Swallowed Star: Reboot

Chapter 20: The Black God Set

Jiang Chengbo said, "Dad, for a junior-level War General to fight a Lord-level monster, raw physical strength is a must—but there's a way to make up for that gap."

"Hmph! You think I don't know?" the old man shook his head, clearly helpless. "Wood Spirit Wine, Beast Bone Paste, Jade Marrow, Dragon Blood... I know them all. But let's wait a little longer. Xiao Zhe has only been practicing martial arts for a little over a month. I want him to settle in first. And... I have to be fair."

The Jiang family had only passed through three generations so far, so the ties between the various branches were still close. There wasn't much scheming going on. Any form of favoritism was usually tolerated—except when it came to precious resources. The old man always made sure to divide those evenly.

There were barely a dozen treasures on Earth known to enhance physical capabilities, and Dragon Blood was among the best—priced clearly and openly.

The Jiang family could spend 2 billion to buy a conceptual video and wouldn't even blink at paying 80 billion for a portion of Dragon Blood. After all, even a low-level War God could earn 5 billion a year. Let alone a money-making machine like the Jiang family.

But if Jiang Zhe got one, then so should his cousins—that would be a huge expense.

As for the "Concept Video"? Sure, it cost over 200 billion, but at least it could be reused—perfect for enriching the Jiang family's martial arts archive.

Truth was, the old man had already considered purchasing Dragon Blood, but needed time to recoup some costs. It was just like those billionaires on the "Butcher's List"—they might be worth tens or hundreds of billions, but how much liquid cash could they actually pull out in a pinch?

Jiang Chengbo avoided that sensitive topic. "Dad, I'm actually talking about the Black God Set. It can reduce incoming damage by 90%, which perfectly compensates for Xiao Zhe's current lack of physical defense. Let him borrow it first. Once he reaches War God level, he can explore the ruins of Ancient Civilization No. 9 and retrieve another set for the family."

The old man squinted and pulled out a black jade thumb ring from his coat pocket. No need to say who had prepared the Black God Set.

He had already made preparations days ago, even using the set to extract his own blood to bind it.

But as the family patriarch, he couldn't bring it up himself.

Just gifting Jiang Zhe a golden mace had him thinking long and hard about how to "balance the books." Luckily, that mace had a pair.

"Chengbo, go ahead and break through."

"Dad, I... should I think it over? Can our family really withstand the external pressure?" Jiang Chengbo asked with concern.

Not long ago, he had a strong intuition that he could advance to Councilor level—but he held back.

He knew the reason he could break through. To put it bluntly, he felt guilty. Afraid of attracting attention to the family's treasures.

Don't underestimate the thirst of over a hundred high-level War Gods who are itching to break through to Councilor level.

Across the entire Earth, the strongest man is Hong. His family has the best genetics and richest cultivation resources, yet even his children have only reached War God level.

So how is it that the Jiang family is so "special"?

Father and son both reaching planetary level? That secret would attract dangerous eyes.

If greed spreads, not even Hong or Thor could maintain order.

A previous conflict over the Mokya Crystals had already killed several Councilor-level elites.

After a moment of silence, the old man said, "Trust Xiao Zhe. He will soon become the Jiang family's greatest asset... and unlock the secret of the pill furnace!"

He paused, then sighed. "Break through quickly. Things in Kyoto are getting restless. I fear trouble is coming."

Jiang Chengbo clenched his fists. He knew exactly who his father was referring to.

"Damn it! Them again! When it comes to internal strife, they're true masters!"

"Hah, five thousand years of baggage—someone has to carry the trash forward," the old man chuckled bitterly.

Jiang Chengbo's expression darkened. A fierce light flashed in his eyes.

He loved nothing more than piercing enemy skulls with the tip of his Overlord Spear. He wasn't exactly known for playing nice.

The old man gave him a glare, and Chengbo calmed down.

With a casual flick, the old man tossed over a cauldron the size of a monkey's head. Chengbo quickly caught it—it was the Jiang family's lifeline!

"Go break through."

"Got it, Dad. I'll handle it fast."

"Good. Once you break through, the pill furnace is yours for a while. I need time to rest and train."

Chengbo's face instantly turned bitter.

So much for enjoying the glory—he was already being yoked like a draft mule.

---

While Jiang Chengbo went to break through to Councilor level, the old man stayed back in the valley, observing Jiang Zhe's practice.

The more he watched, the more shocked he became—his grandson was a monster!

Can you believe someone could replicate the intent from a conceptual video just after a few viewings?

No—it wasn't just replication.

He distilled the essence and fused it into his own martial intent.

Jiang Zhe's core concept was "speed." Using that, he commanded the winds, lightning, and light to form a variety of unique intents.

Grace of the Wind. Swiftness of Thunder. Interwoven Light and Shadow.

Even more impressive—despite the complexity, his intent remained focused and sharp.

No matter how you looked at it, Jiang Zhe's spear technique always centered on one thing—speed. His jabs were so quick, you couldn't react at all.

"Haha, satisfying. Watching Xiao Zhe train is a joy," the old man laughed, shaking his head.

If he had a drink right now, this elegant spear technique would pair perfectly.

To Jiang Zhe, though, this was nothing to brag about.

He could already faintly sense the laws of the universe. If not limited by his current apprentice rank, he probably would've stepped into the domain level already.

If he couldn't even master some basic intents, wouldn't that be a waste of the god crystal that boosted his perception?

"My spear technique is nearly there…"

He murmured as he shifted focus to his footwork, trying to embed his intents into movement.

This was the opposite of his spear training.

