Chapter 100: Seeking the Divine Vessel (Bonus Chapter for Patron DemonCat)

Li Wanran? The guard clearly recognized the name—she was indeed one of Ding Huan's students.

Since they're all Ding Huan's students, he had no reason not to make this call.

Fang Chong was still in the training room, practicing sword techniques—something Lü Zi had taught him; in return, he had taught Lü Zi the One Yang Finger.

Someone entered and said, "Fang Chong, a student named Li Wanran is looking for you at the gate."

Fang Chong froze—he hadn't expected Li Wanran to find this place.

To be honest, he had no desire to meet this mercenary woman.

She spoke nothing but respect for Teacher Ding Huan, but when it came to benefits, Teacher Ding Huan was probably just a title—her so-called respect was merely words.

But if he didn't go to see her, this woman would surely seek out Lü Zi—and might even come here looking for him.

After hesitating, Fang Chong decided to confront her outright.

"Fang Chong." Seeing him emerge, Li Wanran forced a smile and called out.

"Let's sit at the coffee shop across the street." Fang Chong had no intention of bringing Li Wanran into the academy—he needed to return to his cultivation after clearing things up.

Without reaching Level Nine Gene Cultivator, he couldn't go to the Human Corridor Frontline to avenge his teacher.

Li Wanran sensed Fang Chong's indifference and guessed at least part of it.

In fact, since joining Wu Mai Mountain Field, she had felt his attitude—but she thought such minor matters would be forgotten in a few days.

Sitting in the coffee shop, Li Wanran had no intention of beating around the bush: "Fang Chong, did Teacher Ding Huan teach you and Lü Zi the later sections of the Qianlu Gene Scripture?"

Fang Chong chuckled. "Li Wanran, the first thing you ask after meeting me isn't how Teacher Ding Huan is doing—it's about the Qianlu Gene Scripture."

Honestly, is your sense of gratitude so hollow?"

Li Wanran immediately grew agitated: "Fang Chong, what do you mean? I've always remembered Teacher Ding Huan. He taught me cultivation—I've never forgotten. How is that hollow?"

Fang Chong sneered, "Yes, you remember. But your first words upon meeting me weren't about how your teacher is faring—they're about the Qianlu Gene Scripture."

"Just like when you heard there was a Qi Stone waiting for you—you immediately cast aside Teacher Ding's kindness."

Seeing Li Wanran about to protest, Fang Chong waved his hand. "Don't rush to defend yourself—I understand your meaning. All your gratitude is spoken, all your remembrance is lip-deep."

"When true sacrifice is needed, you never once considered giving anything. Not even for a single Qi Stone did you hesitate to join the academy secretly hunting down Teacher Ding Huan."

"Wu Mai Mountain Field had to hunt down Teacher Ding—what does that have to do with me? I can't stop them from doing it," Li Wanran frowned.

Fang Chong said nothing more. He stood up. "That's it. I have to return to cultivation."

"Fang Chong, have you and Lü Zi cultivated the later sections of the Qianlu Gene Scripture?" Li Wanran pressed urgently.

Fang Chong looked at her calmly. "Yes. Teacher taught me the entire later section. Lü Zi learned it from me."

"Then teach it to me," Li Wanran pleaded.

Just as when all three had trained together at Yujiang University—whenever any problem arose, they'd ask each other for instruction.

Now, Li Wanran said it as if it were natural—habitual.

Fang Chong stared at her, speechless.

"Li Wanran, just as you just said—Teacher Ding taught me the scripture. What does that have to do with you? Why should I teach it to you?"

Li Wanran grew angry. "Fang Chong, even if you won't teach me, I can find Teacher Ding—he'll teach me."

Fang Chong sneered: "You only know how to take—always asking Teacher to teach you this, teach you that. When Teacher never returned from the Human Corridor Frontline, did you ever care?"

"Even if he had returned, would he teach a disciple who betrayed him behind his back? Is it your brain that's broken—or ours?"

With that, Fang Chong turned and walked away.

At the door, he paused, turned back to Li Wanran: "Li Wanran, you betrayed Teacher for a single Qi Stone."

"Lü Zi and I went to Da Han Yi Academy and the Protectors—each of us received more than ten Qi Stones. Tell me, was it worth it?"

"Also, when Teacher taught me the Qianlu Gene Scripture, he told me to decide for myself—teach it if I thought it worthy, withhold it if I didn't. He meant: if I thought it wasn't worth it, I shouldn't teach. I didn't think it worth teaching to a Bai Yanlang—so I didn't."

Fang Chong was long gone. Li Wanran slumped into her chair, mind blank.

She tried to convince herself—but she couldn't.

Back then, she had joined Wu Mai Mountain Field precisely because of that one Qi Stone.

But now Fang Chong says each of them received over ten Qi Stones—what else is this if not mockery?

