Chapter 136
Originally, Yun Zixu thought this business trip would be brief, and he’d soon return to Base 26.
However, after the mutated garlic awakened, the head of their cultivation garden decided not to leave Base 24 anytime soon. Concerned about Base 24’s weak defensive capabilities, the head even submitted a request to Base 26 to have Yun Zixu remain as well. Additional reinforcements were expected to arrive later.
According to the head, this mutated garlic was of critical importance—not only as a potential weapon against the monsters but also as a factor that could significantly improve the quality of life for soldiers stationed across the bases on Prison Star.
From the current situation, it was clear that the Star Alliance had no intention of abandoning Prison Star. Over the years, this planet had produced countless valuable warriors for humanity’s fight against interstellar monsters. That fact alone made Prison Star an irreplaceable asset for the Star Alliance.
This meant that the soldiers stationed here had to find ways to improve their circumstances and ensure their survival.
Thankfully, fate seemed to favor them, allowing such a unique mutated garlic to emerge at such a crucial time. Until it fully matured, they could not afford any mishaps.
Thus, Yun Zixu, the captain of Base 26’s operations team, had no choice but to stay behind.
With some free time on his hands, he decided to sneak out of Base 24 to revisit the riverbank area where Base 24’s secret research was taking place.
Confident in his skills, Yun Zixu wasn’t worried about being discovered as long as he remained cautious. In fact, he managed to approach the area smoothly once again—not due to his exceptional stealth abilities, but rather because…
There was no security at all in this area!
During his first unobstructed visit here, Yun Zixu had already found this odd. Now, the lack of any defenses was even more glaringly obvious.
Even with Base 24’s limited manpower, completely forgoing any form of defense seemed implausible.
Yun Zixu couldn’t wrap his head around it. But when he used his binoculars to observe the scene across the river, he was completely dumbfounded.
Why was such an important location filled with a group of younglings having a picnic? It looked like they had come out to enjoy the fine weather, as if they were on a leisurely outing…
Wait—wasn’t he supposed to be on duty in the perilous Prison Star, not on vacation?
Raising his binoculars again, Yun Zixu confirmed that the only individuals by the river were the unusually good-looking caretaker and a group of younglings exhibiting beast-like traits. There wasn’t a single other person in sight.
He couldn’t believe it and continued observing along the riverbank, only to confirm—this entire stretch of river, spanning over a kilometer, truly had only the nursery’s caretaker and the younglings present?
Yun Zixu returned to his hiding spot, utterly bewildered.
Crouching behind a rock, his gear automatically shifted to blend with the surrounding terrain, adjusting its color and texture to match the barren soil. He was practically invisible in the environment.
Time ticked by.
Yun Zixu hesitated. Should he approach the caretaker? Everything in front of him defied comprehension, and he knew he wouldn’t be able to sleep that night unless he figured out what was going on.
Just as he was about to move—
A hand suddenly clamped down on his shoulder.
On high alert, Yun Zixu instinctively launched an attack at whoever had managed to sneak up behind him, but the other person skillfully deflected his blow.
“Yun Zixu!”
The firm voice stopped him mid-action, and he froze with his weapon half-drawn. Turning to look, he recognized the newcomer—it was Yan Ping.
Seeing Yun Zixu halt his movements, Yan Ping glanced across the riverbank. Confirming that Su Ci hadn’t noticed them, he let out a sigh of relief.
Yun Zixu wasn’t surprised that Yan Ping had seen through his disguise. After all, he knew his old friend had awakened the ability True Sight after coming to Prison Star.
“Yan Ping, what’s going on here?” Yun Zixu demanded.
Yan Ping glared at him. “Didn’t I warn you not to come here? You don’t have clearance to know about this.”
“Don’t try to bluff me.” Yun Zixu snorted. “This area has nothing but the nursery’s caretaker and the younglings. You—”
Yan Ping abruptly covered Yun Zixu’s mouth and cast another wary glance toward the riverbank. While he was shocked to see Su Ci casually leading such a large group of younglings outside the base, it only deepened his wariness of Su Ci’s abilities.
Turning back, Yan Ping said irritably, “I’ll explain later. For now, let’s leave.”
