Swallowing the Stars: Reboot, The Eternal Serpent!

Chapter 4 Divine Crystal! (Two chapters combined, please add to your favorites and vote!)

Jiang Wu's naiveté was just a facade; he was still reliable. He comforted his sister, saying, "Don't worry, Xiao Zhe is still far from perfect."

"He's too slow. It's not easy to improve his speed. The 25m/s limit can hold him back for a while."

"Even with our guidance, it would probably take at least a week or two to see results, right? Grandpa and the others should be back by then, and they'll have their own headaches to figure out how to teach Xiao Zhe."

Jiang Sisi thought it made sense, nodded, and breathed a sigh of relief.

Their concerns are understandable.

The main concern is that if Jiang Zhe cultivates genetic energy, it might stimulate his mental power to awaken, and if the awakening fails, Jiang Zhe could be turned into an idiot or a vegetable by the uncontrolled mental power, or even worse, die from bleeding from all seven orifices.

They were the ones who triggered the accident, and they will feel guilty for the rest of their lives.

Jiang Zhe was unaware of his cousins' concerns. Standing in front of the boxing pad, he pricked up his ears to eavesdrop on their conversation, muttering to himself, "Sometimes it's good for men to go a little slower..."

"Xiao Zhe, come over and test your speed." Jiang Wu patted the speed tester that had just been turned on next to him and called out loudly.

"Here I am. Maybe I can become a quasi-martial artist tonight."

Jiang Zhe chuckled, rubbing his hands together in anticipation. He walked onto the track and, upon receiving Jiang Wu's signal, darted off like a cheetah.

The track is 60 meters long, with a speed measuring device at the back half, and the speed measuring area is around it.

In the blink of an eye, Jiang Zhe accelerated to his maximum speed, his legs powerfully pushing off the ground, and he shot past like an arrow, creating a gust of wind with a "whoosh".

After passing the test area, it naturally slowed down and came to a stop.

"Second brother, how much?" Jiang Zhe asked expectantly, calming his breathing.

"24.5 m/s!"

Jiang Wu gave a thumbs up, "Haha, not bad, just a little more effort and you'll cross the line."

"That doesn't make sense," Jiang Zhe muttered to himself, walking over to the screen to take a look. The numbers displayed were indeed as his second brother had said.

It's not that I'm upset about not being able to break through the limit of a quasi-martial artist—that was bound to happen sooner or later—but rather that the improvement compared to this morning was too small.

It's worth noting that Luo Feng's last headache before becoming a quasi-martial artist actually increased his speed by 5 m/s.

Jiang Sisi also came over and comforted him, "Xiao Zhe, you are still young, and this is the time when your physical fitness will improve the most. As long as you pay more attention to the power generation techniques when running, you should be able to reach the standard in one to two weeks of training."

Jiang Zhe was enlightened by his cousin's words and finally understood the reason.

Yes, it's a difference in skills!

I have never paid attention to the technique of exerting force. I have only relied on brute force to run and have not made full use of my physical fitness!

"I understand, second brother, let's try again."

As he spoke, Jiang Zhe walked towards the starting line of the track, studying his cousin's movements and analyzing her leg power techniques.

The two siblings exchanged a glance, and Jiang Wu shrugged, saying, "You seem to have been too talkative again."

He casually turned on the speed tester for Jiang Zhe.

Jiang Sisi: "..."

My damned tendency to be a know-it-all!

Jiang Zhe started running on the track, but this time he stumbled and his speed dropped to 22m/s, which was even worse than his time in the morning.

Jiang Zhe didn't care and continued running for the third, fourth, fifth time...

"21.2 m/s!"

"22.6 m/s!"

"20.3 m/s!"

"23.4 m/s!"

……

After several attempts, he still couldn't break through the number he had just tested, but Jiang Zhe's eyes went from confused and thoughtful to increasingly bright.

He felt he was about to grasp that mysterious "little tail," and his legs became lighter and more agile, making him run with increasing ease.

"23.8 m/s!"

……

"24.9 m/s!"

"25.6 m/s!"

Finally, the dust has settled, and the boundary of quasi-martial artist has been broken!

Jiang Sisi hesitated, her lips trembling, as if she wanted to say something but couldn't.

Jiang Wu understood her thoughts and immediately made the decision: "Alright, let's give him the 'Gene Primal Energy Cultivation Method' later. We must trust Xiao Zhe; he will successfully awaken, and he will definitely become the number one mentalist on Earth in the future!"

