93: Star Marrow

The moment his mental power entered the Space Ring, Lin Feng's consciousness suddenly felt an indescribable, vast fluctuation, as if a sleeping galaxy had awakened, instantly filling the entire car!

This fluctuation was not a violent energy Impact, but an incredibly gentle, yet unimaginably profound aura of life essence and power rules!

The space inside the ring was not large; in fact, only one item floated within it.

It was an egg-sized crystal.

It was not motionless; inside, countless dark-golden galaxies seemed to flow, rotate, and converge slowly and eternally!

It was a cosmic wonder condensed to the extreme, its dark-golden radiance like flowing liquid stars, profound and mysterious.

Countless tiny specks of light, like billions of miniature stars, were born, twinkled, and annihilated in this flowing dark-golden galaxy, cycling endlessly, endlessly.

Each time these specks of light flickered, they seemed to expound the mysteries of life's birth and destruction, and the rules of power's condensation and dissipation.

Gentle, yet vast!

The energy fluctuation it emitted was like the heartbeat of the universe itself, carrying a maternal essence that embraced all things and nurtured everything, yet also containing the immense power to create chaos and reshape rules!

This was the most primitive throb of life, the most fundamental form of power!

"Star... marrow..."

These two words seemed to spill uncontrollably from Lin Feng's mouth.

He had never seen it, and had only heard its name once from the Professional Association's council member surnamed Zheng.

But the moment his mental power touched it, the moment the Alien Queen's insane craving perfectly aligned with the crystal's aura, this name naturally appeared deep in his mind, as if a memory long imprinted in his genes had been awakened.

"star marrow."

The shadowy figure affirmed Lin Feng's designation, its voice carrying a hint of imperceptible solemnity.

"The Professional Association, deep within the Barren World, paid an unimaginable price and sacrificed many elite examinees to painstakingly obtain the mining rights from the claws of the Transcendent-level behemoth guarding it."

"It contains the supreme mysteries of life's leap and the condensation of rules."

"For any Professional! And even for any magical beast, especially life forms with powerful bloodlines or potential, it is a priceless treasure, a key to a higher level!"

Lin Feng's pupils suddenly contracted!

Professional Association!

Sacrificing examinees!

Transcendent-level behemoth!

Obtained!

These keywords exploded in his mind like thunder!

He understood instantly!

Everything connected!

The Dark Council giving him the "star marrow" that the Professional Association had obtained at a huge cost, their intention was obvious!

One was to sow discord!

This was a blatant open conspiracy!

They knew Lin Feng had little sense of belonging to the Professional Association, and even held grudges.

Giving such a precious treasure was to ensure Lin Feng could never fully, wholeheartedly trust and integrate into the Professional Association!

It was like planting an unremovable thorn between the two sides!

If the association's higher-ups knew Lin Feng held the star marrow they had obtained at such a great sacrifice, what would they think?

How would Lin Feng explain?

Once the seed of suspicion was planted, it would only take root and sprout!

Secondly, this was also a show of force and an attempt to win him over!

This star marrow was not only compensation but also a display of the Dark Council's strength and foundation!

Even the star marrow, which the Professional Association regarded as a treasure and guarded strictly, they could easily give away. How terrifying was the power and infiltration behind them?

This was both a warning to Lin Feng and a higher-level attempt to win him over.

Thirdly, and most importantly!

Exposure!

The Dark Council was using the most direct and shocking way to tell Lin Feng.

We and the Professional Association are not as clearly distinct and irreconcilable as you imagine!

"Otherwise, the 'star marrow' that the Professional Association obtained at the cost of so many examinees would certainly not appear in the hands of the Dark Council!"

Lin Feng's thoughts raced, and a chill rose from his spine.

The meaning behind this information was too astonishing!

There was an insider from the Dark Council within the Professional Association?

And their status was extremely high, able to access core-level resources like star marrow?

Or, did the two organizations have unknown transactions, cooperation, or even... collusion on certain levels?

For example, dividing certain forbidden resources?

