190: Thunder Prison Dragon, mecha concept

Qin Jin's figure returned from the sky, heading towards Dragon Gate Peak.

As he passed through the Sky Membrane, Qin Jin looked up at the sky.

The changes in the divine cauldron restriction above could only be observed by entering the area; if one merely looked up from the ground, the sky of the Great Wilderness remained as it always was, with the two Golden Crows evolving into the [Sun] rising in the morning and setting in the evening each day.

"The arrangements of the Tiancang Immortal Dynasty..."

Qin Jin's eyes darkened slightly.

When the divine cauldron restriction was first discovered, everything was extremely calm, but as the Great Wilderness began to change, everything became completely different from before.

Clearly... the methods and arrangements left behind by that terrifying Immortal Dynasty that once dominated an era were far grander and more immeasurable than Qin Jin had initially expected.

For Qin Jin, this could be considered a good thing.

After all, having inherited the Immortal Dynasty's legacy, he already stood with the Tiancang Immortal Dynasty, on the side of humanity in this world.

"As time changes, everything will eventually be revealed."

"What I need to do is to improve myself as much as possible."

His figure, in a state of concealment, traversed the sky, and after arriving at Dragon Gate Peak, Qin Jin descended, passing through the divine light and entering it.

The spiritual energy within was abundant, and as Qin Jin entered, dense spiritual energy swarmed from all directions, clinging to his body; although spiritual energy has no consciousness, this was a manifestation of closeness, a closeness from the world itself.

After this divine light refinement and the construction of the Heaven-Ascending Platform, Qin Jin clearly felt an increasing closeness with the world, and now, this part was clearly confirmed.

"The sense of closeness within the ancient lands is even stronger than in the Great Wilderness."

"Are these ancient lands within the Great Wilderness more aligned with the outside world than the Great Wilderness itself?"

"Perhaps, the land of the Great Wilderness itself has also experienced something in the past."

With a thought, he landed on Dragon Gate Peak; twin peaks stood here, and faintly, there was even the sound of a dragon's roar echoing through the valley.

Qin Jin, with practiced ease, began to visualize.

Having had a verifiable experience, he was extremely skilled, but at the beginning of the visualization, some changes occurred compared to the last time.

During the previous visualization, he had truly seen everything of Dragon Gate Peak with the help of the stone tablet, but now... at the very beginning of the visualization, Qin Jin clearly saw the cliff face of Dragon Gate Peak peel away, revealing the dragon bones within, creating a magnificent sight.

He merely sensed it and found the source.

The item bestowed by the Dragon Girl Qingzi in the Immortal Dynasty's ancient scene!

At this moment, that unknown object was enveloped in light, located at the bottom of the Cave Heaven, surrounded by white dragons; with the help of the True Dragon Cave Heaven, he directly completed his observation of Dragon Gate Peak.

Qin Jin recalled the words of the senior Zhu Futu in the ancient scene.

"This young friend also has an origin with your Dragon Clan."

"Does the 'origin' mentioned by senior Zhu refer to Dragon Gate Peak, or the True Dragon Cave Heaven, or both?"

A thought flashed through his mind.

When he first saw the accumulated dragon bones beneath Dragon Gate Peak, Qin Jin's initial thought was that they were hunted by the Immortal Dynasty.

The Immortal Dynasty hunted dragons, extracted their bones, gathered their spirits, and forged Dragon Gate Peak, making it an extraordinary place.

But this conjecture was largely shattered after witnessing that scene in the Immortal Dynasty's ancient scene.

That senior Zhu Futu and that Dragon Girl did not seem to have a blood feud between their races.

Indeed, when one truly reaches an extremely high point, one might develop an indifferent attitude towards all living beings, not caring about these things, but judging from the words of senior Zhu Futu and the Immortal Dynasty information Qin Jin had encountered, the strong individuals of the Immortal Dynasty in the past highly valued the world and its races; therefore, all of this deserved careful consideration.

This Dragon Gate Peak, a burial ground for dragons, might not have been established by the Immortal Dynasty; in fact... its very existence might have the shadow of the Dragon Clan.

Within the visualization field, the true appearance of Dragon Gate Peak was completely revealed.

Qin Jin suppressed his thoughts and began to diligently collect.

As he fully operated, the white dragon within the True Dragon Cave Heaven reappeared, swimming out towards Dragon Gate Peak; after reaching a certain distance, its dragon body swayed, swirling in the void, gathering a cluster of extraordinary factors, and then swimming back.

