Chapter 1454 — Chapter 1454 Radiation

The asteroid field was actually quite interesting, and the energy rich atmosphere gave birth to many unique plants and creatures that could only exist within the azure field which were interesting to interact with.

Since the field acted similar to a magnetic field, but for materials other than metals, it created a unique opportunity where various minerals could be used to achieve amazing effects. The energy consumption for the cities within the asteroid field was also negligible, for they had a spiritual energy version of generators!

Using a few kinds of rocks that could easily be found within the Artica realm, the generators could use the influence of the field to generate spiritual energy the way generators on earth created electricity!

Of course, the engines within those generators were slightly more complex than the combustion engines used on earth, and made use of some advanced formations. As such, creating them was expensive - but once they were made, they could be used for a very long time.

Lex only appreciated the novelty of the environment, but Gerard was falling in love with it! Since the fuel for those engines was so cheap, it basically created an environment where common ships could have engines as powerful as large space travel ships - the kind that travelled between star systems!

The asteroid belt was nowhere near large enough to actually make use of such powerful engines, but it did give birth to a unique type of racing which involved ships that could, for a split second, experience a massive burst of speed!

Such incredible speed bursts, despite their short duration, were incredibly dangerous and difficult to utilize because of the numerous asteroids which were constantly in motion within the belt. Yet that is exactly what made those races unique and interesting, and that is exactly what attracted Gerard to them.

To be clear, even having a mind as quick and powerful as an immortal's did not necessarily help with the race since it was not their own bodies they were controlling, but the ships! One had to have perfect control and understanding over the ship's manoeuvrability and reaction speed to make use of it.

The asteroid belt was, naturally, not just limited to a single recreational activity. Immortal cultivators had a great demand for entertainment, even more than mortals.

Most cultivators would give first preference to cultivation, but not everyone's journey was as smooth as Lex's. Lacking the necessary materials to support their own cultivation, or limited by their own innate ability, or perhaps the level of their cultivation technique, most cultivators would eventually reach a point of diminishing returns.

Unless they could find a treasure to supplement their cultivation, it would be pointless to continuously strive. Prior to the immortal realm, cultivators would be more desperate, and would not waste their mental energy on entertainment. There were exceptions, but this was the general trend.

Immortals, however, had a much more relaxed take on cultivation once they reached the point of diminishing returns. They could afford to wait a million years until an opportunity presented itself whether it was in the form of a cheap elixir, a coincidental opportunity, a better cultivation technique or anything else. Since their cultivation ability would not deteriorate and there was no time limit they had to adhere to, they did not mind filling their time with leisure.

Others might have found all the various forms of entertainment interesting, but seeing that nothing other than racing intrigued Gerard, and that Lex and Velma showed no particular reaction to them, Haribo decided to skip them and lead them directly to the Azure Baptism Palace.

"You might not be aware, but the number of Artica race members actually participating in this Expo directly is very limited. Sir Bedford, who you will meet shortly, is one of the few of the Artica race in the territory of the Expo who are not participating in it."

"If he's not participating in the Expo, what is he doing here?" asked Velma curiously. Could there be a possible romance involved?

"That is something only Sir Bedford can answer. Among the Artica race, Sir Bedford is especially social so I'm sure he won't mind answering. That is probably also why he so readily agreed to my proposal of inviting you all."

The group was led to the Azure Baptism Palace, an unusually shaped building with a massive open funnel right in the center, into which a large amount of the azure field seemed to be flowing. That was probably why the place was called Baptism Palace.

"The environment inside is quite dangerous," Haribo said. "Special suits have been prepared for you so that you are not harmed by the concentrated azure field. Of course, if you wish to go without them that is also fine. An emergency protocol has been put into place to promptly evacuate anyone from the palace should they be unable to tolerate its intensity.

"I do, however, strongly recommend you wear the suit. The concentration within the palace has been optimized for Celestial Immortals."

"Is there any benefit to undergoing a baptism of the azure field?" Lex asked.

"Not generally, no. However, specific cultivation techniques, especially Body cultivation techniques, benefit from it due to the immense pressure they put on the body."

Lex and the others looked towards each other, as if asking them what they were thinking. After a few seconds, all of them decided to try going without the suits. Lex didn't mind getting hurt - his cultivation technique would actually benefit from the exposure to a new kind of threat to make Lex immune to. Gerard wanted to train his ability to control energy, which required such environments, while Velma also wanted to try out the technique she was developing.

"We'd like to try going without the suits for now," said Lex. "If it's too much for us, we can put on the suits then."

Haribo, who seemed to have anticipated the response, merely nodded, and put on a protective suit himself. It wasn't much to look at, and appeared to be a simple hazmat suit. Yet its effectiveness became apparent the moment they entered the palace.

Haribo remained relaxed and floating, while the three of them suddenly stopped after taking the first step in.

The inside of the palace seemed tinted in a deep blue due to the concentrated azure field. But much more significant than that was that the previously soothing radiation that Lex could easily ignore actually started to prickle his skin - and it even started to cause a rash!

This small reaction should not be underestimated! Lex had always been better at defense than anything else, and his defense was heavily augmented by his countless opportunities! Even the dragonscale of a dragon in the same realm as him could not match the toughness of his skin! A dragon was already much stronger than most other beings, the general defense of an Earth Immortal dragon sufficient to tolerate a few attacks by a Heavenly Immortal.

Lex closed his eyes and observed how deeply his body was being affected. At a visible rate, a red rash was spreading across his body, while the muscles and fat in his body close to his skin began to break down. His blood showed signs of boiling, but as it went deeper into his body it returned to normal.

The effects of the radiation did not penetrate deep into his body, staying close to the skin. His brain was in danger, but the radiation could not penetrate through his skull, while his eyes due to their mutation were stronger than the rest of his body and thus resisted the radiation without trouble.

But this was only the situation for now. Long term exposure would start to affect his body at a deeper level once the condition of his skin deteriorated greatly. That was, naturally, considering if he did nothing about it.

He began channeling his cultivation technique, and felt it beginning to strengthen him. For any significant effect, Lex would need to cultivate in this environment for months, possibly even years.

It couldn't be helped. Strengthening his body without growing through a major realm would now be a very slow process because of how strong he already was. But at least Lex could be certain that he wouldn't suffer any significant harm in the short term, especially with his body actively getting used to the environment.

Compared to Lex, Gerard was not as relaxed. Unlike Lex, he did not suffer any rash, mainly because he was manipulating the surrounding energy, keeping it from even touching him. But that was obviously easier said than done. He was under a great strain, and had even started to use his bloodline to channel the energy through his suit.

Surprisingly, Velma was the most relaxed of the three. Since the radiation in the surroundings was passive, and did not have any intent to harm behind it, it was easily converted using her technique.

She was actively converting the radiation, turning it instead into information. Now, the technique she was making was to help her learn the secrets of anyone who attacked her by siphoning away the energy of their attacks. She had no use for the information the radiation was providing her, but at least it was good to know it worked.