Chapter 138: Tier 6 Blueprint (4th Update)

Virtual Universe, Rainscape Mountain, Public Area.

Jiang Chen was relaxing in a bar, sipping a drink. While it is important to seize every moment to improve oneself, a mind kept in a state of constant tension will eventually reach its breaking point. Every so often, Jiang Chen would take a break to unwind and dissolve his fatigue before diving back into his studies and research.

In the Virtual Universe, the public area bars became Jiang Chen’s favorite place to pass the time. After all, consumption in the Virtual Universe is far cheaper than in reality. A bottle of top-tier vintage that he would hesitate to purchase in the real world could be enjoyed frequently here. Aside from lacking the physical benefits of cleansing or tempering the body, the taste, the mouthfeel, and the sensation of light intoxication or deep drunkenness were identical. Yet, the price was less than one percent of the original. In terms of pure enjoyment, the cost-effectiveness was incredibly high.

Suddenly, the door to his private booth was knocked. Luo Feng’s voice came from outside: "Chen, are you in there?"

"Luo Feng?" Jiang Chen was surprised. He opened the door, invited Luo Feng inside, handed him a glass, and asked, "How did you know I was here?"

"This private room is so expensive—a minimum spend of one Hunyuan unit per session, and it’s in the Virtual Universe! You’re the only one who would splurge on this so often; it’s practically your exclusive booth!" Luo Feng didn't stand on ceremony. He picked up the bottle, took one look, and immediately revealed a look of pleasant surprise. "Is this the 'Ancient Thunder Wine' from the Savage Universe Kingdom? This is top-tier stuff! In reality, a bottle would cost hundreds of Hunyuan units. Even in the Virtual Universe, it’s not something the average person can afford to drink."

With that, Luo Feng hurriedly poured himself a glass, downed it, and immediately squinted his eyes, looking completely satisfied. After a long moment, he opened his eyes and sighed, "This wine feels like it has strands of lightning in it. There’s a slight numbing sensation upon entering the throat, but it’s not uncomfortable—on the contrary, it’s incredibly pleasant! No wonder it sells for so much; this taste alone is supreme enjoyment."

Only then did Jiang Chen look at Luo Feng and ask, "Aren't you in a mission world? And a dangerous-level one at that? Aren't you afraid of running into trouble in reality by splitting your focus to enter the Virtual Universe?"

Not long after entering the secret realm, Luo Feng had accepted his first training mission: to travel to the 'Blood Luo World.' Several years had passed, and Luo Feng was still there. For the core secret realms of the five major powers, the 'mission worlds' for Universe-level geniuses are often vast and extremely dangerous. Spending several years or even decades in one is considered normal. In extreme cases, some geniuses have spent over a thousand years in a single mission world before emerging. Luo Feng had been in the Blood Luo World for less than a decade, so his continued presence was normal.

Jiang Chen had heard from Luo Feng earlier that he had discovered some secrets in the Blood Luo World and intended to stay a while longer to reap the benefits. Although Luo Feng hadn't been specific, Jiang Chen knew he had likely uncovered the mystery of the 'Blood Luo Crystals.' These items weren't particularly rare on the Blood Luo World—Domain Lords had a high chance of obtaining them. But in the outside world, they were treasures coveted even by King-level Immortals and Universe Venerables. Such 'secrets' were essentially opportunities left by the five major powers for the geniuses of the core secret realms. However, no detailed guidance was provided. If you wanted to find them, you had to explore these mission worlds one by one; if you could discover the deep secrets and had the skill to obtain the treasures and return alive, that was your ability. If you died in the process, that was just your bad luck.

"I found a safe spot recently, so I'm planning to train for a while," Luo Feng said, looking at Jiang Chen. "Chen, what have you been busy with lately? You don't take on training missions, you don't attend the public lectures by Immortal tutors, and you just stay in the Primordial Secret Realm..."

