Chapter 570 - 549: Cutting-Edge Research is Very Expensive

"Our high school teacher, Teacher Zhang, went to the Cloud Country back then and was never heard from again."

Gu Ming stood on the shore, his gaze heavy as he looked toward the immense black energy barrier in the distance that blanketed the sky and earth.

Lu You gazed at the Cloud Country across the sea, her eyes filled with confusion and sorrow.

The entire, vast country had been devoured by darkness. ’Is Teacher Zhang even still alive?’

Lu You no longer held much hope in her heart.

But when she turned and saw the solemn and resolute expression on Gu Ming’s face, she couldn’t help but feel a stir in her heart.

...

Separated from their destination by the vast sea, Gu Ming and his two companions walked slowly along the coast.

A few scattered Water Element Pet Beasts were by the shore, carrying their respective Beastmasters and swimming slowly toward the giant black dome.

Gu Ming’s eyes were fixed on them. He watched as the enormous Water Element Pet Beasts plunged straight into the pitch-black barrier as if falling into thick ink, vanishing in an instant.

Witnessing this, a sudden, inexplicable chill ran up his spine.

A sense of bewilderment washed over Gu Ming as goosebumps broke out on his arms.

Even he couldn’t explain where this sense of dread came from.

He asked subconsciously:

"Teacher Tang, which way is the Dragon Transformation Pool?"

Teacher Tang raised his hand, pointing toward the dark, shrouded sea they had just seen, and said in a calm voice:

"The Dragon Transformation Pool is in a fissure zone on the border of the Cloud Country."

"The degree of Inner World corrosion in that area is relatively mild. It’s a transitional zone, half-real and half-Inner World."

"But if you go deeper, you’ll enter the pure domain of the Inner World. The Dragon Transformation Pool is located within that corroded heartland."

He paused here, then continued:

"For this trip, we’ll need to apply for local anti-corrosion protective suits and hire an Eight-star Dark Attribute Pet Beast for a full escort."

"Otherwise, ordinary Pet Beasts can’t withstand the corrosion from the dense Dark Energy of the Inner World."

"Not even the Xi Beast can resist it?" Gu Ming asked in return.

Gu Ming’s knowledge of the Inner World was rather shallow.

Such an extreme, antithetical world was naturally very distant from the lives of ordinary university students.

Most students researching Pet Beast technology, even if they knew about the relationship between the Inner World and Demon Fiends, would have a hard time accessing systematic and complete knowledge about it.

To ensure Gu Ming and Lu You clearly understood the dangers of Inner World corrosion, Teacher Tang simply stopped by the shore and gave the two of them a brief lesson.

In less than two hours, the two of them gained a general understanding of the Inner World’s corrosion.

First, the Dark Energy in the Inner World was extremely dense and had the inherent properties of corroding minds and assimilating matter.

Although the Light Attribute could counter darkness, conversely, the raging Dark Attribute could also suppress Light Element creatures.

Although the Xi Beast was strong, now at a Seven-star level, it could only protect Teacher Tang himself, not his students.

That was why hiring an official, local Eight-star Dark Attribute Pet Beast was necessary.

There was one more thing Teacher Tang didn’t mention: resources for Eight-star Pet Beasts were incredibly scarce, and not every Beastmaster who went to the border for research had the chance to get their application approved.

Teacher Tang had succeeded because the company had allocated resources specifically for him.

Otherwise, just the application for a Pet Beast escort could have been stuck in processing for half a year.

After discussing the Inner World, they turned to Cyan Treasure. It possessed Light Grass Dual Spiritual Roots, and its Light Spiritual Root would inevitably be completely suppressed in the Inner World, causing significant side effects.

Therefore, during the upcoming journey, its Light Spiritual Root had to be completely concealed, sealed layer by layer within its Dantian, and its Light Element power must not be used lightly.

Fortunately, Cyan Treasure possessed systems like the Annual Ring Time-Core pattern and the Rootless Wood. The former provided a time-like ability for concealing its Qi Mechanism, while the latter offered a space-like Concealment power. Combined, they were enough to perfectly encapsulate and mask the aura of its Light Spiritual Root.

The three of them walked for another half an hour before finally reaching the exclusive Beastmaster station at the border port.