Compared to the first time, the amount of extraordinary factors collected this time had significantly increased, clearly influenced by Qin Jin's own strength improvement.

The dragon body coiled, and as the white dragon returned, the extraordinary factors that were gathered, amidst their fluctuations, actually underwent a change; within the visualization field, they grew a head and tail, and dragon horns, transforming into a black dragon whose body surged, attempting to break free from the white dragon's restraint.

One black and one white, two dragons contended.

The white dragon came from the True Dragon Cave Heaven, so Qin Jin naturally would not sit idly by; with a slight thought, he provided his own assistance.

At that instant, the white dragon opened its mouth, spewing out extremely cold frost, and as it froze the black dragon, Qin Jin's own power surged; within the visualization field, thunder roared, encircling the black dragon, forming a thunder prison.

Within the thunder prison, the black dragon broke free from the frost, attempting to charge out of the thunder prison.

At the same time, the Spirit Ruins' Thunder Marsh trembled slightly, and the character for 'Calamity' projected a phantom image, landing above the thunder prison.

As the 'Calamity' character descended.

Tian Wei permeated the thunder prison, and the black dragon within instantly cowered, no longer struggling, becoming extremely docile.

This was the coordination of the Thunder Prison method and the Thunder Marsh method, an insight Qin Jin gained after participating in that Ancestral Master's Chess Game.

The white dragon returned to the Cave Heaven; because this was not for his own cultivation, Qin Jin ended his visualization and looked forward.

Ahead, within the thunder prison, the peculiar extraordinary factors were coiled, occasionally transforming into a black dragon shape, timidly glancing up at the 'Calamity' character above.

Thunder Prison suppressing the dragon.

Qin Jin's thoughts stirred slightly; he did not use the storage container in the Star Sea, but directly stored it with a fragment of the divine cauldron, placing it inside.

This could already be considered an extraordinary item.

As Qin Jin continuously improved, he now possessed the ability to create the extraordinary himself, unlike before.

After completing his initial goal, Qin Jin once again entered visualization.

This time, it was for his own cultivation.

To avoid transforming into a small dragon-person, he remained quite restrained; after cultivating through visualization and approaching the limit, he would stop, wait until he had thoroughly digested everything, and then return again, persevering.

However... after this cultivation, Qin Jin had a strong premonition in his heart.

By continuously visualizing Dragon Gate Peak and accumulating over time, he had a very high probability of comprehending a special ability contained within Dragon Gate Peak.

Similar to how he awakened Ninefold Wave by visualizing Eight Extremes Star in the past, Dragon Gate Peak was too extraordinary, and this step would be achieved sooner or later.

"If I comprehend some ability related to true dragons, combined with the True Dragon Treasure Technique, it might achieve an effect where one plus one is greater than two."

"Perhaps..."

"I can achieve this step ahead of time through other means."

Some ideas arose in his mind; having completed his cultivation and organizing his thoughts, Qin Jin's figure departed... The first thing Qin Jin did upon returning to Lei Yu Star was to call upon Venerable Observer.

He asked Venerable Observer if his connection with his clone had been restored, but received a negative answer.

Clearly, the true boundary between the two worlds could not be easily broken; besides the obstruction of the world itself, it also seemed to be affected by other forces.

Time passed.

After telling Qi Chuan that he was going to "break through," Qin Jin remained in a reclusive state within the Si Huo Tribe; his true body would leave the Tribe, but always in a concealed state, undetected by the outside world.

Aside from the extraordinary factors from True Dragon Peak, Qin Jin also searched for other extraordinary materials in the ancient lands.

The current mech team, backed by the Federation Military Department, would undoubtedly prepare top-tier materials; after all, when the azure lightning dark halberd was created in the past, the customized team from Star Ring Heavy Industries had a clear price, but now, the team assembled by the military department was priceless.

Therefore, Qin Jin would not provide ordinary extraordinary materials.

Under Lü Xuan's arrangements, the first task after the team was established was to overhaul the azure lightning dark halberd.

By repairing the mech first, these designers and manufacturers could also gain a better understanding of Qin Jin, the Martial Artist, as the mech might contain information about his potential combat methods.

For example, which rune power routes were used more, which modules were used more frequently, and so on.

The overhaul progressed rapidly.