Luo Feng was very confused. It had been nearly ten years since they emerged from the Initial Universe and returned to their respective secret realms. Other geniuses from their batch, after digesting their thirty years of insights from Chaos City, had begun entering various mission worlds to hone their skills and seek opportunities for growth. But Jiang Chen seemed completely unhurried, staying in his manor the entire time. He hadn't even attended a single public lecture in the Rainscape Mountain area where Immortal beings offered guidance on various systems. While Luo Feng knew Jiang Chen’s cultivation path was unique and differed from theirs, he couldn't understand how this 'working behind closed doors' could possibly improve one's strength.

"It's not that I'm not going to the mission worlds; it’s just that my path is different from yours, and the preparations I need to make are more complex," Jiang Chen explained briefly, then added, "It won't be long. In a few days, or at most a month or two, my mechanical legion will be complete. Once that's done, I'll go to the mission worlds to train and venture out as well."

Honing and venturing were not the end goals; obtaining the resources within the mission worlds was what Jiang Chen cared about most. Of course, there was no need to tell others these details.

"Oh! I see," Luo Feng nodded. He didn't pry further, only saying, "If you don't mind the distance, you can come to the 'Blood Luo World.' There are good things here."

"I know," Jiang Chen nodded. He hesitated, then reminded him, "Blood Luo Crystals are good things. If you are confident, try to get as many as you can."

In the original story, there was no explicit explanation, but from subtle hints, Jiang Chen guessed that the Blood Luo Crystals were related to the 'Natural Beast Gods.' It was highly likely they were related to the 'Gold and Space' Beast God, which explained the high compatibility with Luo Feng's 'Golden Horned Behemoth.' Anything involving a natural-born Universe Master, even if they had already fallen, was an incredibly precious resource. Only Universe-level training missions offered a chance to obtain them for free. Once one broke through the Universe level and left the core secret realm, the price to obtain Blood Luo Crystals would be exorbitant—if they could be bought at all. Jiang Chen wasn't sure if he needed them, but for Luo Feng, they were undoubtedly treasures of immense value.

"I understand," Luo Feng nodded. He didn't ask how Jiang Chen knew this, but silently decided to follow his advice. Ever since they became martial artists together on Earth, although Jiang Chen often acted mysterious and only said half of what he meant, he had never once led Luo Feng astray. Whenever Jiang Chen acted this way, following his lead always resulted in significant gains. Over time, Luo Feng had grown accustomed to this dynamic. There was no need to get to the bottom of it; he just had to do as Jiang Chen said. Such trust was rare and precious among the strong in the universe.

The two stopped talking about cultivation and began chatting about trivial matters, drinking as they spoke. When the session ended, they parted ways.

Returning to his 'Research Center,' the main hall was filled with the 'Void Dragon Mecha,' most of which was already structured, with only a few details left to perfect. After nearly ten years, this 'super mecha' was finally nearing completion in Jiang Chen's hands. Unlike the [Gundam], although the 'Void Dragon Mecha' contained a massive amount of metal and mechanical structure, the entire machine looked as if it were a living creature. Beyond the 'Void Dragon Bones,' there were vast amounts of biological tissue interspersed between the metal and mechanical components. The entire mecha looked like a monster that was half-mechanical and half-flesh.

"Only the final 'Construct Reinforcement' remains."

Jiang Chen took out three magical pens. These objects did not exist in the Swallowing Starry Sky universe; they were designed and created by Jiang Chen himself based on his knowledge of Arcane Technology, specifically for drawing magical constructs. In a world dominated by arcane arts or magic, these pens would at least count as 'Legendary Equipment.' The materials for the constructs had already been prepared by his clones, 'Uchiha Shisui' and 'Ursor.'

The three clones picked up the magical pens simultaneously, drawing profound and complex magical patterns onto the surface of the massive mecha. The process wasn't long, but it required absolute focus. Even a microscopic error—a billion times thinner than a human hair—would cause the effectiveness of the entire construct to diminish drastically, or even render it completely useless. However, with Jiang Chen’s strength, controlling his body wasn't an issue; the only challenge was patience and focus. Maintaining such extreme precision for long periods was a massive drain, even for a Universe-level being. It wasn't a drain on Force or spiritual power, but on mental energy. Even in the Virtual Universe, where he could recover his state at any time, the mental fatigue was something the system couldn't fix. Every day or so, Jiang Chen had to rest until he was fully recovered before continuing.

