Although the paint job was so flamboyant that Yu Lian felt a little embarrassed, the light wheel 2000 certainly lived up to its status in the private car world. The interior was very spacious and comfortable; three or five people could lie flat and sleep inside without any problem, and even if they wanted to have fun in the car, it was no problem… Wouldn't it be quite meaningful to drive the boat to the middle of the Atlantic Ocean or the Pacific Ocean and have fun surrounded by a sky full of stars and the endless ocean?
Yu Lian activated the autopilot system, set the destination to the yacht marina on the outskirts of Mist Capital, and then opened his personal small pocket to check today's most important harvest—the Zero Element from the spiritual energy users who died by his hand.
The two cultists had burst out Wind Sound Shell and Red Gold. These two items were not good for upgrading, but they were excellent materials for crafting spiritual energy treasures. However, a good treasure required at least three types of Zero Element, and Yu Lian also didn't know if there were any reliable alchemists on Earth fifty years ago, so for now, he could only keep them to play with.
The Luminan, however, provided an unexpected surprise. After this Luminan, born on a Swamp planet, died, a tiny bit of mercury-like liquid, viscous and heavy, separated from his transparent blood.
This was a Zero Element called "Core Fluid," a type of spiritual liquid.
It was, first and foremost, an excellent material for sword casting. Swords made of spiritual metal, when quenched with this liquid, could undergo secondary strengthening and mystic attribute reinforcement.
However, this small amount of Core Fluid, which couldn't even fill the smallest test tube, wasn't enough to quench a toothpick.
Yu Lian could, of course, choose to accumulate more, but this type of spiritual liquid was quite difficult to preserve. He currently didn't have any professional preservation equipment around him, nor any foolproof safe house.
Therefore, to avoid prolonged complications, another method should be chosen. It was the Second Ring, so there was no problem.
Yu Lian looked at the mercury-like liquid in the test tube, feeling a bit apprehensive for a moment. Although he had experience in this area in his previous life, he still got goosebumps. Or rather, it was precisely because of his past life's experience that he felt apprehensive.
"The path you chose, you have to finish it even if you have to crawl! If it's bitter, think of the 25,000 for the RA!" Yu Lian told himself, then closed his eyes and, pinching his nose, poured the liquid from the test tube into his stomach. If anyone else had been there, they would have thought it was a scene of suicide by poisoning.
There was truly no taste, but that viscous, hard, cold sensation directly crawled from his throat down his esophagus, and then spread from his abdominal cavity to every part of his body. Then, pain arrived as expected, almost simultaneously in every part of his body.
If a person experienced this for the first time, they would definitely feel that they had been poisoned and were about to meet the universe spirit at any moment, but Yu Lian, who had experience in this area, knew that this was the stage where the spiritual liquid was changing bone and cell activity.
Yes. Some Zero Elements could indeed be used as super potions to increase attribute limits, and Core Fluid was one of them. It could enhance cell activity and bone strength, and when combined with Yu Lian's current "Cell Activation" skill, it could more fully digest the spiritual factors within this liquid, further improving physical qualities.
...Let's explain it in the game terms most familiar to observers outside the grand universe. Core Fluid can increase a character's physique limit and poison resistance attribute. Originally, the data increased was only 1, but for characters with the "Cell Activation" skill, it could increase by 1.5 to 2.
However, orally ingesting this spiritual liquid was truly very uncomfortable; that cold, chilling sensation was like directly consuming a live venomous snake. An inexperienced person might even lose their sanity points directly.
If it weren't for the fact that this universe truly didn't have the tragic setting where superhumans would easily lose control and turn into monsters—even if there were, it would be a very special circumstance—directly ingesting spiritual liquid would definitely be listed as a forbidden item by all major superhuman organizations, wouldn't it?
It must be said that this universe is quite partial to superhumans. This is why spiritual energy users genuinely believe they are the so-called chosen people.
Yu Lian shivered on the boat for nearly five minutes before he felt the spiritual residue in his body had been digested. In such a short time, Yu Lian felt more exhausted than his battle with that Luminan warrior. He simply reclined the sofa chair and comfortably fell asleep, surrounded by a sky full of stars.
Being a Second Ring spiritual energy user, he woke up automatically after only three hours of sleep, finding that his red, blue, and green bars were fully restored.
While he was recovering his energy, the flamboyantly painted light wheel 2000 had already crossed the entire Atlantic Ocean and was docked at a cruise ship terminal in the suburbs of Mist Capital.
Apparently, the shuttle given by Yahata must have had a global pass. As it approached its destination, it would automatically enter the port and dock under the guidance of the port's intelligent AI.
Yu Lian exited the car door and looked out at the distant urban area.
The change in the timeline meant that this island city, isolated from the Old Continent, lacked many of the iconic buildings Yu Lian remembered. Consequently, for a long time, it was truly just a very ordinary island port city.
However, during the Empire's rule, a rather artistic Imperial Grand Noble felt that this small coastal city had the vibe of "sea travelers discussing Yingzhou, with misty waves making it hard to find," so he moved his fiefdom here through the Heraldry Institute. He then undertook massive construction in the city, transplanted many exotic plants and animals he loved, and also spent a large sum of money on environmental transformation.
You guessed it right, that artistic Grand Noble was the famous Earl Salwen, the one who brought Lu Beasts to Earth and formed a symbiotic relationship with Rolling.
