Chapter 1 The Serene Island

The entire island was very quiet. Xu Jingming's residence was located in the southeast corner of the island, covering an area of over a thousand acres.

"Master, your personal permissions at the Yuanchu Research Institute allow you to view your personal panel," the robotic butler said respectfully. "The personal panel has a sub-panel for the Yuanchu Research Institute."

"Thank you, 1027," Xu Jingming said with a smile.

"It is my honor to serve you, Master," the robotic butler said. "Master, would you like something to drink?"

"Prepare some snacks and drinks," Xu Jingming instructed before sitting down in the courtyard and opening his personal panel. The robotic butler prepared the snacks and drinks and stood silently in the corner, waiting for Xu Jingming's orders.

Xu Jingming opened the Yuanchu Research Institute sub-panel.

"Register a codename? The peripheral members are all geniuses from all over the universe, and they must be careful to hide their identity information." Xu Jingming thought for a moment and registered the pseudonym he had used before, "Wu Ming." From then until he became a ninth-order Source Lifeform, Xu Jingming's codename at the Yuanchu Research Institute would always be Wu Ming.

"Peripheral member roster?" Xu Jingming gently tapped it open and discovered the names of 8,253 people.

"The Yuanchu Research Institute only has over eight thousand peripheral members?" Xu Jingming felt it was too few, considering how vast the universe's human territory was.

The list's ranking also had rules. Xu Jingming was placed in the same group as seven other peripheral members.

Xu Jingming tapped it open and looked. These seven people lived on the same island as him. "Are these seven people my neighbors?"

"Peripheral members can directly contact each other," Xu Jingming looked at the list. "I can only contact Senior Brother Mo Shen, who took the initiative to add me as a formal member.

I cannot contact any other formal members."

"Yuanchu City?"

Xu Jingming looked at the introduction, "A Yuanchu City virtual world was specially built to serve the peripheral members?"

Peripheral members can communicate and connect in the Yuanchu City virtual world.

"Those who can be recruited as peripheral members are all peerless geniuses from all over the universe, and many of them will become Source Lifeforms in the future," Xu Jingming thought to himself.

"This 'Yuanchu City,' where peripheral members gather, is of extraordinary significance."

Xu Jingming didn't contact anyone, nor was he in a hurry to go to the Yuanchu City virtual world!

"Is this the Research Institute's database?" Xu Jingming's eyes lit up as he tapped it open.

One human evolution inheritance after another.

Almost all evolution inheritances of the entire universe's human race were recorded. Supreme Realm inheritances, legendary inheritances, tenth-order inheritances, etc. The content of these inheritances from the first to ninth order was completely open.

Open to all peripheral disciples!

Xu Jingming was shocked and dazzled. "Although some inheritances can be purchased outside, they are all low-end content. As for Supreme Realm inheritances? They are impossible to access. But at the Yuanchu Research Institute, all inheritances from the first to ninth order are open for free!"

"There are also lecture videos?"

Xu Jingming saw a massive number of videos, lectures given by teachers of the Yuanchu Research Institute throughout history.

"You can also possess great figures for free?" Xu Jingming looked at it. Throughout history, many tenth-order powerhouses were cosmic legends, and you could possess them an unlimited number of times for free.

"There's also a massive amount of scientific knowledge."

Xu Jingming flipped through it.

This was an unbelievable database!

Whether for evolutionaries or scholars, they would be excited by it.

"For personal research only, not for external dissemination." Xu Jingming saw this reminder. As a peripheral member of the Yuanchu Research Institute, he could study these materials to his heart's content. But external dissemination? Under the virtual world network's surveillance, it was impossible to perform any copying or recording operations.

Unless one relied on memory to copy it down in reality. Copying in reality? Copying down an inheritance would take a very long time.

However, the value of first to ninth-order knowledge was limited. How foolish would it be to betray the Yuanchu Research Institute for this?

"Evolutionary knowledge, scientific knowledge, lecture videos, possessing powerhouses, and a large number of guidance in cultivation, many books recording experiences." Xu Jingming was very happy to see this. "The Yuanchu Research Institute allows members to study and learn on their own as much as they want."

Xuan's entire "Radiance" was collected at the Yuanchu Research Institute, but as a peripheral disciple, he could only see the first part of the content.

After viewing the database, Xu Jingming checked his personal resources.

This one look made him jump in surprise.

As a peerless genius from a weak civilization, even though he had gained a lot of knowledge in the past year, the resources given to him by the Yuanchu Research Institute still made his heart tremble.