Countless Water Element Pet Beasts were moored along the shore—Giant Whales, Profound Turtles, and colossal deep-sea fish were arranged in a scattered pattern.

Their bodies were covered in dark, hard armor, or wreathed in a stable barrier of Dark Energy.

Most of the Pet Beasts that survived in this region were tinged with auras of purple, black, and gray—a clear sign of long-term exposure to the Inner World’s radiation.

Gu Ming walked slowly, observing the port’s scenery along the way.

Before long, Teacher Tang returned, walking slowly with a cold, stern-looking middle-aged man.

"This is Master Xiao. He will be escorting us for the entire trip to the Dragon Transformation Pool."

"Release your Pet Beasts. They need to receive a spiritual baptism and Dark Energy reinforcement from his Pet Beast."

Master Xiao was dressed in a black suit with a red tie. He looked to be around fifty, with long, narrow, and sharp eyes.

He gave the two a slight nod, then summoned his Eight-star Pet Beast—the Dark Star Jellyfish.

Cyan Treasure, Ah Kun, Ah Ji, Mouse Treasure, Mianmian, and Xiao Xing—all six Pet Beasts appeared, curiously sizing up the powerfully-leveled Eight-star creature before them.

The Dark Star Jellyfish floated half a meter off the ground, surrounded by a hazy mist and a flowing, spectral light.

Within its translucent body, a nebula of deep purple and dark blue slowly swirled. Its myriad tentacles gently unfurled, tapping the top of each Pet Beast’s head one by one.

A vast and powerful surge of Dark Energy flowed into their bodies. A deep, dark outline appeared around each Pet Beast, their auras growing more condensed and distinct. Their eyes became bright and focused, as if coated with a lustrous sheen.

"This is the Dark Star Jellyfish’s exclusive special skill, Spiritual Reinforcement."

"It strengthens a creature’s core consciousness and stabilizes their mind, preventing them from losing themselves and their sanity to the Inner World’s corrosion."

Teacher Tang explained from the side.

Gu Ming and Lu You nodded, only half-understanding. They immediately connected to their own Pet Beasts with their Divine Sense.

The two of them could clearly perceive that their Pet Beasts’ mental power had been magnified several times over, and a steady stream of condensed Spiritual Fluctuation was overflowing from their bodies.

Even Cyan Treasure, usually so lively and energetic, now had its Essence, Qi, and Spirit grow more condensed and vibrant, its foundation having increased explosively.

Next came the distribution of the protective suits.

The protective suits designed to resist the Inner World’s corrosion were heavy woolen overcoats. They were wide-cut with high, structured shoulders and dark red buttons.

The moment they were put on, a stuffy heat instantly enveloped the body. The steaming heat from one’s own body couldn’t escape at all, making one feel unbearably hot and dry.

Gu Ming let out a soft breath.

He already understood the operating principles of the protective suits. With a mental command, he activated his Divine Sense Sword Body to slightly vibrate the flesh around his body, proactively blocking the sensation of sweltering heat from his skin to alleviate the discomfort.

Each protective suit relied on a large number of Spiritual Qi Liquid canisters for power.

Gu Ming opened his overcoat and saw densely packed, micro-composite nested Arrays glowing faintly, silently maintaining the suit’s protective efficacy.

Spirit Stones had not yet appeared in the world, so the mainstream power source was Spiritual Qi Liquid, refined and extracted by High Tier Pet Beasts.

The Spiritual Qi Liquid canisters were extremely expensive to produce, with a single vial starting at ten million.

This research trip to the Dragon Transformation Pool would take at least a full day.

The cost of protection for a single person was a massive ten million.

For the three of them traveling together, one day’s cost would burn through thirty million.

And that didn’t even include Master Xiao’s escort fee, which was another enormous, separately calculated expense.

Conducting cutting-edge research burned through an incredible amount of money.

Gu Ming had originally felt that the wealth he’d earned from the Yichuan Ruins was more than enough, thinking, ’I’ll never be able to spend all of this.’

’Now that I think about it,’ he mused, ’if I research on the border for two months, I might just spend my entire fortune.’

Fortunately, this was a business trip for the company. The expenses were all on the company’s tab, which allowed Gu Ming to breathe a sigh of relief.