Chapter 156: Dragon Antelope Ranch, Bloodline, and True Spirit
In the year 1258 of the Starlight Calendar (March), Dragon Bone Tower was finally fully repaired.
Su Nan immediately began the relocation of the base, primarily focusing on Base Number 1. Most facilities present in Base Number 1 were now available in Dragon Bone Tower, and they were even more comprehensive and complete. For facilities like the Insect Nest that were unavailable, it was simply a matter of choosing a room and modifying it to meet the needs.
The overall relocation proceeded very smoothly. From now on, the daily life, cultivation, and studies of the Apprentices would all take place within Long Lin.
On the top floor of Dragon Bone Tower, Su Nan stood before the central control panel, his eyes fixed on the three-dimensional holographic model.
[Name: Long Lin]
[Level: Large (Damage level 48.23%)]
[Current Remaining Energy: 95.23%]
[Intelligent Auxiliary Life: Butler Number 1]
[Areas: District 1, Zone 2, Zone 3]
[Servants: Clay Golem ×423, Flower Sprite ×52, Child of the Forest ×3, Red-eyed Crow ×67, Gremlin ×1]
[Defensive Devices: Large Spatial Barrier]
[Combat Devices: Golem Legion (Stone Golem ×426, Twin Blade Spider ×85, Elite Stone Golem ×20, Steel Golem ×5)]
As he reviewed the data displayed next to the three-dimensional model, Su Nan nodded in satisfaction. After more than half a month of charging, the energy in the Elemental Pool was nearly full.
The restoration of Zone 2 had also begun. Although it was still in its early stages, with the assistance of the Clay Golem and Flower Sprite he had brought from Base Number 1, the restoration speed was expected to increase significantly in the future.
"Maintaining District 1 in its optimal operational state requires 35.12% of the energy cycle."
"Once Zone 2 is restored, simply maintaining its lowest operational state before introducing new Dragon Clan will be sufficient, which requires 53.66% of the energy cycle."
That's nearly ninety percent of the energy ratio!
When you add in the 3.06% required for Zone 3's minimum operational needs, the total exceeds ninety percent.
This 3.06% accounts for the minimum energy cycle necessary to sustain Zone 3's operations, which primarily includes daily functions within Dragon Bone Tower, such as lighting, experiments, and various conversions.
The remaining energy consumption is driven by the experimental energy used by Wizard Apprentices and the energy expended in producing potions, magic items, and puppets, among other things.
There is virtually no upper limit to that aspect.
Su Nan reviewed past energy consumption records through Butler Number 1.
During the peak energy consumption period of Dragon Bone Tower a thousand years ago, the energy cycle utilization reached an astounding 47.23%!
This spike nearly caused the energy cycles in District 1 and Zone 2 to collapse.
"Fortunately, we don't have to worry about that for now," Su Nan muttered to himself.
At the moment, he is the only Level Three Wizard Apprentice at the Base, with hardly any Second Level Wizard Apprentices present.
The energy consumed by experiments and production would be lucky to utilize 10% of the energy cycle.
Moreover, Zone 2 hasn't truly been activated yet, so there’s no concern about insufficient energy cycles at all.
"Our military strength has also increased significantly," he noted.
Originally, Long Lin only had a little over 100 Stone Golems, but with the arrival of the Base's garrison forces, the total number of Golems has now exceeded 500.
However, this increased military strength isn't particularly useful.
Long Lin is a semi-dimensional space, somewhat isolated from the Material World. Apart from the teleportation channel controlled by Su Nan, no one else can enter.
Unless, of course, someone possesses the power to tear through the space barrier, knows the coordinates of Long Lin's space, and is a Wizard.
But such a person does not currently exist in the Starlight Continent.
Thus, there is virtually no need to worry about external enemies attacking Long Lin.
Perhaps that's why the original builders didn’t bother constructing defensive devices against external threats, opting instead to station only a small number of Golems.
Those Golems were likely used to capture the Sub-Dragon Species within Long Lin.
As a result, the Higher Stone Golems and Elite Double-Bladed Spiders within Base Number 1 have all been transferred by Su Nan to the Star Alliance.
The current Base Number 1 is essentially just an empty shell, with nothing left except for the Magical Plant Garden.
Of course, Su Nan doesn't plan to abandon Base Number 1.
It will serve as a transfer station for goods between Long Lin and the surface world.
The same applies to Base Number 2.
With the Teleportation Array of Long Lin, Su Nan can now travel quickly back and forth between the surface and the Underworld without needing to construct an additional Base 2.
The facilities inside Base 2 have already been relocated to Long Lin, leaving only the Magical Plant Garden and a Spatial Channel leading to Long Lin, which will function as a transfer station for goods between Long Lin and the Underworld in the future.
"With only one Base, I won't have to run around so much in the future, making many things much more convenient."
Su Nan smiled, looking relaxed.