"One, Yuanchu Battle Armor 2.0, developed by the Yuanchu Research Institute's Director, limited to use by peripheral (core) disciples of the Yuanchu Research Institute. It has multiple functions such as 'camouflage, space travel, and protection.' After putting it on, you will have destructive power comparable to the basic level of a ninth-order Source Lifeform! It can withstand 'tenth-order peak' level attacks continuously for 1 minute without damage. Detailed functions will be received with a complete instruction manual after receiving the Yuanchu Battle Armor."

"Warning: The Yuanchu Battle Armor is to protect your life and prevent you from being affected by disasters. Do not rely on it to violate the laws of the Cosmic Human Alliance! Do not expose your identity! The Yuanchu Battle Armor cannot withstand cosmic alien races. Cosmic alien races who dare to sneak into human territories have destructive power beyond your imagination."

"Two, Yuanchu A2-class spaceship, specially developed for escaping, can instantly activate space travel to escape enemy tracking."

"Reminder: After a peripheral member dies or becomes a formal member, the Yuanchu Battle Armor and spaceship will be recovered."

"Three, Evolution Resources, Cosmic Rare Treasure 'Ice Flower Spirit Liquid.' It is recommended to take one drop of Ice Flower Spirit Liquid every 3.3 years. The first time, you can get 30 drops of Ice Flower Spirit Liquid! Each peripheral member can obtain a maximum of 90 drops of Ice Flower Spirit Liquid in their lifetime."

"Warning: Ice Flower Spirit Liquid is for personal use only! If you do not use it, you are only allowed to resell it to the Yuanchu Research Institute. The resale price of one drop of Ice Flower Spirit Liquid is 100 million cosmic coins."

"Four, Loan Quota: Your personal loan quota is 1 trillion cosmic coins (interest-free, the loan needs to be repaid in batches within a thousand years)."

"Five, Inheritance Opportunities: Peripheral members are limited to one inheritance opportunity."

Xu Jingming looked at these messages.

Each one shocked him.

"This Yuanchu Battle Armor 2.0, is it so powerful?" Xu Jingming was stunned when he saw the first one. "Wearing the battle armor gives you destructive power comparable to the basic level of a ninth-order Source Lifeform?" The life-saving ability is even more exaggerated!"

"However, it must be kept secret."

Xu Jingming thought to himself.

The Yuanchu Battle Armor was for saving one's life; it would be foolish to rely on it recklessly.

But after all, it was destructive power at the level of a ninth-order Source Lifeform, capable of overriding some weak elementary civilizations as an individual! And he, as a peripheral (core) disciple of the Research Institute, was qualified to have it?

"Send out the Yuanchu Battle Armor, spaceship, and evolutionary resources quickly!" Xu Jingming immediately submitted a shipping application.

"The resources will be delivered to Blue Star Civilization in seven days," a message reminded him.

"They will be delivered in seven days? The cosmic territory is so vast; this delivery speed is already considered very fast," Xu Jingming thought to himself. In fact, these precious resources were delivered separately! Because it wasn't an 'urgent delivery,' it would take seven days.

If it were an urgent delivery, involving life and death, the Yuanchu Research Institute would probably deliver it within an hour.

"Now, let's start the most important thing, inheritance!" Xu Jingming got up and went to the training room.

The training room was quite large, with an area of over a thousand square meters.

Xu Jingming sat cross-legged in the center.

"Peripheral members are limited to one inheritance opportunity. The next time, I will have to wait until I become a formal member." Xu Jingming sat cross-legged, opened his personal panel, and gently tapped, "Begin the inheritance!"

Buzz!

A light descended in the training room, enveloping Xu Jingming.

A large amount of knowledge began to be instilled into Xu Jingming's mind!

The virtual world network had the ability to instill knowledge. For example, in the trials on some planets in the mysterious land, memories were forcibly transmitted.

"Yuanchu Star Conjecture: Light Chapter." A large amount of memory flooded into Xu Jingming's mind. From first to tenth-order knowledge, a large amount of knowledge was too vast. With Xu Jingming's seventh-order Star Sky Lifeform's acceptance speed, it still took more than an hour to transmit.

First to eighth-order knowledge was scarce, accounting for less than one-thousandth, and the rest was ninth and tenth-order knowledge.

Although the ninth and tenth-order knowledge was firmly memorized!

It was like memorizing all the words in a scientific document, but it was difficult to understand, like a heavenly book!

"No wonder Ambro and Xuan have such high academic levels," Xu Jingming thought to himself. "When I become a Source Lifeform, I must study a lot of scientific knowledge to assist my evolutionary path.

The Star Sky Lifeform stage does not require high academic qualifications."

Because the key to cultivation at this stage was the body and mental strength!

