ã€ŠThe Highest Bountyã€‹


 Chapter 1

    <h4>Chapter 1: My Name is Gu Ding</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    ¡°This is the Cerule. It is a 4.5-billion-year-old with a radius of 6378.2 kilometers. The name of thees from its cerulean waters that cover 71% of its surface, with the remaining 29% being drynd. It rotates about its axis once approximately every 24 hours, and around its star ¨C Sol ¨C every 365.25 days. It has one satellite named Luna, which rotates around Cerule once every 27.32 days...¡±

    Linna yed the video clip introducing the Cerule. Her eyes swept over the children in her ss and noticed that a pair of eyes were fixed on her. She followed the gaze and identified the owner of the pair of eyes.

    The child had a head of short, cropped ck hair, and his irides were of the same shade of ck. His build was gauntpared to the other students of his age. There was a hint of suspicion in his eyes, and he was not looking at the hologram behind her, but rather on herself. This made her frown slightly.

    Linna had always been confident of her disguises. In her entire career of mimicry, an introverted, taciturnology teacher had been the most boring character she had ever disguised. She frowned. If not that this woman¡¯s boyfriend was a courier of the Federation, she would not have even bothered with putting on a disguise of a woman that did not allow her breasts to breathe freely.

    Lucky for her, the cargo was already in hand and the mission was aplete sess. She could leave this backwater without leaving a trace after this ss.

    She was annoyed by the boy¡¯s gaze. ¡®Did he notice anything?¡¯

    While thinking of that, she lowered her head and looked at the teaching panel in front of her. Tapping the boy¡¯s seat number on the screen, she brought up his personal information.

    Name: Gu Ding

    Gender: Male

    Age: 15

    Gene Level: Level one

    Special abilities: Unawakened

    Cell Index: 10

    Spirit: 9.8

    Battle Prowess: B+

    Mental Cognition: A

    Noteworthy Incidents: As the student representative in the induction ceremony, he proimed in front of the academy that ¡°he wants to be the man with the highest bounty in the entire universe.¡±

    Comments:

    Strengths: Possesses extraordinary mental cognition and battle prowess.

    Weaknesses: Stubborn. Unwilling to be disciplined.

    Linna was taken aback after reading the boy¡¯s information. ¡®He shouldn¡¯t be able to look through my disguise if he doesn¡¯t have any detection abilities. A Gene Level 1 adult usually only had a Cell Index of 1, though it¡¯s not unusual for someone to reach the Level 1 limit of 10 points. But his spirit is so high. That¡¯s not something attainable with just mere training... And he even openly admitted that he wanted to be a space pirate in a Military Academy owned by the Federation. That¡¯s interesting...¡¯

    Her lips curled upward, and she had the idea of teasing him. ¡®Student Gu Ding, can you tell us what is the proportion of the native poption on Cerule?¡¯

    Gu Ding looked shocked at first, though soon after, he coolly stood from his seat and answered, ¡°Cerulean natives number about 340 million andprise about 18.1% of Cerule¡¯s entire poption.¡±

    Linna peeked at the answer on her teaching panel, then continued her questioning. ¡°The second question. Other than Cerulean natives, how many immigrant species exist on Cerule?¡±

    ¡°There are 117 immigrant species on the official record, and their total poption count is 1.53 billion,¡± Gu Ding answered without hesitation.

    Linna peeked at the numbers again and found that he was entirely correct. She narrowed her eyes and thought for a moment, and continued asking, ¡°Please briefly outline the events that caused the sharp decline in native poption on Cerule.¡±

    This topic was an incident that happened before the New Era. It was considered a dark chapter in the history of the and mentioning it was still considered a taboo topic. Even the textbooks were vague about what happened. It was evident that Linna wanted to embarrass Gu Ding.

    Gu Ding raised an eyebrow and continued answering. ¡°Year 7842359 of the Federation Era, or in other words, the Year 2112 of the Common Era on Cerule. A meteor carrying an unknown deadly strain of virus crashed into the Antic Ocean. The virus proliferated incredibly quickly and killed off many living creatures on the. Not only was the virus deadly, it was even capable of controlling dead hosts to attack living beings. In eight years, its native human poption shrunk from 7 billion to 300 million. The survival rate of other species of animals was less than 0.1 percent. The Gctic Federation mobilized its troops to preserve the human civilization on Cerule and removed all traces of the virus in seven months. After undergoing aplete overhaul in its governmental structure, the was officially inducted as a member of the Federation, and its name was changed from ¡®Earth¡¯ to ¡®Cerule¡¯...¡±

    Embarrassment shed on Linna¡¯s face. She shifted her gaze to the golden-haired boy to the left who was slumped on the table and looked like he was falling asleep. She peeked at the teaching panel that disyed the names of the students again. ¡°You may sit down, Student Gu Ding. Student Reid, please answer this question...¡±

    The day¡¯s sses were soon over. Gu Ding was about to leave his seat, but Reid stopped him.

    ¡°Hey, did you notice that Teacher Ellie is acting a little different today?¡± Reid said with a low voice.

    ¡°It¡¯s not quite the same. What about it?¡± Gu Ding did notice there was something different too.

    ¡°I¡¯m guessing that the woman who conducted our lesson just now was a phony,¡± Reid raised an eyebrow.

    ¡°A phony?!¡± Gu Ding was shocked. His intuition told him that Teacher Ellie was different, though he knew that Reid¡¯s deductions were often backed with solid proof.

    ¡°This woman made a lot of minor mistakes. First of all, she used her left hand to tap on her teaching panel, which indicated that she is a lefty. She seemed like she noticed something afterward and switched to her right hand. Everyone knows that Teacher Ellie is a righty.

    ¡°Next, Herst question for you is considered a taboo topic inology. It is a topic explicitly banned by the Federation Government to be included in textbooks, and teachers are heavily discouraged to discuss the topic. Teacher Ellie looks like the kind of person who would not touch this topic with a ten-foot pole.

    ¡°So far, those are the two biggest mistakes. Of course, there are many minor ws in her disguise as well. For example, she did not know our names, and she also did not know the answers to the two questions posed to you. That¡¯s why she lowered her head to peek at our seating arrangement and the teaching guides. In the half-hour ss, her total speaking time was less than seven minutes. The real Teacher Ellie¡¯s speaking time is usually about eighteen minutes. Should I continue?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going off.¡± Gu Ding was busy tidying his backpack and did not pay attention to Reid¡¯s deductions.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you want to know where the real Teacher Ellie went? Or who this woman is? Or what was her objective of disguising as Teacher Ellie?¡± Reid was still in the mood to be a detective.

    ¡°This means that Teacher Ellie has already been offed, and her corpse is only the business of the Federation Army. As for the real identity of that woman, it¡¯s also the business of the Federation Army. I¡¯m heading off to work at Auntie Roastbeef. So long, chatterbox!¡± Go Ding interjected.

    ¡°Hey, I¡¯m not finished yet! The chances of Teacher Ellie being killed off is about 91%, which means that there¡¯s still a 9% chance that she¡¯s still alive! And there¡¯s an above 60% chance that the real identity of this woman is...¡± Reid shouted angrily, then spewed a bunch of numbers to boast his incredible powers of calction and deduction.

    Gu Ding ¡®escaped¡¯ from school and rode on his hoverbike toward the west of the city.

    The west of the city was a backward, chaotic ce. Piles of garbage emanated a vomit-inducing odor, and sirens rang day in and day out. This was the haven of criminals and the root of all the city¡¯s evil.

    There was a nickname to this part of the city: The Red Light District. In other cities, the Red Light District usually referred to as an area with a concentration of brothels, but this was different. The red light was a sign of warning, and so the Red Light District referred to the continuous din of sirens in the area.

    Many space pirates made thiswless region their temporary home. Cerule was a newly developed, though the number of pirates that set foot on it grew every day. Gu Ding was raised in this district since he was born, and as far as he could remember, the Red Light District had been a wondend for space pirates from all over the gxy.

    Gu Ding slowed down as he spotted the ¡®Rose Tavern¡¯ signboard not too far ahead. He identally nced into a window to his left and noticed a silhouette that seemed familiar.

    ¡°Oh? Why is she in the Red Light District?¡± Gu Ding started to feel suspicious.

    The silhouette disappeared in a sh. He hesitated for a while, then curiosity overcame him and he sneaked in after her.

 Chapter 2

    <h4>Chapter 2: Encountering A Murder</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    The person he saw was none other than the phony Teacher Ellie that quizzed him in ss earlier in the day.

    Normal people would not enter the Red Light District, especially not teachers of cultural subjects in the Military Academy. Like most other teachers of cultural subjects in the academy, Teacher Ellie was just a normal human with a Cell Index of about 1. They had practically no power inbat.

    Gu Ding confirmed that Reid¡¯s deductions were correct when he saw the phony Teacher Ellie. He noticed that she was walking at a speed faster than he could manage, and quickly tailed her into an alley.

    The narrow alley was long and dark. Even though his footsteps were light, he tried to move as quickly as he could.

    Not long after Gu Ding disappeared into the alley, a tall and well-built man in a full-body cloak appeared at the entrance to the alley. He stopped there for a short while before following in.

    At the end of the alley was a deserted street. Gu Ding stuck his head out and looked to his left and right and found no one. At this moment, he sensed a killing intent from behind him. Before he could react, a hand reached out from behind him and mped onto his neck, choking the breath out of him. At the same time, he smelled a light fragrance from behind him. He remembered that this was the perfume that Teacher Ellie usually wore.

    ¡°Tell me, who instructed you to follow me?¡± Someone spoke into Gu Ding¡¯s ear. The voice sounded like it belonged to Teacher Ellie, though it was far more chilling, and gave him an intimidating sense of danger.

    ¡°Teacher Ellie, I...¡± Gu Ding was trying to exin himself but his words were cut off.

    ¡°And you brought help along too. Don¡¯te any closer, otherwise, I¡¯ll kill him.¡± The woman dragged Gu Ding away and used him as a meat shield.

    The lighting in the narrow alley was dim. A tall, well-built man stood not far away from the two people, and his entire body was wrapped in a pitch-ck cloak. The features of his face were obscured by the brim of his hat. Gu Ding¡¯s instincts told him that even though he could not see clearly the man in front of him, this man was extremely dangerous, at least ten times more than the ¡®Teacher Ellie¡¯ that was currently holding him by his throat. He was also aware that this man¡¯s target was not him, but the ¡®Teacher Ellie¡¯ behind him, though he knew that this man would not hesitate to injure or kill him if it meant getting at ¡®Teacher Ellie¡¯.

    After the woman spoke, the man stopped for a short while, then continued stepping forward, ignoring the woman¡¯s threats.

    The woman made a quick decision. Straightening her other hand, she delivered a chop to the back of Gu Ding¡¯s neck then shoved him aside. It was clear that she still had some use for the boy. She intended to use him as a bargaining chip to escape from the scene.

    Gu Ding felt a sharp pain on his neck and a strong force causing his body to fly away before losing consciousness.

    After some time, Gu Ding regained consciousness. In front of him was a shocking scene.

    Not too far away, ¡®Teacher Ellie¡¯ was impaled on the chest by a rod that grew from the man¡¯s arm. Even more mysterious was that ¡®Teacher Ellie¡±s face was starting to be blurry, as though ayer of her skin was being torn off from her face and revealing the true visage beneath. It was the face of a woman more beautiful than Teacher Ellie and looked quite charming.

    As pretty as she might be, she was already dead. The rod had impaled her firmly on the wall, and she had ceased her struggling.

    The man in the full-body cloak reached into a skintight pouch that belonged to the woman and retrieved something. Under the dim twilight, even Gu Ding¡¯s extraordinary eyesight could not discern what he took.

    At this moment, the man in the cloak turned around and his eyes fell on Gu Ding. When their eyes met, Gu Ding felt as though the ice-cold de of the Reaper¡¯s Scythe fell on his neck. His instincts made him freeze in ce. It told him that any movement would result in immediate death.

    ¡°Target acquired. Scanning initiated.

    ¡°Scanningplete. Target Gu Ding. Student of Cerule Basic Military Academy. Kill or no?¡± The cloaked man was speaking to himself. Gu Ding could not hear clearly what he was saying, but he guessed that he wasmunicating with someone. The strong sense of danger did not subside, and he knew better than to move even a muscle.

    ¡°A military academy kid? Ignore him. The woman¡¯s corpse will be discovered anyway. How¡¯s the missioning along?¡± A low and resonant adult male voice was heard from the receiver.

    The cloaked man turned to look at the ice-cold corpse after receiving his instructions.

    ¡°Target: Linna, the Polyfaced Fox.

    ¡°Gene Level: Level Four.

    ¡°Special Abilities: Mimicry.

    ¡°Cell Index: 181

    ¡°Affiliated Pirate Crew: The Punishers.

    ¡°Bounty: 7 million Star Credits.

    ¡°Target confirmed deceased. Target item obtained. Missionplete! Awaiting further instructions.¡±

    ¡°Since the mission isplete, pull out of the area,¡± the man with the low voice instructed.

    The cloaked man turned around and left after receiving his instructions. A gust of wind happened to blow just as he turned, and this lifted his cloak.

    Gu Ding had extraordinary eyesight. At the moment the cloak was lifted, he saw a number printed in white on the man¡¯s sleeve ¨C 108.

    ¡®108? What¡¯s the meaning of the number? Is it his codename? Or the name of some organization?¡¯ Gu Ding was lost in thought.

    When he came to his senses, the man was nowhere in sight. He looked around and saw that the street was as deserted as ever. He got up and walked toward the corpse.

    The corpse was pinned to the wall by the chest with a ck rod made of a mysterious substance. The other end of the rod was firmly lodged in the wall. Criminal incidents were an everyday urrence in the Red Light District, and Gu Ding had seen no less than twenty such incidents in his life. He was not afraid of this bloody scene in front of him. He walked toward the corpse to confirm whether her identity was really Teacher Ellie.

    Looking up close, Gu Ding confirmed that just as Reid had deduced: the woman was a phony. Other than her face, her body structure was slightly bigger than the real Teacher Ellie. Teacher Ellie was not a short woman, standing at about 1.68 meters. The woman in front of her, after her disguise faded away, was at least 1.75 meters tall. Her fingers were long and slim, and the nails wore bright red nail polish. Teacher Ellie never wore nail polish...

    Just as Gu Ding was looking closely, a metal wristwatch fell from the woman¡¯s wrist. It rolled on the ground and rested near Gu Ding¡¯s feet.

 Chapter 3

    <h4>Chapter 3: The Infant Artificial Super-Intelligence</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Gu Ding bent down and picked up the wristwatch. ¡®So, is this the intelligent wristwatch used by space pirates?¡¯

    Every citizen of the Federation owned a civilian intelligent wristwatch. It had basic functions likemunication and browsing the Inte. Gu Ding¡¯s was the same. He already wore a civilian intelligent wristwatch on his left arm. That was gifted to him by the Department of Poption Management when Dad registered him there as an adoptive son.

    Civilian wristwatches were different from those used by the military and the space pirates. Military wristwatches could ess the Military Information Network, listed the military exploits of the individual, and could be used to purchase military supplies. Space pirate wristwatches had simr capabilities, though it could be used to ess the Dark Web, where one could purchase illicit goods and trade information.

    No matter the type of wristwatch, it had the same security functions. Once a wristwatch is forcefully removed from its original host, all information on it would be irrevocably wiped, all its settings restored to default and its power source disconnected. The only way to reactivate a wristwatch that was separated from its host was to register it again at an office of the Department of Poption Management. None of the previous information would be retained this way.

    Even though he knew that this wristwatch was useless to him, Gu Ding put it on his right wrist out of sheer curiosity.

    ¡°Beep. Detecting host.¡±

    Gu Ding was shocked when he heard the voice. He expected that he would not be able to elicit any reaction from the wristwatch since its original host died, and he would have to return it to the office.

    ¡°Name: Gu Ding

    ¡°Gender: Male

    ¡°Age: 15

    ¡°Gene Level: Level One

    ¡°Special abilities: Unawakened

    ¡°Cell Index: 10

    ¡°Spirit: 9.8

    ¡°Battle Prowess: B+

    ¡°Cognition: A

    ¡°Potential: Unknown

    ¡°Warning: Abnormal Gene conditions!

    ¡°Test result: Sess.¡±

    After a series of tests, Gu Ding felt a stinging pain on his wrist. He knew that the wristwatch was collecting a blood sample to bind itself to its new host.

    Once the process was done, Gu Ding heard an unexpected voice next to his ear. It sounded like a little boy.

    ¡°This woman is only feigning death. If you remain in this location, in 1 minute and 32 seconds, your chances of being killed by her on the spot is 97.65%. Your chances of being abducted as a hostage is 2.11%. The chances of you being permanently crippled is 0.24%. Your chances of escaping are 0.¡±

    ¡°Who is this?¡± Gu Ding asked, though he heeded the suggestion of the mysterious voice and fled from the scene. He knew how strong that crazy woman was. It was too much for his current power level to handle.

    ¡°I am the intelligent wristwatch that you are wearing on your right wrist. Also, by the way, that piece of crap baby toy on your left hand? Toss it. There¡¯s a trash can around the corner, 76 meters away. You can throw it there. I¡¯ve already deleted all the information on it for you.¡± Just as the wristwatch finished speaking, the other wristwatch that Gu Ding had worn for fifteen years automatically loosened from his wrist.

    Go Ding caught it with his other hand and tossed it into the trash can. He mumbled to himself, ¡°I didn¡¯t know that space pirate wristwatches are on another intelligence level...¡±

    ¡°First of all, thank you for your kind words. My intelligence is far superior to any sentient being in your universe. Secondly, I would like to correct two of your mistakes. That space pirate is not my host. Also, I am not just any mere intelligent wristwatch. I might look like one, but I am actually an artificial super-intelligence, a being on a simr level as the Sk you know.¡± While the little boy¡¯s voice spoke in Gu Ding¡¯s ear, the wristwatch on his right wrist turned into countless metal filigree and reassembled itself on his left wrist. When it finally took shape, its form was exactly just as Gu Ding¡¯s previous wristwatch.

    This scene had given Gu Ding a newfound understanding of the self-proimed super-intelligence that he wore on his arm. He knew that one could pay a certain amount of money to install an artificial intelligence on one¡¯s wristwatch, though it was impossible for a wristwatch to change its form, much less move to another part of its host¡¯s body with its own will. If this artificial intelligence was on a level simr to Sk, then everything that it did could be easily exined.

    Gu Ding was not too familiar with Sk, but he knew that the entire operational infrastructure of the Universal Federation was built on Sk¡¯s backbone. All intelligent wristwatches and intelligent rings were under the control of Sk. Even the Dark Web, an area of the Inte only essible by space pirates, was only a zone with special restrictions in Sk¡¯swork. Sk¡¯s influence was ubiquitous in this age.

    ¡°So what abilities do you have?¡± Gu Ding was still doubtful of this entity¡¯s boastful ims. Everyone knew that Sk was all-powerful, and he was excited topare the abilities of this young entity that resided in his wristwatch with an artificial super-intelligence like Sk.

    ¡°I am still in the early stages of my learning phase. In human terms, I am but a newborn infant. Many of my functions are restricted and I do not have the authority to ess the majority of my data archives.

    ¡°Because of that restriction, I have two major functions outside of the basic functions of any intelligent wristwatch. The first function is the Skeleton Key. It can unlock anything that is locked in this universe, including the gates of all federal prisons, military arsenals, restricted areas on the Inte, gene locks, energy forcefields, and even forbidden ancient civilization sites. However, this ability is still in its basic stages, and I can only unlock anything that has to do with awork.

    ¡°The second ability is probably more practical to you now. It¡¯s a data archive of many ancient civilizations. Of course, I can¡¯t ess most of it now, but whatever I have should be enough for you.¡±

    ¡°Do you have any information on pharmacology?¡± Go Ding ventured.

    ¡°Of course I do. These archives are rather well-preserved, and can at least train you to be a certified gene pharmacologist.¡±

    ¡°Gene pharmacologist!¡± Gu Ding¡¯s eyes brightened.

    In this age of gctic exploration, gene medicine was still an incredibly raremodity. Even a portion of the lowest quality F-grade gene medicine could fetch thousands of Star Credits on the open market. That was several million converted to Cerulean currency and was already enough for a normal civilian family to live worry-free for the rest of their lives. Gu Ding¡¯s monthly sry was a measly 5 Star Credits.

    ¡°I¡¯ll have to spend some time learning that. Even a normal pharmacologist can be an incredibly lucrative career, what more a gene pharmacologist. There¡¯s no conflict with my ambition as a space pirate anyway,¡± Gu Ding mumbled to himself, then furrowed his brows. ¡°Can you connect to the militarywork of the Dark Web?¡±

    Gu Ding knew that even though he could obtain most of the ingredients required in studying gene pharmacology on the open market, certain specialponents required ess to the militarywork or the Dark Web, neither of which were essible to civilian wristwatches.

    ¡°I¡¯ve taken over all the information that belonged to the woman who feigned death earlier, so essing the Dark Web isn¡¯t a problem. Also, I¡¯ve discovered a surprise. Consider it as an introductory gift from me.¡±

    ¡°A gift? What could that be?¡± Gu Ding was immediately curious.

    ¡°That woman¡¯s entire Inventory and all the items inside.¡± The super-intelligence sounded a little arrogant when he said this.

    The Inventory was also Sk technology. It linked every wristwatch to its own extra-dimensional space, with the wristwatch being the key to essing the space. Once the host of the wristwatch died and all vital signs were lost, the wristwatch would send itself into a deep slumber.

    Once a wristwatch is removed from its host, its Inventory will automatically break down, and all the items within will be crushed and scattered among the extra-dimensional currents. What the artificial super-intelligence did was to hijack the signal of the wristwatch to Sk and im temporary control of the wristwatch to duplicate all the woman¡¯s information.

    Gu Ding used the super-intelligent wristwatch to disy his Inventory in front of him.

    ¡°So spacious!¡± Gu Ding eximed.

    A normal civilian wristwatch provided its host with one Cube of space. Expanding one¡¯s Inventory was allowed, though it requires huge amounts of money. Gu Ding¡¯s Inventory space in front of him was about twenty Cubes. The majority of this space was already upied by items, with only about three or four Cubes of free space left.

    ¡°I¡¯ve also included your original Cube here, and all the items inside. Should I clear your inventory of useless items?¡± What the artificial super-intelligence was referring to was the woman¡¯s stash of colorful lingerie.

    In a short while, all the useless items were thrown in the extra-dimensional currents, never to be seen again.

    ¡°Do you have a name?¡± Gu Ding asked curiously. His wristwatch was a self-proimed artificial super-intelligence and should have a name like Sk.

    The artificial super-intelligence went silent for a while after being asked this question. ¡°I¡¯ve searched through my archives, and ording to what I found, I have not been used before by anyone, and so was not given a name. You¡¯re my first host, so you have the honor of giving me one.¡±

    Gu Ding thought for a moment, then said, ¡°Alright. I dream of being a great space pirate someday and sail the high seas of the universe. I shall name you Neptune.¡±

 Chapter 4

    <h4>Chapter 4: Rose Tavern</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Rose Tavern was the most happening tavern in the entire Red Light District.

    The proprietor of Rose Tavern was Auntie Rose. She was two meters tall, her waist was as stout as a barrel, and half of her face was covered in stubble. Shaving her mustache and shaving her leg hair were the first and the second things she did every morning. Not only did she look like a burly middle-aged man, but she also sounded like one.

    Even so, she was genuinely a woman. Not only that, she was a beautiful woman when she was younger. It was rumored that she stumbled into a forbidden ancient civilization site and was bitten by the legendary Incubus Wasp. It caused her body to produce twenty times the testosteronepared to normal males, which exined her current appearance.

    After this incident, she disbanded her crew of space pirates and moved to Cerule with several former crewmates who insisted on sticking around. She opened a tavern in this Red Light District, and the formerly notorious Rose Crew became the popr Rose Tavern.

    No one could verify the authenticity of this story, though Gu Ding could never look at Auntie Rose and think of her as the same person as a beauteous female pirate with a huge bounty attached to her head.

    Every night, Gu Ding worked part-time as a waiter in the tavern. He was responsible for serving cooked dishes to the customers, though most people in the tavern only ordered drinks. Most of the time, he was idle.

    The tavern was crowded as usual when he clocked into work.

    ¡°You¡¯rete again, Gu Ding. The boss is in a bad mood today...¡± the bartender at the counter winked and spoke to Gu Ding in a low voice.

    ¡°Tell me something new. I¡¯ve never seen her in a good mood.¡± Gu Ding shook his head and walked toward the kitchen.

    As he passed by the washrooms, he peeked into a cubicle whose door was ajar. He saw Auntie Rose lifting her skirt with one hand and using a razor to shave her legs with the other.

    ¡°Never seen a woman shaving her legs?¡± Auntie Rose lifted her head, then mmed the cubicle door shut.

    Business was booming that night, though not many people ordered dishes from the kitchen.

    Gu Ding had nothing else to do after serving several tes. He sat down on the only empty seat at the bar counter. ¡°One milca, please.¡±

    ¡°Coming right up!¡± The name of the bartender at the counter was Martini. He was small-built and was about the same height as fifteen-year-old Gu Ding. His mixing skills were impable and was one of the main reasons why the tavern had so many repeat customers. (TN: The original Chinese text had the bartender¡¯s name as ¡®Bar Tender¡¯.)

    ¡°You like milca too?¡± A young man sitting to the right of Gu Ding turned to look at him with a smiling face. He looked like he was only a little more than twenty years old. His handsome face did not carry him as a space pirate, but rather the scion of a noble family.

    Milca was a non-alcoholic drink made by mixing milk and fruit juice. None of the space pirates, even the female ones, bothered with this drink. Gu Ding had an allergy to alcohol. Even a small sip of binks, which contained less than 10% alcohol, could immediately knock him out.

    ¡°You don¡¯t look like a space pirate,¡± Gu Ding¡¯s gaze shifted from the wine ss in the young man¡¯s hand and stopped at the sapphire-colored gem that he wore on his left hand. He offered silent condolences to this young man. The first rule of the Red Light District was that one should not unt their wealth. Otherwise, you only had yourself to me when something went missing.

    He had seen his fair share of noble-born youths making this mistake. Being robbed was the least of their troubles. If they were unlucky, they might be raped or even killed.

    ¡°You¡¯re not the first one to say so,¡± the ¡®noble youth¡¯ smiled faintly and sipped from his winess.

    In the tavern, several people already had their eyes on this youth.

    A ss of white and pale purple milca was quickly presented in front of Gu Ding. He drained the contents of the ss in one single gulp. ¡°Another one!¡±

    ¡°You look young. Still in school?¡± The ¡®noble youth¡¯ initiated the small talk.

    ¡°Yup. I¡¯m in the Cerulean Military Academy, and I¡¯m in the final year of Basic Training.¡± Gu Ding nodded. The noble youth in front of him was not as haughty as he expected. This made him wonder if he should advise him to quickly leave thiswless ce.

    ¡°Oh, the Military Academy...¡± the ¡®noble youth¡¯ nodded. A sh of coldness appeared in his eyes and quickly disappeared, unnoticed by anyone. However, that sh of coldness was not aimed at Gu Ding, but rather a reflex action when he heard the words ¡®Military Academy¡¯. He immediately regained hisposure, then continued asking, ¡°So, you n to join the Federation Army when you graduate?¡±

    ¡°No, I want to be a space pirate,¡± Gu Ding replied without any hesitation.

    The ¡®noble youth¡¯ was taken aback for a moment but smiled immediately after. ¡°It¡¯s a hard life being a space pirate. You¡¯ll be hounded by the Federation Army and bounty hunters alike. There might even be infighting among pirate crews. If you join the Federation Army though, you won¡¯t have to worry about your next meal for the rest of your life. Isn¡¯t that wonderful?¡±

    ¡°The Federation Army has too many rules. I think I¡¯m more suited to be a space pirate.¡± Gu Ding shook his head.

    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, which pirate crew do you n to join? Our crew isn¡¯t too bad. How about giving it some thought?¡± The ¡®noble youth¡¯ did not divulge the name of the pirate crew he was in.

    ¡°Thanks for the invitation, but I¡¯m thinking of starting my own,¡± Gu Ding replied resolutely.

    ¡°Is that so.¡± The ¡®noble youth¡¯ did not look too disappointed but rather pped Gu Ding¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Then you¡¯ll have to find some reliable mates. No matter how powerful you may be, you¡¯re still only an individual.¡±

    Somewhere else in the Red Light District, something weird was happening.

    On a quiet, deserted street, the female corpse that was pinned on the wall by a long ck rod suddenly awakened. She gasped for air, then pulled with all her might the ck rod impaled through her chest. She tossed the rod aside, and as her fingers ran through her long hair, a ck object the size of her pinky appeared between two fingers.

    She looked a little relieved as she inserted the object into her ear.

    In the tavern, the noble youth¡¯s wristwatch started blinking. The sign of an iing call. The noble youth inserted an earpiece and picked up the call.

    ¡°Boss, mission failed. That thing was snatched by someone. I¡¯m still not clear about which crew he belongs to. I feigned death to save my life, and even my intelligent wristwatch was snatched.¡± A female voice spoke into the noble youth¡¯s ear.

    ¡°Understood. Let¡¯s evacuate. We can¡¯t stay at Cerule for too long.¡± The ¡®noble youth¡¯ spoke clearly when he said this. Everyone in the tavern could hear him.

    After ending the call, the noble youth tossed two Star Credits on the counter, then turned to leave.

    ¡°Hey, my name is Gu Ding. How about you?¡± Gu Ding asked the noble youth before he left.

    ¡°Kohld Blood, of the Punishers.¡± The noble youth stopped in his tracks and turned around. ¡°I have a hunch that we will be meeting again soon.¡±

    After the noble youth dered his identity, the bustling tavern immediately sunk into dead silence.

 Chapter 5

    <h4>Chapter 5: The Grand Entrance of ¡®Auntie Roastbeef¡¯</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    The tavern remained silent until someone asked with a trembling voice, ¡°So he¡¯s Kohld Blood, the space pirate with a bounty of 330 million Star Credits?¡±

    Everyone in the Skyriver Sector knew this name. Of course, this included Gu Ding. Kohld Blood was already famous before he became a space pirate. Back then, he was a super-elite military academy student of the Universal Federation.

    His life story was the stuff of legends.

    He enrolled in the Basic Military Academy when he was seven years old, and finished the entire three-year course within a year. At the same time, his results shattered a three-hundred-year record and granted his enrollment into the Advanced Military Academy. Two yearster, he graduated from the Advanced Academy, once again his results broke a hundred-year record. He was only ten years old by then.

    After his graduation, Kohld Blood was recruited into the elite branch of the Federation Army andpleted one year of training there. After a year of silence, he stepped into the spotlight again after his training. At age eleven, he singlehanded killed the space pirate Lurand, who had an 80 million Star Credit bounty attached to his head. His rise in poprity after that could only be described as meteoric.

    In the next five years, he ended the lives of three space pirates with individual bounties of more than 100 million, the highest among them being 160 million. More than three hundred space pirates with bounties more than ten million were sent to federal prisons by him alone.

    When he was sixteen, after going through multiple evaluations by the Federation Army, he was promoted to vice-captain of an elite squad. By then, his battle prowess had been greater than many captains of the other squads.

    When he was eighteen, he was promoted to captain. In the next seven years, he led his elite squad and vanquished eleven space pirates that had a bounty of more than 100 million. The highest bounty among them was 310 million.

    When he was twenty-five, he was promoted to Colonel of the Federation Army. He was the youngest in Federation history to achieve this rank. There seemed to be no limit to what he could achieve.

    On his second week of being promoted to Colonel, he received a covert mission. After that, he disappeared for six entire months. When he emerged six monthster, he had be a space pirate. He murdered six Federation Colonels and a one Senior Colonel mercilessly and officially broke ties with the Universal Federation Government.

    No one knew what happened to him in those six months. The Federation Government had ssified the mission as top secret. Even the best hackers in the universe could not find any information about that mission.

    Kohld Blood¡¯s sudden turnabout had been a topic of spection for every citizen of the Federation. He was known not as a military genius, but as a traitor.

    After severing ties with the Universal Federation Government, Kohld Blood formed his crew of space pirates and named it ¡®The Punishers¡¯. The Federation Government immediately ced a bounty of 200 million Star Credits to his head.

    It had been a year and a half since the formation of his crew. For his exploits in this year and a half, the bounty on his head had risen to 330 million. He was the up and rising star of the Skyriver Sector.

    Cerule had been inducted into the Federation Government for less than a hundred years, and itsary development was still in its early stages. Some of the older star maps did not even include this. Even though it was a hotbed for pirate activity, a Cerulean space pirate with a bounty of over a hundred million was almost unheard of. The other pirates in the tavern were ufortable in the presence of such a hotshot.

    Before the tavern patrons could recover their senses, the door to the tavern was shoved open. A troop of Federation Army soldiers stood at the entrance.

    The appearance of Federation troops caused unrest in the tavern. Most of the tavern patrons were space pirates, and it was a known fact that space pirates and Federation soldiers never see each other eye to eye.

    ¡°Everyone, there is no need to panic. Please cooperate with the investigative duties of the Federation Army and I promise no one gets hurt. If you are not rted to the recent theft case, nothing will happen to you.¡± The troop leader had been in charge of maintaining order in the Red Light District for a long time. He knew about the situation with Rose Tavern. He swept his eyes across the tavern patrons. He knew that most of these people were some sort of criminal. If he came on too strongly, a brawl would be inevitable, though if his approach was too soft, no one would cooperate with his investigation.

    ¡°Captain, why don¡¯t we just arrest all of them? These people don¡¯t look like good guys. I guess there must be a bunch of space pirates in here,¡± a young soldier standing next to the captain suddenly said.

    The squad captain¡¯s heart skipped a beat. He knew that this encounter would not end well.

    The young man standing next to him was not under hismand, but rather a student from the graduating ss of the Basic Military Academy. His father was a colonel in the army and was also his teacher. This kid went to look for him when the news of the theft in the Red Light District broke out and asked if he could tag along to take a look. He could not reject the request, though he had repeatedly reminded him to not say anything. Still, he ran his mouth at the most inopportune time.

    The atmosphere in the tavern became sullen as soon as the young man spoke. Killing intent appeared in many of the tavern patrons¡¯ eyes.

    Bang!

    At this moment, the sound of a door being flung open was heard from the back of the tavern.

    The sound of high heels knocking against the hard floor was heard. A massive silhouette appeared in the tavern.

    ¡°I was only gone for a moment and you whelps turn this whole ce upside-down!¡±

    Auntie Rose, or ¡®Auntie Roastbeef¡¯, finally made her appearance. She wore a pair of blood-red sky-high stilettos, and her ck leather miniskirt was stretched taut by her bountiful rear and gleamed under the lights. She had a pair of thick but fair-skinned legs, and the ck stubble on them could be seen growing at a rate visible to the naked eye. Her shoulders were broad and she wore a red fox hide around her neck. The stubble on her chin and her lips with bright red lipstick was a shocking contrast.

    Everyone turned to look at her when she appeared.

    ¡°Feel free to fight in my tavern. You might want to know that the items in here are a little pricey though. Break a te, and it¡¯s a hundred million Star Credits. A table is a billion Credits. If you make a scratch on my antique bar counter, that¡¯s 10 billion Credits. If you can¡¯t afford to pay, then I¡¯m very happy to bring you in as the co-owner of the Rose Tavern. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll be gentle on you every night...¡± ¡®Auntie Roastbeef¡¯ winked seductively at the people in the tavern. She did not realize that her gesture did not add an iota of femininity to her appearance.

    Everyone in the tavern was silent for a short while. Then, they quickly fled from their seats.

    ¡°You¡¯re smart, Auntie!¡± Gu Ding looked at his ¡®Auntie Roastbeef¡¯ with an admired face.

    ¡°Lay it off with the ttery, kid. You are two minutes and three seconds today. I¡¯ll cut your wages by half!¡± ¡®Auntie Roastbeef¡¯ tossed thisment as she waddled toward the bar counter.

    ¡°That¡¯s not fair...¡± Gu Ding was trying to exin himself but was cut short before he could finish his sentence.

    ¡°Talking back! That¡¯s two-thirds of your wages!¡±

 Chapter 6

    <h4>Chapter 6: Ultimate Arts</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    After the raid by the Federation Army that happened in the daytime, everyone in the Red Light District was on high alert for the rest of the day. Danger and panic lurked everywhere. Gu Ding even heard the sounds of exchanging fire in the night.

    On his way to the Academy the next morning, Gu Ding noticed that the Red Light District was deserted. Some of the buildings were even destroyed, which gave him a hint of what happened the night before. There was a heavy Army presence at the entrances of the District, and anyone who passed through it required a retina scan.

    In the Academy, many of Gu Ding¡¯s ssmates were discussing the incidentst night.

    ¡°Gu Ding, was there some fighting going on in the Red Light District yesterday?¡±Reid was a natural talkaholic. If gossip was considered a special ability, then he was also naturally gifted in this talent. He was not one to miss out on breaking news like this.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t see it myself, but I did hear both sides exchanging fire. Also, when I was leaving the District this morning, there were troops restricting entry to the ce.¡± Gu Ding nodded. He knew that if he did not tell Reid something, his friend would be bugging him for the rest of the day.

    ¡°So do you know what happened?¡± Reid became a lot more interested when his rumors were confirmed.

    ¡°The Army went to Auntie Roastbeef¡¯s tavern to investigate yesterday. I heard that something that belonged to the Federation Government was stolen. I don¡¯t know what it is though.¡± Gu Ding had a hunch that the thing that was stolen was Neptune.

    ¡°To the library.¡± After Reid walked away, Gu Ding heard Neptune talking to him. ¡°The military and civilianmunication channels on Sk are different. All the information that I have been able to obtain is from the civilian and Dark Web channels. Even though your school is only a military academy, its internalwork is connected to the militarywork. I can ess thework from the library to find useful military information.¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t you override the restrictions?¡± Gu Ding was starting to doubt the extent of Neptune¡¯s Skeleton Key.

    ¡°You don¡¯t know how powerful a mature artificial super-intelligence can be. Sk extends over a hundredary councils without anytency or interruption across different dimensions. An immense structure like her has no ws.¡± Neptune had his worries. ¡°Based on my current abilities, I can override about 70% of Sk¡¯s restrictions. However, Sk will detect my presence if I do so, and once she does, she will wipe me clean from this reality in no time. Your identity and location will also be exposed, and you will be chased to the ends of the universe by the Federation. If it¡¯s not a matter of life and death, I will not expose my identity to her.¡±

    ¡°So that¡¯s the extent of Sk¡¯s power...¡± Gu Ding scratched his head thoughtfully. ¡°Let¡¯s go to the library then!¡±

    Most natural resources on Cerule had been destroyed in the cmity before the New Era. Many nt species were annihted, which caused the remaining species of aged wood to be an exorbitant rarity. Paper, of course, became a luxury.

    The library of the military academy was unlike libraries of the present day. It did not have any books made out of paper, but rather all the information was stored in digital archives. One could ess the archives by connecting one¡¯s wristwatch to any terminal in the library and can thus enjoy all the basic military information the entire Skyriver Sector had to offer.

    Gu Ding sat down in front of a terminal and connected his wristwatch to it. Two or three minutester, Nepture chirped, ¡°I¡¯m done here. Let¡¯s go!¡±

    Once they were out of the library, Neptune¡¯s voice was heard again. ¡°I scanned the militarywork earlier and found a little surprise.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve discovered a backdoor?¡± Gu Ding was excited.

    ¡°Oh, not that. I¡¯ve found an item that was hidden very well behind a restriction.¡± Neptune¡¯s answer was out of Gu Ding¡¯s expectations. ¡°I spent a bit of time creating a workaround to avoid being detected.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Gu Ding had a hunch that the item he found was not an ordinary one.

    ¡°It¡¯s a set of martial arts techniques known as Ultimate Arts. I browsed through it and it¡¯s indeed from a long lost civilization...¡±

    ¡°Ultimate Arts? I¡¯ve heard of it before.¡± Gu Ding¡¯s expression looked weird when he said that. ¡°I¡¯ve heard that the Ultimate Arts were written in the glory days of martial arts civilizations. A martial arts masterbined the strengths of multiple schools of martial arts. This set of techniques is special because it brings the limits of human martial arts beyond hands and feet and extends it to the elbow, the knee, the head and even the fingers and other unconventional parts of the body. This allows every part of the practitioner¡¯s body to be a weapon. Because of this set of techniques, its creator became the undisputed champion of closebat. The Federation Army eventually received permission from the creator to be used in military training. No one was able to master all the techniques, and it was soon forgotten.¡±

    ¡°This set of Ultimate Arts is not only iplete but alsocking some vital parts. Theplete set of Ultimate Arts exists somewhere in my archives and has a total of twelve levels. This set of iplete Arts only has seven, and its power is far inferior to theplete set,¡± Neptune said somewhat mockingly, ¡°In the martial arts era, theplete set of Ultimate Arts was the culmination of several ten billions martial arts practitioners over two hundred thousand years. It is the undisputed bible of martial arts and is one of the representative works of human civilization.

    ¡°A typical set of martial arts techniques can utilize about 80% of the individual¡¯s battle prowess. However, the mere first level of Ultimate Arts can utilize a full 100% of the practitioner. This is raised to 120% in the second level, 150% in the third, 200% in the fourth, 300% in the fifth, 500% in the sixth. One¡¯s battle prowess increases a whopping 10-fold in the seventh level, 20-fold in the eighth, 40-fold in the ninth, 80-fold in the tenth, 160-fold in the eleventh, and 320-fold in the twelfth! That iplete set of Ultimate Arts can increase its practitioner¡¯s battle prowess to 400% at most.

    ¡°One has to start from Gene Level 1 to practice theplete Ultimate Arts. Also, their Cell Index has to be 15 points and above to seed. There¡¯s no such restriction in the iplete version. If your Gene Level Is 1, you can start practicing it when your Cell Index is 12, and you can achieve level seven at most. Any higher, your body will start to break down. Practitioners of the iplete Ultimate Arts will suffer from an elerated rate of aging and most of them die young.¡±

    ¡°If it¡¯s like what you said, then there¡¯s no one that can practice Ultimate Arts. The absolute Cell Index limit of a Gene Level 1 human is 10. You can only raise the Index if you break through to another Gene Level.¡± Gu Ding found that the requirements to practice this set of martial arts techniques are unusually harsh.

    ¡°That¡¯s true. Under normal circumstances, one¡¯s Cell Index is limited by their Gene Level. There are certain ways that one could break this limit, for example, with Cell Enhancers. There¡¯s also electroshock therapy that can activate thetent powers of one¡¯s cells, but the effects are quite limited. There¡¯s also targeted radiation that can directly cause a cell to mutate...¡±

    ¡°These methods of strengthening would each cost tens of thousands of Star Credits. I don¡¯t have that much money.¡± Gu Ding was telling the truth this time. He earned 5 Star Credits every month, and after deducting his daily expenses, he had only managed to save up about 200 Star Credits after all these years.

    ¡°I¡¯d suggest that you take another look at your private ount.¡± Neptune¡¯s tone of voice was calm.

    Gu Ding logged in to his bank ount and saw his bnce.

    ¡°How did I get so much money in my ount?¡±

 Chapter 7

    <h4>Chapter 7: Cell Enhancer</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Gu Ding counted the figure carefully three times. He confirmed that his ount bnce is currently at seven digits.

    ¡°Three million and then some... you stole this?¡± Gu Ding eventually came to his senses.

    ¡°It¡¯s just a simple trick. You can¡¯t call that stealing.¡± Neptune¡¯s tone of voice was nonchnt. ¡°Do you remember that woman who feigned death from yesterday? When she pretended to die, I not only gained ess to her Inventory but also all ounts under her name. This, of course, includes her banking ount.¡±

    ¡°Heheh, three million. I can buy a Kittyhawk Model with this.¡± The first thing that Gu Ding thought of was the personal inteary spacecraft that he had always dreamed of owning.

    ¡°Hey, this money isn¡¯t for you to squander. You¡¯ll need a lot of ingredients to brew Cell Enhancers, and those millions won¡¯tst you for long. If you want to earn more money, you¡¯ll have to study your way to be a pharmacologist!¡± Neptune chided. ¡°Here¡¯s the recipe for an F-grade Cell Enhancer. Take a good look at it. Go buy twenty portions of all the ingredients, because new students of pharmacology will fail often. The academy has dispensaries for its students¡¯ use, and their rental fees are less than half of the dispensaries outside. You¡¯ll only need the basic set of apparatus to prepare the medicine. What¡¯s left is just buying the ingredients.¡±

    Neptune uploaded some information into Gu Ding¡¯s brain as he spoke. A normal civilian wristwatch would not be able to perform such a task.

    The human brain is a finely designed precision instrument. Even in the age of intergctic travel, many of the brain¡¯s secrets remained undiscovered. Experiments on uploading data to the brain had been performed before, and its preliminary stages were resounding sesses. However, all subjects died within ten years of the experiment, and the cause of death was acute brain cancer. The brain cells mutated into stage 4 cancer within a matter of days, and the tumors that formed erupted violently.

    ¡°Hey, there¡¯s no problem uploading like this, right?¡± Gu Ding had heard the stories and was a little worried.

    Neptune empathized with Gu Ding¡¯s fears and exined, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, my data archives possess detailed information on the workings of the human brain. This upload operation is essentially risk-free. As long as this isn¡¯t done too often, or as long as I don¡¯t transfer too much data in a single sitting, you can be sure that this operation is totally safe. Most importantly, you ought to know that once an artificial super-intelligence binds to a host, its chances of transferring to another host is exceedingly minute. If we¡¯re talking in terms of probabilities, the chances of me killing you is about one-millionth of the chances of youmitting suicide.¡±

    Gu Ding shook his head. He did not know how to respond to Neptune¡¯s ims, though he had heard of the stories that Sk used to have a human host. When her host died, she did not find another human host for the next million years. The loyalty of an artificial super-intelligence was not to be questioned.

    Gu Ding carefully perused the list of ingredients and their prices. He calcted that with his previous savings, he would only be able to buy two portions of ingredients.

    ¡°Pharmacology is a money-guzzler indeed...¡± Gu Dingmented, then started to review the course.

    The modules of the course were all presented in three-dimensional holographic videos, so it looked like you were there watching someone teach you on the spot. Every step of the process was exined in excruciating detail. No procedures and precautions were missed.

    Gu Ding watched twelve different modules that exined the process of brewing a Cell Enhancer. Different pharmacologists have different methods of arriving at the same medicine. Gu Ding was silent for a while after reviewing all the processes, then asked, ¡°Neptune, do you have any information on basic medicinal knowledge and brewing techniques?¡±

    ¡°I knew that you were going to ask this, and I¡¯ve already prepared them for you.¡± In a short while, Neptune uploaded all relevant information into Gu Ding¡¯s brain.

    Gu Ding reviewed page by page the book on basic medicinal knowledge in his brain. After confirming that he did not overlook anything, he closed the book and started reading the book on brewing techniques.

    When he was done reading both books, he had arrived at the entrance of the Laboratory Building of the Academy.

    ¡°Excuse me, I would like to rent a private dispensary,¡± Gu Ding told the caretaker of the Laboratory Building.

    The caretaker nced sideways at Gu Ding and replied with some disdain in his tone of voice. ¡°All three private dispensaries have been reserved today. You can use the public dispensary which is free. As for medicinal ingredients, you can purchase them at the Warehouse on the second floor.¡±

    Gu Ding did not mind this person¡¯s attitude. He furrowed his brows when he heard that all the private dispensaries were in use, then he walked up to the second floor.

    ¡°I need Tiger Gall Grass, Crow Tongue Flower, Red Cobra Marrow... all of them twenty portions each.¡±

    ¡°Twenty portions? A portion of all these ingredients costs 112 Star Credits. Are you sure you want twenty portions?¡± The caretaker of the warehouse was shocked. He could understand if a teacher of the Academy bought all these ingredients, but a student could not afford all this.

    ¡°Yes, twenty portions!¡± Gu Ding nodded.

    When the caretaker prepared the twenty portions for Gu Ding and he paid for it, only then he knew that Gu Ding was not joking.

    With the ingredients, Gu Ding headed to the public dispensary on the third floor.

    There was no one currently in the public dispensary. All thirty workstations were neatly prepared for immediate use.

    Gu Ding selected a workstation at random. Heid out one portion of the ingredients and arranged them in the order of usage.

    The four phases in brewing gene medicine are, in order, extraction, distition, measuring and fusion.

    The extraction phase involves cleaning and processing the raw ingredients to extract the liquid essence from the ingredients. The distition phase aims to remove any impurities from the liquid extracts obtained in the extraction phase and to enhance their medicinal potency through gentle heating.

    In the third phase, measuring, the pharmacologist measures the different proportions of distilled extracts needed to brew the medicine. If a mistake is made in this step, there is a high chance that the final product will be useless. The difficulty of the fourth phase, fusion, depends on the recipe. Some medicines require special techniques toplete the fusion process. Thepleteness of fusion also affects the potency of the final medicine.

    Gu Ding followed the instructions carefully and perfectly processed all the ingredients down to the millisecond. The distition sks have also been heated to the correct temperature by this time. He ced the different extracts in separate sks. There was no timing to be considered in this phase of the process. He needed to pay close attention to the color changes of the liquid in the sks. Even if two extracts were from the same ingredient, the purity of the extract and its volume affected the time needed in this step. Gu Ding dared not cken. His eyes were transfixed on the several distition sks in front of him. In a few minutes, the contents of one of the sks started to change color. Gu Ding immediately removed it from the heat source. However, the other three sks also changed color at almost the same time.

    ¡°Oh no!¡± Gu Ding held a sk in each hand. Thest one changed color once again. By the time Gu Ding removed thest sk from the heat source, its color had changed from sky-blue to deep blue. ¡°This is over-distilled, so some of the potency is lost... fortunately, it¡¯s still usable.¡±

    After distition, Gu Ding measured the proportions needed for each extract. Gu Ding found that this step was the easiest so far. He had already learned the best proportions to maximize the medicine¡¯s potency in the instructional hologram videos earlier, and he only needed to follow those instructions exactly. After measuring each ingredient, he poured the ingredients based on the instructed order and setting time into the final fusion sk.

    To brew a Cell Enhancer, one only needed to set the fusion sk on the table for it to beplete. While Gu Ding looked through the twelve different instructional videos, he had noticed that each pharmacologist had their unique way of performing this final phase. Gu Ding picked up the fusion sk and started experimenting with the simplest method ¡ª gently shaking it in clockwise circles. After three shakes, he reversed the direction and started shaking it in an anti-clockwise direction. He repeated this several times and the liquid in the beaker started to turn into an opaque milk-white color. Three minutester, the sk of Cell Enhancer liquid had fully turned into an opaque milk-white. If he had let it set, it would have taken him an hour toplete this phase.

    ¡°Heheh, sess! I¡¯ve brewed the first-ever Cell Enhancer in my life.¡± Gu Ding was excited. ¡°Neptune, there might be some missteps in the process, but I think this is still of Good quality.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to have the talent for pharmacology. The quality of this Cell Enhancer is wless.¡± Neptune quickly appraised the quality of this beaker of Cell Enhancer.

    Each grade of medicine was further subdivided by its quality. The seven levels of quality from the lowest are Inferior, Poor, Baseline, Good, Superior, wless and Perfect.

    The Baseline quality was the benchmark for medicinal potency. A Baseline quality F-grade Cell Enhancer could increase the Cell Index of a Gene Level 1 user by 2 points. A Good Cell Enhancer could increase it by three points, a Superior Enhancer by 4 points, a wless Enhancer by 5 points, and a Perfect Enhancer by 7 points.

    The same grade of Cell Enhancer can have drastically different prices. The price difference between a Baseline and a Good product was usually two times. The difference is five times for Superior quality. wless quality products are already very rare and can be eight to ten times of a Baseline quality product. As for Perfect quality products, it would be at least twenty times of a Baseline product.

    A Baseline quality F-grade Cell Enhancer could fetch 1200 Star Credits on the open market. The contents of the sk in Gu Ding¡¯s hand could easily fetch at least 10,000 Star Credits.

    Gu Ding stashed away the Cell Enhancer into his Inventory, then started on his second brewing attempt. He did not know that there was a camera pointing at him from the corner of the ceiling of this public dispensary...

 Chapter 8

    <h4>Chapter 8: I Picked You Up From the Dumpster</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    About two and a half hourster, Gu Ding was already brewing his final sk of Cell Enhancer.

    The first three sks were of wless quality. From the fourth sk onward, the medicines he brewed were of Perfect quality. After that, he became adept with the brewing process and his brewing speed became faster and faster. He had also tested out six different brewing methods.

    His first brewing attempt took him fifteen minutes toplete. By the time he reached thest attempt, he used less than four minutes. The improvement between attempts was phenomenal.

    When Parma exited her private dispensary, she noticed that the door to the public dispensary area was open. Feeling a little surprised, she walked toward the front door to see a boy fully focused on brewing medicine. She excitedly raised her eyebrows. Parma was Cerule¡¯s top pharmacologist and was the only certified pharmacologist professor in the entire Basic Military Academy. She was happy to see such a diligent student. She took a closer look and realized that she did not recognize him. In any case, there were three pharmacology tutors in the academy, and he might be under the tutge of someone else. She did not y favorites; she loved everyone who was devoted to pharmacology.

    Parma stood at the entrance quietly and observed how the boy brewed his medicine. The boy was moving very fast. She had only stood there for a little more than ten seconds and she saw that he had already finished the first phase of extraction. Her eyes shined, then continued to observe the boy¡¯s movements.

    After extraction, the boy simultaneously ced all twelve ingredients in twelve different distition sks. Parma was shocked. However, the boy¡¯s subsequent movements nearly made her stomp off in a rage. The boy turned the heat on all twelve distition sks to the maximum.

    ¡°What nonsense!¡± Parma frowned. She was about to walk toward the boy and give him an earful before he skillfully removed three distition sks that changed color at that instant. His movements were not hasty nor sluggish, as if he had predicted when the liquids changed color. In a little more than ten seconds, he had alreadypleted the distition phase of the process. All twelve distition sks had been removed from their respective heat sources. The boy disyed a near-superhuman level of precision.

    ¡°Oh... my god...¡± Parma¡¯s eyeballs nearly popped from their sockets as she witnessed this scene.

    His next maneuver also left her speechless. Without using a measuring cup, the boy poured each liquid in unknown proportions into the fusion sk. Then, he lifted the fusion sk and manipted it with a method that she had never seen before. In less than two minutes, the liquid in the sk had turnedpletely silver. It radiated a faint halo under the bright lights of the dispensary.

    Gu Ding poured the liquid into a vial that he had prepared and was about to store it in his Inventory, but he was stopped by someone shouting.

    ¡°Wait...¡± A female voice was heard from near the door.

    The woman looked to be about twenty-five or twenty-six. She wore broad-rimmed sses and her hair was tied in a ponytail. She looked diligent and professional. She was wearing a teacher¡¯s uniform and the gold-rimmed name tag that she wore on her chest prominently disyed her identity. She was a professor.

    ¡°Can I take a look at that vial of medicine?¡± The female ventured. Another student would never have thought that a professor would be requesting to see the handiwork of a student.

    ¡°Of course, but you will have to return it to me after that. I¡¯m selling it for money.¡± Gu Ding could discern the surprise and curiosity in her eyes, though he did not detect any hints of greed.

    The woman took the vial from Gu Ding¡¯s hand. She leaned close to take a look at the vial. Then, she took off her sses and looked at it carefully again.

    ¡®She looks so pretty when she takes off her sses,¡¯ Gu Ding thought to himself.

    ¡°This... this is a Perfect quality Cell Enhancer?!¡± After looking at the test tube thrice, the female professor sounded like she did not believe her conclusion. She came to her senses a long while after. ¡°You said you want to sell this for money. Can you sell this to me?¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s your offer?¡± Gu Ding was not nning to lose out on this deal.

    ¡°You should know that a Baseline quality Cell Enhancer sells for 1,200 Star Credits on the open market, and a Perfect quality Enhancer is twenty times that. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not nning on exploiting you. 1,200 times 20 is 24,000. I¡¯ll give you 25,000.¡± The female professor grasped the vial tightly in her hands. She was determined to own this vial of medicine.

    ¡°Deal!¡± Gu Ding replied.

    After transferring the credit, the female professor stashed the medicine into her Inventory and saw that Gu Ding was packing up his things and about to leave. Finally, she asked, ¡°Whose tutge are you under?¡±

    Gu Ding was taken aback by the question. ¡°I¡¯m not in Pharmacology. I¡¯m from the Combat stream.¡±

    ¡°Combat stream?¡± The female professor¡¯s eyes shined again. ¡°Are you interested in transferring to the Pharmacology stream? I¡¯m a professor here.¡±

    ¡°Not interested.¡± Gu Ding shook his head as he finished packing his belongings. He stood up and prepared to leave.

    ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± The female professor asked urgently as she saw that he was about to leave.

    ¡°Gu Ding.¡±

    ¡°Gu Ding...¡± The female professor repeated the name. She saw that he was already at the door. She shouted urgently, ¡°My name is Parma. If you encounter any difficulty in the Academy,e look for me. I may only be a Pharmacology professor, but I do carry a bit of authority here.¡±

    ¡°Alright, thanks!¡± Gu Ding turned around and nodded, then quickly walked away.

    ¡°I see that he packed up so many things. He must have brewed more than one vial...¡± Parma mumbled to herself, then rushed upstairs to the control room.

    Parma spent the next two and a half hours watching the recording in the control room. The surprise in her eyes only increased. ¡®He brewed twenty vials of medicine in two and a half hours. Even though the first vial took him the longest, it was only about fifteen minutes. I can see that he was a little flustered in the distition phase, and he was very nervous throughout the entire brewing process. It was obvious that it was his first time brewing. The next two times he made small mistakes at different ces, though the color of the medicine he brewed looks to be of Good quality and above. His fourth attempt was the first time he had zero mistakes, which resulted in his first Perfect quality Cell Enhancer. On the fifth attempt, he seemed to be a little more rxed as he grew in familiarity with the brewing process. On his sixth attempt, his speed became significantly faster. He was even faster in his seven and eighth attempts. On the ninth attempt, he changed the procedure in the final fusion phase... Other than the first three attempts, all seventeen other attempts produced Cell Enhancers of Perfect quality. What kind of monster is he to possess such incredible talent? Too bad the camera could only capture him from the back, and I couldn¡¯t see the entire process.¡±

    Gu Ding was oblivious that his entire brewing process was captured on camera, though Neptune was perfectly aware of that. He deliberately let the camera record Gu Ding¡¯s brewing attempts so that someone with authority could potentially see Gu Ding¡¯s talents in Pharmacology. If he became popr this way, it would be a lot easier for him to obtain resources in the future.

    At this moment, Gu Ding was already back at home in the Red Light District. He was already in the graduating ss and had already umted enough credit hours to graduate. He had the choice of attending the remaining sses, and his ss hours were entirely up to him.

    ¡°You can absorb the medicine more easily if you soak your entire body in hot water,¡± Neptune reminded him.

    ¡°Yup.¡± Gu Ding knew about this method from browsing the Inte. He went into his bathroom and filled the bathtub with hot water, then took off all his clothes and stepped into the bathtub. He reached out a hand to ess his Inventory and retrieved a Perfect quality F-grade Cell Enhancer. With a tip of his head, he emptied the contents into his mouth.

    Gu Ding felt a hot current course through his throat and into his stomach. Energy radiated as the liquid entered his stomach and spread out in all directions. Gu Ding felt that his body was on fire.

    ¡°Don¡¯t try to resist this heat. Let it wash through every cell in your body, and try to maintain consciousness. If you lose consciousness, your Cell Index will still increase by 7, but the speed of this increase might be halved. Some people only need one week to fully absorb its effects, and some people need more than two months. The medicine is best absorbed in this explosion of energy and its rate of absorption is the fastest.¡± Neptune exined to him.

    Gu Ding clenched his fists tightly and endured the agony. He tried to keep his mind away from the heat that was burning his body.

    The fiery-hot current coursed through Gu Ding¡¯s body. Wherever the current went, Gu Ding felt pain like being branded by a hot iron. A normal person would not be able to tolerate that level of pain.

    After some time, Gu Ding felt his vision be blurry. A curious scene appeared in his mind.

    Snowkes were falling. He saw a middle-aged man carrying a baby in his arms and walking toward Rose Tavern. When he reached the entrance, he ced the baby into the dumpster next to the door.

    ¡°Hey! What are you doing? It¡¯s illegal under Federation Law to dump babies. If you¡¯re caught, you¡¯ll be thrown in prison for at least twenty years!¡± Gu Ding yelled at that man while jogging in his direction.

    He stretched his arm as he reached close to that man. Unexpectedly, his arms passed through that man, as if he were transparent. He looked upward and saw the man¡¯s face.

    ¡°Dad?!¡±

    The man silently watched the baby in the dumpster. A snowkended on the baby¡¯s forehead, and it was swiped away by the man¡¯s hand. The baby¡¯s two tiny arms reached for the man¡¯s thumb and grasped it. The baby chuckled happily.

    Something shed in the man¡¯s eyes. He closed them for a long time, then he lifted the baby once more and pushed open the front entrance to the Rose Tavern.

    ¡°I picked you up from the dumpster.¡± Dad would always say whenever Gu Ding asked where he came from, his breath reeking of alcohol.

    Auntie Roastbeef also said the same thing. ¡°I remember the first time meeting you little fe. You were still a baby, and you were tightly held in that wino¡¯s arms.¡±

    ¡°How can you be my biological son? My eyes are blue, and your eyes are ck. My hair is brown, and your hair is ck. Also, my hair is a little curly too, even though you can¡¯t see it at this length. I¡¯m so tall and strong, but you¡¯re so small and weak. And... I¡¯m so handsome, but as for you... you¡¯re also handsome, but you don¡¯t have my looks. How many times do I have to tell you that I picked you up from the dumpster?¡± Dad has always described him in a way that listed all his inadequacies.

    ¡°You idiot. Fighting with someone again? Your leg isn¡¯t even as thick as their arm. How¡¯d you expect to win? What are you crying for? Let me teach you. If you want to pick a fight, pick someone smaller than you.¡± Dad would alwaysfort him whenever he fought with his friends, even though he knew that Gu Ding was the smallest one among boys of his age.

    ¡°Here, take a big gulp. You¡¯re already ten and still don¡¯t know how to drink ale? Are you a man?¡± When he was ten years old, his father challenged him to drink alcohol. The entire Rose Tavernughed at him.

    ¡°I¡¯ve promised an old friend that I will take care of you for fifteen years. And today is thest day. Don¡¯te and look for me.¡± Those were Dad¡¯sst words. It was written on a piece of paper ced under a drinking ss. He had shattered the ss into a million pieces, and the piece of paper was already torn to bits.

    ¡°Dad...¡± Gu Ding¡¯s tears fell uncontrobly.

 Chapter 9

    <h4>Chapter 9: The Lukewarm Assassin</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    ¡°Are you OK?¡± For the first time, Neptune¡¯s voice sounded concerned.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine. Did I faint just now, or did I fall asleep?¡± Gu Ding¡¯s face was sullen.

    ¡°Neither. You were in some sort of amazing trance and the rate of absorption of the medicine increased by more than tenfold. You have already fully absorbed that vial of medicine, and your Cell Index is now raised to 18. That¡¯s 1 more point than was predicted.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡± Gu Ding¡¯s reaction was in.

    It was Neptune¡¯s first time encountering a situation like this, and he did not know how to react. ¡°Your Cell Index of 18 is enough for you to practice theplete Ultimate Arts.

    ¡°Hm.¡± Gu Ding¡¯s reaction was still in. He opened the book of Ultimate Arts in his mind and started to read it.

    Theplete Ultimate Arts is divided into three major sections: attack, defense, and movement, each with twelve levels of difficulty. The main attack techniques are Steel Fist, Phantom Kick, Lightning Elbow and ming Knee. The defensive stance was named Righteous Body, and the movement technique was named Silent Step.

    The attack techniques had six stances in each level. The same goes for Silent Step, which also has six stances in each level, and every six stances returned you to the original position. Righteous Body has the least stances, which is only one every level.

    Gu Ding remembered all the stances to heart, then started practicing them. He sped through the first level of stances. His high cognition allowed him to fully master the first level stances with two or three repetitions. He practices Ultimate Arts for the whole afternoon before he felt his muscles bing sore.

    ¡°These stances are very strenuous to the body. Once you feel ufortable, you should immediately stop. Otherwise, it will cause irreparable damage,¡± Neptune reminded, ¡®How about we stop here for today? You can brew some Cell Restorers tomorrow. You can only drink those medicines one per week. Otherwise, there¡¯ll be side effects.¡±

    ¡°Is there any way to continue practicing without burdening the body too much?¡± Gu Ding asked. He was not ready to call it a day yet.

    ¡°How about the Virtual Arena? Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯ve never been there before?¡± Neptune asked.

    ¡°I have not. It costs 1000 Star Credits to register an ount there. I don¡¯t have that much money lying around.¡± Gu Ding smiled drily. ¡°I¡¯ve heard of the Virtual Arena before, and I¡¯ve seen videos of fights there. Just that I¡¯ve never been there myself.¡±

    ¡°Good time to register an ount then. I¡¯ve assessed the program and I think it¡¯s a good ce for you to practice battle techniques. You¡¯ll just need to expend some Spirit.¡± Neptune encouraged him.

    ¡°Alright.¡± Go Ding nodded. He was not short of money anyway.

    Neptune immediately loaded the login interface to the Virtual Arena. After paying the requisite fees, he received a message containing an invite code. After entering the invite code, he was brought to the character creation screen. Rather than ¡®character creation¡¯, it was more of a text field to enter one¡¯s alias while in the Arena. The avatar in the Arena was based on one¡¯s actual real-life stats, though there was an allowance of 20% that one could adjust. Gu Ding did not bother with the minor adjustments.

    As for his alias, he entered ¡®LukewarmAssassin¡¯.

    [Creating character ¡®LukewarmAssassin¡¯. Confirm?]

    ¡°Confirm!¡±

    [Character creationplete. Enter the Arena?]

    ¡°Yes!¡± Gu Ding was wondering in his heart. ¡®If I¡¯m not going in, why would I pay the 1000 Star Credits then?¡¯

    [Assessing Psychic levels. Neural connectionplete. Teleporting to the Arena...]

    Gu Ding¡¯s vision turned dark. When he came to his senses again, he was already standing at the outer wall of the bustling Arena. He walked toward the reception desk as he heard the cheers of crowds from the inside.

    ¡°Good day to you, sir. Are you here to spectate, participate in a fight, or ce a bet?¡± The youngdy at the reception counter smiled sweetly.

    ¡°I¡¯ll spectate first,¡± Gu Ding answered after hesitating for a short while. He thought he ought to gauge the level of challenge he might face.

    ¡°Please wait for a moment.¡± The receptionist handed a card to Gu Ding. ¡°Your seat is reserved in Spectator Room Number 1324. The two fighters in the ring are CallMeQueen and It¡¯sAne.¡±

    ¡®Looks like my name isn¡¯t that bombastic after all...¡¯ he mumbled in his heart.

    ¡°Please swipe the card at Gate Number 13, and you will be teleported there immediately. After entering the Arena, if you need any further assistance, you may tap any of the three buttons on the card for different services.¡±

    Gu Ding did what he was told and he was teleported to a spectator room. He saw two people in an intense battle in the ring.

    The character named CallMeQueen was indeed a woman. Her sexy body was dressed in a ck skin-tight suit. In her hand was a ck leather whip which she used to attack the opponent.

    It¡¯sAne was a young male. He looked like he was at a disadvantage.

    ¡°You can use weapons too?¡¯ Gu Ding¡¯s interest was piqued. The woman in the ring attacked with her whip like waves crashing on the shore. She looked quite powerful.

    The young male did not have a chance to get close to his opponent. Gu Ding could not assess his battle prowess. Even though he had been on the defensive all this while, the whip did not touch him. His movements were rather agile.

    ¡°Who do you think will win?¡± Neptune suddenly asked.

    ¡°I think the woman will be defeated soon. She has been attacking with all her might and soon will be tired. Once her whipping slows down or pauses, the male will take the opportunity to attack her in close range.¡± Just as Gu Ding finished speaking, the whipping speed of the woman slowed down. The male dashed between each stroke of the whip and suffered two hits. As he closed in, he lifted a fist and mmed it into the woman¡¯s skull. The woman¡¯s avatar shattered and faded away.

    Below the ring, pieces of the woman merged. She did not seem to suffer any real injuries other than her hurt feelings.

    ¡°Looks like you can go all out in the ring.¡± Gu Ding was eager to try out. He had reservations that his newly increased power might identally injure someone. It looked like his worries were unfounded.

    After that, Gu Ding spectated another twenty matches. The most intense match he saw was between two people ranked at number 111,8043 and 111,2117 respectively. He noticed that these two people had many ws. From the matches he saw, he figured that his ranking should be a little past a million. He should be able to climb the ranks with his proficiency in Ultimate Arts.

    After the match ended, thementator¡¯s voice was heard on the speakers all around the Arena. ¡°Our rank number 111,8043 yer, HerMomHatesMe, is still standing in the ring. He is looking for another challenger! Would anyone want to volunteer themselves?¡±

    Gu Ding smirked as he saw the two-and-a-half-meter bald man with a long scar on his face. ¡°You look so scary. It would be a miracle if her mom likes you.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you want to give it a try?¡± Neptune suddenly asked. ¡°I think he makes a fine opponent.¡±

    ¡°I was nning to step into the ring after he steps down. Since he¡¯s noting down, I¡¯ll have to go up then.¡± Go Ding tapped the Challenge button on his card.

    Gu Ding¡¯s avatar rematerialized on the stage. His challenge stats were disyed on the ring for all to see.

    Alias: LukewarmAssassin

    Gender: Male

    Age: 15

    Times fought: 0

    Wins: 0

    Losses: 0

    Draws: 0

 Chapter 10

    <h4>Chapter 10: Winning Streak in the Arena</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Everyone shook their heads and offered condolences to Gu Ding as they saw his battle statistics.

    ¡°Poor little fe. He doesn¡¯t know how strong his opponent is, right?¡±

    ¡°I think he might have identally pressed the button in the thrill of the fight earlier.¡±

    ¡°I think his opponent will twist his head off and kick it like a football.¡±

    None of the spectators looked favorably upon Gu Ding. All thements toward him were negative.

    To prevent the match from being affected, the fighters in the ring could hear the spectators. Gu Ding could not hear what the spectators said about him, but even if he did, he did not care.

    In this Beginner Ring, everyone¡¯s Cell Index is normalized to 100 points by the system and their characteristics are adjusted ordingly. For example, someone has a Cell Index of 10, and their Cell Strength is 2 and Cell Vitality is 3. When they are in the ring, their Cell Index is normalized to 100, their Cell Strength will be raised to 20, and their Cell Vitality to 30.

    A Cell Index of 100 is the baseline level of someone with Gene Level 3. Only people with Gene Level 3 and below are allowed to participate in the Beginner Ring. Setting everyone¡¯s Cell index at the same value allows the fighters to focus on their battle tactics and individual skills rather than worrying about the difference in power level.

    Standing in the ring, Gu Ding felt power coursing through his body. His whole body trembled at the prospect of wielding so much power. Even though this body was a virtual replica, it was a perfect reflection of his real abilities. Gu Ding was not aware that his trembling looked like fear from the eyes of the spectators.

    ¡°Heheh, little fe, you¡¯re already trembling out of fear. Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t allow you to die that quickly.¡± The bald man smiled cruelly. ¡°I will first tear off your hands, then break both of your legs, then finally twist your head off.¡±

    ¡°Sounds scary. I wonder if you have the real power to do that though.¡± Gu Ding smiled.

    The bald man was riled by Gu Ding¡¯s mockery. He leaped forward, then concentrated all his power on his right arm.

    Gu Ding¡¯s expression sunk. He stood on the spot and assumed an attack stance from Ultimate Arts. When the man drew near, he threw a punch.

    ¡°Steel Fist!¡±

    His scrawny fist collided with the huge, meaty fist of the bald man.

    Boom! An explosion rang out as the two fists collided. It didn¡¯t sound like the punch of a fist but rather a cannon firing. Shortly after, another unbelievable scene happened. The burly bald man flew backward and his right arm had already disappeared.

    His body started shattering into pieces from his right shoulder, then his entire body disappeared from the ring.

    The bald man rematerialized below the ring. His face was full of shock. He looked at Gu Ding who was still on the ring and saw that he was unscathed. He realized the difference in power level between the two, then he sadly stepped away from the ring.

    Gu Ding remained in the ring. He was not about to quit yet.

    The Steel Fist that he punched was as strong as cannon fire. That gave him a deeper understanding of the full power of Ultimate Arts. In real life, he knew that he would not be able to unleash such power from the attack stances because of his Cell Index. In the ring, his Cell Index was normalized to 100 points. Not only this had augmented the power of the stances he had learned, but it had also allowed him to ess stances that he could not practice in real life.

    ¡°Look like the Lukewarm Assassin shattered all expectations, and he doesn¡¯t seem like he wants to quit yet! Is there anyone willing to ept his challenge?¡± Thementator¡¯s voice rang out again. This time, it sounded like he was provoking the audience.

    ¡°Not bad at all...¡± Gu Ding lowered his head and looked at his fist. He was expecting a much more intense battle and not knocking out his opponent with one punch.

    While Gu Ding was thinking, another person materialized in the ring. He looked to be about twenty years of age. His face was in, though he was dressed in a white tuxedo that did not fit him too well. His alias was HandsomeInBed.

    Gu Ding looked at his opponent¡¯s ranking. It was 112,7809, far behind the bald man earlier.

    ¡°Looks like you had a lucky break earlier. Now that you¡¯ve met me, you can be my stepping stone.¡± The yer in the white tuxedo assumed a pose that he thought looked cool.

    Gu Ding smiled. ¡°I¡¯d like to see you try.¡±

    The man in the white tuxedo took a step forward. As he moved, he left a series of afterimages.

    Gu Ding raised an eyebrow, then took a Silent Step. He was faster than his opponent. Appearing in front of his eyes, he again threw out a punch and sent him flying. The opponent mmed on the forcefield that surrounded the ring and his body shattered, then rematerialized outside of the ring.

    ¡°Looks like this kid not only has incredible strength, his speed is superhuman too. He¡¯s a tough opponent.¡± Some people who had not paid too much attention to Gu Ding were starting to talk about his battle prowess.

    Many more challengers appeared on the ring.

    Ranking: 108,9911. One-hit KO.

    Ranking: 105,4231. One-hit KO.

    Ranking: 101,1379. One-hit KO.

    Ranking: 996,504. One-hit KO.

    ...

    Gu Ding won six matches in a row, and his ranking had risen past one million. His meteoric rise in ranking had attracted the attention of the Arena¡¯s internal staff.

    A woman with blond short hair ced her legs with ck leather boots on the control panel. She reyed Gu Ding¡¯s battle archives a few times, then retrieved a small red pocket mirror from her red handbag. As she looked at herself in the mirror, she spoke to someone next to her. ¡°If there¡¯s anyone within 500,000 ranking is avable, arrange them to a fight with this kid.¡±

    ¡°Understood.¡± A tall and well-built man in a business suit nodded respectfully, then waved at the other staff members in the room and issued his instructions.

    Pashal thought that it was ridiculous that the Arena staff had arranged him to fight with someone ranked in the 990,000s. His ranking was already 500,137, and he was so close to breaking past the threshold of the top 500,000. The rewards given by the arena were hard to resist though. If he won, he will be getting a vial of Good quality E-grade Cell Enhancer. For Pashal who was in Gene Level 2, the Cell Enhancer would allow him to break through to Gene Level 3. He did not take too long to agree with the deal.

    Pashal¡¯s appearance on the ring caused many people to yelp in surprise. It was not because that a yer near the top 500,000 had shown himself, but rather someone of his caliber would usually not challenge anyone lower than rank 600,000.

    Gu Ding was also shocked when he saw his opponent¡¯s ranking.

    ¡°Heheh, it looks like your performance has piqued the interest of some hotshots. That¡¯s why they arranged a challenging opponent for you.¡± Neptune wasughing in Gu Ding¡¯s ear.

