The tidal ant swarm finally receded, and the area around the waterfall immediately became much quieter. Ming Qi, clutching his sword, panted heavily, his face paler than ever. He was stepping on the corpse of the Flying Ant King.
That previous strike had exhausted all his strength, draining every drop of his available True Essence, and draining him of much of his Blood and Vitality. Although he ultimately killed the Flying Ant King, it was a pyrrhic victory. Without a month or so of rest, he wouldn't be able to fully recover.
But while it was a pyrrhic victory, the gains were immense. Through the battle with the Flying Ant King, Ming Qi gained a deeper understanding and appreciation of the principles governing the operation of power within the star domain and the methods of combat. His control of power and his skill in applying it had improved significantly, undoubtedly enabling him to defeat even more powerful star demons in the future.
After resting for half an hour, Ming Qi began to slice and dice the Flying Ant King's corpse with the Fire Emperor Sword.
The Flying Ant King's body was enormous, and its carapace was incredibly durable. It took Ming Qi considerable effort to dissect the Flying Ant King's corpse. Amidst the bloody mess of internal organs, he found a six-sided crystal the size of a soybean, emitting a moonlight hue.
Taking the soybean-sized crystal in his hand, Ming Qi examined it carefully.
The Heavenly Star Crystal, a crystal core condensed by star demons that have reached innate strength, is a vital link in connecting with the star field's source power. It is precisely because of the Heavenly Star Crystal that a star demon's combat power is so exceptionally formidable.
For such a massive corpse, only this soybean-sized piece of Heavenly Star Crystal held any value.
After collecting the Heavenly Star Crystal, Ming Qi turned and crossed the waterfall, returning to the cave. He didn't plan to leave again for quite some time.
For one thing, he needed rest and recuperation. Staying outside would be dangerous. If other powerful star demons could smell a human, they would surely follow the scent. Ming Qi was already overwhelmed by a single star demon that had just reached the Xiantian realm. If an even more powerful star demon had appeared, he might not even have a chance to escape.
On the other hand, he needed to carefully study the benefits of the Heavenly Star Crystal. According to the stele, the Heavenly Star Crystal contained miraculous star power. If he could absorb and refine it for his own benefit, he could potentially benefit immensely.
In the following days, Ming Qi did not rush to study the Heavenly Star Crystal. Instead, he spent over ten days repairing his damaged body and meditating to recuperate. The extensive use of his blood and qi to activate the Blood Shadow Step had severely depleted his Qi and blood.
Although he could still absorb spiritual energy in the star field, the rate was much slower, less than one-third of that in the outside world. Fortunately, the actual flow of time in the star field was much faster than outside, essentially maintaining a state of equilibrium.
Only when he felt his body had almost recovered did Ming Qi take out the Heavenly Star Crystal and examine it carefully.
The hexagonal crystal took on the color of the night sky's stars, faintly pulsing with power. This power represented the stellar force of the vast heavens. However, the Flying Ant King was not powerful, and the stellar power condensed from the condensed Sky Star Crystal was quite weak and not very pure.
After truly feeling the stellar power, Ming Qi immediately realized that he was about to receive a surprise within the star field. If utilized wisely, it could potentially rewrite his entire path of cultivation.
Putting the Sky Star Crystal aside, Ming Qi searched for a long time within the Divine Map space before finally finding an exquisitely crafted pale blue jade slip. He then channeled his spiritual consciousness into it, and the contents immediately flooded into his mind like a tide.
The Nine Heavens Attracting Stars Art, a celestial art he had almost forgotten when he acquired, now had the potential to see the light of day again.
The cultivation of the Nine Heavens Attracting Stars Art relies on absorbing the power of the stars, and the cores of star monsters contain this power. As long as one can continuously hunt star monsters, one will inevitably achieve success in the Nine Heavens Attracting Stars Art!
Ming Qi remembered that he had previously glanced at the beginning of this manual, but at the time, unable to channel the power of the stars, he simply ignored it. Unexpectedly, there would be a turning point.
This time, Ming Qi planned to study the Nine Heavens Attracting Stars Art from the beginning, harnessing the power of the Celestial Star Crystal to cultivate this technique. If possible, by the time he returned to the Tianhuang Great World, his combat effectiveness would be more than doubled.
After further careful study, Ming Qi had a comprehensive understanding of the Nine Heavens Attracting Stars Art. The Nine Heavens Attracting Stars Art is divided into nine levels, each called a Heavenly Realm. Each Heavenly Realm corresponds to a specific immortal technique. These nine immortal techniques, both offensive and defensive, complement each other. During cultivation, one can condense nebulae within the body, with each Heavenly Realm corresponding to a nebula.
The first realm of the Nine Heavens Attracting Stars, the Transcendent Realm, uses the power of the stars to temper the bones of the body, ultimately condensing a Transcendent Nebula. Once the Transcendent Nebula is condensed, one can use the nebula's power to unleash the immortal art of Star Attraction, which can temporarily enhance one's overall strength. This includes the speed of one's true essence circulation, the speed of one's body, and strength. It's a truly universal skill, a divine technique coveted by countless cultivators.
Mastering Star Attraction effectively renders one invincible against opponents of the same realm. Furthermore, Ming Qi already possesses such strength; if he utilizes it, his strength will skyrocket even further.
This is an irresistible temptation for anyone.
The Nine Heavens Attracting Stars technique is detailed and comprehensive, its only crucial component being a steady supply of star power. Now that Ming Qi has a way to obtain star power, his cultivation will undoubtedly be smooth sailing. As long as he continues to hunt star demons and obtain Celestial Star Crystals, he will one day master the Nine Heavens Attracting Stars to the highest realm.
After studying the First Transcendent Realm, Ming Qi began attempting to refine the Heavenly Star Crystal.
Star power is a higher-order energy that transcends the spiritual energy of heaven and earth. Relatively speaking, it's much more difficult and slow than absorbing spiritual energy. Although Ming Qi had no significant obstacles in his path and method, it took him a full five days to fully digest and absorb this tiny Heavenly Star Crystal, transforming it into star power and circulating it throughout his limbs and bones, repeatedly flushing his meridians and bones.
More than ten days passed, and after spending a full month in this small cave, Ming Qi finally left.
Outside, the scene remained unchanged, with no distinction between day and night. Stepping on the moonlit ground, Ming Qi began his long journey to hunt the star demon.