and Cruiser Captains even more numerous—a sight that shook Song Chi.

Thanks to his status as a member of Yaoguang Star Tower and Cui Yulong’s advocacy, his seat—though full of young talents—ranked equal to a Sixth‑Rank Dreadnought Captain.

Don’t underestimate that rank—each tier received distinct dishes.

For example, the braised elephant hoof dish: Battleship Captains got Fourth‑Rank Aranya Ancient Elephant hooves, Cruiser Captains got Third‑Rank, but Song Chi’s seat received Fifth‑Rank Aranya Ancient Elephant hooves.

Though not a space giant, the Aranya Ancient Elephant’s lineage was extraordinary, and its hooves significantly enhanced the consumer’s physique—the higher the rank, the stronger the effect.

Just that one dish gave Song Chi a noticeable physical boost.

And beyond that, every course at his seat was exceptional.

By the banquet’s end, Song Chi’s Guiding Technique had shot from the start of level 41 to its peak, brushing up against level 42.

The greatest gain was his physique. Since absorbing all the Evil God Essence, his mental power had exploded to require thirty‑four simultaneous functions, straining his body—this feast completely resolved the issue. Even further mental gains posed no problem now.

Moreover, after this enhancement, Song Chi felt he was on the brink of qualifying for an Advanced Bloodline Baptism.

After the feast, he wasted no time and had Cui Yulong escort him back to Yaoguang Star Tower.

Battles in the Chaos Sector were still raging; he couldn’t stay long in the Tang Dynasty.

Back on Dragon‑Spine Continent, he first visited the Omniverse Market.

At the Fourth‑Rank Bloodline Baptism Platform, he watched the floating information with a smile.

Genetic Bloodline Talent: 70

Bloodline Baptism Compatibility: 88

He was only two points below the 90‑point threshold for an Advanced Bloodline Baptism. That was truly cause for celebration.