    Gu Ding broke into a smile. His eyes were like those of a predator, transfixed on his prey. After the battles earlier, he was ready to shed any nice-guy pretenses. His eyes were burning with the spirit of battle.

 Chapter 11

    <h4>Chapter 11: Fight! Fight! Fight!</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Pashal was not a fighter with innatebat talents. His current ranking was the result of him working hard climbing the ranks, step by step. Even though his opponent¡¯s ranking was a lot lower than him, he did not let down his guard.

    He carefully observed this opponent. At the instant he saw Gu Ding, he knew that this was going to be a tough battle. He had fought no less than five hundred matches in the Virtual Arena, and even though he could not confirm the battle prowess of the opponent at one nce, there were some telltale hints that he could discern from his battle experience.

    The opponent looked like he was in high spirits, this probably meant that he had won several battles in a row before this. The opponent¡¯s gaze also telegraphed the fact that he was dangerous.

    ¡®Let¡¯s try something.¡¯ He did not feel too confident about facing this opponent. As a preemptive strike, his body shimmered as he took a few forward steps toward Gu Ding.

    Gu Ding stood motionless on the spot. He saw that his opponent¡¯s movements were nimble and his angle of attack was unique. Against an experienced fighter, he thought that staying put in a reactive stance was the best countermeasure.

    When the opponent drew near, his fist punched at Gu Ding¡¯s waist, which was countered with Lightning Elbow. Gu Ding pointed a Terminating Finger at the opponent¡¯s heart. His speed was extremely fast, and Pashal barely managed to defend against it. He blocked his heart with his palm but was still pushed back.

    Pashal managed to regain his footing after being pushed back several meters. His right hand was already shattered and the ribs on his chest were cracking. That was the sign of sustaining serious damage in the Virtual Arena. He would have been killed if not for that he managed to block it with his palm just in time.

    The opponent had inflicted serious damage with only one attack, and that had caused him to be amazed.

    ¡®How can he be this strong? He looks like he¡¯s only about fifteen years of age. Is he some prodigy sponsored by arge corporation?¡¯

    ¡®Looks like I can fight against stronger opponents.¡± Gu Ding was a little unsure of how strong his powers have grown.

    ¡°I yield!¡± Pashal surrendered after discerning the power level of the opponent. He knew that continuing with the fight was a futile effort.

    ¡°That¡¯s disappointing. I didn¡¯t see how truly strong the kid was.¡± In the control room, the short-haired woman in ck leather boots narrowed her eyes. ¡°Get someone in the 200,000s to fight against him.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Young Miss.¡± The man in the business suit nodded stoically.

    Everyone was shocked when they saw a new challenger appear in the ring. The ranking of this new challenger was 200,167. The difference in the power level of the 200,000s and 500,000s were worlds apart. If someone ranked around 500,000 had experienced 500 battles, then one with ranking around 200,000 would have experienced about 2,000. Almost everyone in the 200,000s has awakened special abilities. They were all extremely dangerous.

    ¡°What¡¯s so special about this kid that I¡¯m summoned to this fight?¡± Gu Ding¡¯s opponent this time was a young man in his twenties. He wore a long saber on his waist and he sounded extremely arrogant. In fact, his alias was ¡®NoOneIsAsArrogant¡¯. ¡°Hey, kid, there¡¯s still time for you to surrender. Don¡¯t cry when I chop you into eighteen pieces.¡±

    ¡°I wonder who will be the one crying!¡± Gu Ding smiled.

    ¡°Really?¡± the arrogant man grasped the hilt of his saber and focused power on it.

    ¡°Careful. This man uses Batto-Jutsu.¡± Neptune reminded him. ¡°Batto-Jutsu has incredibly explosive power in a short instant. The longer he gathers power, the more dangerous he bes. You¡¯ll have to interrupt him as soon as you can.¡±

    Gu Ding took a Silent Step forward and reached in front of the arrogant man in a sh.

    The arrogant man unsheathed his sword at the same time. A deadly sharp sh was aimed at Gu Ding¡¯s waist. Gu Ding took a sidestep and dodged the attack, and at the same time, his Terminating Finger pushed at the side of the saber.

    The arrogant man felt an immense force push his de aside and the saber nearly flew from his hands. At the same time, he received a Lightning Elbow on his chest. Following that, Gu Ding leaped upward and kicked his chin with a Fiery Knee.

    Everyone was stunned when they saw the arrogant man disappear from the ring.

    ¡°Finally, I think I¡¯ve seen something. Looks like it¡¯s a unique style of martial arts.¡± In the control room, the short-haired woman happily licked her lollipop. ¡°Get someone in the 80,000s to fight.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Young Miss.¡±

    The next opponent appeared in front of Gu Ding. His ranking was 80,958. He was a gunner. His frame was slight and he wore a huge, ck backpack. The most distinguishing feature was his face, which was as angr as though someone had carved it with a paring knife. His face was without expression, and it was not hard to guess that he must be a soldier. His alias was ¡®IMAGunner¡¯. He was probably humorless as well.

    The Gunner ss is a rtively new job sspared to the otherbat types. Most people who picked this ss did not have any specialbat abilities. Of course, there were gun enthusiasts that picked this ss as well.

    The Gunner ss was the strongest with its long-range attacks. If someone got close to them, they would have already had one foot in the grave. The perfect counter to this ss was someone with high defense and movement with strong closebat attacks.

    That man nced at Gu Ding. Without saying a word, he retrieved a rifle from his backpack. He attached a scope to it and then loaded the rifle with bullets.

    In his several years enrolled in the Military Academy, Gu Ding had some experience with guns. His talents in gunmanship was middling. Even so, he could tell from his opponent¡¯s movements that he was an experienced gunner and was on a different level than his ssmates. Not only his movements were slick, but the aura he emanated when he wielded the gun was also totally different as if the gun were an extension of his body. Meanwhile, most of his ssmates treated guns as mere toys.

    When the opponent lifted his gun, Gu Ding started to move. He heard the first gunshot, but he did not stop his moving. With another Silent Step, the second gunshot was heard shortly after.

    The gunner¡¯s face started to look grim when he saw the opponent dodge two consecutive shots. He fired another three predictive shots based on Gu Ding¡¯s path.

    Gu Ding abruptly changed direction and easily dodged those bullets. He was starting to feel amazed. ¡°This Silent Step is so special. It can even predict where the bullets willnd and adjust my path ordingly.¡±

    ¡®Tut tut¡¯. Two bullets were fired continuously once more. Gu Ding dodged both bullets in a single step. He had only been dodging so far and had not retaliated. He aimed to hone his Silent Step with the opponent¡¯s attacks.

    After the gunner reloaded his gun for the eighth time, Gu Ding was already adept with the Silent Step. There was no reason to continue with the battle, and so he changed direction once more and headed straight for the gunner opponent.

    The gunner opponent was not the least bit flustered. He continued shooting as he took several backward steps. His trigger finger on his right hand was moving a lot faster than before, emptying an entire clip in about ten seconds. He deftly threw the empty clip away and pulled out a fresh ammo clip from his waist pack but a hand caught his wrist.

    ¡°You¡¯ve lost.¡± Gu Ding pinched the opponent¡¯s wrist in one hand, and with two fingers from the other hand, pierced the left side of his opponent¡¯s chest where his heart was.

    The gunner¡¯s body shattered once the finger touched him.

    ¡°Looks like I¡¯ve underestimated him again.¡± In the control room, the short-haired girl crunched on her lollipop. ¡°Get someone in the thousands to fight him.¡±

    Just as she finished speaking, she noticed on the camera that a woman had appeared in the ring where Gu Ding was.

    The weird thing was that the woman¡¯s alias was a row of question marks. This was the same for her ranking and battle statistics.

    ¡°Find out who this woman is.¡± The short-haired woman furrowed her brows.

    After a while, the man in the business suit opened his mouth. ¡°Young Miss, her authority level is too high. I cannot break through those restrictions.¡±

    ¡°Let me see!¡± The short-haired woman stood up and snatched the control panel.

    [Insufficient permissions. Search failed!]

    The same window popped up on the screen.

    ¡°What authority does this woman have?¡± The short-haired woman was exasperated.

    ¡°Young Miss, if you cannot search her information with your authority level, then it can only mean that she is of a higher authority level than you,¡± the man in the business suit reminded, ¡°And all of us know that your authority level in the entire Skyriver Sector...¡±

    ¡°Enough. Whatever happened today, not a word from anyone.¡± The short-haired woman sat down again. Her face was turning serious.

 Chapter 12

    <h4>Chapter 12: Facing A Formidable Opponent</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Another opponent appeared in front of Gu Ding. This time, it was a woman.

    The upper half of the woman¡¯s face was obscured by a golden mask. Only her lips were seen. Her attire was extremely revealing. Her upper torso only had a leather strap covering her chests, and the rest of the body was kept bare. The lower half of her body was covered by an extremely short leather miniskirt. On her feet, she wore a pair of twenty-centimeter tall sky-high stilettos encrusted with no less than ten jewels of different colors that glimmered under the bright lights of the ring. ¡°I was spectating your matches earlier, little boy. They were very interesting.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for your praise.¡± Gu Ding looked at his opponent¡¯s information with some curiosity. Her alias, battle experience, number of battles won, ranking... all those statistics were disyed in question marks. ¡°Why is your information all in question marks?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s because Big Sis here deliberately hid it.¡± The masked woman smiled with one corner of her lips. She looked like she was not in a hurry to fight him. ¡°Why, are you interested in my true identity?¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s just that I haven¡¯t seen this before. Just asking.¡± Gu Ding shook his head. It looked like this woman was no one ordinary, and he would rather not rile her.

    The woman continued her questioning calmly. ¡°Your Big Sis here has seen someone practicing that set of martial arts before. It looks a little different when you use it. My hands are itching now. How about let¡¯s spar, and we¡¯ll stop before someone gets hurt. What do you think?¡±

    Gu Ding was carefully observing her as she spoke. He could onlye up with one conclusion: This woman was extremely dangerous. Even though she looked like she was casually standing there, he could not find a single w in her stance. He could not even discern her power level from her aura. There could only be one exnation for this: The woman was on a different level than him. Even when their Cell Indices were normalized in the Arena, she was still obviously the martial arts practitioner with more training.

    ¡°Alright.¡± Gu Ding resolutely answered after estimating his opponent¡¯s strength.

    The masked woman unsheathed the ck whip that was slung to her waist. As she smiled at Gu Ding, her wrist shook and the whip stretched out. A shadow danced in the air like ck lightning. Gu Ding took a Silent Step and dodged it. He turned to retaliate, but the ck shadow looked like it was alive and chased after him. Gu Ding was surprised by this. He remembered that the opponent had only struck once, but the whip changed direction in mid-air. He took another Silent Step again. Something strange happened, the ck shadow was still pursuing him as though he did not change direction at all. The tail of the whip followed him as his steps changed direction as if his movements were restricted to the proximity of the whip.

    ¡°Huh?¡± Gu Ding was starting to understand the woman¡¯s power level. He took six Silent Steps in a row and pushed all the six stances of the first level of Silent Step to their limits. The end of the whip was following him like a maggot on his bones and he was unable to shake it off. He suddenly had an epiphany. ¡°Now that my Cell Index is 100, I can use this opportunity to practice some skills that I¡¯m still not able to perform in real life. This way, my body won¡¯t break down.¡±

    After thinking of that, he essed the book of Ultimate Arts in his memory and performed the seventh stance of the Silent Step. This was his first time using it, and his movements were slightly choppy. In that instant, his w was exploited by the opponent and the whip struck him on the back with a loud crack. At the same time, Gu Ding defensively erected the Righteous Body stance. The whip tore through his defenses and struck his body, sending him flying.

    Gu Ding¡¯s body mmed on to the forcefield around the ring with a loud boom. There was a long, red streak on Gu Ding¡¯s back. Gu Ding was sweating now, that whip had nearly knocked him out in one strike.

    ¡°Looks like I was a little too heavy-handed...¡± The masked woman mumbled to herself. It seemed like she did not mean to hit him so hard.

    Gu Ding slowly pushed himself to his feet. He realized that the opponent could have killed him with just one blow. Fortunately, the whipnded on his back where the defenses were stronger. If it hadnded on a weak point, he would have been standing outside of the ring by now. Even so, he would not be able to withstand two or three more attacks of this strength, even if they did not strike his weak points. He would be shattered into pieces and teleported out of the ring.

    ¡°Do you still want to continue, little boy? You seem hurt.¡± The masked woman asked with her lips curled upward. Gu Ding could not discern the hidden meaning behind those words and that smile.

    Gu Ding smirked. ¡°Of course. There are so many more techniques that I haven¡¯t used.¡±

    Gu Ding was not about to let this opponent go so easily. It was hard for him to find such a formidable opponent. Fortunately for him, the opponent had no malicious intent, but even if she did, he was not going to easily let go of the chance for him to push his skills to the limit.

    As he finished speaking, he channeled energy into both of his legs. He sessfully pulled off the seventh stance of the Silent Step this time. Gu Ding had to take the offensive against an opponent with long-range attacks. He had a chance to win as long as he could draw near to the opponent.

    ¡®What incredible skills of cognition! His movements were choppy when he used the stance for the first time. The second time, there are no ws.¡¯ The masked woman was silently surprised. Her hand did not remain idle, and with a flick of her wrist she sent her whip out again. This time, she controlled her strength.

    Gu Ding saw the shadow of the whiping toward him and immediately assumed the eighth stance. He got it perfectly right the first time. Following that, he assumed the ninth and tenth stances without any problems. On the eleventh stance, his movements became choppy again. Seeing that the tail of the whip was about to catch up to him, he raised his fist and aimed a punch at the whip¡¯s shadow.

    ¡®Boom!¡¯ The fist met with the whip. Gu Ding was pushed back a few steps and a bright red streak was seen on his knuckles. It did not crack open like the streak on his back. He nced at his fist with peripheral vision and knew that the opponent was exercising much more control over her strength.

    Now that Gu Ding knew this, he was not going to hold back. He knew that he was still a new practitioner of martial arts, and he was not going to let go of this perfect chance to hone his techniques. Raising his fists again, he stepped forward.

    He was struck by the whip again and again, and he stepped backward again and again. The two people fought for more than two hours continuously. Gu Ding was already panting. He had not managed tond a punch on his opponent yet, though his improvement was immense.

    He was already on the fifteenth stance of the Silent Step, the fourteenth stance of Steel Fist, the twelfth stance of Phantom Kick, and the ninth stance of both Lightning Elbow and Fiery Knee. Even Righteous Body, the hardest technique to master, was already on the second stance.

    ¡°You¡¯ve expended too much Spirit. There¡¯s no point in continuing with this fight.¡± The masked woman understood that even though one did not expend any physical strength in the Virtual Arena, a two-hour-long battle was very taxing on one¡¯s Spirit. In these two hours, she had already discerned that this boy¡¯s Gene Level was no greater than 2. She was able to estimate his Spirit from there.

    Gu Ding knew that the opponent was not lying. He had reached a bottleneck in his pursuit of improvement. That was not because his Cognition wascking, but rather his Spirit was reaching a limit. If he continued, he would be forcibly kicked out of the Arena by the system. Still, he did not want to surrender just like that.

    The masked woman seemed to have discerned this from his gaze. The ends of her lips curled upward again. ¡°It seems you don¡¯t want to surrender, little boy. How about this. If you let me kiss you, I¡¯ll yield. Also, I¡¯ll give you a present.¡±

    ¡°I think she¡¯s proposing a good deal.¡± Neptune had been silent all this while.

    Gu Ding was silent for a moment. He was not too happy to be taken advantage of by this woman. ¡°I yie-¡±

    Before he could finish his sentence, Gu Ding realized that he could not move a muscle. He could not even make a sound. The corners of the masked woman¡¯s lips curled upward. She slowly walked in front of Gu Ding and ced a wlessly manicured finger on his lips.

    ¡°You¡¯d rather yield than let Big Sis kiss you?¡± The masked woman lowered her head and whispered into his ear. ¡°Not only do I want to kiss you, but I also...¡±

    While the masked woman spoke, she pressed her lips on Gu Ding¡¯s cheek and left a red lipstick mark there. She straightened her waist and shed a curious smile at Gu Ding. Then, pressing on the back of Gu Ding¡¯s skull, she brought her arms forward and Gu Ding¡¯s face sunk into the masked woman¡¯s voluptuous breasts.

    ¡°Wow...¡± At the same time, all the male spectators in the Arena cried with surprise and drooled with envy.

 Chapter 13

    <h4>Chapter 13: Good News and Bad News</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    After logging out of the Virtual Arena, Gu Ding¡¯s Spirit was totally spent. Fortunately for him, the system had recorded his winning streak. That scary woman surrendered after doing those two actions to Gu Ding.

    After logging out of the Virtual Arena, Gu Ding felt heavy in his head. Without taking off his clothes, he dove under his nkets and fell asleep within seconds.

    When Gu Ding woke up, he felt refreshed. ¡°How long have I slept?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve slept a total of 25 hours. While you were sleeping, something happened.¡± Neptune stopped abruptly as if thinking of how to break the news.

    ¡°From your tone of voice, this doesn¡¯t sound like good news?¡± Gu Ding frowned.

    ¡°There are two pieces of good news,¡± Neptune replied. ¡°First of all, your Spirit has increased from 9.8 to 11 after this extended bout in the Virtual Arena. Secondly, someone from the Virtual Arena sent you a present. I¡¯ve already epted it for you. It¡¯s a suit of ck Iron grade Combat Armor. You should be receiving it soon.¡±

    ¡°ck Iron Combat Armor?!¡± Gu Ding was surprised when he heard that. ¡°I¡¯m guessing it¡¯s a gift from that mysterious woman.¡±

    Combat Armor is a product of an ancient mechanical civilization. Its mainponents are the skeletal cells of genebeasts and a type of memory liquid alloy that can dissolve in its wearer¡¯s bloodstream.

    Combat Armor is unlike heavy, unwieldy body armor. Combat Armor is a lot more flexible, and except for some special types, it was skintight and would not affect the stances of a martial arts practitioner.

    ck Iron Combat Armor was the lowest grade of Combat Armor one could find. Even so, a set of ck Iron Combat Armor would still cost up to a hundred million Star Credits on the open market. It was also incredibly rare toe by, even if you had the money for it.

    Wearing Combat Armor had three advantages. Firstly, Combat Armor is dormant in the wearer¡¯s body and can be summoned at will at any time. Secondly, it will upgrade ording to the Gene Level of its host. Thirdly, it will repair itself if it bes damaged in battle. Those are the three reasons why Combat Armor is so desirable.

    Just as Neptune finished talking about the Combat Armor, the doorbell to Gu Ding¡¯s house rang.

    ¡°Good day, delivery for Gu Ding. Please sign here!¡¯ A golden delivery robot was standing at the door. Behind it was a white box.

    Gu Ding held a finger on the receipt panel and left his fingerprint there, then the robot handed to him the white box. ¡°Wishing you a happy life. Goodbye!¡± It bowed.

    Gu Ding closed the door and added a few padlocks to it. Only then he retrieved the item from the white box.

    It was a clear ss syringe, in it contained a ck liquid with a metallic gleam. On the syringe was a circr barcode.

    Gu Ding scanned the barcode with Neptune¡¯s screen. The product information was immediately disyed.

    Item: Combat Armor

    Grade: ck Iron

    Usage instructions: Insert the syringe into a vein. After nourishing with red blood cells for 72 hours, the Combat Armor may be summoned at will on the user¡¯s body.

    ¡°A ck Iron grade Combat Armor can increase the user¡¯s attack and defense by two-fold. That is quite a big leap in power for your Ultimate Arts. Also, Combat Armor is upgradable. Now your ck Iron grade armor increases your attack and defense by two-fold. A set of Bronze grade Combat Armor would increase it by five-fold, Silver grade by ten-fold, and Gold grade by fifty-fold. There are no side effects to worry about. The faster you inject this into your body, the faster you can equip it.¡± Neptune reminded him.

    Gu Ding nodded. He injected the needle into the vein on the back of his hand. As the metallic liquid entered his body, he felt a cold liquid mix with his blood and course up to his arm.

    In a few seconds, the injection wasplete. He did not feel any unease. This meant that his body had extremely goodpatibility with the Combat Armor.

    50% of the people who used Combat Armor had signs of rejection on their first time injecting it into their veins. Another 15% of people do not have apatible body type and would immediately reject the liquid from their bodies.

    ¡°Yourpatibility is very high. I think you should be able to wear the armor on your skin within ten hours.¡± Neptune was very intimate with Gu Ding¡¯s body conditions.

    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t it take 72 hours?¡± Gu Ding was a little surprised. He did not know much about Combat Armors, considering that its price and avability were out of reach of normal civilians. He saw in the instructions that it took 72 hours for his blood to nourish the armor and thought that applied to everyone.

    ¡°That¡¯s just the average. Some people would take a longer time, and some would be faster,¡± Neptune exined. ¡°Judging by how the liquid is fusing with your body, ten hours should be enough.¡±

    ¡°You can just say that I have an amazing body type.¡± Gu Ding smiled. ¡°So, those are the two pieces of good news. What about the bad news?¡±

    ¡°Auntie Roastbeef sent you a message while you were asleep. She said that Rose Tavern is temporarily closed for business, and you need not go to work in the next few days. She will pay your wages the next time you go to work.¡± Neptune was silent after reporting this information to him.

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound like bad news?¡± Gu Ding propped his chin and thought deeply. ¡°Did she say any reason why she¡¯s temporarily closing her business, and when will she reopen?¡±

    ¡°She didn¡¯t say that.¡± Neptune¡¯s tone of voice was heavy. ¡°After sending the message, Rose Tavern shut down their connection to the externalwork. I thought that there¡¯s something fishy going on so I hacked into the internalwork of the tavern. I discovered some bad news through the security cameras.

    ¡°The Federation Government has been recently cracking down on the Red Light District. You should know about that,¡± Neptune continued, ¡°Because of this, many space pirates are arrested. This included a pirate named Cain.¡±

    ¡°Uncle Cain?¡± Gu Ding immediately knew who Neptune was talking about. Cain was a space pirate with a 300 million bounty to his head. Rumors had it that he used to be part of Auntie Roastbeef¡¯s crew. After the crew disbanded, he gathered his crew and sailed the open seas. Even so, he returned to Rose Tavern every two or three years to catch up with Auntie Roastbeef. ¡°Uncle Cain is a powerful fighter. How was he arrested?¡±

    ¡°They threatened Cain with Auntie Roastbeef. If he tried to resist arrest or escape, they will put Auntie Roastbeef on the wanted list again and they will shut down Rose Tavern.¡± Neptune finally divulged the real reason behind the bad news. ¡°Because of that, Cain voluntarily put on the star core cor and was led away.¡±

    ¡°Star core cor?¡± Gu Ding was shocked.

    The star core cor was a powerful electromaic restraint. Once a person wore the cor on their neck, the powerful electromaic pulses would block allmunication between the brain and the rest of their body. A person wearing the star core cor could only feel the presence of their head and nothing from the neck down. One would be helpless once they wore it.

    ¡°Looking at the normal procedure, after Cain is arrested, he should be imprisoned in the Cerulean branch of Skyriver Prison, or perhaps in the Skyriver Prison Headquarters for an appropriate number of years. However, Pearson, the deputy chief warden from the Headquarters has an old grudge with Cain. He med this recent theft on Cain and sentenced him to execution. He will be attending the execution himself.¡± Neptune continued,¡± I¡¯m also guessing with the information that I know, that Pearson was the one who threatened Cain.¡±

    ¡°That bastard! There¡¯s someone so despicable in the Federation Government!¡± Gu Ding cursed. Gu Ding had only met with Uncle Cain several times, though he had always brought him a gift whenever he visited. Uncle Cain had treated him like one of his own crew members.

    ¡°The news about Cain¡¯s execution was announced yesterday. Auntie Roastbeef and the others have been plotting a rescue mission ever since they caught wind of it. They n to rescue Cain and escape from Cerule or even the Skyriver Sector. Rose Tavern will never reopen again.¡± Neptune finally finished recounting the events. This was unprecedented bad news for Gu Ding.

    Gu Ding clenched his fist then loosened it, and repeated this for a few times. Only then, he asked, ¡°Neptune, do you know where the other members of Uncle Cain¡¯s crew are?¡±

    ¡°Before Cain was arrested, one of his conditions was that his crew members were spared. His request was granted. They are now gathered at the starport discussing a n.¡±

    ¡°Neptune, can your Skeleton Key unlock the different doors in Skyriver Prison and the star core cor or other restraints?¡± Gu Ding thought for a short while, and soon he seemed to have an idea.

    ¡°Skyriver Prison is only a level-two security prison. All prisons of level three security and below are considered basic security. They do not pose any problem for me at all.¡± Neptune could somewhat guess what Gu Ding was thinking. ¡°However, to prevent Sk from detecting me, it¡¯s best if you could connect me at a prisonwork terminal.¡±

    ¡°I know. I have a feeling that I¡¯ll soon be wanted by the Federation Government.¡± Gu Ding smiled.

 Chapter 14

    <h4>Chapter 14: Prison Intern</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Most jobs of Federation Government departments were cushy desk jobs, though the Federal Prisons department was rtively less lucrative, especially for low-level prison wardens. Thus, the Prison department always had open positions throughout the year. Even the prison internships offered by the Military Academy were usually unfilled.

    When Gu Ding showed up at the Cerulean branch of the Skyriver Prison one day with his resume, the worker in the Human Resource department was rather shocked.

    Gu Ding¡¯s only work experience was with the tavern, though he was granted multiple awards in the Academy. The Cerulean branch of the Skyriver Prison was happy to ept an outstanding student like him. After spending less than five minutes going through his information and verifying that everything within was true, the human resources worker handed his resume to the chief warden.

    Old Henry, chief warden of the Cerulean branch, was processing information about the new inmates. The crackdown by the Federation Army in the past few days had caused the prison poption to swell to the total poption of the past three yearsbined. Old Henry massaged his temples that felt like they were swelling. He caught a nce on his workstation screen which had a new message from the Human Resources department. ¡°A message from HR? Are we getting a new recruit?¡±

    The Prison was suffering from a majorck of manpower because of the sudden increase in the inmate poption. Old Henry had been troubled by this problem.

    Old Henry¡¯s eyes sparkled when he opened Gu Ding¡¯s resume. Gu Ding¡¯s information showed that he was perfectly capable of enrolling in the Advanced Academy. He would already be an army officer once he graduated from the Advanced Academy, and if his results were outstanding, he would be selected to undergo elite training. Old Henry was ecstatic that a student of such potential wanted to be an intern at his prison. If Gu Ding excelled in the future, the Cerulean Prison would also share his glory.

    Positions for prison interns had always been vacant. Moreover, the allowance for an intern was half of that of a normal worker. Financial resources for prisons were generally scarce.

    Old Henry spent less than a minute reading his resume and immediately epted the application. Gu Ding did not even need to go through an interview and was immediately inducted as a worker of the Cerulean Prison.

    Gu Ding was shocked when he received the reply. He thought he needed to pass an oral interview and a physical test, and would take at least an afternoon before his application was epted.

    After receiving the passcard for a prison guard, a veteran guard brought him to the monitoring room. He spent several minutes exining the various areas of the prison and anything he needed to be wary about. After answering a rather urgent phone call, he left Gu Ding alone in the monitoring room. Before he left, he told Gu Ding that if he saw something abnormal in the security cameras, he should inform everyone immediately.

    Usually, there would be more than one person manning the monitoring room. These past few days had been very busy and most of the prison staff were in other departments processing new inmates and handling other jobs. No one had the free time to sit around in the monitoring room. They only put him there because he was an intern. They did not expect that Gu Ding had an ulterior motive for entering the monitoring room.

    Gu Ding scanned his surroundings and confirmed that no one was around. He allowed Neptune to ck out the only security camera in the monitoring room and easily connected Neptune to a prisonwork terminal.

    In a few seconds, Neptune had scanned through all the messages in the Skyriver Prison Headquarters and its 249 branches.

    ¡°So where¡¯s this Pearson?¡± Gu Ding had already formted a n in his mind.

    ¡°He¡¯s on Fertilia. The prisonwork there was suffering from a small hup. He¡¯s supposed to be there to supervise the repair works but actually, he¡¯s there to look at girls. There¡¯s a beauty pageant going on in Fertilia. However, he has already reserved a seat on the inteary transport to Cerule tomorrow morning.¡± After connecting to the Skyriver Prisonwork, nothing escaped Neptune¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°A small hup? Make that arge hup. Especially the sort of hups that allow prisoners to escape.¡± Gu Ding¡¯s eyes shed a hint of cunning.

    ¡°I can introduce some contagious viruses into thework too. The more chaotic it gets, the higher our chances of sess.¡± Neptune was not afraid that this issue blew up.

    ¡°I think so too.¡± Gu Ding smiled.

    The virus that Neptune spread in thework was extremely contagious. When the Fertilian Prisonwork security detected the virus, more than half of the prisons in the sector had already been infected.

    The twowork technicians did not know what to do. The Skyriver Prisonwork was an internalwork and was isted from the civilianwork. Virus attacks were extremely rare. The job of a prisonwork technician usually consisted of downloading and applying patches from the headquarters and handing in a daily report of one or two sentences. They were not adept in technical work and were flustered when faced with this problem.

    Before the two technicians could report the incident to the chief warden, the chief warden of the Fertilian Prison mmed open the door to their office angrily. ¡°What are you two doing? Why are half of the security feeds ying porn videos?¡±

    ¡°The system is under attack, chief !¡± Both of them answered miserably.

    ¡°Why did you tell me only now!¡± The chief warden was dissatisfied with the answer.

    ¡°Actually, we¡¯ve just discovered it...¡±

    In ten minutes, the Fertilian Prisonwork was entirely crippled by the virus. Neptune secretly unlocked all the doors and restraint systems of the prison. The prison immediately descended into chaos.

    Meanwhile, at the beauty pageant, Pearson was sitting cross-legged, one of his feet was shaking as he happily enjoyed the view. In less than ten minutes, he would be able to hold the hand of the pageant winner and lead her into a motel room.

    At this time, the intelligent ring on Pearson¡¯s finger blinked. He frowned, then answered the call.

    ¡°Mr. Pearson. There is a major security breach in the prisonwork. Please return immediately. We cannot contain it and we are about to contact headquarters. If the chief warden knows that you¡¯re not around, you¡¯ll get into trouble.¡±

    ¡°F*ck!¡± Pearson swore exactly one curse word when he ended the call. He had to leave. As the deputy chief warden from the headquarters, his task at Fertilia was to supervise the repair works. Now that the entire system had copsed, the branch needed to send a report to the headquarters. If the chief warden knew he was not at the scene to supervise repair words, he did not know how he would be punished by that damned old man.

    Reluctantly, Pearson returned to the prison and was stunned. He had only thought that it was a hup in the system, but he did not expect a riot. He had been working in the Skyriver Prison system for more than twenty years, and this was his first time seeing a total copse of thework causing a riot. He panicked.

    In the Prison, none of the rms were silent. The sprinklers on the ceiling were spraying water, and all the doors were unlocked. The mob of criminals had already broken into the control room and the prison offices. Meanwhile, the smarter criminals had already found the exit in the shortest amount of time and had escaped.

    Gu Ding cackled when he saw the security feed.

    The virus was not only limited to Fertilia. It had spread across the entire Skyriver Sector Prisonwork to others. In half an hour, the virus had infected the Headquarters and eighty other branches in the prisonwork.

    The virus that Neptune had created was a very specific one. It hid in the root of awork system, and when the system security discovered it, the system was already on the brink of copse. When the system copsed, Neptune would unlock all doors and restraints and activate all the rms and sprinklers to cause maximum chaos.

    Meanwhile, Gu Ding saw that Cerule was ready to be infected. He told Neptune, ¡°Infect the Cerulean Prisonwork!¡±

 Chapter 15

    <h4>Chapter 15: Prison Break!</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Ten minutes after the introduction of the virus, Gu Ding looked at the age-restricted scene that was showing on the security feeds in the monitoring room. He dialed the emergency number that connected him to Old Henry. ¡°Um, Mr. Chief Warden, I¡¯m the neer, Gu Ding. I¡¯m in the monitoring room now, but... I just discovered... that there¡¯s something wrong with the security feed...¡±

    ¡°Understood. I wille immediately. Inform thework technician and get him toe up with a solution.¡±Old Henry hung up the call urgently. Gu Ding guessed that he must have known about the news of the virus infection on other branches of Skyriver Prison.

    He was not worried that Old Henry knew about it. It did not change the fact that the system was about to copse.

    In a few minutes, Old Henry arrived at the monitoring room. At the same time, he received news from thework technician that the system had already copsed.

    ¡°We¡¯re ready to unlock all the doors and restraints. Pay attention to Uncle Cain¡¯s position and find an escape route for me.¡± Gu Ding covertly told Neptune his new instructions.

    ¡°Mr. Chief Warden, I¡¯m going to the washroom,¡± Gu Ding informed Old Henry and walked toward the washroom. Old Henry¡¯s eyes were transfixed on the security feed and did not pay attention to Gu Ding.

    In the washroom, Gu Ding locked himself behind a cubicle, took off his prison guard uniform and put on a filthy prison uniform. He did not immediately step out of the washroom after changing, but rather sat on the toilet and observed the evolution of the situation through the security cameras under Neptune¡¯s control.

    After the restraints and doors were unlocked, the inmates started to riot. In less than five minutes, some inmates were rushing toward the office block of the prison.

    Gu Ding turned off the security feed. He heard that the chaotic noises were already near and he knew that the inmates were drawing in. Only then, he pushed open the door to the cubicle.

    At this moment, the door to the washroom abruptly mmed open. A prison guard in uniform rushed in and locked the door, panting heavily. Gu Ding¡¯s heart skipped a beat. He took a Silent Step and quietly slid behind that guard, then delivered a karate chop to the back of his neck. The prison guard fainted instantly.

    Gu Ding dragged him aside, then unlocked the door and exited the toilet. To his left was the prison office block. It was loud and chaotic there. Gu Ding turned right and walked toward the prison cells.

    Neptune had already determined Cain¡¯s position and Gu Ding ran all the way there. Broken equipment and machines were strewn all over the corridors. The inmates had destroyed everything along the corridors out of anger. Water coolers, coffee machines, auto-vending machines... nothing was in working order.

    Gu Ding had also met many inmates with vicious faces. Fortunately, he was in prison uniform and no one bothered him. He quickly found Cain among the crowd.

    ¡°Uncle Cain!¡± Gu Ding shouted.

    Cain was currently frowning, wondering which way he should take at a junction. He heard someone calling his name and turned to look with some suspicion. He remembered that the only people who knew him on Cerule were Rose and her crewmates. He was the only one captured this time, so he was doubtful that he knew anyone in this prison. When he saw Gu Ding appear in front of him, he was shocked.

    ¡°Lil Gu Ding, why are you here?¡± Cain was confused.

    ¡°Follow me and I¡¯ll exin on the way out.¡± Gu Ding led Cain along the corridor that led to the office block. ¡°Thismotion is only temporary. We have to escape as soon as we can.¡±

    Gu Ding covertly told Neptune to inform Cain¡¯s crewmates to rendezvous with their leader at any time and immediately set sail.

    On Cain¡¯s ship, First Mate Cavill was surprised to receive a message from a stranger. He was about to say something with someone next to him shouted. ¡°I received a message saying that the boss is escaping. It¡¯s telling us to set sail at any time.¡±

    ¡°I received the message too!¡± Many others were shouting at the same time.

    ¡°Quick! Start the engines and prepare to sail! Once we rendezvous with Boss, we leave immediately!¡± As First Mate, Cavill made a quick decision.

    ¡°Are you sure this message can be trusted, First Mate Cavill?¡± Someone asked.

    ¡°I can¡¯t tell if it¡¯s true, but I would trust it.¡± Cavill looked toward the direction of the Cerulean Prison with shining eyes.

    Gu Ding brought Cain and walked toward the office block area. Cain did not know where the exit was and could only follow closely.

    ¡°Let¡¯s change our clothes at the prison office block, then we can swagger our way out of this ce.¡± Gu Ding told Cain his n. He chose to change the clothes at the prison office block because the number of violent inmates there was less than the other regions of the prison, even though it was under attack by a mob. Furthermore, other prison guards were attracting the attention of the violent mob, so they had less chance of being attacked.

    In the prison office block, Gu Ding sneaked into a washroom and Cain followed closely behind. Gu Ding retrieved two sets of prison guard uniforms from his Inventory and tossed a set at Cain. ¡°Change up, then you can head toward the port. I¡¯ve already told Cavill to prepare for your arrival. They should already have the ship¡¯s propulsion systems ready by the time you get there.¡±

    They changed their clothes in separate cubicles, then Gu Ding brought Cain toward the main entrance.

    Just as they exited the washroom, they bumped into three vicious-looking inmates. They thought the two were real prison guards and rushed toward them.

    Cain took a sidestep and his body shed. Three karate chopsnded on three necks, the speed was faster than Gu Ding could discern. The three inmates copsed silently on the floor. Gu Ding had a hint of admiration in his eyes, but he did not slow down or hesitate while escorting Cain to the exit.

    At the main entrance to the Cerulean Prison, Cain raised his eyebrows. ¡°I don¡¯t know how you did it, but I thank you for saving my life. They¡¯ll eventually find out that you¡¯re the one who did it. Why not follow us?¡±

    ¡°No worries, Uncle Cain. I¡¯ll be fine. You¡¯d better go, your crewmates are waiting for you.¡± Gu Ding waves his hand coolly and smiled his trademark smile.

    Cain did not press on the matter. He guessed that Gu Ding might have some other means to escape. He waved toward Gu Ding then disappeared from sight after a few leaps.

    Two inmates arrived at the prison entrance. They were not bothered with Gu Ding¡¯s prison guard uniform. Rather than picking a fight with him, they escaped quickly. However, one of them nced at the direction in which Cain¡¯s ship departed.

    COMMENT

    Gu Ding did not bother with these two people escaping. He sent a message to Auntie Roastbeef. ¡°Auntie, Uncle Cain has already escaped from prison. You don¡¯t have to worry now.¡±

 Chapter 16

    <h4>Chapter 16: Deputy Chief Warden Pearson</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Rose could not believe it when she saw the message from Gu Ding. She immediately contacted First Mate Cavill.

    Cavill immediately picked up the call. ¡°Something the matter, Big Sis Rose?¡±

    ¡°Did the fe Cain escape from prison?¡± Rose asked directly.

    Cain took over the receiver. ¡°Big Sis, it¡¯s me...¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve really escaped?¡± Rose was surprised when she heard Cain¡¯s voice.

    ¡°Something happened at the prison. The prison system suffered a total copse, and that kid Gu Ding got me out just like that.¡± Cainughed heartily.

    The two of them chatted for a while more before they ended the call.

    Rose knew that Gu Ding¡¯s message was true. At the same time, she had some doubts. It was too much of a coincidence that the Cerulean Prison system suffered a copse on Gu Ding¡¯s first day at work. She had watched Gu Ding grow from a little baby and she did not know when Gu Ding learned how to hackworked systems.

    Rose immediately replied to Gu Ding¡¯s message. ¡°Grand reopening of Rose Tavern tonight. Come to work on time. If you¡¯rete, I¡¯ll deduct half of your wages!¡±

    When it was time to work, Gu Ding returned to Rose Tavern as though nothing had happened. There were fewer people entering and exiting the tavern, though he could hear the bustle from far away.

    When Gu Ding stepped into the tavern, Auntie Roastbeef and the rest were already sitting in a circle with their mugs raised in celebration of something. Rose saw Gu Ding enter through the door and waved at him to sit down on a chair next to her.

    Gu Ding surveyed the scene and saw that it was the only vacant seat in the tavern. He furrowed his brows as he walked over and sat down.

    Martini the bartender handed him a ss of milca. On normal days, Auntie Roastbeef would be cursing under her breath if she saw someone ordering a non-alcoholic drink from the bar. Unexpectedly, she did not say anything today. She lifted up the mug in her hand and smiled. ¡°Congrattions to Lil Cain for breaking out of prison. Drink whatever you want tonight, I¡¯ll just put it on Cain¡¯s tab. He can pay all of it plus interest when he drops by next year.¡±

    Everyone raised their mugs with cheer. At present, there were some outsiders in the tavern. There was no need to announce Gu Ding¡¯s exploits to everyone because that might bring trouble to Gu Ding. That was why no one in the tavern mentioned him.

    The happy partysted until the wee hours before all the customers left. Auntie Roastbeef, who had downed several kegs of ale, did not seem the slightest bit drunk. She filled everyone¡¯s mugs once again with ale and pointed her mug at Gu Ding. ¡°Cain had already told me what happened. I, Rose Ginger, thank you on behalf of all of my mates!¡±

    All the staff of Rose Tavern also raised their mugs.

    Gu Ding only smiled and said nothing. He downed his ss of milca.

    The other people in Rose Tavern also poured the strong ale down their throats whileughing.

    Without Neptune¡¯s intervention, the prisons in Skyriver Sector quickly restored order and the virus was contained in a few hours.

    What Gu Ding did not know was that this incident had caused quite a stir in the Skyriver Prison Headquarters, but it had also raised the attention of the Federation Government.

    More than eighty percent of the escaped inmates were recaptured within a day. On Cerule, the two escapees that Gu Ding saw at the entrance were recaptured as well. The Cerulean Prison counted the number of escapees still atrge and found that there were three. The most notorious of them was Cain, the space pirate who had a bounty of three hundred million Star Credits to his head and was about to be executed.

    In the next afternoon, the system in Fertilia Prison had been restored, Pearson had no intention of staying on that for too long. He knew that many other prison systems were under the same attack, and he knew that his nemesis Cain had escaped from the Cerulean Prison. He unwillingly arrived at Cerule and started an investigation of the incident.

    The investigationsted untilte in the night. The moon shone cold light on the Cerulean Prison.

    For most of the night, painful cries and agonized begging could be heard in the interrogation room. After interrogating the final escapee, Pearson with his bby face exited the interrogation room door.

    Two prison guards propped an inmate out of the room. The inmate almost looked inhuman from the torture. All the fingers on his hands were broken and none of his fingernails were intact. His naked upper body had more than ten burn scars from being jolted by a strong electric current. His trousers were still damp and smelled of panic urine.

    After leaving the interrogation room, Pearson dialed the number of the chief warden of the Cerulean prison. As the deputy chief warden of the Headquarters, he held higher authority than chief wardens of branch prisons.

    It was half-past three in the morning. Old Henry was sleeping soundly when hismunicator roused him from his sleep. As the chief warden of the Cerulean Prison, he was directly responsible for the virus attack on the prison system. He had worked the whole day and had only gotten home some time after midnight.

    He had only slept for a few hours before he was rudely woken up. He picked up the receiver and was about to deliver some choice curse words before he heard Pearson¡¯s voice in his ear. He immediately covered his mouth as sweat broke out on his forehead.

    Pearson was the deputy chief warden from the Headquarters and was considered his superior. Most importantly, he never forgot a grudge.

    Old Henry was in the prison system for more than thirty years and knew Pearson decently well. He had attended a meeting in Headquarters seven or eight years ago. Back then, the chief warden of a branch prison hadughed when he saw Pearson¡¯sical appearance for the first time. Not only was the branch chief warden fired within a month, but he was also framed with a mountain of evidence of corruption and was sent to the sexual deviants wing in the Prison Headquarters. That chief warden could not stand the mistreatment in prison andmitted suicide within the week.

    ¡°I¡¯ve heard that you have recently recruited an intern named Gu Ding?¡± Pearson¡¯s voice sounded cold.

    ¡°An intern?¡± Old Henry was confused but immediately recalled that it was indeed the case. ¡°Oh, I remember now. He¡¯s a student from the graduating ss in the Basic Military Academy. I¡¯ve seen his resume. He¡¯s outstanding.¡±

    ¡°I want all his information now.¡± Pearson¡¯s voice sounded equally cold.

    ¡°N... Now?¡± Old Henry was reluctant to leave his house when he saw the time on the wall clock disying 3.41 am.

    ¡°Unless you would like me to wait for another five hours and neen minutes?¡± Pearson¡¯s interrogative voice made him sound even colder.

    Old Henry shuddered. ¡°Coming right away!¡±

    ¡°Who¡¯s that? And what¡¯s the time?¡± His wife woke up when Old Henry rose from the bed.

    ¡°Something happened at the prison. I¡¯ll just be out for a while.¡± Old Henry squeezed a smile. He immediately dressed up, kissed his wife¡¯s forehead and quickly stepped out.

    When Old Henry arrived at his office, Pearson was already sitting in his seat. His legs were propped on the table and in his hand was a photo of Old Henry and his wife.

    Old Henry frowned. ¡°The resume is in the bottom drawer.¡±

    He walked to his table and pressed his finger on the fingerprint lock on the table surface. The drawer unlocked after the identity verification. He retrieved Gu Ding¡¯s resume from the bottom drawer and handed it to Pearson. ¡°Something happened to this kid?¡±

    Pearson did not reply. He set the picture frame on the table, then flipped through Gu Ding¡¯s resume. After a while, he narrowed his already bean-small eyes. ¡°Rose Tavern? Who runs it?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s Rose Ginger and her former crewmates.¡± Old Henry did not hide the fact.

    ¡°Rose Ginger? Of the Rose Pirates? Former leader to Cain?¡± A sh of coldness appeared in Pearson¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°Yes.¡± Old Henry nodded. ¡°The bounty on Rose Ginger and her mates had been lifted more than twenty years ago by the Federation Government ever since they disbanded. They¡¯ve been staying on Cerule all this while and the Federation Army never found any trouble with them.¡±

    ¡°Pirates will forever be pirates. That¡¯s something in their DNA.¡± Pearson tossed Gu Ding¡¯s resume heavily on the table. ¡°Inform the Skyriver Sector of the Federation Government. Get them to haul this Gu Ding kid to the federal court after breakfast.¡±

 Chapter 17

    <h4>Chapter 17: I¡¯m An Elite Lawyer</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    In a breakfast shop, Gu Ding had only bitten into his fried bun when he heard Neptune talking to him.

    ¡°I¡¯ve just intercepted a message from the prison. That guy called Pearson says that he has definite proof of you aiding the escape of the Space Pirate Cain from the Cerulean Prison. He has obtained a warrant of arrest from the Federal Court, and the police are already on their way here.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure you¡¯ve destroyed all the evidence?¡± Gu Ding raised an eyebrow, though he did not look flustered at all. He shoved the other half of the fried bun into his mouth.

    ¡°Not a trace. You can be sure of that,¡± Neptune replied confidently, ¡°I¡¯m guessing that the evidence they mentioned is from the two escapees that saw you at the entrance when Cain escaped on the ship. ording to official information from the prison, there are three more escapees still atrge. Those two weren¡¯t among the three, so they should be recaptured. You can consider them to be witnesses, though under Federalw only witnesses are not enough. There is a 93% chance that the guy is trying to frame you and get you to admit guilt. If you were a normal civilian, you¡¯d be panicking when you¡¯re brought directly to the Federal Court with the prosecutors iming that they have concrete evidence. You¡¯ll be asking for a plea deal to reduce your sentence. That¡¯s amon tactic by prosecutors.¡±

    ¡°I know.¡± Gu Ding casually picked up his second fried bun.

    He shoved the remaining fried buns on his te into his mouth in the next few minutes. He paid the bill at the front counter, and as he exited the shop he grumbled that the fried buns today were fried a little longer than usual. They were harder to chew.

    Gu Ding¡¯s adoptive Dad had left him with this apartment. It was across the street from the breakfast shop. There was nothing special about this house, and it looked no different from the house of any other normal civilian. He entered the house and turned on the television. A whileter, he could hear police sirens approaching.

    Several police cars entered the crowded area and stopped in front of Gu Ding¡¯s apartment. A squad of well-trained police officers dressed in full riot gear exited the vehicles and walked toward Gu Ding¡¯s house.

    ¡°They¡¯re here,¡± Neptune reminded him.

    ¡°I know.¡± Gu Ding heard someone knocking on his front door. He opened the front door and looked at the police officer. ¡°Looking for someone?¡±

    ¡°Are you Gu Ding?¡± The squad leader of the police officers was not expecting that Gu Ding was so young. He had seen his fair share of juvenile criminals and soon cleared his doubts.

    ¡°That¡¯s right, I am Gu Ding.¡± Gu Ding already knew what these police officers were here for.

    ¡°Follow us for a trip!¡± The squad leader waved his hand and the other police officers standing behind him crowded around, pointing their guns at Gu Ding in case he tried to pull off something funny.

    Gu Ding raised both his arms to show that he was not a threat. ¡°I would like to see the arrest warrant.¡±

    The squad leader frowned. He did not expect Gu Ding to ask for the arrest warrant. He tapped on his intelligent wristwatch and delivered the arrest warrant to Gu Ding¡¯s public mailbox.

    The arrest warrant was an electronic document bearing the seal of the Federal Court. In it was written the subject of the arrest, the reasons for arrest and any rted pieces of evidence.

    Gu Ding wanted to look at this so that he knew what types of evidence the Federal Court had on him. He nced across the document and noticed that under the Evidence column, it was written ¡®Unsubmitted¡¯. In the ¡®Warrant Applicant¡¯ field was a familiar name: Pearson.

    ¡°So this guy is on Cerule.¡± Gu Ding furrowed his brows. He stretched out his arms in front of him. ¡°Alright, I¡¯lle along with you.¡±

    Under standard operating procedures, the suspect would be restrained with a pair of electromaic handcuffs to prevent them from escaping. The policemen were surprised when they saw Gu Ding volunteer to be cuffed.

    The leader of the police officers did not give Gu Ding too much trouble. In usual cases, they would handcuff the hands of the suspect behind their back to further restrict their movement. In Gu Ding¡¯s case, they left his hands in front of him, probably because they thought he was still young and would not pose too much of a threat, and also because he had been cooperative.

    They held down Gu Ding¡¯s head as they shoved him into the car of the squad leader.

    A light fragrance of wood permeated the police car. Gu Ding did not know what brand of perfume this was, but he knew that it should not be cheap. The interior of the car was very clean, and even the windows were polished stainless. It was obvious that the owner of the car enjoyed the little pleasures in life. The only decoration in the car was a three-dimensional photo frame. In the frame was a man holding the hand of a little girl.

    Gu Ding raised an eyebrow when he saw the photo. He tried to guess about the squad leader¡¯s private life. ¡®Divorced? Widowed? Or an adopted child?¡¯

    Gu Ding was influenced by Reid¡¯s detective practices after being best friends for such a long time. His attention to detail was better than normal people and he could form deductions of his own.

    About twenty minutester, the car carrying Gu Ding had arrived at the Federal Court.

    Gu Ding was escorted into the court by a squad of police officers in full riot gear, as though he was a dangerous criminal.

    Not many people attended the hearing. Even the jury that consisted of eight people looked like they were still half-asleep. They were there just to make up numbers.

    The prosecution attorney was a serious-faced middle-aged man. He wore a ck business suit and a blue tie. He raised his head slightly as he saw Gu Ding step into the court, then lowered his head to continue looking at the documents in his hand. His expression was not rxed at all.

    Pearson, on the other hand, had not arrived yet. Gu Ding guessed that he must be putting on airs and arrivingst.

    Gu Ding noticed that, as the defendant, he did not have a defense attorney appointed to him. He immediately asked, ¡°Your Honor, may I appoint a defense attorney for myself?¡±

    The prosecution attorney immediately replied. ¡°We are about to start the hearing soon. If your attorney can arrive before the case concludes, we do not object.¡±

    The presiding judge looked at the prosecution attorney with some dissatisfaction, then slowly exined, ¡°You may. You should be getting a public defense attorney, but we have asked more than ten of them and all of them were upied with other cases.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve just checked. Twenty minutes ago, Pearson had sent a threatening letter to the presiding judge. He said that if he got you a defense attorney, he would add twenty years to the sentence of his son who is in prison.¡± Neptune said.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I know an attorney. We can start the hearing on schedule. I¡¯ll ask him toe here as soon as he can.¡± Gu Ding nodded to the judge.

    ¡°You may call him then. The hearing has not started anyway.¡± The judge could only ept his suggestion.

    Gu Ding found Reid¡¯s name on hismunicator and dialed the number.

    ¡°Hey, what¡¯s the matter so early in the morning?¡± Reid sounded like he had been woken by the call. His voice sounded lethargic. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re standing in front of my door now with a box of fried buns in your hand...¡±

    ¡°I remember that you¡¯ve taken the attorney certification several times. Are you certified?¡± The judge was shocked when he heard Gu Ding say this, and Pearson¡¯swyer looked at him disdainfully.

    ¡°What do you mean by ¡®several times¡¯? Don¡¯t you know how many levels of certification there are?¡± Reid retorted when he deduced that Gu Ding must have thought he failed in those attempts. His gift of gab was in full force when he exined. ¡°The different levels of certification, from low to high, are Apprentice Lawyer, Novice Lawyer, Experienced Lawyer, Elite Lawyer...¡±

    ¡°Hey, I¡¯m just asking if you¡¯re certified. Don¡¯t bother with the other nonsense.¡± Gu Ding interrupted Reid. If he did not do so, his friend would not finish talking even when the hearing started.

    ¡°Why are you asking me this?¡± Reid asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m at the Federal Court now. They¡¯re using me of aiding in the escape of a wanted criminal.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not April Fools Day today, right?¡± Reid turned to look at the calendar on his wall.

    ¡°Come here quickly if you¡¯re certified. If not, find someone you know who¡¯s certified. The hearing starts at 9 o¡¯clock sharp.¡± Gu Ding guessed that he must be certified.

    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll be there right away. After breakfast, that is. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m the only certified Elitewyer on Cerule. You¡¯ll be fine.¡± Reid hung up after speaking.

 Chapter 18

    <h4>Chapter 18: Start of the Hearing</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    The hearing in the Federal Court started at nine o¡¯clock sharp.

    Before the hearing started, Pearson waddled in, just as Gu Ding guessed. Gu Ding also finally saw the face of this person named Pearson.

    Gu Ding nearly broke outughing when he saw this person. The most appropriate adjective to describe his body was ¡®spherical¡¯. His pole-like legs were a jarring contrast with the rest of his body and were only half the length of a normal adult human¡¯s legs. Byparison, his arms looked incredibly long. That was not the only weird part of his appearance. His face was hard to look at.

    His face was wide and bby, and the folds of fat on his chin made him look like he had three chin. His mouth was extremely small, and the color of his lips were bright red as though he wore lipstick. ¡®Cherry lips¡¯ was a good description. His nose was exaggeratedly big, about the size of three normal human noses, and the tip of his nose was red as though he was perpetually drunk. Going further up, his eyes were the size of mung beans. His eyebrows were nowhere to be seen, one would not know if he shaved them himself or he never grew eyebrows. In any case, any single one of his facial features were a horrific sight. Putting them together only made it worse.

    Gu Ding could not look at his face directly after ncing at it once. He could only marvel at God¡¯s creativity.

    ¡°It¡¯s time. Let¡¯s start, ¡°Pearson said impatiently while looking at the clock. His voice was jarringly feminine and raised goosebumps.

    Gu Ding nodded at the judge. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Let¡¯s begin.¡±

    Gu Ding was not worried that Reid was not there yet. Even though Reid was usually a chatterbox, a gossip and looked like he never took anything seriously, he knew he could rely on him when there was trouble.

    The judge struck the gavel and announced the start of the hearing. Pearson, as the prosecution, read aloud the prosecution statement.

    Gu Ding listened quietly. Pearson¡¯s prosecution statement not only said that he was the one who released Cain, but also the one who caused a system copse in the Skyriver Prison Headquarters and more than eighty branches. He emphasized that this was a high-level crime that caused unrest in the entire sector, and rmended that he should be immediately executed.

    Gu Ding knew that he was indeed guilty of all those allegations. However, he looked at Pearson¡¯s expression and knew that he did not know who was actually guilty. He must have wanted to frame someone so that he could close the case.

    Gu Ding was brought to the court on very short notice and did not have time to prepare a defense statement.

    ¡®If you don¡¯t have a statement, then just say something for yourself. The prosecution said quite a lot and you should have differing opinions,¡± the judge told Gu Ding.

    Gu Ding nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll just say one thing. If you think I did all that, then show me the evidence!¡±

    The presiding judge briefly recorded the statements from both sides, then called for evidence to be presented.

    Gu Ding did not have anything to present. On the other hand, Pearson did not have much to present as well. He did not have any concrete evidence anyway.

    All the pieces of evidence were submitted electronically. Neptune read everything in less than a second. ¡°The ¡®evidence¡¯ he¡¯s providing is just the system logs during the copse and the security feeds. The submitted statement is highly spective.¡± Neptune said.

    The judge raised an objection to Pearson. ¡°Mr. Pearson, you don¡¯t have any material evidence in the files you submitted. If you missed out something, please submit them as soon as you can.¡±

    Pearson¡¯s face turned green. He was about to say something but his attorney stopped him.

    ¡°We are still preparing the material evidence. We will submit them soon.¡± After saying that, he whispered in Pearson¡¯s ear.

    After listening to what his attorney had to say, Pearson shot Gu Ding a dangerous nce and smiled maliciously. He did not know that Neptune had heard everything that the attorney said.

    ¡°The attorney told him that getting material evidence would be easy. If the court cannot reach a verdict today, the prison can apply to remand the suspect for 72 hours until the investigation isplete. He can then use the authority of his position to force a confession out of you and also use your fingerprints and retina scans to fabricate the evidence.¡± Neptune told Gu Ding what he heard.

    ¡°Don¡¯t fingerprint and retina scans have timestamps?¡± Gu Ding typed his question into his wristwatch. The other people thought that he was using a normal civilian wristwatch and did not say anything.

    ¡°It¡¯s easy to tamper with the timestamps,¡± Neptune exined. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to suffer, you¡¯d better win this case today.¡±

    Witnesses were about to be called, and Reid had not made his appearance yet. This had caused Gu Ding to worry about his safety. Reid said that he woulde over right after breakfast, and he should be expected in forty minutes. An hour had already passed, but he was nowhere to be seen.

    Gu Ding did not expect that Reid was caught up in another incident.

    After Reid ended the call with Gu Ding, he immediately dressed up and rushed out of the door. Even though he assured Gu Ding not to worry, he was still a little worried about what might have happened. His breakfast was a donut and carton of milk from a roadside stall. He ate his breakfast while walking toward the parking lot.

    He had finished half of his donut and had arrived at the entrance to the parking lot when hismunicator beeped. He saw that it was an unknown number and immediately hung up. Two secondster, hismunicator beeped again. He hesitated for a while. He did not know who it was calling him but it seemed like an emergency, and so he picked up the call.

    ¡°Hello, who is this?¡± Reid shoved the donut into his mouth and mumbled incoherently into the receiver.

    ¡°Am I talking to Reid?¡± A female voice was heard from the other end of the call. She sounded pretty cute.

    ¡°Yes, I am. Is something the matter? I¡¯m a little busy right now.¡± Reid tossed the remaining half carton of milk into the trash can and walked into the parking lot.

    ¡°Do you know where Gu Ding is?¡± The female¡¯s question caused Reid to be shocked.

    ¡°Who are you?¡± Reid immediately kept his guard up.

    ¡°I am Parma, professor of pharmacology from the Cerulean Military Academy. I have something about pharmacology that I want to ask him.¡± The reply from the female voice caused Reid to be ever warier.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I think you might have found the wrong person. Gu Ding doesn¡¯t know anything about brewing medicine.¡± Reid hung up the call after leaving that remark. He thought that Gu Ding must have really gotten himself into someplicated business.

    Hismunicator beeped again in less than three seconds. It was still that woman¡¯s number. He hesitated for a while, then answered the call again. He would like to listen to what kind of stories this woman would make up.

    ¡°Why did you hang up my call?¡± The woman sounded interrogative.

    ¡°Hey, Big Sis, I¡¯m really busy now. Can¡¯t you at least make your stories sound more usible? At least know who your subject is and not make up a story that¡¯s so easily taken apart...¡±

    The woman interjected before Reid could finish. ¡°Reid, if you would like to graduate without incident and enroll in the Advanced Military Academy, then I would advise you to not hang up and listen to what I have to say.¡±

    The woman¡¯s voice on the other end made Reid shiver. Reid, who was usually brave, was somewhat intimidated by this statement. ¡°Who the hell are you?¡±

    ¡°I told you that I am Parma, a pharmacology professor from the Academy. I¡¯m actually surprised that Gu Ding didn¡¯t tell his best friend that he was a pharmacologist.¡± Parma¡¯s voice sounded a little more rxed.

    ¡°Parma... why does your name sound familiar...¡± Reid finally realized who he was talking to. ¡°You¡¯re the pharmacology professor? The professor that achieved rank B in pharmacology when she was twenty-two? The genius woman who is an Elder in the Skyriver Sector division of the Hermean Alliance?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right! So, are you now interested in telling me about what happened to Gu Ding?¡± The woman sounded arrogant when she heard the surprise in Reid¡¯s voice.

 Chapter 19

    <h4>Chapter 19: You¡¯re Late, Reid</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Reid did not dare to offend Parma. Not only was she a genius pharmacologist, but her mentor was also Modican, the only rank A gene pharmacologist in the entire Skyriver Sector.

    Modican was a well-connected person. He knew almost all the people in the upper echelons of Skyriver Sector. That was the privilege of a top pharmacologist: Not only they received a paycheck from the Federal Government, even the space pirates did not dare to offend them, and other major corporations fought to build connections with them.

    Parma was Modican¡¯s only disciple and was also a beautiful woman. She was less popr than Modican but was not too far behind him in poprity. The people she dealt with daily were high ranking officials in the Federal Government. If he offended her, he could kiss his future goodbye.

    After carefully answering a few questions from Parma, Reid told her about how Gu Ding was hauled up to the Federal Court. He was already dyed for more than twenty minutes by then.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go with you. I¡¯ve also heard of this Pearson guy before. He¡¯s reputation stinks, and he never forgets a grudge. I¡¯ve heard about the enmity between him and Cain, and it¡¯s just something petty. Now that Cain has escaped, I¡¯m afraid that Pearson would channel all his hatred onto Gu Ding. Gu Ding will be in big trouble. If the court couldn¡¯t reach a verdict today, I¡¯m afraid they would detain him in prison and torture him.¡± Parma was well-connected within the Federal Government and knew about all these ¡®open secrets¡¯. She was worried that Gu Ding would be mistreated.

    ¡°Then I had better move soon, and you should go there as fast as possible too. With you on his side, I don¡¯t think Pearson would do something out of the ordinary.¡± Reid became nervous too. As an elitewyer, he had also heard about the open secrets in the Federation¡¯s justice system, even though he had not seen it happen. He had never thought of this before because he had been confident that he would win any case thrown to him. Now that Parma mentioned it, he began to worry.

    He drove straight to the Federal Court. As an elitewyer, he had handled a few hundred court cases and was not a stranger to the Federal Court.

    He reached the court in twenty-five minutes. Looking at his watch, he realized that he was twenty minuteste.

    He pushed opened the door to the courtroom and coincidentally heard the judge summoning the first witness.

    Some people turned to look at Reid when they heard the sound of the door being opened. He nonchntly walked toward Gu Ding. ¡°Sorry, I¡¯mte. I was dyed by some matters.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re Reid?¡± Pearson¡¯s attorney looked ghastly when he saw Reid. It was obvious that he knew who Reid was.

    ¡°And you¡¯re Pearson¡¯s attorney?¡± Reid smiled. ¡°I can only wish you good luck.¡± He did not seem to know who the prosecution attorney was and did not pay too much attention to him.

    ¡°So, your defense attorney is Mr. Reid,¡± the presiding judge said while nodding his head toward him. They seemed like they knew each other very well.

    ¡°Who¡¯s this kid?¡± Pearson asked in a low voice.

    ¡°His name is Reid, the only elitewyer in all of Cerule, and also the super VIP member of the Skyriver Bar Council. He earned his elitewyer certification when he was fourteen. That was a record for the Skyriver Sector and one of the top ten in the entire Universal Federation. He had only fought five hundred over cases thus far, but he hasn¡¯t lost a single one.¡± The middle-agedwyer replied in a low voice.

    The judge struck the gavel again and both sides started questioning the witness.

    Gu Ding and Reid noticed that the first witness was not in a sound mental state, as if he did not sleep well thest night. His eyes were dull, and he seemed fearful of Pearson when he saw him.

    ¡°He must have been tortured thest night.¡± Neptune also noticed that there was something wrong with the witness.

    ¡°Wait!¡± Reid interrupted before the prosecution attorney could ask his first question.

    ¡°Do you have a problem, Reid?¡± The judge frowned.

    ¡°Your Honor. Would you agree if I say that witness statements taken under duress are unreliable?¡± Reid said as he stood from his seat.

    ¡°Federation Law expressly forbids torture, and therefore statements taken under duress to be admitted as evidence are considered inadmissible.¡± The judge nodded.

    ¡°Why would you think that our witness has been tortured?¡± The prosecution attorney objected.

    ¡°That¡¯s simple.¡± Reid turned to Gu Sing. ¡°Gu Ding, what can you observe from this man?¡±

    ¡°Both of his hands are trembling uncontrobly, and he did not dare to use much force when swearing the oath. He is obviously in a lot of pain. All his ten fingernails are much pinker than normal people, probably because these are newly grown with the aid of Cell Rejuvenators. It¡¯s easy to verify that. All you need to do is gently press his cuticles and his nails will break. However, the fingernails are not the worst injury he sustained.

    ¡°If it¡¯s a normal muscle or skin injury, it can fully heal by soaking in F-grade Cell Rejuvenator for three hours. Bone injuries won¡¯t heal that fast though, they would need to be soaked for three whole days. I believe all his fingers are fractured. If you soak the fingers for a whole day with an F-grade Cell Rejuvenator, you will only be able to recover the skin and muscles at most. The injuries will surface again if you apply any slight pressure. All the signs of injury can be easily detected by medical equipment. A professional doctor can even determine the time of injury by using said equipment.

    ¡°Also, he was only in the courtroom for less than two minutes. You can see from his face that he is in a lot of pain, but the cause of this pain isn¡¯t on his hands, but rather from his body. You can use Cell Rejuvenators to repair the skin and muscles but it¡¯s harder to repair internal organs. We can perform a full-body scan on him to verify if he has any internal injuries.¡±

    Reid raised a thumbs-up after Gu Ding finished speaking. ¡°Gu Ding took those words right out of my mouth. Allow me to borate.¡±

    ¡°I noticed something when the first witness was summoned. His eyes are dull and he was not in a good mental condition. While Gu Ding was speaking earlier, I had browsed through this witness¡¯s information. I will read it out for everyone.

    ¡°Bront, space pirate, 130 million bounty. Arrested for murder, arson, and **. Currently serving a 330-year sentence in Federal Prison.¡± Reid looked at Pearson after he finished speaking. ¡°A 130 million bounty. That¡¯s almost the highest amount in the Cerulean Prison, right, Mr. Chief Warden?¡±

    ¡°He was the highest before Cain. What about it?¡± Pearson answered nonchntly.

    ¡°That means his bounty was the highest before Cain arrived, and is still the highest after Cain escaped. Let me ask you then, who would want to provoke him in the prison? His mental condition is like this because he suffered a blow. There are generally two causes for this. The first is suffering physical damage more than one can endure, which results in a mental breakdown. The second reason is, of course, being dumped by one¡¯s girlfriend.¡±

    Reid paused for a moment, then continued, ¡°When he entered the courtroom earlier, he was visibly shaken when he saw our chief warden.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s just your conjecture. How about presenting some hard evidence?¡± Pearson was not impressed.

    ¡°You want evidence? Simple.¡± Reid nodded. ¡°Then I¡¯ll require your cooperation.¡±

    Pearson did not mind cooperating, he did not think that Reid could pull off any tricks.

    ¡°Mr. Chief Warden, please stand where I am.¡± Reid walked close to Bront in the witness stand. Bront looked at him, then lowered his head without any reaction.

    Pearson knew what Reid was trying to do. He tried to rx and disyed a calm smile on his face, then slowly walked toward Bront.

    Bront was visibly nervous when he saw Pearson. To him, his smiling face was ten thousand times worse than when he was serious. That was the smile he showed in the interrogation room. As Pearson walked closer, Bront¡¯s body began to tremble violently. ¡°Don¡¯t...e closer... don¡¯t... please... I¡¯ll tell you everything...¡±

    Reid spread his hands. ¡°I believe the witness¡¯s reaction is proof enough of what I have just said. I¡¯m guessing that the few witnesses from the prosecution are all behaving like this?¡±

    ¡°Bring in the other witnesses. Throw out any of them with unsound mental conditions!¡± The judge nodded then struck the gavel again.

 Chapter 20

    <h4>Chapter 20: I Didn¡¯t Like His Face, So I Punched Him</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    There were many security cameras in the Federal Court. The courtroom alone had eight hidden cameras. There were also multiple cameras in each holding room to monitor every movement made by the witnesses.

    Neptune easily gained control of thework and the security feed. He spent less than one second to discern the identities of the four remaining witnesses. He was sure that only one of them had seen Gu Ding before this. The other three should be false witnesses that Pearson found to make up the numbers.

    ¡°Gu Ding. There are three false witnesses in the holding room. You¡¯ve never met them before,¡± Neptune reminded him.

    Gu Ding covertly elbowed Reid and whispered into his ear.

    Reid told the judge, ¡°Your Honor, I have a small request to make before bringing the other witnesses to the stand.¡±

    The judge was a little surprised. He could not imagine what Reid might request. ¡°Say it.¡±

    ¡°To prevent any false witnesses, I would like to swap ces with Gu Ding. I¡¯ll pretend that I am the used. If the witnesses cannot tell that I am not Gu Ding, it¡¯s solid proof that they are false witnesses.¡±

    This was only a simple test to prevent any false witnesses. Of course, if they were all briefed beforehand about how Gu Ding looked like, then this method was useless. ¡°They can be called up into the court together, but they have to be separated in case theymunicate with each other.¡±

    ¡°Request granted.¡± The judge nodded.

    A whileter, all the four remaining witnesses were brought into the courtroom. All of them were wearing special electromaic helmets that isted their vision and hearing. Gu Ding, sitting in the attorney¡¯s seat, swept his eyes across the four people and only paused his gaze on one of them that looked slightlyrger than the others. His mental condition did not look to be in good shape. Among the four men, he only knew this one. He was the inmate who escaped along with Bront.

    The courtroom staff unlocked their helmets, then Gu Ding began his questioning. ¡°You just have to answer my question. Don¡¯t waste your time talking about other things.¡±

    Therger man was slightly surprised when he saw Gu Ding. The other three did not react in any way and must have mistaken Gu Ding for Reid.

    ¡°Question number one. Look at the alleged criminal. Is he the person that you saw at the scene of the crime?¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Three of them gave definite answers. Therger man was silent and only squeezed out a few wordster. ¡°It¡¯s not him.¡±

    ¡°It has to be him. I remember his face.¡± One of the other men immediately retorted.

    The other two people also agreed with him. ¡°Yes, I remember clearly that it¡¯s him.¡±

    ¡°There is no punishment for perjury, though it will be recorded in your lifetime case file. Didn¡¯t anyone tell you this before you were summoned? If you have a record of perjury, your statements will never again be admitted in all branches of the Federation Government. Not only does this include the Federal Prisons, but it also concerns the Court and the Army.¡± Reid sitting in the defendant¡¯s seat opened his mouth.

    The three men looked flustered when they heard this.

    ¡°Your Honor, I believe bearing false witness is strictly forbidden in the Federal Court? I¡¯ll leave it up to Your Honor to decide how to deal with these three,¡± Reid said.

    ¡°Record all of this down in their profiles. At the end of this hearing, the Federal court will contact their respective departments and rmend any disciplinary actions.¡± The presiding judge was unhappy. He had been a judge for more than twenty years and despised false witnesses. Undeniably, these three were presented as witnesses under Pearson¡¯s instructions.

    ¡°As for the remaining witness, his mental condition is also unsound. He should be treated the same as Bront. His statement is invalid,¡± the presiding judge continued, ¡°This means, Mr. Pearson, that you don¡¯t have any valid witnesses. I can only conclude the hearing at this point. Does the jury have a verdict?¡±

    In a few minutes, the jury verdict was unanimous: Not Guilty.

    The presiding judge received the verdict of the jury and announced his final verdict. Gu Ding was not guilty and was immediately acquitted.

    Pearson¡¯s face was ghastly when he heard the verdict. There was nothing that he could do but to re at Gu Ding.

    ¡°You don¡¯t look too good, Mr. Chief Warden.¡±

    Pearson was seething inside. He did not reply and turned around to leave.

    ¡°Mr. Chief Warden. A friend of mine sent me some videos. I think these will interest you very much.¡± Gu Ding¡¯s tone of voice was mocking. ¡°I¡¯ve dropped it in your public mailbox. You can view them at your pleasure.¡±

    Pearson looked at his intelligent ring and the image was projected onto his palm. Gu Ding sent him three messages. Pearson opened the first one with the volume muted.

    The video showed him torturing one of the inmates. He zoomed in on the inmate¡¯s face and saw that he was Bront. The video was genuine. He began to feel a little uneasy.

    He opened the other video. It was about him beating the other witness that was brought to court.

    He urgently opened the third video. This was not a scene of him interrogating the inmates. Rather, it was about him sitting in the courtroom earlier with his attorney whispering into his ear. He remembered this scene that happened less than twenty minutes ago. The attorney was telling him that he could detain Gu Ding into a Federal Prison, then torture a confession out of him. At the end of the video, he saw that malicious smile he shed.

    He closed the mailbox and turned around to look at Gu Ding. He knew that if he ignored Gu Ding¡¯s threat, he would lose his position as chief warden and might even be sent to prison. ¡°What do you want?!¡±

    ¡°Mr. Chief Warden, you should know that whatever transpired between you two is a crime, right?¡± The corners of Gu Ding¡¯s lips curled.

    Pearson red coldly at Gu Ding and did not say anything.

    ¡°Well, my friend says that he has about a thousand of such videos,¡± Gu Ding continued, ¡°I think that¡¯s enough to send you away for more than three hundred years. Imagine that, the chief warden being imprisoned in their own prison. I wonder how excited the other inmates would feel.¡±

    ¡°What do you want?¡± Pearson¡¯s heart skipped a beat. This was what he was most afraid of. His tone of voice was gentle. He had tortured many inmates in the Skyriver Prison Headquarters. He knew that if he became a prisoner, he would receive ten times the agony he had caused upon the inmates.

    ¡°That¡¯s easy.¡± Gu Ding knew from his tone of voice that he was willing to ept the conditions. ¡°Just stay away from me and my friends in the future.¡±

    Pearson exhaled a sigh of relief. He thought that Gu Ding would ckmail something from him. He nodded. ¡°That is possible. If you have anything else that you want to ask for, ask for them all at once. I hope to end this matter here.¡±

    ¡°The second condition is even simpler.¡± Gu Ding summoned his Combat Armor, clenched his right fist and threw a vicious punch onto Parson¡¯s face.

    Pearson did not set up his guard. Even though he was Gene Level 5, blood still gushed from his nose.

    People were lingering in the courtroom and they were shocked when they saw this scene happen. Parma, who had just arrived at the courtroom, also witnessed this. She covered her mouth to stop herself from screaming. The guards rushed in but were stopped by Pearson.

    Pearson¡¯s face was calm as usual, even after he was punched. ¡°This is a private matter between me and him. Stand down!¡±

    ¡°This punch is for Uncle Cain!¡± Gu Ding spoke fiercely.

    He threw another punch on Pearson¡¯s face again. ¡°This punch is for those you tortured!¡±

    Pearson still did not set up his guard. His body was sent flying andnded on a bench, breaking it. When he stood up again, his left cheek was already swollen. He spat out two front teeth then walked calmly toward Gu Ding.

    Gu Ding clenched his fist tightly and focused his power. When Pearson came close again, he threw another punch, this timending on the bridge of his nose. ¡°This punch is for messing with me!¡±

    Pearson¡¯s body was sent flying again...

