292: Chapter 292 The Sea-Stabilizing Pearl

However, these magic beast crystal cores are enough that I won't have to worry about cultivation resources for a long time!

Saving the massive amount of time that would have been spent killing beast kings means I can focus entirely on self-improvement and developing my Affinity with Chen Yi.

Overall, this haul is a massive profit; it was definitely worth it!

The only downside is that the combat experience gained from clearing out these minions is significantly less than what one would get from killing elite beast kings.

I suppose it was a trade-off: experience for resources and efficiency.

Even so, the tedium of collecting everything exceeded everyone's expectations.

The battle lasted about two and a half hours, but gathering these magic beast crystal cores scattered across the vast platform and the surrounding starry sky, as well as this overwhelming sea of magic beast crystal cores—

—sorting them and putting them into the space rings took a full two and a half days!

It wasn't until everyone was aching and the space rings could no longer hold a single thing that the task was finally complete.

Finally, everyone's gaze fell upon the cyan feather that was still floating in the starry sky, as massive as a skyscraper, or rather, the sea calming pearl that had triggered all of this.

Chen Yi checked it carefully through the system interface, but the feedback still indicated that it was a [Storm Feather].

Its attributes remained unchanged, and its star level had not increased despite its massive size.

It seems that its ability to take on this form is likely the result of the secret realm's rules, rather than its true nature.

So, how should we handle it now? We can't really just cut it into pieces to carry it away, can we? Not to mention whether we could even cut it, what if we destroy its structure—

Everyone looked troubled, feeling helpless against this behemoth.

Just as everyone was wondering what to do, that familiar voice of the rules once again resonated deep within everyone's minds.

Congratulations, young Beast Tamer, you have successfully passed the final test of the Crystal Palace!

Your strength, wisdom, and perseverance have been recognized by the ancient rules!

From this moment on, all the ownerless heaven and earth spiritual treasure within this Crystal Palace treasury belong to you. No further combat trials are required!

The object before you is no ordinary Storm Feather; it is the manifestation of the sea calming pearl, the proof and reward for your success in passing the trials of the Dragon Palace!

With this item, everything within the entire Crystal Palace secret realm shall belong to you! You are the new master of the Crystal Palace!

As the voice of the rules faded away.

The massive cyan feather suddenly erupted with an unprecedented, brilliant cyan light!

The light was not blinding; instead, it carried a gentle and vast aura.

Under their watchful eyes, the gigantic feather began to shrink rapidly at a visible rate!

Within a few breaths, the behemoth vanished.

In its place hung a bead in the sky, roughly the size of a tennis ball.

The bead was a gentle, pale blue, with what looked like nebulae swirling and waves surging within it.

Looking closely, one could even see faint, miniature shadows of palace pillars, mountains, and rivers flickering within.

A majestic aura, as if capable of calming the four seas and containing the world, slowly permeated the air.

It was none other than—the sea calming pearl!

Chen Yi was stunned for a moment; he hadn't expected the sea calming pearl to actually be a bead!

But his greater shock came from the information that refreshed on his system interface.

[sea calming pearl: Twenty Stars]

[An ancient Dragon Palace token, containing the laws of space and sea-calming! It can store the entire Crystal Palace secret realm within the bead's internal space and be carried with you. The internal space forms a world of its own, capable of containing living creatures. The concentration of spiritual energy is extremely high, and the flow of time can be adjusted relative to the outside world. It can also serve as a supreme defensive treasure; when activated, it forms a spatial barrier to resist external attacks.]

Twenty stars?

Chen Yi was shocked; this was the highest grade he had ever seen!

And its functions... were they not too outrageous?

It could store the entire Crystal Palace within this bead?

How big was the Crystal Palace?

Everyone present had experienced it firsthand, passing through countless regions; its total area was definitely no smaller than the size of Japan!

Such a massive secret realm space could actually be stuffed into a tennis-ball-sized bead?

This method was simply heaven-defying!

Chen Yi took a deep breath to calm his agitated heart.

He stepped forward and reached out to grasp the pale blue sea calming pearl.

The bead felt cool and smooth to the touch.

The moment he touched the bead, a strange flash of spiritual inspiration seemed to pass through his mind!

A massive and complex stream of information flooded into his consciousness!

At the same time, he felt an unprecedented connection forming between himself and the entire Crystal Palace secret realm!

It was as if he had become the master of this space; with a single thought, he could peer into any corner of the Crystal Palace, and everything was as clear and detailed as the lines on his own palm.

This feeling was like being the creator of a simulated world, possessing absolute control over one's own domain.

With a slight shift of his thoughts, he subconsciously began to survey his Crystal Palace.

Soon, his gaze locked onto the area near the entrance of the Crystal Palace.

He saw that old schemer, Gu Fan, had indeed returned!

He was currently wandering leisurely at the entrance with his seven Contracted Spirit Beast companions, his face wearing a look of smug satisfaction at having succeeded in his scheme, and the ease of someone waiting to reap the rewards.

He looked nothing like the person who had claimed to be terrified by the army of wind mosquitoes and had fled in panic earlier.

Just then, Black Rose walked up to Chen Yi and voiced her own hypothesis.

Master, I suspect that Gu Fan's earlier departure was not due to fear of the wind mosquitoes!

I estimate he left on purpose, wanting us to suffer mutual destruction with the army of wind mosquitoes, or waiting for me to be weakened after using large-scale forbidden techniques, so he could return with some trump card and reap the benefits!

He not only wants to seize all the treasures but might even... pose a threat to you.

It could be said that although a few details were missing, it was almost identical to Gu Fan's internal calculations and his conversation with Juno Lan!

This left Chen Yi even more speechless; he could practically feel black lines dripping down his forehead.

This guy, damn it, really is a professional schemer!

He plays so dirty!

Gu Fan probably doesn't know the specific rules of the sea calming pearl...

A cold glint flashed in Chen Yi's eyes. Since that's the case...

With a thought, he directly mobilized the power of the Crystal Palace's rules through the sea calming pearl!

Far away in the glacier corridor at the entrance, Gu Fan was leisurely enjoying a picnic party with his Spirit Beast Girls.

He was calculating that the time was about right, preparing to return at the opportune moment to clean up the aftermath!

Suddenly, the space around him twisted violently without any warning!

What's going on?

Gu Fan's expression changed drastically as he tried to mobilize his spiritual power to resist.

But in the face of the spatial rules of the entire secret realm, his personal power seemed so insignificant.

The next second, the world spun around him!

By the time he regained his senses, a salty sea breeze was already blowing against his face!

He discovered that he and the six Contracted Spirit Beast under his command were no longer inside the Crystal Palace.

Instead, they had appeared high above the vast ocean outside the Crystal Palace!