008: Final Preparation Before Exploring the Star Sea

The final component to strengthen is the patrol radar. The starry expanse is vast, with distances between floating lands often spanning light years.

A powerful radar is crucial to ensuring Captain Xinhuo doesn't lose his way during interstellar exploration. It enables faster and more accurate searches for foreign floating lands, asteroid belts, and other resource points. The importance of this capability cannot be overstated.

The resources required to enhance the radar are similar to those for the main gun, yet Song Chi chose to upgrade it directly to level 9.

Seated in the celestial market, Song Chi remains resolute in his pursuit of faster resource acquisition through continued participation in star exploration. A superior patrol radar enhances accuracy and speed in locating resource points, making it a pivotal component in his upgrade strategy.

Enhancing the patrol radar to level 9 required 81 units of zero-level floating land source and 4500 nether energy points.

**Patrol Radar Lv9**

- Quality: Colorless

- Consumption: 3/s (psi energy points)

- Detection range: 10 light seconds

- Accuracy: 20

- Required for level up: 100 strands of floating land source (zero level), 1500 nether energy points.

As for why it wasn't upgraded directly to level 19—the limit of the colorless fire flying ship—the reason is straightforward. The current radar is a high-quality, colorless standard model destined for eventual replacement. Strengthening it to the highest levels now would be impractical since these resources cannot be reclaimed later.

Furthermore, the remaining resources in Song Chi's possession are insufficient. Initially earmarked for enhancing the nether energy shuttle, over 300 strands have been consumed, leaving fewer than 400 for future needs. Notably, a special white part, the Fire Sun Terracotta Tree, still requires strengthening.

White quality special parts demand significantly more resources than colorless ship parts. For instance, upgrading from level 0 to level 1 requires 5 strands of zero-level floating land source and 500 ghosts—a substantial investment indeed.

Regardless, Song Chi prioritized strengthening the Fire Sun Terracotta Tree, crucial for his long-term protection, boosting it to level 10. This decision depleted his stock of nearly 400 strands of floating land source, leaving only 104 strands.

With this, Song Chi concludes his preparations for exploring the alien star realms.

He retains the remaining 104 strands of Floating Continent Source for emergencies. Whether encountering danger in the alien star fields or facing unexpected circumstances, these resources will prove invaluable for strategic strengthening.

Regarding the strengthening of Xinhuo seeds in the Heaven's Market and the Xinhuo Ancestral Aperture, Song Chi reasoned that safety during the first star field exploration takes precedence. Perhaps this exploratory journey will yield promising returns?

Examining the now level 10 Fire Sun Terracotta Tree, Song Chi finds satisfaction in its attributes.

**Fire Sun Terracotta Tree Lv10**

- Quality: White

- Consumption: 100/tool (Psionic Energy Points)

- Effect: Fire Sun Terracotta Warriors (Summons ten level 10 Fire Sun Terracotta Warriors. They remain in existence until death; re-summonable every 24 hours.)

Required for upgrade: 10 strands of floating land source (first level), 2000 nether energy points.

Observing these attributes, satisfaction flickers in Song Chi's eyes. This enhancement allows him to summon ten loyal and obedient Huokui terracotta warriors at will, providing reliable guardianship.

After calming his emotions, Song Chi proceeds with his next purchases, focusing on a large mechanical item from the Eagle Machinery Store atop the mall.

Renowned in the Principality of Morning Star, the store boasts quality mechanical products backed by its shareholder, the powerful aristocrat known as the "Eagle Marquis."

Despite nearing sixty in two lifetimes, Song Chi's eloquence remains sharp. His persuasive skills secure a substantial 50% discount from the store's clerk, pleased with the significant purchase.

"Elementary Interstellar General Medical Kit (500,000 credits), Basic Nanorobot Repair Kit (1 million credits), Furious Tiger Type 1 Floating Land Mining Vehicle (3 million credits), Mining Vehicle Special Exploration Instrument (500,000 credits), Basic Principal Civil Exoskeleton (200,000 credit points). The total comes to 5.2 million Principality Credit Points, discounted to 4.94 million after a 15% reduction. Will you pay by credit or Floating Land?"

Initially paying 2.4 million credits, Song Chi then draws 254 strands of zero-order Floating Land Source from the Xinhuo Ancestral Aperture, completing the transaction amidst the clerk's envious gaze.

Upon leaving the mall, only 110 strands of floating land essence remain for emergencies, prompting Song Chi's discontent. In his view, establishments peddling large-scale mechanical products exhibit an exploitative nature.

Regarding the "Basic Nanorobot Repair Kit," its effects are mediocre, incapable of repairing slight damages to the Xinhuo spaceship. Furthermore, this mass-produced item fetches an exorbitant price of one million credits, with a strict usage cap of three times before becoming defunct—a glaring oversight.

Similarly, the Primary Interstellar Universal Medical Kit offers feeble therapeutic benefits, limited to three applications.

The "Furious Tiger Type 1 Floating Land Mining Truck" sells at one million for the manual drive version. Astonishingly, adding an automatic driving system triples its price, a decision that only someone as inherently stable as Song Chi would contemplate—else, it seems devilish.

The journey home remains uneventful, and Song Chi makes efficient use of the remaining day by visiting the all-purpose training room in Heaven's Market to refine his nether energy guidance technique.

Despite his Guiding Technique reaching level 4, progress within the still-lv0 Almighty Training Room stagnates—possibly due to the inherent difficulty of advancing a level 4 technique.

Time passes, and the next morning arrives.

After breakfast, Song Chi hurries to school, gathering with his class as all current awakening students of Jiangyuan No. 1 Xinhuo School journey together to the city's outskirts. Anxiously following are Father Song, Mother Song, and numerous concerned parents.

En route, Song Chi and his peers encounter awakening students from other Xinhuo Academies.