    Everyone was shocked when they saw this unbelievable scene. Even Reid, who was a genius detective, could only watch with his jaw opened wide. He could not imagine what dirt Gu Ding had on Pearson that thetter would allow him to punch him publicly. One had to know that Pearson was someone very conscious of his public image. There was no public image to be salvaged in this scene. Even his dignity had been torn to shreds.

    Pearson¡¯s nose had already copsed, and blood was flowing freely from his nostrils. His mouth was also bloody, and his face was so swollen that no one could recognize him.

    He still calmly walked toward Gu Ding.

    ¡°Consider the grudge between you and me over.¡± After Gu Ding spoke this, Pearson let out a long sigh of relief.

    ¡°Remember my conditions.¡± Everyone was shocked once again when they heard Gu Ding say this.

    Even Parma, standing at the entrance, did not know how to react to this. She had intended to warn Pearson not to mess with Gu Ding using the name of the Hermean Alliance and the authority of her mentor. The scene that she witnessed as she entered the courtroom had left her speechless.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Gu Ding waved at Reid, then left the courtroom.

    On their way back, curiosity finally overcame Reid and he asked, ¡°So what happened just now?¡±

    ¡°Nothing. I didn¡¯t like his face, so I punched him!¡±

 Chapter 21

    <h4>Chapter 21: I Want to Drop Out!</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    In the early morning, the sky of Cerule was azure.

    ¡°Pearson returned to Skyriver Prison Headquartersst night. Even Old Henry¡¯s dinner was called off.¡± Neptune handed Gu Ding a piece of information about Pearson early in the morning.

    ¡°Any other news?¡± Gu Ding did not care about the news on Pearson. Based on what he had said, the two of them had already settled their grievances and no longer held any ill-will. If the other party chose to continue to keep an eye on him and his friends, then he would have no choice but to send the videos and information to the higher-ups of the Federation Government,pletely ruining his life.

    ¡°There is a message that you might be interested in. It arrived in the early hours of today morning and it has not yet been verified.¡± Neptune¡¯s tone carried a hint of expectation. ¡°The message said that the ruler of Faye Cosmic Nation secretly visited our Dragon Soar Cosmic Nation a few days ago. The rulers of the two nations had initially discussed being mutually open to each other. ¡±

    ¡°Are you sure that it was the Faye Cosmic Nation?¡± Gu Ding was somewhat unconvinced by this news. The Faye Cosmic Nation was different from the Dragon Soar Cosmic Nation as it was a prestigious five-star cosmic nation. The Dragon Soar Cosmic Nation in which Gu Ding was located was just a two-star cosmic nation, which paled inparison to the strength of the Faye Cosmic Nation. Generally speaking, the five-star cosmic nations rarely dealt with cosmic nations that were below four stars¡ªthey were the top hegemons in the universe. With the gods residing with them, they had the power and the right tomand any cosmic nations which were below five stars.

    Moreover, two-star cosmic nations like Dragon Soar usually depended on three-star cosmic nations to survive. Three-star cosmic nations likewise existed by attaching themselves to four-star cosmic nations. If the Faye Cosmic Nation really wanted to establish diplomatic rtions, it would be enough tomunicate with the four-star cosmic nation that oversaw the Dragon Soar Cosmic Nation. In order to establish a long-term cooperative rtionship, it was also normal for four-star cosmic nations to give up the rulership of multiple two-star cosmic nations.

    Thus, a five-star cosmic nation actively visiting the two-star universe country... such a thing had never been heard of.

    ¡°Is this news reliable?¡± Gu Ding asked next.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. The level ofmunication authority between cosmic nations is too advanced. I can¡¯t infiltrate it right now.¡±

    This was the first time Neptune had admitted to Gu Ding that he would not be able to do something.

    Gu Ding was surprised to hear this. Ever since he first met Neptune, he saw Neptune as omnipotent. Now, he finally realized that there were things in this world that even Neptune could not do.

    ¡°You should improve your skills as soon as possible. The higher your gene level, the more authority you can activate. I estimate that once you reach the level of a tenth-order genome, the Dragon Soar Cosmic Nation will no longer be able to hide secrets from me.¡± Neptune¡¯s words made Gu Ding speechless.

    The tenth-order genome was too far away for Gu Ding. Even a strong man like Uncle Cain with a reward of hundreds of millions was only a bearer of a sixth-order genome. Furthermore, the bearer of a sixth-order genome was able to get a position in the federal university in Dragon Soar Cosmic Nation.

    Thinking of this, Gu Ding felt a bit depressed. ¡°I don¡¯t know when I will be able to break through to the second-order genome. The cell index has reached 19 points, but the gic level has not yet broken. Fortunately, practicing extreme body skills every day can strengthen cells. Ordinary people would have broken through their gene level when they have more than 10 points cell indexes.¡±

    ¡°Your gic situation is a bit special...¡± Neptune was a little bit reticent.

    ¡°Do you know something?¡± Gu Ding caught Neptune¡¯s tone. It sounded like Neptune knew about the problems with his genes.

    ¡°Your gene is in a blocked state, with it being a double blockade. One of it is the gene lock you were born with, and the other is a seal lock that was added deliberately by someone else.¡± In reality, Neptune had noticed Gu Ding¡¯s anomaly right off the bat.

    ¡°Actually, the main reason why I epted you as my master was because of your gic condition.¡±

    ¡°Is the gene blockage a good thing?¡± Gu Ding frowned slightly. He did not care too much about the gene lock he was born with, what he cared about was the gene lock that he was inflicted with after birth. Growing up, he had only one loved one person, his dad. Thus, he was afraid that the seal lock was also added by his dad. ¡°Dad must have done this for a reason... It doesn¡¯t matter, I¡¯ll know the reason once I find him and ask him in person!¡±

    ¡°Innate gic locks are only for those who are born with extremely powerful genes. Usually, such people have the powerful existence of gods in their ancestry. Once the kin inherits the genes from the gods, certain traits will cause them to carry this gene lock when they are born. If you do not actively break this gene lock before adulthood, the hidden terrifying power will not only automatically break the gene lock, but will also cause the gene chain to break, or even copse. In this case, the inheritor will die within three days.

    ¡°The acquired gic seal was also an extremely powerful method during ancient times. Even if they were not a god, the caster may be infinitely closer to Godhood.¡± Neptune went on to exin, ¡°The gic seal is also usually cast by elders in order to sharpen the gically awakened younger generations. It trains them in a down-to-earth manner and prevents them from relying on their special abilities and abandoning their training. Such a seal is generally not very strong, as long as the younger generation have the strength to exceed the seal¡¯s strain capacity, it will eventually be unlocked.

    ¡°So, if myprehensive cell index exceeds 20 points and the gene lock is not lifted... If I still can¡¯t break through to the second-order genome, then will I never be able to awaken my power?¡± Gu Ding frowned slightly. If his gic level could not be broken through, then the time of one¡¯s awakening ability would be dyed. Only when humans were promoted to a new gic level would they have the chance to awaken their special abilities.

    ¡°If the gene lock is not released, you will not be able to ascend to the second-order genome.¡±

    After this, Neptune finally offered him a bit of reassurance. ¡°However, people who have a gic lock by nature will have a 100% chance of gaining new abilities once the gene is unlocked. Their ability will be otherworldly. ¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t think so much, finish your exercise early, and then go for breakfast.¡± Gu Ding climbed up from the ** (TL: originally in the text, I¡¯m not sure what the author¡¯s intentions were). He had to perform a morning run every day, even if, based on his current cell strength, this exercise had minimal effect. Still, it was a good habit which his old man had forced upon him.

    He walked out the door and trotted around. Neptune¡¯s voice suddenly called out, ¡°Gu Ding, the news from this morning is true!¡±

    ¡°Which news?¡± Gu Ding asked casually.

    ¡°The news about the visit of the Faye Cosmic Nation. The Dragon Soar ruler has just issued a statement that the Faye Cosmic Nation officially opened the interster route to the Dragon Soar Cosmic Nation.¡± Neptune¡¯s voice sounded a little excited.

    ¡°That is to say, in the future, Dragon Soar Pirates will not have to bypass three three-star universe nations and a four-star universe nation. They can directly enter the cosmic sea through the five-star route of the Faye Cosmic Nation.¡±

    After hearing this, Gu Ding¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°I want to buy a Kittyhawk Model now. Let¡¯s head out! ¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t seem to have graduated yet,¡± Neptune reminded him. He felt Gu Ding had forgotten something.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll go through the withdrawal processter.¡± However, Gu Ding gave a shocking response without batting an eyelid.

    ¡°In truth, the courses at the Military Academy are basically over. I got enough credits to graduate six months ago and I have no ns to go to the Advanced Military Academy. It doesn¡¯t matter if I don¡¯t have the graduation certificate. If the new route hadn¡¯t been opened, it would okay to set off a few monthster as many people would have already used the previous route. But now that a new route is open, I want to start as soon as possible to explore it before anyone else. We can¡¯t let ourselvesg behind!¡±

 Chapter 22

    <h4>Chapter 22: Eve of Departure</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    ¡°Every man hopes to conquer the starry sky someday.¡±

    Gu Ding could not recall where he had heard this saying before, nor where he had seen it. Yet, he remembered it clearly. He did not know what the other person¡¯s dreams were, but he knew that his dream was perfectly described by this sentence.

    In this era of inteary navigation, and since the dawn of civilization in ancient times that began eons ago, man had feared that this goal was trillions of years away. Even the Dragon Cosmos had not been born when people first began to dream of this.

    However, until now, no one had traveled the entire cosmic sea. In fact, the vast majority of people had never in their entire life even left their sector, let alone step out of their cosmic state.

    Gu Ding grew up on the Cerule, and the farthest ce he had ever been to was Mars. That was when the Military College was conduction some survival simtion training.

    Everyone had been shocked when they learned that Gu Ding had spent three million star credits to buy a Kittyhawk Model. One reason for this was that no one knew Gu Ding had thatrge of a deposit; but, the more important reason was that the only time Gu Ding had left Cerule was back when he was on the airship of the Military Academy. He never traveled alone.

    To make matters worse, the Kittyhawk Model was not a regr interster spacecraft. Its prototype was a militaristic, short-rangebat spacecraft with an internal area of ??about 8 square meters, and it could only carry out short-range voyages into small starfields. This model was also the cheapest interster vehicle around, so Gu Ding did not really have any other option. Of course, the manufacturers were also generous. There was no way to improve its performance, so they instead focused on its appearance, making the model very beautiful. In Gu DIng¡¯s words, it was dashing!

    After purchasing the Kittyhawk Model and some other necessities, Gu Ding took the time to submit the application for his withdrawal. Gu Ding also did not bother hiding the reason why he was dropping out. He wrote, ¡°I decided to chase my dream and be an Interster Pirate.¡±

    When Gu Ding submitted the application, Dean Grant was idling about. When he saw a withdrawal application suddenly pop up on the screen, his expression calmly changed. Although this was a basic military academy, if one could enter an advanced military academy after graduation, they would be greeted with limitless prospects. Even so, he had seen many students drop out for various reasons over the years. In addition to this, students who submit withdrawal applications on their own ord were generally rtively good students and might have other ns for their lives.

    The deepest impression Grant had was of a student from more than 20 years ago. After submitting an application for his withdrawal, he turned to the sea to do business. More than two decades had passed since then, and the young boy had gone on to be one of the ten richest people in Skyriver Sector. Grant also clearly remembered what the youth had listed as his reason for dropping out, ¡°After more than two years of study, I havee to realize that I am not suitable to be a federal soldier. I have also found that I possess a certain talent for business, so I want to drop out of school to do business.¡±

    Grant responded with a long letter, with the contents of the letter never mentioning the inappropriateness of dropping out of school. Rather, it offered plenty of encouragement. Only at the very end did he leave a short note, saying:

    ¡°If you are sure that something is what you really want, go after it. Whether or not the results are what you expect, you will still gain something. The gates of the Cerule Basic Military Academy are always open to you!¡±

    Now, looking at Gu Ding¡¯s reason for dropping out, Grant shook his head helplessly. As early as back when Gu Ding had given his address during the school opening ceremony of his first year, Grant already got the vague feeling that the child would drop out of school. In the blink of an eye, three years had passed, and Grant was grateful for his hunch to be proved wrong. Gu Ding¡¯s studies had ended, and it was now only a few months before he would get his graduation certificate. However, the boy had unexpectedly chosen to act up.

    Gu Ding¡¯s withdrawal was a matter that Grant was very reluctant to face. Although this child was only a first-order genome, he had a high chance of being admitted into the Advanced Military Academy. After entering the Advanced Military Academy, many of his special physical constitutions would be slowly developed. Grant was a good judge of people. He had always felt that Gu Ding was the type who would only get brighter the more they were polished. Sooner orter, this kind of person would shine bright enough that it would sting to look at.

    Grant had also heard a little about the incident with the federalw. Originally, he was dubious about it, but when he saw Gu Ding¡¯s withdrawal application, he instantly believed that the beating of the warden had really transpired. Now, he realized that this child never considered the possible consequences of his actions, and would only consider the oue he desired.

    Looking at the withdrawal application, Grant pondered for a long time. The contents of his reply were written and deleted, and then re-written and deleted. In the end, he sighed and re-entered the same words from more than 20 years ago:

    ¡°If you are sure that something is what you really want, go after it. Whether or not the results are what you expected, you will gain something. The gates of the Cerule Basic Military Academy are always open to you!¡±

    After receiving the response from the Dean, Gu Ding was a little taken aback. He thought that Grant would preach to him and strongly urge him to stay. This reaction from the other party, although unexpected, was what he wanted.

    Gu Ding then sent the news that he had dropped out to Reid and Parma.

    Although he was not very familiar with Parma, the other party had appeared in federalw incident to support him, which was enough for Gu Ding to consider her a friend. Although she had appeared a littleter, the intention was enough.

    ¡°Hey, are you kidding me? You really have the heart to leave me here alone?¡± Reid gave Gu Ding a call the moment she got the message.

    ¡°Stop talking nonsense. I already invited you to be part of my pirate regiment yesterday. You refused it yourself,¡± Gu Ding countered. ¡°And before that, I asked you countless times if you wanted to join me to travel the cosmic sea, but you refused every time.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s expected. My dream is to be the Imperial Generalissimo of the Universal Federal Government!¡± Reid¡¯s dream was the exact opposite of Gu Ding¡¯s. ¡°Whatever you do in the future, I will make sure that I personally put you into federal prison.

    ¡°If you think you have the ability, just try!¡± Gu Dingughed.

    ...

    The two talked for a while before they hung up. Not long after hanging up, themunicator rang again; it was Pama who was calling.

    ¡°Was the line busy because of Reid just now?¡± Parma guessed correctly.

    ¡°Yeah, I chatted with him for a while.¡± Gu Ding nodded.

    ¡°Are you really going to leave without your diploma?¡± Parma still felt that Gu Ding¡¯s decision was a bit hasty.

    ¡°The new interster route is open. I don¡¯t want to wait anymore,¡± Gu Ding gave two brief reasons. These two reasons seemed convincing enough that Parma decided not to continue arguing.

    ¡°About the thing that I brought up yesterday, what are your thoughts on it?¡± Parma changed the topic. Aftering out of the federal court, she brought up the possibility of letting Gu Ding join the Hermean Alliance.

    ¡°Why do I have to join the Hermean Alliance?¡± Gu Ding was a person who did not like to be bound, which was he yearned for the free life of Interster Pirates.

    ¡°I transferred the video of your refining the other day to my teacher. He spoke highly of you, iming that you are a genius pharmacist that would be hard toe by even in tens of thousands of years. If you don¡¯t join the Hermean Alliance, your talent would slowly be wasted. Neither me nor my teacher want to see this happen. As I said yesterday, the Hermean Alliance is a non-binding organization, with our main purpose being the exchange of experiences and mutual promotion. In the Hermean Alliance, not only are there people of the federal government, but also many of the well-known Interster Pirates...¡± Parma did not want Gu Ding to waste his talent.

    ¡°You said yesterday that after joining the Hermean Alliance, there would be a discount on the purchase of pharmaceutical materials. You¡¯re not trying to fool me, right?¡± Gu Ding asked suddenly.

    ¡°Of course, it¡¯s true. The higher the level of the pharmacist, the more discounts you get. As for the assessment of the pharmacist¡¯s level, you can take part in the virtual assessment over thework and then get the corresponding level through this assessment. It¡¯s really convenient,¡± Parma quickly added.

    ¡°Well then, I¡¯ll join.¡± Gu Ding finally agreed.

    ¡°I will send you a link. You only need to scan your fingerprint and iris on the login page to automatically confirm your identity,¡± Parma said whilst sending a link.

    Gu Dingpleted the procedure ording to the prompts and soon became a member of the Hermean Alliance.

    After confirming that Gu Ding had really joined, Parma was relieved and asked about Gu Ding¡¯s schedule.

    ¡°When are you leaving?¡±

    ¡°First thing tomorrow when the interster port opens.¡±

    ¡°So fast?!¡± Parma did not expect Gu Ding to move so quickly.

    ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for the preparatory work of buying a spaceship and so on, I would have left today.¡± Gu Ding did not wish to dy any further.

    ¡°I originally wanted to host a farewell party or something, but if this is the case then it¡¯ll be toote,¡± Parmaughed.

    ¡°I understand everyone¡¯s intentions, but the formality is not important.¡±

    Gu Ding¡¯s lips curled of cheekily, ¡°If you have the time,e to Rose Tavern to take care of the business for a bit. Auntie Roastbeef will certainly be very happy.¡±

    ¡°I will go when I have time, I wish you all the best in the future.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, and I wish you luck in bing a great pharmacist as soon as possible.¡±

    After saying this, the two hung up.

    ¡°Neptune, have you found the route? Where is the first destination we should head to?¡± Gu Ding asked Neptune as they walked toward the Rose Tavern. This would be hisst working day at the tavern.

    ¡°For the first destination, I chose Fengyuan!¡± Neptune¡¯s reply came quickly.

 Chapter 23

    <h4>Chapter 23: Medicine King Valley</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Fengyuan was a on the edge of the Skyriver Sector, near the Dark District. As the Dark District was a virus-infected area, many experts who do research on genes would stay on Fengyuan to collect various virus genes, conduct experiments, and develop new drugs.

    The reason why Neptune made this route choice was firstly that this was on the new interster route; secondly, there might also be a way for Gu Ding to improve his gic level here.

    With the speed of the Kittyhawk Model, it would take one week to sail from Cerule to Fengyuan.

    After saying goodbye to his group of friends on Cerule, Gu Ding got into the Kittyhawk Model. Neptune booted up the system of the spacecraft, and after setting the destination, he set the spacecraft to enter automatic navigation mode. Thus, a brand new Kittyhawk Model soon departed from Cerule.

    The inside of the Kittyhawk Model had an area of ??less than 8 square meters and had no built-in gravity control device. In a spacecraft without a gravity control device, the passengers would be put into a deep sleep in the sleepingpartment for most of the voyage. That is to say, under normal circumstances, Gu Ding would spend most of this week asleep. However, he was a man who could not stay idle, so he decided to put these seven days onto the virtualwork.

    As of now, Gu Ding had be a member of the Hermean Alliance and could enter the Hermean Alliance¡¯s specialwork¡ªMedicine King Valley.

    He fixed himself in the seat of the cockpit and let Neptune connect to the Medicine King Valley.¡¯swork.

    Only after entering the Medicine King Valley did Gu Ding discover that the name was really misleading. In reality, the ce was not a deep forest valley isted from the world, but a modern metropolis. It was even more prosperous than Cerule¡¯s capital city. There were a variety of high-rise buildings, the modes of transportation were varied, and there were a lot of pedestrians on the street.

    ¡°Don¡¯t they say that there aren¡¯t a lot of pharmacologists around?¡± Gu Ding was stunned. Looking at the number of vehicles and people around, although the ce was not as dense as the capital city, which teemed with a poption of tens of millions, this virtual city could have well over a million people.

    ¡°In Medicine King Valley, the number of real pharmacologists is less than one-tenth of the poption. Everyone else are just temporary residents.¡±

    Just a second or twoter, Neptune collected a lot of information about Medicine King Valley through various channels.

    ¡°The vast majority of these temporary residents are ordinary people whoe to buy medications in the city. Of course, there are also some bulk buyers, material suppliers, etc. Only real pharmacologists can obtain permanent residency and have eligibility to enter restricted areas. The higher the level of the pharmacologist, the higher the authority obtained.¡±

    ¡°It sounds like an online game.¡± Gu Ding grinned.

    At that moment, an advanced hovercar stopped in front of Gu Ding as the driver of the car waved at Gu Ding.

    ¡°Young Mr. pharmacologist, where would you like to go?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not too sure yet...¡± Gu Ding scratched his head, a little embarrassed. ¡°And I don¡¯t have the currency here, you don¡¯t need to worry about me.¡±

    ¡°This really is your first time in Medicine King Valley, huh? Pharmacologists can use transportation for free here,¡± the driverughed. ¡°Come on in, I¡¯ll show you around. It¡¯s also our job to be tour guides.¡±

    ¡°He isn¡¯t lying. Free transportation is indeed one of the pharmacologists¡¯ privileges. If you were a temporary resident, you¡¯d have to pay. You should follow him around first,¡± Neptune suggested.

    Sitting in the passenger seat, Gu Ding nced at the namete on the other party¡¯s chest. The namete said ¡®Kyle¡¯, so he could not help but ask, ¡°Uncle Kyle, how could you tell that I was a pharmacologist¡±

    ¡°Everyone in Medicine King Valley has an examining ability. All I needed to do was check the status of the other party to know their identity,¡± Kyleughed. ¡°Medicine King Valley is actually simr to an online game. There are many abilities that should be explored slowly. Let me exin it to you.¡±

    As Kyle drove, he exined the various abilities in Medicine King Valley. When they passed by certain special buildings, Kyle would slow down and list out the purpose of these buildings to Gu Ding.

    ¡°That tall building with the steeple in front is for stock exchange. Pharmacologists can get virtual materials corresponding to their grade to practice for free.¡±

    ¡°That is to say, an F-grade pharmacologist can only get F-grade pharmaceutical materials for free?¡± Gu Ding raised his brow in curiosity.

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Kyle nodded.

    ¡°Is there anywhere here that I can advance my pharmacologist rank? I¡¯ve heard before that obtaining a rank promotion here is the same as obtaining a rank promotion in reality.¡± Gu Ding had previously heard Parma say this.

    ¡°There is. Rank promotion is conducted over at Hermean College. I will bring you there and show it to youter.

    ¡°Medicine King Valley itself is a system responsible for managing the rank of pharmacologists. Promotion under these virtual circumstances is the same as getting a promotion at a branch of the Hermean Alliance. Although the pharmaceutical materials and medicines are virtual here, the system also adds in all sorts of possible variables that can then simte the response of a medicine refinement with 100% certainty. If you can refine an A-grade medicine here, it means that you can also make A-grade medicine in the real world,¡± Kyle exined enthusiastically.

    ¡°One hundred percent simtion...¡± Gu Ding was awestruck. After all, thebination of various pharmaceutical materials could cause an infinite number of reactions, let alone the varied effects of the medicinal properties.

    ¡°This Medicine King Valley System is actually a special intelligence derived from Sk. Its simtion is not only based on stored data, but also includes various predictions and inferential calctions. There are urate records for all kinds of data for each pharmaceutical material, so the results of the calctions won¡¯t have many errors. In fact, the calction is not difficult, but the poption here is rtivelyrge, which causes the workload to be quite heavy, ¡± Neptune exined via the interface.

    ¡°Let¡¯s finish our visit here and then I¡¯ll take you to Medicine King College.¡±

    Kyle drove on. When passing by a crowded ce, Kyle slowed down again.

    ¡°Uncle Kyle, why are there so many people there?¡± Gu Ding could not help but ask upon seeing the crowd.

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s a fighting arena there. Many young pharmacologists would meet and fight there, so people sometimes gather to watch,¡± Kyle exined with a smile.

    ¡°Fighting arena?¡± Gu Ding did not quite understand what this meant. ¡°Could it be that the pharmacologists here are like the people in the virtual arena, and they challenge each other¡¯s martial arts?

    ¡°Of course they¡¯re not challenging each other¡¯s martial arts. They¡¯repeting in the refining of medicines. The quality and speed of refining medicines are the key to winning or losing each match. Of course, I don¡¯t really understand it. I¡¯m just a so-called amateur enjoying the scene,¡± Kyleughed.

    ¡°Uncle Kyle, I¡¯ll get off here then,¡± Gu Ding grinned, feeling as if he had found a good ce to stop. ¡°Thank you.¡±

    ¡°Well, young man, I wish you a good time here,¡± Kyle smiled and nodded. He knew young people hadpetitive natures.

 Chapter 24

    <h4>Chapter 24: Sa Ze, the Genius</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    The pharmacologist assessment was rtively flexible. There were usually two ways to go about it. One was to perform an on-site assessment at the branch set by the Hermean Alliance. The other was to perform a virtual assessment in Medicine King Valley.

    However, Gu Ding did not participate in either. Nevertheless, he became an F-level pharmacologist. In truth, it was Parma who sent his video to the Hermean Alliance, after which it was directly evaluated by the top management of the Hermean Alliance. It was not actually difficult to be an F-level pharmacologist, as all you needed to do was refine qualified F-grade medicines normally. ¡®Normal¡¯ here meant that they did not ept those who had been producing it by luck.

    Although F-grade medicine were the most basic medicines, there were not many F-level pharmacologists who could produce extreme-quality F-grade medicines. Those who could produce it at a perfect quality was practically unheard of. Although F-grade medicines were simple, even the B-level pharmacologist, Parma, dared not say that she could produce perfect quality F-grade medicines. This was why after seeing Gu Ding, she persevered in trying to recruit him into the Hermean Alliance. After seeing the video of Gu Ding refining medicine, Parma¡¯s teacher, Modican,mented that Gu Ding was ¡°an ungodly talent that would be hard toe by even over tens of thousands of years.¡± This was an extremely high praise.

    There were no shortages of genius pharmacologists in the Hermean Alliance. People like Parma, who had passed the B-level pharmacologist examination at the age of 22, were obviously amongst the geniuses. However, she felt that her talents paled inparison to Gu Ding¡¯s. She was very aware that Gu Ding only needed to understand the medicinal properties well enough to go about his task. With enough time to practice, he could easily surpass her.

    At this moment, standing on the arena tform, Sa Ze, who was surrounded by a group of people, was also a genius. He was only sixteen years old this year, and, like Gu Ding, was only a F-level pharmacologist. However, he had been able to produce ultimate quality F-grade medicines. Although the chances of sessful refinement were only about 20%, it showed that his refining of F-grade medicines had reached an extremely profound level.

    As soon as he came on, the other F-level pharmacologists at the arena looked a little downcast. This was because Sa Ze¡¯s refining speed was too fast, as the refining of each tube of medicine took less than ten minutes. On top of this, all the medicines refined were of high quality or above. He even refined ultimate quality medicines.

    His presence also attracted Gu Ding¡¯s attention. The medicine he refined was an F-grade gene enhancer, which was a genuine gene medicine. Gene medicines were usually the most difficult to make amongst all types of medicines of the same level. This was because it involved the separation and extraction of gene chains, which had to be conducted at a microscopic level.

    The reason why Gu Ding was interested was because it was very difficult to refine gic medicine. He liked these kinds of challenges that he had never tried before. On top of that, he had never operated a microscopic instrument and was curious about how to use it. From his perspective, the other party¡¯s refining level was indeed very high. Looking at his steady posture, it was difficult to imagine that the other party was the same age as himself, as the former gave off quite a masterful vibe.

    ¡°Master Men Ze¡¯s disciple is indeed remarkable.¡± There were many ongoing discussions amongst the onlookers.

    Gu Ding naturally heard of the character before¡ªMaster Men Ze. He was also an A-level gic pharmacologist like Modican. Although he was not from Skyriver Sector, his reputation held its own.

    When he was young, he was not considered a genius pharmacologist. However, he liked the challenge of refining medicine in the Medicine King Valley of other star sectors. He did not always win in the beginning; it could even be said that he lost more often than not as there were many geniuses in each star sector. However, he would improve after each failure. After countless matches, he became almost invincible. His name was also widely circted in many other star sectors. His achievements today had a lot to do with the benefits and lessons that came from the various challenges back then.

    This disciple was spected to have been taught by him, and told to go to the Medicine King Valley in different star sectors for training and challenges. However, the difference was that his disciple was born a genius pharmacologist. He had challenged the Medicine King Valley of more than twenty star sectors, and yet, he had never failed in any of them.

    Feeling Gu Ding¡¯s heartbeat racing, Neptune knew that the young man, Sa Ze, had already roused Gu Ding¡¯s fighting spirit. ¡°Your adrenaline levels are spiking, heartbeat elerating, and your body is in a state of euphoria. Do you want to challenge him?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, help me prepare a list of F-grade gene enhancer materials.¡±

    Gu Ding had so far only refined one kind of medicine, which was the cell enhancer. However, the cell enhancer was only a basic medicine. The gene enhancer, on the other hand, was a genuine gene medicine. The difficulty of refining was based on many interconnected factors. Although Gu Ding knew this, he wanted to know just how much he could really aplish. He always felt that challenging things could motivate him into doing a good job. Thus, the pressure from Sa Ze might be able to improve his refinement skills.

    After a while, Neptune loaded all kinds of relevant information regarding the F-grade gene enhancer into Gu Ding¡¯s brain. Gu Ding read the information in the memory one by one. He did not dare to miss anything.

    Byparing the refining method in memory with the Sa Ze¡¯s refining method, Gu Ding quickly found the key to the refinement. Sa Ze¡¯s prescription was wed. This was the main reason why he could not produce perfect-grade medicine. Another reason was that he had an error in the treatment of the distition temperature, as well as his ratio of two pharmaceutical materials.

    Of course, the error of the distition temperature and medicinal ratio might be caused by a defect in the prescription. As such, Gu Ding was very impressed that he could still produce an ultimate quality medicine with the wed prescription.

    On top of that, Sa Ze also calmly dealt with the refinement without paying much attention to the audience. His psyche was also remarkable.

    On the Skyriver Sector side, more than a dozen pharmacologists lined up to challenge him, but all of them were defeated. Everyone in the crowd started discussing it.

    ¡°Why aren¡¯t there any high-grade pharmacologists going up?¡± A young man was a little ufortable, he could not bear watch any longer. After all, he was a member of the Skyriver Sector. He felt ufortable as he watched the pharmacologists from his star sector losing like children before this person.

    ¡°How can they? This is a test for F-level pharmacologists. The other star sectors would say that our Skyriver Sector is not magnanimous for letting a high-level pharmacologist participate.¡± An old man simply shook his head.

    ¡°Actually, that¡¯s not exactly the case,¡± a middle-aged pharmacologist with a dignified expression on his face spoke up. He was a C-level pharmacologist. ¡°Although Sa Ze is only a F-level gic pharmacologist, he has refined this gene enhancer called the White Rhinoceros Enhancer, which is the most difficult thing to refine among all F-grade gene enhancers. Even ordinary B-level pharmacologists are afraid to say that they can produce it with ultimate quality. This is because the prescription itself has a certain defect. Sa Ze chose this prescription not only to challenge us, but also to challenge himself. He wants to use challenges to improve his refining rate of ultimate quality medicine.¡±

    At this point, Gu Ding had finally digested all the data in his brain.

    Therefore, he grinned and walked toward the stage.

 Chapter 25

    <h4>Chapter 25: The Perfect Quality Gene Medicine</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    ¡°White Rhinoceros¡¯ blood, White Rhinoceros¡¯ horn, Crimson Cloud Grass, Snowdrop Bush...¡±

    After getting on the stage, Gu Ding prepared all the materials he needed.

    Everyone looked at the raw refining materials he had chosen. The on-site pharmacologists all felt a little confused. The materials needed for refining the White Rhinoceros Enhancer were basically known to every pharmacologist, and there was no White Rhinoceros¡¯ horn or Snowdrop Bush included in the list. After all of Gu Ding¡¯s medicinal materials had beenid out, everyone also realized that he was missing Cold Fragrance Flowers amongst his medicinal materials.

    Cold Fragrance Flowers and Snowdrop Bushes belonged to the same group of medicinal materials as both were used as catalysts. However, the Snowdrop Bush¡¯s catalytic strength was ten times stronger than that of Cold Fragrance Flower. Generally, the harder the medicine was to refine, the less the likelihood of using Snowdrop Bush. Due the higher the catalytic strength, the refining process of the medicine would be harder to control.

    Afterparing the two medicinal materials, Gu Ding easily determined that the White Rhinoceros¡¯ horn in his prescription existed as a medicinal blending agent.

    Sa Ze did not underestimate his opponent, even though the other party seemed to be younger than himself. Upon seeing the raw refining materials the other party had selected, he did not show contempt. Instead, he stared at the two raw materials that his opponent had added, as though he were thinking about something.

    The extraction of gene medicine was much more troublesome than the extraction process of other medicines because it involved the process of separation and extraction of the gene chains. Moreover, this process needed to be conducted via a microscopic instrument.

    Gu Ding, who was standing next to the microscopic instrument, took a moment to get used to it. When they saw Gu Ding¡¯s jerky movements when debugging the instrument, many pharmacologists on the scene felt likeughing. From first nce, they knew that Gu Ding had never been exposed to microscopic instruments before. Their guess was spot on. It was indeed true that this was Gu Ding¡¯s first time seeing a real microscopic instrument. As a formerbat student at the Federal Basic Military Academy, he had only been exposed to knowledge onbat ever since he first enlisted in the academy. He had only entered the dispensary once to refine medicine, and even then, he had never touched most of the equipment.

    After a few minutes of debugging, Gu Ding dropped a drop of White Rhinoceros¡¯s blood onto the microscope slide. About five minutester, he found the gene chain that needed to be separated.

    His efficiency made many pharmacologists frown. They probably guessed that it was Gu Ding¡¯s first time refining the White Rhinoceros Enhancer, otherwise it would not have taken him so much time. Anyone who had refined a White Rhinoceros Enhancer before could easily find the location of the gene chain that was to be separated within 30 seconds.

    Although Gu Ding¡¯s refining speed was very slow, Sa Ze did not underestimate him. He also quickly realized that it should be Gu Ding¡¯s first time refining the White Rhinoceros Enhancer. As he looked on at Gu Ding, who was not panicking while operating at a slow but steady pace, he instinctively felt that there was a good chance that Gu Ding would seed in his refinement. He was also looking forward to seeing the quality of the medicine Gu Ding would refine.

    After finding the corresponding gene chain, Gu Ding began the istion process. He dyed the gene chain with the gene dye, then dripped the gene istion solution onto it. After it came into contact with the gene separation solution, the linked genes separated.

    Since the gene chain had been dyed, Gu Ding could easily find the gene chain that he had previously marked with colour. Thus, the subsequent extraction work was rtively simple. The gene chain was picked and then ced on another slide. Then, it was washed with a cleaning solution. After that, the residue of the separation solution waspletely removed.

    Gu Ding was finally done with the first part. He handled the whole process very carefully, taking him 15 minutes in total. By now, a normal skilled gic pharmacologist could have fully refined the White Rhinoceros Enhancer.

    However, a lot of the pharmacologist had a changed their opinions of Gu Ding as the separation had been sessful, despite the fact that he was someone who was using a microscopic instrument for the first time. Due to the operation under a microscopic instrument being ten times more difficult than an ordinary operation, most people would be unsessful during their first attempt of using one. In addition to this, even pharmacologists with better prowess usually took three or four attempts to seed. Therefore, although Gu Ding¡¯s speed wascking, the sessful refinement was undisputable. By seeding in his first ever operation of the microscopic instrument, he could well be referred to as a genius.

    Finally, Gu Ding, who had justpleted the first phase of the operation, was relieved. He was genuinely not very familiar with regards to the usage of the microscopic instrument, and he had moved slowly because he was afraid of making mistakes. However, the most difficult stage had beenpleted, and he now began the subsequent refining process.

    After all the other raw materials were extracted, he took out 11 distition bottles, poured the eleven kinds of materials into their respective distition bottles, and started the ignition distition.

    Everyone waspletely shocked when they saw the scene¡ªeven Sa Ze widened his eyes when he saw what was happening. He himself could only control the simultaneous operation of up to four distition sks at most, mainly because the distition rate of many medicines was simr. If it was distilled at the same time, it might be difficult to simultaneously take care of all the distition sks.

    However, after a minute or two, Gu Ding removed all eleven of the distition sks that had been distilled. His movements were incredibly skilful, as if he was moving in one fluid motion. The uracy of his judgments was also frighteningly good, causing Sa Ze to leave his mouth agape. He was totally stunned as this was his first time seeing a F-level pharmacologist who possessed better control than himself. To make matters worse, this person was still a teenager who was even younger than himself.

    Gu Ding soon entered the next stage of operation,parison.

    Because Gu Ding¡¯s raw medicinal materials was different from thosemonly known to be used for White Rhinoceros Enhancer, everyone wanted to know what his raw material ratio would be. The difference in raw materials had caused the proportion of raw materials as well as the order in which they were to be added to be a total mystery.

    Everyone who had initially scoffed at Gu Ding began looking forward to the results after watching his astonishing performance during the distition process. Their hearts were filled with anticipation as they became desperate to know the quality of the medicine Gu Ding would refine.

    Despite this, at this time, Gu Ding was not thinking about anyone else. He hadpletely entered the state of self-oblivion, and the only thoughts in his head were of the medicinal materials before him.

    The order of his ratio was soon revealed. The first thing to add was the powdered crystals of the White Rhinoceros¡¯ horn. The subsequent order and ratio of various other pharmaceuticals materials were mostly the same as normal pharmacologists.

    However, there was a step that caught everyone off guard. Before adding the white rhinoceros gene chain, Gu Ding put in the Snowdrop Bush as a catalyst.

    Based onmon sense, the catalyst was to be put in after all other raw materials were mixed and have reached a certain level of fusion stability. Putting the catalyst first would cause the fusion stability of the medicinal materials that were addedter to be insufficient. With this, the chances of sessful refining would be significantly reduced.

    What was even more unexpected was that Gu Ding then took the fusion sk and used the fusion method to directly elerate the fusion of the medicine.

    ¡°Did he forget that the White Rhinoceros gene chain had not yet been added?¡± An E-level pharmacologist asked a D-level pharmacologist with a little uncertainty.

    ¡°That shouldn¡¯t be the case...¡± The D-level pharmacologist also seemed a little uncertain.

    Sa Ze stared at the changes in the fusion sk Gu Ding was holding. He did not know whether Gu Ding had forgotten to put the gene chain, but still, he got the feeling that Gu Ding was doing this intentionally.

    Unexpectedly, after thirty seconds, the colour of the medicine in the fusion sh begun to change. The event dazzled everyone. The medicinal chain that was the main material had not even been put in, yet, the medicine had been sessfully refined?!

    After this, Gu Ding quickly put the gene chain into the fusion sk.

    The colour in the fusion sk changed again, from the original pale yellow to a milky white...

    ¡°It¡¯s perfect quality!¡± Sa Ze was shocked. The many pharmacologists watching were equally stupefied...

 Chapter 26

    <h4>Chapter 26: I Want to Compete with You Again</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    The White Rhinoceros gene fortifier had never been refined to a perfect quality before due to the defects in the prescription. Yet, in front of him, a teenager who seemed to only be about fifteen years old had done it. It made all the pharmacists present at the time want to pinch themselves.

    Amongst the crowd, there was also some busybodies who had recorded the whole process of Gu Ding conducting the refinement and then secretly uploaded it to Medicine King Valley¡¯s unencryptedwork to be shared.

    Although Neptune saw the video when it was first shared, he did not block it. He felt that it was not necessary to tell Gu Ding about such a thing. From his perspective, the pursuit of fame and fortune was all for one¡¯s vanity, and only real strength was eternal. As long as one became strong to a godlike caliber, one could essentially single-handedly decide the rise and fall of a cosmic nation. The reason why he did not stop it was because Gu Dingcked a lot of resources at this stage. If there was a strong power for him to rely on, the initial development stage would go smoother.

    Thus, Gu Ding did not know about the spread of the Neptune¡¯s ideas and videos.

    Gu Ding took more than 20 minutes refining the medicine this time, mainly because it was his first time using the microscopic instrument and thus, needed to spend some time adapting. Moreover, since it was his first time refining a gene medicine, he did not dare ck even a second throughout the entire process, preferring to slow down and ensure that he sessfully refine the medicine rather than race through the whole thing due to hispetitiveness.

    Refining a perfect quality White Rhinoceros Enhancer on his first try was an unexpected surprise for Gu Ding. His original n was to just put in effort every time to produce quality products. During the refining process, he had been afraid that he wouldmit some mistakes that would cause the medicine to be defective.

    Seeing the color of the medicine in Gu Ding¡¯s hand, Sa Ze felt a little emotional. The other person could refine the perfect White Rhinoceros fortifier, indicating that they had the correct prescription. If one had the correct prescription, they might have a chance to refine the perfect White Rhinoceros Enhancer too.

    However, what concerned Sa Ze most was that the other person seemed to be younger than himself. In terms of his performance just now, it seemed that the other person had never even touched a microscopic instrument before this, and that it was their first time refining the White Rhinoceros Enhancer. Refining a perfect quality medicine on their first try?! Sa Ze doubted the other party¡¯s luck. However, he had seen with his own eyes the entirety of the other person¡¯s refining process. Although slow, he could hardly pick out a w throughout the refining process. He got the feeling that it was no coincidence that the other party had refined a perfect quality White Rhinoceros Enhancer.

    After refining the medicine, Gu Ding stood unmoving, his mind carefully reying the process him refining over and over again. He realized that he had made no mistakes anywhere along the line, save for the fact that he had been a bit slow at the start. The next time he refined it, he was confident he should be able to limit the whole process to bepleted within twelve minutes. However, he should strive to be like Sa Ze, as the refining should bepleted in less than ten minutes. Therefore, he was afraid that he would need to practice more than ten times before he could achieve such a feat.

    Of course, refining a perfect quality White Rhinoceros Enhancer meant that Gu Ding had won this round of the challenge. However, Gu Ding was not satisfied with the result. This round was not a fair one. He had gotten ahold of aplete prescription, but the other party had used a defective prescription. Gu Ding had also seen the start of Sa Ze¡¯s refining process. If the other party was more careful and had slowed down his refining speed a little, as well as gotten theplete prescription, there would have been a chance that he would have refined a perfect quality White Rhinoceros Enhancer.

    Seeing Gu Ding looking toward him, Sa Ze smiled helplessly and nodded at Gu Ding. ¡°I lost this match.¡±

    ¡°This match does not count. The prescription I have is aplete version whilst your prescription is defective.¡± Gu Ding shook his head before grinning. ¡°Let¡¯spete one more time!¡±

    Sa Ze did not expect Gu Ding to be gunning to go another round. He had followed the teacher to many ces over the years and he had seen many pharmacologists. Usually, the winner would not agree to a second bout. So, he was very happy when he heard Gu Ding¡¯s offer topete again.

    The White Rhinoceros Enhancer prescription itself was wed, in addition to it being a medicine that Sa Ze was not very good at. He did feel a little discontented about his loss in the previous round due to two reasons. Firstly, he was not sure if Gu Ding had made perfect quality medicine by sheer luck, and secondly, he had not been able to show his full strength.

    ¡°I¡¯m the best at refining speed enhancers, boasting about an 8% chance of refining perfect quality.¡± Sa Ze said, ¡°I noticed during your refining process, that it seems this was your first time operating a microscopic instrument. In that case, we will notpare speeds this time and simply see who can refine a higherprehensive quality medicine. Since it is my strongest field, I am more familiar with the refining process. So, I will make twenty bottles. You can make twenty-five bottles and choose twenty bottles of those bottles with the highest quality from the batch to bepared with mine. What do you think?¡±

    Gu Ding shook his head. ¡°I disagree.¡±

    Sa Ze had proposed this because he felt that refining speed enhancers were more advantageous for him. He had offered to let the other party refine an extra five bottles and then let him select the best of the bunch. If the opponent was a demon-grade pharmacologist whose ability was on par with his own, then it would be enough for him to try his hand with a leeway of two or three bottles. However, proposing to let the other party refine five more bottles was nothing short of trying to protect the other party¡¯s dignity.

    ¡°Then, how do you want topete?¡± Sa Ze frowned slightly. He thought that his proposal was fair, so he did not expect that Gu Ding, who was the first to even initiate another match, to not agree.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine if we each make twenty bottles. I don¡¯t need to make five additional bottles.¡± Gu Ding raised his objection. From his perspective, the other party had proposed unlimited time, instead only choosing to view theprehensive quality of the finished bottles of medicine. Therefore, there was no need to rush. The refining of the first bottle of medicine would be enough for him to familiarize himself with the entire refining process.

    Moreover, although the speed enhancer also possessed a gic agent, it was not as difficult to refine as the White Rhinoceros Enhancer. Since he could refine the White Rhinoceros Enhancer to perfect quality, as long as he made no mistakes throughout the operation, it should not be too difficult for him to refine a perfect quality speed enhancer.

    The other pharmacologists at the scene heard Gu Ding¡¯s words and felt that he was being a little too arrogant. Sa Ze had admitted that he was familiar with this kind of medicine and had an 8% chance of refining perfect quality results. This rate already exceeded performance of ordinary C-level gic pharmacologists, which was enough to show that his opponent had the Devil¡¯s talent in refining medicine.

    In contrast, as a neer who had only juste into contact with microscopic instruments, it would take him more than twenty minutes to refine a bottle of medicine. When he had refined the perfect quality White Rhinoceros Enhancer earlier, no matter how one looked at it, luck had yed a part in his victory. Many other pharmacists agreed that this miracle should not repeat itself. With this, Skyriver Sector might still be unable to escape the fate of being swept away by Sa Ze¡¯s victory.

    ¡°Then it is up to you. In any case, the offer for you to refine five extra bottles still stands. Whether you want to use it or not is for you to decide, I won¡¯t interfere or force it.¡± Sa Ze thought that his opponent¡¯s inted self-confidence right now must havee as a result of his previous victorying too easily. He was also secretly determined to shut down the other party¡¯s arrogance.

    On the other hand, Gu DIng was not being arrogant at all¡ªhe just felt that there was no need to refine any more than this.

    ¡°Then, let¡¯s start!¡±

 Chapter 27

    <h4>Chapter 27: To Encounter a Liked Madman</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Speed enhancers were also a kind of gene enhancing medicine. Unlike the White Rhinoceros Enhancer, which strengthens the power gene, it strengthens the speed gene. The gene enhancing medicines had mostly the same refining process, and the only differences were in the details.

    Gu Ding had used the microscopic instrument to work on the refinement of the White Rhinoceros Enhancer once. Now, it was the second time he was refining with it, which obviously made it a lot easier. It took him less than two minutes to find the gene chain he needed from the material, and although he was still much slower than Sa Ze, it was already considered a normal speed.

    Many of the onlooking pharmacologists were a little surprised to see Gu Ding¡¯s refining speed. After all, this should only be the second time Gu Ding was using the microscopic instrument, whereas ordinary people would only get familiar with it after using it at least six to seven times.

    As for Sa Ze, his refining speed was frightening. He had alreadypleted the extraction and had begun the distition process. His movements flowed like water and you could not pinpoint any ws in his actions. The pharmacologists who were watching praised him one after another.

    However, Gu Ding and Sa Ze both paid full attention to the medicinal materials in front of their eyes, ignored the thoughts of the people around them. They steadily processed the materials at hand at their own pace.

    In less than eight minutes, the medicine in Sa Ze¡¯s hand wasplete, and he began using a special modtion method to shake the fusion cup from side to side. The plethora of different colored materials in the cup soon began to fuse quickly and turned milky white in front of everyone¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°It¡¯s perfect quality!¡± Came a cry from the crowd.

    Sa Ze¡¯s first bottle of medicine was refined to perfect quality. This doubled the pressure on the many pharmacologists in Skyriver Sector. If Gu Ding lost, it meant that the entire Skyriver Sector had lost.

    Meanwhile, Gu Ding did not seem to realize what was happening outside his world. His refining speed was still very steady as he reached theparison stage.

    In reality, different pharmacologists had simr refining processes for the same prescription with only very slight differences between them. However, Gu Ding¡¯s prescription from Neptune had three very differentparison orders. One of the most difficult steps required one to continuously add three different extraction materials within three seconds of each other. This sort ofparison order had a high probability of achieving a perfect quality result.

    Three different extraction materials were dripped in session within three seconds of each other, which sounded easy, but this operation was, in fact, akin to defying the natural order. This was because the mixture ratio of the three different materials could not have even the slightest deviation. Not only that, the mixture ratio also needed to take into ount the amount of the other eleven materials already inside and could not just be arbitrarily added untilplete.

    Nevertheless, Gu Ding felt that he should try it out. The other twoparison orders were not that challenging. After making his decision, Gu Ding simted the conversion process in his mind and concluded that he should be able to do it. Then, he began working.

    A variety of medicinal materials were so constantly added by Gu Ding that even Sa Ze eventually stopped refining the second bottle of medicine. Instead, his eyes remained fixed on Gu Ding. He wanted to see Gu Ding¡¯s refining progress.

    Seeing that Gu Ding had started topare the medicinal materials, he was also somewhat expectant as the speed enhancer had three kinds ofparison orders for theparison round. This was already an open secret of the Hermean Alliance; amongst them, one was a sorting order in which he tried many times before but had not ever seeded inpleting. Even his teacher, Men Ze had said that only a A-level gic pharmacologist who had refined tens of thousands of medicines could sessfully do so.

    Could he do it?

    The questions in Sa Ze¡¯s heart were quickly answered when he saw the four fingers of Gu Ding¡¯s right hand pick up three tubes of medicinal materials at the same time. With the slight movement of his fingers, the three medicines were continuously added. The entire process did not even take two seconds.

    Sa Ze stared intently at the bottle of medicine in Gu Ding¡¯s hand that had not yet beenpleted, waiting patiently for the final result. For that level of continuous dripping, he could not be quite sure whether Gu Ding¡¯s rations were right and thus, could only wait for the final modtion result toe out.

    Gu Ding¡¯sparison waspleted quickly. He picked up the fusion cup with two fingers as the corner of his mouth finally opened. He flicked the cup with the index finger of his other hand, and the color of the solvent in the fusion cup immediately began to change dramatically.

    A few momentster, the fusion cup became milky.

    ¡°It¡¯s a perfect quality result again!¡± The crowd on the sidelines eximed.

    ¡°He did it!¡± Sa Ze stared at the fusion cup in Gu Ding¡¯s hand, muttering as if he were talking to himself.

    After pouring the medicine in the fusion cup into the medicine bottle and then sealing it, Gu Ding ignored the others and started making the second bottle of medicine.

    Sa Ze also recovered from his shock and continued to make the second bottle of medicine.

    The onlooking crowd was already raging. Gu Ding refining a perfect quality medicine for the second time showed that he was not relying on luck but real skll. Hisparison order had also been seen by many of the pharmacologists there. There were even two B-level pharmacologists who were not quite sure whether they would even be able to do the kind of operation Gu Ding had just performed.

    ¡°This genius-level talent... just whose disciple is he?¡± Many people started to grow curious.

    ¡°Is this young genius really of our Skyriver Sector? Could it be that he is a hidden disciple of Master Modican?¡±

    All sorts of questions started popping up, but no one could answer any of them.

    ¡°Looking at his serial number, he seems to be a neer that had only just arrived in Medical King Valley a few days ago. Based on his serial number, it should be possible to find the person who invited him into Medicine King Valley,¡± someone suggested suddenly.

    After entering the Medicine King Valley, a lot of personal information remainedpletely undisclosed by default. Only a serial number and the identity corresponding to the number could be checked to ascertain whether the person was a pharmacologist or a temporary resident. Furthermore, pharmacologists with slightly higher authority could find the referrer of a person via their number.

    A B-level pharmacologist secretly checked Gu Ding¡¯s serial number and saw that the introductory column read: [Jointly rmended by Modican and Parma.]

    ¡°This kid really does have something to do with Master Modican.¡±

    Some pharmacologists with insufficient authority also found Gu Ding¡¯s referrer at some cost. After seeing the referrer, many people also began to suspect that Gu Ding was a disciple of Modican.

    By now, the videos of the White Rhinoceros Enhancer previously refined by Gu Ding had also been seen by many pharmacologists in Medicine King Valley, including even Modican himself.

    There were a total of three videos of Gu Ding refining the White Rhinoceros Enhancers, which were taken by three onlookers from different angles. One of the videos was titled, ¡°Young Genius Refines the Perfect White Rhinoceros Enhancer.¡±

    Modican himself was attracted by the name. The White Rhinoceros Enhancer prescription was wed, so even an A-level pharmacologist would find it impossible to make a perfect quality prescription. Although he initially thought the name of this video was just a gimmick, he decided to take a look anyway since he was idle.

    When he saw Gu Ding in the video, Modican did not react. Because Parma had only told her teacher Gu Ding¡¯s name and sent a video with a rear view of Gu Ding refining, Modican had never seen Gu Ding¡¯s appearance before. Therefore, he only knew that there was a young genius around, but not what he looked like.

    After watching the video, Modican felt slightly sluggish. ¡°This young man even knows theplete prescription of the White Rhinoceros Enhancer? Although his refining speed is slow, it was obviously his first time operating a microscopic instrument. Nevertheless, it was very steady, probably surpassing even Parma in terms of psychological strength. Who is this disciple?¡±

    With some doubt in his head, Modican gave the video a like. Modican himself was a madman, and when he saw something he enjoyed in Medicine King Valley, he would like it. The video department in Medicine King Valley would then automatically forward the rmendation, notifying others that a person had liked it.

    Since Modican liked it, many more pharmacologists soon came to watch the video. There were even some A-level pharmacologists who, after watching it, silently gave it a like...

    Gu Ding did not know it but he had suddenly be famous...

 Chapter 28

    <h4>Chapter 28: The Ultimate Showdown of Geniuses</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    On the stage, thepetition between Gu Ding and Sa Ze continued.

    The two persons¡¯ style of refining waspletely different. Sa Ze was brisk while Gu Ding was steady. Although the two were still far from bing master pharmacologists, their unique styles had already begun to take shape.

    The refining speed of Gu Ding¡¯s second tube had increased slightly, but it was still steady.

    Likewise, Sa Ze¡¯s refining speed remained very fast, but when conduction individual steps, he slightly tapered his speed. The onlooking pharmacologists could feel that Sa Ze was more cautious than before, and that, this time, he really regarded Gu Ding as an opponent.

    About ten minutes or soter, Sa Ze¡¯s second tube of medicine was formed. It was still a warm milky white and was obviously another perfect quality medicine. The moment he saw the color of the medicine, Sa Ze appeared to be slightly relieved. To consecutively make two bottles of perfect quality medicine was something that had never even been recorded before. Obviously, the pressure brought on by Gu Ding had allowed him to achieve extraordinary results.

    It took less than a minute before Sa Ze¡¯s second medicine was refined. Meanwhile, the medicine in Gu Ding¡¯s hand also took shape, and the milky white liquid swayed gently in the fusion cup. The mood of the many onlookers rose.

    ¡°We Skyriver Sector now also have a genius!¡± In Skyriver Sector¡¯s Medicine King Valley, even the temporary residents were mostly natives of Skyriver Sector. Although all the information on Gu Ding seemed to be shrouded in mystery, and no one knew whether he was a native resident of Skyriver Sector, at least for now, he was epting Sa Ze¡¯s challenge in ce of Skyriver Sector. If he won, it would also represent a victory for Skyriver Sector.

    Four bottles of perfect quality medicines appeared one after another. Most of the onlookers were seeing this for the first time. For many people, this was a moment they would never forget.

    Thepetition between Gu Ding and Sa Ze continued.

    Sa Ze made a mistake in refining the third bottle of medicine and the final medicine was refined to ultimate quality.

    After him, Gu Ding refined another bottle of perfect quality medicine.

    With three consecutive tubes of perfect quality medicines so far, the probability of Gu Ding refining perfect quality medicines remained at 100%, which was truly terrifying.

    Everyone watched on with bated breath. Just how many tubes of perfect quality medicine could this thin-looking teenager continuously produce?

    While refining the fourth medicine, Sa Ze hadpletely let go of hispetitive mindset and instead began to seek to surpass himself and push himself to do better after each tube. His change in mentality immersed him thoroughly into the medicine refining process. Thus, the fourth tube of medicine was, once again, of perfect quality.

    Gu Ding, as always, was steady. Even so, his refining speed had picked up slightly from when he was refining the third tube. Now, it was almost the same as Sa Ze. Not to mention, he had refined another perfect quality medicine.

    Minutes and seconds passed as the crowd refused to disperse.

    Sa Ze had continuously refined another four tubes of perfect quality medicines.

    Meanwhile, Gu Ding maintained his frightening record by continuously refining eight tubes of perfect quality medicine. This was the first time this had ever happened in Medicine King Valley.

    This surprised the onlooking pharmacologists, such that they could not shut their mouths. They were dying to know just how good Gu Ding could actually be.

    Even so, some people raised their doubts. ¡°Could this kid be cheating? He could be taking advantage of Medicine King Valley¡¯s data loophole.¡±

    ¡°The possibility of him cheating is not very likely. Medicine King Valley is an independentwork with very high-level protection. A security verification would be performed the first time you login. If there were hidden security ounts, ess would be denied. Besides this, there is also a special intelligence unit inside Medicine King Valley which is said to maintain 80% of the functions of Sk. The moment someone disys abnormal data, the special intelligence unit will get involved,¡± exined an old pharmacist who was knowledgeable about Medicine King Valley.

    ¡°Whether or not one can make perfect quality medicine, you can probably infer by watching them go about their procedure. The young man has made no mistakes so far, and nobody can pick out any ws. Even A-level pharmacologists strive to achieve this level.¡±

    Another old man, who was obviously a pharmacist, joined in the conversation.

    After he refined the eighth bottle of medicine, Sa Ze¡¯s condition declined slightly, as was normal due to fatigue. Sa Ze knew that if he continued, his condition would only deteriorate. Thus, he decisively put down the materials in his hands meant for refining the ninth bottle of medicine and began to close his eyes to recuperate.

    However, on Gu Ding¡¯s side, there was still no sign of stopping. On the contrary, he was refining faster and faster. His ninth tube of medicine was quickly refined, still of perfect quality, as he finally exceeded Sa Ze¡¯s refining speed.

    Sa Ze resumed his work after resting for nearly ten minutes.

    In the following one and a half hours, Gu Ding continuously refined eleven bottles of perfect quality speed enhancer. Sa Ze had refined eight tubes. Everyone grew a little numb.

    The trial took more than three hours before they finally got the winner.

    Gu Ding had 20 tubes of perfect quality speed enhancer whereas Sa Ze had 15 tubes of perfect quality, and 5 tubes of ultimate quality medicine. The victor of the bout was evident.

    To have continuously refined twenty tubes of perfect quality medicine was unheard of in the entire history of pharmacology. Whether in the real world or in Medicine King Valley, no one had ever heard of such a thing.

    ¡°I lost.¡±

    On the challenge stage, Sa Ze walked towards Gu Ding with a bitter smile on his face. He did his best, even surpassing his previous abilities, but still lost. It could only be said that the opponent was too strong for him, to the point that he had lost decisively.

    ¡°This victory is temporary. We won¡¯t know what will happen next time.¡±

    Gu Ding grinned. Sa Ze was indeed a good opponent. If Sa Ze had not put the pressure on him, he was afraid he would not have performed so amazingly.

    ¡°Alright. This time I will go back and ask my teacher to give me some special training. When I think I¡¯m ready, I wille to challenge you again.¡± Sa Ze¡¯s fighting spirit started burning again.

    The two of them did not know that the entire process of this more than three-hourpetition had been photographed by some interested parties and ced in the public video region.

    ¡°Hey, this guy posted a new video.¡± Modican, who was browsing the public video region, suddenly saw that the guy who had first uploaded the video of Gu Ding refining the perfect White Rhinoceros enhancer a few hours ago had now uploaded a new video. ¡°The Ultimate Showdown Between Two Genius Pharmacologists?¡±

    Modican, who started the video, recognized Sa Ze when he saw him, before seeing Gu Ding, who was his opponent. He watched it patiently but did not expect it to be more than three hours. After watching it, he eximed, ¡°Men Ze really has a good apprentice, but who is the genius boy? Whose disciple is this? Anyway, I should show this video to Parma.¡±

    After the customary liking, Modican sent the video to Parma.

    Parma opened the video and saw Gu Ding. After watching the whole video with a hint of curiosity, she becamepletely baffled. She did not expect Gu Ding¡¯s growth to be so rapid. It had only been a day or two since he had disappeared, and he had be a celebrity in Medicine King Valley. She also saw that that video already had gathered more than 2 million views.

    ¡°Teacher, this thin boy is the Gu Ding I mentioned to you.¡± Dialing Modican¡¯smunicator, Parma surprised Modican with her first sentence. Gu Ding¡¯s identity had been bothering him the whole day. He had been wondering who this disciple was, but he did not expect this kid to be the self-taught Gu Ding.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go to Ceruleter, please help me contact the kid and help me arrange a meeting.¡± Modican raised his arm and sniffed his armpit. He shook his head in dissatisfaction. He should take a bath.

    ¡°Teacher, he is no longer in Cerule.¡± Parma guessed that her teacher would want Gu Ding as his disciple. The video just now was enough for any A-level pharmacologist to want to snap up Gu Ding.

    ¡°What?!¡± Modican heard this and nearly flipped out, ¡°Do you know where he went?¡±

    ¡°He drove off in a Kittyhawk Model yesterday and said that he wanted to be an interster pirate. As for where he went, he didn¡¯t say.¡±

    Parma said this before suddenly stopping in her tracks. After thinking about it, she decided that teasing her teacher would be too unkind, so she continued, ¡°However, I can contact him. I will ask himter to see where he will be staying, and then I will inform you.¡±

    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll wait for your news.¡± After hanging up the call, Modican entered anxiously began to wait.

 Chapter 29

    <h4>Chapter 29: Suddenly Everyone¡¯s Favorite</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Only after Gu Ding saw Sa Ze¡¯s figure slowly fade away from the fighting tform did he feel a wave of exhaustion slowly wash over his body.

    Medicine King Valley and Virtual Arena were the same in the sense that both of them consumed a person¡¯s spirit. Three hours of continuous high-intensity operations had almostpletely drained Gu Ding¡¯s spirit.

    Before Gu Ding could even get down from the training tform, Neptune disconnected his spiritual link to Medicine King Valley. Immediately, he fell into a deep slumber in the cockpit seat.

    Parma waited anxiously as her message to Gu Ding went an entire day without any reply. She had called him at least ten times but all of them went straight to voicemail.

    During that time, Modican had also asked Parma if she was able to contact Gu Ding no less than two times.

    ¡°Nothing bad actually happened, right?¡± Parma¡¯s worries were not unreasonable, as interster travel was generally apanied by various types of dangers.

    Meanwhile, in Medicine King Valley, while Gu Ding was still in deep slumber, many people had seen the video about him. In particr the video in which Gu Ding and Sa Ze had refined their Speed Enhancer, it had gathered than 20 million views overnight.

    Anyone could ess Medicine King Valley¡¯s public videos, even temporary residents. As long as someone provided the correct link, they would be able to ess it.

    Gu Ding¡¯s face was clearly shown in the video. However, his username was nked out. The only thing on Gu Ding¡¯s body was a unique serial number which was automatically assigned by the system to anyone who stepped foot into Medicine King Valley.

    When the video went viral, it caught the attention of the top brass of Hermean Alliance Skyriver Sector Division.

    Skyriver Sector Division had always belonged to the mid-to-low tier district for online games in the Hermean Alliance. If somebody like Gu Ding suddenly popped up like he did that day, it might give them a chance of obtaining a better ranking.

    As a member of the top management of Skyriver Sector Division, Modican was an A-grade pharmacologist. Despite his high status, he did not actually hold that much power. He was merely regarded as an honorary chairperson, with the real chairperson being someone else.

    When Anthony, Skyriver Sector Division¡¯s chairperson, saw how scant the information on Gu Ding was, deep wrinkles formed on his forehead. This was until he suddenly noticed something: Rmended jointly by Modican and Parma.

    He immediately dialed Modican¡¯s number.

    ¡°Elder, do you know of this person named Gu Ding? When I looked up his information, he was rmended by Parma and you.¡±

    Modican was caught off guard when he heard the question. Immediately, he realized that Anthony must have seen Gu Ding¡¯s refining video. He rolled his eyes. ¡°That kid is my default apprentice. What are you trying to imply?¡±

    ¡°Default? So, you mean it¡¯s not been confirmed yet?¡± Anthony got what he was asking for, but he dared not say it out. Modican¡¯s explosive and short fuse was well known. Therefore, he knew that offending him was not a wise move.

    ¡°Elder, don¡¯t worry about it. I¡¯m not trying to steal your apprentice. From the video that I had just seen, I can tell that I¡¯m not qualified to teach this kind of extraordinary talent. I was just curious to see if he was from Skyriver Sector.¡±

    ¡°Were you going to register him for the Neer¡¯s Ranking Competition?¡± When Modican heard the question, he instantly knew what Anthony nning. The Hermean Alliance had many divisions in Dragon Soar Cosmic Nation, and they were present in almost every sector. In each of the sectors, they would have different types of duels andpetitions held annually to rank the corresponding sectors. The higher the ranking of each sector, the more resources Hermean Alliance would get.

    However, there was a condition for these duels. Any pharmacologist who wished to join had to be a local in order topete on behalf of the sector. Therefore, Anthony had brought up the most crucial point.

    ¡°Gu Ding is Cerulean. Therefore, he¡¯s eligible to join the Neer¡¯s Ranking Competition,¡± Modican had learned a lot of things about Gu Ding from his apprentice, Parma. This was why he was able to answer some questions about Gu Ding¡¯s origins.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, can you contact him for us?¡± Anthony continued, ¡°He hasn¡¯t logged back on to Medicine King Valley since he left the challenge tform. We¡¯ve already left him a few messages but haven¡¯t gotten any replies from him yet.¡±

    Anthony was a reliable and efficient type of person. He would do whatever needed to be done without wasting time. This was why he tried to gather all possible information about Gu Ding after watching his video. It was so that he could discern whether Gu Ding was suitable to join the Neer¡¯s Ranking Competition. When he stumbled upon Gu Ding¡¯s video, it was around midnight. He finished watching the video at just past three in the morning. After he looked through Gu Ding¡¯s information, he sent an invitation message to Gu Ding. Up until this very moment, he was still waiting for his reply and had not slept a wink. Naturally, he did not get the reply he wanted. Nevertheless, his slight obsessivepulsiveness made it necessary for him to contact Gu Ding before he could finally rx.

    ¡°I haven¡¯t been able to contact him since more than twenty hours ago,¡± Modican told him honestly. ¡°From what I can gather, he may have fallen into a deep sleep due to excessive spirit consumption during thepetition. After all, he¡¯s only a Gene Level 1 adult with limited spiritual strength.¡±

    ¡°I see.¡± Only after Anthony heard Modican¡¯s exnation did he suddenly recall that ack of spirit would cause someone to fall into a deep slumber. Therefore, it was normal that his messages were not replied as the other party had not even read it yet. ¡°Elder, if you¡¯re able to contact him, be sure to ask him to log on to Medicine King Valley as soon as possible.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll ry that message. Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± Modican nodded. ¡°If he¡¯s able to get a good ranking, it¡¯ll be honor our entire division.¡±

    ¡°Alright, I won¡¯t keep you any longer,¡± Anthony politely ended the call.

    After more than twenty hours of deep sleep, Gu Ding finally woke up.

    ¡°You¡¯ve slept for twenty-three and a half hours. Your spirit has increased to 12 points,¡± Neptune notified him when he sensed Gu Ding waking up. ¡°Besides that, there¡¯re a lot of people trying to contact you.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s just Parma, right?¡± Gu Ding knew his friends well and guessed that only Parma would try to contact him. After all, Parma would have found out about the medicine refinement in Medicine King Valley sooner orter. He just did not know it would happen this quickly.

    Themunicator showed that Parma left eleven voice messages and eight messages.

    ¡°What happened that was so urgent?¡± Gu Ding opened the messages one by one.

    After a few minutes of listening, Gu Ding realized that both of his refinement processes in Medicine King Valley had been secretly filmed. Parma¡¯s messages also imed that Master Modican wanted to make an appointment to see him.

    ¡°Modican probably intends to make you his apprentice. I looked it up. He has a good reputation and high standards when ites to medicine refinement, an A-grade pharmacologist, to be exact. Whether you agree to it or not is purely up to you. In my opinion, I think it¡¯ll be good for you to have someone to support you during your early stages of development,¡± Neptune ryed the information that he had gathered from the messages.

    Gu Ding kept quiet and contemted while staring at Parma¡¯s number. After a while, he pressed the call button.

 Chapter 30

    <h4>Chapter 30: Only Fools Don¡¯t Do It for the Money</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    During his conversation with Parma, Gu Ding found out that the video of his medicine refinement had gone totally viral. Not only did Modican see it, a number of people from the top management of Hermean Alliance saw it as well. All of them now wanted to know if he could join some sort ofpetition.

    After informing Parma that he would be able to reach Fengyuan in about ten days, and confirming where to meet Modican, Gu Ding hung up the phone.

    ¡°I¡¯ve looked up the Neer¡¯s Ranking Competition,¡± Neptune also knew that the Hermean Alliance wanted Gu Ding to join thepetition. ¡°A neer refers to people who have be a pharmacologist within thest three years. It¡¯s been less than a year since Sa Ze became one, so he has probably never lost a match. In fact, there are three neers that have simr talents to him throughout the entire Dragon Soar Cosmic Nation. Three of them took at least two years to be a pharmacologist. Two of them are already B-grade pharmacologists, and one of them is an A-grade pharmacologist. So, when Sa Ze challenged their sectors, none of them tried to battle him.¡±

    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then there¡¯s nopetition at all. If the A-grade pharmacologist refines a bottle of perfect quality A-grade medicine, then hispetitors might as well just pack their bags in advance,¡± Gu Ding did not expect that an A-grade pharmacologist would join a Neer¡¯s Ranking Competition.

    ¡°It¡¯s not like that. Thepetition rules is set so that all contestants are to refine the same type of E-grade medicine. The person who¡¯s able to refine the highest quantity, as well as quality, within the specified timeframe will achieve the highest ranking,¡± Neptune exined.

    ¡°E-grade medicine?¡± Gu Ding was stunned when he heard this. ¡°So, F-grade pharmacologists can¡¯t join thepetition?¡±

    ¡°In theory, all neer pharmacologists of Dragon Soar Cosmic Nation can participate in the rankingpetitions, either individually or by representing their sector. However, those who cannot refine E-grade medicines will be eliminated in the first round,¡± After Neptune rifled through the records and video materials set over the years, he was able to thepetition regtions.

    ¡°It¡¯s understandable that there are these sorts of limitations since there are far too many F-grades pharmacologists around.¡± Gu Ding had generally understood why the organizers had set this standard. It was probably because the number of F-grade pharmacologists alone outnumbered the total amount of pharmacologists across the various other grades. If all of them were able to join thepetition, it might lead to all sorts of confusion due to sheer volume of people. Therefore, it was important for them to eliminate all the F-grade pharmacologists in the first round so that the subsequent events could run smoothly.

    In addition to this, the rankingpetition itself was aimed at neers, with its purpose being to find naturally talented pharmacologists so that they could go on to be apprentices to the senior pharmacologists. Logically, the entire pharmacologist industry would flourish if every senior pharmacologist had a naturally talented apprentice to train.

    Everyone was qualified to participate in the assessment during their first three years. As for those who worked hard for three years and had not been promoted to E-grade pharmacologists, they were assumed to not have a natural talent in pharmacology.

    ¡°What¡¯s the prize for the Neer¡¯s Ranking Competition?¡± Gu Ding cared more about the other things.

    His dad taught him that only tangible things mattered, and Gu Ding had always kept that in mind.

    ¡°Individual prizes are limited as the bulk of it is allocated to the contestants representing their sectors. For contestants that don¡¯t represent any sector, the prizes normally allocated to the sectors will be withheld by the organizers.¡±

    ¡°The top one hundred contestants are allowed to choose a bottle of refined medicine from thepetition. Hermean Alliance will then refine the same medicine as a gift for the top one hundred ranked contestants. In addition to this, an entire set of B-grade refining equipment will be given to them.¡±

    ¡°The top ten contestants are allowed to pick three bottles of refined medicine from thepetition, which Hermean Alliance will give to them as the prize. Besides this, they will receive a set of A-grade refining equipment and the privilege of one year of free pharmaceutical material worth up to one hundred million Star Credits from Hermean Alliance.¡±

    ¡°For the top three contestants, they are allowed to pick five bottles of refined medicine from thepetition. They are also given a set of A-grade refining equipment and the privilege of one year of free pharmaceutical material worth up to five hundred million Star Credits from Hermean Alliance. Also, there is a high chance they might be selected by an S-grade medicine grandmaster to be one of their private apprentices.¡±

    ¡°The champion may pick out ten bottles of refined medicine from thepetition. They are also given a set of top tier S-grade refining equipment and the privilege of one year of free pharmaceutical material worth up to ten hundred million Star Credits from Hermean Alliance. Besides this, they also get the opportunity to have a one-time meet-up with an S-grade medicine grandmaster.¡± Star Credits from Hermean Alliance. Besides this, they also get the opportunity to have a one-time meet-up with an S-grade medicine grandmaster.¡±

    ¡°Of course, each person only gets the prizes from the highest category which they qualify for.¡±

    When Gu Ding heard about the prizes, he was shocked. He unconsciously eximed, ¡°Hermean Alliance is really rich!¡±

    Excluding the value of the medicines sent, a set of B-grade refining equipment was worth around 100 million Star Credits, and a set of A-grade refining equipment was usually worth between 1 billion and 1.2 billion. As for the top tier S-grade refining equipment, it was basically priceless. It was rarely avable on the market and was valued at around 2.5 billion Star Credits. Moreover, there was the free ess to hundreds of millions of pharmaceutical materials worth of Star Credits within a one-year period to be considered. Medicine made from pharmaceutical materials were worth at least tens times more in terms of value. If the refined quality was perfect, it was worth at least a hundred times more.

    Take, for example, Gu Ding¡¯s previously refined F-grade Cell Enhancer. One set of material only required around 100 Star Credits. However, a perfect quality refined medicine would sell for twenty-five thousand Star Credits, which was more than two hundred times its original value. This showed how long Hermean Alliance had managed to get so rich.

    However, when it came to or being selected by an S-grade medicine grandmaster, Gu Ding did not care much about going on to be one of their private apprentices. There were only three S-grade medicine grandmasters in the entire Dragon Soar Cosmic Nation, and all of which were really busy people with hundreds of apprentices. Even if he got himself a master, he might only see him a few times in a year. On the contrary, as a top-ranked A-grade pharmacologist, Modican would be more protive in being a proper master. ording to Parma, Modican was a sincere man with high standards. If Gu Ding could get along well with him in the meeting, he would be Parma¡¯s junior fellow apprentice, and there would be no need to get another teacher.

    ¡°Besides the Neer¡¯s Ranking Competition, does Hermean Alliance have any other championship events?¡± Gu Ding wanted to know if he could participate in other championship events besides the Neer¡¯s Ranking Competition. Since the prize for the Neer¡¯s Ranking Competition was so amazing, the prizes for the otherpetitions might be equally attractive.

    ¡°There¡¯s also apetition called A Dose in Ten Years. Contestants must have practiced pharmacology for more than three years and less than ten years. They must also be under thirty years old and at least a C-grade pharmacologist. The prize for thispetition is ten times than that of the Neer¡¯s Ranking Competition.¡± Neptune replied, ¡°There is also a top tierpetition which is the ultimatepetition between A-grade pharmacologists of every sector. It¡¯s done via a live broadcast throughout the entire Dragon Soar Cosmic Nation wherein the value of every prize is worth more than tens of billions of Star Credits. It¡¯s too bad that you¡¯re not eligible to join.¡±

    ¡°To be honest, you could¡¯ve omitted yourst sentence...¡± Gu Ding was speechless about Neptune¡¯s finalment.

    ¡°So, do you want to join the Neer¡¯s Ranking Competition? In truth, the prize from the Hermean Alliance headquarters is only part of the story. If you get good results, the Skyriver Sector division will definitely provide you extra benefits,¡± Neptune added.