The Source Lifeform stage mainly involved controlling source power. How to use source power more effectively? You must have enough scientific knowledge reserves.

"Huh?" Xu Jingming felt his consciousness tremble.

"This is Yuanchu Star?"

At this moment, Xu Jingming received the memory of 'watching Yuanchu Star.'

Yuanchu Star was a planet that bloomed with endless light. It was vast and boundless, and it was difficult to measure how big it was. At least, in the viewing information Xu Jingming received, the diameter of Yuanchu Star was 'unmeasurable.'

When Xu Jingming watched, he vaguely felt that it was larger than any known celestial body!

It was unimaginably large.

"I have personally experienced a neutron star, and I have checked the black hole itself in the data. But compared to Yuanchu Star, these celestial bodies are like a grain of sand compared to the endless starry sky! The difference is unknown how many times." Xu Jingming was constantly receiving information about Yuanchu Star.

It was like watching with his own eyes, and the more he watched, the more shocked he became.

Gradually, Xu Jingming understood it more and more.

It was a celestial body that transcended everything.

The greatest celestial body!

Even "Yuanchu Star Conjecture," one of the three highest human inheritances, was just a conjecture after observing it. The director of the Yuanchu Research Institute had been studying it for a long time.

"Light! Endless light!"

Xu Jingming began to receive a large amount of Yuanchu Star's 'light' information.

Xu Jingming watched the light of Yuanchu Star as if he were watching with his own eyes, watching in great detail.

This was many times more vast and complex than the phenomenon of the seventh planet in the mysterious land. In fact, the 'light of Yuanchu Star' information that Xu Jingming was receiving was the scene that the director of the Yuanchu Research Institute had observed 'Yuanchu Star' for endless years.

At this moment, what was being transmitted to Xu Jingming mainly focused on 'light rays.'

If Xu Jingming had gone there himself, he would have collapsed the moment he saw Yuanchu Star; he simply couldn't have seen such detailed information.

"Ah!"

As time passed, Xu Jingming's consciousness trembled even more. The information of Yuanchu Star was too vast. After Xu Jingming received a large amount of information about Yuanchu Star's light rays, he finally couldn't bear it anymore.

The inheritance ended.

As far as the Yuanchu Research Institute was concerned, as long as you could receive it, the director of the Yuanchu Research Institute was willing to transmit all of this information.

Unfortunately, a seventh-order Star Sky Lifeform could only receive so much.

After a while, Xu Jingming finally recovered.

"Such an unbelievable celestial body? A celestial body that transcends everything?" Xu Jingming couldn't imagine that such a celestial body existed.

The universe was vast, and it was truly full of infinite possibilities.

"The director is really too great. The 'Light Chapter' alone is enough to reach the Supreme Realm, and the 'Light Chapter' contains much more than what Xuan comprehended," Xu Jingming thought to himself. Although he only received the content of the 'Light Chapter' from the first to tenth order.

But he also had a general understanding of the content of the Supreme Realm.

He understood that Xuan's path was to reach the speed of light, which was just a branch of the 'Light Chapter,' and the 'Light Chapter' was just one of the nine core chapters of the "Yuanchu Star Conjecture"!

From this, it could be seen how profound the accumulation of the director of the Yuanchu Research Institute was. No wonder he was known as one of the three most powerful Supreme Realm experts in human history.

"The inheritance information I received is enough for me to cultivate to the ninth order, and even enough to cultivate to the tenth order," Xu Jingming thought to himself. "When I become a formal member, I can receive the inheritance again. The Yuanchu Star information that I can see next time will definitely be much more."

At this moment, he also understood.

The written content of the "Yuanchu Star Conjecture: Light Chapter" that he obtained was only a guide; watching the information of 'Yuanchu Star' was the most important thing.

"Before I start the first cultivation, let's take a look at my current strength," Xu Jingming thought to himself. "Peripheral members of the Yuanchu Research Institute also have a special permission: they can apply for a detailed appraisal of their 'mental strength.'"

Mental strength was ethereal; ordinary cosmic citizens had never heard of mental strength being appraised.

Only after becoming a peripheral member of the Yuanchu Research Institute did one have this permission! One could apply once every 330 days!

"Let's begin."

Xu Jingming applied for a mental strength appraisal and deliberately released his mental strength to impact the walls of the training room.

Buzz!

An invisible force enveloped the training room, and began to analyze Xu Jingming's mental strength in detail.

After about three minutes.

"Mental Strength Index: 35." The appraisal content appeared before his eyes.