"Of course, he has to ask us for it; if he doesn't want it, we won't give it to him voluntarily," Jiang Wu added.

"……All right."

After a long silence, Jiang Sisi agreed.

Jiang Zhe paid no attention to his cousins' conversation, immersing himself in his own world as he ran back and forth on the track.

Jiang Wu and his sister stared at the constantly updating numbers on the speedometer screen as if they'd seen a ghost—"25.9 m/s, 26.7 m/s, 27.3 m/s..."

The final speed recorded was 29.9 m/s!

It's not that they can't climb up, it's that Jiang Zhe has stopped running.

Jiang Zhe lay on the cold alloy floor, panting heavily, the exhilarating feeling making him burst into laughter.

Jiang Wu chuckled sheepishly, "Oh no, could he really be a genius?"

Jiang Sisi rolled her eyes at him. "You're bringing up old jokes from the last generation now?"

"Hehe, good wine needs no aging." Jiang Wu rarely joked, and walked over to help Jiang Zhe up. "Are you alright? Still have energy? Want to test your reflexes again?"

"How can a real man say he can't? Come on, second brother, let's continue!"

The two brothers, arm in arm, walked toward the "Neural Response Testing Room" that connected to the martial arts training hall.

"There shouldn't be any suspense anymore..." Jiang Sisi murmured to herself as she watched the two figures disappear into the distance. She turned and left the training hall to find the butler and prepare a surprise for Jiang Zhe.

……

"Hit 42 times within 60 seconds, without touching the red light, advanced!"

"Your evaluation is above 'qualified,' which meets the standard for a prospective martial artist. From now on, Xiao Zhe, you are a prospective martial artist!"

Jiang Wu announced the results with a smile, feeling as if he had witnessed a miracle.

My younger brother Jiang Zhe's achievements are absolutely unprecedented and will be recorded in history. He only had one day of exposure to martial arts and yet he completed the leap from intermediate student to quasi-martial artist.

It's important to understand that a large portion of people in this society are still stuck at the threshold of becoming a quasi-martial artist by the age of 30.

"Xiao Zhe, shall we continue?" Jiang Wu asked encouragingly.

Jiang Zhe smiled and shook his head, "No, I've reached my limit for now. I still need to work on my movement techniques."

The reason I was able to achieve those results was entirely due to the powerful calculation ability brought by my talent as a mentalist, and the "chicken-shaped step" that I learned from my cousin.

Jiang Zhe was very self-aware; when it came to basic movement skills, he had absolutely none.

For the first sixteen years, I was busy studying the scriptures of sages and saints, refining my mind, and finding a path of self-cultivation that suited me.

Secondly, it's about nourishing the body and improving physical fitness.

There was no rush to practice the techniques.

The martial arts techniques in this world are different from those in my previous life. The core lies in the application of power, so it is more appropriate to learn them after becoming a martial artist.

"Haha, it's good that you have a plan. Starting tomorrow, you'll practice martial arts with me and Sisi. We'll teach you." Jiang Wu patted Jiang Zhe's shoulder with a smile.

Jiang Zhe nodded in agreement.

This is the advantage of being born into a large family; you'll never lack mentors.

"By the way, second brother, can I read 'The Genetic Energy Cultivation Method' now?"

"Want to watch it now?"

"Yes, I can't wait!"

"Haha, come with me to the ninth floor. Try your best to succeed in your cultivation soon, and give Grandpa and the others a big surprise when they come back!"

……

In the audio-visual room on the ninth floor of the alloy tower, Jiang Zhe saw the only gene energy cultivation method on Earth—the Five Hearts Towards Heaven Cultivation Method!

Jiang Zhe tried hard to remember the key points of the article.

Jiang Wu explained to him what gene energy is and how to cultivate gene energy more efficiently.

Among them were suggestions on making good use of "slag", and also mentioned guiding techniques and gravity cultivation methods.

"Second brother, why don't you just give me the guiding technique too?"

"No, no." Jiang Wu shook his head repeatedly.

"Our family has two sets of guiding techniques, along with five different types of main cultivation manuals: three offensive, one movement, and one special. Which cultivation combination you choose is a decision you'll need to make together with your grandfather; I wouldn't dare presume to make it up to you."

Jiang Zhe pleaded twice more, but Jiang Wu still wouldn't budge, so he had no choice but to give up.