And Fang Chong is a holder of the International Star Guardian Rank—his status is now worlds apart from hers.

The halo of her top-five ranking has long since vanished completely.

From Fang Chong's words, Li Wanran could guess: Ai Xi had earned the International Star Guardian Rank because Fang Chong had taught her the Qianlu Gene Scripture.

Long after, Li Wanran walked out of the coffee shop, numb.

Was she indifferent to gratitude?

She recalled her first lesson at Wu Mai Mountain Field—Qin Qiang had asked her about the cultivation methods of the Qianlu Gene Scripture.

Hahaha…

Li Wanran scoffed at herself, suddenly feeling returning to Wu Mai Mountain Field held no meaning anymore.

…

Ding Huan, Zhong Chi, and Qi Xinyue swiftly passed through one ruined city after another.

Though beasts were numerous along the way, Ding Huan and Zhong Chi were top-tier experts—most beasts were slain before they could even approach.

Three days later, they reached Karaba. This was only because Qi Xinyue moved slowly—if not, they'd have arrived sooner.

The coastal ports were all abandoned, littered only with beasts and crumbling ruins.

Ships near the port were mostly broken and dilapidated.

Ding Huan simply found a small wooden boat; by the fourth day, they reached Biok Island.

Biok Island was overrun with all kinds of gene beasts; humans had vanished entirely.

The Federation International Museum was easy to find—it was built solely to house this spaceship.

It could be said to be the only museum ever constructed around an exhibit—rather than the other way around.

The museum's door had long been destroyed by ferocious beasts, and the outer walls were all torn and ragged from their bites.

Fortunately, the museum's structure was still decent, its overall framework intact.

As soon as Ding Huan entered the museum, he saw a spaceship.

To be honest, this spaceship couldn't be called large—it was barely bigger than his previous Number Five Star.

Its length didn't exceed thirty meters, and its width was only about ten or so meters.

The spaceship was completely unlike any vessel on Earth.

There were none of the traditional components—orbital module, return module, propulsion module, and so on.

More accurately, this spaceship resembled an ordinary riverboat.

From a civilizational standpoint, the civilization that built this spaceship was clearly two levels higher than Earth's.

The spaceship had a pod-like shape, but its front wasn't sharp—it was smooth and rounded.

Though the hull was intact, it bore many dents, and its propulsion system appeared to have been blasted apart.

This was likely the key reason the spaceship had crashed.

The hatch was closed; Zhong Chi couldn't see inside, but Ding Huan's divine sense could scan it.

He was pleasantly surprised to discover that the interior of the hull was undamaged.

The cockpit, living quarters, sleeping compartments, health chambers, and escape pods—all were intact.

After the spaceship crashed, no one entered it?

That's impossible. Even if not others, the Gene Alliance would never have retrieved the spaceship without entering it.

"I've been inside this spaceship before. The interior was fine, nothing special. I'll open it." Zhong Chi said, noticing Ding Huan staring at the spaceship.

He leapt upward and reached out to pull the hatch.

The hatch didn't budge.

"Huh?" Zhong Chi muttered, about to force it, when Ding Huan suddenly said, "Old Zhong, don't pull—it won't open that way."

"Impossible, I've been inside before," Zhong Chi immediately said.

Qi Qi Xinyue volunteered an explanation: "When the spaceship detects no one has entered for a long time, it automatically seals the hatch to preserve its supplies."

"How long is 'a long time'?" Ding Huan asked.

Qi Qi Xinyue replied, "It could be one minute, or a month—it depends on the last person who left. Forced departure and voluntary departure yield different durations."

"Then how do you open it?"

"Only someone from this spaceship can open it—using their palm print. Otherwise, the hatch cannot be opened. I suspect this hatch hasn't been opened in a very long time," Qi Qi Xinyue said.

Ding Huan nodded. Everyone had seen what was inside the spaceship. So after it auto-sealed, no one tried to force it open.

Forcing it open would damage the spaceship's structure.

Thus, the spaceship had remained sealed here all this time.

"I can open it," Qi Qi Xinyue said again.

Ding Huan looked at her in confusion. According to her own words, her status on the spaceship was merely that of a prisoner—how could she have permission to open the hatch?

Qi Qi Xinyue saw his doubt and explained, "To survive long-term on the Shen Shen Hao, you must have hatch-opening permissions."

"I was brought here by force, but publicly, we're all teammates, so my permissions let me open the hatch—though I can't pilot the ship."

There was one thing Qi Qi Xinyue didn't say: though she was forced aboard and publicly held the lowest status, there was actually someone on this spaceship with an even lower status than her.

"Just open the hatch—do it first."

After speaking, Ding Huan seemed to remember something and asked again: "Miss Qi, do you know what power source this spaceship uses?"