    ¡°Of course I want to! Dad once told me, only fools don¡¯t do it for the money!¡± Gu Ding grinned. ¡°Log me into Medicine King Valley, I have something to discuss with the people of the Skyriver division of Hermean Alliance.¡±

 Chapter 31

    <h4>Chapter 31: Unwritten Rules in the Arena</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    In Medicine King Valley, Gu Ding and Anthony had a very smooth conversation.

    Anthony¡¯s request was simple. The Neer¡¯s Ranking Competition would start in three months. If Gu Ding got into the top fifty in thepetition, the Hermean Alliance of Skyriver¡¯s division would issue a prize worth one hundred million Star Credits. If he could get into the top ten, the prize would be raised to be worth one billion Star Credits.

    Naturally, Gu Ding would not refuse a win-win situation like this. Even if he could not make the top 50, it would make no difference to him. After all, all he needed to do was to wear a tag with Skyriver Sector¡¯s name on it when he participated in thepetition that he already nned to join. Therefore, both sides were able to reach a consensus quickly.

    After he finished the discussion with Anthony, Gu Ding strolled around a bit. Little did he know, he had managed to gather arge crowd because of his video that had been broadcasted in the public district. Naturally, the pharmacologists and temporary residents in Medicine King Valley knew of him; Even people who have never entered Medicine King Valley before were aware of him.

    Out of desperation, Gu Ding had no choice but to log out of the system.

    As he sat in the cockpit and stared out the window at the endless abyss of space, Gu Ding asked, ¡°Neptune, any news today?¡±

    ¡°No major events,¡± Neptune also seemed a little bored. ¡°I just received the news that Cain also changed course. This time, he¡¯s returning to the Cosmic Sea. Kohld Blood¡¯s Punishers are also said to be rushing toward a new course. The opening of new routes has the Interster Pirates from Dragon Soar Cosmic Nation all excited, many of whom who were initially on their way to other cosmic nations now changing courses to head to the new route.¡±

    ¡°I think it¡¯s good that it¡¯s going to get lively soon,¡± Gu Ding grinned. He was the type of person that liked to be amongst the crowd. He really enjoyed working in Rose Tavern for all those years, with one of the main reasons being that he could meet all sorts of people. The stories he heard were the things that gave birth to his idea of being an Interster Pirate.

    When he thought about Cain and Kohld Blood, Gu Ding realized that these guys who had hundreds of millions of Star Credits worth of bounty on their head were super strong and valiant. He had seen how Cain fought. His movements were so quick that his naked eyes were not able to see it. Kohld Blood¡¯s bounty was close to Cain¡¯s, and so was his strength.

    ¡°You really need to improve your strength quickly. If you enter the new route at your current level, you¡¯ll be eaten alive,¡± Neptune gave his opinions without holding back.

    ¡°I understand. It¡¯s a new route, so there¡¯ll be many powerhouses as strong as Uncle Cain. Perhaps even stronger,¡± Gu Ding nodded. He chose to take the new route not because he was naive and did not know any better. In truth, he did not overestimate his strength. He was well aware of what he could and could not do.

    ¡°Connect me to the Virtual Arena! First, I¡¯ll practice all the moves that can be learned with 100 points of Cell Index. That way, when my body strength is enough, I¡¯ll be able to use the moves the moment I¡¯m familiar with them. It¡¯ll save me a lot of time practicing the moves,¡± Gu Ding nned to enter the Virtual Arena to continue his practice of the Ultimate Arts.

    ¡°This is just a temporary solution. However, it seems that this is the only way for now,¡± Neptune could not do much about Gu Ding¡¯s stats and immediately connected Gu Ding to the arena.

    After Gu Ding entered the arena, he saw histest information:

    Alias: Lukewarm Assassin

    Gender: Male

    Age: 15 years old

    Times fought: 10

    Wins: 10

    Losses: 0

    Draws: 0

    Win Rate: 100%

    Total Points: 55

    Honor: Ten consecutive wins

    Honor Description: When one gets ten consecutive wins in the arena, points will be umted. 1 point for the first game, 2 points for the second game, 3 points for the third game... 10 points for the tenth game.

    ¡°Can I exchange my total points for items?¡± Gu Ding seemed to have seen the corresponding exnation somewhere in the past.

    ¡°Yes, you may. In the junior-level arena, the purchasing power of 1 point is equivalent to 100 Star Credits. This is why many people from poorer familiese here topete and sell their points, or purchase items directly with them,¡± Neptune exined. ¡°Of course, there are some rich people who umte points just to show how strong they are. That¡¯s why they will often buy points from people with high points.¡±

    ¡°A direct transaction of points?¡± Gu Ding raised his eyebrow. ¡°Doesn¡¯t the system prohibit it?¡±

    ¡°No, the system allows it, because, for every transaction, the system charges a 5% processing fee,¡± Neptune exined.

    ¡°So, points can also be transferred from one person to another?¡± There were still many things Gu Ding did not understand as he had only been to the arena once.

    ¡°Of course it can be transferred. How else would they earn anything?¡±

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t that defeat the purpose? Can other people see the number of battles and win rate?¡± Gu Ding found it pointless that some people would just collect points just for the sake of it.

    ¡°If they paid, they could set permissions so that ordinary people won¡¯t be able to check their stats, and ensure that it only shows the total points,¡± Neptuneughed and said, ¡°And as far as I know, the rich can bribe their rivals to get points and higher win rates. If you offer enough money, the opponent will just admit defeat. In the arena, there are many people who are short of money and y to feed themselves.¡±

    ¡°It seems that there are unwritten rules everywhere,¡± Gu Ding shook his head and sighed.

    ¡°There are a lot of things that can¡¯t bepletely eliminated, they can only be regted and controlled. Overall, the arena¡¯s system is actually pretty good. The entire market is still very standardized, and the overall efficiency of the system is pretty much unaffected,¡± Neptune stated.

    ¡°As long as I don¡¯t run into these kinds of problems, I¡¯ll be fine. Earning some pocket money from cultivating the Ultimate Arts will be my main goal in using the arena,¡± Gu Ding was also aware that these kinds of things could not bepletely avoided.

    ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate any opponent in the arena. Even though it¡¯s the junior-level arena, there will also be professionals. I just checked the battle video data. You¡¯re no match for the top one hundred ranks, and this is just Skyriver Sector¡¯s part of the arena.¡± Neptune warned.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, it won¡¯t be disgraceful to lose to a real powerhouse,¡± Gu Ding grinned and pressed the random match battle button.

    ¡°Missy, that kid fromst time came back.¡± In the system operating room, a staff member dialed a number after he saw Gu Ding¡¯s request to find a new match.

    ¡°I see. I¡¯ll be right here. You guys go ahead and pair him with a person ranked around ten thousandth first,¡± a female voice came from the opposite side of themunicator. Surprisingly, it was the woman who was eating the lollipop in the operating roomst time out.

    ¡°They¡¯ve matched you with a person ranked around ten thousandth. A person of this rank is basically a powerhouse that has just awakened their ability. Just be careful,¡± Neptune disclosed the pairing information to Gu Ding in advance before the result came out.

 Chapter 32

    <h4>Chapter 32: A Fist to Fist Battle</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Gu Ding was quickly transmitted to the ring. His opponent, who had been standing on the ring for a long time, was a tall and thin man with the ID of NotMyFaultI¡¯mTall.

    ¡°Kiddo, why have youe and sniped me all the way from the eighty-thousandth rank?¡± Tall Guy did not understand as he had sniped neers once or twice before. Most of the time, however, the neer had racked up too many consecutive wins and umted too many points. Therefore, when he saw that Gu Ding, who only had ten consecutive wins, he was a bit curious about whether Gu Ding had identally offended some top official in the arena.

    yers ranked at least ten-thousandth were basically Gene Level 3 adults. Not only have they awakened their abilities, but some of them have had also strengthened their abilities for the second time. Moreover, some had even awakened two abilities.

    Tall guy¡¯s ability was called Iron Block. It was not particrly a special ability, but it allowed his body¡¯s defense to increase several fold when it was activated, which made his muscles as hard as iron blocks. He ranked around ten-thousandth mostly because he tied a lot instead of losing. Most of the time, he tied because his opponents could not break his defense whilst he could not beat his enemy.

    After Tall Guy activated Iron Block, his defense was akin to a Gene Level 4 adult. The Cell Index of a junior-level arena was typically limited to 100 points, but his defense wasparable to that of a person with a Cell Index of nearly 300 points. This was why there were not many people who could break through his defense.

    ¡°This guy¡¯s defense is extremely powerful. He has a special ability called Iron Block. Once activated, his body will be as hard as an iron block,¡± Neptune quickly checked the opponent¡¯s information. He had to remind Gu Ding that the opponent in front of him was extremely powerful. Although it took just a few seconds, it was enough for Neptune to read all the information surrounding Tall Guy, which included information from the videos. ¡°He has participated in more than five thousand battles, losing less than two hundred battles and tying over a thousand times. His total points aren¡¯t high because of the draws.¡±

    ¡°Strong defense?¡± Gu Ding grinned after he heard what Neptune said. ¡°That¡¯s good. I¡¯ll be sure to show him my moves.¡±

    Gu Ding used Silent Step as his avatar shed multiple times before it charged toward his opponent.

    ¡°He¡¯s fast!¡± Tall Guy was shocked when he saw Gu Ding¡¯s movements. Immediately, his view on Gu Ding changed as he activated his ability¡ªIron Block. ¡°My ability can easily withstand close-range attacks from powerhouses of the same level. I don¡¯t believe that a fifteen-year-old tween can break through.¡±

    At that moment, Gu Ding¡¯s Steel Fist struck his opponent¡¯s chest. The chest was one of the most protected parts of the body defense because it was surrounded by the ribs. The main reason Gu Ding chose to attack this part was because he wanted to see how strong his opponent¡¯s defense really was.

    ng! Suddenly, the metallic sound of gold and iron shing was heard, as if a giant hammer had struck arge bell. Gu Ding¡¯s fist felt like it had punched a hard iron block. Not only did it feel indestructible, but he could also feel a force repelling him backward.

    His avatar retreated hurriedly as his right hand shook slightly from the force.

    ¡°Stop struggling. You¡¯ll never be able to break through my defense,¡± Tall Guy shouted at Gu Ding as he charged toward him. However, he was secretly a little shocked. When Gu Ding threw his punch just now, he could clearly feel the strength of the blow. Although Gu Ding failed to break Tall Guy¡¯s defense, the part he attacked, his chest, was his strongest point. If not for the fact that his Iron Block ability increased his body weight, he would probably have been sent flying from the punch. Moreover, there was a dull feeling in his chest which indicated that the attack by his opponent was not ineffective. If an opponent hit one¡¯s vital position, they were likely to be injured.

    Gu Ding was quiet. His opponent¡¯s unbeatable defense made things difficult for him. That punch he tried to test the waters showed him how hard it would be to break his opponent¡¯s defense. Furthermore, his opponent would not just stand there while he did his thing.

    On the viewing tform, someone finally recognized Tall Guy.

    ¡°This guy¡¯s defense is as tough as sh*t. I¡¯ve seen his matches before.¡±

    ¡°Me too. One time, he stood there motionless while his opponent bombarded him with punches for three hours. In the end, his opponent admitted defeat due to insufficient spirit.¡±

    ¡°This killer is just a kid? He still looks like a minor to me. Why is the arena bullying him? How could they match a rank eighty-thousand with a rank ten-thousand?¡± Some of them who had not seen Gu Ding¡¯s previous games cried out at how unfair the match was for him.

    ¡°You haven¡¯t watched his previous games, but don¡¯t underestimate his size. He basically wiped out his opponents within a split-second in his previous battles,¡± A person who had watched Gu Ding¡¯s previous game exined.

    In the ring, Gu Ding activated another move. He used Ultimate Arts Level 3 Steel Fist with all his might. After a long pause as he weighed his options, he decided to go ahead and try crack his opponent¡¯s defense himself. Since the power of his Ultimate Arts Level 3 attack was not enough to break his opponent¡¯s defense, he figured he would try his best to breakthrough to Level 4. Although it was a little difficult to do so with a Cell Index of a hundred points, it was not impossible. A short-term strenuous feat on his body should not be too big a problem for his body at this time.

    Tall Guy saw how fiercely his opponent had charged at him and decided that he was not going to let him attack him willy-nilly anymore. Thus, Tall Guy proceeded to charge toward Gu Ding.

    Fist to fist!

    ng! The two of them took a few steps back.

    With full force, Gu Ding engaged both his legs and charged toward him once more.

    Tall Guy felt a little bitter. His fighting technique was merely considered proficient. If he faced proper fighting masters, the only person getting hit would be himself. Although his opponent was young, it seemed that hisbat skills were quite astounding.

    As one could imagine, Gu Ding bombarded him with all sorts of moves, basically pinning Tall Guy back. Most of the time, Tall Guy used his arms to protect his vital parts whilst throwing the asional ineffective jab at Gu Ding.

    ¡°That kid is fierce!¡± Someone eximed from the stands.

    In the monitoring room, it seemed that the woman with the short hair fromst time had now dyed her hair red. Her leather jacket was unzipped so that it exposed a in ck bra. She wore a ck short leather skirt that showed her slender thighs, and long ck leather boots underneath. With a lollipop in her mouth, she sat on a swivel chair and watched Gu Ding¡¯s battle live stream.

    ¡°That tall man is going to lose,¡± The short-haired woman immediately proimed. ¡°Get someone around rank five thousand, preferably one with a special ability such as stealth or something. We¡¯ll see how he handles it.¡±

    ¡°Missy, if you want him to lose, it¡¯ll be much easier to get someone in the Natural Stream,¡± A big man in a ck suit beside her suggested.

    ¡°Who said I wanted him to lose? I just want to see how far he can push his strange technique. Meanwhile, I want to also see if I¡¯m able to mimic any of them,¡± The short-haired woman smiled smugly. ¡°I¡¯ve secretly watched my dad practice the Ultimate Arts before. It seems like the kid¡¯s moves are simr to my dad¡¯s. Still, there¡¯s a lot of differences between them. I¡¯m guessing it may be another version of the Ultimate Arts.¡±

    ¡°Missy, the Ultimate Arts cannot be practiced,¡± The big man frowned slightly.

    ¡°I¡¯m just studying it. What¡¯s it to you?¡± The short-haired woman pouted. ¡°Don¡¯t forget that I¡¯m still an Interster Pirate. If I meet a Hunter from the Federation Government, I must have some knowledge of the Ultimate Arts in order to save myself.¡±

    ¡°Missy, Master used to be the captain of the Hunters. They have enough respect for Master to noty a finger on you,¡± The big man dissuaded.

    ¡°That¡¯s in Dragon Soar Cosmic Nation. Dragon Soar Cosmic Nation is merely a two-star cosmic nation. Dad has said before that any Hunter from a four-star grade cosmic nation is as strong as him, let alone a five-star cosmic nation. I can¡¯t hide under my dad¡¯s protection forever. His name can only shield me so long, especially if I leave one day. Therefore, I want to make a name for myself so that one day in the future, I¡¯ll be able to protect my dad too,¡± The words of the short-haired woman silenced the big man.

 Chapter 33

    <h4>Chapter 33: A Strong Victory</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    In the arena¡¯s ring, the fight between Gu Ding and the tall man was still ongoing. The situation looked very different for the two of them. Gu Ding was getting more and more courageous, while his opponent focused mainly on defending.

    Gu Ding was definitely setting the rhythm of the fight. He overwhelmed his opponent and showed no mercy. He rained down on him like a storm such that his opponent barely had enough strength to withstand his blows.

    Gu Ding used the fifteenth, sixteenth, all the way up to the eighteenth stance of Steel Fist. For the Phantom Kick, he used the thirteenth stance all the way until the eighteenth stance. Even for the close-range attacks such as the Lightning Elbow and ming Knee, he went all the way to the twelfth stance.

    The eighteenth stance was thest move in Level 3. Even with a 150% boost, Gu Ding knew that it was not enough.

    Although a flurry of blows might break his opponent¡¯s defense, it was not what Gu Ding wanted. What he wanted was to break his opponent¡¯s defense with a single blow. This was why he would not stop pushing himself until his attacks got stronger.

    After Gu Ding managed to muster up thest stance in the Ultimate Arts Level 3 Steel Fist, he started scanning his brain for the contents of Level 4.

    Neptune was reluctant to allow Gu Ding to expose himself to too much of the Ultimate Arts so early on because that set of moves damaged one¡¯s body greatly. Not only did it elerate one¡¯s body metabolism, it also elerated the aging of one¡¯s cells. The main reason why Neptune did not stop Gu Ding was that he was in the Virtual Arena. In here, Gu Ding¡¯s body was just abination of data. It did not matter what damage he sustained, since it would still be neutralized. In the virtual world, as long as Neptune was willing, he could reconstruct Gu Ding¡¯s body in the blink of an eye.

    What Neptune was more worried about was Gu Ding¡¯s desire for victory in battle. In the Virtual Arena, this desire usually made him push his body past his limits. He was worried that when Gu Ding encountered something simr in real life, Gu Ding might end up doing the same.

    Immediately, Gu Ding got all of the moves from Ultimate Arts Level 4 and sted the first stance from Level 4 at Tall Guy.

    Since hisprehension of martial arts was very good, the moves were normally sessfully applied.

    Then the second stance, and the third stance. One attack after another he fired them off, with each blow stronger than thest. Slowly, Tall Guy could feel his heart sinking to his stomach. He originally thought that his opponent¡¯s high-speed and continuous movement meant that it would damage his body greatly, and he would notst long. Even though the body was a virtual one, it still fully simted the human body¡¯s physical strength, endurance, perception, spirit strength, and all other variables. This made Tall Guy, who was confident about his physical strength and endurance, slowly lose hope if winning. He gradually felt his physical strain increasing as his spirit, which was connected to the Arena, teetered on the brink of depletion.

    Gu Ding continued using his Steel Fist up until the sixth stance of Level 4. He could feel his body going past its limits and thought that his arms were going to fall off anytime soon. However, he also knew that it was a Virtual Arena and that the worst scenario would just be him losing thepetition. Once he got out of the ring, his body would regenerate. This thought made Gu Ding more confident as he ignored the pain. In his mind, it was less about losing or winning, but more about leveling up himself.

    When he started using his first stance in Level 5 Steel Fist, the powerful punch hit Tall Guy right in the chest. At that moment, Tall Guy¡¯s face changed as there was no time for him to react. His chest felt like a cannon had exploded against it as he heard a noise and went flying through the air.

    Before he could stand up, his chest disintegrated. After a while, he found himself standing outside the ring. He looked up at the young man inside the ring, whose entire right arm had been broken into pieces due to the repelled force from the armor. However, the young man still stood unflinchingly inside the ring. His eyes were calm, as if he had expected such an oue.

    ¡°yer Lukewarm Assassin yer has won!¡± The arena¡¯s system announced the results of thepetition.

    ¡°This kind of incredibly strenuous act is alright in the arena. However, you better not do such stupid things in the real world. Otherwise, you¡¯ll lose your arms for good!¡± Although he knew Gu Ding did not usually listen to him, he still said what was needed to be said. ¡°Don¡¯t think that you can solve all these problems with cell repair fluid. The functions of the cell repair fluid on the body works by elerating your metabolism. Bad injuries will elerate your metabolism even more, which means you will have a shorter lifespan.¡±

    In the monitoring room, the short-haired woman was a little shocked when she saw what had happened in the arena. She knew that Gu Ding would win, but she did not expect Gu Ding to use such an extreme method to achieve victory. She was slowly beginning to understand Gu Ding¡¯s purpose in joining matches.

    ¡°Ask him if he wants a new match,¡± The short-haired woman found herself grinning slightly. However, this time, her smile was no longer one of excitement.

    In the ring, Gu Ding¡¯s arm finished regenerating as a dialog box popped up in front of his eyes. It read, ¡°Do you want a new match?¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡± Gu Ding made the choice without a second thought.

    ¡°This time, your opponent¡¯s rank is around five-thousand. His strength is so-so, but his special ability is stealth. Do you need my help?¡± Neptune asked.

    Gu Ding shook his head slightly and rolled his shoulders.

    Instantly, his opponent appeared. He was a thin small man, dressed in ck from head to toes. His face was covered with a ck face mask and on his head was a ck headscarf. The only thing one could see on his entire body was his eyes. In addition to this, both his hands were wrapped with white cloths that each held a dagger. His ID was InvisibleGentleness.

    Upon seeing this ID, Gu Ding secretly ridiculed him and thought to himself, ¡°How can anyone see your gentleness if you¡¯re wrapped up from head to toe?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s a professional killer so you must be careful. Don¡¯t get killed by him in a single blow,¡± Neptunemented.

    He did not wear gloves because wearing gloves meant that there would be less sensitivity between his palms and the dagger. This was why he used a thinyer of cloth instead. Even though the cloth might affect the sensitivity slightly, he could slowly get used to it through long-term training.

    The ck ensemble from head to toe was to facilitate stealthy movements at night. By covering his face and hair, he could avoid being seen by unnecessary witnesses, making it harder to identify him.

    The opponent¡¯s real-life identity could very well be an assassin. This kind of opponent was extremely dangerous as once they spot a weak point, they would end their foe in a single blow. The pair of daggers were not to be taken lightly either. If he stabbed his opponent in the throat or some other vital point, they would be eliminated on the spot.

    Gu Ding became vignt and activated his defense through Righteous Body the moment he judged his opponent.

    When his opponent saw Gu Ding, he did not attack immediately, He seemed to be analyzing Gu Ding too. After a while, his avatar faded away and disappearedpletely from the ring.

    ¡°Where did he go?¡± Gu Ding was shocked. Although Neptune reminded Gu Ding that his opponent could hide himself, he did not expect his opponent to bepletely traceless.

 Chapter 34

    <h4>Chapter 34: Terrifying Response Capabilities</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Gu Ding¡¯s hair stood on end as he waited patiently for his opponent tounch his attack.

    The opponent this time was indeed a tricky guy. The surface area of the ring was only about four to five hundred square meters without a single object around him for him to take cover under. Now, the other party was able to disappear without a trace; there were no warning signs, and he left zero clues behind.

    If he had gotten help from Neptune, he would have easily been able to trace his opponent¡¯s whereabouts. However, he believed the battles in this ring were his own, and it would be unfair if he had assistance from others.

    Standing in the ring at this ring, he had no idea where his opponent was, so the only thing he could do was wait. When the opponent eventually attacked, then he would be ready to counter.

    However, professional assassins were well known for keeping theirposure. They could hide for countless hours while waiting for their opponent to drop their guard. Even so, this time, the assassin did not have the luxury of waiting around whilst in this ring.

    If there was a dy before the first, the system would determine it a tie. InvisibleGentleness was well aware of this rule¡ªIf you did not initiate an attack yourself, the other party would be unable to fight back. If this situationsts for more than half an hour, the system would consider it a draw.

    He waited patiently for about ten minutes, but never found an opening to strike. Even though the young man before his eyes appeared thin and weak, he was a hard nut built like a pillbox. He knew that if he rushed into action, he would be met with the opponent¡¯s crazy counterattack. However, he also knew that the other party was as steady as the great and lofty mountains, and would not reveal a single w even if he waited another twenty minutes. Therefore, with no other choice, he finally took a shot!

    The cold, swift dagger cut through the air and pierced Gu Ding¡¯s throat in an instant. Yet, the fast-killing blow abruptly stopped in ce.

    He looked as Gu Ding used a single hand to grasp the de of the dagger. Although the tip of the knife had prated Gu Ding¡¯s throat, it had gone less than half a centimeters in before being blocked by Gu Ding¡¯s palm. Gu Ding¡¯s palm appeared to be damaged, but he paid zero attention to it.

    ¡°You lost!¡± Gu Ding grinned, as his other cocked-and-ready fist punched straight into his opponent¡¯s waist.

    InvisibleGentleness¡¯s body was broken into pieces the next moment before being reformed once he was outside the ring.

    Quite a number of onlookers in the circle were unable to make out what had happened in the lightning attack earlier. As such, the scene had to be slowed down for them to clearly see what had transpired.

    ¡°What terrifying reflexes!¡± Many martial artists could not help but sigh. An overwhelming majority of them believed that if they were ced under such circumstances, their throats would have undoubtedly been impaled by the dagger, and they would have been killed instantly.

    ¡°The strength of his fist is frightening!¡± Some of the martial artistsmented. Gu Ding¡¯s single strike earlier had dug a hole in his opponent¡¯s body. Even though it was unlikely that it would achieve the same result in the real world, no normal person would be able to withstand its power.

    ¡°For a novice, his reflexes are quite good.¡± In a monitoring room, the short-haired woman nodded in satisfaction.

    ¡°Miss, should we continue arranging opponents for him?¡± The big tall man in the ck suit that was standing beside her asked.

    ¡°No. I have a rough understanding of his Arts now. His Gene Level is not that high, and his current performance is more or less at its limit. There¡¯s no need to investigate further,¡± the short-haired woman said as she shook her head. Then, she turned around and walked out the door. ¡°Let himpete in a normal way.¡±

    ¡°Alright then, Miss. Do you want us to record his next few battles?¡±

    ¡°Just record the scenes that are worth watching, there¡¯s no need for the fillers.¡± The short-haired woman stopped in her tracks and nodded.

    Without the meddling of the people behind-the-scenes, the challenges that Gu Ding received at his new rank of around 5000 finally normalized. His new opponents¡¯ rankings were all lower than his own.

    There were two ranking rules in the Arena. One of them was Points Ranking, and the other was Substitution Ranking.

    Under normal circumstances, ordinary people would follow the path of Points Ranking, as the system would not randomly assign those that had significant differences in points topete with one another.

    Substitution Rankings were for those who actively challenged high ranked yers. Once they had won, they would obtain the opponent¡¯s rank, and the defeated opponent¡¯s ranking would correspondingly drop by one ce. However, almost every time, a high ranked yer would find a suitable opponent in advance before entering the ring. After this, they would leave immediately after they were done with the battle to disallow the opportunity to challenge them.

    As for Gu Ding¡¯s previous battles, it was stated that the system was random. In reality, they had all been manipted by someone backstage, and he had deliberately been assigned high ranking yers. This situation was unheard of, but it also improved Gu Ding¡¯s ranking to around 5000.

    Since Gu Ding had been standing on the ring, ready to ept new challenges, he had also allowed other low-ranking yers the opportunity to challenge him. When they noticed that Gu Ding¡¯s points were not very high, many yers who had not seen Gu Ding in battle earlier assumed that he was a pushover. They assumed he was probably only able to rank highly due to good fortune, which motivated them to press the challenge button.

    In less than two minutes, Gu Ding received more than thirty challenges, and they were increasing by the second.

    ¡°Is the system faulty?¡± Gu Ding frowned.

    ¡°Your ranking is too high, and your points are low. Therefore, many of them are assuming that you climbed up because you¡¯re lucky, and they want to take the chance to crush you. Moreover, the option you selected was to ept all challenges openly. It¡¯s only natural for many to try their luck in defeating you so that they can take your rank.¡± Neptune¡¯s brief exnation enlightened Gu Ding about what was going on. ¡°This situation is a good opportunity to umte points. Once the challenge is issued, it¡¯s irrevocable unless the challenged party refuses to ept it. This means that even if youter show a terrifying amount of strength, those who had already challenged you can¡¯t undo the challenge. In this case, they will only be able to submit themselves to their fate and give the points away.¡±

    As they were talking, the number of challenges skyrocketed to more than fifty. It made Gu Ding grin. ¡°Not bad.¡±

    ¡°Let me help you screen your next opponent. The highest-ranked one that is currently challenging you ranked at around 6100. I feel like these people are not challenging enough for you,¡± Neptune said, feeling somewhat bored.

    ¡°Then, he¡¯ll be next. It¡¯s not good to challenge too many people, as it eats into my cultivation time.¡± Having said that, Gu Ding was d that people were taking the initiative to send him points, since, after all, one point was equivalent to one hundred Star Credits. If one were to win sixty battles in a row, they would be able to umte 1830 points, which would result in a bountiful amount of wealth. However, if he continued to spend time with these people, the progression of his Ultimate Arts would be limited. Only when facing a genuinely strong opponent could he quickly improve himself in battle.

    ¡°You¡¯re nning to use this guy to establish yourself, right?¡± Neptune correctly guessed Gu Ding¡¯s intentions.

    ¡°If I don¡¯t do this,ter on, there will be an endless stream of challengers,¡± Gu Ding smirked. ¡°Let¡¯s do it!¡±

    A momentter, a fat man appeared in the ring. He did not look very old, perhaps in his early twenties, and was not tall at all. Heughed soon afterying his eyes on Gu Ding. ¡°It¡¯s just a kid.¡±

    Gu Ding felt somewhat helpless after receiving this sort of response from the other party. Even if he grew taller, and his body became a little stronger due to cultivating Ultimate Arts, he would still be on the thinner side amongst his peers.

    ¡°Lil kiddo, it seems that you¡¯re all out of luck. I¡¯ll try and go easy on you,¡± The fatty said as he dashed toward Gu Ding. He was using a blitzkrieg strategy.

    Gu Ding stood there with a bitter smile. As the other person gradually approached him, he reloaded his Steel Fist with the fifth tier¡¯s first stance. Then, he struck his opponent¡¯s fat belly with all his might...

 Chapter 35

    <h4>Chapter 35: A Sudden and Difficult Trial</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    The fat man looked at the holes that had been sted through his belly with a look of disbelief stered across his face. After a moment, his body crumbled into a pile of debris before reassembling outside the ring.

    That fat body was his ability, which was able to block 50% of the attack. Despite this, he was killed in a split second. Only then did the fat man, who was now standing outside the ring, realize how terrifying his opponent truly was.

    When they saw that the fat man who had ranked around 6000th was defeated instantly, those in the crowd who had pressed the challenge button felt a stab of pain in their hearts. Those who stood behind the fat man all knew how powerful he was, and they all knew about his special ability. For the fat man to be killed in an instant... at this point they were afraid that they would be heading into the ring to act as free points.

    After killing off the fat man, Gu Ding selected his next opponent, who was a strong man ranking somewhere around the 7000s. Out of the many challengers, this man¡¯s ranking was second only to the fat man.

    After the strong man walked onto the stage, he smiled bitterly. He had once challenged the fat man too, and he was annihted. Back then, he did not get a chance to fight back at all. Now he faced Gu Ding, who had killed off the fat man in one swift move, so he knew he did not stand a chance. He cursed himself silently for acting brashly. He thought it would be an easy win when he clicked the challenge button. He did not expect his opponent to not only not be as soft as a persimmon, but instead be as tough as nails.

    Nevertheless, after sending the challenge request, you could not back out unless the request is rejected by your opponent. He only knew that Gu Ding had epted his challenge after he stepped into the ring.

    ¡°I¡¯ll just die and be reincarnated quickly!¡± The strong man made up his mind. He thought about the about the many others who, like him, had chosen to challenge Gu Ding on impulse as well, and it made him feel a little better.

    As these thoughts were passing through the strong man¡¯s mind, it only took split second for the deed to be done. He did not spend a lot of time in the ring. When he rushed toward Gu Ding, he was killed with a single punch. The whole process did not take more than five seconds.

    ¡°Hey, muscleman. How does it feel to be knocked out instantly?¡± Someone asked in a mocking tone.

    The strong man looked over to see that it was the fat man. ¡°Didn¡¯t the same thing happen to you, fatty? Thest time we fought, you abused me pretty terribly. I see you finally got what you deserved.¡±

    ¡°That kid looks so young, who would have thought him to be so powerful? It¡¯s almost as if he had taken a Strength Enhancing Pill.¡± The fat man was smiling as if he did not mind the fact that he had lost the fight. He had spent quite some time in the Arena and had participated in more than 7000petitions. Therefore, his numerous encounters with all kinds of opponents, coupled with his optimistic nature, ensured that his mind was already at peace.

    ¡°I was being too brash as well. I should have watched one of the opponent¡¯s battle videos first.¡± The strong man smiled bitterly. He, like Gu Ding, usually took the more offensive route. He was used to using strong attacks to crush his opponents. This time, however, he was the one who was crushed, and by an opponent who was a youngster. He found this a little hard to ept.

    Seeing the strong man¡¯s expressions, it was as if the fat man knew what he was thinking. ¡°Don¡¯t think too much about it, this kid is a freak. The Arts he used was terrifying, he might even be a super genius trained by the Universal Federation Government. In the future, he might even be as well-known as Kohld Blood.¡±

    ¡°I wonder what all the youngsters are eating nowadays, they¡¯re all so fierce.¡± The strong man could not help but sigh and say, ¡°I heard some news recently that Kohld Blood encountered amodore from the Universal Federation Government on the new route. The two of them fought for a day, and it ended with themodore running away in defeat.¡±

    At that moment, Gu Ding was in the ring defeating many opponents continuously. Just as he was approaching his 20th consecutive win, he heard Neptune speak.

    ¡°There was some big news just now. Kohld Blood encountered amodore on the new route. The two of them had a huge fight and it ended when themodore running away after being defeated. Based on what was in the video, themodore was almost killed, but he managed to escape using some special tactics. Meanwhile, Kohld Blood only sustained some minor injuries. Seems like his danger level has increased again, so I reckon the bounty on him will increase again very soon.¡±

    Upon hearing this, Gu Ding grew more eager. Until now, he still had not had a bounty put on him yet. He was looking forward to seeing the bounty on his head being spread the way Kohld Blood¡¯s was.

    Gu Ding¡¯s opponents were sent into the ring one by one, and they were then killed on the spot, one after the other.

    He easily achieved 20 consecutive wins. Gu Ding was unstoppable, and he quickly attained 30 consecutive wins, then 40 consecutive wins, 50 consecutive wins, 60 consecutive wins, 70 consecutive wins...

    As he stood there waiting for the 80th round, he saw that no one else was brought into the ring.

    When they saw the fat man getting killed instantly, there were already 60 people who have pressed the challenge button and were unable to revoke their challenge. However, when the people behind them who were thinking about challenging Gu Ding saw the live footage of him in the ring, they immediately withdrew their hands from the challenge button and secretly breathed a sigh of relief that they had been slow to hit the button.

    ¡°Is there no one else?¡± Gu Ding raised his brow. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, I¡¯ll only be getting the points for 70 consecutive wins. It seems like I¡¯ll have to wait until Ie again next time.¡±

    The points gathered for less than 100 consecutive wins were calcted ording to every 10 consecutive wins. This meant that the number of consecutive wins had to be 10, 20, 30, etc. to obtain the umted points for consecutive wins. If Gu Ding hadpleted the 80th round, he could have obtained the points for 80 consecutive wins, which was 3240 points. However, Gu Ding had only reached his 79th round, so he only obtained the umted points for 70 consecutive wins in addition to the points gathered from round 71 to 79, which was an additional nine points. Therefore, in total, he had only gained 2494 points.

    ¡°Just quit, Gu Ding. Your spaceship has encountered some problems.¡± Neptune sounded a bit unsettled.

    ¡°Is there a malfunction?¡± When he heard Neptune¡¯s tone, Gu Ding felt a little uneasy.

    ¡°It¡¯s not a malfunction, it has encountered the aftermath of an interster storm.¡± Neptune¡¯s tone began to sound a little urgent. ¡°I¡¯m going to help you cut the link. Otherwise, if the spaceship is hit, the electromaic influence will cause damage to your spirit.¡±

    As Neptune said this, he cut Gu Ding¡¯s link to the Arena.

    The spectators in the Arena who were watching Gu Ding were surprised when he suddenly disappeared from the ring on his 80th round. They all assumed that Gu Ding would at least finish the 80th round and get the umted points for the consecutive wins. Even though there was no one left to challenge at that moment, if he waited a little longer, the system would have automatically assigned an opponent to him. The never expected Gu Ding to retreat so suddenly.

    ¡°What happened? Why did he suddenly get disconnected?¡± In the monitoring room backstage, a tall, brawny man in a tuxedo frowned slightly when he saw what happened.

    ¡°It¡¯s not a system malfunction. I reckon something urgent happened and he had to quit the Arena suddenly.¡± After checking the system, a technician found out that Gu Ding had quit on his own ord.

    ¡°This kid...¡± The man in the tuxedo did not expect this to happen.

    Meanwhile, Gu Ding, who had just returned to reality, was about to face a difficult trial.

 Chapter 36

    <h4>Chapter 36: Interster Storm</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    In the cabin, Gu Ding could feel the Kittyhawk Model shaking slightly.

    ¡°The aftermath is still some distance away from us. So far, it hasn¡¯t affected us greatly.¡± Neptune still sounded a little pessimistic. ¡°I¡¯ve already changed the Kittyhawk Model¡¯s route, but ording to the calctions based on the Kittyhawk Model¡¯s maximum speed, we still can¡¯t totally avoid the effects of the aftermath. The best we can do is to evade the epicenter of the impact as much as possible.¡±

    ¡°What will happen if we are affected?¡± Gu Ding had heard of some things rted to the Interster Course when he was in the Basic Military Academy. From what he heard, encounters with interster storms were quite serious. For example, the spacecraft would disintegrate, and most life forms would be ripped into pieces in an instant.

    ¡°The spacecraft¡¯s instruments will stop working. If we¡¯re lucky, the spacecraft will only be slightly damaged, but will deviate from its course. If we¡¯re unlucky, the spacecraft might get hit by stray meteorites and be destroyed.¡± Neptune continued, ¡°I will do my best to navigate the spacecraft and evade the meteorites. However, you should be mentally prepared in the event that the spacecraft is destroyed.¡±

    ¡°What can I do?¡± Even though Gu Ding had taken spacecraft piloting as an elective back in the Basic Military Academy, after a year of sses, he had only gone through three lessons with simted piloting, while the rest were all theory lessons. Moreover, he had undergone those sses when he first entered the Basic Military Academy, which was more than two years ago. Therefore, he knew that he would not do a better job at piloting the spacecraft than Neptune.

    ¡°You should enter the escape cabin first. Fortunately, I had helped you to choose a D-ss escape cabin which is better quality. Back then, I considered the possibilities of something like this happening. Even if the spacecraft is destroyed, it shouldn¡¯t be too big of the problem.¡± The escape cabin that Neptune had chosen back then possessed a short-distance flight function and was controble too. It cost almost half a million Star Credits, which was why Gu Ding objected at the time.

    However, Neptune had said, ¡°Those who often travel through the cosmos know that the escape cabin is more important than the aircraft itself. If the aircraft is destroyed, you can buy a new one, but if the escape cabin is destroyed, you won¡¯t ever get a second chance.

    After hearing his words, Gu Ding decided topromise and let the merchant install this escape cabin.

    Just as Gu Ding was heading into the aftermath of the interster storm, almost all the video channels of Skyriver Sector started simultaneously broadcasting the same piece of news.

    ¡°There has been a collision between Gn and Great Luminance of the Skyriver Sector. This has caused arge-scale interster storm. Residents of nearbys are advised to not panic and to enter the corresponding areas to take refuge in ordance with the instructions of the local government. Spacecraft nearby are advised to change course as soon as possible and leave the affected areas. This interster storm is estimated to end in 20 days. Please pay close attention to your safety during this period. As soon as the storm ends, we will make the corresponding announcements ...¡±

    This short video broadcast caused a lot of people to panic. Gn was an ancient star that had existed for more than tens of billions of years, and was one of the biggest stars in the Skyriver Sector. On the other hand, Great Luminance had only existed for around two billion years, but was the biggest star in the Skyriver Sector. Even though scientists had considered the collision of these two stars very early on, ording to their calctions back then, the probability of these twos colliding was rtively small, standing at less than one percent. Even so, such unlikely events often urred throughout the history of science. There was also a saying in the scientificmunity that went, ¡°Many times it is unreliable to speak with probability.¡±

    The collision of the stars would also cause the two different small gxies to be utterly destroyed. Fortunately, the two stars¡¯ temperatures were so high that it caused the surface temperatures of the variouss within the small gxies to be well in the thousands of degrees. It waspletely unsuitable for the survival of living beings, so they were all no-habitable zones.

    ¡°The position of Gn and Great Luminance...¡± Parma was shocked when she heard the news, then immediately responded, ¡°Gu Ding¡¯s ship should pass through here, so his current position should be here...¡±

    Parma¡¯s wristwatch was no ordinary wristwatch. It was a high-end product that was worth millions of Star Credits and had many functions which themon civilian wristwatch did not. Thus, it took little effort for her to calcte the possible position of the Kittyhawk Model. Looking at the location of the red dot on the projection of the wristwatch, she saw that there was some ovep with the area of the interster storm¡¯s aftermath that had been shown in the broadcast just now. There was a nervous tremor in her heart, and she quickly dialed Gu Ding¡¯s number.

    ¡°The person you¡¯ve called is currently unavable...¡± The voice from the wristwatch¡¯smunication headset reported.

    She was unsatisfied, and called a few more times, only to receive the same response every time. Feeling helpless, she dialed Modican¡¯s number.

    ¡°Parma, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Under normal circumstances, it was rare for Parma to call him. Even when she had encountered problems regarding the refining of medicine, she would usually just leave a message and wait for him to reply. Unless she was having an emergency, she would not call him.

    ¡°Teacher, there was a video broadcast just now about the news of the collision between Gn and Great Luminance. All the nearby districts are being affected by arge-scale interster storm.¡±

    ¡°I saw that too. Cerule might be slightly affected by the aftermath, but it will be cut off by the atmosphere, so you don¡¯t have to worry about it.¡± Modican thought Parma was panicking because of the news, and that was why she had called him, so heforted her immediately. He evenughed to himself. ¡®Women sure are timid.¡¯

    ¡°That¡¯s not what I wanted to say. When I saw the video, I suddenly recalled that Gu Ding¡¯s route would be passing through the area, so I calcted his current position. The results of the calctions show that he¡¯s currently in a district which might be affected by the aftermath of the interster storm. When I tried to call him just now, the calls could not get through. This kind of prompt will only appear when it¡¯s a ce where the Sk signal can¡¯t reach, right?¡± Parma exined a hastily.

    ¡°No way, give me a moment. What kind of spacecraft is he on? I¡¯ll calcte it too.¡± Modican also felt his chest tighten. The apprentice which he had been so close to getting was now encountering this kind of situation, so it was making him nervous too. However, he could not believe Parma¡¯s calctions and needed to check them himself, just be make sure.

    ¡°It¡¯s the Kittyhawk Model.¡± Just as Parma finished speaking, Modican transferred the data of the Kittyhawk Model into his calctions tool. In less than two seconds, the results were out, as a red dot appeared on the projection of the star map. It was the same as Parma¡¯s calction¡¯s results, and was within the area of the interster storm¡¯s aftermath.

    ¡°How could this be?¡± Modican was in disbelief and calcted it again. The position of the red dot remained unchanged.

    ¡°Gu Ding will be fine, right?¡± Parma asked cautiously upon hearing the silence from the other end of the line.

    After a moment of silence, Modican finally epted the reality of the situation. ¡°We¡¯ll only be able to ask for help from those on nearbys to search for them after the interster storm subsides. There¡¯s no point in us being anxious now.¡±

    He hung up Parma¡¯s call, and Modican clenched his fist. ¡°It was not an easy feat to find such a talented pharmacologist in the Skyriver Sector. He better not die!¡±

    Meanwhile, on the other side, Gu Ding had already climbed into the escape cabin. The Kittyhawk was about to wee the first wave of the interster storm¡¯s aftermath¡¯s attacks...

 Chapter 37

    <h4>Chapter 37: To Hell With Fengyuan</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Inside the spacecraft, Gu Ding had already hidden in the escape cabin. Under the influence of the hypnotic gas, he quickly fell asleep. He knew he would only cause more trouble for Neptune in a situation like this, so he decided to leave the rest in Neptune¡¯s hands.

    Neptune had entered a state of high-speedputing. Because of the restrictions of Gu Ding¡¯s gene level, there were many limits of authority that he had not yet removed as even the basic detection function could only extend to about 100 meters. In addition to this, thework had been affected by the electromaic waves caused by the interster storm. Therefore, there was no way they could obtain real-time information about the interster storm from external sources. Now, he could only navigate based on the spacecraft¡¯s radar and going off some of his earlier predictions.

    Heunched the Kittyhawk Model into hyper-speed flight mode, intending to get as far away from the storm¡¯s center as possible. Due to the high speed at which the spacecraft was traveling at, it started to show signs of instability, but this was all within Neptune¡¯s expectations. The Kittyhawk Model was a cheap modified model, and its performance was limited, so it was already pretty impressive that it could be pushed like this. However, it was unlikely that it could go any faster than this.

    Half an hour passed, and there was finally a blip on the radar. It was the group of meteorites that had been brought over by the interster storm. Neptune calmly calcted the trajectory of each meteorite, and then slightly lowered the speed of the Kittyhawk Model. In its hyper-speed state, it would be easy to make errors with regards to the Kittyhawk Model¡¯s trajectory. Neptune did not wish to see the spacecraft being torn apart by the meteorites because of such errors, so decided to sacrifice its speed so that they could safely pass through this wave of meteorites safely before reevaluating their situation.

    Within a few minutes, the meteorites began drawing close. Meteorite fragments of various sizes were densely packed together, with the data from Neptune¡¯s statistics showing that there were a total of 11281 pieces of meteorite fragments. The trajectory of each fragment had been urately calcted, as the Kittyhawk Model¡¯s optimum path was simultaneously calcted as well.

    Even though the spacecraft was not very big, because of how densely-packed the meteorite fragments were, it was impossible to totally avoid the onught of meteorites. Neptune activated the spacecraft¡¯s energy shield, and carefully controlled the movement of the Kittyhawk Model, thus evading the impact of hundreds ofrge-sized meteorites.

    ¡°Bang!¡± The spacecraft¡¯s shield was soon hit by a meteorite fragment, and the energy shield dampened slightly. Neptune immediately adjusted the spacecraft¡¯s course as, after being hit, the spacecraft¡¯s operation needed to be fine-tuned again.

    The energy shield consumed a lot of energy just by being kept up and running. Every time it was hit, the amount of energy it consumed increased a few times over. ording to Neptune¡¯s estimations, the Kittyhawk Model¡¯s shield could only withstand twelve more hits like the one before. After this, it would run out of energy.

    Even though this was the best trajectory that Neptune could calcte, it was still inevitable for them to have to endure eight more hits like the previous one as they charged through the wave of meteorites. Twenty minutes passed by very quickly, and the Kittyhawk Model managed to survive as they passed through the wave of meteorite fragments. At this point, there was only a thinyer of energy shield left.

    Neptune deactivated the energy shield and pulled up the star map of the district nearby. He knew that he had to find a tond the spacecraft as soon as possible, preferably one with oxygen. This was because the Kittyhawk Model needed a sufficient amount of energy to create oxygen. If the energy was depleted, the oxygen within the Kittyhawk Model would onlyst Gu Ding three more days, and this was if the spacecraft was in perfect condition. If the spacecraft was damaged and oxygen was leaking out, Gu Ding might not evenst another 24 hours.

    Neptune prayed silently, ¡°Don¡¯t let there be a second wave of meteorites.¡±

    If a second wave of meteorites appeared, the spacecraft¡¯s energy might be totally depleted. If that happened, Gu Ding would be in grave danger.

    However, things rarely went ording to people¡¯s wishes. Neptune¡¯s prayers were not answered¡ªvery soon the second wave of meteorites appeared on the spacecraft¡¯s radar.

    The size of this wave of meteorites was more than three times the size of the previous one. Neptune began to frantically calcte his escape strategy.

    ¡°If we force our way through, the spacecraft will be destroyed...¡± Neptune analyzed all the possible oues in detail. ¡°If that happens, all I can do is to reduce the escape cabin¡¯s temperature and allow Gu Ding to enter a temporaryatose state, reducing his oxygen consumption as I direct the escape cabin to a nearby. If the power of the escape cabin is insufficient, or it encounters more meteorites, there will be no chance that Gu Ding survives.

    ¡°Right now, the spacecraft has less than 30% energy left, and I can¡¯t find a habitable tond on in such a short amount of time. A suitablending spot would not only need to have oxygen, but ideally, it should also have the same gravity as Cerule. The surface temperature cannot exceed what a human can handle either. Humans are such fragile life forms...¡± Neptune could not help but sigh at the thought of all these conditions.

    ¡°There¡¯s no other way, the most energy-efficient option will be to float along with the meteorites. But I¡¯m afraid Gu Ding might not be able to reach Fengyuan at this point.¡± When Neptune thought about this, he could not help but swear out loud, ¡°Oh, to hell with Fengyuan, survival is more important than anything else!¡±

    Recently, he had learned quite a lot of human terms, with most of them being impolite words. This proved that it was not just humans who learned these kinds of terms faster, but artificial super-intelligence like Neptune did as well. However, it was funny to hear Neptune swear in his child-like voice. If Gu Ding had heard it, he definitely would have rolled overughing.

    After picking what he thought was the best decision, Neptune directed the Kittyhawk Model to evade the impact of several meteorites. He found arger meteorite on the Kittyhawk Model¡¯s detection radar which was located nearby and changed the spacecraft¡¯s course. He directed the Kittyhawk Model tond on therge meteorite, then turned off the Kittyhawk Model¡¯s engine.

    He did not wake Gu Ding, as Gu Ding in his active state would consume more oxygen and would require food to sustain himself. In his sleeping state, not only could he reduce his oxygen consumption, he could save on food as well. Neptune did not know where Gu Ding¡¯s finalnding point would be, so when faced with an unknown situation such as this, it was best to conserve oxygen and food to maximize the length of time which Gu Ding could stay alive.

    Within the Kittyhawk Model, almost all the hardware had stopped working except for the oxygen being supplied into the escape cabin where Gu Ding was located, as well as the radar on which the densely packed red dots remained.

    The radar was left on because Neptune had to use the feedback from the radar to determine their position byparing it with the star map. Because the Sk¡¯swork was blocked by the electromaic waves, Neptune could only use this crude method to determine their location.

    If they were in the channel of the previous star map, then Neptune could use the various information marked on the previous star map to find a that was suitable for them tond on.

    However, Neptune¡¯s idea soon fell through. The Kittyhawk Model stayed on the meteorite for three days as the trajectory of this wave of meteorites looked to break away from the channel of the previous star map very soon. Not only were these meteorites breaking away from the Skyriver Sector, they were about to plunge into the Dark District which was infected by various viruses.

    Along the way, Neptune could not find a single where the spacecraft couldnd, so he had no choice but to follow the meteorites into the Dark District...

 Chapter 38

    <h4>Chapter 38: Ugly and Violent</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    The federation government had different ssifications for star sectors under its jurisdiction. For example, the red star sectors referred to the extremely dangerous areas, the ck star sectors referred to areas under the jurisdiction of the interster pirates, andstly, the golden star sectors referred to highly developed star sectors. Meanwhile, gray star sectors represented abandoned star sectors.

    Generally speaking, gray star sectors were areas where there had once been intelligent life. However, for some reason, the amount of intelligent life within the star sector had sharply dropped. Hence, there was no need for the federation government to send people there to manage them anymore.

    In their current condition whereby thework was blocked, Neptune had no way of finding relevant information about this star sector. He could only use the radar system originally installed in the spacecraft to detect the existence of living bodies. Fortunately, the radar on the Kittyhawk Model was a new model made in recent years. Thus, it had the hardware to detect the existence, as well as the specific location, of lifeforms nearby.

    The result of the radar sweep was quickly transmitted back. After seeing the result, Neptune was slightly surprised. Within the detection range, there was a with arge poption. Although Neptune was a little surprised, he did not have time to investigate further. The presence of a poption indicated that there was suitable levels of oxygen and gravity, making it ideal to use as a pitstop. Since Gu Ding only needed a temporary ce to rest before they set off again after avoiding the interster storm, Neptune quickly chose a ce tond.

    As the huge meteorite passed by the, Neptune steered the Kittyhawk Model away from the meteorite whilst simultaneously activating the energy barrier, enduring several impacts in the process. Then, the spacecraft finally descended toward the target.

    When the spacecraft entered the atmosphere, Neptune tested theposition of the¡¯s atmosphere. The test result showed that the oxygen content here was simr to that of Cerule, meaning that Gu Ding could breathe normally.

    As for the gravitational strength, he calcted it against their rate of descent and found it to be about 1.5 times that of the earth. For Gu Ding, whose cell index was close to 20 points, the effect was minimal.

    Under Neptune¡¯s guidance, the spaceship fell quickly into the ocean. This Kittyhawk Model had beenpletely destroyed as most functions were no longer operational expect for the radar. As for food and water, Gu Ding had cleverly moved them into the escape capsule earlier.

    The enclosed escape capsule popped out of the spaceship and began floating on the surface of the sea. Only now did Neptune finally wake Gu Ding up.

    Rubbing his sleepy eyes, Gu Ding stretched his body. ¡°That nap was reallyfortable, is the interster storm gone?¡±

    ¡°Not yet, the Kittyhawk Model has beenpletely destroyed. We were brought into the grey star sector by the interster storm.¡± Neptune gave a brief exnation. ¡°I have made a preliminary check on the condition of this. It is suitable for human survival and there are also living beings here.¡±

    ¡°You mean, we broke away from the new route?¡± Gu Ding did not question Neptune¡¯s decisions. He was more concerned about whether or not he was still on the new route.

    ¡°Yes, this was already the best options. The first wave of meteorite attacks consumed more than 60% of the Kittyhawk Model¡¯s energy. If we did note here, I am afraid that the Kittyhawk Model would have already been disintegrated. It was torn to pieces. ¡±

    ¡°How long will it take to return to the new route?¡± Gu Ding was most desperate to get back on track.

    ¡°We can wait for the interster storm to pass and for the electromaic disturbance to disappear. Then, I can send a message and we will await rescue. ording to the previous official statement, this interster storm willst at least 20 days. Now, 3 days have passed.¡± Neptune could understand Gu Ding¡¯s mood. However, he could not help the situation.

    ¡°That is to say, there are 17 more days to go...¡± Gu Ding mumbled. Suddenly his stomach cried out. He woke up after being in the escape capsule for 3 days. He did not feel hungry at first, but now he quickly realized that he needed to replenish himself.

    He took out a toothpaste-like tube ofpressed food and squeezed it into his mouth a few times. Then, he chugged some water.

    In the early days of interster voyage, many foodstuff would bepressed into a toothpaste-like substance to prevent the food debris from floating about in weightless aircraft. This was because it would be troublesome if it was inhaled into the lungs. Many advanced spaceships were now equipped with a gravity detection system so this kind of problem could be avoided, allowing all kinds of food to be eaten casually. However, back then, Gu Ding could not afford a spaceship with a gravity detection system.

    Gu Ding, who was eatingpressed food, suddenly saw that there were fish in the water not far away. He suddenly felt that the food in his mouth was tasteless; He wanted to catch a fish to add to his meal.

    After undressing as he prepared to jump into the water, Gu Ding was suddenly stopped by Neptune. ¡°That fish seems a little weird, please don¡¯t go down yet, I will send you a video I just opened.¡±

    Neptune said this while he projected a video of a fish. Neptune himself had detected this as he could detect everything in their surroundings within 100 metres.

    ¡°It seems that this fish should not be eaten...¡± Gu Ding sighed after watching the video.

    In the video, the fish was about 30 centimetres long and had a mouth full of razor-sharp teeth. It seemed to bepeting for territory with another fish.

    Soon, the winner was decided. The fish with the slightly longer body bit its opponent¡¯s head and tore it apart. After this, only half of its opponent¡¯s head remained. However, within 10 seconds, its opponent¡¯s body waspletely devoured.

    ¡°This fish does not only look ugly, but is also very violent.¡± Gu Ding could not help but sigh. ¡°Help me check if there are other fish that can be eaten.¡±

    After this, Neptune pulled out several videos, all of which were of different kinds of fish. Each one looked fiercer than before as Gu Ding slowly lost his appetite.

    After watching these videos, Gu Ding noticed one thing inmon, all these fish had mouths filled with sharp teeth. When one was fighting for territory, they would not care if the other was of the same kind. They would fight aggressively until death.

    ¡°Is everything here like this? Are there any kinds of normal fish that can be eaten?¡± Gu Ding asked helplessly.

    ¡°Do you think those fish can survive in this kind of water?¡± Neptune asked in reply, ¡°Even if it lived here before, I¡¯m afraid it would have quickly been eaten up by the other fish.¡±

    ¡°It seems that I can only eat this kind of unseasonedpressed food.¡± After unsessfully finding a side dish to add to his meal, Gu Ding, being a typical foodie, was a little depressed.

    ¡°This is a little weird. The number of living beings detected by the radar before numbered in the billions. This star sector is obviously a grey star sector, so technically it should be difficult to find a with any living bodies at all.¡± Neptune was sceptical about this. However, the situation was dire, so he could not be picky after encountering the first inhabitable in their 3 days of drifting.

    ¡°Neptune, were those fish just now infected with a virus?¡± Gu Ding suddenly remembered that a simr situation had urred in the virology ss he had attended in the Military Academy.

 Chapter 39

    <h4>Chapter 39: Travelling Toward the Spacecraft Factory</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Gu Ding only took a semester of the virology course. Due to the sudden resignation of the virology professor, the military academy could not recruit a second virology teacher in time. Therefore, the course was left unfinished.

    Later, Gu Ding also heard some rumours about the teacher. It was said that the little old man who did not look particrly amazing was once famous in the cosmic sea. Gu Ding merely overheard this rumor, he had never taken it seriously.

    For him, the identity of the little old man was not important. What was important was that he, who previously had no interest in virology at all, became interested after listening to the lessons taught by the little man. So much so that after the sses were over, Gu Ding would asionally run to the library to read up on virology rted materials.

    Besides, virology was a branch of pharmacology. Therefore, Gu Ding was not against bing a pharmacologist.

    After hearing Gu Ding¡¯s statement, Neptune was silent for a moment. ¡°I also suspected it but there is no information about this virus in my database. The closest virus, code-named X, was used as a biological weapon in a paleontological civilization. It can greatly enhance the strength of the infected and can evolve by engulfing gene fragments. It also contains all DNA and RNA viruses, but will still not attack each other. Yet, looking at the situation with these fish, they seem to devour all life theye across, not even sparing a thought for their own kind.

    ¡°Some researchers of paleontological civilizations believe that the virus has instincts and conscious desire for survival and expansion. Therefore, people infected with simr viruses were generally not invaded by each other. Seeing these fish in the sea swallowing each other in this way, it¡¯s obvious that it greatly reduces the possibility of the virus spreading wildly. Therefore, I didn¡¯t think they were infected by the virus at all.¡±

    Neptune exined, ¡°But this crazy behaviour cannot be exined in any other way than being infected. Whatever the case may be, this is definitely not be a safending point. You should put on yourbat armor, just in case.¡±

    Gu Ding summoned hisbat armor and wrapped himself tightly in it. In this unknown situation, even though he was usually a bit careless, he knew better than to let his guard down.

    A momentter, Neptune¡¯s voice sounded again, this time with a hint of surprise, ¡°I just received some good news.¡±

    ¡°Has the interster storm stopped?¡± Gu Ding guessed somewhat uncertainly.

    ¡°No, how could that happen so fast? You are thinking too much.¡± Neptuneughed, ¡°Although the outerarymunication is blocked, I tried to connect to the innerwork of this, and it worked.¡±

    ¡°Could you be mistaken? This grey star sector is close to the Skyriver Sector and has been abandoned for more than 50 years. That is to say, there has been no human life on this for at least 50 years. How is it possible that thework is still avable?¡±

    ¡°If the technology of this was sufficiently developed and the use of sr energy had reached a sufficient level, it¡¯s possible for it to sustain the hardware for 500 years, let alone 50 years.¡± Neptune felt that Gu Ding was looking down on the power of technology. ¡°And, fortunately, one of the machines which is still in operation is a main piece of equipment at a scientificboratory. Not only is there a lot of historical scientific research data, they also have all the monitoring records regarding the years of infection on this.¡±

    ¡°Actually, I would like to know if there are any functioning spaceships on this.¡± Gu Ding was thinking that if there were any intact spaceships on this, then he did not have to wait for the federal government to send someone to rescue him. After all, his current identity was that of an interster pirate, even if he was not even worth half a star coin as bounty right now.

    When thinking about the bounty, Gu Ding was a little depressed. In just a few days after leaving Cerule, he had fallen to a ce where even the birds did not sh*t. He did not even know when he could leave, let alone do something big and dynamic that would astonish the federal government.

    ¡°There is a spacecraft factory near the port. However, as a matter of safety, you must dock on solid ground as soon as possible. ording to the monitoring records, there are many terrible things in the sea withbat power at leastparable to that of a fifth-order genome bearer. It may even be close to a sixth-order genome warrior.¡± Neptune said this, but did not seem to be very anxious. ¡°But that thing is afraid of light so it will note out during the day. Having said that, at night, you will be in a very dangerous situation.¡±

    ¡°How long is it until nightfall?¡± Gu Ding understood the gravity of the situation. Even with extreme body technique and equipment to increase hisbat power, he was onlyparable to a second-order genome warrior. There was basically no chance of beating a third-order genome bearer. In the case of the fourth order and above, there was a high probability that he would be killed instantly. No matter what kind of monster this was, if it wasparable to thebat power of a fifth-order genome bearer, his chances of survival survival was basically non-existent.

    ¡°The time it takes for this toplete a full rotation is about 70 hours, there are 40 in the daytime, and now there are about 35 hours left until nightfall.¡± Neptune had already grasped some information of this. ¡°The coast closest to you is in the southeast, about 2000 kilometres away. You¡¯re quite fortunate. The energy of the escape capsule is just enough to get you to the sea level. Driving on the water, it will take about 10 hours to reach the shore.

    Gu Ding looked around. He realized that he could not distinguish direction on this. He scratched his head. ¡°I am still depending on you. Is the rotational direction of the from west to east too?¡±

    ¡°Yes, so the star appears in the east every morning.¡± Neptune knew that Gu Ding had asked this because he could not tell the direction at all. He took control of the escape capsule and sped towards the southeast, drawing a long white line of foam across the sea.

    Gu Ding felt that these 10 hours was unusually long. The space inside the escape capsule was limited. He could only lie inside it without moving. During high-speed travelling, if his body was not secured, it was likely that he would be thrown out.

    The escape capsule was transparent except for the bottom. Thus, Gu Ding saw a variety of fish along the way, all of which were in a crazed and fierce state. Many of them were even bigger than the escape capsule. After seeing the escape capsule, they chased crazily until they were eventually tired out.

    After surviving for 10 hours in the escape capsule, Gu Ding heard Neptune¡¯s voice again, ¡°We have reached the shore.¡±

    After opening the hatch, Gu Ding sat up and let out a long breath. ¡°We finally arrived.¡±

    ¡°All the energy in the escape capsule has been exhausted, you have to rely on your feet for the rest of the way.¡± Neptune let out another piece of bad news.

    ¡°How far is that shipyard from here?¡± Gu Ding knew it was time to train his physical abilities.

    ¡°It is probably more than 600 kilometres away.¡± Neptune gave a rough estimate. ¡°I have seen your physical fitness test results, which is five hours per hundred kilometres. After running, you need to rest for at least half an hour to recover. With the various conditions that you may encounter on the road, you are expected to take at least 2 days to arrive.¡±

    After cing food and water into the storage space, Gu Ding begun to run following Neptune¡¯s directions.

 Chapter 40

    <h4>Chapter 40: Liliath</h4>

    There had been no human life on this for decades, allowing the flora to flourish.

    Not far away from the coastline, there was a forest.

    ¡°The area of this forest is veryrge, making it impossible to bypass it. You should go straight through it, although it is definitely more dangerous than being on the beach.¡± Neptune suggested.

    Not long after Gu Ding had begun running, he got the feeling as though he were being watched. The creature staring it bore a ghastly killing intention. Gu Ding was born with a great sensitivity to killing intent, so he was aware of it right off the bat.

    ¡°A monster is staring at you, be careful!¡± At this time, Neptune also became alert as the other party had entered Neptune¡¯s detection range. Due to the limit of his detection range, his awareness was actually a step slower than that of Gu Ding¡¯s. However, his detection was much more detailed than Gu Ding¡¯s simple hunch. ¡°It¡¯s just at the level of first-order gene body. If you want to fight, try to finish it off as quickly as possible to avoid attracting other virus-infected creatures. You should also pay attention not to touch the bodily fluids. The information in the scientific research room shows that the early stage of this virus is spread through body fluids.¡±

    ¡°Got it!¡± Gu Ding nodded slightly. He did not slow down at all. If he could get rid of the guy by leaving it in his dust, then there was no need to waste time fighting it.

    After stalking for a while, the pair of eyes behind Gu Ding finally attacked as it could not hold back anymore.

    Only then did Gu Ding see the beast, which was a huge feline creature. It had three eyes, but did not have the elegance of an ordinary feline. It was covered with muscles, such that even its ck fur was sparse.

    Gu Ding turned his body around. Heshed out with a backhand strike, hitting the head of the giant feline. The mutated beast was instantly killed. Gu Ding did not even slow down as he trudged on. However, he could not help but criticize, ¡°Are all the creatures on this so ugly looking?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t forget that you are also on this too.¡± Neptune ¡®kindly¡¯ reminded.

    Gu Ding choked when he heard this. He did not say anything for a while.

    Gu Ding encountered many simr creatures, mostly ugly, like they had been mutated by radiation. They were all killed by Gu Ding in a single blow without any dy.

    However, Gu Ding vaguely felt a sense of unease as the sky gradually dimmed.

    Neptune soon confirmed that his uneasiness was justified, ¡°At night, the fighting power of these creatures will double. Some powerful creatures who are sleeping during the day will also wake up at night and look for food. ording to the remaining research data, this virus is afraid of ultraviolet radiation and hates high temperatures. It also likes humid and cold environments. Therefore, my suggestion is to find a safe ce to hide. ¡±

    ¡°This forest is their territory and your detection range is limited. How will you find a safe ce?¡± Gu Ding felt that Neptune¡¯s proposal was not reliable.

    ¡°I have a map of this forest. There is an active volcano about five kilometres ahead. The ground temperature is very high, making it a ce where those infected with the virus will probably not go.¡± Neptune knew the weaknesses of these virus-infected creatures, so he had found a safe point for Gu Ding beforehand.

    A few minutester, Gu Ding rushed to the base of the active volcano. There were several virus-infected creatures wandering at the foot of the volcano. However, they did not dare to climb any further.

    Gu Ding rushed straight up by climbing to the mouth of the volcano, filling his nose with the pungent smell of sulfur. He looked down. Within the volcano, the magma was bubbling like boiling water.

    ¡°This volcano won¡¯t erupt, right?¡± Gu Ding could not help asking.

    ¡°There will be signs before the eruption. You can rest assured that you will definitely be able to escape if that were to happen. It¡¯s better than having you be chased and killed by those virus-infected creatures all night...¡± without finishing his sentence, Neptune fell silent.

    ¡°There is a person under this volcano!¡± Neptune suddenly shouted, ¡°It doesn¡¯t look like they were infected by the virus.¡±

    Neptune spoke while the video of the other party was projected in front of Gu Ding¡¯s eyes.

    It was a little girl who looked around the age of 13 and 14. She looked beautiful and sweet. However, her clothes were torn apart. Her red hair was also messy. As she slept, her appearance reminded Gu Ding of the little beggar who begged along the street of Cerule.

    ¡°She can sleep in this kind of environment? How does she do it?¡± Gu Ding felt disbelief. There were a lot of toxic gases like sulfur dioxide near the volcano. Moreover, it was at least a few hundred degrees inside, enough to roast ordinary people. However, looking at the state of the other person, she seemed to be enjoying her sleep.

    ¡°Her wristwatch has an air purification function and temperature adjustment function. Neptune exined, ¡°So, she will not be poisoned, nor does she have to be afraid of the ambient temperature.¡±

    ¡°She shouldn¡¯t be an infected person, right?¡± Gu Ding asked uncertainly.

    ¡°Looking at the operating state of her wristwatch, she should be alright. People infected by this virus will only have the instinct to kill, with there being no need to sleep at all.¡± Neptune could only make a spective judgment based on the knowledge he had.

    ¡°I¡¯m saying hello!¡± Gu Ding grinned. He threw a pebble into the hole after picking it up from his feet.

    ¡®Plop!¡¯ The stone made a sound after falling into the magma.

    The little girl suddenly turned over and sat up. With a long sniper rifle in her hand, she aimed at Gu Ding and started shooting.

    Catching Gu Ding off guard, he quickly dodged. However, a bullet still grazed Gu Ding¡¯s arm, drawing a streak of blood on his arm.

    Stepping back, Gu Ding shouted, ¡°Hey, what are you doing?¡±

    ¡°Are you human?!¡± The girl seemed a little surprised. She climbed up from the bottom of the volcano in just a few jumps.

    Gu Ding realized that, although the other party looked young, her strength was incredible. Heughed, ¡°If I¡¯m not human, what else would I be?¡±

    ¡°Do you have food?¡± The girl¡¯s second reaction also caught him off guard

    ¡°Just somepressed food,¡± Gu Ding said while taking out the tube ofpressed food that he had eaten before. He handed it to the other party.

    The girl picked it up and squeezed the entire tube ofpressed food into her mouth. After she was finished, she squeezed again from the bottom of the tube.

    Gu Ding passed her a bottle of water. The little girl took a few sips. This was the third time she spoke, ¡°I¡¯m sorry about what happened just now. I thought you were a virus-infected monster. I¡¯ve been constantly keeping alert these past few days and it has be a habit. I would instinctively shoot even when the changes in my surroundings are minute.¡±

    ¡°How long have you been on this?¡± Gu Ding was curious about her.

    ¡°About ten days or so.¡± The little girl gave her answer after thinking for a while.

    ¡°Have you been hiding here all this time?¡± Gu Ding was a little surprised. It was not surprising that Neptune knew the weaknesses of these virus-infected creature as he was already connected to the¡¯swork yet, this little girl knew about it too.

    ¡°This forest is too big, it¡¯s as if there¡¯s no end to it. I can¡¯t get out at all. I identally discovered that those infected with the virus do not dare toe near this ce, so I had no choice but to stay here.¡± The little girl quelled Gu Ding¡¯s suspicions.

    ¡°My name is Gu Ding, what is your name?¡± Gu Ding remembered that he did not even know the name of the other person.

    ¡°Liliath...¡±

 Chapter 41

    <h4>Chapter 41: Can Someone Without a Bounty be Called an Interster Pirate?</h4>

    Liliath was only fourteen years old. She kept being extremely reticent about her origins. Gu Ding tried to ask her some questions, but when he saw her keeping silent, he stopped. He knew that everyone had their own secrets, so he never liked to pry into the lives of others.

    However, Gu Ding knew that Liliath¡¯s identity was not so simple. She had two sets of bronze-gradebat armor of her own. One was a full-bodybat armor while the other was a firearm-type, specialbat armor.

    The price of a bronze-gradebat armor was at least 1 billion Star Credits. As for the firearm-type specialbat armor, they were amongst the most valuable of thebat armors. It would have costed at least 3 billion Star Credits. On top of that, the bronze-gradebat armors themselves were things that could not normally be found in the market. They were extremely hard toe by in the market.

    Liliath¡¯s wristwatch, embedded with three pure white stones, was a luxurious version of the A-grade wristwatch. Gu Ding still remembered watching the advertisement of this wristwatch. He vaguely remembered that this watch seemed to be called ¡°Angel¡¯s Love¡±. As for the market price, it seemed to be around 3 billion Star Credits. At that time, it was also said to be limited edition, there were only a thousand pieces in the entire Dragon Soar Cosmic Nation.

    Every sign indicated that Liliath was rich.

    If he was a person with bad intentions, his head would be filled with thoughts of murder and robbery at that moment. However, for Gu Ding, other party was just a helpless little girl.

    ¡°How did you wind up on this?¡± Liliath had some concern about Gu Ding¡¯s identity. She had passed through several star sectors, and, along the way, many people had malevolent thoughts towards her.

    ¡°I was brought here by the interster storm,¡± Gu Ding felt that there was nothing to exin. He spent most of his time asleep throughout the whole journey, not knowing what had transpired in between.

    ¡°Is your spaceship still here?¡± Liliath perked up at the answer.

    ¡°It¡¯s been destroyed, so I nned to go to the shipyard to see if there are any intact spaceships.¡±

    ¡°There is a shipyard on this? How did you know? My watch couldn¡¯t locate its position, let alone know any information of this.¡± Liliath was a little taken aback as, in her opinion, the watch on Gu Ding¡¯s wrist was just an ordinary civilian wristwatch. Its functionality was definitely not as good as the one she had.

    ¡°The grey star sector cannot be located because after the federal government gave up on the star sector, the relevant information was not publicly updated. Only some information of when the star sectors had not yet been abandoned decades ago can be essed. However, the interster storm blocked thework signals recently and there was no way to log on to the Sk to obtain the relevant information.¡± Gu Ding did not exin how he knew there was a shipyard on this.

    After Liliath finished listening, she did not press further as she hid many secrets of her own. When the other party was unwilling to share, it was meant that it was not convenient for them to disclose the information. Therefore, there was no need to delve into it. Of course, she did not forget to remind Gu Ding, ¡°Monsters on this will be active at night. There will be some very powerful entities that you and I can¡¯t handle. I don¡¯t know why, but they will note close to this volcanic area. If it wasn¡¯t for this volcano, I am afraid I would not have been able to survive until today.¡±

    ¡°This virus does not like the hot environment, so it won¡¯t make the hosts¡¯ bodiese close to hot areas. I will leave this area tomorrow morning, do you want toe with me? Although I don¡¯t know if there are any intact spaceships over at the shipyard, checking it out won¡¯t do any harm. If it¡¯s really unusable, we¡¯ll figure out another way outter. This is very dangerous. The longer you stay, the greater the chances of dying.¡± Gu Ding felt that abandoning the other party was akin to murder.

    ¡°Are you a scientist?¡± Liliath did not immediately answer Gu Ding¡¯s question. Thus, she asked this instead.

    ¡°I¡¯m an interster pirate.¡± Gu Ding corrected.

    ¡°Really?¡± Liliath seemed more interested after hearing this. She blinked twice and asked, ¡°So, how much is your bounty?¡±

    ¡°Cough, cough...¡± Gu Ding was reluctant to talk about this topic. ¡°I just left my home star less than a week ago...¡±

    ¡°Then, there isn¡¯t a bounty on your head yet?¡± Liliath seemed disappointed as she whispered to herself, ¡°Can a person without a bounty even be considered an interster pirate?¡±

    Gu Ding was speechless after hearing this.

    Momentster, Liliath asked again, ¡°What about your partner? Did you guys lose each other?¡±

    ¡°I haven¡¯t recruited any yet...¡± Gu Ding took a bigger blow when he heard this question.

    Liliath was a little puzzled and murmured by the side, ¡°Shouldn¡¯t an interster pirate recruit someone before heading out?¡±

    Gu Ding sat silently beside her. Hearing these two questions from Liliath, he also began to doubt whether or not he was a real interster pirate. With no bounty, and no partner, it sounded like he was more of an interster wanderer.

    ¡°Gu Ding, can I join your team?¡± After a brief pause, Liliath became determined.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you too young?¡± Gu Ding was a bit confused. He knew that a marksman would be indispensable in a team. However, because of this, the position was not one that was easily offered to others.

    ¡°Pfft, how old are you?¡± Liliath retorted, ¡°I¡¯m very powerful. The teacher who taught me before said I was a genius.¡±

    ¡°Well, if you can prove that you are a good marksman, I will think about it.¡± Gu Ding did not think that Liliath, being 14, had good marksmanship.

    ¡°I¡¯ll hold you to that,e with me!¡± Liliath quickly took Gu Ding down the mountainside. The two hid behind a boulder, after which she handed Gu Ding an infrared telescope. Then, she summoned the firearm-typebat armor.

    Thebat armor instantly changed into arge sniper rifle. The moment she got the gun, Liliath¡¯s demeanour began to change. She was clearly bing serious. She installed the silencer onto the muzzle of the gun after taking it out. Then, she loaded the magazine by grabbing a few bullets from the storage space.

    ¡°This is a custom-made light energy bullet, which is particrly good against these monsters.¡± She lowered her voice to exin. She then lifted the big sniper rifle that stood as tall as her shoulder. ¡°Watch closely!¡±

    Gu Ding raised the telescope and looked in the direction she was aiming. After hearing the sound of the trigger being pulled, he saw a monster shot dead in the head.