"Xiao Zhe, to officially register as a martial artist, you still need to undergo a practical combat test. You must fight a monster to the death, and even members of our Jiang family cannot be exempted from this. If you can't even pass this test, you are not qualified to become a martial artist."

"I understand, I'm preparing for the August 1st event now."

Jiang Wu was a little worried. "Um... how about we wait for the one six months from now? Five days is too rushed."

"It's alright. As long as I successfully cultivate my genetic energy, it won't be difficult to kill a few low-level beast-soldier monsters by using heavy weapons."

Jiang Zhe is very confident in his growth rate, but he says something else entirely.

I'm currently reading the error-free version! This is the first time I've published this novel.

"Isn't it because I have my second brother and sister Sisi to help me? One of you will teach me movement techniques, and the other will teach me how to use weapons. I believe in your teaching skills and I'm sure you can train me into a qualified martial artist within five days."

"If it weren't for Sister Sisi's two pointers just now, I might have taken a while longer to break through the quasi-martial artist's boundary."

If Jiang Sisi were still here, she would definitely cover her face in frustration. She's really good at causing trouble for herself.

Jiang Wu thought about it and felt that Jiang Zhe's words made sense.

"Then I'll register you tomorrow."

"But the prerequisite is that you successfully cultivate the genetic energy. If you fail to cultivate it within five days, I will help you forfeit. You can prepare for the next practical assessment."

Jiang Wu walked to the corner cabinet against the wall, opened the drawer, took out a USB flash drive, and tossed it to Jiang Zhe.

"There are some videos inside, showing techniques for generating power, body movements, and attack methods. Study them in your spare time and choose the ones that suit you best."

……

After leaving the martial arts hall with his second brother, Jiang Zhe received his surprise for the day—his cousin had prepared a celebratory dinner for him.

His aunt, his second aunt, and his own mother came over to take a look, praised him a few times, and then went back to playing mahjong together.

The aunt and the four members of the third generation partied until late at night. Jiang Zhe returned to the courtyard and cleaned up for a long time, as if he had taken a bath in champagne and cream.

At 2:30 a.m. on the 27th, Jiang Zhe, wearing a loose bathrobe, sat cross-legged on the bed.

At his age, he can't sleep; it's the perfect time for him to cultivate immortality.

"To cultivate genetic energy, one must first sense the energy of the universe, and the first 'sense' is the most difficult."

"Some talented people can sense it on the first day of cultivation; while those with mediocre talent will spend a year or two on this step... Regardless of my talent, I must use the auxiliary methods for cultivation first."

Jiang Zhe took out a porcelain box about the size of a billiard ball, opened the lid, dipped his fingertip into a small amount of crystal-clear balm, and applied it evenly to his palms, soles, and Baihui acupoint on the top of his head.

According to the requirements of the cultivation method, assume the posture of facing the sky with five hearts facing upwards.

"breathe……"

Jiang Zhe maintained steady breathing, controlled himself, and calmed his mind.

For him, who has cultivated his mind for sixteen years and been exposed to the cultures of Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism, this step was easy. Meditation was an essential part of his daily routine, and his mind quickly became as calm as a mirror.

Silence reigned; even breathing was barely audible.

One minute, two minutes, five minutes... ten minutes, fifteen minutes...

In a hazy, half-asleep state, Jiang Zhe vaguely felt his five centers gradually heating up, a tingling sensation washing over him, and a faint breath flowing through them like a gentle stream into his body.

"What the hell?! Such a fast cultivation speed?!"

It's like opening holes in the soles of your feet, the palms of your hands, and the Baihui acupoint on the top of your head and pouring mercury into them, making everything thoroughly clear.

This is just the body's spontaneous absorption!

Despite his shock, Jiang Zhe maintained his composure.

Immediately following the instructions in the cultivation method, he stopped letting his body passively absorb cosmic energy and focused his consciousness on the "five hearts," naturally emitting thoughts of "drawing cosmic energy."

The situation spiraled out of control, instantly increasing a hundredfold in speed.

In the beginning, the cosmic energy was like water flowing slowly into Jiang Zhe's body through a pipe.

It's like a water pipe bursting open, and it's super pressurized, flooding Jiang Zhe's body with water.

Jiang Zhe once thought he was going to be brainwashed by cosmic energy.

At this moment, he understood perfectly well that it was the slag balm that had greatly increased the speed of gene energy cultivation.