"35, is it high or low?" Xu Jingming asked. "Xu Jingming, hello." A gentle voice echoed in the training room. "The minimum mental strength index to become a seventh-order Star Sky Lifeform is 1. And to become an eighth-order Star Sky Lifeform, the minimum mental strength index is 100."

"Your control over your body has reached the threshold requirement for the eighth order. But your mental strength is far from the eighth-order threshold."

Many Star Sky Lifeforms were stuck at a bottleneck and found it difficult to progress because their mental strength was too weak.

"Suggestion: Practical combat training can be temporarily put aside. Concentrate on mental strength training. Whether or not you can become a Source Lifeform depends on mental strength."

"The mental strength threshold index to become an eighth order is 100. What about becoming a ninth order?" Xu Jingming asked.

"To become a ninth-order Source Lifeform, one needs to use mental strength to leverage the cosmic source power, which requires a very high standard. The mental strength index needs to reach 10,000! This is why many eighth-order limits can never be broken through."

"A mental index of 10,000?" Xu Jingming felt the gap.

"The 'Yuanchu Star Conjecture: Light Chapter' has a mental strength cultivation method. With your age and growth rate, I believe there is hope that your mental strength index will break through 10,000 within 5 years. The premise is that you must concentrate on the mental aspect," the gentle voice echoed in the training room.

"Let's take a look at combat strength."

Xu Jingming waved his hand, holding a long spear.

He began to perform spear techniques.

After a while, the virtual world network appraisal data appeared.

"Rainbow Transformation Spear Technique (Seventh-Order 82%), combat bonus 3900%." Xu Jingming looked at the data. Comprehending the river of stars, the triangular spacetime cone, the fiery black feathers, and Yuanchu Star on the seventh planet had indeed transformed him.

"To reach the eighth order, my combat strength is indeed sufficient. As long as I cultivate the 'Light Chapter,' I'm afraid I'll easily exceed 4 times that," Xu Jingming thought to himself. "The auxiliary AI of the Yuanchu Research Institute is right. To reach the eighth order, I have to put more effort into the mental aspect."

Xu Jingming put away his long spear, sat down cross-legged, and calmed down.

"Let's start the first cultivation."

He was full of expectations and began the first official cultivation of the "Light Chapter."

Xu Jingming was immersed in cultivation, and two days passed in the blink of an eye.

Hunter Cosmic Sector, within the Cold Frost Star Alliance, the most powerful Frost Language Civilization.

"Mmm."

A handsome young man stretched lazily, waking up from his sleep. He looked at the private lake, hundreds of kilometers in diameter in front of him, where aquatic monsters swam.

"Your Highness." An attendant appeared out of thin air.

"Prepare some food for me," the young man instructed.

"Yes." The attendant immediately disappeared.

In a huge castle hundreds of kilometers away, chefs began to carefully prepare food.

"The Third Prince only goes to the virtual world network every day, and then he calls friends for fun and enjoyment. Last time, His Majesty came personally and scolded him. The Third Prince made His Majesty happy, and as soon as His Majesty left, the Prince immediately called his friends for fun and enjoyment."

"I was really stupid to choose to come and teach the Third Prince. I really didn't expect him to be so lazy. In another 130 years, when the deadline is up, I'll return to my family."

"Following the Third Prince, although it seems like there's no future, it's leisurely."

Several attendants chatted idly.

They were also people on the entire planet who were second only to the Prince in status. These attendants were actually eighth-order Star Sky Lifeforms.

They were responsible for teaching the Third Prince in all aspects of learning.

However, the Third Prince didn't learn and didn't pay attention to them.

"What a disgrace." The Third Prince looked at the monsters swimming in the lake and thought to himself, "I've been recruited into the Yuanchu Research Institute for a full 892 years, and I'm already 1001 years old this year! At such an age, I haven't become a Source Lifeform, which is a disgrace to the Yuanchu Research Institute!"

Those who cultivated the Yuanchu Star Conjecture lineage generally became Source Lifeforms within a thousand years.

The Frost Language Civilization's Third Prince had a reputation for laziness and enjoyment that had spread for hundreds of years, and even the people around him thought so. However, no one knew that this was the Third Prince's disguise.

Almost every peripheral member of the Yuanchu Research Institute needed to hide their edge and protect themselves when they were weak.

"Huh?"

The Third Prince tapped open the light screen and was contacting friends when he suddenly noticed that the list of seven people on the island had become eight people. "We have another neighbor on our island? Called Wu Ming?"

"Our Hunter Cosmic Sector has another good brother in the Yuanchu Research Institute?" The Third Prince was very excited. "I'm 101 years old, but I'm the eldest brother among the eight. I have to contact my younger brothers and sisters and hold a banquet to welcome our youngest brother!"