Five days later, the moment the final stroke was completed, a dark red light flashed across the surface of the mecha before immediately fading. A system prompt appeared before Jiang Chen:

[Design Blueprint (Magic Construct - Tier 6) completed. Please name this blueprint.]
[Design Blueprint (Mecha/Biological Mecha - Tier 6) completed. Please name this blueprint.]

A flash of joy crossed Jiang Chen's eyes. Without hesitation, he input the names into his consciousness.

[Your blueprint 'Dragon's Sigh' has passed system rating and has been added to the blueprint library.]
[Based on the blueprint rating, you have received 50,000 expertise points and 40 free attribute points.]
[Your blueprint 'Void Dragon Mecha' has passed system rating and has been added to the blueprint library.]
[Based on the blueprint rating, you have received 50,000 expertise points and 40 free attribute points.]

Two Tier 6 blueprints, 100,000 expertise points, and 80 free attribute points! Jiang Chen was pleasantly surprised. Although he had guessed that the rating would reach Tier 6 and the rewards would be more generous than Tier 5, such a windfall still exceeded his expectations. 100,000 expertise points meant Jiang Chen could redeem one or several powerful perks to significantly increase his strength or potential. And the 80 free attribute points would push his stats even higher. While the latter wasn't as enticing as the expertise points, increasing his base stats was always a good thing.

He distributed the 80 points in a 30, 30, 20 ratio across Intelligence, Spirit, and Charisma. Jiang Chen opened the perk interface and began searching.

"I'll test the mecha in a while. If there are no issues, I'll redeem the treasures and resources to build a 'Void Dragon Mecha' in reality. Once it's built, it will be time to head to the mission worlds for adventure. In this situation, increasing immediate combat effectiveness is more important than increasing potential."

"Then I'll redeem perks that boost combat effectiveness. Hmm, prioritize those that boost the overall combat power of the mechanical legion."

After making his decision, Jiang Chen quickly selected two perks after comparing them:

[Mechanical Analysis Insight]: Every time a 'Mechanical' blueprint is mastered, Mechanical Affinity +1%.
(Redemption cost: 66,666 expertise points.)

[Mechanical Power Overload]: When actively triggered, it consumes a large amount of mental energy to force directly controlled mechanical units into an 'Overload' state, significantly boosting performance but severely reducing the units' lifespan. The magnitude of the boost depends on Intelligence, Mechanical Affinity, and the tier of the mechanical unit.
(Redemption cost: 58,888 expertise points.)

Both perks were massive boosts to the mechanical legion's strength. The effects of [Mechanical Power Overload] hadn't been tested, so it was hard to say how effective it would be, but judging by the cost, it certainly wouldn't be bad. Among the perks offered by the system, there were few that required active triggering like 'Innate Secret Techniques,' but each was incredibly powerful, far exceeding 'passive perks' of the same price.

[Mechanical Analysis Insight] was simple and brutal—it directly boosted the 'Mechanical Affinity' attribute. The more 'Mechanical' blueprints he mastered, the higher his Mechanical Affinity would be. Jiang Chen had already redeemed every blueprint he could from the system library, as they were free anyway. Even he didn't know exactly how many he had mastered. Even when strictly limited to the 'Mechanical' category, the number of blueprints he possessed was staggering.

After redeeming this perk, Jiang Chen's 'Mechanical Affinity' stat surged from over 7,000 to over 58,000—a total increase of 51,503 points! This meant that mechanical units directly controlled by Jiang Chen would see their stats boosted by 515.03 times! A 500-fold increase meant that a [Gundam] mecha, with the combat power of a Domain Lord (Level 9), could even clash with a weaker Immortal!

Of course, the Mechanical Affinity boost had its limitations: it only applied to mechanical units that Jiang Chen was 'directly controlling'—meaning he had to use his spiritual consciousness to convert them into a 'digitized' mode. No matter how much he split his focus, there was a limit to the number of mechanical units he could control simultaneously; it was impossible to spread this to his entire mechanical legion. But even if only a small portion received the boost, a 500-fold surge in attributes was terrifying.