Back in his bedroom, Lu Chenxing opened the box sent by the Wanbao Chamber of Commerce, curious to see what a secret realm core looked like.
After opening the box, there were two items inside: the first was a cracked four-pointed star, overall grayish-white, like the white ash left after a fire had burned out.
The other was a sword broken into two pieces; its blade was ancient in style and also grayish-white.
“So this is what a secret realm core looks like after losing all its energy,” Lu Chenxing said, somewhat surprised, reaching out a finger to lightly touch it.
The sensation was like cold rock.
The shapes of secret realm cores varied because they came from different Great Worlds, and their forms would change according to the original world's energy system and environment.
This was Lu Chenxing's first close encounter with a secret realm core.
These second-tier secret realm cores were not large in volume, yet they could serve as the energy source for an entire second-tier secret realm.
It was unimaginable how immense the energy density would be if it were a complete secret realm core!
Lu Chenxing carefully picked up the cracked four-pointed star, his movements cautious, fearing that it would shatter if he applied any force.
“This… how do I use it?” After picking up the four-pointed star, Lu Chenxing was somewhat at a loss, as he truly found no residual energy on it.
Perhaps it really was just an empty shell.
He slowly probed it with his magic, but detected nothing, just like an ordinary stone.
After some thought, Lu Chenxing slowly closed his eyes, sinking his consciousness into his spiritual world, and began to try communicating with the immortal stone on Huaguo Mountain.
He did this because both the previous World Aura and the later Phantom Demon's mental power had been absorbed and transformed by the immortal stone.
So, he wanted to see if the immortal stone would react to this four-pointed star.
When Lu Chenxing communicated with the immortal stone, the immortal stone emitted a faint precious glow, then a nearly transparent wisp of aura was drawn down into the immortal stone.
Subsequently, the immortal stone emitted streaks of radiant light; although the commotion was much, much smaller, there was indeed a reaction!
At the same time, the cracked four-pointed star in his hand completely turned into flying ash, scattering across the ground, as if that last bit of aura was the energy that maintained its appearance.
“It worked!” Lu Chenxing was overjoyed; he had only been trying, but he never expected it to actually work!
After this wisp of aura was absorbed, his mental power significantly increased.
At this rate, if he could acquire another ten or twenty, he should be able to reach the peak of the second-tier!
“But this only boosts mental power.
How am I supposed to increase my magic power?
Do I still have to rely solely on energy cores?” Lu Chenxing felt a bit unwilling.
In fact, it wasn't just Zhan Wushuang and others who hoped he would grow quickly; he himself hoped for the same.
Within two years, he needed to grow to at least the fifth-tier to be qualified to search for his parents!
Otherwise, even if the secret realm gate opened, he wouldn't be able to enter.
A secret realm that could make a group of fifth-tier or even sixth-tier professionals disappear directly could not be low-tiered!
However, there was nothing he could do now; he could only ask tomorrow.
After Lu Chenxing absorbed the other secret realm core, he opened the box sent by the military and began to absorb and cultivate.
“There's no energy inside at all?
That's normal.
After all, it's an already shattered core; the energy would have long since dissipated.
Actually, we also sell complete cores here, but they are just too expensive.”
The next day, Guo Jiahao said to Lu Chenxing as they chatted.
This question was not new; the Scholars who had previously studied it had all mentioned this.
However, their main goal was to study why such a small secret realm core could contain such immense energy.
“How much is a complete one?” Lu Chenxing knew he couldn't afford it, but he still asked out of curiosity.
“I don't know.
Anyway, those who buy them are some high-tier tech-side Scholars; money is a small matter to them,” Guo Jiahao said casually.
After finishing the card he was working on, Guo Jiahao spoke again, “Boss, yesterday I went back and checked; our Chamber of Commerce has a special product called a world stone.
Are you interested?”
“world stone?
What's that?” Lu Chenxing felt a bit bewildered for a moment; he had never heard of such a thing.
“Don't let the fancy name fool you.
Actually, we accidentally discovered that some ordinary stones were thrown into the interdimensional warehouse where secret realm cores were stored.
Over time, they absorbed some of the energy that leaked from the cores.”
“The energy on these stones is very chaotic, containing all sorts of elements.
Although the energy is pure, the content isn't high.
Then my mom and dad thought it was a business opportunity, so they took a batch of high-tier materials and put them in for testing.
As a result, those high-tier materials couldn't absorb the core energy.”
“So, afterward, they put in a batch of ordinary stones.
After absorbing some of the core energy, they named them world stones and tried to sell them.”
“But after the initial curious buyers were fooled into buying a few, the rest were all left unsold; no one was willing to buy them because they were useless.”
“Although the energy they carry is pure, it's mixed.
For cultivation, it's not as good as energy cores, and because they're made from ordinary stones, they can't be used as refining materials or anything like that.” Guo Jiahao shrugged, “Anyway, it was a failed attempt.”
“If you're interested, Boss, I've told my mom that we can give them all to you for free.
There's no cost anyway.”
As Guo Jiahao finished speaking, Lu Chenxing increasingly felt that this item might be useful to him, but if the energy it carried was too little, it would be useless.
However, since it was free, he thought he could give it a try!
“Alright then, I'll order twenty second-tier shattered secret realm cores from your Chamber of Commerce, paying the market price, and you can give me these as a gift.
How about that?” Lu Chenxing said with a smile.
“Okay, it's settled!” Guo Jiahao nodded indifferently, then helped Lu Chenxing place the order.
After placing the order, Lu Chenxing transferred one million to him.
Each second-tier shattered secret realm core cost fifty thousand, so twenty of them were exactly one million.
“Boss, I have a question for you.” After the order was completed, Guo Jiahao looked at Lu Chenxing seriously, his expression solemn.
This made Lu Chenxing a bit unaccustomed, but seeing the situation, he also became serious and nodded, “Ask away!”
“Why did you accept Guan Yang as your disciple but only let me be a shop assistant?
Is it because our family is rich that you look down on me?”
“Huh?”