By the way, Earl Salwen wasn't a crazy fan of Mr. Qinglian, but his original words, translated, roughly meant this.
As mentioned before, Earl Salwen was not just a simple artist; he was also a very talented biologist and environmental Engineer. After a series of operations that were quite flamboyant but, upon careful thought, also scientifically sound, not only did no species invasion occur, but he truly transformed Mist Capital into the shape he desired.
Thus, whenever the tide rose, the city would be enveloped in vast, misty haze, with exotic tree species and majestic Imperial temple-style buildings appearing and disappearing within it, truly giving it the feel of an earthly paradise.
The name Mist Capital also came from this. It was more elegant, more mysterious, and more subtly luxurious than the "Mist" of Yu Lian's hometown.
Of course, the flamboyant operations of the artistic biologist and environmental Engineer, Earl Salwen, on Earth were far from limited to this, which we will not elaborate on for now.
Later, Earth became independent, and the Commonwealth was established. Earl Salwen's descendants retreated with the Imperial Governor's Office, and the city he had put so much effort into transforming naturally became spoils of war for the people of Earth.
Now, it is a medium-sized city with over two million permanent residents. However, during the summer and autumn seasons, tourists from various regions, and even various stars, reach tens of millions, making it a very famous tourist destination.
It is said that local residents can earn a whole year's living expenses for their families by operating their houses as B&Bs for just three months.
Consequently, the Arsenal, originally located in the city's suburbs and which had provided a large number of small artillery pieces and firearms to the Volunteer Army during the Independent War, officially closed ten years ago. After all, the workers had all gone to open B&Bs, bars, and seaside fast-food trucks.
Of course, don't rush to complain about the Commonwealth; at least in this matter, the Commonwealth Government should not only not be blamed but also be commended. Although the original Foggy City Arsenal was gone, the Commonwealth Government still retained almost all of the scientific researchers and technical backbone, and then established a new Arsenal on Mars, which is now the famous Mars Artillery Bureau.
The Commonwealth's military industry as a whole does have a bit of a leisurely and complacent feel, but in certain specific technical fields, there has actually been progress. For example, in artillery technology. See? Even the Alliance is cooperating with us.
In short, unlike the metallurgy and machinery factory workers in Big Apple City, the people of Mist Capital were very happy about the overall relocation of the Arsenal, and in this matter alone, it was a win-win.
Moreover, a Celestial Sphere Club built on the former site of the Foggy City Arsenal became a galactic-level powerhouse in less than ten years, immediately becoming the pride of Mist Capital and even the people of Earth.
It was just before nine in the morning when Yu Lian walked into the urban area. If he had followed the original plan and taken the earliest trans-Atlantic flight from Big Apple to Mist Capital, it would have been good to arrive before eleven o'clock. Yu Lian couldn't help but once again lament that he was indeed an Ambassador of time management.
The urban area within his sight was not too cyberpunk; instead, like his hometown Jin City, it belonged to a type of somewhat distinctive local city... However, those overly ostentatious and magnificent palaces and circular temple-style buildings (in Lu Xi's view) were clearly typical Imperial architecture.
This was also the "legacy" left to the people of Earth by Earl Salwen and his descendants.
Anyway, if you want to experience authentic Imperial style, come to Mist Capital. This city has always been advertised this way.
So, Yu Lian thought for a moment, then enjoyed what was said to be a famous, authentic, and media/influencer-recommended Imperial feast at a rather good restaurant.
Yes, he was hungry again. There was nothing he could do; the improvement of his physique by Core Fluid was quite energy-consuming. What was there to be dissatisfied with if he could recover with food?
After finishing his meal, he reached a conclusion. If this boss hadn't had a 'PY' (personal connection), Yu Lian would write his name backward.
He (in his previous life) had eaten a lot of authentic Imperial court cuisine. If it all tasted like this, the chef would have been thrown to the trolls long ago.
For example, for the main dish, steamed silver-fin fish, according to the true Imperial court standard, no more than three seasonings were allowed. This was to maximize the unique deliciousness of the fish itself. However, this large marine fish from another planet was quite difficult to handle; if the scales and skin were not perfectly removed, it would taste bitter; additionally, if the perfect timing for taking it out of the pot could not be found, the texture would also be greatly affected.
However, this boss clearly lacked the skill in handling ingredients and did not grasp the best timing for the fish to come out of the pot, so the flesh was a bit tough. Consequently, he simply added a considerable amount of seasonings and even high-grade spices, flamboyantly covering the entire fish.
The taste was still good, as so many seasonings would always create some impactful flavors. But it appeared very vulgar.
Two diners next to him were praising the impeccably dressed boss, who looked like a noble butler.
"Hmm, it's really delicious! Much better than what I had last time at the Royal Academy of Arts!"
"No, even in the Imperial homeland, unless you reach the Heavenly Domain, it's hard to find such authentic deliciousness."
..."Oh dear, you're giving me too much credit. The director of the Royal Academy of Arts is a true Imperial noble; he hired a complete management team. I still have a lot to learn from them."
While this mutual flattery was a bit awkward, it was, after all, a real social setting for adults, and Yu Lian expressed his understanding. He then thought that one of the "temporary crew members" he was going to meet, who was also a future SSR, seemed to be studying at that Royal Academy of Arts, didn't he?
Perhaps... after finishing the main business, he could go and connect with her. After all, the full ship drill was open to all graduating university students, wasn't it?