Chapter 1411: 23 Cultivation Progress [Please Subscribe to the Official Version]

Chapter 1411: Chapter 23 Cultivation Progress [Please Subscribe to the Official Version]

So it was a Semi-permanent Star existence with Intermediate Talent and strength.

The appearance of this monster resembled a monkey. While its strength was at the intermediate Semi-permanent Star Level of talent, Jia Yan sensed that it seemed a little weaker compared to the Intermediate Talent Semi-permanent Star Level entities from the Doom Squad Power.

This was the subtle difference between geniuses from great forces and smaller factions.

The monkey looked toward ‘Behalf,’ its eyes revealing a faint hint of apprehension.

It’s worth mentioning that, according to the rumors, this entity—who appeared to only be a Secondary Powerhouse with High-level Talent—had once faced two Intermediate Talent beings from great forces without suffering defeat. This monkey-like monster considered itself weaker than great force Intermediate Talent entities, so it naturally felt immense pressure when confronting ‘Behalf.’

“Greetings, Senior. I am Behalf. May I ask which faction you’re from, Senior?”

Jia Yan controlled his avatar and asked calmly.

“Haha, Mr. Behalf, please don’t call me Senior; I can hardly take it. You can just call me Pizi. I am from the Suffering Forces, located two billion kilometers away.”

After hearing Pizi’s words, Jia Yan’s avatar nodded indifferently.

The Suffering Forces—he had heard about them before. They were a fairly significant force in this border area of the Starry Sky. Although not comparable to the factions within the Dark Realm, they still counted as a major power on the frontier.

“So, what brings Pizi to my Ting Tian Pavilion? We haven’t had much interaction before.”

Pizi didn’t appear offended by Jia Yan’s somewhat stiff tone. In truth, the Suffering Forces were well aware that not far from them, a newly-established “Ting Tian Pavilion” faction had emerged to offer task-based services. They had investigated it previously and learned that the Ting Tian Pavilion housed a certain Mo Ke, who had fought with an Intermediate Talent Semi-permanent Star Genius on The Star of Carnival, which made them hesitant to provoke the faction.

However, recently, they learned of an incident that had left the entire Suffering Forces shocked.

Mo Ke from Ting Tian Pavilion had teamed up with Behalf once again to battle against the Doom Squad. They even managed to escape after being surrounded by several Semi-permanent Star geniuses from the Doom Squad.

Subsequently, Mo Ke, in a fit of rage, ventured to the Headquarters Star Zone of the Doom Squad and detonated an artificial black hole, annihilating more than half of their high-level combat power and nearly obliterating the faction altogether.

This event left the Suffering Forces in utter disbelief, prompting them to send this Intermediate Talent powerhouse to “pay respects.”

Put simply, “paying respect” was just a euphemism for delivering gifts—a gesture of submission, a way to ensure Ting Tian Pavilion wouldn’t trouble the Suffering Forces.

Otherwise, if Mo Ke were to act upon his anger, the Suffering Forces wouldn’t stand a chance against a black hole explosion; their entire faction would most likely be eradicated.

Being a quick thinker, Jia Yan swiftly deduced their intentions from Pizi’s words.

“Haha, Mr. Pizi, thank you for the courtesy. If you don’t mind, you’re welcome to linger for a few days in my Ting Tian Pavilion. In a few days, our faction’s Mr. Mo Ke will return, and perhaps you can discuss matters with him.”

“Oh no, no, next time please visit the Suffering Forces instead, Mr. Behalf. Farewell.”

After exchanging only a few words with Jia Yan’s avatar, the Intermediate Talent Semi-permanent Star entity from the Suffering Forces couldn’t wait to leave upon hearing that Jia Yan was about to return. It was almost like he was jumping up to rush away.

After all, the gifts were delivered, and he had met with ‘Behalf,’ who was capable of making decisions for Ting Tian Pavilion. His mission was considered complete.

As for ‘Mo Ke,’ he would rather not meet him. Everyone knew that this entity had gone to blow up the headquarters of the Doom Squad when angered. If he did meet Mo Ke, even one poorly considered remark could provoke the figure’s fury, and the Suffering Forces might truly face extinction.

Several other factions and groups share this sentiment within Ting Tian Pavilion.

Just like Pizi of the Suffering Forces, they met with Jia Yan’s avatar, exchanged a few pleasantries, and upon hearing the news that the “hot-tempered” Mr. Mo Ke would return soon, their expressions swiftly changed, and they hastily excused themselves.

Not long after, the bustling Ting Tian Pavilion Star Body finally quieted down a little. Of course, the fully operational commercial system and the gifts they had left wouldn’t revert to the way they were.

Some dignitaries had rooted themselves in the faction—conducting business and acquisitions.

A few even came primarily to apply for membership at Ting Tian Pavilion.

Clinging to powerful forces is often a habit of the weak, especially for a faction like Ting Tian Pavilion, whose leader is extraordinarily strong but whose direct members are scarce. The number of talented individuals eager to join shouldn’t be underestimated, as many see opportunities for advancement here.

When reviewing the applicants, Jia Yan controlled his avatar to perform a brief selection process and approved them all without rejecting anyone.

After all, he had once turned adversaries into subordinates. How bad could these applicants possibly be?