"There’s no need to establish any more Magical Plant Gardens in the future either; designating a section of Zone 2 will suffice for planting Magic Plants."
Long Lin is different from the outside; as long as the energy supply is continuous, the concentration of Energy Particles can always be maintained at a high level, sufficient for the growth of Magic Plants.
Randomly setting aside a piece of land in Zone 2 would be equivalent to more than ten Magical Plant Gardens outside.
"The matter of taming Sub-Dragon Species should also be addressed."
Su Nan reached out and stroked the void, causing a picture to suddenly appear before him.
The image displayed steep cliffs with caves, inhabited by creatures covered in golden scales, resembling a blend of dragons and antelopes, flying in and out of the caves.
These are Dragon Antelopes, a powerful and elegant Sub-Dragon Species.
Thousands of years ago, they were tamed by many Legendary Knights as mounts.
They are quite simple-minded but loyal to their masters and extremely formidable in battle.
Adult Dragon Antelopes possess the strength of a one-ring legendary level, and they will continue to grow stronger as they age, reaching a maximum of Third Circle Legend.
As soon as he discovered the various Sub-Dragon Species within Long Lin, Su Nan considered forming a Dragon Rider.
After days of selection, he ultimately decided on the Dragon Antelope.
In addition to their loyalty and powerful combat capabilities, Dragon Antelopes prefer to inhabit the deep caves far from civilization, demonstrating a strong natural adaptation to dark environments.
"This ensures that even in the dark and damp environments of the Underworld, their combat power won't be diminished.
Just thinking about an army of Dragon Antelope Cavalry is incredibly impressive! However, taming Sub-Dragon Species is a time-consuming and labor-intensive endeavor.
Adult Dragon Antelope are nearly impossible to tame; one must start with the juveniles if they wish to succeed. Sub-Dragon Species also inherit some characteristics from the Dragon Clan, including extremely slow growth. Even with methods to accelerate growth, it will take at least ten years to raise a juvenile Dragon Antelope to adulthood.
"The Knight Guard's strength is still too weak right now, lacking even a single Grand Knight. It will need time to grow," Su Nan mused. "By starting to tame Dragon Antelope now, we can ensure that after more than ten years, when the Knight Guard's strength has caught up, they will be perfectly paired.”
After a moment of contemplation, Su Nan devised a complete plan. He reached out and swiped on the three-dimensional model, designating an area as the future site for taming Dragon Antelope.
"Let’s call it Dragon Antelope Ranch."
With the site designated, Butler Number 1 would naturally arrange for the Clay Golem to manage the specifics. Su Nan then proceeded to the main laboratory of the modified area, which served as his exclusive large laboratory.
Hidden Dragon was already awaiting him in the laboratory. Upon seeing Su Nan arrive, it crawled closer and affectionately rubbed against his chest.
"Sorry for the wait," Su Nan said with a smile as he patted Hidden Dragon’s head.
With an abundant supply of high-grade Sub-Dragon Blood, Hidden Dragon's bloodline had greatly improved during this time. Its bloodline concentration had surpassed 50%, and its combat power had reached the Third Circle Legend level.
This increase in bloodline strength had also caused Hidden Dragon to grow larger. Its head-to-tail length now exceeded thirty meters, and even when lying down, its height approached four meters. If it weren’t for its ability to become incorporeal, Hidden Dragon's movements within the Dragon Bone Tower would undoubtedly be severely restricted.
"The Sub-Dragon bloodline with the highest concentration among the Long Lin is the Magic Tyrant Dragon, at 85.37%," Su Nan noted. "Once we exceed this limit, the rate at which Hidden Dragon’s bloodline concentration increases will diminish significantly. However, if we can increase it to 90%, we should be able to break through to Fourth Circle Legend."
Thinking quickly, Su Nan did not hesitate, smoothly performing the Bloodline fusion surgery for Hidden Dragon.
Hidden Dragon had undergone an average of three surgeries per month, using the time in between to digest the Bloodline power.
The high frequency of these fusion surgeries also significantly enhanced Su Nan's proficiency in 【Biological Modification】.
Su Nan estimated that in another two to three months, his 【Biological Modification】 skill would reach level 4.
Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, it was Blazing Fire Month (July).
Just after the first ten days of the month, Su Nan successfully constructed his sixteenth Star Ring.
【Su Nan·Aernest, Human Male】 【Spirit 50.93 / Physique 45.88】 【Skills】 Star Ring Meditation Lv17 (130/5000000) Potion Making Lv4 (8635/10000) Biological Modification Lv4 (529/10000) Puppet Refining Lv5 (1023/20000) Magical Item Manufacturing Lv4 (5477/10000)
"Still two more Star Rings to go," Su Nan said with a satisfied sigh.
The proficiency gained from daily cultivation of Star Ring Meditation had risen to about 4800 points, thanks to the growth of his Spiritual Power.