He started from the ground up—mastering wind, lightning, and light—then pushed them all toward a singular concept: speed.

Swift as the Wind! Fierce as Thunder! Fast as a Beam of Light!

Jiang Zhe wasn't a complete novice—he knew some training principles. Naturally, he chose the best path.

"Speed" could evolve into one of the ultimate temporal laws: Time Acceleration—a supreme path.

Now all he could do was pray the heavens didn't mess with him.

If, at the last minute, fate gave him an affinity for space-type powers instead... all his efforts would be in vain.

Watching his grandson dart around the water's edge, already exploring movement-level martial intent, the old man's face was filled with pride.

But a closer look revealed a hint of bitterness in his eyes.

"The waves behind push the waves ahead… this old man's got nothing left to teach."

Tenfold power bursts, intent-level footwork, intent-level spear techniques…

Hmm? Maybe he still had some spear techniques left to share—but not much.

And then there was "Thunder Sound," one of the Six Arts.

All he could do now was offer resources—Jade Marrow, Dragon Blood…

They still had some high-grade medicine crafted from mother-of-pearl and Lord-grade dragon blood.

The old man was already eyeing a King-level beast—time to earn some side income.

The Jiang family's reserves were running dry.

---

That evening, the long-missing Chengbo finally returned.

Jiang Zhe had assumed his uncle had gone to fetch supplies, but when he returned, there was no backpack in sight.

He looked at his uncle—then did a double take, eyebrows raised.

Chengbo was puzzled. "What? Is something wrong with me?"

Jiang Zhe grinned and nodded. "You've reached Councilor level."

"Hah! So you weren't just guessing last time." Chengbo laughed and rose into the air, proving the truth.

"Let me show you my special ability."

A warm, earthy yellow light shimmered around Chengbo as scales formed on his skin—stone-like and fingernail-sized. Though thin, they exuded a heavy, secure feeling.

With his towering two-meter frame, he looked like a brutal, cold-blooded dragon-man hybrid.

"I call it Yinglong God Armor. Dad, Xiao Zhe—how is it?"

The old man nodded approvingly. This kind of defense technique was invaluable.

Jiang Zhe chimed in with praise, too.

He didn't know where this ranked among universal abilities, but most planetary-level awakenings had limited growth.

Even the highly praised "Diamond Body," which let spiritual masters exceed martial artists by three tiers (normally only two), had faded from the spotlight.

"I wonder what ability I'll awaken at planetary level... Hopefully something with real potential," Jiang Zhe thought.

Suddenly, the old man called out.

"Xiao Zhe, considering your recent progress—this is yours."

He tossed over a black jade thumb ring.

"Grandpa, what's this?" Jiang Zhe asked as he caught it.

"Put it on."

Jiang Zhe did as told and examined it closely—nothing unusual.

After about 30 seconds, a pinprick of pain pulsed from his thumb.

"Black God Set?!"

He was stunned. He never imagined his grandfather would give him such a god-tier life-saving treasure.

Sizzle—Crackle—

The thumb ring bubbled like boiling water, black droplets quivering before absorbing his blood.

The entire process took around 15 minutes. When it ended, Jiang Zhe felt a strange connection.

The ring felt like a part of him now.

With a thought, black liquid light surged outward, transforming into a metallic black suit—almost like Iron Man's armor.

Then the light flowed again, turning into a black cloak.

A robe… a suit… a trench coat…

Jiang Zhe controlled the set's transformations with glee.

The old man laughed, shaking his head. "Xiao Zhe has a unique instinct. He adapted so quickly."

Soon after, the family's conditions were revealed: once he reached War God level, he was to enter the Ancient Civilization Ruins and retrieve another Black God Set.

Jiang Zhe agreed without hesitation.

---

Day 23 of Wild Training.

The trio left the Taiyi Mountains and headed toward City 079.

Yes—not City 009.

To find Lord-level monsters suitable for Jiang Zhe's training, their plans changed. They were heading to Huang County, made up of islands in the strait.

The shortest route was from City 079.

Jiang Lie and Chengbo assumed Jiang Zhe wanted to challenge Lord-level beasts to temper himself—he was desperate to grow stronger.

But in truth, Jiang Zhe wanted to train in "Life Blueprint."

Personal growth was secondary.

Ten days ago, he'd been smacked around by a golden-furred ape—later learning it was a prank by Grandpa. Still, that fight gave him ideas.

And now, with the Black God Set, his desire to kill Lord-level monsters was burning hot again.

Killing them wasn't about pride.

It was practical.

Training "Life Blueprint" at the War General stage required killing Beast Generals or Lords—yielding massive amounts of "Light Points."

At War God level, the same points would require killing Lords or even Kings.

Though Jiang Zhe didn't think either challenge would be that different for him—quantity mattered.

There were far fewer Lords and Kings.

He might clear out the entire Earth and still fall short.

Worse, too many Lord or King-level kills would cause a global uproar.

So killing a few as a War General was simply the smartest, most efficient path.

Why wait to become a War God, only to make the journey harder?

That's why Jiang Zhe was so fixated—it wasn't madness.

It was pure calculation.

---

On the way, Chengbo received a call from a foreign War God, asking about the concept video.

He replied the bounty had ended—and hung up.

None of them thought much of it, and they continued their journey.

---

Meanwhile—

In City 009, on the rooftop of a 40-story building, a team of Black warriors gathered.

"Deputy commander, intel says the target may have changed course—heading toward the regions near Cities 077, 078, and 079."

"Alright, brothers, we move southeast. Await further updates."