Sensing Yan Ping’s evasiveness, Yun Zixu frowned but ultimately decided to suppress his curiosity and follow Yan Ping away. As for the situation at the riverbank…
He had already activated his recording device and captured everything he’d seen.
*
Across the Riverbank
As the two humans retreated, A-Yan turned his head toward Su Ci.
With Su Ci’s level of ability, it was impossible for him not to have noticed their presence. If Su Ci wasn’t stopping them, it meant he didn’t care. Knowing this, A-Yan dismissed the matter from his mind and refocused on watching Ran Lie control the fire.
Up until today, Ran Lie had always relied on spewing Crimson Flame directly from his mouth—always with maximum intensity.
Controlling a small flame to roast fish, as he was now attempting, was an entirely new challenge for him and proved to be quite difficult.
Unsurprisingly, the first fish was reduced to ashes.
But that didn’t matter. A-Yan calmly buried the charred remains in the soil and retrieved another fish from the box beside Rong Heng.
Ran Lie was initially filled with shame, but when he heard the serene voice of the boy offering neither blame nor impatience—just calmly telling him to try again—he quickly regained his composure.
Before the day was over, he was determined to succeed in cooking at least one edible fish!
For Rong Heng, catching fish wasn’t easy either—especially with Ran Lie beside him waiting for fish to grill. The constant pressure kept his nerves on edge, leaving him no room to slack off or even complain about being tired.
The two boys were locked in a silent competition, gritting their teeth and pushing through. In a way, their rivalry served as mutual encouragement, helping them grow together.
Lu Jiao, watching them from the side, finished his star-chain fruit and then carefully approached Su Ci.
“Su Su, if I also want to control my bloodline power like Ran Ran and Xiang Yang, what should I do?” The silver-haired boy tilted his head, his eyes brimming with curiosity and a thirst for knowledge.
The little white deer was usually calm and stable, and his bloodline didn’t flare into berserk states often. For now, he wasn’t troubled by his bloodline power. However, watching his companions improve every day inevitably made him reflect on himself.
He wanted to be like Ran Lie and Rong Heng—not just suppress and neutralize his bloodline power but also wield it freely.
Su Ci was leisurely munching on a starfruit. The spiritual energy contained within the fruit was faint but far more energizing than regular food.
Hearing Lu Jiao’s question, Su Ci turned his head and asked, “You want to train with me as well?”
“Can I?” Lu Jiao asked nervously.
“You can,” Su Ci replied, taking another bite of the fruit. “But both Xiang Yang and Ran Lie promised to help me farm.”
“I can do that too!” Lu Jiao quickly responded.
Su Ci looked at him, a hint of amusement in his eyes. “Have you thought it through? If you agree, it’s a lifelong commitment.”
“I’ve thought it through! As long as it’s something Su Su asks of me, I’ll do my best!” The boy’s eyes shone with sincerity, his words carrying no trace of hesitation or deceit.
Su Ci’s lips curved into a faint smile. “Alright, you said it.”
While they spoke, Lu Li also approached, his gaze filled with a longing for strength.
The reason he had chosen to embrace his humanity and fuse his split souls was because the human body had higher potential, enabling him to achieve greater power.
Watching his companions’ progress today stirred something in him, and he couldn’t resist the urge to join in.
“Su Su, I want to train too,” he said.
Su Ci was pleased with the idea of two children willingly offering to help him farm.
He nodded with a smile. “Alright, I’ll teach you both.”
In truth, he had already planned to guide them. Only by helping these children grow stronger could they assist him with greater tasks in the future.
Following the principle of “first come, first served,” Su Ci turned to Lu Jiao first.
“Your bloodline is that of the Silver Deer, granting you powers of ice and snow, which are the exact opposite of the Crimson Flame Tiger’s,” Su Ci explained. “Ice and snow, at their core, are still water. You are naturally attuned to water, so I will teach you the Way of Water.”
The path of the Way of Water is anything but weak. Water is the foundation of all life; without it, most living beings would be unable to survive. This alone demonstrates the immense power and versatility of the Way of Water.
Moreover, many techniques associated with this path are especially suited for agriculture. Every skilled spirit plant cultivator knows a few water techniques. After all, rain is crucial for plant growth.
Although Lu Jiao’s innate power is that of ice and snow, water and ice are inherently interchangeable. Ice is simply an advanced state of water in cultivation terms.