At this pace, it would take more than two years to construct the seventeenth Star Ring.
"In eight years, I should be able to construct the remaining two Star Rings," he mused. "By then, even if my Spiritual Power hasn't reached 60, it should be close."
With the pure Divine Energy provided by the Death Knell Beetle, Su Nan's Spiritual Power was increasing much faster than before.
"I need to find a way to further improve my Physique."
Just last month, Su Nan had gathered enough materials to refine another Magic Pattern Core, successfully creating his fourth one.
However, the issue now was that his current Spirit and Physique were insufficient to support a level 4 Magic Pattern Core, so he had yet to fuse it.
The fusion requirements for a level 4 Magic Pattern Core were 51.22 Spirit and 54.39 Physique.
“As for Spirit, Su Nan estimates that after absorbing Divine Energy two more times, he should meet the required standard. Although his Physique lagged significantly, the presence of Dragon Blood Fruit should facilitate improvement. Currently, his Physique stands at 45.88, placing him at the level of an intermediate Grand Knight, still far from that of a Legendary Knight.
"Without fusing a Bloodline, improvements in Physique remain somewhat slow." Nevertheless, if given the choice, Su Nan would prefer to gradually strengthen his body by consuming Dragon Blood Fruit rather than hastily fuse with a Bloodline. While fusing with a Bloodline can instantly enhance one's power, it comes with the heavy cost of severely limiting future growth potential.
Take the Death Knell Striker as an example; once one fuses with the Bloodline of the Death Knell Striker, no matter how much one enhances their strength in the future, it will be challenging to surpass the origin of the Death Knell Striker's Bloodline, which corresponds to the power level of the Ancient Exotic Beast, Shrieking Aberration. It is precisely this limitation of Bloodline fusion that leads to the bifurcation of advancement paths after becoming a Wizard into two primary routes: Bloodline and True Spirit. Su Nan’s ambition has always been aligned with the True Spirit route, for only a True Spirit Wizard can ascend to the highest realm.
"The substitute metal for the Magic Pattern Core is also nearing completion." There are a total of eighty-nine types of substitute metals required for the Magic Pattern Core. Of these, only twenty can be purchased with Gold Coins. Su Nan has already researched sixty-seven of the remaining sixty-nine types, leaving just two to go. At most, he expects to finish within another month or two. After that, as long as Spirit and Physique keep pace, he can endlessly enhance the Magic Pattern Core.
Late at night, in the Secret Forest Hut, the moonlight filtered through the window, illuminating the scene within the room. Eight individuals were seated around the large table. Except for the Hunter, all the other members of the Secret Forest Hut were present, a rare occurrence indeed. Surprisingly, Traveler was also among them.
"That's unexpected; I didn't think you would actually come," Scepter remarked, staring at Traveler in disbelief.
"I thought you had perished in some forsaken corner," Undead added, his tone laced with malice.”
Ignoring Undead's words, Traveler shrugged at Scepter and said, "I ran into some trouble earlier, but thanks to Player, it's been resolved. I'll be more active in future gatherings."
The others glanced at Su Nan in surprise, not expecting these two to have met outside of the Secret Forest Hut.
"By the way, where's the other new member?" Traveler looked around curiously, then frowned in disappointment. "Did they not come?"
"An obvious fact," Black Forest replied nonchalantly. "They’re probably held up by something."
In the Secret Forest Hut, this was quite normal, and the others didn't pay it much mind as they proceeded with the trading process.
When it was Traveler's turn, he turned to Scepter with a sincere expression and said, "Scepter, I really want the Key of Star Tower. It's very important to me. If possible, please name your price; I'd like to trade for it!"
Scepter paused, taken aback, then shook his head. "Sorry, the Key of Star Tower is also very important to me. I have no plans to trade it."
"Don't waste your breath, Traveler," Black Forest said casually. "If Scepter were willing to trade, I would have already done so. What chance do you have?"
When Hunter first attended the gathering, only Black Forest and Traveler were absent. Upon learning that Hunter had brought out the Key of Star Tower at that meeting, Black Forest couldn't help but feel regret. At subsequent gatherings, he proposed a trade with Scepter but was immediately rejected without hesitation.
Hearing this, Traveler sighed in disappointment but did not press the issue further. He placed several bottles of Subdragon Blood on the table.
"Anyone interested can make an offer."
The others turned their gazes toward Su Nan.
In the past, whenever Subdragon Blood was offered at a gathering, Su Nan would always be the one to bid for it and ultimately acquire it. Over time, they had come to understand that Su Nan was determined to obtain Subdragon Blood, so they refrained from competing with him.
To everyone's surprise, however, this time Su Nan shook his head.
"I don't need it."
The others exchanged confused glances.
Only Traveler knew that Su Nan, who possessed an entire Ecological Garden, no longer lacked Subdragon Blood.
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