"The cosmic energy flowing into my body is mostly produced by the melting of perfume; it's actually materialized cosmic energy?"

"I don't know how to solidify ordinary cosmic energy, but I do know that materialized cosmic primordial energy is called cosmic crystal, a technique possessed only by world lord-level powerhouses..."

"My family's 'slag' must have been made using some ancient artifact. What kind of artifact could it be? I'm really curious!"

The changes in his body temporarily suppressed Jiang Zhe's curiosity, which was like a cat scratching at him.

"ah--"

A shiver that seemed to emanate from the depths of his bones caused Jiang Zhe to groan in a "disgraceful" voice.

Cosmic energy enters the cell, is absorbed and transformed by the mitochondria, and releases a strange energy. This energy is rapidly absorbed by all parts of the cell, causing tremendous changes to the entire cell and subtle changes to the DNA blueprint.

At the same time, cells divide and increase in number.

As time goes by, Jiang Zhe's body continues to change; his skin, muscles, bones, and even deeper cells are all undergoing rapid transformation.

Skin becomes firmer, muscles are optimized, bone density increases, cell volume shrinks but the number of cells increases after division, and body weight continues to increase.

This is a transformation of life, a leap in the level of life!

Since birth, the human body has not consciously absorbed cosmic energy and has been in a state of long-term hunger. Therefore, the first time it absorbs cosmic energy, it absorbs the most and the strength increases the most significantly.

At five or six in the morning, the sun was already high in the sky in the north. Jiang Zhe opened his eyes, a smile on his face, as he reviewed the night's harvest.

"It took more than two hours to reach saturation... and the quality of that two hours is unmatched by any other martial artist on Earth."

"That frantic, overwhelming absorption only returned to the same rate of absorption as a normal martial artist's first training session, after the 'slag' was completely depleted."

"It has been confirmed that 'slag' is semi-solidified cosmic energy, with effects similar to nutrient solution."

"As expected, the fact that my Jiang family was able to produce four War Gods is due to external assistance, and the production of 'slag' should not be high..."

Jiang Zhe shook his head, stopped thinking about it, got up and practiced a set of boxing moves to familiarize himself with the changes in his body.

"I estimate one punch could weigh 2000kg? Maybe even more!"

To determine the exact number, we'll need to conduct an actual test at the Traditional Martial Arts Hall.

"More importantly, the internal space has changed, giving me an extra chance to cut down a tree."

Jiang Zhe could not escape the perception of even the slightest changes in the pronucleus.

"Does one need to advance in cultivation level to have the opportunity to cut down trees?"

After locking the door from the inside and drawing the curtains tightly, Jiang Zhe re-entered the primordial core.

The open space, shrouded in chaotic mist, has expanded to 20 meters in length and width.

The central tree had grown even thicker, its diameter increasing to over two meters, and its gnarled branches extended into the mist, still obscuring the full view of its crown.

The wound inflicted yesterday has healed, leaving a noticeable scar the size of two fists.

Jiang Zhe walked around the tree, found a smooth area, swung his woodcutter's axe and cut a gash, from which a golden ball of light burst forth.

The axe's weight suddenly increased, and after Jiang Zhe released it, it flew back onto the stone table.

Jiang Zhe didn't mind. He bent down to pick up the golden ball of light, and when his fingertips touched it, the golden light dissipated, revealing what was inside.

It is a crystal-clear gemstone, about the size of two fists.

As his palm touched the "gem," a message entered Jiang Zhe's mind, causing him to freeze in shock.

After a while, he came to his senses.

Jiang Zhe circled the tree, searching for something, muttering to himself, "There shouldn't be only this one... Where did I lose my 'Thousand Body Sacred Scripture'?"

Brothers, if you don't know how to cultivate the "Thousand Bodies Holy Scripture," that thing's strength is really limited. It sounds like the merging of a thousand bodies is very powerful, but it doesn't help the Dao Lord of Life and Death merge with the Dao. At most, it just makes your combat power a little stronger.

The same applies to the world of Swallowed Star. A thousand protagonists are separated, without any bonus from comprehending the laws; their divine bodies are tiny and they lack massive divine power; their only outstanding ability is to survive, and their combined combat power is worth looking forward to.

I have another purpose for this divine crystal, and its effect is definitely stronger than something like the "Thousand Body Holy Scripture," which is only effective temporarily.

(End of this chapter)