“Thank you, Su Su!”
Su Ci only recited the technique once, but with his strong memory, Lu Jiao remembered it immediately. Of course, he had only memorized the words by rote; understanding the deeper meanings of each phrase and principle would require further study.
As Lu Jiao moved to a quiet spot to practice his water cultivation technique, Lu Li anxiously looked at Su Ci, wondering what kind of technique Su Su would pass on to him. Would it involve his unique talent for the soul?
Su Ci, gazing at the golden-haired boy before him, hesitated momentarily.
Lu Li’s talent lay in his soul. As he grew older, his soul would eventually split again, giving him an additional avatar. While this ability granted many advantages—like an extra life and a companion perfectly attuned to his mind—it would be meaningless if his main body remained too weak.
With this thought, Su Ci made his decision.
He addressed Lu Li, “I will teach you the basics of Body Cultivation, specifically the Body Refinement Technique.”
“Body cultivation?” Lu Li asked, puzzled.
“Yes, it’s a path that focuses on strengthening the physical body as the foundation of one’s power,” Su Ci explained. “This technique will help you build a robust and resilient physique.”
Given his Golden Silk Monkey bloodline, Lu Li’s soul was naturally stronger than most. On top of that, the pain he endured during the fusion of his divided souls had tempered his spirit even further.
However, the soul and body are inseparably connected. A strong soul with a weak body creates vulnerabilities. At this stage, it was more beneficial for Lu Li to enhance his physical strength before diving into further soul cultivation.
“I’m not asking you to commit to the path of body cultivation entirely,” Su Ci added. “Once your body’s strength matches your soul’s, I will teach you other techniques.”
Su Ci was not a rigid, traditional cultivator. He didn’t believe one had to stick to a single path throughout their life. His own training was eclectic, drawing from many disciplines.
Of course, body cultivation often required rare spiritual herbs and treasures to aid progress, luxuries that were currently out of reach.
“Understood,” Lu Li replied earnestly, nodding.
Satisfied, Su Ci finished the star-chain fruit in his hand, clapped the remnants from his fingers, and stood up. He began demonstrating the Body Refinement Technique for Lu Li.
Unlike the mental cultivation techniques he had taught Rong Heng and the others, body cultivation required hands-on instruction.
The previously laid-back and relaxed Su Ci transformed. His every movement became precise, brimming with power and determination. His demonstrations of the foundational techniques radiated an imposing aura of strength.
Lu Li was mesmerized. Despite his smaller frame, his skill in sparring with Lang Ze showed that he had a natural gift for combat and physical activity.
Even Lang Ze, who had been playing his bamboo flute near the new bamboo shoots, couldn’t help but glance over. He, too, became captivated by Su Ci’s performance.
Before long, both boys were mimicking Su Ci’s movements, earnestly practicing alongside each other.
Seeing Lang Ze practice the Body Refinement Technique, Su Ci didn’t stop him. Given the wolf cub’s physical build and athletic abilities, body cultivation was actually quite suitable for him.
If it weren’t for Lang Ze’s extraordinary talent in sound cultivation, Su Ci might have steered him more toward body cultivation instead.
Moreover, the bloodline power of the Midnight Wolf was wind manipulation. This endowed Lang Ze with remarkable agility and speed far beyond the average person. As he matured, he might not even need specialized techniques to achieve windborne flight.
In this sense, while Lang Ze was considered one of the weakest among the more combative kids, his innate talent was far from lacking.
Standing by, Su Ci observed the two boys practicing and occasionally corrected their movements. When they had committed the first ten movements of the Body Refinement Technique to memory, he finally said:
“Practice at least one hundred repetitions every day. Once you pass the assessment, I’ll teach you the next set.”
Lu Li nodded resolutely, but Lang Ze froze in disbelief.
“One hundred repetitions? That’s so many!”
Lang Ze started counting on his fingers and quickly realized how packed his daily schedule already was. Mornings were spent farming and cutting meat, followed by practicing sound illusion techniques. In the afternoon, there were writing lessons, and evenings were dedicated to his growth journal.
Now, he had to squeeze in a hundred repetitions of physical training too?
“So, are you giving up?” Su Ci asked, raising a brow.