After two days, Qin Jin's azure lightning dark halberd was fully repaired, and some modules were even optimized and upgraded; top-tier teams, upon discovering issues, found it difficult to resist solving them.

It was foreseeable that the azure lightning dark halberd was destined to be a temporary companion in Qin Jin's cultivation process, unable to stay with him forever, but as Qin Jin's first extraordinary combat mech, it would have the most dignified end.

It should be more dignified than a certain unknown old mining machine.

Today.

It was evening, and beautiful sunset clouds appeared in the sky of Lei Yu Star. After Qin Jin tried out the refurbished and optimized azure lightning dark halberd, he left the cockpit and landed on the ground.

In front, Lü Xuan stepped closer: “How is it?”

“Very good.”

Qin Jin nodded in praise, then his tone shifted: “I have two things to tell you.”

“Go on.”

“I’ve broken through. I’m now Six-Transformation.”

Qin Jin’s voice was calm: “We might need to conduct another assessment.”

Lü Xuan: ...He was silent for a moment before speaking: “It shouldn’t affect the progress too much. When I made the initial plan, I left ample leeway, and even prepared for the possibility that you wouldn’t be able to pilot the mech when it was first completed.”

“It seems I still had foresight.”

An extraordinary mech is not an ordinary steel can. To truly unleash its capabilities, the Martial Artist’s own strength must be sufficient.

It’s like a child wielding an Emperor’s Weapon; while the Emperor’s Weapon itself possesses extraordinary power, there is an immeasurable power gap when facing a true powerhouse.

As he finished speaking, Qin Jin nodded slightly, extended his hand, and as if grasping something in the void, a thunder prison appeared above his palm.

Within the thunder prison, extraordinary factors fluctuated, constantly changing, sometimes scattered, sometimes forming the shape of a black dragon.

“This is the extraordinary material I need you to incorporate into the mech.”

Qin Jin said: “This is an unstable extraordinary factor, but its potential and power are excellent. I believe it can cause a qualitative change in the mech at some level.”

“And.”

Qin Jin paused slightly: “Based on this extraordinary factor, I need my new mech to have the ability to change forms.”

Changing forms.

Truly top-tier extraordinary mechs are never limited to just one form.

The addition of extraordinary elements and technological factors has created infinite possibilities for mechs.

Lü Xuan looked at the sealed extraordinary factor, his face thoughtful: “A conventional humanoid form is essential, as a form similar to the Martial Artist’s own body is convenient for you to exert maximum combat power.”

“As for the other form.”

He looked at the black dragon shape formed by the changing extraordinary factor: “You want... a dragon form?”

“Yes.”

Qin Jin nodded.

He wasn't acting on a whim, but rather, this idea arose after his contemplation at Dragon Gate Peak.

He himself hadn't yet become a small dragon-human, nor had he comprehended any dragon-related abilities, but if conditions weren't met, he would create them himself.

A dragon-shaped mech, combined with the extraordinary factors from Dragon Gate Peak, plus his True Dragon Cave Heaven—the combination of these three might lead to some marvelous reactions, making it worth a try.

The military’s emphasis on him was undisguised, and Qin Jin’s own sense of belonging to the Federation was constantly growing. In this context, he would not hesitate to make demands, because... he was confident that one day, he would repay everything.

“I understand.”

Lü Xuan nodded: “We’ll first re-evaluate you, then we’ll hold a meeting to discuss it.”

“Qin Jin.”

“Without affecting your normal cultivation, please spend more time with us moving forward. If you have any needs, you can bring them up at any time, as this team is here to serve you.”

“Don’t worry, I won’t be polite.”

The two exchanged smiles.

By the time they left there, night had fallen deeply.

The various construction areas of Lei Yu Star were brightly lit, with construction still ongoing day and night.

Currently, Lei Yu Star still had no concept of disturbing residents; artificial intelligence combined with technological means made construction highly efficient.

Being quite busy recently, and needing to discuss the mech, Qin Jin hadn't gone to the restricted area continuously in recent days, but had stayed at his residence instead.

Approaching his residence, inside the villa, all the lights were off. Qin Jin pushed the door open, and just as he was about to switch on the lights, his movements paused slightly.

The room was terribly dim, but seeing in the dark was a basic ability for Qin Jin. He swept his gaze around, and by comparing it with what was in his mind, he could confirm that someone had been here.

On Lei Yu Star, not many people dared to do such a thing.