Having completed all this, Jia Yan noticed a few changes.

One notable shift was the increasing demand for Ting Tian Pavilion to take on assignments. While Jia Yan had set specific prices, requests for escort or combat missions still lined up for lengthy periods.

Naturally, as Jia Yan’s strength was attested to—exceeding expectations—the number of creatures seeking his aid increased as well.

But at this point, not raising his prices would be foolish.

“One mission requires ten space stones, with negotiations for additional money and materials. Ten space stones is the baseline price.”

Jia Yan straightforwardly revised his mission requirements. Other tasks for Ting Tian Pavilion would still be accepted, but would be handled by ordinary Secondary Powerhouses among his subordinates. Of course, despite not being particularly strong, these subordinates’ association with Jia Yan’s reputation in the Dark Realm meant even bandits or rival forces would offer them some respect.

Ten space stones were certainly no trivial cost for average mission sponsors, resulting in a flurry of complaints under Ting Tian Pavilion’s listings.

But Jia Yan didn’t mind it. Those who could afford it would proceed; those who couldn’t would be left alone.

Meanwhile, surrounding the Ting Tian Pavilion area, patrol battleships were growing in number. Naturally, they didn’t dare approach; instead, they watched Ting Tian Pavilion’s movements with great interest.

After all, no faction would dare underestimate someone capable of casually blowing up a primary star of a major force—even if not provoked—so they were bound to keep a close eye.

Let them watch—Jia Yan didn’t care and couldn’t be bothered. He couldn’t possibly spend his days chasing down battleships, could he? He wasn’t that idle.

“Forget it, the matter has come to a close. For now, I’ll focus on figuring out how to further improve my strength.”

Within Ting Tian Pavilion, Jia Yan calmly contemplated his path to enhancing his abilities.

Truthfully, Jia Yan was at his weakest right now!

Although the main body’s strength had increased, during the recent battle with the Doom Squad, he had lost his black hole, which drastically diminished the Conceptual Ship’s power. Without these two assets, Jia Yan—along with his avatar—could at best fight an Intermediate Talent Semi-permanent Star Level entity to a draw. Even considering the recent improvements in his primary body’s strength, the situation hadn’t changed.

Such strength, coupled with such reputation, made him prone to danger—especially given the dire need for space stones after exhausting them in the last battle. With a few in hand, he could at least produce some space stone explosive bombs to marginally boost his combat capabilities.

“Here’s the plan: I’ll first stabilize the improved strength, then begin taking on assignments to acquire more space stones. Afterward, I’ll return to the Liqiao Force to see if any geniuses can help me repair my Conceptual Ship.”

“What a shame that the Adisa hasn’t arrived yet. Otherwise, I could leverage its power to maybe craft an even better artificial black hole.”

Thinking about the power of the black hole made Jia Yan emotional. He couldn’t count the number of times the artificial black hole he had created had saved him, not to mention its use in the recent explosion. Now, without the black hole’s assistance, he felt a distinct discomfort about the situation.

The good thing was, if the Adisa could make its way to the Central Star Area, Jia Yan could create another black hole. Moreover, with his newfound experience and enhanced space talent, this time he might even incorporate his new ideas to produce a more terrifying and practical artificial black hole.

But all of that was for the future. For now, Jia Yan faced a period of short-term cultivation.

This phase of improvement was centered around his space talent.

The power of the dignitary had nearly reached its pinnacle, leaving Jia Yan unable to enhance it further.

He aimed to directly ascend from the dignitary level to Stellar level by refining the minute details of his abilities while utilizing the special methods handed down by the Senior who mentored him. While it required considerable time, the process was far quicker than advancing step by step—from sub-level, to Semi-permanent Star, and finally to Stellar level—saving him multiple checkpoints along the way.

Of course, this method also carried significantly greater risks, but Jia Yan had no choice but to pursue this path.

He didn’t aspire to become an ordinary Stellar-level being. Only by taking this rare approach could he enhance his odds of ascending to the “Star River” rank.

“Moreover, I am of the Evolutionary Creature race! Once an Evolutionary Creature reaches Stellar level, its strength far exceeds the imagination of typical beings. The predecessors of the Evolutionary Creature race—capable of single-handedly holding enemy forces outside the Orion Arm—were enough to make the entire Milky Way tremble.”

“When I reach the Stellar level, I am destined to become one of those terrifying beings…”

The thought of reaching Stellar level and becoming what the major empires in the Orion Arm called a “Star Sky Beast” filled Jia Yan with intense anticipation, making him eager for the promotion.

Yet, he knew now was not the time. You have to eat your meals one bite at a time; impatience would only backfire.

After planning his next actions for the near future, Jia Yan finally felt at ease.

Disregarding the online criticisms or praises of Ting Tian Pavilion, his mind was fixated solely on improving his own capabilities.

Meanwhile, in the Dark Realm Starry Sky, the repercussions of Jia Yan’s sensational actions via Ting Tian Pavilion were far from fading.

The annihilation of nearly the entire Doom Squad was a colossal affair—a big incident whose impact was only just unfolding.

“Breaking news from Dark Realm News: A refugee army of Doom Squad beings has just swept through the minor faction Sky Steel, resulting in the deaths of over three hundred talented entities. Several major factions have issued strong protests against this refugee army.”