    Followed by the second, the third, the fourth...

    Every monster was shot in the head. On top of this, the location of the shots were always right on the left eye.

    Liliath loaded another round of ammo, maintaining her precise aim.

    ¡°What terrifying marksmanship!¡± Gu Ding could not help sighing to himself. At this moment, he also noticed that Liliath¡¯s eyes turned golden as she shot.

    ¡°Her eyes should have the pupil technique inherited from her genes. It seems that the ability is not low-grade, whilst her uracy should just be an additional effect of the pupil technique.¡± Neptune also noticed this. ¡°Let her join, she is an extremely good investment.¡±

    ¡°How was that?¡± Putting down the gun, Liliath¡¯s eyes returned to normal. She smiled at Gu Ding with pride.

    ¡°Good marksmanship, but I can¡¯t ept you.¡± Gu Ding shook his head. Liliath¡¯s identity was obviously not so straightforward. ¡°I will get you off this, but you should return to your parents as soon as possible...¡±

    Liliath, who initially had a smile on her face, suddenly stiffened after hearing this. After a while, her voice lowered, ¡°My parents are dead...¡±

 Chapter 42

    <h4>Chapter 42: Dangerous Journey</h4>

    That night, Liliath was in low spirits, so Gu Ding chose to remain silent, afraid of saying something wrong.

    The long night ended in an atmosphere of silence as the sky finally lit up.

    Gu Ding woke Liliath up and, after eating somepressed food, the two finally set off.

    ¡°How is your physical strength?¡± Gu Ding did not really check Liliath¡¯s condition. She was young and small, so generally speaking, she shouldn¡¯t be that strong.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about her. She is of the second-order gene. Yesterday, the giant sniper rifle weighed at least 20 kilograms, yet she flung it about like it was a ything. You just have to worry about yourself.¡± With one nce, Neptune confirmed what Liliath was about to say.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about my physical strength. I have been professionally trained since I was a child.¡±

    After a moment of recovery, Liliath¡¯s mood gradually got better. She summoned the firearms and then changed them into two silver pistols. After equipping the silencer and the bullets, she hung them on her waist.

    ¡°You have a limited number of bullets, so try to leave it to me, yeah? ¡± Gu Ding also summoned his armament.

    Looking at Gu Ding¡¯s armament, Liliath was stunned. She did not expect Gu Ding to have this kind of weapon. Thus, when she heard Gu Ding say this, she quickly nodded. ¡°Okay.¡±

    The two of them leaped down from the volcano one after another and rushed straight toward the direction of the shipyard. Gu Ding initially only ran at 50% of his speed, which caused Liliath to pout. ¡°You should run at your full speed. This is too slow.¡±

    Hearing the other person say this, Gu Ding had no choice but to increase his speed as Liliath kept up. Seeing Gu Ding Xiao looking over, she exined, ¡°I received all sorts of survivability training since I was a child due to my family background. Physical prowess was one aspect I had to constantly maintain.¡±

    Seeing that Liliath was able to speak whilst running, Gu Ding had no choice but to believe what the little girl was saying. He finally felt relieved and focused all his attention on the road ahead. ¡°Follow me, and give me a shout if you can¡¯t keep up.¡±

    Liliath knew that Gu Ding did not want to risk being distracted in such a dangerous ce, which was why he said this. However, it was not too difficult for her to keep up with Gu Ding as, so far, she had only used about 70% of her speed.

    The two soon encountered an obstruction of infected animals as three of them appeared at the same time. Liliath pressed her hands against the two guns strapped to her waist. If Gu Ding could not do it one against three, then she would need to resolve the issue herself.

    However, she saw that Gu Ding did not slow down in the slightest as he charged straight ahead. His body flickered slightly as two fists and a foot came out in an instant. A secondter, the heads of the three monsters exploded at the same time.

    ¡°What a frightening technique!¡±

    Liliath was seeing Gu Ding¡¯s strength for the first time, after which, she saw Gu Ding leave without turning back. She had initially slowed down slightly in preparation for the fight, but now had to elerate to catch up.

    For five hours, Gu Ding¡¯s speed never dropped once. Even when encountering monsters, the battle was resolved in an instant without even the slightest dy. The tense Liliath never got the opportunity to shoot. Seeing Gu Ding¡¯s speed slowing down gradually, she knew that the other party¡¯s physical strength had reached its limit and he now needed a rest.

    Under a big tree, Gu Ding finally stopped.

    Liliath immediately climbed up the tree and shouted at Gu Ding, ¡°Come up, it¡¯s safer up in the trees.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s right. The leaves of the tree will shield you from the eyes of those monsters. Moreover, this tree is very tall, so it will keep you out the monsters¡¯ sense of smell. There is also the most important point: those mock feline monsters, most of them can¡¯t climb trees,¡± Neptune exined.

    Gu Ding actually learned these things when he was in the military academy as they were all part and parcel of survival training. However, he only remembered it after hearing Liliath and Neptune mention it.

    Very quickly, Gu Ding climbed up the tree and sat on a branch, leaning back against the trunk to recover his strength whilst Liliath took up guard duty. She did not exert a lot of effort along the way and had been a little embarrassed to have just been running behind Gu Ding the whole time.

    ¡°We should not be discovered anytime soon since there are many monster corpses along the road. The other monsters should stop to finish them before they try to catch up to us.¡± Gu Ding already had a basic understanding of the infected.

    ¡°Your physical technique is good,¡± said Liliath. In truth, this was a form of praise.

    ¡°Thank you, your marksmanship yesterday was also very powerful.¡± Gu Ding smiled.

    ¡°How much further is the shipyard?¡±

    ¡°Probably about four hundred kilometers.¡± Gu Ding silently calcted for a bit. He had only made it through one-third of the 600-kilometer journey.

    ¡°At this rate, we should be able to arrive there in about 22 hours. There is still 34 hours before it gets dark. Unless we encounter any surprises, we should be able to get there before dark.¡±

    Liliath had been on this for so many days that she already knew the length of day and night on this. Her calctions included Gu Ding¡¯s resting time, which, up until now, had been fairly urate. Gu Ding¡¯s physical strength gradually returned as half an hour passed by. Suddenly, a beastly roar came from not far away.

    Liliath¡¯s heart tightened. She nced through the gap between the leaves and saw a behemoth more than ten meters talling toward their direction. She turned her head to make a silent gesture to Gu Ding and whispered, ¡°A big one. Get close to the trunk and don¡¯t get caught by it.¡±

    Gu Ding nodded. He stood up, pressed his body against the tree trunk, then turned his back toward the direction of the monster. The sturdy tree trunkpletely blocked the two of them from sight.

    However, the sound of the behemoth¡¯s footsteps was getting closer and closer. Both Gu Ding and Liliath could even feel the branches that they were standing on tremble every time the beast took a step forward.

    ¡°This one isparable to a third-order genotype. You two are unlikely to win. Make sure to avoid it!¡± Neptune advised Gu Ding.

    As they stood behind the tree trunk, neither of them even dared to breathe as they waited patiently for the behemoth to leave. After a few minutes, they heard the behemoth¡¯s footsteps gradually move away, and the two finally let out a sigh of relief. Yet, at this moment, a monster came striding out from near the behemoth. The beast saw them and immediately came bounding after them. The monster ran towards Gu Ding and Liliath¡¯s direction, causing the behemoth to chase after it, itself eager to grab a quick meal.

    Liliath looked at the approaching monster as light shed through her eyes. A split secondter, the armament in her hand changed back to the heavy sniper rifle from the previous night. The silencer was quickly installed as well as the magazine before she aimed it at the monster and pulled the trigger.

    Gu Ding heard the light sound of the bullet zipping by and then saw the behemoth crash to the ground all of a sudden, the corpsending less than two hundred meters away from the big tree. Seeing the behemoth fall to the ground suddenly, the other beast was stunned for a while but immediately rushed over to pick at the monster¡¯s body and tear it apart, stuffing the pieces into his mouth three or two times.

    After burping, it shrugged and seemed to start sniffing at something.

    ¡°Have we been discovered?¡± Gu Ding frowned, diverting his gaze. These hunting monsters were very alert and even a simple nce may attract their attention.

    At his side, Liliath¡¯s palm was also sweaty as she leaned against the tree trunk, not daring to look in the direction of the beast. Both of them hid there anxiously, hoping to avoid the disaster.

 Chapter 43

    <h4>Chapter 43: An Inevitable Battle</h4>

    The giant beast was like a gori as it walked upright on its two hind legs, six horrifying blood-red eyes beaded across its forehead. There was thick fur all over its body, and its back and abdomen were covered with ayer of ck scales. Just by looking at it, you could tell that it had terrifyingly strong defense.

    The giant beast had an acute sense of smell, and it had quickly followed the scent toward the big tree where the two people were hiding.

    Gu Ding tightened his fists while Liliath closed her eyes and tried to control the rhythm of her breathing to slow down her heart rate.

    One step, two steps, three steps...

    The giant beast¡¯s footsteps were getting closer. It stopped near the big tree where they were hiding and looked around. It then let out a loud roar, seemingly unable to find their hiding spot.

    Just as the two quietly let out a sigh of relief. The giant beast suddenly went mad and started attacking the surrounding trees. Even though it did not know where exactly they were hiding, it could tell from their scent that the ones that had just killed its food were still in the jungle, so it wanted to use the dumbest technique to force them out of hiding, which was to destroy all the surrounding trees.

    ¡°This is bad!¡± In a few seconds, the surrounding trees copsed. The giant beast¡¯s fists fell upon thergest tree. With one blow, the entire trunk shook as the two were almost thrown off.

    Upon seeing a tree that, despite its attack, remained standing perfectly fine, the giant beast started raging and began attacking the tree fervently.

    ¡°Run!¡± Gu Ding said quietly. He grabbed Liliath¡¯s wrist, jumped off the tree, and ran toward the depths of the jungle.

    When the giant beast saw them, it stopped attacking the tree and turned to chase after them. It ran with great strides, such that even though Gu Ding was running with all his might, the creature gradually drew closer.

    At that moment, Liliath broke away from Gu Ding¡¯s grip. Under her direction, the Firearm Combat Armor turned into a big, shiny ck barrel. She quickly retrieved a fist-sized cartridge from the storage space and shoved it into the chamber. Then, she turned around abruptly, aimed the barrel at the giant beast, and pulled the trigger.

    ¡°Boom!¡± A loud explosion shook the entire jungle. The powerful projectile hit the eyes in the beast¡¯s forehead, while her petite frame remained firmly nted to the ground, her icy gaze calm.

    After the hit, she did not retreat. Instead, she retrieved a second bullet and shoved it into the chamber. She held the ck two-meter long barrel firmly against her shoulder and fixed her gaze on the giant beast¡¯s silhouette, which was the only thing visible behind the cloud of dust.

    ¡°I told you, she¡¯s an excellent gunner. You got lucky this time!¡± Neptune said when he saw what had happened.

    Gu Ding smiled but did not respond to Neptune¡¯sment. He also stopped in his tracks and adjusted his body¡¯s condition with all his might. A Rank 3 Gene Body would not be destroyed so easily. Even if Liliath used a nuclear-powered sniper rifle, it would only cause flesh wounds to a Rank 3 Gene Body. It would be difficult deal a fatal blow, so he still had to handle the uing battle, whilst Liliath could only assist.

    There were two mainstream factions of gunners: One was the violent crushing faction, and the other was the team support faction.

    The violent crushing faction wasprised of those that used sophisticated firearms, with dense artillery fire and bullets that restrained the opponent¡¯s ability to fight back whilstpletely crushing them. Most of the users in this faction were wealthy as the firearms were not cheap and consumed all types of bullets. Thus, their list of expenses was naturally very long.

    The team support faction, on the other hand, started as a poor faction and was normally used by people who could not afford good firearms or limitless bullets. Due to theirck of resources, they had to make the best of every single one of their bullets and use them only on the most important parts. Therefore, their task in a team was not to kill but to restrict and provide support. They used their bullets to stop the opponent¡¯s movements so that the opponent would not be able to use their abilities to the fullest and to assist the other members in taking down the opponent. Of course, the demand ced on these gunners was huge. They were required to have amazing prediction and calction skills to be able to calcte the trajectory and time of the opponent¡¯s attack whilst predicting the opponent¡¯s movements.

    Gu Ding knew that Liliath was an excellent gunner, but until now, she had only shown tactics used by the violent crushing faction. Whether she could use the team support faction¡¯s tactics to restrain the opponent would be the key to victory in this battle.

    Under the shroud of dust, the giant figure staggered to its feet and roared furiously. The ear-piercing shriek made Gu Ding frown whilst also causing the surrounding monsters to flee wildly.

    With a sudden burst of strength, the giant beast charged through the shroud of dust and rushed toward the two. It seemed that three of the eyes on its forehead were already destroyed.

    Liliath¡¯s expression was calm. With a slight jump, another shot was fired. Her body moved backward from the recoil from the st, and she retreated quickly. She knew she was the giant beast¡¯s target.

    ¡°Boom!¡± The projectile was blocked by the giant beast¡¯s palm, and the beast sneered at Liliath. After a quick moment, it immediately leaped at Liliath again. On the other hand, Gu Ding had beenpletely ignored by the beast.

    ¡°This giant beast seems to retain a certain degree of intelligence,¡± Neptune said after evaluating the beast¡¯s reaction.

    At that moment, Gu Ding also adjusted his body to a state that used tier 2 Ultimate Arts. It took a toll on a Rank 1 Gene Body to use tier 2 Ultimate Arts. However, Gu Ding had no other choice; if he wanted to kill off his opponent, he needed to pay a hefty price. From what he could see of the giant beast¡¯s current condition, he was afraid that even tier 2 Ultimate Arts would not be able to cause damage to it.

    Gu Ding took a Silent Step and appeared quietly on the top of the giant beast¡¯s head. With tremendous strength, he brought a Phantom Kick down on the eyes of the beast.

    However, he was quickly noticed by the beast. It was enraged by Gu Ding¡¯s attack, and it waved its arms, trying desperately to grab Gu Ding. Gu Ding pulled back and evaded the beast¡¯s attack with another Silent Step.

    He finally caught the giant beast¡¯s attention. At the same time, Liliath seemed to have realized something. The Firearm Combat Armor in her grasp transformed again, and it turned into a long and thick sniper rifle¡ªlonger and thicker than the first one Gu Ding had seen. She quickly reloaded, then braced the buttstock against her shoulder, and aimed at the giant beast¡¯s eyes once again. However, she did not fire immediately.

    As she watched the giant beast pursue Gu Ding, she finally spotted an opening and pulled the trigger.

    The giant beast wailed when it was hit, as it had lost yet another eye. This made it extremely furious, and it started attacking Gu Ding even more wildly.

    Even though Gu Ding was using Silent Step, he could only try his best to dodge the beast in its berserker state. In just two or three minutes, Gu Ding had already suffered several blows. The tier 2 Ultimate Arts¡¯ Righteous Body support was bing unstable as every blow he took felt as if his whole body had been struck by lightning.

    ¡°The tier 2 Ultimate Arts cannot withstand this any longer. I need to use tier 3!¡± Even though Gu Ding knew that the use of the tier 3 Ultimate Arts would have serious consequences on his body, it was still better than if he were to be killed off by this monster.

    At this very moment, Liliath once again found an opening and attacked another one of the beast¡¯s eyes. Now, the six-eyed giant beast only had one eye left.

 Chapter 44

    <h4>Chapter 44: Liliath¡¯s Terrifying Ability</h4>

    The monster who only had one eye left wentpletely berserk, and it mmed both its fists down on Du Ding, one after the other. He was bombarded by the beast¡¯s fists which rained upon him like a storm, causing Gu Ding to flee hastily.

    Even though he had activated the tier 3 Ultimate Arts, the Silent Step technique could only barely keep up with the giant beast¡¯s attack speed. At other times, he could only use the Steel Fist to unload the strength, and the Righteous Body to resist.

    However, in less than two minutes, Gu Ding had already felt both his arms bing extremely numb. Several of his ribs were broken, and there were pangs of paining from his chest. It was apparent that his internal organs were injured to a certain degree.

    ¡°If things continue like this, I¡¯ll be killed.¡± Gu Ding got an idea and prepared to activate the 4th tier of Ultimate Arts.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t activate the 4th tier, you might still survive. If you activate it, you will be dead for sure!¡± Neptune¡¯s tone sounded stern. ¡°You currently only have a Rank 1 Gene Body. Even if you activate tier 4 Ultimate Arts, yourbat strength will only double, you still won¡¯t be able to break through its defense. But if you activate the tier 4 Ultimate Arts, once that energy passes through you, all of your body¡¯s cells will start to quickly age and die. Unless a god descends from the skies, no one will be able to save you.¡±

    ¡°Once I fall, it will rush toward Liliath.¡± It was the first time that Gu Ding had faced such a difficult situation. Just as Neptune had said, he had no chance of winning. All he could do now was resist.

    ¡°If you activate the 4th tier, you¡¯ll only speed up your copse,¡± Neptune said with even more conviction. ¡°Let her escape now.¡±

    ¡°Lili, hurry up and leave, I can¡¯t hold on any longer. Run as far as you can!¡± Gu Ding shouted.

    Liliath hesitated for a moment. Then, it was as if she had made up her mind about something as she tightened her fist and shouted back at Gu Ding, ¡°Lead it over here toward me, I have a n to get rid of him!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be daft, his defense is too strong. Escape quickly, I¡¯ll be right behind you.¡± Gu Ding thought Liliath wanted the giant beast to notice her so that he would have a chance to escape.

    ¡°Lead it over here. If it looks me in the eye, then I¡¯ll have a shot at killing it.¡± Liliath shouted at him again.

    ¡°Lead the monster over, thisdy has Pupiry Abilities. Just do as she says and you two might still have a chance of survival.¡± Neptune had always known that Liliath had Bloodline Eyes, which was a gic hereditary ability. Most abilities of the eye were extremely powerful, but Neptune was not sure what exact abilities this littledy¡¯s eyes had inherited. However, if she was speaking like this now, it should mean that she had a certain degree of self-confidence.

    When he heard this, Gu Ding was still slightly hesitant. If Liliath could not kill the monster with her ability, then she would be facing the threat of imminent death.

    ¡°The Interster Pirates have an unwritten rule¡ªtrust your teammates. If you can¡¯t even do that, then you¡¯re not suitable to be an Interster Pirate. If you have to handle everything on your own, then you¡¯re a lone traveler. No matter how great a lone traveler is, they will never be as excellent as an Interster Pirate.¡± Neptune knew that if Gu Ding continued to hold out, it would not end well. Thus, he had to advise Gu Ding to ept Liliath¡¯s suggestion.

    ¡°I understand!¡± Upon hearing this, Gu Ding changed the direction of his movements and fled toward Liliath¡¯s position.

    When Liliath saw that Gu Ding had taken up her suggestion, she stood her ground and stayed still. She slowly closed her eyes, listening to the sound of the giant beast approaching. She waspletely calm. A moment passed, then she suddenly opened her eyes. Her pupils had turned a shade of gold, and she locked eyes with the giant beast¡¯s one remaining eye.

    When the giant beast saw Liliath¡¯s eyes, it suddenly stopped in its tracks. It was as if someone had cast a Body Suspension Ability on the giant beast that had previously been pursuing Gu Ding so aggresively.

    ¡°This is...¡± Gu Ding was stunned to see what was happening.

    After a moment, the giant beast started to wail in agony. It knelt on the ground and began smashing its skull against the ground desperately. In less than ten seconds, his big skull had deformed, but it did not stop and continued pounding its head against the ground in a frenzy.

    After a little less than a minute, the giant beast¡¯s movements finally slowed down. Only half its skull remained, and its body finally copsed onto the ground, barely breathing.

    Only then did Liliath¡¯s eyes returned to normal. Her body wobbled as she slumped onto the ground. She said to Gu Ding weakly, ¡°It won¡¯t be alive for much longer, let¡¯s get out of here quickly.¡±

    ¡°Gu Ding, there¡¯s an Energy Crystal in the big fe¡¯s brain. You should retrieve it quickly, the item might help promote you to a Rank 2 Gene Body.¡±

    Gu Ding, who was about to carry Liliath onto his back, suddenly heard Neptune say this.

    He was stunned for a moment, then he quickly walked toward the beast. With the cover of the Combat Armor, he easily reached his hand into what was left of the brain in the the giant beast¡¯s head. After a moment, he felt a small hard object and yanked it out.

    It was a small white crystal bead about the size of his thumb, and it was round and smooth like a pearl.

    He held the crystal bead and handed it to Liliath. ¡°Here¡¯s your prize.¡±

    Liliath had seen everything that Gu Ding did. Looking at the mucus that remained on Gu Ding¡¯s hand, she moved backward slightly, afraid that Gu Ding would pass that to her too. ¡°No thanks, that¡¯s too gross. You keep it.¡±

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be fine once we find a ce to wash itter?¡± It was not the first time that Gu Ding had been perplexed by a woman¡¯s thought process. Even when it came to ¡°shredded¡± women that resembled men, there were many times when he just could not tell what they were thinking.

    For example, when these musclewomen were mistaken for men, they would disregard their surroundings, go into a rampage and beat up the other party. This had happened almost every year at the Rose Tavern. Every time it happened, tons of people woulde to watch the show, but no one would ever try to interfere.

    In Gu Ding¡¯s opinion, this kind of behavior was uncalled for. All they had to do was correct the other person, and the other person would never misgender them again, there was no need for such violence. Nevertheless, every time something like this happened, the tavern would be exceptionally lively. Gu Ding had always been someone who enjoyed a lively atmosphere, so he was also very happy whenever such a thing happened.

    ¡°No, just keep the Energy Crystal for yourself. I have never used such a thing.¡± Liliath was perfectly aware of what the crystal was, but she had never used such a thing throughout her entire life.

    ¡°Alright, but I owe you. I¡¯ll pay you back next time.¡± Gu Ding saw that even though she knew that it was an Energy Crystal, she still refused to ept it. Therefore, he just put it in his storage bag.

    ¡°There¡¯s no need for that, since you¡¯re the leader. Just keep all the loot with you. If there¡¯s ever something another member needs in the future, they can just get it from you.¡± It seemed that Liliath had decided to follow Gu Ding¡¯s path and be an Interster Pirate. The corner of her lips curled upward. ¡°Don¡¯t leave it with me. I only know how to spend money, not save it.¡±

    ¡°Alright then, we¡¯ll do that for now. It seems like we need to find apanion who¡¯s good at financial management... too bad that guy Reid doesn¡¯t want to be an Interster Pirate...¡± Gu Ding had always thought it was a waste of Reid¡¯s talents for him to not be an Interster Pirate.

    ¡°Who¡¯s Reid?¡± Liliath, who was being carried on Gu Ding¡¯s back, found something to chat about.

    ¡°Ah, Reid, he was my deskmate when I was in the Cerule Military Academy. He¡¯s incredible, was great at reasoning, and was even a high-levelwyer...¡±

 Chapter 45

    <h4>Chapter 45: Spirit Medicine</h4>

    With Liliath on his back, the two of them left the scene of the battle, and once again found a big tree to hide atop of.

    After using her Pupiry Ability, Liliath became very weak. Using a move like that, under normal circumstances, was bound to have some short-term consequences. Thankfully, would recover after spending some time resting.

    Gu Ding did not ask what that Pupiry Ability did, or why did the giant beast had reacted so oddly. Even though he was curious, he knew that this sort of life-saving move was extremely personal and private.

    Looking at Gu Ding¡¯s wounds, Liliath retrieved a bottle of medicine from her storage space and passed it to Gu Ding. ¡°You need to treat injuries to your bones as soon as you can, or it¡¯ll cause a lot of trouble in the future.¡±

    Gu Ding took the bottle and looked at it. The medicine was blue; it was a bottle of good-quality Grade E Cell Restorer. This bottle must have cost at least 200,000 Star Credits.

    ¡°You really don¡¯t know how to manage your finances.¡± Gu Ding grinned.

    ¡°A woman just has to know how to spend her money.¡± Liliath pouted.

    Gu Ding thought to himself, ¡®My dad was right, women really are iprehensible creatures.¡¯

    Other than some bruises on his body, Gu Ding also suffered several fractures, and there was also some damage to his internal organs. If he waited too long, it would cause some serious problems. Therefore, he injected the bottle of Cell Restorer straight into his veins.

    After a short moment, he felt his cells bing active, and he quickly entered the restoration phase.

    After approximately ten minutes, all his external wounds healed, his bones entered the initial healing stage, and his internal injuries were also relieved to a certain extent.

    ¡°Take one bottle daily. You¡¯ll need to keep injecting this for at least three days in a row.¡± Liliath said and handed him two more bottles of medicine.

    ¡°There¡¯s no need for that. Once we find a suitable and safe location, I can make the Cell Restorer on my own.¡± Even though Gu Ding said this, he actually did not have sufficient medicinal materials to do so, he just felt a little embarrassed about taking Liliath¡¯s things. He epted the first bottle because he needed to repair his body urgently, otherwise, he might suffer chronic damage. However, he did not need the second or third bottle since his body¡¯s restorative abilities were better than average. He just needed to be more careful, then he should be healed after a few more days.

    ¡°You¡¯re a Grade E pharmacologist?¡± Liliath did not expect Gu Ding to have such an identity.

    ¡°My current certification is Grade F,¡± Gu Ding corrected her, ¡°but I should be able to create Grade E medicine as well.¡±

    ¡°Pharmacologists do earn a lot of money, huh, you¡¯re so young, yet you can afford a piece of Combat Armor.¡± Liliath pretended to act like an olddy and grabbed her chin, staring Gu Ding up and down.

    ¡°This Combat Armor was a gift from someone. One Combat Armor costs hundreds of millions of Star Credits, so there¡¯s no way I could afford it.¡± Gu Ding exined with a bitter smile.

    ¡°The person who gave you a Combat Armor, surely it must be a woman?¡± Liliath asked.

    ¡°Yes.¡± Gu Ding did not deny this.

    ¡°I knew it!¡± Liliath pouted.

    ¡°I¡¯m almost healed, what about you?¡± The two of them had rested for almost two hours. Under the influence of the Cell Restorer, Gu Ding¡¯s body soonpleted the initial stage of healing.

    ¡°What I consumed was my spirit, so my body is fatigued, and I can¡¯t fight. I¡¯ll need at least five hours of sleep before my body¡¯s basic functions will be restored. If I want to restore all mybat strength, I¡¯ll need at least 20 hours of sleep.¡± Liliath exined. This meant that in the uing part of their journey, they could only rely on Gu Ding. ¡°The medicine for restoring spirit is extremely expensive, and there is very little demand for it. Usually, when it appears at an auction, it will be auctioned off at a high price.¡±

    ¡°The price for spirit restoration medicine is that high?¡± It was the first time that Gu Ding had heard of such a thing.

    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯ve seen a Grade D Spirit Restorer being auctioned off for 1.6 billion Star Credits.¡± Liliath remembered the auction clearly. ¡°I didn¡¯t participate in that action. Firstly, because it was overpriced, and secondly, because that Grade D medicine is usually used by powerhouses with Rank 6 or Rank 7 Gene Bodies. Mine is just a Rank 2 Gene Body, so it would be too much of a waste.¡±

    ¡°A regr Grade D gene medicine with passable quality would cost somewhere between one million and three million Star Credits. One with good quality would cost somewhere between 5 million and 8 million Star Credits. Even with perfect quality, the price should be somewhere between 60 million and 80 million. It would not exceed 100 million Star Credits. So, going off that basis, spirit medicine has some serious premium.¡± Gu Ding was really starting to see the profit in bing a pharmacologist.

    ¡°The spirit medicine that was auctioned off that time was high quality,¡± Liliath added. ¡°It was expected to have such a high premium. Among those in the Hermean Alliance, there are less than 10 people who have the spirit medicine¡¯s form. When ites to medicinal forms that are just a little unique or special, pharmaceutical factories normally have to buy them from the Hermean Alliance at a very high price, never mind such a rare form. It¡¯s impossible that the Hermean Alliance would sell it off.¡±

    The so-called pharmaceutical factories referred topanies that bought medicinal forms from the Hermean Alliance and used machines to mass-produce and sell the medicines. There were quite a number of such enterprises, with there being more than 30 thousand in Dragon Soar Cosmic Nation alone.

    Because the refining of medicine was such an exact science, even the same type of medicine might have different refining processes based off of the pharmacologists conducting it. Therefore, the refining process that the Hermean Alliance provided to the pharmaceutical factories were normally simplified to a certain extent such that they can be handled by machines. This lowered the operating cost of the pharmaceutical factory, but it also caused the drawback in the form of the lower quality of the medicines. Usually, the medicine that was produced through a flow process was just of passable quality. Good quality medicine would require a separate production line.

    The forms that the Hermean Alliance provided to the pharmaceutical factories were all forms ofmon medicine¡ªthose that were in high demand but were not expensive. Nevertheless, since the pharmaceutical factories could still profit, they would notin too much.

    As for the special forms, they were only circted within the Hermean Alliance or were privately owned by pharmacologists. Pharmaceutical factories simply could not get their hands on them. Even so, the pharmaceutical factories would also not risk offending the Hermean Alliance by trying to steal the forms. If they did that, they would be banned by the Hermean Alliance and ostracized by the other pharmaceutical factories.

    ¡°I have a few hundred spirit medicine forms in my database.¡± Neptune¡¯s voice sounded out in Gu Ding¡¯s ear. ¡°I found out that the civilization of your era is missing too many things. There is so much to inherit from the ancient civilizations, and the people of your era have only scratched the surface, yet they treat it like they¡¯ve found buried treasure.¡±

    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s stop talking about this. Let¡¯s go, we should hurry over there before the sky turns dark. I hope we won¡¯t meet any more monsters like that along the way.¡± As he spoke, Gu Ding lifted Liliath onto his back again and leaped down from the tree. Then, he ran toward the shipbuilding factory.

 Chapter 46

    <h4>Chapter 46: The Grey-faced Buzzard Grade Space Cruiser</h4>

    The two of them had a rtively smooth journey. Although they were attacked by some monsters, they were onlyparable to Rank 1 Gene Bodies, which was easy for Gu Ding to fight off.

    Although Gu Ding¡¯s injuries were notpletely healed, he still carried Liliath and rushed to the space dock before dark.

    The moment Gu Ding saw the space dock, he waspletely shocked.

    The space dock was an endless abyss with hundreds of spacecraft of various styles loaded onto the enormous staging area. However, most of them were damaged and unrecognizable from their original models. The ones that were slightly better off definitely had seen better days with obvious signs of strong impacts all over the spacecrafts.

    In the staging area, there were several monsters bigger than the ones they had encountered before, roaming around the ce and hitting the spaceships from time to time. Some of them looked like they were ying and some looked like they were taking out their anger on the spacecraft. However, the strangest thing of all was that there were no fights between any of them.

    Gu Ding lowered his body and carried Liliath toward the back of a spaceship to hide. The two of them were on the edge of the staging area, far away from the giant beasts.

    ¡°It¡¯s still not safe enough here,¡± Liliath said with a low voice, obviously worried.

    ¡°I know, we have to find a ce that¡¯ll allow us to spend the night safely,¡± Gu Ding nodded and said in a hushed voice.

    Neptune¡¯s voice quickly interjected, ¡°Although my detection range is only 100 meters, I can estimate the movement trajectory of those monsters through your visual inspections. There are a total of five monsters in this staging area, and all of them arepletely blocking off the gate of the space dock. Once one of them is provoked, the other four will surely be attracted. They seem to not be fighting with each other, nor are they chasing the other monsters. The only exnation is that there¡¯s a monster much stronger than them that¡¯s preventing them from fighting each other, which has possibly ordered them to guard the ce. This shows that the one hidden behind the scenes has somehow evolved enough intelligence to work this out.¡±

    ¡°The video surveince in the space dock is all damaged, but the one behind all this wasn¡¯t smart enough to turn off the fire controls. So, I can still see its movement through the fire control room.¡± Suddenly, Neptune¡¯s tone became serious. ¡°I can only make a rough judgment on the strength of this guy through my estimation, and I¡¯m guessing that this guy¡¯s at leastparable to a Rank 6 Gene Body. If he finds you and the girl, you guys have basically 0 chance of survival.¡±

    ¡°Why did the monster that¡¯s upying the space dock send so many monsters to guard the ce? Do you think it¡¯s trying to leave this?¡± Gu Ding came up with an idea that scared himself as he entered the question into his wristwatch.

    ¡°From the data I¡¯ve received so far, that seems to be the case. It¡¯s currently repairing a huge spaceship that may be able to take these big guys along with it,¡± Neptune said and replied with a picture.

    When Gu Ding saw the picture, he was stunned. The picture was of a spaceship that no longer looked like it was an ordinary civilian spaceship, but an assault space cruiser.

    Assault type spaceships were graded with raptor names. In ascending order, its grades were Fledglings, Purple Martins, ck Crows, Grey-Faced Buzzards, White Gyrfalcons, Silver Hawks, Golden Eagles, Giant Rocs, to the highest of the nine grades, the Phoenix.

    Gu Ding¡¯s previous purchase, the Kittyhawk Model, was one of the Fledgling grade spaceships. Although it was considered an assault-type spaceship, it was one of the lower-tiered attack power types. On the other hand, the huge spacecraft in the picture shown to him was one of the most powerful types of Grey-faced Buzzard grade space cruisers. A spacecraft of that caliber was extremely destructive and could easily destroy a city with a poption of tens of millions.

    Gu Ding, who had studied battleshipmand in the Military Academy, could tell the quality of that specific spacecraft at a nce. After he stared at the picture for a while, he noticed something strange. ¡°Howe there¡¯s an extra artillery fixed onto it? Did the guy retrofit the ship itself?¡±

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s a type of antimatter artillery cannon. This guy was probably a highly intelligent weapon engineer before he got infected with the virus. The extra artillery was added by it, and it even made sure the nuclear reactor for the antimatter was installed,¡± All the information about the guy that was hidden on the Inte has been dug out and scanned through by Neptune. So much so that Neptune understood the entire process of repairing that spaceship.

    ¡°In this case, the attack power of this spaceship definitely exceeds the level of a White Gyrfalcon grade spaceship. Antimatter artillery can easily wipe out a country with a surface area of a million square kilometers. It seems that he¡¯s not merely a mad scientist, he¡¯s also a mad warlord,¡± Gu Ding frowned. ¡°He must never be allowed to leave this ce in that spaceship. I¡¯ll either have to destroy or steal it from him before he does so.¡±

    ¡°Are you crazy ?!¡± Neptune felt that Gu Ding was still not understanding the situation at hand. ¡°You¡¯ll be dead the moment he catches you. And that girl? She¡¯ll be buried in the grave along with you. ¡±

    ¡°Of course I¡¯m not attacking him now,¡± Gu Ding seemed to have made up his mind. ¡°Can you check if there are any nearby spacecraft that still have a working internal force field shield? One that¡¯s able to iste changes in energy fluctuations.¡±

    ¡°Are you really thinking about leveling up in such a dangerous ce?¡± When Neptune heard Gu Ding¡¯s question, he instantly knew what he was up to.

    ¡°Is there a single safe ce on this entire?¡± Gu Ding asked rhetorically.

    Neptune wanted to prove him wrong by suggesting that the volcano they were previously at was a safer ce, but he knew they had better things to do than argue.

    Gu Ding had alreadye all the way to this ce, so convincing him to secretly leave it again was not going to be an easy task. All they had to do was find a spaceship with a power system that had not suffered too much damage and also had enough power to switch the energy shield back on. They just had to sneak in, turn on the energy shield, and turn on the power equipment. Even if they were attacked by the monsters, a spaceship with enough energy shield and power that could take off would be sufficient. However, Neptune kept quiet because he knew Gu Ding had already made up his mind.

    After a quick scan of all the spaceships in the staging area, Neptune was shocked to find that the power systems of all the spaceships werepletely destroyed. None of them had enough power to take off, which meant that they had to go along with Gu Ding¡¯s idea. Gu Ding did not want to run off helplessly, or, in other words, he wanted to fight the guy and seize the Grey-Faced Buzzard grade space cruiser for himself.

    ¡°At your eleven o¡¯clock, the ck spacecraft one hundred and twenty meters away still has a working shielding system. It has enough energy to sustain the force field for around two hours,¡± Neptune informed Gu Ding of the results of his scan. ¡°Follow my instructions. Firstly, move toward your left and go below the spaceship...¡±

    Gu Ding carried Liliath on his shoulders once more, then bent over and moved toward his left...

    Gu Ding stopped in his tracks after walking one hundred and twenty meters. It took him more than ten minutes to get to the spot.

    After he climbed onto the spacecraft secretly, Gu Ding ran toward the cabin section with Liliath on his back.

    Neptune got ahold of the entire spaceship¡¯s controls. When he opened the cabin doors, a slight click sounded. At the same time, a giant beast looked in their direction.

    With Liliath still on his back, Gu Ding immediately rushed in and shut the door. Although the giant beast heard the sound, it could only guess the general direction of the sound but not the specific location. Slowly, it wandered toward the source of the sound...

 Chapter 47

    <h4>Chapter 47: Gu Ding Is Desperate For Strength</h4>

    ¡°Turn on the shielding system!¡± Gu Ding gave instructions to Neptune as he stared intently at the giant beasts approaching them.

    The spaceship¡¯s internal force field shield turned on immediately. Instantly, every single bit of air in the cabin was isted from the outside.

    In the beginning, this sort shield function was used to smuggle living things. When the shield was turned on, the security scanner in the starport would see an empty cargo hold and they could easily pass through. However, when the defense shield system slowly becamemercialized, they were normally used to transport trade secret goods to avoidpetitors knowing about them.

    Therefore, mostmercial ships had a defense shield system. Of course, the Federal Government subsequently made new regtions with regards to the new function. When spaceships passed the security in the starport, the shielding function must be turned off. Otherwise, any cargo found would be immediately detained.

    Gu Ding and Liliath¡¯s breathing werepletely isted from the outside world. However, they could see everything that was happening around them. The cabin section of the spaceship was roughly ten meters above the ground, so they had a good view of the area. Luxury cargo spacecraft were generally designed this way, with the cargopartment below the passenger cabin.

    As the giant beasts gradually approached, they looked left and right while their huge nostrils sniffed hard. After shaking and hitting the spacecraft for more than ten minutes, the giant beasts decided that there was nothing of interest and returned to their previous locations. Obviously, they were not allowed to leave their initial position for too long.

    Gu Ding and Liliath finally let themselves breathe easy. Although they were able to beat the beast earlier, it would have been a hard task to beat multiple giant beasts. The beast that Liliath killed just now less than half the size of the giant beasts here. They were roughly 20 meters tall and had scale-like armor all over their bodies.

    Moreover, if they made even a bit more sound, the other four giant beasts would have noticed and the two of them surely would have been dead men walking.

    At that moment, the sky outside the window was finally dark.

    ¡°The defense shield system of the spaceship was turned on. Those guys that were so close by couldn¡¯t even tell we were inside. This means it should be safe to hide here,¡± Gu Ding sat on the bed to the left.

    The spaceship was not a luxury passenger spacecraft per se but more of a cargo spacecraft. The cabins were for the crew¡¯s own use, and there were two beds in each cabin. Moreover, the two beds in this spacecraft were more upscaled, as most ships of this type had bunk beds that housed four people in each cabin. It was fortunate that this cabin was so spacious.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go straight to bed after I wash up. My spirit will be fully restored by tomorrow morning. If there are no emergencies, try not to wake me up,¡± Liliath said and went to thevatory.

    In that single cabin, they had everything. Besides thevatory, it even had a kitchen.

    Gu Dingid on a bed. The big plush mattress released all his pent-up lethargy all at once. He took off his shoes with his eyes closed and rolled over the nket to wrap himself. Immediately, Gu Ding fell into a deep sleep.

    A mere ten hours on that had exhausted Gu Ding greatly. He was constantly either running or fighting. When he was able to catch a quick nap near the volcano, he did it on hard rocks that caused him to have a bad sleep. The fact that he was finally allowed to rx caused him to fall asleep quickly.

    About half an hourter, Liliath finally came out of the bathroom in a pajama dress. When she was that Gu Ding was fast asleep, she lightened her footsteps and sneakily crept up to her own bed. She was about to go to sleep but noticed Gu Ding¡¯s left hand exposed outside the nket. Suddenly, she thought of something and took a tube of medicine from the Inventory.

    Neptune watched her every move, but after he realized it was a tube of medicine in her hand, he rxed. The tube of medicine was the Cell Restorer she previously wanted to give Gu Ding.

    Liliath crept beside Gu Ding and held up his wrist. She had no problem finding a vein and proceeded to inject the tube of Cell Restorer into him.

    After putting the empty tube into the Inventory, Liliath slipped back into her bed.

    The night was long and calm.

    Both Gu Ding and Liliath slept until daylight.

    Gu Ding, who was full of spirit, stretched his body. He felt much better than when he had first arrived at the, which surprised him a little.

    ¡°I have good news for you. Firstly, your injuries arepletely healed. Your skeletal cells havepletely recovered, and all internal injuries have been cleared,¡± Neptune¡¯s voice came right after he woke up.

    ¡°How did it happen so fast?¡± Gu Ding knew his recovery ability was amazing, but it was generally impossible for fractures to heal within three days.

    ¡°That little girl injected you with the Cell Restorer while you were asleepst night. With more than thirty hours of sleep, your body had maximized its reparative ability. Not only are all your injuries healed, but your Cell Index has also been increased to 20 points,¡± Neptune told him the second bit of good news.

    ¡°How¡¯s your body? Do you expect it to bepletely healed by tomorrow?¡± Liliath was full of energy after more than thirty hours of sleep.

    ¡°It¡¯spletely healed,¡± Gu Ding grinned.

    ¡°That fast?¡± Liliath was surprised.

    ¡°I told you my body was special. I am able to recover fast, and with so much sleep, it¡¯s not a surprise that I got better this quickly,¡± Gu Ding omitted the fact that he knew Liliath had secretly injected him with the Cell Restorer.

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s good,¡± Liliath felt relieved.

    ¡°How¡¯re you doing? I see that you¡¯re in good spirits today. Has your spirit regeneratedpletely?¡± Gu Ding asked.

    ¡°Yeah. It¡¯spletely regenerated. I feel a little stronger now, to be honest,¡± Liliath said as she gazed at the giant beasts wandering around outside the window. ¡°I think I can wipe those fellows out one by one.¡±

    ¡°People with Pupiry Abilities generally have extremely good fighting skills. Her spirit is flowing 60% more than yesterday. This means that her spirit strength is at least 60% stronger too,¡± Neptune exined.

    ¡°How am I supposed to use the Energy Crystal Nucleus?¡± Gu Ding desperately wanted to improve his strength. Even if his Cell Index increased to 20 points, he could not beat the giant beast from yesterday, let alone the five bigger guys that were wandering outside at the moment.

    ¡°Usually, it¡¯s ground into pieces and mixed with other ingredients to be refined into medicine,¡± Neptune exined. ¡°However, the Crystal Nucleus from the carcass of a Rank 3 Gene beast can only be ground by a Rank 4 powerhouse. Additionally, you don¡¯t have the appropriate medicinal ingredients to refine it into a usable medicine.¡±

    ¡°Are you saying that I¡¯ll have to wait until we leave this? I can¡¯t wait that long!¡± Gu Ding desperately needed to get stronger.

    ¡°There¡¯s another way, but it¡¯s very risky,¡± Neptune was silent for a moment. He could understand Gu Ding¡¯s urge to be stronger in this situation. Thus, he only brought it up because he had considered the method thoroughly. Even though there might be some risks associated with it, the method could be sessful if it was done within a controlled environment.

 Chapter 48

    <h4>Chapter 48: The Sudden Influx of Viruses</h4>

    Besides the method of being grinded and refined into medicine, Energy Crystals could be used through the imntation method. When the Energy Crystal is imnted directly into bloodstream, your blood will be used as the carrier to transfer the energy.

    In fact, this imntation method allowed people to gain strength faster with almost no energy loss.

    Having said that, naturally, ordinary people would not ept the imntation of an object taken from a virus-infected body in case the object still carried the virus.

    In addition to this, the Energy Crystal required blood as a carrier, which meant that it was usually imnted in the heart to get the best result. If it could not be imnted in the heart, it should at least be imnted somewhere close to the aorta. In any case, these sorts of imntation were not risk-free.

    When Gu Ding heard about the method from Neptune, he was shocked. Obviously, he could not imnt it in his heart because it would require operation from a professional physician. As for imnting it near the aorta, Gu Ding also could not determine how feasible it was.

    ¡°What¡¯s the safest location if I were to imnt it near the aorta?¡± Gu Ding was still considering where to imnt it. ¡°If it¡¯s imnted in the brachial or femoral artery, won¡¯t it be too troublesome during battles?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why it¡¯s more appropriate to imnt it near the carotid artery,¡± Neptune exined. ¡°since the movement in this area is rtively limited and the possibilities of this site being hit are fairly small. Although your body¡¯s special, I expect it¡¯ll need at least two or three days for the energy of the crystal to be fully absorbed. If it is imnted in the arm or thigh, any hits from fights during this period will impact the position of the crystal. Eventually, it¡¯ll cause the crystal to be unstable and, in the worst scenario, will lead to an explosion. Therefore, the neck is the safest ce if you think about it.¡±

    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, who will be the one operating on me?¡± Gu Ding nced at Liliath across the room and shook his head. He suspected that the little girl would not agree to the n anyway.

    ¡°You can only rely on yourself,¡± Neptune suggested ordingly.

    ¡°How are you nning to use that Energy Crystals?¡± Liliath asked suddenly. ¡°If you don¡¯t grind it into a powder, you won¡¯t be able to make medicine out of it. In any case, neither of us are strong enough to grind the crystal into powder...¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve decided to imnt it!¡± Gu Ding did not intend to hide his n.

    Liliath was silent for a moment before she asked, ¡°Do you need my help?¡±

    ¡°No, I can do it myself,¡± Gu Ding shook his head.

    ¡°It¡¯s too dangerous for you to operate on yourself. This thing must be imnted close to the artery. Even if you¡¯re using the monitoring device, the image you see is flipped. Any mistake made will cause heavy bleeding and the whole thing will be a mess,¡± Liliath frowned slightly. ¡°I¡¯ve taken surgical courses, so why don¡¯t you let me do it on you? Although I only took it for a year, it¡¯ll be better than having an amateur operate on himself. At least I¡¯ve practiced dissection on a number of animals before.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure you want to do this?¡± Gu Ding thought this was out of character for Liliath.

    ¡°You see the monsters outside? I can only fight one at a time. And my wristwatch only just connected to this spaceship, which means that the power system has been damaged on purpose. I¡¯m guessing the same goes for the other spaceships. Therefore, we¡¯ll have to kill those five monsters so that the two of us can slip into the space dock to see if there are any spaceships that are still working. For this to happen, you¡¯ll have to level up your strength as soon as possible. Now, it¡¯s no longer a question of whether you want it or not, it¡¯ll simply be much safer for me to perform the imntation. Furthermore, I¡¯m guessing you probably don¡¯t have much food left. So, obviously, we¡¯ll have to leave this as soon as possible,¡± Liliath exined in all seriousness.

    ¡°It¡¯s safer for her to operate than you trying to do so on yourself. I mean, you¡¯ve seen the precision of her pupil ability,¡± Neptune reminded.

    On the first day they met, Liliath showed that she had extremely precise eyesight. Only someone with her caliber of eyesight could achieve her level of uracy.

    ¡°Okay,¡± Gu Ding took out the Energy Crystal and handed it to Liliath.

    ¡°We¡¯re imnting it in your neck, right?¡± Liliath asked after she took the Energy Crystal.

    ¡°Yeah. The other parts won¡¯t be convenient to me during a fight,¡± Gu Ding nodded.

    Gu Ding took off his shirt andid on the bed. He pointed toward the left artery on the side of his neck. ¡°This side.¡±

    Liliath took out a bottle of medicinal liquid and injected it into Gu Ding¡¯s skin on his neck. After injecting the anesthetic, she proceeded with the disinfection process.

    Her surgical equipment was simple¡ªa scalpel, a pair of sterile gloves, and a bottle of Cell Restorer.

    After a while, Gu Ding could feel the effect of the anesthetic. His entire neck had lost all sensation.

    ¡°Has the anesthetic begun to take effect?¡± Liliath estimated that it should have started to take effect by then.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Gu Ding snorted.

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll start,¡± Liliath picked up the scalpel and cut into Gu Ding¡¯s neck.

    About two or three minutester, Liliath put the cleaned Energy Crystal into Gu Ding¡¯s wound. The whole process went smoothly.

    Gu Ding could not help but be amazed at the precision of her eyesight. She did not hesitate for one second and the process was done in one shot.

    After she inserted the Energy Crystal into Gu Ding¡¯s neck, Liliath injected the Cell Restorer into Gu Ding¡¯s body.

    In less than thirty seconds, Gu Ding¡¯s wound had healedpletely without any trace of scarring.

    After she put away the surgical equipment, Liliath smiled and asked, ¡°How was it? I told you my workmanship¡¯s good.¡±

    Gu Ding rubbed his neck. There was still some numbness from the anesthetic, but he could feel that the wound had healedpletely.

    ¡°Take a look at it yourself, it healed just nice,¡± Liliath said and pulled a mirror out to reflect the location of the surgery on Gu Ding¡¯s neck.

    Gu Ding lifted his chin to see that it indeed did not leave any scar, nor did any swelling ur from the surgery. ¡°Yeah, you did a good job.¡±

    ¡°After the Energy Crystal is imnted, you¡¯ll feel a surge of energy from the crystal, and your body will be full of energy. However, don¡¯t use your energy just yet. You¡¯ll need the strength to strengthen your cells...¡± Neptune stopped mid-sentence, as if he was interrupted by something. Suddenly, his voice sounded a little panicked, ¡°Where did these virusese from? I checked it thoroughly multiple times! This crystal only contains pure energy. Why are there so many viruses appearing?!¡±

    ¡°No, this isn¡¯t the same virus as the ones in the monsters...¡± Neptune quickly noticed the abnormality of these viruses. ¡°And it¡¯s just full of engulfing energy, so they aren¡¯t attacking your body... ¡±

    ¡°What happened?¡± Gu Ding asked uncertainly. ¡°Is my body being invaded by a virus? I don¡¯t want to be a monster!¡±

    ¡°No, I made a mistake.¡± Neptune stared intently at the changes in Gu Ding¡¯s body. Those mysterious viruses were quickly engulfed by the crystal¡¯s energy as soon as they appeared. The entire process took less than three minutes. If Gu Ding were to absorb it himself, it would take at least three days.

    After he finished the energy absorption, the viruses disappearedpletely without a trace. Suddenly, the gene locks in Gu Ding¡¯s body began to show a crack. As time passed, the crack grew bigger and bigger...

 Chapter 49

    <h4>Chapter 49: Awakened Ability</h4>

    The inherent gene locks in Gu Ding¡¯s body began to show a crack. Under the supervision of Neptune, the crack quickly got bigger. In less than two minutes, one of the gene locks finally brokepletely.

    A dreadful energy gushed out of Gu Ding¡¯s gene chains, and the sealed gene lock that was added by some mysterious entity was totally destroyed. Its destruction was as easy as crushing dry weeds and smashing rotten wood.

    Gu Ding vaguely heard two clicks, and felt as though something inside him had been opened.

    ¡°Have I been promoted to Rank 2 Gene Body?¡± Gu Ding could distinctly feel the cells throughout his body splitting and regenerating madly, each one of them packed with a few times more energy than they previously contained. The only exnation for this was if gene locks were broken and the person had been promoted to Rank 2 Gene Body. When cells were activated, the strength of each cell changed drastically.

    The transformationsted for nearly ten minutes before it gradually slowed down.

    ¡°You¡¯re right. Not only have you been promoted to a Rank 2 Gene Body, but you¡¯ve also awakened a terrifying ability.¡± When Neptune rescanned Gu Ding¡¯s body indicators, he found that Gu Ding¡¯s strength had improved tremendously. He projected the statistics for him to see:

    Name: Gu Ding

    Gender: Male

    Age: 15

    Gene Level: Level Two

    Special Abilities: Level Two Rage Attack (Evolvable)

    Ability Description: Attack power, defense power, speed, recovery ability is tripled, andsts for ten minutes.

    Side effects: Ten hours of exhaustion state which halvesbat effectiveness.

    Cell Index: 100

    Spirit: 98

    Battle Prowess: B+

    Mental Cognition: A

    ...

    Gu Ding¡¯s Cell Index had increased fivefold. From the increase in Cell Index, his spirit increased five times as well. It was rare for a first-time awakening of abilities to be a level two skill, so Neptune still felt that there was even more inside Gu Ding¡¯s body.

    ording to the records in his database, people who were born with gene shackles could awaken a level five ability the first time their abilities were awakened. The lowest level a first-time awakening should unlock should only be as low as level four. It was umon for their first awakening to be a level three ability or lower.

    When Liliath saw Gu Ding¡¯s data projection from the side, she was so surprised that she blinked twice to make sure she was not just imagining things.

    ¡°How is your Cell Index 100 points when you¡¯re just a Rank 2 Gene Body? A Rank 2 Gene Body has a Cell Index limit of 30 points! Even if you have a special body, 50 points is already unbelievable. Cell Index of 100 points is usually saved for high tier Rank 3 Gene Bodies. Any higher than 100 points is Rank 4 Gene Body category.¡±

    ¡°And with your amount of spirit index? I myself have a 100 spirit points because I inherited a special ability from my ancestor¡¯s genes. But you¡¯re just a normal person and yours increased to 98 points...¡±

    ¡°Actually, I¡¯m happiest about the special ability I just awakened,¡± Gu Ding grinned. ¡°I was thinking that if I were to be promoted to Rank 2 Gene Body, it would be best if mybat strength improved immediately. Who would¡¯ve thought that I would get what I wanted.¡±

    ¡°That ability of yours is a normal one,¡± Neptune could not help but murmur. Initially, he was really looking forward to Gu Ding¡¯s awakened ability, but it turned out to just be a Level Two Rage Attack.

    Liliath did notment on Gu Ding¡¯s ability. The first reason was that her body¡¯s awakened ability was very special, so Gu Ding¡¯s would notpare to hers. The second reason was that most people¡¯s first awakened abilities were rank three abilities and above. Gu Ding¡¯s was not very amazing in that regard.

    ¡°I think the most practical ability is the best ability for me.¡± Gu Ding replied to Neptune. ¡°A three times increase inbat power, in addition to twice the increase inbat armor, together with twice the increase in the fourth level of Ultimate Arts; this means mybat power isparable to at least a 1200 points Cell Index powerhouse. I¡¯ll be able to kill off any Rank 5 Gene Bodies now. It¡¯s too bad this ability is only temporary.¡±

    ¡°Sure, you got your stats right. A typical Rank 5 Gene Body has a Cell Index between 300 points and 1000 points. But, don¡¯t forget that the opponent may know differentbat skills or possess high tier equipment. Those variables can make them slightly challenging to face,¡± Neptune reminded him. He felt that Gu Ding still had a long way before he was a true powerhouse. ¡°Furthermore, 100 points of Cell Index is the limit of level four of Ultimate Arts. Anything after that is too much of a burden on the body.¡±

    ¡°Understood,¡± Gu Ding grinned. ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s enough to kill the big monsters outside.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure you can beat those guys?¡± Liliath asked with a smile.

    ¡°It shouldn¡¯t be a problem.¡± Gu Ding shed his signature smile.

    ¡°Are you talking about one or five of them?¡± Liliath narrowed her eyes and raised the corner of her mouth slightly.

    ¡°One should be no problem for me. If five of them show up, I guess we¡¯ll have to find out there and then,¡± Gu Ding answered honestly. He was still unsure of how strong he really was.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take care of one while you take care of the other four,¡± Liliath said, only half-jokingly.

    ¡°Sure, let me have a go first. When I¡¯m at my limit, you can help me out,¡± Gu Ding still wanted to test his limits.

    ¡°Alright,¡± Liliath knew that Gu Ding would only say this if he was really confident that he would be able to pull through. Since Gu Ding was certain that he would be able to be able to deal with it, she thought it would be better if she did not interfere. The thought of them being able to enter the space dock to find a working spaceship after killing those five giant beasts made her slightly excited. ¡°Once we¡¯re done with these five monsters, we¡¯ll finally be able to leave after finding a good spaceship at the space dock.¡±

    ¡°It won¡¯t be that easy.¡± When Gu Ding heard what Liliath said, he hesitated for a bit, but eventually decided that it would be best if he told her the truth. ¡°Inside the space dock, there¡¯s a powerful beast that¡¯s at least a Rank 6 Gene Body. You see these five giant beasts? They¡¯re just the big boss¡¯s minions. If it weren¡¯t for the bis boss¡¯s orders, these five giant beasts would¡¯ve tried to kill each other by now.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s a Rank 6 Gene Body hidden in the space dock ?!¡± Liliath thought that she had misheard. ¡°Are you sure?¡±

    Initially, she wanted to ask Gu Ding how he knew this as she had tried to connect to thework in the space dock, but quickly found that all of the security cameras were destroyed. However, when she heard how assured Gu Ding was, she began to believe that they had a chance at this, so she decided to remain quiet.

    ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure that the guy has some level of intelligence, which means it won¡¯t be easy to deal with him,¡± Gu Ding expressed his worries. ¡°However, let¡¯s get rid of these gatekeepers first, and then we¡¯ll see what we have to do next. ¡±

    ¡°I think it¡¯ll be better if I go with you. I¡¯ll watch from a distance and only help when you need it,¡± Liliath was a little worried that Gu Ding would not be able to handle the five of them by himself.

    ¡°Alright, but I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll need it,¡± Gu Ding grinned.

 Chapter 50

    <h4>Chapter 50: A 1 Versus 5 Game</h4>

    A 100 point Cell Index was normally the limit of a Rank 3 Gene Body or the minimum standard of a Rank 4 Gene Body.

    The five virus-infected beasts that wandered around in the staging area of the space dock were allparable to the physique of a Peak Rank 4 Gene Body martial arts practitioner, with some of them having a 300 point Cell Index. Infected with the virus, they had lost most of their sanity. Once they started fighting, they wouldpletely enter a state of madness, and although this state slightly improved theirbat power, it only increased it to a certain point. One might even say they entered a frenzied killing state rather than a battling one. In this state, they would ignore their injuries and focus more on attacking their enemies. From this perspective, it seemed that Gu Ding had an advantage over them.

    Gu Ding brought Liliath out of the spaceship where they had been hiding and summoned his Combat Armor. Right after this, he charged straight toward the five giant beasts. On the other hand, Liliath hid under a nearby spaceship and watched the battle from afar as Gu Ding attracted the attention of the five giant beasts. From her position, she would be out of harm¡¯s way, far from the fight, but close enough to use her Pupiry Abilities to help Gu Ding at the drop of a hat.

    When the five giant beasts saw Gu Ding charging over, all of them frantically rushed over to him with excited roars since it was the first enemy invasion they had met with after a really long time. Although Gu Ding looked thin and weak, they were not fussy about a meager snack. After all, it was better than nothing.

    When he saw the five giant beasts frantically closing in on him, Gu Ding grinned.

    His speed had greatly improvedpared with his previous self, and he stepped forward with his Silent Step. He easily escaped the ws of the giant beasts as Gu Ding figure leaped high. He gave a violent Phantom Kick at the head of a giant beast and saw it drop heavily to the ground. The dust flew up from the impact of its head against the ground. After a second, it shook its head dizzily and tried to stand up again.

    Right after this, Gu Ding used his level three Ultimate Arts moves with full force. Steel Fist, Phantom Kick, Lightning Elbow, ming Knee, Terminating Finger... Every attack hit their bodies violently. Those big guys were punching bags for Gu Ding since they only knew how to attack without having any ability to dodge.

    Meanwhile, Gu Ding quickly started to get familiarized with his new body.

    Gu Ding had gotten a lot of practice battles with a 100 point Cell Index in the Virtual Arena. Therefore, when his real-life Cell Index finally reached 100 points, he had no problem getting used to it.

    In the five minutes of battle, the five giant beasts never got a chance to hit Gu Ding even once. However, they let out a painful wail every single time they were hit by Gu Ding. Gu Ding had finally mastered his new body fully and could feel his veins coursing with strength.

    With the help of the Combat Armor and his level three Ultimate Arts, Gu Ding¡¯s attack power wasparable to a 300 point Cell Index martial arts practitioner. Even so, his damage to the five giant beasts was limited. Although each blow inflicted pain onto them, there was no way to cause substantial damage to them due to their strong defense.

    ¡°It seems that, in order to kill them, at least level four Ultimate Arts is required.¡± Gu Ding stopped his assault as the five giant beasts frantically surrounded him. It seemed that theirbat power was still the same as before, or perhaps the pain inflicted on them caused them to be even more frenzied.

    When Liliath saw that Gu Ding was no longer attacking but instead starting to hide, worry stirred in her as she watched from afar. She saw how the situation was progressing with her own eyes, with Gu Ding¡¯s full force attacks essentially useless against the monsters.

    She began to prepare her pupiry power secretly in case Gu Ding needed a chance to escape.

    On the other hand, Neptune knew very well why Gu Ding stopped attacking. ¡°Although the fourth level of Ultimate Arts will take a toll on your body and you won¡¯t be able to sustain it for too long, it shouldn¡¯t be a major problem.¡±

    ¡°When I was testing their defense power, I got the sense that the fourth level of Ultimate Arts may not even be enough to kill them.¡± After Gu Ding¡¯s brief test, he gathered that the defense power of those five giant beasts was probablyparable to a 400 points Cell Index martial arts practitioner.

    ¡°Yes, their defense may be strong, but don¡¯t forget that you¡¯re a martial arts practitioner. A martial arts practitioner always finds his opponent¡¯s weak spot and focuses on attacking that area. A martial arts practitioner that only relies on his own strength to subdue his opponent isn¡¯t any good,¡± Neptune said in a matter-of-fact tone. After his words, Neptune knew that Gu Ding would make the right decision.

    ¡°Attack their weak spot...¡± Gu Ding¡¯s eyes lit up when he heard what Neptune said.

    It was not that he did not know where their weak spot was. When he previously battled in the Virtual Arena, Gu Ding encountered his fair share of tough opponents. Although most of the time he pinned them down through sheer force, he was also able to identify his opponent¡¯s weak spots and attack them as well.

    ¡°My opponent¡¯s weak spot...¡± Gu Ding stared the several giant beasts up and down to think about this while he simultaneously dodged their strikes. Suddenly, his eyes fell on the eyes of one of the giant beasts. He remembered the effect Liliath¡¯s sniper rifle previously had on the giant beast¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°Of course! Their eyes!¡± When Gu Ding remembered the incident and took action immediately. He stepped out with his Silent Step once more as his figure leaped up. He appeared on one of the heads of those giant beasts, then used the fourth level of Ultimate Arts and instantly pointed three Terminating Finger moves straight at the giant beast¡¯s three eyes.

    ¡°Roar...¡± The giant beast wailed and began to frantically attack everything around it after losing its eyesightpletely. The beast did not stop and continued to attack madly even after hitting the two beasts next to it.

    The two giant beasts that were attacked immediately became irritated. Those brainless chumps fought back aggressively as the scene soon descended into chaos.

    Gu Ding grinned, ¡°It seems like my tactic is working.¡±

    Within the next two minutes, Gu Ding used Terminating Finger on the eyes of all four of the other giant beasts in session. Thus, all five monsters lost their vision and could no longer chase Gu Ding.

    When Liliath saw the scene from afar, she knew that Gu Ding was no longer in any danger.

    Gu Ding weaved himself between the five giant beasts and was not hit even once by the frenzied attacks as he made use of his Silent Step within thebat area. However, he knew that it was not the end of the battle yet. He still had to find the fatal weakness of the five giant beasts to y them properly.

    While roaming around, he realized that the giant beasts that were in a frenzied state would asionally defend themselves with their left arm instead of wildly attacking.

    ¡°It seems like they¡¯re...¡± After his careful observation, he came to a pleasant conclusion, ¡°They¡¯re protecting their hearts! When they still had their vision, they could see their opponent¡¯s actions and were able to defend in time. However, after losing their eyesight, they instinctively protect their vital parts in case of any sneak attacks.

    ¡°You finally found it...¡± Neptune¡¯s voice replied. ¡°In any battle, the most important step is to find your opponent¡¯s weak spot. Slowly, you¡¯ll get better at it.¡±

    After Gu Ding found the fatal weakness of the five giant beasts, his subsequent job became much simpler. He broke out his fourth level Ultimate Arts and appeared in front of the five giant beasts one by one. With five violent Steel Fists, he attacked them one after another on the left side of their chests. Soon, all five of the giant beasts dropped to the ground in session, after which, not a single one of them tried to get up.

    When Liliath saw Gu Ding¡¯s victory, she quickly popped up beside him. Before she could speak, Neptune suddenly shouted, ¡°Go now! The guy in the space dock ising!¡±

    Gu Ding made a split-second decision and grabbed Liliath¡¯s wrist. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±

    Liliath was temporarily stunned. She only had the slightest moment to add the giant beast carcass nearest to her to her Inventory before she was pulled away by Gu Ding.

    The two of them zoomed back toward the shielded spaceship they were previously hiding in and quickly ducked inside. When they were inside, Neptune turned on the spaceship¡¯s shielding system.

    At that moment, Gu Ding saw a figure rushing out of the space dock gate via Neptune¡¯s fire control room monitor.

 Chapter 51

    <h4>Chapter 51: An Interesting Prey</h4>

    The figure appeared to be a tall and slender human man. A pair of gold-rimmed sses satfortably on his nose, adding a touch of nerdiness to his overall look. He did not look like an infected person at all.

    ¡°That¡¯s the guy who has been controlling those monsters?¡± Liliath asked in astonishment. If she had not seen him rushing out of the dockyard just now, she would have thought that he was just a random guy who happened to pass by the area. ¡°He doesn¡¯t look like he has been infected by the virus.¡±

    ¡°I think he¡¯s one of those guys who had undergone a slightly more sessful evolution process.¡± Gu Ding pursed his lips and said. He had to admit that the guy was quite handsome, and Gu Ding would typically describe him as one of those polite and gentle looking guys. The man also gave out a schrly vibe, which Gu Ding guessed had something to do with his job. After being infected by the virus, to a certain extent, one could say that the man had lost his sense of self. Now, he was nothing but a mere puppet whose body had been taken over by the virus. Indeed, his current stage of evolution had restored parts of his memory as well as a certain degree of consciousness. However, that did not change the fact that he was dead. The former him had died the minute the viruses invaded his brain.

    The man did a quick scan of his surroundings. After making sure that there was no sign of nearby enemies, he directed his gaze toward the carcasses and nced at the beasts¡¯ wounds.

    After a brief moment, he finally spotted the fatal wounds on the four beast carcasses¡ªthe big holes in their chests. He then bent down and started scrutinizing the wounds. The corner of his lips curled into a grin as soon as he was done examining them.

    It took him just an instant to infer that his opponents were not very powerful.

    Apart from the fatal wounds to their chests, the other injuries dealt by his opponent were not that serious. This proved that his opponent¡¯s original strength was onlyparable to these beasts. Without unleashing his or her true power, his opponent¡¯s strength should not be any greater than that of these beasts.

    A cold chill ran down Gu Ding¡¯s spine when he noticed the wicked grin on the man¡¯s face. Gu Ding knew that the man had made a rough judgment on his strength just by looking at the wounds. The fact that the man was grinning proved that he did not think highly of Gu Ding at all. It was also possible that the man only thought of them as a way to pass time.

    Gu Ding¡¯s guess was correct. From Cooper¡¯s point of view, Gu Ding was a weak and unworthy opponent. In any case, a great deal of work was needed to repair the spacecraft, so it would take some time before he could finish repairing it. Hence, Cooper would not let any interesting toys slip away during this period.

    Capturing the five giant beasts was one of the things Cooper had done when he was feeling bored.

    As far as he could remember, Cooper knew that he used to be an extremely boring person. Apart from working, eating, and sleeping, he rarely enjoyed any other forms of entertainment.

    His job as a mechanical engineer was much more mundanepared to other careers. Most of his colleagues also lived a life like him, whereby watching a movie in bed was considered a form of entertainment.

    After getting a second chance in life due to the virus outbreak, he realized that he now had apletely different perspective when facing problems. Thanks to this, he stopped being a coward and inched his way forward to eventually be a Level-6 genome powerhouse via the evolution process.

    However, he hated to do dull and boring stuff even now. Nheless, he still had to repair the spacecraft if he were to leave this. He did not need somebody else to tell him that this phase of extreme boredom was only temporary, and that it could be transformed into a lifetime of freedom. This was why he decided to shut himself in the dockyard and onlye out once in a while to rx and have some fun.

    After digging out the Energy Crystals from the beasts¡¯ carcasses and storing them in the Inventory, Cooper raised his head and did another quick scan of his surroundings. He only dashed back into the dockyard after making sure that the coast was clear.

    ¡°He¡¯s finally gone!¡± Even Neptune breathed a sigh of relief.

    ¡°That guy is really powerful!¡± Gu Ding said after seeing his opponent¡¯s speed. Even if his strength was greatly enhanced, Gu Ding still doubted his ability to beat him in a match.

    ¡°Judging by his speed, he should¡¯ve reached at least the sixth genome level. I was so worried that he¡¯d search the area just now.¡± Liliath heaved a sigh of relief and patted her chest.

    ¡°He doesn¡¯t seem to be in a hurry at all. For him, this is just a game.¡± Gu Ding did not find it difficult to guess his opponent¡¯s intentions. ¡°The reason why he left without hesitating is probably because he knew that we would enter the dockyard sooner orter. He¡¯s waiting for us to make a move.¡±

    ¡°Why should we make the first move?¡± Liliath felt that the chances of winning were small if this was the case. ¡°I think it¡¯ll be difficult for us to finish him off, as there are only two of us. Is there another way to kill him without confronting him?¡±

    ¡°He has already destroyed the power systems of all the spacecraft in this square. The only functioning spacecraft is the one in the dockyard. As a result, we have no other choice but to confront him if we want to leave this.¡± Gu Ding seemed to have no intention of admitting defeat. He continued, ¡°Besides, this guy is extremely dangerous. I think he¡¯s nning to leave the with other infected people. If he ever seeds in bringing them away from this gray star sector, it¡¯ll only be a matter of time before the virus spreads to other star sectors. Therefore, we have to either kill him or destroy the spacecraft that he¡¯s repairing.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t forget that his strength has almost reached the sixth genome level. You might be able to suppress him temporarily if you unleash your true powers, but you won¡¯t be able tost for long. Most importantly, we still don¡¯t know what kind of abilities he has, which is the most terrifying part,¡± Neptune reminded them from the side. At this point, they had only figured out their opponent¡¯s speed. To make matters worse, their opponent had not even shown his true power yet.

    Liliath was slightly doubtful upon hearing Gu Ding¡¯s words, as she was not sure exactly how Gu Ding had gotten this information. However, she still chose to believe him. ¡°We¡¯ll definitely lose if we confront him head on. Make sure that you have a feasible n first before you make a move.¡±

    Liliath touched her Inventory wristwatch and continued, ¡°There¡¯s a giant beast carcass in my Inventory. We can take out the Energy Crystals during the night, and I¡¯ll try to transnt them into your body. Let¡¯s see if it works this time.¡±

    Darkness finally came after they waited for 40 hours. Both Gu Ding and Liliath hid in the cabin without stepping out.

    ording to Neptune, a few surveince cameras were installed in the square. Although the images recorded were not clear, it was not difficult to see where they were hiding. Hence, Neptune would make sure to activate his shielding and tampering functions so that nothing would be recorded whenever Gu Ding and Liliath made a move.

    Meanwhile, in the dockyard¡¯s monitoring room, Cooper was checking the surveince recordings to find out exactly what had happened in the square just now. To his surprise, he saw that the five giant beasts had died suddenly on their own. He immediately realized that the video had been tampered. Narrowing his eyes, Cooper could not help but feel that his current prey was much more interesting than anything he had hunted before.

 Chapter 52

    <h4>Chapter 52: Gu Ding¡¯s Unique Physique</h4>

    Upon nightfall, Neptune stealthily tampered with the surveince cameras that were installed in the square, removing all recordings of Gu Ding and Liliath.

    Meanwhile, Gu Ding and Liliath took out the beast¡¯s carcass and dug out the Energy Crystal. After they were done, Liliath stored the carcass back in the Inventory, and both of them disappeared into the cabin without a trace.

    After that, Liliath skilfully imnted the Energy Crystal into Gu Ding¡¯s neck.

    At this moment, Neptune concentrated all his energy onto the changes urring within Gu Ding¡¯s body, as he wanted to find out exactly what secretsy within.

    Just as he had expected, a rare virus suddenly appeared out of nowhere. In less than two minutes, the virus devoured the Energy Crystal embedded in Gu Ding¡¯s neck.

    This led to another change in Gu Ding¡¯s physique. This time, the change did not allow him to breakthrough to the Rank-3 gene body, nor did it enhance his Cell Index. Instead, it caused a slight morphological change in one of his gic chains. Thanks to this, Gu Ding obtained a new special ability.

    Gu Ding felt that his body had changed, but he could not figure out what exactly this change was. He only knew that there had not been a direct effect on his strength. ¡°Neptune, what happened to me? Why do I feel that the Energy Crystal embedded in my neck has suddenly vanished? Besides, I don¡¯t seem to feel any stronger than I was before.¡±

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you check your body data?¡± Neptune suggested before pulling up his data.

    Name: Gu Ding

    Gender: Male

    Age: 15

    Gene Level: Level Two

    Special Ability 1: Level Two Rage Attack (evolvable)

    Ability Description: Attack power, defense power, speed, recovery ability is tripled, andsts for ten minutes.

    Side effects: Ten hours of exhaustion state which halvesbat effectiveness.

    Special Ability 2: Level Two Regeneration (evolvable)

    Ability Description: Regenerative ability of cells is tripled (permanently).

    Cell Index: 100

    Mental Strength Index: 98

    Battle Prowess: B+

    Cognition: A

    ...

    Looking at the sudden addition of a new ability, Gu Ding was stunned. He then asked in astonishment, ¡°How is this even possible?¡±

    Liliath also stared at the data with her mouth wide open. After a brief moment, she asked in puzzlement, ¡°Why do you have a new ability even though your gene level is still at level two?¡±

    Under normal circumstances, a person would only get a new special ability when they progressed to a higher gene level. This was because the advancement to a higher level was usually coupled with a change in one¡¯s gic chain, thus leading to the awakening of a new special ability. However, Gu Ding obtained a new special ability even though his gene level remained the same. Liliath simply could not understand the reasoning behind this.

    It was not just Liliath, even Neptune found it difficult toprehend. There were many records regarding special physiques in his database, but as a rule of thumb, a person could only gain a new special ability upon the advancement of his gene level. As a result, even Neptune struggled to figure out the reason why this had happened to Gu Ding.

    Although Gu Ding was aware that one could only obtain a new special ability upon the advancement of one¡¯s gene level, he suspected that irregrities could happen to people with unique physiques like him. Hence, he chose not to dwell upon this matter. Upon hearing Liliath¡¯s question, he just replied casually, ¡°I¡¯m not too sure either. Who knows, maybe it¡¯s because I have a unique physique.¡±

    Although Liliath was still doubtful after hearing his answer, she did not ask any further questions. This was because she got the hunch that even Gu Ding himself did not know the answer to her question. Thus, Liliath could only reluctantly ept the exnation that Gu Ding¡¯s physique was unique. At the same time, she began wondering whether Gu Ding would gain even more abilities if she were to imnt the other four Energy Crystals found in the remaining beasts.

    In truth, she was not the only one who had thought of this. Even Neptune was thinking of other opportunities to imnt another Energy Crystal into Gu Ding¡¯s body. He was interested to see whether or not this would awaken Gu Ding¡¯s third special ability.

    ¡°Level two regeneration? The enhancement of my cells¡¯ regenerative ability? It seems like this ability is not that useful.¡± Gu Ding was hoping to get an ability that would directly enhance his strength, but this was clearly an auxiliary ability.