“Did Uncle Yan and the others come?”

“But they usually tell me when they come over.”

Thoughts flashed through his mind, but Qin Jin remained calm, after all, he had nothing to fear on Lei Yu Star.

Passing through the entrance hall, Qin Jin entered the living room on the first floor. The moment he stepped in, the lights in the villa suddenly came on. The space before him was empty, with no one in sight, nor could he sense anyone.

But in the next moment.

Like a shattering mirror, the empty scene before him suddenly vanished. As it was actively revealed, the power causing this concealment was discerned by Qin Jin—it was... Spiritual Energy!

Qin Jin’s gaze suddenly turned forward.

Looking ahead, the aroma of food wafted over, and everyone he saw was familiar.

The Yan Family couple were there; Yan Yue, due to her studies at the academy, couldn’t be present in person, but was communicating via a screen displaying her figure. Besides their family of three, there were two other people whom Qin Jin found somewhat surprising.

Chu Tianyi, Su Chaozong.

These were the starting points of his true ascent on the path of cultivation, and now they had come to his home.

Thus, the source of the Spiritual Energy just now became clear at a glance.

“I didn’t expect you to return so late.”

After a long time, Chu Tianyi still looked as elegant as ever, with an added vibrancy compared to before. Now, he smiled: “Fortunately, we haven’t missed the time. Come on, let’s get ready and celebrate a birthday.”

“Birthday?”

Qin Jin realized.

He subconsciously looked at Uncle Yan’s family, and was met with caring smiles.

Yan Gaoyuan spoke: “Originally, we prepared it for you. Just when Senior Chu sent a message, they also joined in.”

Upon hearing this.

Qin Jin was silent.

After his parents left, he grew up in the Yan Family, and every birthday was celebrated by the Yan Family for him.

This time was no exception.

“Qin Jin.”

Watching Qin Jin look over, Yan Yue’s voice came from the communication screen: “I originally wanted to find you at the academy, but then I heard from Mom and Dad that you were back. I couldn’t ask for leave, so this is all I can do.”

“It’s fine.”

Qin Jin said softly: “It’s enough.”

He looked at Chu Tianyi: “Teacher Chu, are you done with your work?”

“More or less. Thanks to you, after that exchange with Venerable Star God, I conducted some verifications and have finally made some discoveries.”

Chu Tianyi nodded, looked at Qin Jin, scrutinized him carefully, and finally said calmly: “You have grown a lot.”

“Come on, take your seats, it’s almost time.”

Everyone took their seats, and the aroma of food wafted to their noses, with everything centered around Qin Jin.

Qin Jin’s gaze shifted to another person.

Su Chaozong.

This senior, who had once guided him, now exuded an uplifted demeanor, free from his past gloom.

Seeing this, Qin Jin spoke: “Su Teacher, have you... entered the Martial Saint Realm?”

“Only one step away.”

Su Chaozong smiled: “The path has been determined; the rest is just a matter of time.”

“Qin Jin.”

“During this time, I’ve also heard news of you. As a freshman, you dominated your peers and won the Po Xian Cup. Very impressive.”

“I still remember how diligent you were during special training at the base. Now it seems you haven’t let your efforts go to waste.”

His tone contained genuine praise.

As the two conversed.

Time passed, and it was past midnight.

As soon as midnight struck, the terminal screen Qin Jin wore lit up, and Candle Kite’s figure appeared, looking very lively: “Qin Jin, Happy Birthday!”

This was just the beginning.

After her congratulations sounded, messages flooded into the terminal, with many well wishes arriving.

To be remembered by others is in itself a kind of success.

Qin Jin smiled apologetically at the others and replied to each message.

After he finished, Chu Tianyi spoke: “Make a wish.”

“Although we extraordinary beings don’t usually bother with such things, at this moment, let’s just consider it for fun.”

At this moment, he didn't resemble an extraordinary Spiritual Energy User, but rather just an elder who cared for his junior.

Qin Jin nodded.

He closed his eyes, spoke to himself in his heart, then opened his eyes.

“Qin Jin.”

In front, Su Chaozong’s voice sounded: “Counting the time, it’s been almost a year since we last met.”

“How has your progress in martial arts been?”

Upon hearing this.

Everyone else’s gaze focused on Qin Jin.

Meeting their gazes, Qin Jin smiled and said calmly: “Grandmaster Realm.”

“Six-Transformation.”