Or using each other to achieve some ulterior motives?

Was Xiong Ba's death just the tip of the iceberg?

As the Xiong Family's ancestor and a pseudo-Transcendent-level powerhouse, he was used as a pawn by the Dark Council to test himself, and were the Professional Association's higher-ups aware of this?

Or, were they also using this incident?

Lin Feng felt as if he had fallen into the center of a giant spider web woven from lies and interests.

The so-called opposition of good and evil, light and darkness, might just be a carefully directed play at a higher level.

He, and countless Professionals like him, were merely pawns in this grand game of chess.

"Mr. Lin seems to have understood."

The shadowy figure seemed to see through Lin Feng's tumultuous thoughts, and the two faint lights flickered, carrying a hint of approval.

"The Council appreciates intelligent people. The star marrow is a gift, and also a key."

"It leads to the pinnacle of power, and also to... the door of truth."

"How to choose is up to you."

It paused, and the shadowy form began to thin and become transparent, as if it would dissipate into the car's lights at any moment.

"The Council hopes you make good use of it. As for your parents, the Council keeps its word. Farewell."

As its voice faded, the humanoid shadow, like ink dropped into water, rapidly faded and dispersed.

It left no trace, no lingering energy fluctuations, as if it had never appeared.

Only the black ring, suspended in the air and emitting faint spatial fluctuations, and the Alien Queen's almost boiling, insatiable craving in Lin Feng's mind, proved that everything that had just happened was not an illusion.

Calm returned to the car, with only the low rumble of the engine and the rapidly receding light and shadows outside the window.

Lin Feng reached out, and the black Space Ring automatically fell into his palm.

It felt cool to the touch, with a strange suction.

He took a deep breath and clenched the ring tightly.

Inside the ring, the "star marrow" with its flowing dark-golden galaxy, like a miniature universe, floated silently.

"Master! Give it to me! Please! Give it to me!"

The Queen's mental link was filled with unprecedented, almost humble pleas, and an uncontrollable greed stemming from her life's instinct.

It even transmitted a strong, frantic desire to obtain the star marrow at all costs, as if without it, the Queen's very existence would lose meaning.

Lin Feng felt the boundless power of life and rules within the ring, and then recalled the shadow messenger's final words... "It leads to the pinnacle of power, and also to... the door of truth."

The Dark Council's machinations, the Professional Association's suspicions, his parents' safety, his own situation... all the clues intertwined, ultimately pointing in one direction... power!

Absolute power!

Only with enough power could he escape the game and become a player.

Only then could he protect those he wanted to protect.

Only then could he tear open the layers of mist shrouding the truth!

"Queen..."

Lin Feng's mental will sank into the Spirit Beast Space, directly facing the restless Alien Queen, whose compound eyes gleamed with terrifying red light.

"You need it?"

"Must! Master! It can make me... evolve! Truly... Transcendent-level! Control... my own... rules!"

The Queen's thoughts were intermittent, yet incredibly clear and firm.

Her massive body trembled slightly from extreme craving, and between the gaps in her exoskeleton, new, even deeper faint glows were subtly flowing.

Lin Feng looked at the Queen, then "looked" at the Annihilation Tyrant, which emitted a terrifying annihilation aura, deep within the Spirit Beast Space.

Although the Annihilation Tyrant was already Transcendent-level, the core of its power came from the "Annihilation" rules Xiong Ba had comprehended.

And the Queen, as his natal magical beast, had potential far beyond that.

The star marrow seemed to be the key to activating the Queen's true potential and allowing her to awaken her own unique rules!

"Good."

Lin Feng did not hesitate for a moment.

While the Dark Council's calculations were sinister, the power of the star marrow itself was real!

Enhancing the Queen's strength was enhancing his own strength!

In this perilous world, power was the ultimate truth!

As for the Professional Association's suspicions and the Dark Council's schemes... it would not be too late to settle accounts once he possessed the power to overturn the chessboard!

With a thought, the star marrow inside the Space Ring instantly disappeared, transferred into the Spirit Beast Space...