Nine Revolutions Star Transformation-Chapter 256 - 255: Absorbing Celestial Crystal Energy

Sword Spirit Yue’er, exhausted from slaying the Profound Ice Toad and Fiery Fire Spider, spoke in a weak voice. Chu Linfeng knew she had suffered greatly for his sake.

With a thought, he took out the spirit medicine given by the Fire Dragon and said, "Thank you, Sister Yue’Er, take your time to recover. I’ll have Xiaoying retrieve the inner core and Celestial Crystal now."

Immediately, Xiaoying appeared in front of Chu Linfeng. "Xiaoying, bring me the inner cores of the Profound Ice Toad and Fiery Fire Spider, as well as the Celestial Crystal on the ground. You can consume their bodies."

Xiaoying, still looking dazed, had noticeably grown larger, indicating a breakthrough in realm.

"Big brother, I’m on it. I never expected to find such valuable resources in such a remote place," Xiaoying said and hurried over.

The bodies of the Profound Ice Toad and Fiery Fire Spider had been hacked to pieces by the Sword Spirit. Xiaoying quickly found the inner cores, placed them in its mouth, and brought them back.

Then, it returned with the Celestial Crystal, about the size of an egg. Chu Linfeng put the two inner cores into his storage ring, intending to let the Golden Demon Vulture and the Purple Demon Thunder Fox absorb them once they awakened.

He held the Celestial Crystal in his hand, feeling its mild warmth. The energy fluctuations were obvious, but he couldn’t absorb it yet, leaving him anxious.

Xiaoying swallowed the bodies of both beasts and said, "Big brother, their presence here is a stroke of luck for you. Of course, it benefits me too. After devouring them, I should reach the Tier Seven Magical Beast level and be of more help to you."

"Xiaoying, can you shrink? If people see you like this, they’ll think you’re a magical beast and try to kill you. I won’t be able to bring you out then," said Chu Linfeng.

"I’ll think about it after my breakthrough. Right now, changing size affects my breakthrough. Big brother, you shouldn’t have used the power of the Reincarnation Bracelet; it was too reckless," Xiaoying said.

"I had no choice. If I hadn’t used it, we’d all be dead. I just didn’t expect it to have such consequences. The price of saving my life was quite steep," Chu Linfeng said, exasperated.

"You’ll have to stay like this for at least a day. It’s a pity about the Celestial Crystal’s energy. If you could absorb it now, you’d at least break through to the Celestial Martial Realm. But in a day, half the energy will be gone. I’m going to digest the energy from those two creatures," said Xiaoying and vanished.

Chu Linfeng was left speechless. Xiaoying had only explained half the situation before disappearing.

A day’s wait seemed interminable. Watching the energy dissipate felt agonizing. Chu Linfeng held the Celestial Crystal, heart aching with each vanishing trace but helpless to stop it.

The surrounding temperature gradually returned to normal, but the Illusion Realm was decimated. The area transformed into a clearing, with no trace of the trees once there, consumed by Profound Ice Qi and Blazing Flames.

When night fell, Wei Qun awoke. Seeing Chu Linfeng sitting quietly, he rushed over despite the throbbing pain threatening to drive him mad.

"Brother Tian, are you alright?" Wei Qun was surprised to see Chu Linfeng unharmed, having himself passed out from afar. He was at a loss for words.

"I’m fine. You should take care of Ling’er. I need two days here to recover. None of you should disturb me. Use the time to recover yourselves; we’re all badly injured," Chu Linfeng said.

Wei Qun nodded, "Don’t worry, Brother Tian. I’ll ensure no one disturbs your training, and I’ll take care of Ling’er. We can’t neglect taking care of your woman."

"What did you say, Wei Qun?" Chu Linfeng felt a sudden surge of anger at what seemed to be an inappropriate remark.

"Nothing, I’m leaving. Call me if you need me; I’ll be just outside the forest!" Wei Qun said and left.

The wait was long, and watching the draining energy was tough. Through the night and by the next noon, Chu Linfeng noticed the Chaos Qi within him showed signs of moving.

Slow and steady, yet there it was. Overjoyed, Chu Linfeng slowly began to circulate the Chaos Qi, absorbing the now pigeon egg-sized Celestial Crystal.

Though the absorption was slow, it was better than nothing. Chu Linfeng felt the crystal’s energy settle in his dantian upon intake and transform into Chaos Qi, significantly faster than the Star Power.

Time drifted by as Chu Linfeng, devoid of distractions, absorbed the Celestial Crystal’s energy. By the next morning, his energy depletion had fully recovered.

The absorption speed quickened, and by noon, the Celestial Crystal in his hand was entirely absorbed, enriching the Chaos Qi within the Earth Star Pill, showing liquid-like properties.

He circulated the Chaos Qi through his meridians for several cycles and then roared joyfully, standing up, his face full of excitement.

"The Celestial Crystal truly is a rare treasure! I can’t believe it pushed me to the Eighth Level of the Earth Martial Realm. It’s unbelievable!" Chu Linfeng exclaimed gleefully.

"Lin Feng, don’t celebrate too soon. Breaking through in power level is good, but your mental realm must also advance. Your current mindset can’t fully control the Eighth Layer’s power. You need to slowly comprehend it," the Sword Spirit said.

"Sister Yue’Er, you’ve recovered?" The Sword Spirit speaking surprised Chu Linfeng since she usually took a long time to reappear after absorbing soul power.

"I have. The Celestial Crystal’s energy significantly helped me; it’s time to go to the Imperial City and acquire the Fire Spirit Pearl. You should also practice the first transformation of the Nine Revolutions Star Transformation," said the Sword Spirit.

"Don’t I have the Earth Spirit Pearl? Why not start with its transformation?" Chu Linfeng asked in confusion.

"The Earth Spirit Pearl’s attribute is earth, primarily defensive and the weakest in attack among the major attributes. Only after learning the other attributes can you practice the Earth Transformation," the Sword Spirit explained.

Chu Linfeng felt a bit disheartened. "I have to master the other four transformations first? How long will that take?"

"Not necessarily. If you can master any of the other transformations to its extreme, you can practice the Earth Transformation. It may cause some pain during practice, but with your physique, as long as you break through to the Fourth Layer of the Star Body, it’s achievable," said the Sword Spirit.

"Break through to the Fourth Layer of the Star Body, and master any of the four transformations completely before starting the Earth Transformation?" Chu Linfeng asked.

"Correct. Don’t rush; the Nine Revolutions Star Transformation isn’t a common Martial Skill. It goes beyond the scope of Martial Skills. Once you master the Nine Transformations, you’ll understand," said the Sword Spirit.

Chu Linfeng remained silent as Wei Qun and Ling’er approached. After two days of recovery, Ling’er was mostly healed, with a healthy glow.

"Big brother, are you alright?" Ling’er asked.

"I’m fine. Let’s go; we’ve been delayed for days. I’m not sure if the Imperial City Guard recruitment is still open. We should head there quickly!" Chu Linfeng said.

"Haha! Finally, we can go to the Imperial City. I’ll definitely pass this time!" Wei Qun said excitedly.

And so, three dusty travelers set off on the path leading to the Imperial City...