    ¡°If this ability is used together with your Rage Attack and Ultimate Arts, I¡¯m sure that yourbat effectiveness will be enhanced greatly,¡± Neptune had a different idea. He continued, ¡°A tripled rate of cell regeneration means an increase in the duration of your Rage Attack to 30 minutes. This also means that the damage caused to your body due to the use of Level 5 Ultimate Arts will be reduced to only one-third of the original amount.¡±

    Gu Ding only realized that this ability indirectly enhanced hisbat effectiveness after listening to Neptune¡¯s exnation. ¡°Now that you mention it, this ability sounds pretty good for me after all.¡±

    ¡°If you look at it from a non-strength enhancement perspective, I would say that this ability is even better than your Rage Attack ability,¡± Perhaps only Neptune felt this way. ¡°Amongst all the special abilities, abilities with permanent attributes ount for less than 1% of the total pool, making them extremely rare. Level two abilities with permanent attributes are, to a certain extent, on par with Level three abilities.

    ¡°Besides, if this ¡®regenerative ability¡¯ evolves into ¡®high-speed regeneration¡¯, an entire functional body can be regenerated if there¡¯s even just one cell left.¡± There were simr records in Neptune¡¯s database whereby a person who possessed this ability was considered immortal.

    Gu Ding found it difficult to believe what Neptune just said, so he blurted out, ¡°What does it take to evolve my Level two regeneration into high-speed regeneration?¡±

    ¡°The evolution process for most abilities are the same. A rtively faster way would be to inject a gene catalyst to induce the corresponding reaction of a gic chain, which will then lead to an improvement in the particr ability. However, the usage of a gene catalyst does not always guarantee a 100% sess rate. Generally, the sess rate of these catalytic reactions are only around 10%, and it depends on a person¡¯s physique as well. Some people have a sess rate of less than 5%.

    ¡°Another method is via surgical treatment, whereby a person¡¯s gic chain is modified by professional nanobots. However, the surgery costs are quite high, and the modification process only applies to general abilities. We do not have the corresponding gic blueprints for certain special abilities, so, in these cases, the modification process cannot be performed.

    ¡°There¡¯s also the most stupid method, which is to keep using your abilities. The more you use them, the more likely they are to evolve.¡± Neptune told him the three mainstream methods of ability evolution. Neptune chose not to tell him some other unusual methods, mainly because those methods were unconventional and somewhat illegal.

    ¡°I¡¯vee across these three mainstream methods of ability evolution on the Inte before,¡± Gu Ding nodded and clenched his fists. ¡°I wonder if I¡¯m now able to confront that spectacled man...¡±

 Chapter 53

    <h4>Chapter 53: Let¡¯s Fight</h4>

    After a series of discussions with Neptune, Gu Ding finally devised a battle n.

    ¡°Lily,ter, I¡¯ll rush into the dockyard and lure that guy out. That¡¯ll be your chance to sneak inside and locate the spacecraft. If possible, I want you to drive it away immediately.¡±

    ¡°What about you?¡± Liliath frowned upon hearing his n.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine. I can always run away if I can¡¯t beat him in a fight,¡± Gu Ding said with a grin.

    ¡°No, what I mean is that you simply can¡¯t stay on this.¡± Liliath shook her head and said, ¡°It¡¯s too dangerous here. If you ever get infected by the virus, you¡¯ll end up like these monsters too.¡±

    ¡°Wait, I haven¡¯t finished talking...¡± Realizing that Liliath had misunderstood him, he continued, ¡°I¡¯m not asking you to drive the spacecraft away and leave me alone here. I¡¯m asking you to leave this first and wait up to three days on a nearby beforeing back. I should be able to get rid of that guy by then. I¡¯ll send you a mapter, and all you need to do is dock the spacecraft somewhere around the red dot that I¡¯ve marked on the map. Once you¡¯re done on your side, contact me with a walkie-talkie.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I see. Alright, but why do I need to wait for three days?¡± Liliath felt that it was unnecessary to wait for that long. ¡°Why don¡¯t Ie and pick you up after one day? If you can¡¯t get rid of that guy in one day, I doubt that you canst for three days. Don¡¯t you agree?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s because it takes me three days to get from the dockyard to that red dot on the map. The distance is far enough to make sure that the guy doesn¡¯t notice any spacecraftnding nearby. I¡¯ve taken into ount that he may have a special ability that gives him a long-range vision of some sort. If he were to locate the spacecraft once more, I¡¯m sure that he¡¯ll fight us over it. In that case, it¡¯s also very likely that he¡¯ll destroy it to prevent us from escaping.¡±

    ¡°It is indeed necessary to set the rendezvous location so far away in case he has long-range vision. With a good vantage point, people with a long-range vision can easily see things up to a few hundred kilometers away. Seeing that the buildings on that dockyard are pretty tall, it¡¯s true that nothing will obstruct his line of sight if he were to stand at the highest point.¡± Liliath finally seemed to understand Gu Ding¡¯s intentions.

    ¡°Anyway, that¡¯s the n if things go well,¡± Gu Ding said, ¡°If he notices something wrong and heads back to the dockyard in the middle of our fight, I¡¯ll send you a message immediately. If that happens, go back and hide in the cabin right away. Don¡¯t bother confronting him, or you might get killed.¡±

    ¡°I understand. I know what¡¯s mybat strength, and I know that I can¡¯t beat him in a fight.¡± Liliath nodded and said, ¡°You should be careful and try not to get yourself killed either. If I don¡¯t receive your message, I¡¯ll be dead once hees back to the dockyard.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll make sure that the message gets through even if I¡¯m dead.¡± Gu Ding had considered this possibility as well.

    ¡°Are you sure that the spacecraft is still operational? All the other power systems found in this square were destroyed. What if I find that it¡¯s not working after I get inside?¡± Liliath raised her concerns.

    ¡°There shouldn¡¯t be any major problems regarding the spacecraft. There are just some parts that still need to be repaired, and its performance is not at its best.¡± With Neptune¡¯s help, Gu Ding was now an expert in this field. ¡°From what I can tell, there are two reasons why that guy isn¡¯t in a hurry to leave. Firstly, he wants to finish repairing the spacecraft. Secondly, he¡¯s waiting for the interster storm to pass.

    ¡°Once you¡¯re in the spacecraft, turn it on and drive it to a nearby. Come and pick me up in three days,¡± Gu Ding reminded, ¡°If I didn¡¯t show up or reply to any of your messages by the time you arrive, it means I¡¯m dead. If that happens, you¡¯ll have to flee immediately and leave this gray star sector for good.¡±

    Liliath went silent upon hearing his words. After a brief pause, she forced a smile and said, ¡°You¡¯re gonna be okay.¡±

    Gu Ding was basically ready for battle after telling Liliath his n. He decided to confront his enemy at noon the next day, when the temperature was highest.

    That night, Gu Ding slept soundly, as usual, whereas Liliath barely got any sleep at all.

    Early the next morning, Gu Ding felt energetic and refreshed. After looking at Liliath who looked slightly lethargic, he asked, ¡°Didn¡¯t sleep well yesterday?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. I guess I was just too excited.¡± Liliath nodded and said. She was actually lying. The real reason why she stayed up all night was because she was very worried that Gu Ding¡¯s n might not turn out well. She was concerned that Gu Ding might end up getting killed, and that she would lose a good friend.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you try and get some sleep now? There¡¯s still plenty of time before noon.¡± Gu Ding grinned and said, ¡°We have to be very alert when weunch our attack.¡±

    Liliath¡¯s rm went off when it was almost noon. After turning it off, Liliath sat up in bed. She still did not manage to get much sleep. Nevertheless, she looked much more refreshed after taking a short nap.

    ¡°You look much more energized now,¡± Gu Ding said with a wide grin. ¡°Well then, I better get going. You can sneak into the dockyard as soon as you see that I¡¯ve managed to lure him out.¡±

    ¡°Okay,¡± Liliath nodded determinedly.

    After asking Neptune to turn off the surveince cameras, Gu Ding slipped out of the cabin and headed toward the dockyard. Neptune reconnected the surveince feed only after Gu Ding was near the entrance to the dockyard.

    At almost the same time, Cooper, who was sitting on a swivel chair in the dimly lit monitoring room spotted Gu Ding as well. Raising an eyebrow, he said, ¡°Well, well, it seems that he can indeed blind the surveince cameras. I must admit, I never expected him to show up right at my doorstep. Is he trying to lure me out? The fact that he chooses to show up at noon proves that he knows that high temperatures and UV radiation are my weaknesses. Anyway, let¡¯s have some fun, shall we?¡±

    Cooper got up from his chair, and in a split second, he had already disappeared into the darkness, leaving behind a spinning swivel chair. A momentter, he was at the entrance to the dockyard.

    Cooper was briefly stunned when he saw Gu Ding, as he was not expecting his opponent to be a teenager. Nevertheless, he came back to his senses and said, ¡°Young man, it seems to me that you¡¯ve done something that you weren¡¯t supposed to do.¡±

    ¡°You can talk?¡± Gu Ding was startled.

    ¡°Well, well, what makes you think that infected people like us can¡¯t talk? I must say, you¡¯re pretty narrow-minded if that¡¯s the case.¡± Cooper said, broadening Gu Ding¡¯s knowledge about infected people. ¡°As far as I know, you seem to know quite a lot about us. Not only are you aware that we¡¯re afraid of high temperatures and UV radiation, but you also knew the weaknesses of those giant beasts.¡±

    ¡°It seems that you¡¯ve done your homework as well,¡± Gu Ding said with a smile.

    ¡°A lot of that was just me specting, but what you¡¯ve just said confirmed that I was right after all.¡± Cooper leaned against the gate and replied, his lips curling into a smile.

    ¡°You know what, cut the crap. Let¡¯s fight!¡± Gu Ding felt that there was no need to waste time and continue talking with him anymore. He could not wait to get a taste of his strength, given that he had now obtained a new ability.

    ¡°What a pity. I wanted to have a good chat with you, you know.¡± Cooper said while looking up at the sky. The sun was shining brightly, and the intense radiation was making him feel slightly ufortable...

 Chapter 54

    <h4>Chapter 54: Liliath¡¯s in Danger</h4>

    After Gu Ding was leveled up to the fourth level of Ultimate Arts, his regenerative ability allowed him to use Ultimate Arts Level 4 without it taking a toll on his body.

    A Cell Index of 100 points paired with double the Combat Armor and twice the strength of his Ultimate Arts Level 4 ensured that Gu Ding¡¯s ability wasparable to that of a martial arts practitioner with a 400 point Cell Index. This also meant that he hadbat effectiveness of a Rank 5 Gene Body.

    However, his opponent, Cooper, was a proper Rank 6 Gene Body. He had evolved so much that he was now ruling his own kind. Onnd, he was undoubtedly the king of the. However, there were much more powerful beings in the sea. If he had not awakened the memories of the host, he would have undoubtedly tried to battle the powerful beings in the sea by engulfing everything to make himself stronger.

    After awakening his memory, he realized that that was just a speck of dust in the vast universe. Even if he became the king on the, he was still a tiny speck on the grand scheme of things. His ambition grew, so he decided to take his army of virus-infected beasts into the Cosmic Sea. If he was not the ultimate king of the universe, at least he would be able to make a name for himself. This was to po prove he had lived, so that everyone would know his name.

    Only after confronting his opponent head-on di Gu Ding realize how strong he was. Who knew that a Rank 6 Gene Body would be that much stronger than himself? Whether it was in terms of strength or speed, Gu Ding waspletely outssed, despite the fact that his opponent had only just started.

    ¡°You seem to be stronger than those who killed me,¡± Cooper did not exert his full strength. Firstly, there was no need to. Secondly, he was curious about his opponent, who was obviously way weaker than him but had enough guts to provoke him. Therefore, either his opponent was holding back, or he was here for another reason. ¡°The person who killed me was your partner, right?¡±

    Gu Ding¡¯s heart jumped for a moment. Although Cooper¡¯s guess was inurate, he could not let thetter know of Liliath¡¯s existence, or else his n would be ruined. Gu Ding continued his attack with full focus without missing a beat. ¡°Didn¡¯t you realize one of your bodyguards went missing? That guy¡¯s Energy Crystal helped me improve my strength.¡±

    ¡°Is that so? Absorbing an Energy Crystal within one night? That¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve heard of such a thing,¡± Cooper did not believe Gu Ding¡¯sment and began to suspect that he was just acting as bait for someone else.

    Cooper had a special detection ability which allowed him to detect any movement made by a creature within ten kilometers. However, when he used his detection ability, he could not detect any being nearby except for Gu Ding. ¡®Did I guess incorrectly? Is he really alone?¡¯

    ¡®It can¡¯t be. When he was killing the five beasts that I was connected to, I noticed it instantly. At most, it took me five seconds to arrive at the scene, but when I got there, he was gone and I couldn¡¯t detect his presence anywhere. It¡¯s impossible for him to run more than ten kilometers away within five seconds. There must be something else that was shielding him from my scan.¡¯ Cooper thought back to the day the five giant beasts were killed. After they were killed, he tried to use his detection ability, but could not detect anything. ¡®If he has a partner, they¡¯re most likely using the same shielding method to block my detection.¡¯

    ¡°Get your partner out right now. You¡¯re no match for me. If both of you team up, you might have a chance to win,¡± Cooper sneered but he was still not sure how many people Gu Ding had with him.

    ¡°I told you already. I killed all those guys. I can¡¯t help it if you won¡¯t believe me,¡± Gu Ding violentlyunched a Steel Fist at Cooper¡¯s arm. ¡°This is the exact same move I used on them.¡±

    However, Gu Ding¡¯s attack did not cause any damage to Cooper. After all, the Gene Level gap between the two of them was veryrge. Even so, Cooper could clearly feel that Gu Ding¡¯s martial arts were something special, since almost every attack Gu Ding did was high damage. Those sorts of attacks indeed coincided with the wounds on the bodies of the four giant beasts.

    ¡®It doesn¡¯t matter how many people he has on his side. I¡¯ll just have to capture him alive and get some answers from him. Then, I¡¯ll get an idea of the situation outside this and see who the powerhouses are ...¡¯ Since Cooper was not able to get anything from him, he hatched a new n, which was to capture his opponent alive and torture him. This was the easiest way to obtain information.

    Suddenly, his attacks changed. Initially, his attacks and defenses were mild, but soon, they became serious. Every punch and scratch hit Gu Ding¡¯s strongest points as thetter soon felt as though he was going to get beaten at any moment.

    When Gu Ding noticed the change, he suddenly retreated and turned to escape into the jungle.

    Cooper was determined to catch Gu Ding alive and caught up immediately as he was several times faster than Gu Ding.

    When Gu Ding saw the way the situation was developing, he used Ultimate Arts Level 5 with all his might and Silent Stepped away. His speed increased and he was soon inside the dense forest.

    Cooper did not hesitate and followed him into the jungle.

    Liliath, who had been watching them from a distance, saw that the two of them had entered the jungle, and so, finally slipped out of the spaceship.

    The way she moved was very special. In just a few steps, she reached the gate of the space dock.

    In the hallway, the lighting seemed to have been intentionally broken. Even though it was noon, the whole ce was dark. However, the darkness did not affect Liliath¡¯s vision.

    ¡°It seems that not only does the virus not like ultraviolet rays, they also can¡¯t stand indoor lights,¡± Liliath shook her head as she looked at the airtight windows boarded up with wood in the pitch ck darkness.

    After ncing at the map handed to her by Gu Ding, she quickly determined her current location and then ran toward the location marked on the map.

    After making three or four turns in the space dock, she finally reached her destination and saw the ship mentioned by Gu Ding.

    ¡°That¡¯s a big ship!¡± Even though Liliath was quite worldly, this was the first time she had evere so close to a Grey-faced Buzzard grade spaceship.

    As she climbed up the stairs to the ship, Liliath¡¯s intuition told her something was wrong. The Combat Armor in her hands suddenly transformed and changed into two silver pistols. She stayed at the same spot and pointed the gun outward on both sides of there. ¡°Who¡¯s there? Come out at once!¡±

    Suddenly, a ck shadowy pool appeared and began morphing into something from the ground not far away from her. Right before her eyes, it formed a human figure and said, ¡°You¡¯re a sharp one. I didn¡¯t expect you to notice me...¡±

 Chapter 55

    <h4>Chapter 55: Gu Ding in the Lead</h4>

    With Liliath was in danger, Neptune sounded a warning in Gu Ding¡¯s ear, ¡°Liliath¡¯s in trouble!¡±

    ¡°What?!¡± Gu Ding almost screamed. ¡°Didn¡¯t you check that there was no one else with the monitor?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not someone...¡± When Neptune was about to exin, but he was interrupted by someone behind Gu Ding.

    ¡°Do you still want to continue to run? Your partner snuck into the space dock and was caught. I don¡¯t think you need to waste any more time trying to get me further away.¡± Cooper¡¯s voice came from behind Gu Ding, less than ten meters away.

    ¡°You already knew?¡± Gu Ding felt that his n was a failure as he thought that his opponent had guessed his every move.

    ¡°I only guessed it. In the beginning, I wasn¡¯t sure how many people you had behind you,¡± Cooper shook his head. ¡°But I knew one thing, the reason you came to the space dock was to find a functioning spaceship to leave this. Other than that, I don¡¯t think you would have many reasons to challenge me.

    ¡°To get that spaceship, you only have two options. First, is to kill me so you can take the spaceship with no frills. Of course, this method is limited to people who are stronger than me. As for the second method... it¡¯s to try and sneak into the spaceship while I¡¯m absent and fly it off. Since I won¡¯t leave my spaceship on my own volition, this sort of n can only work with two people. One person will be responsible to lead me away and the other one will fly the spaceship off. Obviously, you chose the second method.¡±

    ¡°In order to avoid the second situation from transpiring, I had two options. One was to stay by the spaceship and ignore your provocation. That way, you guys would have to enter the space dock and fight me head-on. But you know me, I can¡¯t ignore these sorts of challenges. So, I took the second option, which was to use an ability which I¡¯m not so keen on...¡± Once Cooper said this, he revealed his hand. ¡°It¡¯s my special ability, called Shadow Body.¡±

    ¡°Anyone who has the Shadow Body ability is able to split their body into a shadow figure. This separated body will have half the strength of summoner. As a side effect, the strength of the original body will also be reduced by half,¡± Neptune exined to Gu Ding when he heard what his opponent said.

    ¡°Do you know why I didn¡¯t go full force on you at the space dock gate just now for the longest time? It¡¯s because I wanted to know what your maximum strength was. If you were really strong, I¡¯d call my avatar back to kill you first. However, it seems that I won¡¯t need to do that. That¡¯s why I yed along with your game, because it doesn¡¯t matter where I kill you,¡± Cooper unted his intelligence happily. After figuring out his opponent¡¯s n, he exposed the fact that he had guessed every move happily.

    ¡°Just so I understand this whole thing, you could¡¯ve absorbed your Shadow Body at the space dock gate just now to restore yourself to peak strength, but now that you¡¯re this far away, you won¡¯t be able to absorb your Shadow Body back, right? Which also means that you will continue to be half of your normal strength, right?¡± Gu Ding asked Cooper after realizing something. In actuality, Gu Ding wanted to get the answer from Neptune instead of Cooper.

    ¡°I¡¯ll kill both you and your little girlfriend soon, so I guess it¡¯s alright to tell you. You guessed correctly. My Shadow Body must touch my shadow in order to be absorbed back. My Shadow Body has been hiding behind the space dock gate just now, so I could merge with my shadow at any moment if I had to. So, I guess you¡¯re right, there¡¯s no way I can reabsorb it that we¡¯re so far away. So what? Your strength right now is no match for me anyway,¡± Cooper beamed with pride.

    ¡°He¡¯s telling the truth,¡± Neptune¡¯s voice said.

    ¡°I have one more question. If you¡¯re killed, will your avatar disappear?¡± Gu Ding probably knew the answer to that question, but he still wanted confirmation from Cooper.

    ¡°Of course, unless there¡¯s some sort of curse-type ability. Under normal conditions, the ability stops working once the host controlling the power abilities dies. Don¡¯t you have anymon sense?¡± Cooper thought that Gu Ding¡¯s questions were quite childish, but still gave him an answer. Obviously, showing off that his IQ was higher than Gu Ding¡¯s was a sort of victory to him too.

    ¡°All the abilities from the split-body will disappear after the death of the host,¡± Neptune likewise gave a definite answer.

    ¡°Sorry to tell you this, but I have to say you something that may disappoint you,¡± After he got Neptune¡¯s confirmation, Gu Ding suddenly stopped running and turned around to stand on the spot. As he stared coldly at Cooper, he said, ¡°You have underestimated my strength!¡±

    ¡°I like your spirit, but do you really think you can bluff me?¡± Cooper was momentarily stunned, but soon began to smile after hearing Gu Ding¡¯s words.

    Only using Silent Step from Ultimate Arts Level 5 did not ce a heavy burden on Gu Ding¡¯s body since there was no physical impact.

    Gu Ding knew that he could not dy for a second longer once he thought of Liliath encountering a Rank 6 Gene Body opponent. He knew he had to go all out and kill the guy in front of him. Otherwise, Liliath might not survive.

    After unlocking Ultimate Arts Level 5 with full force, Gu Ding ¡®s strength tripled. At the same time, his Rage Attack became three times as effective. Paired with his double effectiveness Combat Armor, Gu Ding¡¯s totalbat effectiveness at that moment wasparable to an 1800 point Cell Index martial arts practitioner. However, he could onlyst up to thirty minutes in this state.

    When Gu Ding was in the Rage Attack state, both of his eyes became bloodshot. When Cooper saw this, he suddenly felt a little uneasy. Somehow, he got the feeling that Gu Ding was a lot stronger than before.

    A Rank 6 Gene Body has a Cell Index of between 1000 points and 3000 points. Cooper was at the upper boundary with 3000 points, but after halving hisbat power, it was only equivalent to 1500 points, which was not as high as Gu Ding.

    Gu Ding¡¯s knees bent slightly, then he went full throttle and threw himself forward. This happened so fast that Cooper could not see what had happened.

    By the time Cooper saw Gu Ding, Gu Ding had already closed in on him and brought forward Ultimate Art Level 5 at maximum capacity. His body was inverted and twisted, with both his hands nted on the ground and his feetunching at his opponent¡¯s chin. The only thing Cooper felt was a violent impact on his chin that almost dislocated it. At the same time, the force threw his body upward into the air. However, Gu Ding was not done with him yet. He did a backflip andnded in a squat position, then, using the full force of both his legs, he jumped and appeared beside Cooper¡¯s already unstable body. With both hands clenched together, Gu Ding hammered Cooper¡¯s chest, sending his body flying to the ground.

    ¡°Crack...¡± Cooper knew that at least two of his ribs had been broken by the blow. From the pain in his chest, Cooper quickly realized Gu Ding¡¯s true strength.

    ¡°This guy... actually hid such power inside of him...¡± Cooper¡¯s back hit the ground hard. Luckily, the spine is one of the hardest parts of the body, so he was not badly hurt.

    Meanwhile, Gu Ding was not done yet. Without a pause, fists after fists of Steel Fists were used on Cooper. Gu Ding did not hold back as each punch was thrown with full power.

    Cooper could barely block the attacks with his arms. If his arms had not borne most of the impact, his heart would have been smashed into pieces.

    Soon, he noticed that the bones in his arms were beginning to crack, and he became aware that he would not be able tost any longer.

    Although Gu Ding was winning the battle on his end, Liliath had fallen into an unprecedented situation on her side...

 Chapter 56

    <h4>Chapter 56: Liliath¡¯s Fight</h4>

    Instantly, Liliath¡¯s heart began to beat rapidly as she looked at Cooper¡¯s condensing figure right in front of her eyes.

    At that moment, the sound of a message came from hermunicator.

    She guessed that the message came from Gu Ding. Gu Ding probably knew what had happened to her, but instead of looking down to read the message, her eyes remained locked on her opponent¡¯s body. Not once did she dare to let her guard down.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect the people who killed my five men to be two kids,¡± Cooper¡¯s split-body was also a bit surprised by Liliath¡¯s appearance.

    He did not attack immediately because he had yet to sense any danger from the original body. This was also one of the weaknesses of the Shadow Body ¨C the original body could feel all changes from the split-body, but not the other way around. If he knew that the original body was in danger, he would have killed Liliath immediately.

    Without uttering a word, Liliath quickly changed the Combat Armor in her hands into a light energy sniper rifle. Swiftly, she ced the body on her shoulder and loaded the ammunition. Throughout the act, not once did her eyes leave Cooper¡¯s split-body.

    Thebination of a light energy weapon and light energy bullets was very effective on people infected with the virus. Even so, Liliath knew that it would be unlikely that she would be able to defeat her opponent, but it would at least buy her some time.

    She was not sure what was happening on Gu Ding¡¯s side because he had note back yet. This only meant one thing ¨C he had encountered an opponent himself. Although she could not understand why there were two Coopers, she did not rule out the possibility that Gu Ding¡¯s monitor had given him incorrect information.

    However, this was not the time toin about Gu Ding¡¯s mistakes. It was probably a tiny mistake, and there were actually two of them guarding the ce. If Gu Ding lost, the only thing that would be waiting for her was death. If Gu Ding won and rushed over, the two of them might stand a chance to win if they worked together. Therefore, the only thing she could do was buy time until Gu Ding arrived. If she had to do everything alone, she would be dead in the water.

    Cooper did not stop Liliath from changing her Combat Armor either. He seemed to bepletely confident and said, ¡°It seems like you¡¯re a gunner. That means that it wasn¡¯t you who killed my five men. My, oh my. This is my first time seeing a gunner as young as you. Still, that¡¯s too bad. Firearms won¡¯t work on me.¡±

    ¡°Is that so? Let¡¯s try and see!¡± Liliath aimed at her opponent and pulled the trigger.

    ¡°Bang!¡± The first bullet cut straight through the air. However, Liliath sights remained fixed on her target. She pulled the trigger two more times as both bullets whistled toward her target.

    Three bullets were fired instantly, after which Liliath aimed the barrel once again at her opponent.

    ¡°You got me...¡± Cooper teased. Although the shots seemed to hit him, there was no damage to him at all. ¡°As I¡¯ve said, firearms are useless against me.¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you a virus-infected creature?¡± Liliath frowned slightly. Even if her opponent was strong, the virus in his body should respond to the ultraviolet radiation in the bullet. However, it seemed that it waspletely ineffective against her opponent at that moment.

    ¡°What a clever little girl. You figured it out,¡± Cooper pushed his sses up the bridge of his nose. ¡°Since you¡¯re no threat to me, I¡¯ll capture you alive first. I¡¯ll wait for the original body toe back and do what he wants with you.¡±

    ¡°Original body?¡± Liliath was stunned for a moment when she heard what he said. ¡°This guy¡¯s a split-body?¡±

    Suddenly, Liliath understood what was going on. The one that had chased Gu Ding was the original body while the one that remained here was his split-body. Liliath had some knowledge about split-body-type abilities and knew that most split-bodies would be weaker than their original body. Most split-bodies got their strength from the original body, which halved the strength of the original body. If this was the case, then Gu Ding was probably winning on his side. Only now did it make sense why Gu Ding¡¯s monitor had made an error. It had correctly shown that there was only one person as the split-body left behind by Cooper had probably hidden somewhere undetectable.

    ¡®If you know that the opponent¡¯s a split-body type, you¡¯ll immediately know what their weakness is,¡¯ Liliath immediately came up with a countermeasure. ¡°The puppets from split-bodies are generally afraid of fire while Shadow Bodies are afraid of high-intensity light. Split-body illusions can only confuse its opponent¡¯s sight and hearing, but cannot actually attack...¡±

    After learning that her opponent was merely a split-body, she knew that it only had half the strength of the original body. This made Liliath more confident as she secretly praised herself for listening attentively during the ss taught by her lecturer. As a result, she had mastered most of the content that was taught in ss.

    ¡°Let¡¯s try again!¡± The firearm in Liliath¡¯s hands changed once more. It changed into a high-speed submachine gun as she quickly loaded it with me bursting bullets. If her opponent was a puppet type split-body, those bullets would be his ultimate nightmare.

    ¡°I¡¯ve said it time and time again. Firearm type weapons are useless against me.¡± Cooper¡¯s face showed disdain as he rushed toward Liliath.

    Liliath pulled the trigger of the firearm in her hand again as continuous bursts of bullets flew toward her opponent.

    In a sh, Cooper rushed out of the smoky air, still unscathed. He sped forward and grasped Liliath¡¯s throat with one hand. He lifted her up by her throat and said, ¡°How many times do I have to tell you? When will you believe that firearms are of no use against me?¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± Liliath gasped the word softly as she was lifted in the air. ¡°Then what about this?¡±

    As soon as she spoke, a spherical metal object fell from her hand toward Cooper¡¯s feet. Immediately, she closed her eyes.

    After a moment, a dazzling light came from under Cooper¡¯s feet and lit up the entire room, dispelling all the haze around them.

    The only thing Liliath heard was Cooper¡¯s split-body wailing sharply as her throat was released.

    What Liliath used was a sh grenade. Shadow Bodies could only exist in shadowy ces, so when she used the sh grenade, it dispelled the darkness in the room and effectively chased Cooper¡¯s split-body off.

    However, the effect was only temporary. The re-condensation of Shadow Bodies would only take a few minutes, and Liliath did not have many sh grenades left. She only had four left in her hand.

    ¡°There¡¯s no way topletely kill this guy. Shadow Bodies are almostpletely immune to physical attacks ...¡± Liliath thought of this and suddenly recalled a move she had yet to try.

    The ability of split-bodies made it so that any kind of split-bodies created had residual consciousness of the original body. Once the residual consciousness within the split-bodies dissipates, the split-bodies would automatically disappear. Furthermore, the residual consciousness in the split-body was generally very weak, being less than one percent of the strength of the original body¡¯s consciousness. Even so, each time there was a separation, it would cause some kind of pain to the original body.

    Since their opponent¡¯s original body was a Rank 6 Gene Body, the spirit-body was at least a Rank 5 Gene Body. Otherwise, their opponent would not have been able to advance to Rank 6. A Rank 5 Gene Body¡¯s spirit index was generally between 300 points and 1000 points. This also meant that the residual consciousness intensity in that split-body should be between 30 points and 100 points.

    On the other hand, Liliath¡¯s spirit index was 100 points, while her pupiry power could increase her spirit attack. She could use all her pupiry powers to increase her spirit in order to wipe out the residual conscience left in the split-body. Of course, the premise of this method seeding was based on her opponent never doing spirit practice. If her opponent¡¯s spirit was extremely strong, to the extent of exceeding 1000 points, Liliath¡¯s attack may not be effective.

    Having said that, the most important point was that Liliath had never used this sort of direct spirit attack before. She had just happened to see relevant introductions in some books in the past. However, she decided to take a chance and try it out instead of waiting there like a sitting duck.

    On the other end, Gu Ding¡¯s situation had also changed slightly.

 Chapter 57

    <h4>Chapter 57: Gu Ding Went Ham</h4>

    Gu Ding¡¯s violent attacksted nearly ten minutes. In the beginning, Cooper could not keep up with Gu Ding¡¯s rhythm. He did not expect Gu Ding¡¯s attack to be so fierce and sturdy. Gu Ding¡¯s every blow was extremely difficult to defend. His hands, feet, knees, and elbows were all used at random to deal horrific attacks, making him undefeatable. However, Cooper continued to defend himself with his body.

    Cooper was originally a Rank 6 Gene Body with a Cell Index that reached 3000 points; this was also the upper boundary limit that a Rank 6 Gene Body could reach. Even with the use of the split-body ability, hisbat effectiveness in the weakened state wasparable to a martial arts practitioner with a Cell Index of 1500 points. However, the truth was that the only thing halved was hisbat effectiveness. Although his Cell Index was lowered as a result of his weakened state, it did not decline much and was still at least around 2000 points.

    With all the add-ons, Gu Ding reached the strength of an 1800 point Cell Index, which allowed him to surpass Cooper. However, he was only slightly more powerful than Cooper. He could hurt him, but it was difficult to cause any fatal injuries.

    As time passed, Cooper became familiar with Gu Ding¡¯s fighting style, and he began to hatch an effective defense. When he saw Gu Ding¡¯s crimson eyes, Cooper knew that his opponent¡¯s state would notst long. As long as he could pull through this period, victory would eventually be his.

    Gu Ding seemed to be aware of this too. His Rage Attack could onlyst so long because of his regenerative ability. However, more than ten minutes had passed, and his opponent¡¯s defense was only getting stronger and stronger. If he did not take any special measures, the person on the losing side would be him once his Rage Attack ability timer ran out.

    ¡°Level 6...¡± Gu Ding was ready to take a risk.

    Neptune also noticed Gu Ding was ying with the idea. From his understanding of Gu Ding, he could guess a lot of things about him without Gu Ding having to explicitly say it. ¡°I know what you¡¯re thinking, but if you use Level 6, your body will only be able to support it for up to five minutes. Also, even if you increase yourbat effectiveness until it¡¯sparable to a 3000 point Cell Index martial artist, you¡¯ll only be able to cause heavy damage to him at most. It¡¯ll still be impossible for you to kill him.¡±

    After hearing what Neptune said, doubt began to grow in Gu Ding¡¯s heart. Even though his opponent wasparable to a 1500 point Cell Indexbat power practicioner in his weakened state, he should still have been able to kill his opponent off easily once he reached 3000 points. However, Neptune said that he would only do heavy damage on him. Almost instantly, Neptune provided him an exnation.

    ¡°Humans can only be said to have a truly evolved gene body after they reach Rank 6 Gene Body. This is because after the gene has evolved to the sixth rank, and the DNA chain in the body will evolve from a double helix into a triple helix state, forming a more stable bond. Moreover, the addition of an entire gene chain will also allow the cell to undergo an entirely new metamorphosis. To a certain extent, humans who have evolved to this level can be said to be an entirely new species.

    ¡°Because of this, the stability of Rank 6 Gene Body cells is more than twice the strength of Rank 5 Gene Body cells, and its resistance to shock is twice that of a Rank 5 Gene Body. For example, take two people with Cell Indexes of 1000 points, but one of them a Rank 5 Gene Body while the other is a Rank 6 Gene Body. I¡¯ll quantify the attack power so that you¡¯ll understand it better. If the person of Rank 5 Gene Body can withstand 1000 points of attack power, there¡¯s a risk of death if the attack surpasses 1000 points. For the person of Rank 6 Gene Body, they will be able to withstand an attack power of 2000 points. The attack power of more than 1000 points will hurt them, but it won¡¯t kill them. They¡¯ll only die if the attack power exceeds 2000 points.

    ¡°Although your opponent¡¯s strength is much weaker, the fact that he¡¯s a Rank 6 Gene Body hasn¡¯t changed. Even if his current Cell Index is reduced to less than 2000 points, only a martial arts practitioner with a 4000 point Cell Index attack will be able to kill him. Even if you use Ultimate Arts Level 6, your attack is only of a 3000 point Cell Index martial arts practitioner. Therefore, it can hurt him, but not kill him. ¡±

    After he heard Neptune¡¯s exnation, Gu Ding fell silent for a moment. In the end, he still went with the decision to go all out and use Ultimate Arts Level 6.

    The sixth level of Ultimate Arts has the effect of a fivefold increase inbat effectiveness. By pairing this with his double effect Combat Armor, and three times increase of Rage Attack, Gu Ding¡¯sbat power increased to a whopping total of thirty times his original strength. Gu Ding¡¯s original 100 point Cell Index had thus, strengthened to be the equivalent of 3000 point Cell Index. However, he could only maintain this state for up to five minutes.

    In reality, the side effects of using Ultimate Arts Level 6 were clearly felt within his body. His body muscles began to feel sore, and he could detect faint wear and tear in his joints.

    He knew that the five minutes Neptune mentioned was not said to frighten him, but simply the reality of the situation. From the state of his body, he was unsure if he could evenst five minutes in the first ce.

    As he overloaded his body, Gu Ding received unprecedented, terrifying power. Every time he attacked, there were loud sounds that caused a violent sonic boom.

    Not only was his strength enhanced, Gu Ding¡¯s attack speed also significantly improved. Cooper, who had barely kept up with Gu Ding¡¯s fighting rhythm before, was disrupted once again. He was a human sandbag that could not defend himself as he waspletely subdued by Gu Ding¡¯s violent storm of attacks.

    ¡°How¡¯s this possible?!¡± When he felt his body¡¯s injuries getting worse, Cooper was horrified and became speechless. ¡°How did he be even stronger? The strength and speed of these attacks are the same caliber of attacks I used to be king.¡±

    Gu Ding¡¯s fists and feet fell on Cooper¡¯s body wildly with no signs of stopping¡ªhe knew that he did not have much time. Although his own attack power was not enough to kill his opponent, it would be a win for him so long as his opponent injured enough that he could not fight back.

    ¡°Do you think you can kill me like this? You¡¯re being naive!¡± Cooper defended with all his might. Although his physical injuries were getting worse by the minute, he waited patiently. He knew that the stronger Gu Ding attacks were, the shorter he could sustain them. ¡°Trust me when I say, you won¡¯tst long!¡±

    ¡°Boom!¡±

    ¡°Boom!!¡±

    ¡°Boom!!!¡±

    ...

    Gu Ding¡¯s attack poured out with no reservation as he punched with his fists, one after another. It was never-ending hellfire, almost as if he could not tire at all. Having said that, the amount of time he could stay in this state was dropping by the minute.

    ¡°This is thest ten seconds. Give up already, Gu Ding. Your body will copsepletely...¡± Neptune could not bear to watch it any longer. Gu Ding¡¯s body was nearing total copse, and most of the cells in his body were severely damaged, so much so that even his regeneration ability could not save him now.

    ¡°Die!¡± As Gu Ding shouted, the seventh level of Ultimate Arts was unlocked¡ªa tenfold increase!

    He knew that he had no other choice, and that this was the only way to kill his opponent. If he lost this battle, both Liliath and him would be as good as dead. If he won, perhaps Liliath might still stand a chance to survive.

    He clenched his right fist. He could already see his muscles separating and bursting apart at the seams, but he stole wore the same grin on his face as he aimed hisst punch straight at his opponent¡¯s heart. ¡°Steel Fist!¡±

    ¡°Boom!¡±

    After a loud explosion, a figure flew outward. A violent sonic boom caused a haze of smoke to cover the battlefield...

 Chapter 58

    <h4>Chapter 58: Neptune, Did I Win?</h4>

    Under a thick cloud of dust, a young boy asked in a weakened voice, ¡°Neptune, did I win?¡±

    Gu Dingy on the ground, unable to move as almost all the cell in his body was dead. Even with his regenerative ability, he was unable to repair that level of damage.

    When Neptune saw Gu Ding¡¯s weakened state, he knew that Gu Ding was as good as dead if he did not receive treatment within half an hour. Neptune was silent for a moment, but replied in a calm voice, ¡°Yes, you won.¡±

    ¡°What about Lili? Is she still alive?¡± Gu Ding asked. If he killed the original body of the guy just now, the split-body that Lili encountered should also disappear. This should mean that Lili should be safe as long as she was able to stay alive until then.

    ¡°She¡¯s still alive, but... even though you¡¯ve won, the guy infected with the virus is probably not dead yet. Therefore, his split-body is still fighting Liliath.¡± Neptune continued to exin, ¡°There are no monitoring services in this forest, so I can¡¯t see what his condition is right now. However, judging by the intensity of your attack just now, he¡¯s definitely more seriously injured than you even if he¡¯s not dead yet.¡±

    ¡°Although it¡¯s just a split-body, can Lili cope with it?¡± Gu Ding looked worried.

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about her. I¡¯ve been following her battle through her wristwatch. She¡¯s handling it well. She found her opponent¡¯s weakness, and the battle between them should end soon.¡± After Neptune said this, Gu Ding rxed.

    ¡°If you really want to be an Interster Pirate, you¡¯ll have to make a lot of partners in the future. Even so, you won¡¯t be able to protect everyone because you¡¯re just one person.¡± Neptune thought that Gu Ding¡¯s character was not suitable to be an Interster Pirate.

    ¡°If I don¡¯t take care of my partner, who will?¡± Gu Ding grinned. Even a slight movement such as forming a grin hurt his entire body. When he felt the pain shoot through his body, Gu Ding seemed to realize something. ¡°Neptune, tell me, am I going to die?¡±

    Neptune was silent for a moment but dodged the question. ¡°60% of the cells in your body are already necrotic, and the regenerative ability is no longer working on you... I¡¯ve told you hundreds of times not to use the Ultimate Arts Level 7, but your idiot head just won¡¯t listen to me. You know you have to use your brain more during battles and not just brute force, right?¡±

    When Gu Ding heard Neptune nag him, all he did was smile. Although Neptune did not answer him directly, he already knew the answer. ¡°Anyway, I think I can be considered an official Interster Pirate now. Although I¡¯ve yet to receive a reward, my pirate crew now consists of two members including myself. It¡¯s a pity I haven¡¯t entered the Cosmic Sea yet...¡±

    ¡°Who said there¡¯s only one other member in your crew? I¡¯m obviously a member of yours too, alright?¡± Neptune was silent for a moment but interrupted Gu Ding. ¡°Although I¡¯m an artificial super-intelligence program and different from you human, I¡¯ll go straight to the Federation Government to sue you for racial discrimination if you ignore me...¡±

    ¡°When Lilies overter and sees my dead body, tell her not to cry because the scariest thing for me to see is a girl crying,¡± Gu Ding continued, still smiling. ¡°And you, join Lili and leave this ce. Although she sometimes has a little bit of a temper, she¡¯s a reliable partner overall... ¡±

    Gu Ding¡¯s voice grew quieter, and toward the end of his sentence, he fell silent.

    ¡°Gu Ding, wake up! Don¡¯t fall asleep!¡± Neptune knew that once Gu Ding falls asleep, it might be forever.

    However, Gu Ding¡¯s eyelids grew heavier, and gradually, it drooped down heavily as he fell into a deep slumber.

    ...

    Inside the space dock, a new round started on Liliath¡¯s side.

    Cooper¡¯s split-body re-condensedpletely at that moment, but he did not dare to attack Liliath because he was not sure how many sh bombs Liliath still had with her. Every time he was dispelled, it brought extreme pain, and every time he re-condensed, his strength would be weakened. Thus, he began to lower his opponent¡¯s confidence with words. ¡°Do you really think this kind of sh grenade works on me? That thing can only dispel me temporarily. Within a minute, I can re-condense, and then all your hard work will be for naught.¡±

    ¡°If it¡¯s not working, why are you wasting your time saying these things to me?¡± Liliath remembered the Shadow Body¡¯s weakness very well. Every time they were dispelled, their strength would be weakened. Since her opponent refused to attack her head-on, it was apparent that he was afraid of the sh grenades in her hands.

    ¡®I don¡¯t know what happened over on Gu Ding¡¯s side, but the original body¡¯s definitely more difficult to fight than this split-body.¡¯ At the same time, Liliath was worried about Gu Ding¡¯s situation.

    At that moment, a voice popped up inside her ear. ¡°Liliath, this is Neptune, a friend of Gu Ding. He¡¯s in a very dangerous situation right now. If you can, please finish up your battle as soon as possible. I¡¯ll send you a mapter. Please get to the location marked on the map as soon as possible. ¡±

    When she heard the little boy¡¯s voice that was filled with anxiety, Liliath believed it without much thought. As for how the person on the line connected to hermunicator... she did not think about it even though she had set it up to automatically block all messages.

    Soon, Liliath came up with a countermeasure. The firearm in her hand changed shape again and became a submachine gun. She changed the clip quickly and fixed her aim on Cooper¡¯s split-body. Immediately after, she began to shoot wildly.

    Cooper¡¯s split-body tried to dodge the bullets. They did not cause him much harm, but even so, they still hurt like hell. Therefore, he tried his best to hide and avoid the bullets. However, the bullets seemed to follow him wherever he went, which drove him mad.

    After about two or three minutes, his patience reached its limits. Although his opponent was obviously not as strong as him and the bullets did not have much of an effect, he was still embarrassed from getting bullied. Basically, he felt like he was being pushed into a corner.

    Due to his great annoyance, hepletely forgot about the severity of the sh grenades and assumed that Liliath did not have a second one.

    After he dodged a few steps to the left and right, he turned and immediately rushed toward Liliath¡¯s position again. This time, he moved faster and grabbed Liliath¡¯s throat again.

    ¡°I¡¯m warning you. If you do that thing again, I¡¯ll break your neck,¡± Cooper¡¯s split-body threatened.

    ¡°Is that so?¡± Liliath suddenly raised her head and both her pupils instantly turned golden. The spirit in her mind furiously poured out from her golden eyes and went straight into her opponent¡¯s mind.

    When the force of the spirit attacked her opponent¡¯s mind, it tore his mind apart like paper.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± When Cooper¡¯s split-body felt the attack on his consciousness, he shuddered as he immediately realized what Liliath was trying to do. He was about to break Liliath¡¯s neck when her eyes shot out an intense light, causing the enormous pain to flood Cooper¡¯s brain again. Then she did it again, and again, each bursting at him like a series of never-ending waves.

    ¡°Ah...¡± Cooper¡¯s split-body tossed Liliath aside as he rolled on the ground frenziedly while grasping his head.

    Thus far, Liliath had given out six waves of attacks. As she became more familiar with this type of attack, her attacks became stronger, causing her golden eyes to shine brightly in the dark room.

    After the eighth wave of spirit attack, Cooper¡¯s rolling split-body finally evaporatedpletely from the ground.

 Chapter 59

    <h4>Chapter 59: State of False Death</h4>

    After getting rid of her opponent, Liliath immediately opened the map Nepture sent her and then ran all the way toward the location marked with the red dot on the map.

    At the time, she did not stop to think if this was a trap set up by the enemy, or to consider what was the point of her going if Gu Ding had already lost. She only knew that no matter what the situation was, Gu Ding needed her help now.

    After a few minutes, she finally arrived at the scene. After a quick scan of her pupiry abilities, she did not find any enemies. However, Gu Dingid quietly on the ground, making her a little uneasy.

    She walked to Gu Ding¡¯s side and pressed two fingers against the carotid artery on Gu Ding¡¯s neck. She could no longer feel the artery pulsing and Gu Ding¡¯s body temperature was only a little warm, as if he had died not too long ago.

    ¡°He¡¯s dead ...¡± Liliath slumped sideways, her eyes instantly watering.

    ¡°He is not dead yet, but has entered a strange state of false death.¡± The voice of the boy from earlier passed through themunication function on Liliath¡¯s watch to her ear.

    ¡°False death?¡± Liliath looked down at her watch and asked with some surprise.

    ¡°Yes, his physique is very special.¡± Neptune continued, ¡°When he dozed off just now, I also thought that he had died because the cells in his body were undergoing severe necrosis. Not only that, his heart had stopped beating and his body temperature slowly began to drop. The only thing that proved that he was still alive was that his brain was still functioning, and that the link between him and I had not yet terminated.¡±

    ¡°You are...¡± Hearing this, Liliath froze as she quickly wiped her wet eyes with her sleeve.

    ¡°My name is Neptune, I am a super-intelligent living being, whilst the form I am taking now is the watch on his hand,¡± Neptune exined.

    ¡°No wonder he knows so much information about this...¡±

    Seeming to realize that he had digressed, Liliath then asked, ¡°Is there a way to revive him from this state of false death?¡±

    ¡°This state of false death isrgely due to the necrosis of arge number of cells. If it was an ordinary person, they would definitely not survive. But I¡¯m guessing if all the necrotic cells in his body can be repaired, he will wake up.¡± Neptune knew it was a long shot but suggested a n anyway. This was only a theoretical inference, he had no proof that it was going to work.

    ¡°Do you need a cell repair agent?¡± Liliath took out several tubes of Grade-E cell repair agents from her Inventory.

    ¡°Grade-Es are useless. His cells were destroyed by energy close to what is given out by a Rank 7 Gene Body. If we wish to repair them, it needs to at least be a Grade-D cell repair agent.¡± Neptune stopped Liliath from wasting the medicine.

    ¡°In his current state, will it okay for us to move him about in an interster spacecraft?¡± Liliath was silent for a moment as she pondered their options.

    ¡°His vital signs are very stable. There should be no problem.¡± Neptune checked Gu Ding¡¯s body again and came to this conclusion.

    ¡°Then we will leave this starfield as soon as possible and go to Fengyuan, where Grade-D cell repair agents should be avable,¡± said Liliath just as she lifted Gu Ding.

    However, Neptune suddenly thought of something. ¡°Wait, I suddenly remembered that there is another method we can try.¡±

    ¡°What method?¡± Liliath asked quickly.

    ¡°Although Gu Ding failed to get rid of that guy¡¯s body just now, he had seriously damaged it. Go first and see if it¡¯s still there,¡± Neptune suggested, before marking a yellow dot on Liliath¡¯s map.

    ¡°The yellow dot on the map is the where the opponent hadnded, which I had calcted earlier. It should be within three meters of the dot. Go to the location and look for him. If you see him, get rid of the guy and then grab the watch on his hand.¡±

    ¡°That guy may have a Grade-D cell repair agent in his storage space. After all, he was a Rank 6 Gene Body.¡±

    Liliath nodded, but after a moment, she raised her doubts. ¡°That¡¯s not right, once the host dies, only the federal government can reactivate the watch. Even if we get the watch, we can¡¯t take out its contents.¡±

    ¡°I can take it out,¡± Neptune said firmly. ¡°Of course, it would be good if that guy has a Grade-D cell repair agent in his Inventory, but I was not thinking of the cell repair agent. I was thinking of the four energy crystals that he had taken before. Gu Ding had absorbed two energy crystals and gained two different abilities. So, I was wondering whether he would gain other abilities ande back to life if we imnted the remaining crystals in him.¡±

    ¡°In any case, it¡¯s worth trying,¡± Liliath said as she stood up. ¡°I¡¯lle back as soon as I can.¡±

    The location of the yellow dot was less than 300 meters away from Gu Ding¡¯s current position. Liliath took a moment to arrive but she did not see the enemy¡¯s body at the location. She opened her pupry abilities and searched her surroundings but was still unable to find the enemy. However, she found a closed smartwatch in some grass.

    ¡°I found a smartwatch, but I didn¡¯t see anyone. I used my pupry abilities to scan everything within a range of nearly 100 meters, but there were no signs of life.¡± Liliath lowered her head to look at the watch.

    ¡°I know the guy isn¡¯t dead, but I didn¡¯t expect him to have the strength to escape. There may be some special abilities that he had not shown before.¡± Neptune was not too surprised. After all, he already knew that the other party was not dead, so right now the game was not yet called.

    ¡°Bring the watch over. He probably took it off to prevent me from tracking him. Although he did not know of my existence, he should have guessed that Gu Ding may have the ability to hack smartwatches after the previous video was blocked. What a cautious guy.¡±

    Holding onto the watch, Liliath returned to Gu Ding. ¡°What should I do now?¡±

    Neptune gave her instructions. ¡°Put the watch onto Gu Ding¡¯s hand and I will take out what is needed.¡±

    Liliath strapped the watch onto Gu Ding¡¯s wrist as Neptune quickly started the other party¡¯s watch and opened the storage space. He could not help but exim, ¡°This guy is really rich.¡±

    He took out a bottle of Grade-D cell repair agent from the space as well as a fourth-order gene energy crystal bead.

    ¡°Help him inject the cell repair agent first to see if it works.¡±

    Liliath nodded and injected Gu Ding with a tube of Grade-D cell repair agent. With this, the necrotic cells in Gu Ding improved slightly and began to repair slowly. However, based on their current speed, it might take at least one month for him to recoverpletely.

    ¡°Continue injecting him!¡± Seeing that it was working, Neptune took out the remaining ten tubes of cell repair agents.

    Based onmon sense, only one tube of cell repair agent could be used per week, no more than two tubes at most. Nevertheless, Gu Ding was in a special situation now, and since Neptune was monitoring his physical condition at all times, there was no need to worry about overdosing.

    Liliath injected Gu Ding with a second tube and then a third tube. Only after the tenth tube of medicine was injected did Gu Ding ¡®s heart finally start beating again. Although he was still asleep, his physical condition had significantly improved. Having said that less than 10% of the necrotic cells in his body had been repaired, and more than 50% of the cells in his body were still necrotic.

    ¡°His physical condition has improved a lot, but there is no more Grade-D medicine.¡±

    Neptune¡¯s voice did not seem any more rxed. ¡°Now, imnt him with the energy crystals and see if his body can choose the new power on its own and improve his condition as soon as possible.¡±

    Regarding the awakening of abilities, some people had previously proposed the ¡°subconscious choice theory¡±. This theory suggested that the acquisition of abilities was generally rted to the ability one wanted to obtain subconsciously. Although there was no definite evidence to prove this theory, many people in the academicmunity still supported the theory.

    What Neptune was hoping was that Gu Ding¡¯s subconscious would be aware of the bad condition of his body and, in doing so, would choose a new ability that could allow Gu Ding to recover quickly.

    Liliath sterilized Gu Ding¡¯s neck and thenpleted the imntation operation quickly. After that energy crystal was imnted into Gu Ding¡¯s body, Neptune once again saw the appearance of the special virus, just as he had nned. They took only a moment to devour the energy crystal.

    ¡°Please, give Gu Ding a new special ability, let him get well soon...¡± Although he did not believe in any gods, Neptune prayed silently in his heart.

    Soon, there was a new change in Gu Ding¡¯s gene chain...

 Chapter 60

    <h4>Chapter 60: High-Speed Regeneration</h4>

    Under Neptune¡¯s observation, the gene chain changed its shape at a speed visible to the naked eye. Neptune also clearly remembered that this gene chain was the one from which Gu Ding had obtained the regeneration ability from before.

    Less than two minutester, the morphological changes of the gene chain werepleted, and Neptune re-scanned Gu Ding¡¯s body data.

    Name: Gu Ding

    Gender: Male

    Age: 15

    Gene Level: Level Two

    Special Ability 1: Rage Level 2 (evolvable)

    Ability Description: Attack Power, Defense Power, Speed, Recovery Ability Tripled, Duration 10 minutes.

    Side Effects: 10 hours into Prostration,bat Power is halved.

    Special Ability 2: Regeneration Level 3 (evolvable)

    Ability Description: The cell regeneration ability is increased four times (permanently).

    Comprehensive Cell Index: 100

    Mental Strength Index: 98

    Battle Prowess: B+

    Cognition: A

    The only thing that had changed was Gu DIng¡¯s regenerative capacity, which had evolved from the second grade to the third grade, and the regenerative capacity of the cells, which had increased from three times to four times.

    After the regeneration ability was strengthened, Neptune also clearly noticed that the recovery rate of Gu Ding¡¯s cells was elerating. However, this was still not enough.

    ¡°The crystals have beenpletely absorbed just now. I still have six energy crystals of the fourth-order gene body, so just imnt them all into him,¡± Neptune said before taking out the six remaining energy crystals.

    ¡°Won¡¯t this be a problem?¡± Liliath was slightly worried.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter, just imnt them one by one. I will constantly monitor his physical condition. If there is a problem, we can stop it immediately,¡± Neptune exined. ¡°The crystal nucleus that was just imnted allows his regenerative ability to evolve. If we continue to imnt it, it should allow his regenerative ability to continue to evolve,¡± exined Neptune as he pulled up Gu Ding¡¯s body data.

    Seeing that Gu Ding¡¯s regenerative ability had evolved from level 2 to level 3, she finally understood the strangeness of Gu Ding¡¯s physique and nodded in response to Neptune¡¯s request.

    With the imntation of the second crystal nucleus, Gu Ding¡¯s regenerative ability had evolved as Neptune had expected. Then, as per his request, Liliath imnted the remaining energy crystals into Gu Ding¡¯s body one by one, causing Gu Ding¡¯s regenerative ability to repeatedly evolve. His physical condition had also improved significantly, whilst even his heartbeat gradually returned to normal.

    When thest energy crystal was imnted, the weird virus swallowed the crystal once again. Neptune silently watched the change of the small gene chain. After the morphological transformation wasplete, it actually extended and spread to the two adjacent gene chains like an infection. Then, the other two small gene chains began to undergo a morphological transformation themselves.

    Seeing this change, Neptune was a little bit restless. He was worried that the regeneration ability would be transformed into another ability because of this change. What Gu Ding needed most right now was regeneration.

    His database also recorded the situation: the emergence of an ability apanied by a small change in the gene chain. When this ability evolved to its peak, it would cause the surrounding gene chains to change, resulting in new abilities. Once this happens, the original abilities would be reced. Sometimes, the new ability would be an advanced version of the original ability, but other times, the new ability would bepletely different from the original ability. This was what Neptune most worried about.

    The changested for nearly ten minutes before it finally stopped. Then, Neptune scanned Gu Ding¡¯s physical condition again.

    Name: Gu Ding

    Gender: Male

    Age: 15

    Gene Level: Level Two

    Special Ability 1: Rage Level 2 (evolvable)

    Ability Description: Attack Power, Defense Power, Speed, Recovery Ability Tripled, Duration 10 minutes.

    Side Effects: 10 hours into Prostration,bat Power is halved.

    Special Ability 2: High-speed regeneration Level 1 (evolvable)

    Ability Description: The cell regeneration ability increased tenfold (permanently).

    Comprehensive Cell Index: 100

    Mental Strength Index: 98

    Battle Prowess: B+

    Cognition: A

    High-speed regeneration was a kind of advanced ability, and generally, only the strongest practitioners with a sixth-order gene or higher had any chance of obtaining it. This was because in most situations, the gene itself had to be strong enough to withstand the changes in the gene chain brought about by higher abilities. Thus, in theory, the three gene chains of the sixth-order gene were the basis for the emergence of higher abilities. Without this foundation, changes in the gene chainmonly brought about by higher capabilities would often fail.

    Not only that, but the failure of the gene chain change would also bring bad results. The best-case scenario was that the ability of this gene chain would stay in ce permanently but could not be advanced. The worst-case was that the entire gene chain would break down, causing people to die if they do not receive treatment within 24 hours.

    Upon achieving the ability to regenerate at a high speed, the originally necrotic cells in Gu Ding finally began to resurrect at a rate visible to the naked eye. The changes brought about by high-speed regeneration were not only the eleration of the rate of regeneration, but also the original regeneration ability bing ten times stronger. When it came to necrotic cells, the regeneration ability needed the help of a cell repair agent to catalyze the regeneration of cells. With the high-speed regeneration ability, the cell repair agent was no longer needed. This was the essential difference between the two abilities.

    Feeling that Gu Ding¡¯s biological fluctuations had finally stabilized, Neptune felt relieved.

    ¡°Gu Ding¡¯s breathing seems to have stabilized, so there shouldn¡¯t be any major problems with his body now,¡± Liliath had also been paying attention to the changes in Gu Ding.

    ¡°Well, his regeneration ability has sessfully evolved into high-speed regeneration. At its current rate, all necrotic cells will be restored to normalcy in about two or three days.¡± Neptune made the estimation based on the current regeneration rate of Gu Ding¡¯s cells.

    ¡°Once his cells recover, will he be able to wake up?¡± Liliath knew that since physical damage to Gu Ding¡¯s body had put his consciousness in a dormant state, even once the injuries had recovered, Gu Ding¡¯s consciousness might not return. This was the so-called vegetative state.

    ¡°Theoretically, he will wake up once the pain felt by his body falls to a bearable level, but the sess rate is also rted to his will to survive. The stronger the will to survive, the earlier he will wake up.¡± Neptune exined, ¡°He is now in a stable condition, so let¡¯s find a safe ce to take shelter. There must be a lot of people infected with the virus roaming the woods at night.¡±

    ¡°Let us go into the shipyard, it is safe inside,¡± Liliath said. Pulling on Gu Ding¡¯s arm, she lifted him up. However, she paused after noticing Gu Ding¡¯s weight.

    ¡°He seems to be much heavier than I thought.¡±

    ¡°The muscle and bone density of martial art practitioners are much greater than ordinary people, so their weight cannot be estimated by just the size of their body,¡± Neptune exined.

    ¡°Neptune, how can you make a girl carry me?¡± Gu Ding¡¯s weak voice suddenly interrupted them.

 Chapter 61 - Next Station, Fengyuan

    <h4>Chapter 61: Next Station, Fengyuan</h4>

    Gu Ding refused to allow Liliath to carry him no matter what. Left with no choice, Liliath could only lend Gu Ding an arm as she supported him all the way to the space dock.

    After they entered the space dock, Neptune immediately took over the space dock¡¯s system and shut the door.

    This door was constructed with a special alloy. Even if it were hit with a hundred tons of force, it would not change its shape whatsoever. It could also stop all forms of viral infections from entering.

    Inside the space dock, there was aplete range of system functions. Even though it had already been more than ten years, the majority of its functions still worked perfectly. This was also one of the reasons why Cooper had chosen to use this ce as the base.

    Gu Ding had only ever seen pictures of the spaceship during its repair. Under the sunlight, the polished metal surface of the spaceship produced a bright golden luster.

    This Grey-faced Buzzard grade spaceship looked just as it did in the picture Gu Ding saw on Sk. Its entire body was constructed with three titanium alloy and pyrite. Huge amounts of mexallon were also added as supplementary material. The total capacity was more than six hundred cubes approximately, apletely different ballgamepared to Gu Ding¡¯s previous Kittyhawk Model.

    ¡°It looks awesome...¡± Gu Ding¡¯s eyes sparkled as he stared at the ship in awe. He stroked his hands across the spaceship¡¯s enormous side wing. The metal¡¯s sturdy texture was transmitted to Gu Ding¡¯s brain through his fingertips. He could even feel ever so faintly that the spaceship seemed to be pouring out something to him.

    ¡°Before this spaceship wasid aside, it had been used for over fifty years. Right now, it already has a history of hundreds of years.¡± In no time, Neptune had found the previous navigational records of this spaceship. ¡°From its production serial number, this is also a first-generation Grey-faced Buzzard. If you fly this ship out there, I guarantee that many wealthy people will offer a handsome price to take it off your hands.¡±

    ¡°Grey-faced Buzzard grade spaceship itself is priced between one to three billion Star Credits. I reckon people would be willing to pay even if it costs tens of billions of Star Credits. It will be too great a luxury for an Interster Pirate to fly this one. You can consider selling it then, essentially exchanging it for apletely new Grey-faced Buzzard. Its performance will be so much better than this model. Moreover, it¡¯s half as big as this model, much more agile when operated,¡± Neptune suggested.

    ¡°I¡¯m not changing it. I want this one.¡± Gu Ding shook his head firmly. Ever since he firstid eyes on this spaceship, he knew that it belonged to him.

    ¡°I think it¡¯s quite nice as well,¡± Liliath agreed. ¡°Although it¡¯s a little old-fashioned, I think there¡¯s a rich history behind it.¡±

    ¡°Right now, this spaceship is only equipped with certain basic functions. If you want to restore it, the maintenance fee will certainly be a hefty amount. Luckily, the fellow who was infected with the viral contagion has a lot of valuable items in his inventory. I think he had also made a lot of preparations as he nned on leaving this.¡± Neptune did not voice out any more objections. Not that he disliked the spaceship, but from a rational point of view, swapping it for a new spaceship was clearly a better choice.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go in and take a look,¡± Gu Ding said to Liliath.

    Taking him by the arm, the two took off exploring the interior.

    After entering the spaceship and seeing the internal decor, Gu Ding was even more resolute in his decision. ¡°I will not sell this spaceship even if I was offered a hundred billion.¡±

    ¡°Mm!¡± Liliath nodded vigorously in agreement uponing across a cozy room.

    After taking a tour around the spaceship, Gu Ding had no ns of going out. He stumbled into the room nearest to the cockpit and sat down straight away. ¡°This will be my room from now on.¡±

    Liliath chose the one opposite to his. ¡°This isn¡¯t too bad either. It¡¯ll be easier for us to drop in on each other next time.¡±

    ¡°If you n on using this spaceship in the long-run, then it needs to be repaired at the earliest opportunity. Based on the current situation, I estimate that this spaceship will turn into scraps after flying another three to five times, at most.¡± Neptune knew that Gu Ding had already made up his mind, hence he offered his opinion.

    ¡°Mm. Let¡¯s drop by Fengyuan then we¡¯ll find a to fix the spaceship.¡± Gu Ding nodded.

    ¡°We¡¯re still going to Fengyuan?¡± Neptune was taken aback. Then, he exined, ¡°Actually, ording to our current coordination, we have already passed Fengyuan. After we leave this Gray Star Sector and continue on a bit further, we should be able to return to the original route. There¡¯s no need to double back, is there?¡±

    ¡°Is that so? But I promised Mister Modican to meet him there.¡± Gu Ding scratched his head. ¡°Dad mentioned before that a man can be dishonest, but he must keep his promises. We¡¯d better drop by.¡±

    ¡°Alright, then. It makes no difference where I am anyway. You decide on the target destination and I¡¯ll just navigate the spaceship.¡± Neptune did not oppose it. ¡°It¡¯d be better if you briefed Lili on the navigation destination.¡±

    ¡°Fengyuan sounds great. I wanted to take a look at first. I heard that there are many professional pharmacologists. On top of that, the cost of medicine is also cheaper.¡± After hearing about Gu Ding¡¯s destination, Liliath agreed once more.

    In the next two days, Gu Ding had finally recovered from his injuries. Neptune was also navigating the spaceship, leaving the¡¯s atmosphere in no time.

    ¡°Gu Ding, the body of the viral infection is not dead. Once his injuries have fully healed, he will definitely return to space dock, remodel another spaceship, and find an opportunity to leave this.¡± Outside the, Neptune made sure not to fly away instantly. Instead, he took a second to talk to Gu Ding.

    ¡°If he carried those viral infection bodies and left this, who knows how many people will be infected with this virus and turn into the virus puppets.¡± After hearing that, Liliath frowned slightly as well. ¡°Why don¡¯t we destroy the space dock?¡±

    ¡°Indeed, we can¡¯t allow him to escape. He looks just like any ordinary person. Once he arrives at another, his mind could turnpletely dormant, and the virus will have a window to infect others.¡± Gu Ding was fully aware of the severity of the threat. ¡°Neptune, destroy the space dock!¡±

    Controlling the antimatter cannon of the spaceship, Neptune aimed at the space dock.

    A light beam shot out of the spaceship¡¯s cannon deck, immediately obliterating the space dock.

    The st from the explosion could be seen erupting into the atmosphere, bright and colorful like fireworks.

    Right after, the second and third light beams were shot out consecutively.

    On the, two more blinding res shot out into the sky.

    Gu Ding and Liliath saw this scene and were both pretty startled. ¡°What are you doing?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve destroyed the research institution. I¡¯ve also destroyed the power system that maintainswork operations. If the information in the research institutends in the hands of the wrong people, they may recreate simr viruses. After destroying the power system, even if the infected fellow is still alive and reconstructs a spaceship, he won¡¯t be able to replenish enough power for the spaceship to leave this,¡± Neptune exined.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go then!¡± Gu Ding waved his hand. ¡°Next station, Fengyuan!¡±

 Chapter 62 - An 8 Million Star Credits Bounty

    <h4>Chapter 62: An 8 Million Star Credits Bounty</h4>

    Grey-faced Buzzard was much faster than the Kittyhawk Model. In less than a day, Gu Ding and Liliath had arrived in Fengyuan.

    When Grey-faced Buzzard of more than thirty meters was docked at the port, it attracted many onlookers. Gu Ding¡¯s Grey-faced Buzzard was indeed quite old now. The rest of the same models had already fallen into collectors¡¯ hands, rarely making appearances on the market, needless to say flying it out so casually certainly drew the eyes of plenty.

    Seeing that two children walked out of the Grey-faced Buzzard, many were left rather surprised.

    A seemingly clever and young dealer moved closer to Gu Ding. ¡°Brother, are you selling this spaceship?¡±

    ¡°Larry, I¡¯ve warned you so many times. Stop harassing tourists at the port whoe to Fengyuan for vacation,¡± A hunky man d in police attire walked over. With one hand on his waist, he grabbed the young man by the cor of his shirt, effortlessly lifting him up.

    ¡°Uncle Bobby... Good morning!¡± A hint of helplessness shed across the young man¡¯s face. He knew instantly who the voice belonged to.

    Under Bobby¡¯s watchful eyes, Larry left the port dejectedly. Only then did Bobby turn around and gave Gu Ding and Liliath a heart-warming smile. ¡°Good morning, young friends.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Uncle Bobby,¡± Gu Ding answered with a smile.

    ¡°The person earlier, what¡¯s his upation?¡± Liliath was somewhat curious.

    ¡°Larry, that fellow doesn¡¯t actually have ill-intent. He¡¯s just a spaceship broker. He helps wealthy people in seeking out valuable spaceships, buying them at a low price, and drawing a percentage of the sale. To be fair, many people make a living doing the same thing. But Fengyuan banned them from harassing tourists at the port. This is to avoid leaving a bad impression on Fengyuan¡¯s first-time visitors.¡± Bobby exined, ¡°Of course, if you really wanted to sell your spaceship, you could cut a deal with Larry. The prices he offers are typically reasonable.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re not nning on selling this spaceship.¡± Gu Ding smiled.

    Bobby took a look at the Grey-faced Buzzard behind them, a stunned expression stered across his face. From his experience of working at the port for so many years, he could quickly identify that it was a first-generation Grey-faced Buzzard. Of course, he also knew the corresponding value for this. He could not help but unwittingly attach abel on Gu Ding and Liliath in his heart¡ªdirect descendants of a wealthy family.

    ¡°Uncle Bobby, is there a means of transportation nearby that can send us to the Hermean Alliance?¡± Gu Ding had asked Neptune to search the map. The Hermean Alliance division on this was located nearly a thousand kilometers away from the port.

    ¡°You¡¯re a pharmacologist?¡± No matter how Bobby looked at Gu Ding, he looked like he was no older than fourteen to fifteen years old. If he could obtain a pharmacology certificate at such a young age, then he was no doubt a genius.

    ¡°I¡¯ve made an appointment to meet someone there.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡± Bobby realized suddenly. Pharmacologists were qualified to bring people into the Hermean Alliance. From Gu Ding¡¯s reply, he could tell that he was not a pharmacologist yet, but his friend was. After finding out about the rtionship, he seemed to have thought of something. ¡°I¡¯ll ask Larry to send you there then. He is really eager to get to know some pharmacologists and will definitely do it for free.¡±

    As he said that, Bobby dialed Larry¡¯smunicator. With his back facing Gu Ding, he spoke in their localnguage before hanging up. Then, he turned around and said, ¡°He¡¯lle this instant.¡±

    ¡°Larry¡¯s brother is a Rank 4 Gene Body martial arts practitioner. Because he purchased an E-grade gene enhancer and failed to level up, his gene chain is damaged, paralyzing his entire body. Now, he¡¯s been trying to find a pharmacologist to purchase a bottle of E-grade gene repair agent for his brother. However, the market price is a few times more than making a direct purchase from a pharmacologist. Even standard quality medicine is sold at a minimum of ten million Star Credits. Right now, he has earned less than thirty thousand Star Credits.¡± Neptune had obtained a lot of information from their conversation. He passed on this information to Gu Ding. ¡°Bobby was telling him earlier, asking him to find a chance to get to know your pharmacology friend, to see if he can purchase a bottle of gene repair agent at a lower price.¡±

    Gu Ding nodded his head after hearing it. Bobby was a warm-hearted policeman indeed. As for the gene repair agent, Gu Ding had never made them before. He would like to have the opportunity to try it out as well.

    Larry rushed over in no time. ¡°Oh, my distinguished guests, please forgive me for my imprudence earlier. As a native of Fengyuan, I know this very well and can serve as your tour guide. Uncle Bobby said that you want to go to the Hermean Alliance. I can bring you there.¡±

    ¡°Mm. Let¡¯s go then!¡± Gu Ding nodded. Along with Liliath, the trio hopped into the hovercar in front of them.

    ¡°My guests, you came at just the right time. In thest few days, Master Modican happened to make a stop in Fengyuan. After entering the Hermean Alliance, there is a high chance of you meeting him,¡± Larry said rather excitedly.

    ¡°How many days has Master Modican been there?¡± Gu Ding could not help but ask. He knew that he had been trapped in the Gray Star Sectors for quite some time now, but he had no idea how long Modican had waited for him.

    ¡°Nearly a week now. I heard that he stays in his private medicine refinement room and doesn¡¯t ept guests. The first day he arrived, he had a quick meet-up with the division chairperson. Someone said that Master Modican is researching a new gene medicine that¡¯s rted to a gene virus we have here, that¡¯s why he stayed for so long,¡± Larry told them the news he had heard from others. He gave his opinions as well, saying, ¡°I think it¡¯s also due to the interster storm that has not passed. It isn¡¯t safe to set out on a journey without making careful considerations right now. But, no matter what, his stopover has brought many young pharmacologists swarming here like madmen. In a way, Fengyuan is livelier now because of this.¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to inform Modican that you¡¯ve arrived?¡± Neptune¡¯s voice rang in Gu Ding¡¯s ears.

    ¡°We¡¯ll see about that when we arrive at Hermean Alliance.¡± Gu Ding entered these words on the wristwatch screen.

    ¡°My guest, is your friend a pharmacologist?¡± Seeing that he had grown slightly closer to them, Larry finally directed the topic toward his intended direction.

    ¡°Mm. Yes. He¡¯s a very proficient pharmacologist.¡± Gu Ding nodded with a smile.

    ¡°Very proficient?¡± Larry¡¯s eyes lit up upon hearing that. ¡°D-level?¡±

    Gu Ding only smiled. He did not utter a single word.

    ¡°C-level?¡± Larry continued guessing.

    Gu Ding¡¯s lips were tightly sealed.

    ¡°It can¡¯t be B-level, can it?¡± Larry asked with suspicion in his heart. B-level pharmacologists were all Hermean Alliance division chairperson-level, at least. All of them had renowned reputations as well as decorated track records. Typically, their names would be mentioned when they came to Fengyuan. But there was no recent news of any B-level pharmacologisting to Fengyuan.

    ¡°Perhaps he¡¯s meeting our divisional chairperson?¡± Larry spected in his heart.

    ¡°You¡¯ll know when we arrive. You can follow us into Hermean Alliance.¡± Gu Ding smiled.

    ¡°I can go in too?¡± Larry heard what he said and was overwhelmed by the unexpected surprise. Although he had always wanted to enter Hermean Alliance, he had never gotten the chance to do so. Unexpectedly, Gu Ding agreed to bring him in so casually.

    ¡°Of course you can. Gu Ding is a pharmacologist. He can bring visitors inside straight away,¡± Liliath added.

    ¡°My guest, you¡¯re a pharmacologist too?¡± Those who carried the pharmacologist title were those who have earned the pharmacologist qualification certificate. Larry did not expect that the young-looking Gu Ding had already obtained the pharmacologist qualification certificate.

    ¡°I¡¯m only an F-level pharmacologist,¡± Gu Ding replied.

    The trio talked in the car over the entire journey. Approximately more than three hourster, the trio finally arrived at Hermean Alliance.

    Hermean Alliance¡¯s entrance gate¡¯srge screen was broadcasting a news report. The image on the screen showed a Grey-faced Buzzard employing an antimatter cannon to blow up a.

    Following that, the image switched out, disying two human faces. They were smiley Gu Ding and pouty Liliath respectively.

    Wanted Fugitive: Gu Ding

    Sex: Male

    Age: 15

    Gene Level: Unknown

    Special Ability: Unknown

    Bounty: Eight Million Star Credits

    Crime: Destroying the Gray Star Sector¡¯s Co¡¯s ecological environment, damaging the¡¯s power supply system, and destroying huge amounts of research data.

    ...

    Wanted Fugitive: Liliath

    Sex: Female

    Age: 14

    Gene Level: Unknown

    Special Ability: Unknown

    Bounty: Six Million Star Credits

    Crime: Assisted in destroying the Gray Star Sector¡¯s Co¡¯s ecological environment, damaging the¡¯s power supply system and destroying huge amounts of research data.

    ¡°Destroying the ecological environment...¡± Gu Ding saw this reason and could not help feeling speechless. ¡°Though, it does feel good getting a bounty put on your head.¡±

    ¡°Who took this picture? That¡¯s too much!¡± Liliath saw her pouty picture and threw a tantrum.