Lang Ze frowned deeply in hesitation but ultimately clenched his teeth and declared, “I’m not giving up!”
His instincts told him that this body technique was valuable. Even after just one round of practice, he could feel his body warming up slightly. If he stuck with it, he was sure it would enhance his fighting prowess!
His upbringing in a harsh environment had ingrained the belief that only strength could ensure survival. Even though life had improved now, that mindset hadn’t changed.
Blowing the flute, on the other hand, was something he truly enjoyed. It brought him an indescribable sense of happiness, and he was unwilling to give it up.
Plus, he had promised Xing Xing that one day he would play the world’s music for him. Mastering sound illusion techniques was essential to fulfilling that promise. These techniques could also enhance his combat ability, though he would need time to figure out how best to apply them in a fight.
In short, he wasn’t willing to give up on either path.
“I’ll practice diligently!” Lang Ze declared loudly. “If Liu Liu can do it, so can I!”
And so, the two boys got back to training on the open ground. They supervised each other’s practice and corrected any mistakes in their movements.
Because of Liu Liu’s candy, the previously strained relationship between the two had softened and become much more harmonious.
Su Ci watched for a while before walking back toward the tent. There, he noticed that little Xing Xing, who had been hiding inside, had quietly moved to the edge of the tent and poked his small head out.
Sensing Su Ci’s gaze, Xing Xing tilted his head up to look at him.
Su Ci smiled gently, crouched down in front of the boy, and asked, “Do you want to learn too?”
Xing Xing quickly shook his head, the resistance in his expression very apparent. Yet, unlike usual, he didn’t retreat into the shadows to hide himself.
Looking at him, Su Ci patiently asked, “Then what do you want?”
Xing Xing pursed his lips, and finally, in a small voice, said, “I want… a spaceship.”
His talent lay in mechanical control, and to enhance his abilities, he needed to interact with more machinery. So far, the largest machine he’d ever encountered was the 244H.
Because of this, little Xing Xing had been fixated on that spaceship ever since.
Su Ci couldn’t help but reach out and ruffle the boy’s hair before shifting his gaze to the two girls sitting on the picnic mat.
When it came to cultivation, Number Five was still too young to desire power. Her ability was mental manipulation, which would naturally grow stronger as her mental strength developed. There was no urgency for her to focus on it just yet.
As for Xue Wei…
The girl avoided Su Ci’s gaze and lowered her head, looking guilty.
Having hurt someone she cared about deeply during her bloodline’s rampage had left an unshakable knot in Xue Wei’s heart. Moreover, having been raised with refined etiquette and ladylike values, she had always disliked violence.
Thus, she didn’t want to gain even greater strength—after all, her current power was already overwhelming enough to, say, lift a spaceship without much effort.
Su Ci understood that Xue Wei’s main challenge lay in managing her emotions. Her struggles couldn’t be resolved through cultivation but only through her own self-reflection.
So instead, he asked, “Do you want to go check out the spaceship with me?”
“Yes!” Li Hua immediately set her drawing board aside, her face lighting up with excitement. “See the ship!”
Xue Wei let out a small sigh of relief. She carefully packed up Li Hua’s drawing board and, holding her hand, followed Su Ci.
Su Ci also picked up little Xing Xing and turned toward the red flame tiger. “A-Yan, I’m leaving things here to you.”
A-Yan responded, “Understood.”
When they reached the 244H spaceship, little Xing Xing immediately sensed something different. He looked at Su Ci, tilting his head in confusion. “It’s changed?”
“I added a few things.” Su Ci set him down, ruffling his hair again. “Go play, but be mindful of your strength. Don’t repeat what you did last time.”
A rare trace of excitement appeared on Xing Xing’s usually calm face, his cheeks flushing pink and making him look especially adorable.
“Okay,” he replied softly, before turning and running toward the spaceship’s control room.
After just two steps, however, he hesitated, stopping in place and turning back to face Su Ci.
Seeing the boy’s unfocused blue eyes, Su Ci’s voice softened as he asked, “What’s wrong?”
Xing Xing frowned in hesitation but eventually tugged at his fingers and lowered his head. Slowly, he revealed two small furry ears on top of his head.
“For you to… pet,” he said softly, his voice like a whisper.