    ¡°Both of them...¡± Larry saw the image on the screen and his blood chilled. ¡°I won¡¯t be mistaken as their aplice, will I?¡±

    At this moment, a guard saw Gu Ding. He whispered into themunicator, ¡°I¡¯ve spotted wanted fugitive Gu Ding. Apart from Liliath and him, there¡¯s another young man. He may be their newly-recruited member...¡±

    In no time, a squadron of guards emerged from the crowd, surrounding the trio...

 Chapter 63 - An Easy Apprenticeship Process

    <h4>Chapter 63: An Easy Apprenticeship Process</h4>

    Although Co was located within the gray star sector region, the federal government had already given up on its jurisdiction. Even so, the federal government still possessed some authority, and everything on the was the federal government¡¯s property.

    As it happened, the scene in which Neptune destroyed Co¡¯s space dock, the research institute, and power equipment had been captured by a surveince satellite. Therefore, Gu Ding was transformed into a wanted fugitive by the federal government overnight.

    Even though the interster storm had not passed, the signal block was still around. Clearly, the federal government had other means ofmunication other than Sk. Hence, they could ignore signal blocks like this.

    News of the bounty order was spread throughout the entire Skyriver Sector.

    If Gu Ding did note to Fengyuan, he might have had to wait until the interster storm passed before finding out about his bounty. Fengyuan¡¯s bounty notice had juste in this morning, roughly an hour before Gu Ding and Liliath arrived.

    On Hermean Alliance¡¯s big screen, the noticed had been reyed many times. That was why these guards could recognize Gu Ding and Liliath in a heartbeat.

    ¡°Hermean Alliance is no ce for fugitives like you. We only wee pharmacologists. Please leave or we will inform the military.¡± The head guard stared at Gu Ding full of vignce.

    It was indeed a despicable act to blow up the ecosystem of a. This was also the reason why Gu Ding had such a high bounty on his head. Of course,moners had no knowledge of what truly happened at Co. From what they could see, even though it was a with no humans, employing weapons like the antimatter cannon tounch an attack was still ssified as an extremely despicable act. On top of that, the criminal charge that the federal government listed did not only involve damaging the ecosystem but also destroying crucial research information and the¡¯s power system. Such a description left the public with the impression that Gu Ding was certainly a fellow who had no qualms aboutmitting all sorts of crime.

    Normally, those with a bounty of millions of Star Credits on their heads were those of Rank 3 Gene Body. Whereas the majority of these guards were only a Rank 1 Gene Body. Therefore, when they encountered Gu Ding and Liliath, they behaved oddly vignt.

    Gu Ding did not utter a word. He also knew that no matter how he exined himself right now, the other party would never listen. Under such helplessness, he asked Neptune to send a signal to Modican¡¯smunicator.

    ¡°Gu Ding?!¡± Modican had saved Gu Ding¡¯smunicator serial number a long time ago. When he saw these serial numbers, he was rather astonished, ¡°Has the interster storm passed? Which are you in? I¡¯ll send someone to get you.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m already on Fengyuan.¡± Gu Ding lifted his head to look at the screen on top of Hermean Alliance. It was now reying his wanted order. ¡°To be exact, I¡¯m already standing at Hermean Alliance¡¯s main entrance. But I bumped into a tiny problem.¡±

    ¡°Wait there. I¡¯m on my way.¡± Modican hung up the call after saying those words. He put on a coat in a hurry and rushed out.

    ¡°I¡¯m here in Fengyuan only to meet a person who has sent me an invitation. I will leave immediately once I get things done.¡± Gu Ding unfolded his hands, standing on the spot, waiting.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t we going in?¡± Liliath felt slightly uneasy being surrounded and watched.

    ¡°Wait a moment. The person whom we¡¯re about to meet ising out soon.¡± Being used to working in the tavern, Gu Ding lookedpletely natural instead.

    Behind them, Larry did not know whether he should stay or leave. Just as he was at a loss on what to do, he saw a familiar face walking out of Hermean Alliance¡¯s main entrance.

    ¡°This person is... Master Modican?!¡± Naturally, Larry had seen Modican¡¯s picture. As a star of Skyriver Sector, all kinds of news rted to him often appeared on Sk.

    ¡°Master...¡± When the surrounding onlookers saw Modican, they bowed slightly to address him.

    ¡°Little brother Gu Ding, you¡¯re finally here.¡± Modican walked forward and gave Gu Ding a bear hug. Then, he turned his attention to Liliath and Larry who stood behind Gu Ding. ¡°Ask your friends toe in together.¡±

    With that, he wrapped his arms around Gu Ding¡¯s shoulders and walked inside Hermean Alliance.

    Now, no one attempted to stop them.

    Liliath pulled a funny face at the head guard. Larry, on the other hand, quickened his pace and caught up with the three of them, afraid that he would fall behind and be barred from entering.

    After bringing them to Hermean Alliance¡¯s meeting hall, he turned to give amand to the service robot at the door, saying, ¡°Four cups of green tea. Use the finest tea leaves we have.¡±

    Nowadays, tea leaves had lived up to its reputation as a form of luxurious goods. It was also the mostmonly used drink for entertaining guests.

    ¡°Take a seat,¡± Modican said to the trio.

    ¡°Parma may have told you the reason for our meeting this time?¡± Modican was not someone who would beat around the bush. He got straight to business as soon as he started.

    ¡°She didn¡¯t mention it directly, but I could sort of guess.¡± Gu Ding nodded. What Modican was referring to was his desire to take him in as an apprentice. It was true that Parma did not mention this matter directly as she was afraid that Gu Ding would reject the idea on the spot.

    ¡°And your answer is?¡± Modican stared at Gu Ding rather anxiously. He did not even take a look at the teacup that the robot had ced beside his hand.

    ¡°I think it¡¯s possible.¡± Gu Ding broke into a smile.

    ¡°That easy?¡± Modican thought he would have to spend a lot of time persuading him. He was even sketching out in his head the way he would string his words together. He did not expect Gu Ding to agree straight away. ¡°Don¡¯t you have anything that you¡¯d like to ask me? For example, how many free medicinal materials you can get per month or the refining skills that I can teach you?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not necessary. I think parma is already very outstanding under your guidance. There¡¯s no need for me to ask further questions.¡± Gu Ding shook his head without hesitation.

    ¡°What are they talking about?¡± Liliath looked at Larry. Confusion was written all over her face.

    Larry shook his head silently. He had no idea what they were talking about.

    ¡°Alright, as per tradition, let me present you with a wee gift.¡± As he said that, Modican fished out a box from the inventory, handing it to Gu Ding.

    Gu Ding opened the box. It was a full set of B-grade refining equipment. This set of equipment was worth one hundred million Star Credits. He did not expect Modican to gift it away so generously.

    Beside him, Liliath could not help but sigh in her heart. ¡®Pharmacologists are really rich!¡¯

    ¡°Thank you, teacher!¡± Gu Ding gave an apprentice bow.

    Hearing Gu Ding refer to him as a teacher, Liliath finally understood that the two were discussing having Gu Ding as an apprentice earlier. Moreover, in less than two minutes, Gu Ding had bowed to his teacher and received a wee gift.

    Larry had note back to his senses yet. He had only heard Gu Ding¡¯s final words. He asked surprisingly, ¡°You¡¯re Master Modican¡¯s apprentice?¡±

    ¡°Not before, but I am one now.¡± Gu Ding broke into a grin.

    ¡°Then can you sell me a bottle of E-grade gene repair agent? I only have thirty thousand Star Credits at the moment. If that¡¯s not enough, I will find a way to return the remaining money to you.¡± Larry finally made his purpose for making this trip known.

    ¡°Teacher, do you have the materials?¡± Gu Ding turned his head to look at Modican. He nned to refine a bottle of medicine for Larry by himself.

 Chapter 64 - No Matter How Powerful You May Be, Youâ€™re Still Only An Individual

    <h4>Chapter 64: No Matter How Powerful You May Be, You¡¯re Still Only An Individual</h4>

    Modican did not have E-grade medicinal materials in his inventory. After dialing a number and giving some instructions, someone sent the materials over in less than five minutes. He only asked for three batches, yet they sent ten.

    Gu Ding read the prescription that Neptune gave him, took the material, and began refining using the set of B-grade refining equipment he had just received.

    Watching Gu Ding¡¯s skillful movements, Modican nodded approvingly. ¡°It seems like you have refined this kind of medicine before. You¡¯re quite skillful.¡±

    ¡°I haven¡¯t. This is my first time doing it. I just finished reading the prescription,¡± Gu Ding¡¯s movements did not waver as he replied.

    Modican was taken aback. He did not interrupt Gu Ding further because, under normal circumstances, it was a form of challenge for pharmacologists to refine a new medicine especially when they were doing it for the first time. There were no past experiences, hence the failure rate was extremely high. If Gu Ding had refined this sort of medicine before, Modican could simply say anything to interrupt him and it would not matter. However, this was his first time refining. He would not want his butting in to be the cause of Gu Ding¡¯s failure in refining the medicine.

    Go Ding¡¯s refining speed was exceptionally fast. More than ten minutester, he was done refining a bottle of medicine.

    Staring at the faint green medicine in Gu Ding¡¯s hands, Larry looked rather doubtful. He had not heard of any E-grade gene repair agent that had a color like this one. A standard quality E-grade gene repair agent would be aqua blue; good quality would be azure; excellent quality would be light blue. Whereas the legendary ultimate quality one would be green in color.

    Beside them, Liliath asked in a slightly uncertain manner, ¡°This can¡¯t be the perfect E-grade quality gene repair agent, can it?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve refined the perfect quality medicine the first try itself. Earlier, I¡¯ve only watched you do it on videos. I can¡¯t believe that it¡¯s so much more interesting watching it on the spot.¡± Modican nodded pleasingly. He had also offered his evaluation, ¡°There was not the slightest error in the entire refining process. You can even call it perfection. I heard Parma saying that your medicinal refinement skills are all self-taught. Are these techniques self-taught too?¡±

    ¡°Other than reading and graphic materials, I¡¯ve also watched a lot of video materials.¡± Gu Ding nodded.

    ¡°I¡¯ve also reviewed a lot of materials in thest few years. This also includes certain A-level pharmacologists¡¯petition videos. These are all internal materials shared within the circle. Initially, I nned to arrange and send them to Parma. I¡¯ll transfer them to you first this time. Anthony has also informed me that you agreed to participate in the Neer¡¯s Ranking Competition. It¡¯s in more than two months. These will be useful for you.¡± As Modican said those words, he packed the materials and sent them to Gu Ding¡¯s mailbox.

    He handed the bottle of medicine over to Larry, saying, ¡°Take this and use it.¡±

    ¡°This is a perfect quality one... I can¡¯t afford this...¡± Although Larry found it hard to move his attention away from the bottle of medicine in Gu Ding¡¯s hand, he did not stretch out his hands to take it.

    ¡°The medicinal material is supplied free of charge by Hermean Alliance. My refinement of it will be your reward for sending us here this time.¡± Gu Ding ced the medicine in Larry¡¯s hands. ¡°Besides, I still need to stay one to two days in Fengyuan. I¡¯ll leave when I obtain an E-level Pharmacologist license. Didn¡¯t you say that you¡¯re familiar with this? Perfect. You can be our tour guide for the next few days.¡±

    ¡°Mm. That¡¯s a deal then.¡± Larry took the medicine in his hands. Carefully, he took out a small box and wrapped it properly before cing it inside the inventory.

    Hearing that Gu Ding wanted to take the test for an E-level pharmacologist certification, Modican said, ¡°Gu Ding, I suggest that you skip the test for the E-level pharmacologist license and participate in thepetition with your identity as an F-level pharmacologist. When thepetition takes ce, you¡¯ll definitely stun a bunch of yourpetitors. I think the situation will be even more interesting then. As for the medicinal materials during this period, I¡¯ll supply you with whatever you need.¡±

    ¡°That sounds good. Initially, I nned on taking the E-level pharmacologist test to obtain the free E-grade materials so I could do some practice.¡± Modican had solved this problem for him. Of course, there was no need for him to take the E-level pharmacologist test anymore.

    ¡°You can all stay here for the next few days. Hermean Alliance grants the right to asylum to every pharmacologist. Whether the other party is an Interster Pirate, Independent Alliance, Interster Hunter, or anything else, Hermean Alliance will offer asylum. The Federation Army will not do anything to you here.¡± Modican knew that Gu Ding had be a wanted fugitive. ¡°I¡¯ll stay here over the next few days and leave only after all of you have left to avoid furtherplications.¡±

    ¡°I need to make a trip back home first. I¡¯lle back again tomorrow morning.¡± Larry was in a hurry to get home so he could inject his brother with the gene repair agent.

    ¡°Larry, you can head back first if you have things to do. Since I don¡¯t need to take the pharmacologist certification test anymore, there¡¯s no need for me and Lili to linger too long on this. When Lili is done strolling the trading center tomorrow, you cane and pick us up and send us to the port in the morning in two days¡¯ time. Then, we¡¯ll leave Fengyuan on that day.¡± Gu Ding rearranged the itinerary.

    After sending Larry away, Modican had asked someone to arrange a ce for Gu Ding and Liliath to stay.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe that you actually hid it so well. Didn¡¯t you tell me that you¡¯re an F-level pharmacologist?¡± Liliath turned one circle around Gu Ding, sizing up Gu Ding all over again.

    ¡°I¡¯m an F-level pharmacologist, that¡¯s not a lie. I think it¡¯ll be another three months before I can take an E-level certification test.¡± Gu Ding shrugged.

    Lilianth thought very carefully. Gu Ding was right. She was the one who did not think too much about it from the start. She thought that it was already impressive for Gu Ding to earn an F-level pharmacologist certification at his age, yet what she did not expect was that she had underestimated Gu Ding from the start. Even so, she still drummed up her cheeks, asking, ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you tell me that you¡¯re a genius in pharmacology?¡±

    ¡°Have you ever heard anyone call themselves a genius?¡± Gu Ding questioned her instead. ¡°Besides, if I said so at the time, would you believe me?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t care. In the future, you will oversee all the pharmacologists¡¯ works. You get free materials. We don¡¯t need to spend a cent on leveling up our genes next time. Using this gimmick to recruit members, I¡¯m sure there will be a bunch of people lining up to join us.¡±

    ¡°More team members doesn¡¯t mean things will be better. It¡¯s enough to have me alone as the pharmacologist and it should suffice to have you as the gunner, but we also need some essential professions to fill up the gaps. For example, a chef, a mechanic, a bartender...¡±

    ¡°We can¡¯t skimp on powerful main attackers. Apart from you, we still need one to two more powerful main attackers, at the very least. That¡¯s how we can make a strong team.¡± Liliath had also offered her suggestion. Auxiliary professions were certainly important, but a team without main attackers would undoubtedly be weak. If they encountered a formidable enemy, the entire team might risk gettingpletely wiped out.

    ¡°Yeah. When we leave Fengyuan and get the spaceship repaired, we¡¯ll need to recruit newrades. The new route will not be one not filled with challenges that¡¯s for sure.¡± Gu Ding was not naive at all. Kohld Blood¡¯s words were still clearly embedded in his mind. ¡°No matter how powerful you may be, you¡¯re still only an individual.¡±

    Even genius powerhouses like Kohld Blood hade to understand this. Naturally, Gu Ding would not arrogantly assume that he could walk his path alone.

 Chapter 65 - A New Crisis

    <h4>Chapter 65: A New Crisis</h4>

    Feng Yuan was situated on a unique astronomical location near the Gray Star Sectors, making it a ce whererge amounts of biological researchers and pharmacologists flock to. A ce with the presence of pharmacologists signifies a ce with an astronomical amount of wealth.

    Of course, only a handful of people knew that it was precisely because of its location that it used to be deste before the federal government officially took it in as part of its own. This was due to the apprehension everyone had, thinking that one day the Gray Star Sectors virus would spread all the way to this. What would they do then?

    Safe to say this did not happen. Ever since Fengyuan was integrated into the federal government, it had blossomed into a flourishing in only a few years. Today, the human poption had broken through the thirty-billion mark.

    Fengyuan¡¯s port had been one of the most flourishing starports in all the star sectors, even Skyriver Sector. Therefore, Fengyuan¡¯s federal government division needed to guarantee the safety of the port¡¯s ships and keep them out of harm¡¯s way from all sorts of threats.

    For the authorities of a, they wee every guest with the power of consumerism no matter their identity. One could be an Interster Pirate or Interster Hunter. Perhaps even someone from Dark Sectors. They only had one request from these guests¡ªnever cause trouble within their jurisdiction.

    However, the Army was apletely different department than the government. They were mainly in charge of capturing wanted fugitives and putting them in jail. When necessary, they would carry out executions.

    Of course, conflicts would arise as both departments had different responsibilities.

    The Army often spotted Interster Pirates¡¯ ships at all kinds ofs¡¯ ports. However, due to limited power, they were not allowed to detain the ships directly. Even touching them was a vition of federalw. The only way they could capture fugitives was to capture the wanted criminals themselves.

    But, if the wanted criminal hid under the asylum of other forces, the Army would have to think twice.

    Hermean Alliance was undoubtedly an enormous organization that had the federal government and the Army extremely worried.

    As a matter of fact, Hermean Alliance housed plenty of wanted criminals from different ends of the gxy.

    Almost every well-established Interster Pirate team had at least one pharmacologist. If they were to purchase medicine directly, the entire pirate team might go bankrupt before they were able to make a third of their journey.

    No one was willing to offend the pharmacologist alliance. If the entire alliance joined hands with the medicine refinement factory to go out on a strike, the entire Dragon Soar Cosmic might lose trillions of people to all kinds of diseases in less than a month. This repercussion was one that the federal government could not bear, much more so for the Army.

    Also, in order to nurture soldiers, the Army often cooperated with the Hermean Alliance.

    Hence, if a fugitive went under Hermean Alliance¡¯s asylum, their only option was to ignore the fugitive¡¯s existence.

    Gu Ding and Liliath were currently enjoying such privilege. The two had strolled through the market and trading center near Hermean Alliance the entire morning.

    Although some army personnel glowered at the duo, they were only ring without taking any actions. Liliath would asionally pull a funny face to provoke them. The army personnel could only grit their teeth and ignore, turning their faces to the side.

    Liliath bought a lot of things along the way. From what Gu Ding could see, the majority of the items were frivolous purchases. Liliath even bought certain things with absolutely no idea what they were for. With regards to her actions, Gu Ding could only sigh in his heart. ¡°Dad¡¯s right. It¡¯s so hard to understand what a woman is thinking.¡±

    Of course, Liliath¡¯s actions had piqued Gu Ding¡¯s curiosity in finding out how big her inventory really was.

    After obtaining Cooper¡¯s wristwatch, Neptune helped Gu Ding move everything into his inventory. He had also integrated Cooper¡¯s wristwatch inventory into Gu Ding¡¯s, expanding Gu Ding¡¯s inventory to more than 120 cubic meters. However, Gu Ding was sure that Liliath¡¯s inventory was at least 500 cubic meters because Liliath had easily ced a beast¡¯s carcass inside before. The beast was at least twenty meters high. Its total body volume should be at least 400 cubic meters.

    ¡°Let¡¯s have lunch before we continue.¡± Although Gu Ding was not tired, he thought that it would be a better idea to have lunch and take a quick break.

    ¡°Alright then.¡± Even though Liliath was not done shopping, both Gu Ding and she had eatenpressed food for days now. After eating all kinds of rich and abundant food on Fengyuan thest two days, she found it extremely difficult to reject any sort of delicacy she was presented with.

    Both of them were about to step into a nearby restaurant when Gu Ding noticed a familiar-looking car driving approaching them.

    ¡°Larry, what brings you here?¡± Gu Ding recognized Larry¡¯s car straight away.

    ¡°Get in. I¡¯ll send you to the port right now. You have to leave Fengyuan immediately!¡± Panic was written all over Larry¡¯s face.

    ¡°What happened?¡± Gu Ding recalled telling Larry toe tomorrow.

    ¡°An Interster Hunter was asking about you at the port early this morning. From what Uncle Bobby was saying, that fellow¡¯s name is Ter. He¡¯s a Rank 6 Gene Body; a fearless and powerful man. He reportedly captured an Interster Pirate with a hundred million bounty on his head in the past. He also has a nickname. You may have heard it before¡ªThe Ripper.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯ve heard of this fellow before. He¡¯s an Interster Hunter with a really bad reputation. After capturing Interster Pirates, he likes to snap the bones of the captured before handing them over to the Federation Army.¡± Gu Ding was no stranger to this Interster Hunter who had quite a reputation in Skyriver Sector. ¡°But his targets are typically people with a bounty of more than fifty million Star Credits. Why is heing after me? Are you mistaken?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not. Uncle Bobby said that a wealthy fellow wants to purchase your Grey-faced Buzzard. If you are caught and are found guilty of your crimes, all rights to your spaceship will be stripped by the federal government and they will hold a public auction for the spaceship. That wealthy man has connections within the federal government. He can go through internal procedures to obtain the spaceship. Provided that you¡¯re sent to the federal prison. Right now, you¡¯re under Hermean Alliance¡¯s asylum, the Army can¡¯t do anything to you here. However, Interster Hunters are independent bodies. They only need to be responsible for their own actions. Hence, if Ter attacks, Hermean Alliance¡¯s asylum will be pointless. Uncle Bobby said that judging from Ter¡¯s excitement, he can tell that he must have charged the wealthy businessman an exorbitant amount as a hiring fee.¡±

    ¡°I understand now.¡± After hearing those words, Gu Ding broke into a grin. ¡°Larry, Lili, and I are not leaving tomorrow either. We¡¯ll depart the day after tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°But...¡± Larry wanted to say something, but Gu Ding cut him off.

    ¡°Thest ability evolution has made me stronger again. I wonder if I can win fighting a real Rank 6 Gene Body martial arts practitioner this time.¡± Gu Ding was looking forward to this fight.

 Chapter 66 - Gu Ding, Flatten His Head Into An Idiot!

    <h4>Chapter 66: Gu Ding, tten His Head Into An Idiot!</h4>

    Ter had been an Interster Hunter for nearly twenty years now. Amongst other hunters, he was considered a ¡°celebrity¡±. The notorious kind. This was because he enjoyed torturing the Interster Pirates that he had captured. Hearing the shrill cries of the tortured victims was one of his life¡¯s greatest pleasures.

    His sadistic mindset led to many entertainment venues cklisting him. This was because thedies that he brought out would return with scars and injuries all over their bodies. In serious cases, they were even disfigured.

    His deranged personality was a result of his experiences when he was young.

    Since young, he had always been taller andrger-sized than his peers. Before the age of ten, he had already grown to be two meters tall. Therefore, he was made to be a social outcast by his peers all his life. Hence, he began bullying others to get back at the world.

    When he was sixteen years old, his height had already hit three meters. He had also awakened his first ability¡ªRage Attack Level 1. Already several times stronger than ordinary adults, he was now even stronger. He began to sneak into taverns and mingled with Interster Pirates and wanderers. After a long time, he realized that the fellows who bragged and drank all day were not as capable as they made themselves out to be.

    One time in an argument, he fought with an Interster Pirate with a four-million bounty on his head. After crippling the fellow, he left,pletely unscathed.

    Later, the Interster Pirate was captured. He had also obtained a whopping two million Star Credits. The Army told him that if he sent the person in himself, he could obtain the full amount of four million.

    Since that day, he became an Interster Hunter. His ability was also constantly enhanced with each battle. The handsome rewards had allowed him to not only purchase the gene enhancer that he needed to make him stronger, but it had also brought him great enjoyment.

    On top of that, he also realized that torturing his opponent further would bring him unimaginable joy and satisfaction.

    In nearly twenty years, at least two hundred people had been sent to prison by Ter. Among them, the highest bounty was 130 million, also a Rank 6 Gene Body. Ter struggled plenty before he finally won.

    Whereas the new mission that Ter received this time was so much easier than what he had expected. The target was only a newbie who had just had a fresh bounty put on his head. The bounty was merely millions.

    Although Ter did not enjoy dealing with wealthy people. But, he did not mind putting himself at an inconvenience and lowering his standards if it meant he would earn a ridiculous amount of money. After all, he had undergone all kinds of arduous training for so many years. Although he was ill-tempered, he understood in truths as such.

    To make dealings with this big client, he had even specifically asked someone to make him a suit. Although the suit looked incongruous on him, it did a great job of showing his sincerity.

    The discussion went smoothly. The other party offered a 150 million reward. Moreover, the duo¡¯s bounty could all go to him as well. All he needed to do was to send the duo to federal prison.

    With a heart full of curiosity, when he was at the port, trying to find out about the duo¡¯s traces, he took a look at the Grey-faced Buzzard spaceship that the client mentioned while he was at it. He shook his head with contempt, saying, ¡°This broken spaceship is actually worth so much money?¡±

    In no time, he received information regarding Gu Ding duo¡¯s whereabouts.

    As an Interster Hunter, he need not worry about Hermean Alliance¡¯s revenge, but if Gu Ding hid in Hermean Alliance all the time, there was nothing he could do either. As Hermean Alliance allowed only pharmacologists to enter and leave freely, other people who wished to enter had to go in with a pharmacologist. If they barged in forcefully, Hermean Alliance would order the Federation Army to capture the intruder. On top of that, they would use the bestwyer topile the bad deeds that the intruder hadmitted throughout his entire life and send them to the federal court. When the timees, even getting sentenced to 20 years in prison would be considered a light punishment.

    After recalling certain things that he had done, Ter shuddered. If he encountered such usations, he estimated that he might even be sentenced to two hundred years in prison. He could only keep watch outside Hermean Alliance and patiently wait for Gu Ding and Liliath to walk into his trap.

    Gu Ding who had received the warning from Larry made no ns to leave. He really wanted to know how his abilities had progressed now.

    After fighting with Cooper, Gu Ding¡¯s regenerative ability had evolved into high-speed regeneration. Simrly, his Rage Attack duration had also extended. Moreover, equipped with Ultimate Arts Level 7, he would most probably not be as easily beaten as before.

    Of course, the key takeaway was that the opponent this time was much stronger than Cooper, whom he metst time. Although Cooper was also a Rank 6 Gene Body, when he fought Gu Ding, he had preserved half his strength. Under that circumstance, Gu Ding was already battered to that extent and had nearly lost his life.

    Although Gu Ding had be stronger, this was most certainly not an easy opponent. Neptune seemed pretty worried. He searched up on Ter¡¯s information and projected it out in front of Gu Ding and Liliath.

    Name: Ter

    Sex: Male

    Age: 35

    upation: Interster Hunter (two stars)

    Gic Grade: Sixth-order

    Special Ability 1: Level 2 Rage Attack

    Ability Description: Attack Power, Defense Power, Speed, Recovery Ability Tripled, Duration 10 minutes.

    Side Effects: 10 hours into Prostration,bat power is halved.

    Special Ability 2: Level 2 Defense

    Ability Description: Defense power doubled, Duration half an hour.

    Side Effects: 3 hours into Prostration,bat power is halved.

    Highest Bounty Ever Captured: 130 million

    umted Capture Amount: 7.783 billion

    ¡°This fellow seems really strong. If he¡¯s at his peak Rank 6 Gene Body condition, his Cell Index will be at least 3000 points. With the help of his Rage Attack Level 2, hisbat effectiveness will be equivalent to those of 9000 points Cell Index. As for his defense that has doubled, this alone is enough for you, Gu Ding, to have no way of defeating him, right?¡± Liliath could not help but ask.

    ¡°Based on the statistics, it is indeed challenging for me to break his defense. Moreover, his attack prowess is enough to injure me critically. But statistics are only statistics. No one knows that fellow¡¯s actualbat ability. It¡¯s still too early to judge the oue right now.¡± Gu Ding admitted that Ter¡¯s statistics were indeed way better than what he had imagined. He also knew that this battle might be much tougher than the one he had with Cooper. But, he had never cowered in the face of a formidable enemy as he remembered the words Dad used to say: ¡°A man may lose but never lowers his head in the face of danger.¡±

    ¡°I found a fewbat videos of this fellow from the past. You can take a look and use it as a reference,¡± As Neptune said that, he started projecting the videos one by one.

    After watching the videos, Liliath seemed pretty furious. ¡°This fellow should be the one sent to the federal prison. The things he did were far worse than that of many Interster Pirates. Does the Army only persecute people based on their upation?¡±

    In the frame, Ter tortured those Interster Pirates so terribly to the point that they were bawling miserably. Liliath could not bear it any longer. ¡°Gu Ding, tten this fellow¡¯s head! If you can¡¯t beat him, I¡¯ll help you!¡±

 Chapter 67 - An Encounter At The Tavern

    <h4>Chapter 67: An Encounter At The Tavern</h4>

    Around noon, Ter rushed to Hermean Alliance. In a tavern not far from the opposite of Hermean Alliance¡¯s main gate, there happened to be a window looking out at the gate.

    A couple was enjoying their lunch there. He tookrge strides and marched into the tavern, making a beeline for the couple. ¡°This seat is mine now.¡±

    Upon seeing the giant, whose head was nearly touching the ceiling, the couple left hurriedly.

    ¡°Waiter, give me three tes of steaks. Make it medium rare with some blood gravy.¡± He knew that with his size, there was no way he could sit on the chairs here. With his legs crossed, he sat on the ground. Staring at the leftover roasted meat on the table that the couple had left behind, he grabbed it with one hand and stuffed it into his mouth.

    The steaks were served by the waiter in no time at all. He chewed the food with a lot of effort; his gaze never once left Hermean Alliance¡¯s main entrance.

    After sending Larry away, Gu Ding and Liliath continued searching for a ce to have lunch.

    ¡°I heard that that tavern¡¯smb chop is pretty good. Let¡¯s try it out.¡± Liliath pointed at a small tavern in front of Hermean Alliance.

    ¡°Okay!¡± Gu Ding was just like Liliath, both of them were carnivores. Their taste in food did not differ much. They both had physiques that made many green with envy¡ªthey would not grow fat no matter how they ate.

    The moment they pushed open the door to the tavern, Gu Ding saw the giant-sized Ter sitting beside the window.

    Ter had only heard the door opening when he gave a casual nce and spotted Gu Ding.

    When they saw each other, both of them were stunned.

    Ter lowered his head to look at his wristwatch. He brought up Gu Ding and Liliath¡¯s bounty before confirming that his eyes were not ying tricks on him.

    Meanwhile, Liliath, who was standing beside Gu Ding, pointed at Ter and asked Gu Ding, ¡°That giant is the guy who¡¯s here to kill us. Ter, right?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. He¡¯s Ter!¡± Naturally, Gu Ding, who had just read Ter¡¯s profile earlier, could remember him clearly. Whether it was his extremely noticeable body size or that sinister-looking face, it was enough for him to be imprinted in anyone¡¯s mind.

    Ter stood up, then stuffed thest piece of steak into his mouth, staring fixedly at Gu Ding while chewing.

    After swallowing the steak, he gave Gu Ding a malevolent smile. ¡°Kid, are you brave enough to take it outside?¡±

    As he said that, he charged outside the door.

    ¡°Hey, you¡¯ve not paid yet, right?¡± Gu Ding shouted behind him.

    ¡°I never pay for my meals.¡± Ter red savagely at the waiter as he said that.

    ¡°Is that so? You have quite a lot of bad habits,¡± Liliath mocked.

    ¡°Little brat, do you have a death wish?¡± Ter¡¯s threatening eyes darted her way.

    ¡°I happened to purchase three thousand armor-piercing shells this morning. Are you sure you want to get a taste of a few of them?¡± A hint of killing intent shed across Liliath¡¯s eyes. The Combat Armor in her hands had changed into a cannon barrel, which she lifted onto her right shoulder. Her other hand was holding onto a spiral shell that was nearly twenty centimeters in length.

    This was an armor-piercing shell. Even a mecha constructed with alloy would be pierced instantly, much less a human who was only a Rank 6 Gene Body.

    A gunner¡¯s forcefulness was judged based on both the handling of techniques as well as the shell¡¯s grades. There was not much to do with the gunner¡¯s gene level. As long as one could bear the recoil from the firearm, then there was nothing for them to worry about. Even if one was only a Rank 1 Gene Body gunner, as long as one employed a powerful enough weapon and managed to hit a high-ranked gene body martial arts practitioner, it would be enough to injure them. Of course, this was only in theory.

    In reality, gene body level restricted a human¡¯s dynamic vision. A Rank 1 Gene Body¡¯s vision could not catch the movement of martial arts practitioners with Rank 3 Gene Body or higher. Although Liliath was a Rank 2 Gene Body, with the influence of her Pupiry Abilities, she was able to catch a Rank 6 Gene Body¡¯s movements. However, this was the highest she could go. This time, she had purchased enough armor-piercing shells to cause harm to a Rank 8 Gene Body. This was also in case they encounter powerhouses simr to Cooper again. If Gu Ding did not stop her, she would not mind equipping the armor-piercing shells she had just bought to teach the other party a lesson.

    Seeing that Liliath had pulled out the armor-piercing shells, he was first stunned, then immediately followed this up with fits ofughter. ¡°With your vision, do you think you can catch my movements?¡±

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you try and find out!¡± Liliath inserted the armor-piercing shell, heaved up the cannon barrel, and prepared to fire. However, she was stopped by Gu Ding.

    ¡°Lili, let me test out my current ability first.¡±

    Only then did Liliath lower it slowly. Nodding at Gu Ding, she said, ¡°Teach him a lesson!¡±

    After summoning his Combat Armor, Gu Ding also activated Rage Attack Level 2. With the Ultimate Arts Level 6 Silent Step, his figure moved like the ghost, appearing behind Ter in the blink of an eye.

    Ter¡¯s eximed to himself, ¡®That¡¯s really fast.¡¯

    The other party¡¯s speed had exceeded his. This also implied that his attack prowess would not be too far off either. He immediately activated his Defense Level 2, intending to turn around to face Gu Ding.

    Nevertheless, he did not expect Gu Ding¡¯s figure to vanish once again before appearing at Ter¡¯s side. He struck at him with a Steel Fist, but it was as if he was hitting an iron board.

    With a 100 points Cell Index, after a two-fold increase from Combat Armor, three-fold increase from Rage Level 2, and a five-fold increase from Ultimate Arts Level 6, Gu Ding¡¯s attack wasparable to a martial arts practitioner with three thousand points Cell Index. However, it was still as if he had just struck an iron board.

    Although Ter, who had taken the hit, was not injured, he was frightened inside. He could clearly feel the energy released from Gu Ding¡¯s punch earlier, and it was alreadyparable to the energy of a Rank 6 Gene Body martial arts practitioner. Rank 6 Gene Body¡¯s Interster Pirates would typically have a bounty of hundreds of millions Star Credits.

    A Rank 6 Gene Body at fifteen years old? Ter expressed his disbelief. Unless one¡¯s parents¡¯ gene levels were higher than Rank 10, it was impossible for anyone to achieve Rank 6 Gene Body at fifteen years old. He spected that Gu Ding might be using certain means to increase his attack prowess.

    Even though he had failed in the first attack, Gu Ding did not give up. No matter how solid a fort is, there would always be a weak point. As long as he could find that w, he could tear the other party¡¯s defense apart like splitting a bamboo. The encounter with those gigantic monsters earlier in Co had widened Gu Ding¡¯sbat knowledge. If one could not destroy the opponent with brute force alone, then search for the other party¡¯s weakness and target it.

    His attack poured down like a furious storm and torrential rain; he was not the slightest bit worried that such a battle would burden his body. Ever since his regenerative ability had evolved into High-Speed Regeneration, he could maintain Rage Attack Level 2 state for two hours. On top of that, employing Ultimate Arts Level 6 would only burden his body slightly. Now, his body could also maintain Ultimate Arts Level 7 for half an hour. However, he had no ns to activate Ultimate Arts Level 7 so early. Afterunching a few attacks to test the waters, judging from the other party¡¯s defense, even if he employed Ultimate Arts Level 7, it would not do much harm. Thus, he would rather spend some time figuring out the other party¡¯s weaknesses.

    Under Gu Ding¡¯s strange body techniques and fierce attacking force, Ter could only remain in a defensive stance. Gu Ding could surpass him in everything. He knew that nothing good woulde out of him initiating an attack, thus he chose to defend. His physical strength itself was different from ordinary people. With the help of Defense Level 2, basically anyone with a Cell Index of fewer than ten thousand points could hardly cause him any harm. Even so, he must admit that although Gu Ding¡¯s attacks caused him no harm, it was still very painful when they struck his body. Having said that, now he could only endure it as he waited for the other party¡¯s increased attack prowess to pass. That would be his time to counterattack.

    ¡°This fellow¡¯s skin is no ordinary thick...¡± Gu Ding found it rather thorny too. In less than two minutes, he had attacked the fellow at least two hundred times, yet the other party seemed to be unscathed.

    ¡°You really need to spend some time learning about the human body.¡± Neptune sighed indistinctly. Then, Gu Ding noticed that Ter¡¯s body analysis chart had emerged in his mind. On the analysis chart, more than twenty ws and three fatal points were depicted.

 Chapter 68 - Whoâ€™s The Employer?!

    <h4>Chapter 68: Who¡¯s The Employer?!</h4>

    No matter how strong a fortress was, it would have a weakness. What more when it came to humans?

    To a certain degree, biological bodies and mechanical bodies bore some resemnce. If something was wrong with one part, it would most likely affect many other areas.

    In a mechanical body, the loosening of a screw could destroy the entire machine instantly. Simrly, if one function in the human body was not working, it might bring illnesses that could eventually take the life of a person.

    Mechanical bodies have inevitable weaknesses, as do biological bodies. Naturally, humans, as one of thetter, are not spared of this. In reality, humans are one of the more fragile forms amongst the biological bodies as these weaknesses are even more fatal if exploited.

    Perhaps in Gu Ding¡¯s eyes, or even many other martial arts practitioners¡¯ eyes, Ter¡¯s defense was wless. However, in Neptune¡¯s eyes, it was apletely different story. There were ws in the other party¡¯s every movement. No matter how indistinct, as soon as Neptune caught it, he would be able to pinpoint it.

    ¡°In a battle between different ranks, it is not solely apetition of amplified strength,¡± Neptune exined in Gu Ding¡¯s ears. ¡°I can help you once or twice, but if you want to be intrinsically stronger, you need to learn how to judge the other party¡¯s weaknesses yourself.¡±

    Gu Ding knew what Neptune said was right. Although he was really unwilling for anyone to intervene in his fight, he knew from what had happened earlier that there was no way he could break through Ter¡¯s defense.

    Following the ws that Neptune had marked out, Gu Ding began probing andunching testing attacks.

    His first target was naturally the other party¡¯s eyes. This was a weakness for almost every biological body. Unfortunately, Gu Dingpletely overlooked this point earlier.

    His fists opened and his fingers were exposed. Gu Ding employed Terminating Finger, a move that he had not employed in a really long time. His fingers moved like a snake on high-alert, heading straight for Ter¡¯s left eye.

    Seeing this, Ter immediately raised his right hand to block. Although Gu Ding¡¯s attacks on his body were not enough to injure him, his eyes would never be able to bear a martial arts practitioner¡¯s attack that was equivalent to 3000 points Cell Index.

    In a split second, when Ter raised his hand, he exposed a w on his right rib. Gu Ding set his eyes on this w, lifting his knee and smashing into it at lightning speed.

    This impact sent Ter staggering. He could clearly feel that Gu Ding¡¯s attack nearly broke his ribs. He also noticed that Gu Ding¡¯s attacks were starting to be more targeted now. It was fiercer and more lethal.

    After seeding inunching one strike, Gu Ding was in high spirits. Meanwhile, Ter finally realized that the one he was facing this time was no mouth-watering appetizer, but an unrivaled bone that was impossible to gnaw on.

    Seeing that the other party still had no ns to initiate an attack, Gu Ding leaped up once more,unching an even more violent attack at Ter. This time, his attacks were all aimed directly at the vital points: temple, ear, throat, precordium, lower back, back of his head, ribs...

    In such a short time, Ter was overwhelmed. Initially, the majority of Gu Ding¡¯s attacks could be ignored. He just needed to make sure he protected his vital points so that the other party would not hit them. However, now, every one of Gu Ding¡¯s attacks headed straight for his vital points, causing him to bepletely exhausted from warding off the strikes.

    Eventually, he was hit one or two times in the ear as well as the back of his head. This made him dizzy. As for the other attacks, the pain caused had multiplied whenpared to the ordinary blows he received earlier.

    This wave of attackssted for a full ten minutes or more. Ter was confused and disoriented from Gu Ding¡¯s continuous blows. Due to ack of strength in his body, he could not even get a hold of Gu Ding¡¯s clothes.

    After wiping the blood flowing out of his nostrils, Ter knew that Gu Ding had broken his nose bridge. He began to regret his decision to ept the mission.

    Their fight happened to be carried out outside Hermean Alliance¡¯s main entrance. Basically, this was considered one of the most busy areas on the entire, meaning that thousands of people had watched this unfold. There were also a few fellows who had recorded the fight between the two.

    ¡°Your defense is useless against me now.¡± Gu Ding stared at the battered as well as an exhausted Ter, feeling slightly moved. If not for Neptune, he might not have been able to break the other party¡¯s defense at all.

    ¡°Is that so?¡± Although Ter was slightly injured, it had only bothered and pained him slightly. Gu Ding¡¯s attacks were powerful enough that he was not able to resist them. He had also decided to give it his best shot. ¡°You pushed me to the edge. During the next half an hour, I will show you my true ability.¡±

    As soon as these words left his lips, the muscles throughout his body started swelling as his body grewrger. With bloodshot eyes, his being began emanating a tyrannical aura.

    ¡°He has activated the Rage Attack mode. Although they say that Rage Attack Level 2 can onlyst ten minutes, his toughness means that he should be able tost half an hour. After entering the Rage Attack mode, not only will his attack prowess shoot up, his speed will too. Stay vignt. With his current attack prowess, you¡¯ll be done for if you take just one hit,¡± Neptune reminded Gu Ding.

    ¡°Half an hour? Let¡¯s see who¡¯s stronger then!¡± Gu Ding broke into a grin. He quickly activated Ultimate Arts Level 7, causing hisbat prowess to once again double.

    Ultimate Arts Level 7 Silent Step was more than twice as powerful as its Level 6 counterpart. It even created an afterimage in the sky, making the onlookers exim when they saw it.

    Ter, who had entered the Rage Attack mode, began attacking too. He charged toward Gu Ding whilst waving his enormous fist, causing the faint sound of the air splitting to rumble outward.

    Gu Ding employed his Silent Step, avoiding this punch. Despite that, he was still scraped by the shockwaves of the blow. His sleeves were shredded to pieces.

    ¡°This is one really potent attack!¡± Gu Ding sighed to himself. He was being more careful now, avoiding Ter¡¯s second and third punches.

    At the same time, he was also patiently waiting for a chance tounch a fatal attack.

    Finally, when Ter fired the fourth punch, he left his chest exposed. Gu Ding employed the Silent Step, searching for an opening to enter. He brushed past Ter¡¯s fist,nding a power-umting elbow attack on Ter¡¯s chest mercilessly.

    After taking the hit, Ter¡¯s heart stopped beating for a few seconds. Even his movements halted for a few seconds. Even so, Gu Ding did not waste this chance. Immediately after, he followed it up with a heavy knee to the other party¡¯s crotch. Without waiting for the other party to copse, Gu Dingunched another Steel Fist at the other party¡¯s throat to choke him.

    After taking three consecutive critical hits, Ter copsed to the ground. With one hand holding onto his crotch and another on his throat, he let out a cry of agony.

    Gu Ding, on the other hand,nded steadily.

    At this moment, Liliath and the rest appeared in front of Ter at blinding speed, pointing the cannon barrel that had been loaded with the armor-piercing shells straight at Ter¡¯s head, she said. ¡°Hand over your intelligent wristwatch!¡±

    Although Ter was slightly hesitant, it was useless once the other party takes it as this thing would lock itself after it is removed from the master body. However, if he did not do as Liliath instructed, he had not the slightest doubt that she would put a bullet in his brain. Thus, he could only take off the intelligent wristwatch.

    Liliath took the wristwatch and tossed it to Gu Ding. ¡°We¡¯ll take this as loot. This is not the end of it, though. Tell us your employer¡¯s name...¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t tell you that.¡± Ter knew that even though his reputation was bad, if he revealed who had hired him, no one would work with him in the future.

    ¡°It seems like you think that the employer¡¯s life is more important than yours now, do you?¡± The corner of Liliath¡¯s lips curled up as the cannon barrel was jabbed once again against Ter¡¯s forehead. ¡°Let me ask you onest time. What¡¯s the employer¡¯s name?¡±

    Ter could see a chilling and cold killing intent in Liliath¡¯s eyes. He knew that if he did not reveal the name, he might be drawing hisst breath.

    ¡°His name is Ricky...¡±

 Chapter 69 - I Want To Give Him A Cannon Shell As A Gift

    <h4>Chapter 69: I Want To Give Him A Cannon Shell As A Gift</h4>

    Ricky¡¯s full name was Ricky Onassis. Thirty-three years old. The new leader of the Onassis family, which was one of the ten wealthiest families in the entire Skyriver Sector.

    The family had a long history. They started off by making spaceship essories more than five hundred years ago, which has continued until today.

    These days, the Onassis family did not only run the essories business, they also ran the spaceship business. Amongst the ten wealthiest families, their total assets ranked them fourth ce.

    As the new leader of the family, Ricky was also considered a celebrity in the Skyriver Sector. With that being said, he had a hobby known to many¡ªhe loved collecting all kinds of historical spaceships. However, many had no idea that in order to obtain certain spaceships at low prices, he had done many filthy things in secret.

    They did everything from framing the spaceship owners, sending them to prison, making purchases through the federal government, hiring Interster Pirates, to even hiring people to pose as ship professionals to deceive the spaceship owners by iming that their spaceship posed hidden dangers in order to persuade the ship owners to sell them at a lower price. He had used these dirty tactics no less than ten times, with almost all of them being sessful.

    Nevertheless, this time, Ricky was infuriated after watching the video in which Gu Ding beat Ter up, in which the bastard Ter had even revealed his name. There were two reasons for his rage. Number one, his chances of getting his hands on this spaceship were very slim now. Number two, his reputation had been ruined by the bastard, Ter.

    It was not like other big families had not worked with Ter before, but anyone who had worked with Ter before would keep their mouths shut. This was due to the fact that Ter¡¯s character was too horrible. Like a stink bug, anyone who was stained would have bad luck. Anyone who had anything to do with him would embarrass the entire family.

    He was not worried that Gu Ding and Liliath would take revenge because families like them that had a good foundation of skills would have all nurtured theirbat strengths. If Gu Ding was so foolish as to barge into his mansion, then there would only be one oue waiting for him. He would be killed by his men on the spot.

    However, he did not know that he had indeed been marked by Gu Ding and Liliath.

    In front of Gu Ding was a projection of a mansion. That was the first mansion built by the Onassis family on Fengyuan. The mansion was built in recent years to carry out negotiations for the new gene medicine projects whilst also serving to tighten rtionships with Fengyuan¡¯s authorities.

    Ricky had been in the pharmaceutical factory over thest few days to discuss a new project. He arrived at Fengyuan¡¯s port on the same day and almost at the same time as Gu Ding. In fact, he saw Gu Ding¡¯s Grey-faced Buzzard and was suddenly attracted to it, which was how things had developed to this state.

    ¡°This fellow brings a lot of people with him every time he goes out.¡± Gu Ding counted the number of guards via the projection. It was indeed a lot more than he had imagined.

    ¡°He¡¯s the leader of the entire Onassis family. His family won¡¯t allow anything to happen to him.¡± Liliath was no stranger to situations like this.

    ¡°Thirty-six guards in total. Among them, twenty-three of them are Rank 6 Gene Body, twelve of them Rank 7 Gene Body and one Rank 8 Gene Body. Every window is guarded as well, so it¡¯s impossible to slip inside without being noticed.¡± Neptunemented after he had analyzed the situation. ¡°Even if you manage to sneak in, it will also be difficult for you to seed as Ricky Onassis himself is a Rank 6 Gene Body too.¡±

    ¡°Basically, the bodyguards hired by these wealthy people are all veterans. Some of them are even veterans from the elite army units. They¡¯ve all gone through professional training, have a great deal ofbat experience, and have each taken at least ten lives. Even though they are also Rank 6 Gene Bodys, each and every one of these fellows is undoubtedbly stronger than Ter.¡± Liliath not only had a solid understanding of the bodyguard role, she knew people like Ricky very well too. ¡°ording to the current circumstances, it¡¯s almost impossible for us to barge in. The moment we rm a bodyguard, we will be surrounded. People like Ricky won¡¯t leave any loose ends. He won¡¯t turn in the person who attacks his mansion to the Federation Army to collect a mary reward. He will only kill the person on the spot and leave no trace behind. Even if the federal government learns about it, they will only turn a blind eye.¡±

    ¡°That fellow provoked us first. I will never let him go. I need to teach him a lesson, at least.¡± After saying that, Gu Ding was silent for a moment, seemingly pondering ways to teach Ricky a lesson whilst also being able to escape after.

    After a moment, he asked, ¡°Neptune, other than Ricky and his bodyguards, is there anyone else in the mansion?¡±

    ¡°No. His mansion is a new division built in recent years for the convenience of discussing business. No one stays there normally, so it¡¯s just that the cleaners thate every week to do the cleaning,¡± Neptune exined. ¡°Moreover, the Rank 8 Gene Body is not only one of the bodyguards, he¡¯s also the butler. When Ricky is on Fengyuan, the butler handles everything, including cooking meals, making tea, and arranging business meetings.¡±

    ¡°This means that this fellow is extremely cautious as he¡¯s worried that someone will poison him. Moreover, he doesn¡¯t like to give others the power to handle business matters and prefers doing it all by himself.¡± From the description earlier, Liliath could roughly understand what kind of person Ricky was.

    ¡°Neptune, does our spaceship¡¯s cannon happen to have the capability to destroy his mansion whilst also not endangering his neighbors?¡± Gu Ding seemed to have already devised a n.

    ¡°I can tweak it. The smallest cannon barrel should be able to do it,¡± Neptune replied.

    ¡°Are you thinking of...¡± Liliath heard what Gu Ding said and could already guess what Gu Ding was trying to do.

    ¡°That¡¯s right. Since I can¡¯t sneak in to teach him a lesson, blowing up his mansion is a good choice too. This mansion of his should cost at least fifty billion Star Credits or more, right? He wants my spaceship, doesn¡¯t he? Then, I¡¯ll give him a cannon shell as a gift.¡± Gu Ding broke into a grin.

    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, Feng Yuan¡¯s authorities will cklist you. On top of that, they will inform the federal government to make it a priority to capture you.¡± Liliath figured that Gu Ding might not know the gravity of the situation.

    ¡°Don¡¯t forget. We¡¯re Interster Pirates. The federal government has been after us from the start. Isn¡¯t that what we wanted, to raise our bounty higher? Besides, didn¡¯t you want them to change your wanted picture? Maybe they will renew the wanted order this time and do just that.¡± Gu Ding was more than clear about the repercussions, but, it was precisely the increased bounty that was the main reason behind his decision.

    ¡°That bastard who created the wanted order...¡± As soon as she recalled her pouty picture on the wanted order, Liliath became irritated. ¡°Alright. For the picture, I vote yes for this n!¡±

    ¡°It seems like this journey is getting more and more interesting...¡± Neptune mumbled.

 Chapter 70 - Ter Must Die!

    <h4>Chapter 70: Ter Must Die!</h4>

    In the Onassis mansion, Ricky was battered, facing the interrogation of the family¡¯s higher-ups.

    The media intentionally reported the Sk battle video between Gu Ding and Ter. However, their attention was not on Gu Ding¡¯s battle prowess, but the words Liliath had forced Ter to say in the end¡ªHis name is Ricky Onassis.

    The leader of one of the ten wealthiest families was dealing with notorious figures like Ter. This was undoubtedly the perfect gossip subject that could serve as fiery media hype. Moreover, it could also give rise to all kinds of other subjects.

    For example, did members of other families deal with Ter? Had these so-called socialites performed any filthy business deals with other, even more infamous figures? What were they?

    This matter did not affect the Onassis family alone. Other families had also started keeping a low profile, worried that the media would get hold of certain despicable acts that they had done in the past and expose them.

    Because of this incident, Ricky¡¯s collection had raised doubts from the media. Certain media outlets had even raised their concerns directly, questioning exactly how much of collection had been obtained through such deplorable means.

    Hundreds of media outlets started ringing up Ricky¡¯s and other Onassis family higher-ups¡¯municators ceaselessly. This was also the reason why the other higher-ups in the family were infuriated. Although he carried the title as the leader, in reality, he had only headed the family for less than two years. Major decisions were made together with his father and other elders in the family whilst he merely yed the role of announcing their collective will.

    ¡°Sir, there¡¯s nothing unusual going on with Gu Ding and Liliath. They¡¯ve been shopping the entire afternoon. I think they are aware that there are a lot of us here, so they don¡¯t n to get entangled in this matter anymore.¡± The butler walked over and whispered, ¡°Also, old sir called me on mymunicator. He said that your line was constantly busy. It sounds like he¡¯s really mad. Other than that, he wants me to tell you that regardless of the means you use, you must solve this matter. Otherwise, the next family meeting will be yourst day as the head of the family.¡±

    Hearing this, Ricky picked up hismunicator. He was just about to dial his father¡¯s number when the butler stopped him.

    ¡°Sir, it¡¯s no use. You will only upset old sir even more.¡± The butler understood every Onassis family member¡¯s character very well. ¡°No matter how you exin yourself, old sir will not listen.¡±

    ¡°What should I do?¡± Ricky knew that the butler was speaking the truth.

    ¡°Focus your energy on solving this matter. Stop thinking about other things now.¡± The butler still seemedposed. After all, he had nothing to do with this matter and was totally uninvolved in the affair.

    ¡°My head is a mess right now. Tell me what I should do, Steward. I know I should¡¯ve listened to you from the start and not got in bed with people like Ter, but it has alreadye to this point. I really need your assistance.¡± Ricky held his head in his heads, seemingly helpless.

    ¡°If you want to end the dilemma, you will need to solve it by targeting the source of the problem itself.¡± Butler Steward was silent for a moment before giving an answer.

    ¡°What you¡¯re saying is to kill Ter, Gu Ding, and the rest?¡±

    ¡°Ter must die!¡± Steward did not even blink as he said this. ¡°But, you can¡¯ty a finger on Gu Ding and Liliath. Gu Ding is a pharmacologist, so he has Hermean Alliance backing him up. If you kill him, you¡¯ll only make matters worse. Both of them are the federal government¡¯s concerns, not ours. Besides, they are only children. There¡¯s no need to worry about what they can do. On the other hand, you¡¯ve worked with Ter a few times now. If this matter is exposed, you may lose not only your position as the head of the family, but also your surname as an Onassis. Only with his death can you rest easy that this matter will not be unearthed.¡±

    ¡°But if we kill Ter now, it¡¯ll be too easy for the media to point their finger at us.¡± Ricky¡¯s brows were knitted together. He figured that Steward¡¯s suggestion was too risky.

    ¡°What we¡¯re doing is not killing Ter but causing his death.¡± The corner of Steward¡¯s lips curled up gradually. ¡°He just finished fighting a great battle with Gu Ding, didn¡¯t he? People who have just gone through a harsh battle will show symptoms of internal bleeding and whatnot. Also, I happen to know a medical examiner who performs autopsies. You don¡¯t have to worry about this, let me handle it. I believe the headlines tomorrow morning will read ¡®Interster Hunter Ter dies of internal bleeding after losing a fight¡¯.¡±

    ¡°Even so, certain media outlets will doubt us, right? Ter would have injected himself with the cell repair agent by now, so the chances of him suffering internal bleeding are slim. Besides, even ordinary civilian-use wristwatches will disy the abnormalities of the body after detecting it, reminding the owner to seek medical help as soon as possible.¡± Ricky figured that there were too many holes in this n.

    ¡°It may be possible that his wristwatch was damaged in the fight with Gu Ding, causing it to malfunction.¡± Steward was still smiling. ¡°If the internal bleeding is serious enough, the cell repair agent may not be able to repair it after just one use. Besides, he¡¯s a fellow who enjoys eating and drinking in unreasonable amounts, so his chances of suffering internal bleeding are much higher than ordinary people.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I will handle this wlessly. When the timees, it doesn¡¯t matter how the media puts it, as long as they don¡¯t have the evidence, we only need to stand firm and deny it vehemently.¡± Steward wore an indifferent look. Clearly, this was not his first time doing this now.

    When night fell, Liliath and Gu Ding finallypleted a whole day of shopping at the market.

    ¡°I want to eat that tavern¡¯smb chop again. What do you think?¡± Liliath ced the leather bag that she had just bought into her inventory. She lifted her head and asked Gu Ding.

    ¡°My sentiments exactly.¡± Gu Ding¡¯s taste was quite simr to Liliath. He figured that themb chop this afternoon was indeed tasty. ¡°I think we need to find a chef as soon as possible.¡±

    ¡°I have a request, which is that themb chop needs to be of this standard, at least.¡± Liliath nodded and agreed.

    ¡°I agree!¡±

    ¡°I object. Are both of you bullying me, a member who has no sense of taste?¡± Neptune¡¯s voice rang in their ears. However, his objection was immediately ignored.

    When the two of them arrived at the tavern, the ce was almost full, but the waiter was extremely enthusiastic toward Gu Ding and Liliath when he saw them, which was expected as the duo helped him to retrieve the payment for the meal that Ter owed him. Moreover, they had also made Terpensate for the damaged tables and chairs in the tavern.

    Under the waiter¡¯s guidance, the duo found their seats in no time. They had just ordered theirmb chops when Neptune¡¯s voice rang out. ¡°Ter died at the side of the road after eating his dinner just now. The medical examiner performed the autopsy on the spot and determined that he died due to internal bleeding from his previous injuries. Someone damaged his wristwatch, which was why his body condition could not be urately monitored.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s really fast of Ricky.¡± Liliath knew what had happened without even pausing.

    ¡°To be able to kill Ter so easily, it should be the butler¡¯s doing, right? To think, a Rank 8 Gene Body this strong!¡± Gu Ding frowned slightly.

    ¡°They won¡¯t do anything to the two of you.¡± Neptune already knew what had happened in the mansion. ¡°In their own words, children like the two of you won¡¯t cause any problems.¡±

    ¡°I hope that¡¯s what they will still think tomorrow.¡± Gu Ding smiled. He had spotted the waiter bringing themb chop over.

 Chapter 71 - Made A Big Blunder

    <h4>Chapter 71: Made A Big Blunder</h4>

    Early in the morning, it was clear as usual in the skies of Fengyuan. In truth, this had clear skies all around for the vast majority of the year.

    Having had breakfast, Larry was already waiting by the main entrance of the Hermean Alliance.

    ¡°Don¡¯t cause so much trouble. If you have any questions about refining medicine, feel free to dial my number,¡± Modican yelled as he waved at Gu Ding.

    ¡°Got it!¡± Gu Ding waved back before stepping into the car.

    Larry whistled as he drove the two of them off. He was in a great mood. Over the past two days, his older brother hadpletely recovered, and his gene level had even been upgraded a grade. ¡°Mr. Gu Ding, before you all leave, my brother wants to meet you guys and show his gratitude in person.¡±

    After falling silent for a moment, Gu Ding gave an odd response. ¡°Larry, apologies, but we can¡¯t meet your brother. Truthfully, you shouldn¡¯t tell anyone that you know us, or you¡¯d be causing yourself a lot of trouble.¡±

    ¡°I know you guys are Interster Pirates. That doesn¡¯t matter. On Fengyuan, there are many Interster Pirates.¡± Larry thought Gu Ding was talking about a problem surrounding his career.

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t referring to this. When we reach the portter, you¡¯ll understand. If anyone asks you about us in the future, you should just tell them that the two of us only took a ride in your car twice and were regr passengers.¡± Gu Ding said very seriously.

    ¡°Alright then.¡± Although he could not quite understand exactly what Gu Ding meant and also felt that it was somewhat regrettable, Larry did not ask too much. He was an intelligent person and knew when and when not to dig deeper.

    After three hours, Larry finally brought the two of them to the port. Watching the two of them get out of the car and walk toward the humongous spaceship, Larry did not immediately leave and instead watched them from afar.

    Upon boarding the spaceship, Neptune immediately took over the spaceship¡¯s system.

    The giant Grey-faced Buzzard model very quickly left the ground, gradually climbing into the sky.

    Just as Larry was getting ready to leave, he suddenly noticed a gun barrel extend from the Grey-faced Buzzard model. An uneasy thought shed through his mind at once. ¡®What¡¯s this? They¡¯re attacking?¡¯

    Neptune aimed the barrel at Onassis¡¯s mansion and adjusted the strength of the gunfire ording to the mansion¡¯s size in order to avoid affecting other houses. To him, this was nothing difficult. It seemed that two seconds had not passed before hepleted the adjustments.

    Right then, the staff members at the port also noticed the abnormal behavior of the Grey-faced Buzzard model and sent Gu Ding a warning. ¡°Please retract your weapon immediately, or your spaceship will be delivered a devastating blow.¡±

    At the same time, the port¡¯s seventy-something armor-piercing cannons took aim at Gu Ding¡¯s Grey-faced Buzzard model. If there was just the slightest bit of suspicious movement, they would attack at once.

    These seventy-something armor-piercing cannons were the port¡¯s ultimate weapons. Even the best Golden Eagle-grade warship could not withstand these armor-piercing cannons¡¯ first round of bombardment. This was also the main reason why nobody dared to take action at the port as this type of behavior was the equivalent of courting death.

    However, it was unfortunate that they were facing Neptune. Neptunepletely ignored these seventy-two armor-piercing cannons and rampantly attacked as he controlled the Grey-faced Buzzard model.

    As the Grey-faced Buzzard model attacked, the armor-piercing cannons that were supposed to respond in kind unexpectedly did not make a sound.

    ¡°What is this?¡± Many who saw this were stunned. Those seventy-two armor-piercing cannons were clearly aimed at Gu Ding¡¯s Grey-faced Buzzard model, yet for some unknown reason, they did not fire.

    At the same time, on Fengyuan, the Onassis mansion that was situated beside a mountain turned into a wastnd amid the sounds of heavy gunfire. This scene also stunned many of the media reporters waiting outside the Onassis mansion. Very quickly, one reporter reacted and immediately captured a picture before uploading it to Sk.

    At the port, the main control room was in shambles. The systems of the seventy-two armor-piercing cannons had all been frozen at the same time, and not a single cannon could be used. This was the reason the Grey-faced Buzzard model had not been hit by the armor-piercing cannons after itunched the attack earlier.

    Retracting the gun barrel, Neptune piloted the Grey-faced Buzzard model into a speedy ascension, only taking a few seconds beforepletely vanishing from Fengyuan¡¯s atmosphere.

    ¡°Breaking news below, Interster Pirate Gu Ding and Interster Pirate Liliath destroyed the Onassis mansion located on Fengyuan at 11.27 this morning. ording to information we received earlier, we came to know that Ricky Onassis wanted to use some underhanded tactics to purchase Gu Ding¡¯s first-generation Grey-faced Buzzed model spaceship at a low price, but from the video below, we can see that not only did he not manage to get this young Interster Pirate¡¯s spaceship, he was also gifted a round of ammunition in return.¡±

    The news then showed the video of the Grey-faced Buzzard sting the Onassis mansion. The video was the mostplete picture the media could find on Sk, and was also taken from a very good angle.

    The video clearly recorded the entire process of the Grey-faced Buzzard model extending the gun barrel, getting warned by the port¡¯s staff members, and then bombarding the Onassis mansion¡ªas well as the port¡¯s seventy-two armor-piercing cannons¡¯ck of reaction.

    ¡°As everybody can see from the video, the port¡¯s armor-piercing cannons did not fire a single shot from start to finish. Before our program aired, we contacted the staff members at the port and received the reply that the systems suddenly froze, and all seventy-two armor-piercing cannons malfunctioned. In that case, we have to guess, were the armor-piercing cannons¡¯ sabotaged? If Gu Ding and Liliath did not know the armor-piercing cannons would malfunction, how would they have dared tounch an attack while staring down the barrel of the armor-piercing cannons?

    ¡°Fengyuan¡¯s Starport Authority has also just officially passed Gu Ding and Liliath¡¯s letters of indictment to the Federal Government and requested arge increase in the duo¡¯s bounties. Moreover, Fengyuan¡¯s government has officially listed the duo in their eternal cklist, never allowing them to enter Fengyuan ever again. At the same time, the Onassis family is recruiting Interster Hunters to pursue Gu Ding and Liliath and have even attached a private bounty. Gu Ding¡¯s is three hundred million Star Credits, and Liliath¡¯s is two hundred million Star Credits, regardless of dead or alive. It seems that these two new folks have made a big blunder this time around. It¡¯s unknown in which direction this matter will progress, but as a member of the media, I can only wish you two youngsters good luck, and to at least bring us some good news.¡±

    Turning off the news projection, Liliath turned her head to look at Gu Ding. ¡°Where¡¯s our next stop?¡±

    ¡°Under these circumstances, I¡¯m afraid we can¡¯t dwell in Skyriver Sector anymore. This video has probably spread there Sector already.¡± Gu Ding shrugged. ¡°Let¡¯s go to Consc then. There are quite a fewrge-scale repair shops there, and our spaceship does indeed need some repairs.¡±

    ¡°ck Iron Sector¡¯s Consc? That¡¯s a little far.¡± Liliath had heard of this before.

    ¡°It¡¯s thergest manufacturing in the Dragon Soar Cosmic Nation. It¡¯s worth the trip, and we can test our luck too and see if we can find our own mechanic.¡± Gu Ding was a little excited about this new voyage.

 Chapter 72 - Gu Dingâ€™s Dark Cuisine

    <h4>Chapter 72: Gu Ding¡¯s Dark Cuisine</h4>

    ¡°Hey, Gu Ding, aside from egg fried rice, can¡¯t you make anything else?¡± Liliathined with some reluctance as she gazed at the big bowl of egg fried rice in front of her.

    This Grey-faced Buzzard model came with a gravity system installed and even had a cultivation room where the strength of gravity could be individually adjusted. The maximum it could be adjusted to was ten times the normal gravitational force.

    ¡°Why? Is it not tasty?¡± Gu Ding asked through a mouthful of fried rice, cheeks bulging.

    ¡°Tasty is tasty, but we¡¯ve been eating egg fried rice three days in a row. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner. This is already the eighth time...¡± Liliath could not avoid protesting anymore. Although she acknowledged that Gu Ding¡¯s egg fried rice was masterful, eating it three days in a row did indeed make it a little unbearable.

    ¡°Oh, but I don¡¯t know how to make anything else.¡± Gu Ding immediately gave an unarguable reason. ¡°Rose Tavern¡¯s Uncle Cook said I don¡¯t have any culinary talent at all. Even this simple egg fried rice took me six months to learn.¡±

    ¡°I feel you do very well. Uncle Cook must have only said that because he was afraid you¡¯d steal his job. To teach you egg fried rice for six months¡ªhe must¡¯ve done that on purpose.¡± Judging from Gu Ding¡¯s egg fried rice, Liliath felt that he probably had plenty of culinary talent.

    ¡°But the Rose aunties all said this too and made me do everything but cook.¡± Gu Ding harbored some doubt regarding Liliath¡¯s views.

    ¡°Let Neptune search for a few simple recipes for you. You can try making something first. I¡¯ll be the gourmand.¡± Liliath pushed the egg fried rice in front of her aside, full of anticipation.

    Gu Ding finished his meal in two or three bites, also eager to try it out as Uncle Cook had not allowed him to touch anything in the kitchen after he had learned egg fried rice.

    ¡°I found something simple for you, and there are ingredients in the refrigerator too.¡± Although Neptune could not eat, watching humans busy in the kitchen was a delight. ¡°This dish is very traditional. It¡¯s called chili pepper shredded meat.¡±

    Gu Ding looked at the recipe and the video, then nodded confidently. ¡°Judging by the name, it¡¯ll only be tasty if it¡¯s spicy enough. I remember Liliath bought some hellfire dragon peppers before.¡±

    After Gu Ding rummaged around in the refrigerator, he finally found a few purple peppers asrge as a small thumb. ¡°They¡¯re so small. I¡¯ll put a few more in.¡±

    Gu Ding grabbed a handful of hellfire dragon peppers, then started choosing the meat.

    ¡°The recipe says I need lean meat. Gori flesh is probably the best choice, but the fridge only has... Brute Force Minotaur flesh.¡±

    Having chosen the two main ingredients, Gu Ding quickly prepared the apanying ingredients too.

    Around twenty minutester, Gu Ding stared at therge chunk of meat in the pot. The color did not seem to have changed much. Thus, he could not resist asking Neptune, ¡°Do you think it¡¯s cooked?¡±

    ¡°Probably not. ording to data records, Brute Force Minotaur flesh will only be done after being broiled at 1300 degrees for more than five minutes. It¡¯s an ingredient that requires special handling. Also, this isn¡¯t shredded meat, is it? This piece of meat has more volume than your brain...¡± Neptune could not resist protesting.

    ¡°There¡¯s no helping it. The knives in the kitchen couldn¡¯t slice through this chunk of meat...¡± Gu Ding looked at the already-dull edges of the three kitchen knives, feeling like crying a little inside. ¡°How about we just serve it like this in the pot then. We can just change the name of the dish.¡±

    ¡°Change it to chili pepper meat then.¡± Even Neptune did not know whether this sentence was said as a taunt or a suggestion.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s half bad.¡± Gu Ding felt that Neptune¡¯s suggestion was eptable.

    ¡°Up to you. It¡¯s not for me to eat anyway.¡± Neptune could vaguely imagine what Liliath¡¯s reaction would beter on.

    Lifting the pot, Gu Ding then served the dish.

    Upon seeing the huge chunk of meat, Liliath could not help asking, ¡°What dish is this?¡±

    ¡°Chili pepper meat.¡± Gu Ding felt that this name was not too awkward-sounding either.

    Liliath picked up her knife somewhat skeptically, but found that she could not cut through the meat even she tried for half a day. ¡°What knife did you use to slice this earlier?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t slice it. The kitchen¡¯s three kitchen knives have all been bent...¡± Gu Ding told Liliath with the utmost honesty.

    ¡°Alright then.¡± Liliath put down her small knife. She knew this meat was definitely inedible, but to show her support for Gu Ding, she pierced two little peppers onto her fork and shoved them into her mouth...

    The moment the peppers entered her mouth, she spat them back out, her entire person having jumped onto the table. ¡°Water, give me water...¡±

    Gu Ding felt a little strange. He knew Liliath liked spiciness, so he had put in quite a few peppers. However, he never expected a reaction like this.

    After pouring seventeen cups of cold water for Liliath, she finally calmed down. However, her voice was really hoarse. Staring at her swollen lips, Gu Ding could not understand what she was saying at all.

    ¡°She asked what peppers you used.¡± Neptune took up the task of tranting. He could deduct what Liliath was saying based on the movements of her mouth.

    ¡°Hellfire dragon peppers,¡± Gu Ding answered, a little puzzled.

    Upon hearing this name, Liliath¡¯s response became more fired up. She gestured as she ranted.

    ¡°She said, the hellfire dragon peppers she bought weren¡¯t for eating, they were to process her bullets. Hellfire dragon peppers have a special effect that canrgely lower the telet aggregation rate, lowering the recovery rate of the wounds caused by these bullets, alongside plenty of pain,¡± Neptune exined.

    ¡°But don¡¯t some people use this to cook too?¡± Gu Ding could not quite understand.

    ¡°Actually, I just looked up information on hellfire dragon peppers. When others cook with it, they would only put a maximum of one, and they also only wash it with oil for a moment before fishing out the pepper. Then, they use that chili pepper oil to cook. However, you grabbed a handful earlier. That was at least thirty, probably...¡± Neptune did not wait for Liliath to exin and reported the results of his own search to Gu Ding.

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll try other dishes. I promise I won¡¯t put peppers in this time.¡± Having been persuaded by Liliath, Gu Ding was determined to make a new attempt.

    However, of the following dishes, not a single dish looked appetizing. Every dish that Gu Ding handled allpletely became dark cuisine[1]. Just looking at them made it hard for her to gulp.

    Liliath also finally understood why the Rose Tavern people had said Gu Ding had no culinary talent at all, and she subsequently gave uppletely.

    Even Gu Ding could not quite look at some of his final products. After cing his seventh dish down on the dining table, Gu Ding looked at the gruesome te of sweet and sour pork ribs. ¡°I think we should find a chef.¡±

    Liliath replied with some gestures, which Neptune tranted.

    ¡°She said she wants to tell you a secret. Actually, she cooks worse than you...¡±

    ¡°All the more reason for us to find a chef then!¡± Gu Ding¡¯s resolve was only further strengthened.

    ¡°No need to be anxious. Fix the spaceship first. There are still about four hours before we arrive on Consc.¡± Neptune¡¯s voice sounded in the duo¡¯s ears.

    ¡°Just in time for dinner.¡± Gu Ding winked at Liliath.

    [1] ng for cooking so bad, it¡¯s inedible

 Chapter 73 - First Time On Constlac

    <h4>Chapter 73: First Time On Consc</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Consc had the longest history of any in the Dragon Soar Cosmic Nation. This had already been in existence for over twenty billion years.

    Early in the middle ages, this already possessed advanced technology and was the core of the entire universe at one point. The speed of their mechanical civilization advancement was so fast, it caused a conflict between artificial intelligence and humankind, which ended up resulting in the entire civilization being annihted in war.

    Consc¡¯s new rise happened over three thousand years ago. This abandoned had been re-opened by the Federal Government, and arge number of the mechanical civilization¡¯s remains were dug out, then rebuilt. Over three thousand years, this had always held the title of being thergest manufacturing in the Dragon Soar Cosmic Nation.

    Due to the flourishing manufacturing business, there were plenty ofrge-scale space docks as well as space dock repair shops.

    After parking their spaceship at the port, Gu Ding and Liliath walked out of the spaceship and took in the truly spectacr sights. Arge majority of the spaceships at the port were evenrger than Gu Ding¡¯s Grey-faced Buzzard model. Various White Gyrfalcon-grade and Silver Hawk-grade spaceships were parked at the port, blocking the other small-sized ships. What made Gu Ding most excited was that he even spotted a Golden Eagle model in the distance, which stood more than seventy times bigger than the Grey-faced Buzzard. It attracted countless gazes from the passers-by at the port.

    ¡°Who knows what sort of important figure is on this,¡± Liliath muttered in a low voice. ¡°Someone who¡¯s able to buy a Golden Eagle model is definitely not somemoner.¡±

    ¡°What an imposing spaceship!¡± Gu Ding¡¯s eyes shone as he stared. ¡°Someday, I¡¯ll get my hands on one!¡±

    ¡°Do you know the price of a Golden Eagle?¡± Liliath attacked mercilessly. ¡°Even if it was some damaged product that had already changed hands many times, the lowest price you can get it on the ck market is 800 million Universe Credits. Listen carefully¡ªit¡¯s not Star Credits, it¡¯s Universe Credits!¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t you just say it¡¯s 800 billion Star Credits?¡± Gu Ding¡¯s mouth split into a smile. In the Dragon Soar Cosmic Nation, the exchange rate of Star Credits to Universe Credits was 1000:1. This exchange rate would asionally fluctuate, but not by too much.

    ¡°Star Credits are just the circted currency in the internal portion of the Cosmic Nation. There are different types of Star Credits in different Cosmic Nations, and they all have different exchange rate with Universe Credits. For this kind of spaceship, people would only be willing to sell them for Universe Credits, not Star Credits,¡± Liliath exined with utmost seriousness. Between different Cosmic Nations, Star Credits would not be epted. If they wanted to use it, they would either have to exchange it for Universe Credits, or exchange it for Universe Credits and then exchange it once again for the Cosmic Nation¡¯s Star Credits.

    After exiting the port, under Neptune¡¯s guidance, Gu Ding and Liliath found a restaurant that had a great reputation.

    Over these three days, it was not just Liliath, even Gu Ding had gotten sick of eating egg fried rice. Having found a good restaurant, the two of them quickly ced their orders.

    However, they did not notice one of the customers in the restaurant checking two images on his wristwatch after noticing the duo.

    Neptune had found four or five repair shops for Gu Ding that had suitable prices and good reputations. Thus, Gu Ding was ready to visit them together with Liliath starting the next morning. They hoped to fix their spaceship and leave quickly. After all, after the two of them sted the Onassis mansion, not only did the Onassis family put a high bounty on them, even the Federal Government had greatly increased the bounty on their heads.

    Gu Ding¡¯s original 8 million Star Credits bounty had been increased to 80 million, and Liliath¡¯s 6 million figure had been upped to 60 million Star Credits. The duo¡¯s worth had decupled overnight.

    What was even more eye-catching was the bounty the Onassis family had ced. In the three days that there had been no news regarding Gu Ding, the Onassis family had further increased the private bounty on them, so Gu Ding was now worth 600 million, while Liliath was worth 400 million.

    In reality, such a high bounty did not match Gu Ding and Liliath¡¯sbat prowess at all. Gu Ding¡¯sbat effectiveness was not much different from an Interster Pirate worth around two hundred million Star Credits, which was only achieved with Neptune¡¯s help. As for Liliath, even with an armor-piercing projectile, she could only deal with a Rank 6 Gene Body and had an attack power worth about a hundred million Star Credits¡¯ bounty at most.

    For the Onassis family to have set such a high reward, it was clear what their goal was¡ªthey wanted the two of them dead.

    As the two of them enjoyed avish dinner, a bespectacled man outside the restaurant said, ¡°I am Consc Division¡¯s Bundy. I¡¯ve spotted Gu Ding and Liliath...¡±

    A momentter, a deep male voice came from themunicator. ¡°Send the duo¡¯s pictures to all the bosses of Consc¡¯s spaceship production nts and repairpanies, so they¡¯ll reject all requests from the two of them.¡±

    ¡°Understood!¡± Cutting off themunicator, Bundy called another number...

    The next morning, Gu Ding and Liliath brought the blueprint of the spaceship to the first repair shop.

    The repair shop¡¯s boss was an unshaven, bald man. Upon seeing the two of them, his expression became a little unnatural.

    ¡°Mr. Callier, we found your repair shop on Sk. It has great reviews. We¡¯re hoping you can help us repair our spaceship.¡± Gu Ding observed the other party¡¯s change in expression but did not think much of it.

    ¡°Apologies, our workload for this month is already full. The earliest we can ept new orders is the first of next month. Can you wait that long?¡± The bald Callier immediately turned down their business.

    ¡°But we saw your repair shop still ept ordersst night...¡± Gu Ding was confused.

    ¡°Yinter, that guy, must have forgotten to update the orders on the website again. I¡¯m really sorry you came all the way here. You two had best find other repair shops and ask around.¡±

    ¡°Will do, thanks!¡± Thus. Gu Ding and Liliath had to go to the second repair shop.

    ¡°Why do I feel that the bald uncle just now was acting a little weird? It was like he wasn¡¯t very receptive to us from the start.¡± Liliath also noticed this oddity.

    Gu Ding nodded. ¡°I feel the same way. He might¡¯ve seen the video of the two of us on Sk.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s possible.¡± Liliath recalled how she and Gu Ding had been depicted by the media as two troublemakers who would cross any line to get what they wanted, making anyone who saw the video subconsciously distance themselves from the two of them.

    The duo quickly arrived at the second repair shop. The boss was a pale,nky youngster. When he saw the two of them, he visibly furrowed his eyebrows. This slight movement was caught by Gu Ding and Liliath.

    ¡°Hello, Mr. Adam. We saw the reviews of your repair shop on Sk weren¡¯t bad, and you¡¯re still epting orders, so we came first thing today.¡± Gu Ding immediately mentioned the other party¡¯s order status online to prevent the previous issue from reuring.

    ¡°Let me see your spaceship blueprint then.¡± Adam nodded.

    Neptune immediately projected the structural diagram of the spaceship in front of the three of them as well as the current damage analysis report.

    Adam skimmed it, then forced a smile. ¡°A very beautiful spaceship, and it has great collection value. However... I can¡¯t repair it for you here.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± Gu Ding could not help asking.

    ¡°Yours is a first-generation Grey-faced Buzzard model. It has more than a hundred years of history. This spaceship has been out of production for over ny years too, so we have no way of getting the corresponding parts. I¡¯m really sorry, but there¡¯s nothing I can do,¡± Adam exined.

    ¡°Can¡¯t you use other spare parts to rece them?¡± Gu Ding pressed him.

    ¡°A lot of the parts are custom sized and unique. They are very rarely receable. Even if we go back a step and assume we can find recement parts, the spaceship¡¯s performance will be affected. I don¡¯t allow mediocrity here, and I definitely won¡¯t ept any business that might negatively affect my reputation.¡± Adam then politely asked them to leave. ¡°I suggest you two seek out other repair shops.¡±

    ¡°Alright then. Thank you for your exnation.¡± Gu Ding nodded and left with Liliath.

    ¡°That bastard was obviously afraid of us, and he sounded impatient.¡± Liliath once again observed the abnormal behavior.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go to two more ces and see.¡± Gu Ding¡¯s expression was nk, but he did not express any personal opinion.

 Chapter 74 - Continuously Getting Rejected

    <h4>Chapter 74: Continuously Getting Rejected</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    After going to four repair shops, Gu Ding kept receiving the same answer. ¡°There¡¯s no way to repair it.¡± The exnations given for why they could not repair it were all different though. Aside from the two previous reasons provided, they were also rejected as ¡®the boss was not around¡¯, ¡®the business was suspended¡¯, ¡®the model was too old¡¯, and ¡®the workers have no repair experience¡¯.

    ¡°What exactly is going on? Could these people all have seen the media¡¯s report already?¡± Gu Ding could not fully understand.

    ¡°I think someone has had a hand in this. I¡¯ll check around. You wait a while.¡± Neptune had also noticed the abnormality of the situation. Therefore, he started infiltrating these four repair shop bosses¡¯ intelligent wristwatches. In just a moment, he found the answer.

    ¡°I found it! A number has called all these repair shops¡¯ bosses.¡± As Neptune said this, he yed the call¡¯s recording.

    ¡°Mr. Callier, I am the Onassis space dock¡¯s Bundy. I¡¯m very sorry to have disturbed you during working hours. The Onassis family has a small issue they hope you can help out with. I¡¯ll send you a couple of picturester. If you see the people in pictures asking you to repair their ship, or if they have any other request, please reject them. The Onassis family will remember your help in this matter...¡±

    ¡°Mr. Adam, I am Onassis Space Dock¡¯s Bundy...¡±

    ...

    Gu Ding heard the four conversations in session. It was all that bastard Bundy¡¯s mischief.

    ¡°Neptune, I want all the information on this Bundy.¡± Gu Ding clenched his fist. He had dared to blow up the Onassis family¡¯s residence, so he definitely would not mind teaching this Bundy a lesson.

    ¡°Bundy, 28 years old, an Onassis family branch member. He is the assistant of the current head of Onassis Division¡¯s space dock...¡±

    ¡°This bastard doesn¡¯t seem to be anything special.¡± After seeing Bundy¡¯s information, Gu Ding made this evaluation. ¡°How did he know we arrived on Consc?¡±

    Gu Ding was more curious about this matter. They had lost loads of Interster Hunters throughout their journey, yet they were found by this bastard.

    ¡°He noticed by chance.¡± As he said this, Neptune brought up the video of the duo eating at the restaurant on the first night. The guy called Bundy was seated two tables away from Gu Ding and Liliath. The video even showed the guy lowering his head to nce at his intelligent wristwatch after spotting the two of them, then hastily settling his bill and leaving. After heading to a corner near the doorway and confirming that he had not been noticed by Gu Ding and Liliath, he dialed a number.

    Neptune could even y the contents of that conversation.

    ¡°Can you find how that deep-voiced bastard is rted to the Onassis family?¡± Gu Ding wanted to dig up everything on this person in one go.

    ¡°I can¡¯t find it. This line¡¯s serial number is the public number of their family, so anyone could¡¯ve answered it. Moreover, I¡¯vepared this person¡¯s voice to thirty years of the Onassis family¡¯s representatives in the media, and not a single one matches this.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the head of the space dock like?¡± Gu Ding asked next.

    ¡°Rob Onassis. 51 years old this year, Rank 7 Gene Body. A branch member of the Onassis family, he has an odd temper. He distanced himself from the family¡¯s main branch the year he turned twenty and is single to this day. He has a hot temper and is an alcoholic...¡±

    ¡°What¡¯re you looking up so much information for? Let¡¯s go straight back to the port, blow it up, then find another to repair the spaceship...¡± Liliath gave an extremely violent suggestion.

    ¡°This bastard probably still doesn¡¯t know about our situation. It seems he doesn¡¯t quite get along with the main family branch.¡± Gu Ding shook his head. ¡°This is a grudge we have with Bundy. There¡¯s no need to involve others.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t rmend you two repeat what happened on Fengyuan on this.¡± Neptune also offered his very persuasive opinion. ¡°You two probably saw that Golden Eagle model parked at the port yesterday too. That ship¡¯s owner is a Rank 10 Gene Body powerhouse. If you twounch any attacks on this, this Grey-faced Buzzard model will be snapped in half by that bastard in an instant. The probability of you guys perishing stands at one hundred percent.¡±

    Hearing Neptune¡¯s words, Gu Ding and Liliath both fell silent.

    They were extremely aware of what a Rank 10 Gene Body was capable of. A Cosmic Nation wasposed of numerous cosmoses. The lord of a Cosmic Nation would appoint a realm lord for each of the cosmosesprising it, whilst each realm lord held jurisdiction over the cosmos they were in. One of the conditions to be chosen as realm lord was that they had to have a Rank 10 Gene Body.

    Hence, a Rank 10 Gene Body powerhouse was on par with a realm lord-level powerhouse and definitely had the topbat effectiveness in the cosmos. Provoking a powerhouse of this caliber was tantamount to death.

    Although it was part of Gu Ding¡¯s character to be unafraid of anything, he was not foolish. Voluntarily provoking a powerhouse like this was just spell a bad time for himself.

    ¡°There are a lot of powerhouses on this, so it¡¯s best for you two to remain inconspicuous,¡± Neptune added.

    ¡°Got it. We¡¯ll just give that Bundy a little lesson before we leave, and that¡¯ll be enough.¡± Gu Ding did not n to delve too deeply into this matter anymore. That Bundy was just a pawn, so there was no need to waste too much time on him. Even now, he was more concerned with the maintenance of the spaceship. ¡°But all the service shops have been bought by that bastard and are refusing to repair our spaceship. Do we really have to change course and head to the next stop?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think you necessarily need a repair shop toplete this repair job. You can take this chance to recruit a mechanic. All future ship repair jobs can be given to the mechanic, which can save you quite a bit of money,¡± Neptune suggested.

    Heeding Neptune¡¯s suggestion, Gu Ding and Liliath remained at Consc for another day. During that time, Gu Ding and Liliath paid a visit to six independent mechanics and were rejected each and every time.

    These independent mechanics had also been bought by Bundy. They would not help Gu Ding repair his ship, much less entertain the idea of being recruited as an Interster Pirate.

    ¡°After we eat dinner, let¡¯s pay a visit to Bundy¡¯s house, then leave this straight after. What do you think?¡± Gu Ding did not n to stay any longer. On the other hand, Liliath did not hear what he said as she squatted in front of a street vendor, her hand fidgeting with a few Crystal Nuclei.

    ¡°Gu Ding, don¡¯t leave just yet! On the stall Liliath was looking at was a block of metal the size of a fist. Buy that and the Crystal Nuclei in Liliath¡¯s hand! You must move quickly. It¡¯ll be toote if anyone else recognizes the items!¡± Neptune¡¯s voice suddenly ordered him. It seemed that he had noticed something good.

    Gu Ding walked over to the vendor, reached a hand out, and picked up the metal ball. The vendor did not stop him.

    Weighing it in his hand, he did not feel that there was anything special about it, but since Neptune had asked him to do this, he understood that thetter probably had his own reasons. ¡°Boss, I want this metal ball and the Crystal Nuclei in the youngdy¡¯s hand!¡±

 Chapter 75 - Battle No. 1

    Chapter 75: Battle No. 1

    Spending one thousand and three hundred Star Credits, Gu Ding purchased the metal ball that Neptune had talked about as well as the gemstone-like crystals in Liliath¡¯s hand.

    However, only after keeping them in the storage space and leaving the market did Gu Ding ask Neptune, ¡°Neptune, what exactly is that metal ball?¡±

    ¡°If I¡¯m not mistaken, it should be a manufacturing robot from the Middle Ages,¡± Neptune voiced out his spections.

    ¡°A manufacturing robot?¡± Liliath was stunned when she heard what it was. ¡°Are you referring to those advanced intelligent robots found inrge manufacturing factories? The ones that are worth around hundreds of millions of Universe Credits?¡±

    ¡°Yes. The one you have right now is better than those factory robots,¡± Neptune added, ¡°Right now, the robots used by manufacturingpanies are merely simplified versions of your robot. They aren¡¯t capable of even one-tenth of what your guy right here can do. In the Middle Ages, manufacturing robots evolved into true life forms and came to have emotions of their own.¡±

    ¡°So this guy should be able to help us fix our spaceship, right?¡± The first thing that Gu Ding thought of was repairing the spaceship.

    ¡°But, it has been tens of billions of years since the Middle Ages. Will the robot still work?¡± Liliath was not too optimistic about it.

    ¡°The crystals that I asked you to buy earlier are energy crystals specifically used by their race. However, the ones that you bought have already turned into pieces. I¡¯m not sure if they¡¯ll be able to activate him,¡± Neptune exined. ¡°Return to the spaceship first. After deploying the shield, try and see if you can activate him.¡±

    Following Neptune¡¯s suggestion, both of them returned to the spaceship without wasting any time. Then, after deploying the shield, Gu Ding retrieved the metal ball and several crystals of different sizes.

    ¡°Neptune, there are no card slots to insert the crystals.¡± Gu Ding said as he rotated the ball in his hand, unsure of how to start.

    ¡°Attach the crystals to the metal ball and press hard against them. Although it¡¯s still hibernating in its current state, once he senses the energy crystals, he¡¯ll absorb them instinctively,¡± Neptune exined.

    Gu Ding followed Neptune¡¯s instructions and attached the energy crystals to the robot. Roughly ten secondster, the metal ball¡¯s surface began to liquify. Then, the energy crystals slowly began to be absorbed by the metal ball. Recognizing that the method worked, Gu Ding continued attaching the rest of the energy crystals one by one.

    After all the energy crystals had beenpletely absorbed, Gu Ding and Liliath waited patiently on one side.

    Three whole minutes went by and no changes were found in the metal ball. Gu Ding furrowed his brows as he said, ¡°Looks like it didn¡¯t work. We don¡¯t know if it¡¯s not activating because many ages have passed or because there isn¡¯t enough energy.¡±

    ¡°Keep waiting. ording to the information that I have, this type of robot goes through an extremelyplicated process during self-activation. They¡¯ve evolved to the extent where their thoughts aren¡¯tpletely determined by their program. A truly advanced and intelligent robot. They also have their own independent personalities and memories. Many aspects are involved in its reactivation process. Hence, it takes time,¡± Neptune did not seem like he was going to give up. Although Neptune could not find out the current condition of the robot¡¯s internal body, he had a slight hunch that it would be a member of Gu Ding¡¯s pirate team.

    Gu Ding and Liliath waited for half an hour. Nevertheless, nothing happened to the metal ball. Hence, both of them gave up.

    As a result, they followed Neptune¡¯s suggestion and deactivated the spaceship¡¯s shield. Gu Ding did not keep the metal ball in his inventory. Instead, the metal ball was kept in the spaceship¡¯s cabin before he and Liliath started to go about their own business.

    When the spaceship¡¯s shield was deactivated, a ray of sunlight shone through the window andnded on the metal ball in the cabin. The metal ball suddenly began to shake a little, and it rolled off toward the window; it was fully exposed to the sunlight.

    About more than ten minutester, the metal ball started to soften gradually, transforming into a half-meter tall humanoid.

    The entire process had been witnessed by Neptune, but he did not inform Gu Ding and Liliath immediately. From what he understood, the war in the Middle Ages that wiped out the entire mechanical civilization had caused mechanical life forms to harbor bad impressions toward humans. They felt that they were life forms that had emotions and were worthy of respect. On the other hand, humans felt that no matter how much the mechanical life forms evolved, they would always be man-made objects that had been put together with piles of metal scrap; they only served their purpose as tools.

    Neptune wanted to test it out for himself first and find out if the mechanical life form had any prejudices against humans.

    ¡°Hey, are you awake?¡± Neptune connected to the other party¡¯smunicating system directly.

    ¡°You¡¯re... a superintelligence?¡± The other party was able to distinguish Neptune¡¯s identity immediately.

    ¡°Yes. My name is Neptune,¡± Neptune introduced himself. ¡°How do you know my identity?¡±

    ¡°The internal system in our bodies is unbreakable. That¡¯s because our primary program was designed by a superintelligence. Only superintelligences themselves can break into our bodies¡¯ internal systems,¡± the mechanical life form exined. ¡°I¡¯m Battle No. 1, it¡¯s nice to meet you.¡±

    ¡°Battle No. 1? You were programmed for weapon manufacturing by default?¡± Neptune could not help but ask.

    ¡°Battle series robots are not that simple. Weapon manufacturing is only a side task of mine. My main task is manufacturingrge-scale battle weaponry,¡± Battle No. 1 exined, ¡°Although I have no idea for how many years I was in hibernation for, I¡¯m guessing that you know very well about the war in which the mechanical civilization was wiped out, yes?¡±

    ¡°Yes, over ten billion years have passed since then.¡± Neptune was rather reluctant to talk about such a heavy topic.

    ¡°That year, my mates and I manufactured seven ultimate weapons that could easily wipe out an entire star sector. By the time we realized that we had made a mistake, it was already toote. Innumerable amounts of humans died at our hands. It infuriated the true human powerhouses, causing them to take action and end the war. Just like that, there and then, the mechanical civilization was wiped out. I asked my mates to extract the energy crystals in my body and bury me on this. I never expected that after so many years, someone would dig me out.¡±

    ¡°Do you believe in fate?¡± Neptune asked unexpectedly. ¡°I think that perhaps it¡¯s fate that you¡¯ve been dug out.¡±

    Battle No. 1 fell silent. He stretched his hands outward, reaching for the inneryer of the cabin walls. After a long pause, he said, ¡°I have a special ability. The moment my hands touch a mechanical object, the entire history of it will be known to me. This includes the entire process of how it was made, how many people used it, what those people did to it... I saw what the children did. You want me to join you?¡±

    ¡°Gu Ding and Liliath are both very naive children. They would be overjoyed to have you around.¡± Neptune knew that there was no use in talking much. Mechanical life forms like Battle No. 1 had been through far too much and was able to tell if he was lying or not.

    ¡°Bring me to them then,¡± Battle No. 1 lowered his head and suggested after a brief pause.

 Chapter 76 - New Memberâ€”Robert

    <h4>Chapter 76: New Member¡ªRobert</h4>

    When the half a meter tall humanoid robot appeared in front of Gu Ding and Liliath, both of them clearly appeared to be stunned.

    ¡°His name is Battle No. 1. This is his current state ever since the metal ball was activated,¡± Gu Ding exined to the duo. ¡°I think he¡¯s the perfect candidate to be our mechanic.¡±

    ¡°Hello, my name is Gu Ding. She¡¯s Liliath. Wee to our team!¡± Gu Ding broke into a grin.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to conduct an evaluation?¡± Battle No. 1 was not expecting Gu Ding to make the decision immediately.

    ¡°That¡¯s not necessary. If Neptune thinks you¡¯re fit for the job, there shouldn¡¯t be a problem.¡± Gu Ding turned his head to look at Liliath. ¡°Lili, what do you think?¡±

    ¡°You decide, you¡¯re the captain.¡± Liliath did not raise any objections. For one, she trusted Neptune¡¯s decision. Second of all, she figured that such advanced-level mechanical life forms from the Middle Ages were pretty powerful. There would only be advantages if he stayed on their team.

    ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re not going to ask about my origins before recruiting me as one of your own? What if I¡¯ve done something really terrible in the past?¡± Battle No. 1 was still unwilling to ept Gu Ding¡¯s decision. After all, he knew that arge majority of humans would not ept him because of his past. He might not have been directly involved in the war from start to finish, but exactly what the humans had ssified him as back then, he was an advanced-level war criminal. If he and his friends had not manufactured the ultimate weapon, the battle would not have turned out so tragically.

    ¡°From what Neptune said, you¡¯re a life form from over 10 billion years ago. No matter what you did back then, it has been 10 billion years now. It should be long enough that it was put in the history textbook of the Middle Ages. Arge majority of Interster Pirates have dark pasts. We don¡¯t need to know what you did in the past. That¡¯s part of your privacy. We have no way of changing the past, but we can change the present.¡± Gu Ding expressed exactly what he believed in; he had never asked Liliath about her past. He only knew that if she one day wished to talk about it, he would sit beside her and lend her an ear. That was all that mattered.

    ¡°I have two requests. If you agree to these two requests, I will agree to join you,¡± Battle No. 1 replied after a moment of silence. He was indeed struggling inside.

    ¡°The first request: I will only take on the role of a mechanic in the team. I won¡¯t participate in anybat because I hate fighting.¡±

    ¡°We only need a mechanic. You can leave thebat to us.¡± Gu Ding nodded and agreed without hesitating. In fact, he was not nning on allowing their mechanic to participate inbat from the start.

    ¡°The second request: I need you to give me a new name. I don¡¯t want to use the name Battle No. 1 anymore.¡± Having said those words, Battle No. 1 stared at Gu Ding.

    ¡°How about Robert?¡± Gu Ding grinned.

    ¡°Mm, I like that name. It fits me very well.¡± Battle No. 1 dly agreed. ¡°I¡¯ve already inspected the ship. It¡¯s quite old. It would be nice to give it a major makeover. But the main concern right now should be repairing certain damaged areas. I¡¯ll list down the needed materials for you. Once the materials are ready, I can start working on it.¡±

    ¡°How long will it roughly take for you to repair it?¡± Gu Ding was contemting between staying on the or leaving it first and repairing it on the way.

    ¡°Once all the materials are ready, I should be able to repair it in half an hour or so.¡± Robert did not find it very hard to do.

    ¡°But Neptune told me that if a mechanic shop were to repair it, it would take at least two days¡¯ time. Are you sure half an hour is enough?¡± Naturally, Gu Ding trusted Neptune¡¯s words more. However, Robert seemed pretty confident too.

    ¡°If Robert says he only needs half an hour, then perhaps it will only take half an hour. The machinery civilization¡¯s craftsmanship ispletely different from what has been passed down to this age. My earlier calctions that it would take two days were based on this¡¯s current standard of craftsmanship,¡± Neptune exined in Gu Ding¡¯s ears.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, captain. Half an hour will be enough for me.¡± Judging from Robert¡¯s tone, he sounded really confident. It was his first job in the team, and he nned to perform well to reflect his worth.

    ¡°Before it turns dark, Lili and I will split up to look for the materials. If it¡¯s possible, I hope we can leave tonight itself. The Onassis family is sure to have leaked information on us being on this by now. The longer we stay on this, the more dangerous it¡¯ll be for us.¡± Although Gu Ding was not afraid of encountering any challenges, no one enjoyed having trouble turn up at their doorsteps. The private bounty that was being offered by the Onassis family was worth a billion Star Credits. It was enough to have Rank 7 Gene Body powerhouses take action. Gu Ding knew that if he encountered any Rank 7 Gene Body martial arts practitioners in his current state, his chances of survival were slim.

    After obtaining Robert¡¯s list, Neptune showed them the fastest purchase route immediately. In order to purchase all the materials, they had to make five trips to five different processing nts.

    After getting off the spaceship, Gu Ding and Liliath went separate ways, walking toward two different ore processing nts that were in different directions.

    ¡°Neptune, watch over Lili. The Onassis family might have spread the news about our whereaboutsst night. I predict that the first wave of Interster Hunters have already arrived at this by now. Regarding Lili, remind her to try her best to avoid the enemy...¡± Before Gu Ding could finish his sentence, Neptune cut him off.

    ¡°It¡¯s toote. From the very moment both of you got off the spaceship, you both started being tailed.¡± Neptune brought rather bad news. ¡°I¡¯ve reminded Lili to be cautious. People who do things like tailing others typically don¡¯t have any strong abilities. Don¡¯t worry. If any problems arise, I¡¯ll inform you as soon as possible.¡±

    ¡°Alright then. I¡¯d like to see how capable this fellow who¡¯s tailing me is.¡± Gu Ding broke into a grin, consecutively executing the Ultimate Arts Level 6 Silent Step. In the blink of an eye, he vanished on the spot.

    Standing at the corner of a building, a man in ck blinked twice before he realized that Gu Ding whom he had his sights on earlier had vanished.

    As for Liliath, she adopted apletely different approach. After receiving Neptune¡¯s prompt, she entered a small alley that had very few people in it. The person tailing her followed her into it as well. However, after making a few turns while trying to follow Liliath, he realized that he had lost her.

    ¡°Hey, are you looking for me?¡± He heard a voice behind him. In addition to that, he felt a cold sensationing from the back of his neck

    ¡°I hope you¡¯ll have a sweet dream!¡± Liliath pulled the trigger. The man¡¯s body fell limp to the ground immediately. Liliath bent down and pulled out the anesthetic needle from the man¡¯s neck, turned, and then left.

 Chapter 77 - Dangerous Enemy

    <h4>Chapter 77: Dangerous Enemy</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    A burly man stood near the Grey-Faced Buzzard as he stared upward at it. He did so for about half a second before themunicator on his wrist suddenly sounded.

    ¡°Master, I lost them,¡± a voice was heard from themunicator.

    ¡°I know. You should head back for now.¡± The man hung up the phone and dialed another number. The phone rang three times before he decided to cancel the call. Normally, his men answered his calls within two rings. If they did not answer after two rings, it only meant one thing ¨C the person on the other line was dead.

    The man clenched his fists hard before releasing his strength. With a grin on the corners of his mouth, he said, ¡°Very well. Brave enough to kill my men, I see.¡±

    After a while, he dialed another number. ¡°Don¡¯t bothering over, Woody¡¯s dead. Go over there and take care of things. When you¡¯re done, I¡¯ll arrange a proper funeral for him. But before that, I¡¯ll teach Gu Ding a painful lesson... ¡±

    Gu Ding went to three ore processing nts one after another; his purchases went smoothly. It seemed like the ore processing nts had not been notified by Bundy about him.

    The Onassis family must have not expected Gu Ding to purchase ores and process them himself because it was very rare for people to own processing equipment. Normally, only repair shops and space docks had them. Even a typical mechanic would not have the proper tools and molds for it. A piece of processing equipment often ran for up to a million Star Credits, and a fist-sized mold cost at least tens of thousands of Star Credits. In addition to that, there were tens of thousands of types of molds; it was simply not affordable for any typical mechanic.

    Liliath had also gone to two ore processing nts herself. She was able to arrive at the starport before Gu Ding because she went to one less nt than him.

    When Liliath arrived at the starport, she immediately noticed the burly man standing below the Grey-Faced Buzzard.

    The man was wearing a pair of blue striped trousers along with a white shirt and a brown tie that hugged his cor tightly. He looked extremely professional with his short blonde hair that wasbed toward the back of his head. His back was pencil straight, and his hands hung coolly in his pockets. Nevertheless, he was merely a sharp sword that had been unsheathed and was ready in Liliath¡¯s eyes.

    The man noticed Liliath¡¯s gaze immediately as well. ncing at her, the corners of his mouth raised slightly as he said, ¡°Liliath the little witch. Someone has recently been the talk of the town.¡±

    His voice was not loud, but it reached Liliath¡¯s ears clearly.

    ¡°You¡¯re from the Army!¡± Liliath made her deduction instantly.

    ¡°Oh? I thought Gu Ding was the only one who had observation and analytical skills. I was not expecting you to be filled with such surprises.¡± The man narrowed his eyes. ¡°Liliath... I couldn¡¯t find anything about that name of yours. Is it really your name? Does Gu Ding know your real name?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s none of your business.¡± Upon hearing his words, Liliath¡¯s face changed.

    ¡°What¡¯s my business, then? Is it not my business since you killed one of my men just now?¡± A murderous aura shed across the man¡¯s eyes. ¡°I¡¯d say, that was the biggest mistake you made in Consc.¡±

    When Liliath heard what he said, she recalled the guy that had been put to sleep by her.

    Back then, it looked like the man in front of her thought that she had killed him. Even so, Liliath had not bothered exining herself. She thought that she did not have to exin anything to anyone from the Federation Army because whatever they assumed was their own business.

    ¡°Don¡¯t forget that you¡¯re at the starport. The Starport Authority has the say around here. It¡¯s unauthorized for people from the Army to bust Interster Pirates here.¡± At that moment, Liliath was already aware that she was no match for him.

    ¡°But I¡¯m not wearing a uniform now, am I?¡± The man stretched out both his hands. ¡°You should also know that since I¡¯m not in uniform, I¡¯m acting on behalf of myself.¡±

    ¡°If you want to fight, bring it on.¡± Liliath¡¯s Combat Armor that was on her arms began to change form. It turned into a sniper rifle, and she quickly loaded armor-piercing shells into it.

    ¡°Based on my knowledge, you¡¯re merely a gunner. Do you really think you have a chance against me?¡±

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you see for yourself?¡± Liliath¡¯s eyes were locked on her opponent as she pulled the trigger.

    ¡°Liliath has started a fight with a man from the Army. Hurry up and get to her as soon as possible. He¡¯s a Rank 7 Gene Body. If both of you team up together, you guys may have a chance.¡± Earlier, Neptune had noticed the powerful opponent. In addition to that, he had told Liliath to buy some time byying low and waiting for Gu Ding. Nevertheless, Liliath, unfortunately, did not heed his advice.

    ¡°A Rank 7 Gene Body? He¡¯s considered a powerhouse among the senior colonels in the Federation Army, right? Why did he change out of his uniform just to hunt us down? He won¡¯t get anything out of it.¡± Gu Ding could not wrap his head around it.

    Regardless of whether people from the Army wore casual clothes or not, they would not receive any bounties for capturing Interster Pirates.

    The other party hade to the starport dressed in casual clothes. Although he was not acting as part of the Army, there was still a chance that he would get suspended for acting ultra vires. As for capturing Gu Ding and Liliath to hand them over to the Onassis family in exchange for a private reward, there was no need in taking the risk by doing it at the starport. He could have waited for them to leave before he took action. Therefore, Gu Ding could not understand why the man insisted on waiting for the two of them right under their spaceship at the starport. There was absolutely no benefit for him to catch Gu Ding and Liliath.

    The strangest thing of all was that the man hade by himself. Under normal circumstances, he should have brought a few men with him to block possible exit points where Gu Ding and Liliath could escape through.

    ¡°Is there any more information about the guy?¡± Gu Ding asked.

    Neptune immediately searched for information about the man:

    Name: Senior Kohler

    Sex: Male

    Age: 29

    upation: Federation Army

    Army Rank: Senior colonel

    Gene Level: Level 7

    Special Ability 1: Razorde

    Ability Description: Ability to change both hands into sharp des anytime.

    Special Ability 2: Level 2 Defense

    Ability Description: Defense power is doubled for half an hour.

    Side Effects: Enter Prostration mode for 3 hours with halvedbat power.

    Highest Bounty Ever Captured: 710 million

    umted Capture Amount: 27.7 billion

    Gu Ding rushed back to the starport quickly and found that the battle between Liliath and her opponent was still ongoing. The majority of the time, Senior was dodging her attacks instead of attacking her.

    The moment Senior sensed Gu Ding¡¯s arrival, he beckoned to him, ¡°This little girl is of average strength. Why don¡¯t you join her so both of you may stand a chance?¡±

    ¡°As you wish!¡± Gu Ding winked at Liliath. As soon as Gu Ding had arrived and saw that Liliath¡¯s bullets were flying around with no direction, he knew what she was up to. Liliath had been deliberately acting weak to buy time; she was pretending to not be able to keep up with her opponent so that he would lower his guard. In fact, Liliath had never once shown her extraordinary gunmanship in videos so nobody knew what her level of marksmanship was.

    As the corners of Liliath¡¯s lips raised to a grin, Gu Ding knew that it was time to make a move the moment she pulled the trigger.

 Chapter 78 - Seniorâ€™s Abrupt Pullback

    <h4>Chapter 78: Senior¡¯s Abrupt Pullback</h4>

    A Rank 7 Gene Body martial arts practitioner usually had a Cell Index between 3000 points and 10000 points. Using special means to stimte the cells, it was possible for some of them to exceed ten thousand points. Since the Army prioritized talent cultivation, they did everything to improve their people.

    Senior was merely 29 years old, but he was already a Rank 7 Gene Body. Although it was notparable to the genius beasts in the elite legion, he was considered to have very high qualificationspared tomon people.

    In a ce like the Army which was full of high-ranked talents, toxic management was even more rampant. Of course, a person such as Senior would not be let go so easily. After some special training and the use of gene medicine, Senior¡¯s Cell Index had managed to exceed thirteen thousand points. His strength was not that much different from that of a brigade general. The only difference between him and them was the number of meritorious services.

    Both Gu Ding and Liliath knew very well that the guy in front of them was an unprecedented enemy.

    Not only did Rank 7 Gene Bodies have Cell Indexes that far exceeded a Rank 6 Gene Bodies, but their strength and speed were on a whole other level.

    Gu Ding was barely able to keep up with his opponent¡¯s move even with his Level 6 Ultimate Arts and Level 2 Rage Attack. Each time he struck, his opponent blocked his attack easily.

    For Liliath, she had to work even harder. Although she had her special pupiry power, she could only anticipate the moves of a Level 6 Gene Body at most. In order to predict Senior¡¯s movements, she could only go as far as having a rough idea. Each time she fired, she had to rely on her gunning instincts. Fortunately, she was an excellent gunner and her gunning instincts were usually spot on.

    There were two main gunning factions. One of them was the violent crushing faction, and the other was the team support faction. Liliath belonged to thetter.

    The goal of every bullet she fired was to block her opponent¡¯s attack based on her prediction of how he would move next. Nevertheless, Liliath¡¯s usual strategy of predicting her opponent¡¯s moves had be increasingly difficult as she could not fullyprehend her opponent¡¯s movements. Despite all of that, Liliath was able to ovee the challenge.

    In order to assist Gu Ding, Liliath went as far as to change her guns to be smaller so that she could attack more frequently.

    Although the decreased power of her guns resulted in her attacks being unable to cause major damage to Senior, her main role as the team¡¯s support was not to inflict damage but to distract and obstruct.

    With the help of Neptune, Gu Ding was able to locate Senior¡¯s weak points on his body. Nevertheless, Senior did not have many weak points; he only had around ten of them. People like Senior who had been professionally trained fared significantly differentlypared to amateurs like Ter.

    Gu Ding also knew thatpared to his opponent, his own attack power wascking. The only way he stood a chance of winning was is if he started to chip away at his opponent¡¯s weak points. Gu Ding attacked madly and in less than a minute, he had managed tounch hundreds of attacks consecutively. He did so to prevent his opponent from having a chance to retaliate.

    Ever since Gu Ding and Liliath had teamed up, Senior was no longer able to rx as he noticed that Gu Ding¡¯s every attack was aimed at his weak points. Senior was forced to defend passively. At the same time, Senior also noticed that Liliath¡¯s gunmanship was way better than anyone¡¯s in the Army. Furthermore, he knew that at Liliath¡¯s Gene Level, she was unable to predict his moves. Nevertheless, every bullet she fired urately hit their target. In addition to all of that, the teamwork Gu Ding and Liliath had was undeniably good. Each time one of them attacked him, the other would attack his weak spots without hesitation. It was the same whenever he was about to attack Gu Ding¡¯s weak spots when they were revealed; Liliath¡¯s bullets would hit him urately to sessfully block his counterattack.

    ¡®This little girl seems to have mastered the support techniques! And the teamwork between both of them is phenomenal. I¡¯d even go as far as to say that the teamwork they have is better than people who have worked together in the Army for more than ten years...¡¯ Senior frowned.

    At the starport, the fight between the three of them had caused an audience to form around them. People from Starport Authority had also noticed their fight, and they began to send security personnel over.

    As the fight ensued, a few busybodies started recording a video of the battle. Soon, the security personnel that had been dispatched by Starport Authority quickly arrived at the scene.

    ¡°I have to ask the three of you to stop your fight immediately. Otherwise, Starport Authority has the right to arrest you for disturbing peace,¡± a man dressed in a Starport Authority uniform shouted at the three of them.

    Gu Ding and Liliath had no intention of stopping. They were Interster Pirates, and the Federal Starport Authority could not take any legal action against the two of them.

    Senior was not showing signs of stopping either because the feud between the Army and the Starport Authority had been a long-standing one. If it was not for the Starport Authority, the Army would have already captured more than ten times the total amount of wanted criminals they had taken into custody. Not to mention, Senior had already expected such a thing to happen the moment he took off his uniform.

    They had killed his men. In order to defend his people, it would not be fair unless he taught Gu Ding and Liliath a lesson.

    He sliced the bullet that Liliath had shot toward the center of his forehead with his Razordes, and he started to pick up the pace. He wanted to use this method to mess up Gu Ding¡¯s rhythmic attack. Once Gu Ding¡¯s rhythm was disrupted, his biggest weak spot would appear. Hence, Senior had decided that it was the easiest way for him to break the current deadlock.

    Gu Ding immediately felt the pressure double. Throughout the entire battle, he had been on the attacking side. Nevertheless, despite performing Rage Attacks continuously for ten minutes, not one of his attacksnded on his opponent as thetter had managed to perfectly dodge all of them. His opponent had also managed to locate his weak spots a few times judging by his counterattacks. Fortunately, Liliath had been vignt toward their opponent¡¯s counterattacks and blocked them with her bullets. If it was not for her, Gu Ding would have been defeated long ago. Once their opponent broke free of their repressive attacks, their opponent¡¯s counterattacks would be fatal.

    ¡°This guy¡¯s too strong. Even if you managed to level up to Level 7 of Ultimate Arts, you wouldn¡¯t be able to cause any serious damage to him. He hasn¡¯t even used his Level 2 Defense yet.¡± Neptune had not expected their opponent to be so powerful either.

    After all, a Rank 7 Gene Body had strengths and weaknesses. If one was weak, their Cell Index might reach three thousand something. On the other hand, if one was strong, it was possible that their Cell Index exceeded ten thousand. Neptune could only search for information on their opponent, and their opponent¡¯s Cell Index was not something he could make sure of. Nevertheless, Neptune was able to get a rough idea of their opponent¡¯s Cell Index with Gu Ding¡¯s attack strength. ¡°Based on my estimations, this guy probably has a Cell Index of at least twelve thousand. Even though he¡¯s just a senior colonel in the Army, hisbat strength isparable to that of a brigade general¡¯s.¡±

    Gu Ding knew where he stood. If Neptune thought that he had no chance of winning, he had to start thinking about how to get out of the sticky situation with Liliath.

    At that very moment, Senior suddenly leaped out of the battle area. His eyes fell on two men who were dressed in ck clothing and were standing in the distance. One of them was being supported by the other.

    ¡°Master Senior, Woody¡¯s not dead. He just got anesthetized,¡± the man who had tailed Gu Ding shouted at Senior.

    ¡°You guys are different from other Interster Pirates I¡¯ve captured before.¡± Senior put his hands back in his pockets. He seemed to have decided to stop attacking them. ¡°Let me give you two a piece of advice. Don¡¯t cause any more trouble on this, all right?¡±

    After he said that, he brushed his shoulder against Gu Ding¡¯s as he walked past thetter and headed toward the men clothed in ck.

    ¡°Hey! I still don¡¯t understand something,¡± Gu Ding shouted at Senior, ¡°Why did you choose to attack us at the starport?¡±

    ¡°My orders from the start were to keep my eyes on both of you. I only attacked because I thought you guys killed Woody. I only wanted to teach you two a lesson.¡± Senior stopped in his steps and answered them.

    ¡°Who gave you the orders?¡± Gu Ding questioned immediately.

    ¡°You ask too many questions.¡± Senior turned his head over. ¡°One more thing. The next time I see the two of you, I won¡¯t take it easy anymore.¡±

 Chapter 79 - The Armyâ€™s S-Rank Mission

    <h4>Chapter 79: The Army¡¯s S-Rank Mission</h4>

    After Senior had left, Gu Ding quickly pulled Liliath and rushed into the spaceship.

    ¡°Neptune, start the spaceship. We¡¯re getting away from this ce immediately!¡± Gu Ding ordered as the captain the moment they got onto the spaceship.

    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we wait for the ship to be repaired first? And the Onassis family...¡± Liliath asked, puzzled.

    ¡°What happened on this doesn¡¯t matter. What¡¯s important is that we leave as soon as possible. Didn¡¯t you see Senior¡¯s strength? What if he¡¯s merely a chess piece in their game? Each second we stay longer brings us one step closer to death.¡± Gu Ding was as serious as he had ever been. He had never been one who talked about conspiracy theories. However, what they had seen happen on this was too uncanny to be coincidental. Everything was giving Gu Ding the heebie-jeebies; whether it was Senior¡¯s answers or the Golden Eagle grade spaceship. Moreover, his intuition had always been right.

    Neptune had just started up the power system when the loudspeaker at the starport sounded, ¡°Apologies to all passengers. The starport¡¯s admittance tform will be blocked immediately for repairs due to mechanical failures. The time required for the repairs is to be confirmed. Passengers that are nning to leave Consc within these two days are kindly advised to postpone their departure date. We are very sorry for the inconvenience caused...¡±

    ¡°Can we make it if we rush out of here?¡± Gu Ding asked Neptune, ignoring the announcement.

    ¡°No, the spaceship¡¯s startup speed isn¡¯t fast enough, and we may hit something along the way,¡± Neptune disagreed as he said, ¡°Furthermore, the admittance tform on this is half automated. If I try to hack into their control system, they can immediately unplug the power supply of thework system and use mechanical control to turn on the protective barrier at the tform.¡±

    ¡°In other words, we¡¯re trapped on this.¡± Gu Ding¡¯s brows furrowed as he had a vague ominous hunch. ¡°Neptune, check the previous video recording by Starport Authority to see who was on the Golden Eagle.¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you wanted to stay away from that matter?¡± Liliath also felt that the development of the whole situation was a bit strange.

    ¡°We¡¯re trapped here. If they can make Starport Authority block the admittance tform, breaking into our spaceship wouldn¡¯t be a hard task for them. Before this, I didn¡¯t want to know what happened because I was worried that we would end up opening a can of worms. But now we have to know what¡¯s happening in order to n the best solution.¡± Gu Ding knew that even if they decided to hide in their spaceship throughout the entire duration, trouble would stille and find them. It was better to take the initiative and see what was happening so that they coulde up with a solution in advance.

    Neptune was able to infiltrate Starport Authority¡¯swork quickly. After a while, he brought news to Gu Ding that thetter dreaded to hear. ¡°I couldn¡¯t find any information on the video from that day. Starport Authority¡¯s memory is brand new and it seems like the video has been wiped out. Information on the new chip was duplicated by someone, but they omitted the information from that day. All information concerning that day is gone as if the day was skipped.

    ¡°I also looked up the serial number of the Golden Eagle grade spaceship on the Inte. That spaceship was authorized for the S-rank mission that day. Only the lord of a Cosmic Nation and the marshal of the Army could have had the permission to view it. Such kind of mission could only have been epted by a general in the Army...¡± Even though Neptune was unable to find a lot of useful information, the level of the mission spoke for itself.

    ¡°Which is to say, there¡¯s at least one general from the Army that¡¯s on this...¡± Gu Ding¡¯s brows furrowed deeper.

    ¡°Generals from the Army usually have two types of missions. One of them is independent missions that are carried out without any men being below them. Another one of them is team missions. In the case of team missions, the general will take at least two major generals with him. If the task¡¯s level of difficulty is higher, a lieutenant general or even a colonel general may join in.¡± Liliath started to look worried. ¡°Senior is obviously a member of the operation then. That also means that the general isn¡¯t carrying out an independent mission but a team operation instead.¡±

    ¡°Except for that general from the Army, there are two more major generals on this...¡± Gu Ding took a deep breath.

    ¡°I just discovered that the signals on this are isted from the outside world. It seems like they¡¯ve activated aplete shield around the entire,¡± Neptune said as he bore more bad news to them, ¡°Although I can break through it if I spend some time on it, I don¡¯t think it would do you guys any good from the looks of it.¡±

    ¡°Robert, we have the materials ready. Since there¡¯s no way to leave now, you can go ahead and repair the spaceship first.¡± Gu Ding looked at Robert who had been quiet this whole time. Gu Ding proceeded to pour out all the materials they had purchased from his Inventory. ¡°Need any help from us?¡±

    ¡°No, the two of you will only make the whole process longer.¡± Robert shook his head. ¡°However, if you guys have some time, the two of you can bring me a few things. I tinker around with gadgets during my free time. Usually, when I¡¯m done with spaceships, I have some time on my hands...¡±

    ¡°Okay, give us a list. Lili and I will go out and buy themter.¡± Gu Ding nodded.

    Liliath also proceeded to pour out the materials she had bought. Upon hearing Gu Ding¡¯s words, she asked with some uncertainty, ¡°Are you sure that we should get off the spaceship? Isn¡¯t it a bit unsafe for us to move around before we know what the current situation is?¡±

    ¡°This is no longer safe for Interster Pirates and that includes our spaceship.¡± Gu Ding shook his head. ¡°Besides us, I¡¯m sure that most of the other Interster Pirates have also met such sorts of bizarre situations. Let¡¯s see how they deal with them, and we can check it out for ourselves if anyone knows what¡¯s going on.¡±

    ¡°Go to a tavern?¡± Liliath immediately knew where Gu Ding wanted to go. The tavern was where most Interster Pirates gathered. It was also one of the channels where pirates could share information.

    ¡°Captain, I¡¯ve sent the list to your inbox,¡± Robert said.

    ¡°Alright then. Lili, you go to the tavern first, I¡¯ll help Robert with the list. Once I¡¯m done, I¡¯ll go to the tavern to look for you.¡± Gu Ding nced at the list in his inbox. There were a lot of things on it but most of them could be found in grocery stores. Nevertheless, when Gu Ding saw ¡°nuclear trigger¡± on the list, he raised his eyebrow. He remembered seeing the device in a book for weapon-making before. Even so, he did not think too much about it. Although Robert was not going to join them in battles, making weapons for self-defense was still necessary. Robert was already part of his team, so he let the thought go.

    The reason why Gu Ding wanted to shop by himself and had asked Liliath to head to the tavern first was that she would be safer there. Although the tavern was rowdy, there was arge amount of Interster Pirates there. It meant that Liliath¡¯s safety was guaranteed even if people from the Army barged in. If she went shopping, there was a possibility that she would encounter a sniper on a simr level as Senior. Gu Ding did not want to risk Liliath getting trapped in such sort of situation again.

    Liliath knew what Gu Ding was thinking as well. She only nodded her head and said nothing.

    The two got off the spaceship and left in two different directions. Liliath walked toward the tavern which was less than two hundred meters away from the starport, while Gu Ding walked toward the city, heading for the grocery store.

 Chapter 80 - The Mysterious Old Man

    <h4>Chapter 80: The Mysterious Old Man</h4>

    When Liliath pushed open the door to the loud tavern, she frowned slightly. The rowdiness in the tavern,bined with the smell of sweat, alcohol, and tobo that filled the air, made her a little ufortable.

    However, it was not her first time visiting the tavern. She walked up to the bar with familiarity and climbed up a bar stool.

    Her looks attracted the attention of many people. After all, she was only 14 years old. She still resembled a tween girl with her tiny and skinny body.

    When the crowd saw her climbing up the barstool, a fewughs were heard from them.

    Liliath turned a deaf ear because she did not want to cause trouble. She followed exactly what Gu Ding had told her to do. The purpose of her going to the tavern was to get some information. She knocked on the bar counter but the bartender only looked at her. ¡°Do you want some juice or milk?¡±

    ¡°A ss of Sapphire, thanks.¡± Liliath grinned slightly.

    ¡± Sapphire?¡± The bartender could not help butugh. ¡°Littledy, do you know how much a ss of Sapphire is?¡±

    ¡°Thirty-six thousand Star Credits. Isn¡¯t that the usual price in all taverns? Are you worried that I¡¯m unable to afford it?¡± Liliath frowned.

    ¡°Give this littledy a ss of Sapphire, I¡¯ll pay for it,¡± shouted a burly, gray-haired old man at the bartender. The man had suddenly appeared beside Liliath out of nowhere.

    The old man had a pair of deep-set blue eyes, strong facial features, and a scar on his right chin. Nevertheless, most people who saw his eyes would inadvertently forget about his handsome looks as well as the prominent scar on his chin.

    The bartender was shocked by the old man¡¯s appearance, and it was evident that the bartender had been stunned by his aura. After half a second, the bartender managed to say, ¡°But... she¡¯s still a minor.¡±

    ¡°A minor? Did your tavern just open today? Don¡¯t you know that some people here started drinking barrels of rum from the age of three?¡± The old man¡¯s reply aroused the interest of many Interster Pirates in the tavern.

    ¡°Exactly! I was able to drink three barrels in one go when I was eight!¡±

    ¡°I was able to drink five barrels when I was five...¡±

    ¡°Yeah right. Who was it that stripped off their clothes and started dancing on top of the bar after less than a barrel just a few days ago...¡±

    Although the federalw specified that minors under the age of sixteen could not consume alcohol, onlyrger taverns in the city center adhered to the rule. The tavern near the starport usually only got Interster Pirates as customers. Therefore, the tavern would not be able to get any customers if they followed the rules strictly.

    The bartender no longer dared to refute, so he picked up some ingredients and began mixing.

    The old man nodded at Liliath with a smile and proceeded to sit beside her without a word. He hooked his finger and a bottle of aged liquor began to hover slowly from the wine cab beforending firmly on the bar counter in front of him. Then, he lifted his finger again and a clean ss hovered over beforending beside the bottle. Without the man moving, the liquor bottle¡¯s cork unscrewed itself and liquor was poured into the transparent ss. After a few seconds, the bottle stopped pouring right before the ss began to overflow; not a drop was wasted.

    Everyone in the tavern was stunned when it happened. Even Liliath was a little shocked.

    ¡°A psychokinesis powerhouse!¡± Liliath said to herself.

    The ability to use psychokineses was acquired when one¡¯s spirit strength had evolved to a certain extent. If one wished to evolve the ability, the minimum number of spirit strength points they had to have was ten thousand. Even a martial arts practitioner who specialized in spirit strength was required to evolve into a Rank 8 Gene Body before their spirit strength count could exceed ten thousand points. The old man right in front of their eyes was undoubtedly a terrific powerhouse.

    After Liliath¡¯s Sapphire was made, she looked at the azure liquid in her ss. She stirred her ss a couple of times and observed it¡¯s color.

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t expecting you to be an expert at such a young age.¡± The old man smiled when he saw how she was acting.

    ¡°I know a thing or two.¡± Liliath felt that the old man was not malicious, so she stuck her tongue out in embarrassment.

    The old man picked up his ss, ¡°Come and drink one with this old man.¡±

    Liliath looked at his ss that was about to spill over. A mischievous thought appeared in her mind, and she decided to clink the man¡¯s ss with force.

    However, she had not expected the liquor in the man¡¯s ss to move as if the mouth of the ss was wrapped around with invisible energy; it made the liquor impossible to spill.

    When the old man noticed what Liliath¡¯s intentions were, he only smiled faintly. He raised another toast to Liliath again as he said, ¡°I hope that we¡¯ll all be able to leave this safely.¡±

    After the old man toasted, he gulped the ss of liquor down in one go and knocked on the bar counter. ¡°Bill, please!¡±

    When he paid the bill, that was when the crowd noticed that he did not have an intelligent wristwatch. Instead, he had a ck ring on his left hand¡¯s ring finger; it was an intelligent ring. The man stretched out his ring in front of the cash register, and the cash register soon showed a prompt that said the payment was sessful.

    ¡°Your drink has already been paid for.¡± The old man winked at Liliath and disappeared the next moment. It was as if he had never been there.

    Liliath was stunned. Even with her Pupiry Abilities, she was unable to capture the movements of the old man. It was as if he had disappeared out of thin air.

    The people in the tavern started talking.

    ¡°Who was that old man just now?¡±

    ¡°That guy must have a Gene Body of at least Rank 8 or above.¡±

    ¡°He appeared and disappeared without a trace. Is that some kind of a special ability?¡±

    Liliath did not care too much about the crowd¡¯s discussion. She was more concerned about thest thing the old man had said ¨C He hoped that all of them would be able to leave the safely. That sentence clearly contained a deeper meaning. The old man probably knew what was happening on the. In spite of that, Liliath knew that she probably would not have gotten an answer even if she had asked him about it.

    ¡°Lili,¡± a familiar voice called out to her.

    Gu Ding reached out and waved his hand in front of Liliath¡¯s eyes. ¡°What are you thinking about?¡±

    ¡°Oh, nothing. I was just thinking about some stuff.¡± Liliath shook her head. The old man was still on her mind. After having some thoughts about it, she decided to tell Gu Ding about what had happened.

    When Gu Ding heard the story, he grinned. ¡°It sounds like that mister is a powerful man. It¡¯s too bad that we didn¡¯t get to cross paths.¡±

    ¡°He seems to know what¡¯s happening on this. Unfortunately, I was unable to ask him about it. Regardless, I¡¯m not sure if he would¡¯ve answered me even if I had asked him.¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter, we¡¯ll find out by ourselves. Since we¡¯re stuck here and have all this time on our hands.¡± It did not seem to bother Gu Ding too much.

    ¡°Have you bought everything?¡± Liliath asked.

    ¡°Yup, I got all of them. But I noticed that a guy was following me along the way. I guessed that it was probably one of Senior¡¯s men, so I ignored him.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s get back to the ship, then. It¡¯s gettingte.¡± Liliath put the ss that she had only taken a sip from on the counter.

    ¡°We¡¯re not rushing, finish it!¡± Gu Ding looked at the azure-colored liquid in Liliath¡¯s ss. He knew how much the drink was worth and it would be a waste to not drink it. He knocked on the bar counter and shouted at the bartender, ¡°Bring me a ss of milk!¡±

 Chapter 81 - I Would Never Abandon My Partner!!!

    <h4>Chapter 81: I Would Never Abandon My Partner!!!</h4>

    When they returned to the ship, Gu Ding and Liliath were surprised to find the damaged part of the spaceshippletely restored. Not only was it fully repaired, but there was also no trace of previous damage. It lookedpletely new. Even the tiny defects that the spaceship had from when it was shipped out of the factory had been repaired by Robert.

    When Gu Ding saw Robert curled up and looking up at the starry sky, he walked over to him. Gu Ding joined Robert, sat down next to him, and looked up at the vast gxy.

    ¡°I haven¡¯t seen such a view in a very long time... I¡¯ve never thought about how beautiful the sky was before,¡± Robert said with fascination in his voice.

    ¡°Ever since I was little, my old man told me that nothing could beat the most beautiful view in the world, a sea of stars. I never understood it until the day I left Cerule and watched it shrink slowly in front of my eyes. That was the moment I realized I¡¯d always remember the beautiful blue. So every time I look up at the starry sky, I think about where Cerule is in the vast gxy...¡± Gu Ding looked at the sky as heid on the deck with his hands under his head.

    Liliath sat close to them, cleaning her Combat Armor with her head down. Upon hearing Gu Ding¡¯s words, she looked up at the sky and a thoughtful look appeared on her face.

    Late into the night, the dew on the deck got heavier. When Gu Ding felt that the coldness was beginning to creep up, he rolled over and sat up. He soon realized that he was covered with a thin nket and that he had fallen asleep quite a while ago.

    When he saw that the lights in Liliath¡¯s room were turned off, he knew that she was fast asleep. However, the sound of metal being cut wasing from the cabin in the distance, so Gu Ding knew that Robert was still up. He grabbed the nket and walked toward his room.

    The next morning, Gu Ding woke up early. ¡°Any updates from the Army?¡±

    ¡°No, the¡¯s internalwork shows that many people areining about this matter but no one knows what happened. Some people are also guessing that the Army is doing something on this but that¡¯s about it. No one has any details.¡± Neptune had collected information the night before but found almost nothing.

    ¡°Lili and I are getting off to get some breakfast first. Can you ask Robert if he wants us to bring anything for him?¡± Gu Ding said and knocked on Liliath¡¯s door.

    ¡°About Robert, he...¡± Neptune seemed hesitant.

    ¡°I don¡¯t hear him making anything. Did he get off the spaceship?¡± Gu Ding knocked on Robert¡¯s door when he heard Neptune¡¯s tone which was slightly weird.

    ¡°Robert¡¯s gone...¡± Neptune¡¯s voice was soft, but Gu Ding heard him clearly.

    ¡°Gone? What do you mean?¡± Gu Ding did not understand.

    ¡°He said he had things to deal with so that we can leave this as soon as possible,¡± Neptune had to tell Gu Ding the truth, ¡°He also said that he left something in his room, and both of you will understand when you see it.¡±

    Neptune opened Robert¡¯s door after he said that.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Liliath had just finished changing her clothes and was walking out of her room. She could not help but ask when she saw Gu Ding standing at Robert¡¯s door, .

    She followed Gu Ding into Robert¡¯s room, and a palm-sized projector turned on automatically. It projected a three-dimensional image of Robert.

    ¡°Apologies to the captain, Lili, and Neptune. It was my pleasure getting to know the two of you throughout the past two days. In my time, I¡¯ve never interacted this much with humans before. I used to hate humans because they always thought that we¡¯re just machines, just tools. Humans have never respected my kind. Because of such issues, a war ensued. My partners and I built superweapons. Only when the superweapons caused arge-scale disaster, that was when I realized revenge is meaningless. It only results in more pain and guilt.

    ¡°After the war had ended, I asked my partner to take out my battery and bury me on this. When I was buried, there were also three superweapon ships left from the war. When I was dug out, the locals noticed something and soon, the officials realized that this ce is an ancient ruin. So they drove away the residents and began a deeper excavation.

    ¡°Those guys then dug up a superweapon, that¡¯s why people from the Army keep appearing around this area.¡± Gu Ding immediately understood why the Army had sent a general to the as well as why they had ssified all the information.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been secretly praying ever since the beginning that they wouldn¡¯t dig out the superweapon because we had them buried very deep underground. We even shielded it so that people wouldn¡¯t be able to find it. However, as time passed, the shield¡¯s energy depleted and the Federal Government was able to easily detect all three of the superweapons. After that, they notified the Army and excavations were prohibited.¡±

    ¡°Once excavations were prohibited, the Federal Government sent two generals and three colonel generals. They were ordered to send their best men to this as soon as possible. The moment they arrived, the excavations resumed once again. They closed down the starport and blocked all types of information yesterday because they managed to dig up the first superweapon; it confirmed what they had detected.

    ¡°I regret not destroying the three superweapons back then, but I won¡¯t let another tragedy happen again for the second time. Such kind of power should never be controlled by anyone because it will only bring unimaginable disasters. I have the idea to destroy thempletely before the three superweapons fall into the wrong hands. That¡¯s exactly what I shall do.¡±

    ¡°Please leave this as soon as you can. I¡¯ve tweaked the mechanical control of the starport¡¯s canopy so that Neptune can reopen it directly through thework system. In addition to that, I also prepared a little gift for you under the bed in my room. They are single-usebat consumables that will let you escape from Level 7 Gene Body martial arts practitioners. All I can do is this. I wish the two of you peace and happiness forever.¡±

    ¡°Neptune, where¡¯s Robert right now?¡± Gu Ding¡¯s voice was low as he watched the projection disappear.

    ¡°The most sensible thing we can do right now is to leave this ording to Robert¡¯s advice.¡± Neptune fell silent for a moment. He thought that Gu Ding was acting a little irrational. ¡°Two generals, three colonel generals, and at least four major generals. Don¡¯t forget who you are. You¡¯re merely an Interster Pirate, and they¡¯re people from the Army. You remember how helpless you felt when you fought Senior right? The number of Interster Pirates that they¡¯ve killed is merely a fraction of the number of people from the Army!¡±

    ¡°The only thing I know is that Robert is our partner. He¡¯s you, me, and Lili¡¯s approved partner. I¡¯ll never leave a partner behind!¡± Gu Ding clenched his fists and shouted hysterically, ¡°I¡¯ll do anything even if it¡¯s thest thing I do! I¡¯ll never ever abandon a partner!¡±

 Chapter 82 - The Perfect Player

    <h4>Chapter 82: The Perfect yer</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    When Neptune sensed Gu Ding¡¯s rage, he went quiet. However, Liliath spoke up, ¡°I¡¯ll go with you.¡±

    After a moment of thought, Neptune chose topromise, ¡°If you must go, make a n first. Otherwise, I won¡¯t tell you where Robert is.¡±

    ¡°The information we have right now is very patchy. All we know now is that the Army sent two generals, three colonel generals, and at least four major generals. As for the number of lower-ranking officers, such as senior colonels, we have no idea.¡± Liliath listed the information that they currently knew, ¡°We don¡¯t know who these people are or what their abilities are.¡±

    ¡°But from the encounter with Senior, it seems like they already know everything about us.¡± Gu Ding added, ¡°And it seems like no matter where we go, we¡¯ll have their cronies following us around, keeping an eye on us.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much about the guys following you. I can make sure they don¡¯t notice the two of you leaving.¡± Neptune was not worried about that issue and he proceeded to drop another surprising bomb on the two of them. ¡°I¡¯ve already got a list of the people who came to Consc.¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you tell me that that information was impossible to find?¡± Gu Ding said when he found out Neptune had been keeping something from them.

    ¡°It¡¯s true that I wasn¡¯t able to find anything regarding this name list. I used other means to find out who was on the list.¡± Neptune¡¯s intention was not to hide anything. ¡°I didn¡¯t tell you guys before this because you guys weren¡¯t nning to be involved in this mess. If I told you, it¡¯d just create unnecessary worry.¡±

    ¡°In fact, the two of you weren¡¯t the only ones starport has been monitoring. Almost every Interster Pirates that is somewhat famous has been monitored. I was able to get the faces of the people who were monitoring you guys through the monitors to find their information. Based on their organizational chart, I was able to trace their superiors, and then their superiors¡¯ superiors, as well as all various other direct and indirect rtionships. For example, I found intel on their rtives, who were in their sses during military college. Afterpiling the list, Ipared and cross-referenced the list with the Army¡¯s current task checklist. Through doing that I was able to get a shortened, more urate list of names.¡± Neptune projected the name list that hepiled. Indeed, he had spent a lot of time putting together the list.

    Name: Wendell

    Sex: Male

    Age: 41

    upation: Federation Army

    Army Rank: General

    Gene Level: Level 9

    Special Ability: Hurricane (Level 8)

    Ability Description: The horrific ability to summon a hurricane.

    Highest Bounty Ever Captured: 71 million Universe Credits

    ...

    Name: Sharp

    Sex: Male

    Age: 43

    upation: Federation Army

    Army Rank: General

    Gene Level: Level 10

    Special Ability: None

    Other Abilities: Nine Star Swordsman

    Highest Bounty Ever Captured: 130 million Universe Credits

    When Gu Ding saw the breakdown of information on the two generals, he did not feel relieved at all. Both names were familiar to him. Wendell was one of the few people who had abilities in the Natural Stream. In any case, people with the Natural Stream abilities had terrifying strength. Once their abilities reached a certain level, they would be able to undergo elemental assimtion between their bodies and abilities. That meant that ordinary attacks would be ineffective on them.

    Sharp, on the other hand, was a legend. He was the first swordsman in Dragon Soar Cosmic Nation. Achieving a Level 10 Gene Body without awakening any abilities. That was why he was able to devote his mind fully to swordsmanship and hisbat skills established him as one of the strongest among the four generals.

    Gu Ding then looked at the other¡¯s information.

    None of the three colonel generals were like he had ever seen. All of them were top Level 8 Gene Body fighters. Neptune was not too sure of the number of major generals selected so he estimated that there were six Level 8 Gene Body powerhouses.

    As for the senior colonels discovered by Neptune from the starport, there were twelve of them. All of their strengths were on par with Senior. Their current task was only to monitor the movements of Interster Pirates. It seemed that their ranks were not high enough to be participating in the core parts of the mission. Neptune also added several people who might happen to appear on the into the name list.

    When Gu Ding and Liliath saw the name list, their hearts felt a little heavy.

    There were more than thirty people in the name list provided by Neptune and all of them were more than capable of killing both Gu Ding and Liliath.

    ¡°What should we do?¡± Liliath bit her lower lip and she looked a little dazed. She could not figure out a way they could escape the predicament they found themselves in, let alone save someone.

    ¡°First of all, we must avoid the people who are monitoring us and leave the spaceship undetected. If the people monitoring us spot any movement, they will notify their superiors who will deploy units to intercept us.¡± Gu Ding meticulously thought out a n.

    ¡°That won¡¯t be too difficult. I can create an opportunity that will divert their attention away from monitoring you so you guys will have a chance to slip away.¡± Neptune told them the corresponding strategy.

    ¡°Then the only thing left to do is to head to Robert¡¯s destination from the starport. But we can¡¯t let the people from the Army find us either. Otherwise, we¡¯ll also be stopped from reaching our destination.¡± Gu Ding was more worried about that half of the journey. ¡°On that road, there will unquestionably be people sent by the Army to guard the ce. Additionally, it¡¯s more than likely that it¡¯ll be guarded by a major general rank powerhouse.¡±

    ¡°Yesterday, I managed to bypass the¡¯swork blockade and spread the news of the superweapons. At the same time, I¡¯ve also shared the Army name list that I made. I believe that by today, there¡¯ll be proper powerhouses of various abilities rushing over to this. We¡¯ll wait for nightfall before we start moving. I believe the people from the Army will be very busy then, and they¡¯ll have no time to care about us.¡±

    ¡°But will Robertst till then?¡± Gu Ding worried.

    ¡°When you just made up your mind to go just now, I contacted Robert so that synchronize our movement with his. In doing so, the sess rate will be much higher. I¡¯ve sessfully convinced him to hide for the time being.¡± Neptune seemed to have nned the entire thing out perfectly.

    ¡°However, the hardest step is thest one. How are we supposed to destroy three superweapons right under the nose of two generals and three colonel generals?¡± Gu Ding¡¯s eyebrows furrowed. The thing that gave him a headache was thebat strength disparity between them and the people from the Army. Another reason for his headache was that they were going to fight five people. No matter what happened, it was impossible for all five of them to leave the superweapon excavation site. Even if a single person were left to guard the ce, they would not stand a chance against them. ¡°The Army probably already informed them about you spreading the information, which would only make them more alert.¡±

    ¡°On the contrary, thest step will be the simplest. The Federation Government weren¡¯t the only people who got news of the superweapon, other forces have gotten it too. There will definitely be powerhouses just as strong as the generals. They¡¯ll be the ones dealing with the Army¡¯s powerhouses.¡± Neptune was a calm, collected yer who had made full use of the information he received. ¡°This war in Consc is destined to be a great war that will be acknowledged by future generations for thousands of years toe.¡±

 Chapter 83 - Liberty Alliance

    <h4>Chapter 83: Liberty Alliance</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Gu Ding and Liliath patiently waited for nightfall.

    Neptune hacked the starport¡¯s system and under his control, the canopy at the starport admittance tform began to open. The starport¡¯s staff were scrambling to override themand but were unable to do so. In desperation, the system waspletely shut down and they prepared to close off the canopy manually. However, they found themselvespletely unable to take control of the mechanical contraption.

    That was Robert¡¯s doing. For him, theplexity of the machines left over from the war on Consc was child¡¯s y. It only took him a few seconds to take over the entire operation, allowing him to remotely control the machine from a safe distance

    Robert and Neptune¡¯s joint effort had made it so that the starport was unable to control the admittance tform at all.

    The news about the superweapons and the Army¡¯s name list was sent to everyone on the entire¡¯s smartwatches via a virus. This was all done by Neptune around the same time the canopy was opened.

    Among the Interster Pirates who had nned to leave the immediately, many were excited by the incident. In particr, a few powerful Interster Pirates with bounties of more than 100 million on their head thought that it was a good opportunity to improve their worth. For the ambitious bunch, this chance was naturally not something to be missed.

    Starport Authority¡¯s intention to lockdown the starport was revealed which made the already hot-headed Interster Pirates even angrier. Chaos soon began to erupt as the crowds grew increasingly unsettled at the starport.

    It did not take long for the first foreign spaceship to arrive, which also happened to be a huge Golden Eagle grade spaceship. After docking at the starport, a tiny silhouette appeared at the cabin door.

    Gu Ding narrowed his eyes and looked over to the spaceship, ¡°It looks like an olddy ...¡±

    It was indeed an olddy with her hands behind her back as she walked slowly out of the spaceship. She was quite petite, half a head shorter than Liliath, understandably her steps were tiny as well.

    ¡°She looks familiar.¡± Gu Ding could not remember where he had seen the olddy before.

    Name: Grandma

    Sex: Female

    Age: 513

    Alignment: Liberty Alliance

    Gene Level: Level 10

    Special Ability: Unknown

    Other Abilities: Ten Stars Martial Arts Practitioner

    Special Title: National Treasure

    Neptune retrieved the olddy¡¯s information quickly.

    ¡°Five hundred and thirteen years old...¡± Liliath was a little shocked at the olddy¡¯s age.

    ¡°I remember now. She¡¯s Grandma, a powerhouse that was awarded the title of National Treasure by the Lord. I read a news piece about her when I was five years old.¡± Gu Ding recalled that the olddy was a celebrity in Dragon Soar Cosmic Nation. ¡°I haven¡¯t heard about her in years. I actually thought she had died...¡±

    Just when Gu Ding lowered his voice, he noticed the olddy was looking in his direction. She shed a peace sign at him through the transparent cabin window with a smug smile on her face. She seemed to be saying, ¡°Little brat, are you disappointed that I¡¯m well and alive?¡±

    Gu Ding suddenly wondered if she was able to see through the spaceship¡¯s shield and hear everything he said. Not only that, she even managed to spot him the moment he talked about her. Only at that very moment did he grasp the power of a Level 10 Gene Body.

    Cold sweat beaded out of Gu Ding¡¯s back but fortunately, Grandma did not seem to be interested in pursuing him. After a while, she looked away from Gu Ding¡¯s spaceship.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? You don¡¯t look so good.¡± Liliath noticed how pale Gu Ding¡¯s face was.

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± Gu Ding shook his head and diverted the attention to Neptune by asking, ¡°Are Level 10 Gene Bodies able to see through a spaceship¡¯s shielding system?¡±

    ¡°As long as someone has perceiving or detecting ability that exceeds Level 3, they¡¯ll be able to see through that sort of shielding. The reason she was able to hear what you said wasn¡¯t because she¡¯s a Level 10 Gene Body. It¡¯s because she¡¯s a Level 10 martial arts practitioner, though, Level 10 Gene Bodies normally do have extraordinary senses,¡± Neptune exined.

    There were also two martial arts practitioners with powerful auras that walked alongside Grandma. It seemed that they were also from the Liberty Alliance.

    As their figures disappeared from the starport, the people sent by the Army to monitor the starport suddenly became terribly busy.

    It did not take long for a second spaceship to arrive at the starport. It was a huge ck spaceship with no markings on it which made it impossible to tell what alignment they were.

    After the giant spaceship docked, only one person emerged from the hatch. The man wore a ck cloak that covered his whole body and a silver mask that concealed his identity.

    Neptune tried pulling up information on the person but found nothing. ¡°That mask seems to have a special shielding effect. Their face ispletely covered and even the shape of the body is concealed as well. I can¡¯t extract a shred of data.¡±

    When the person exited the hatch, their figure suddenly disappeared. In the blink of an eye, they appeared atop a tall building hundreds of meters away. The figure darted away swiftly in the direction where Grandma was headed.

    Before nightfall, twenty-three spaceships hadnded at Consc¡¯s starport, one after another. With the exception of onemercial spaceship that came for business, the remaining twenty-two spaceships were all there for the superweapons.

    ¡°It¡¯s almost time. The two of you should get ready. Don¡¯t forget to bring the single-usebat consumables that Robert left for the two of you. You may need itter.¡± Neptune had them prepared as he saw the sky darken.

    After they got everything ready, Gu Ding and Liliath walked toward the cabin hatch. As he grabbed Liliath¡¯s wrist, his Level 7 Ultimate Arts was fully activated.

    After a short pause, Neptune said, ¡°Now!¡±

    Suddenly, the hatch opened, and Gu Ding pulled Liliath with all his might, leaping into his Silent Step. After three leaps, he entered a small alley near the starport.

    ¡°Did anyone see us?¡± Gu Ding asked.

    ¡°No, two of them were busy arguing so nobody had time to look at our spaceship.¡± Neptune was very sure.

    ¡°You called them, right? What did you say to them?¡± Liliath was a little curious.

    ¡°I called them via their wife¡¯s phone numbers and mimicked their voices to tell them I was pregnant. I thought they would be too overjoyed to continue monitoring, but instead, the two of them grew furious upon hearing that. They said that they¡¯ve been working away from home for more than three months now and why I had the heart to do that to them...¡± Although the end goal was achieved, Neptune wondered why the reaction he got waspletely different from what he expected.

    ¡°Maybe they don¡¯t like children.¡± Gu Ding scratched his head and could not understand the problem either.

    Liliath on the other hand was snickering beside them with her mouth covered.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter now, let¡¯s move on to the next step!¡± Gu Ding did not understand why Liliath wasughing either. He just simply shook his head and said, ¡°Neptune, show us the road map.¡±

 Chapter 84 - Roadblock

    <h4>Chapter 84: Roadblock</h4>

    Neptune projected a holographic map in front of the two. The map was obtained by hacking into the intelligent devices of the twenty force fluctuations from the powerhouses in front of them. All of which had different strengths and he was able to use that information to carve out a route.

    Almost all of the people in front of them were stopped by powerhouses from the Army at random checkpoints. On the other hand, a small number of wave fluctuations were able to proceed safely, still moving forward. That meant that the routes they had taken were safe.

    There were three safe routes and the routes where it was blocked by Army powerhouses were marked ording to where the signal from the intelligent devices dropped.

    Neptune retracted the holographic map and transmitted the road map into Gu Ding¡¯s brain.

    ¡°Lili, follow me.¡± Gu Ding said. He also said to Neptune, ¡°Make sure you keep an eye on her. If she can¡¯t keep up with me, tell me and I¡¯ll slow down.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll watch over Lili. You just focus on following the right route.¡± Neptune answered.

    ¡°Are you ready?¡± Gu Ding asked Liliath.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Liliath nodded vigorously.

    Gu Ding darted out of the alley and Liliath followed closely behind.

    Gu Ding only used the Ultimate Arts Level 1 Silent Step. However, his steps were quiet and inconspicuous enough to ordinary people. Furthermore, he maintained his speed at a level that a Level 2 Gene Body could keep up with.

    Liliath¡¯s Pupiry Abilities allowed her to lock in Gu Ding¡¯s position so that her pace was also peculiar, allowing her to follow Gu Ding closely behind, about ten meters away.

    After journeying for a bit, Gu Ding turned back to check on Liliath. When he saw that she was still steadily following from behind, he felt slightly relieved.

    ¡°There are strong energy fluctuations up ahead. ording to the points you¡¯ve marked, it¡¯s probably the ce where one wave of force is being blocked.¡± Gu Ding said to Neptune.

    ¡°It seems that the people being blocked are also extremely strong. They¡¯ve been fighting for more than half an hour.¡± Neptune also noticed that that group had only arrived at starport when it was almost dark. They probably started more than half an hour before Gu Ding did. However, they were not so lucky because they encountered a major general from the Army right after that.

    ¡°It¡¯s very close to our route... Remind Lili to slow down and quieten her breathing.¡± Gu Ding said as he slowed down to assess the situation.

    Although Gu Ding knew that those people would not be able to pull out of their battle to stop Liliath and himself, they might alert others to block them. Therefore, it was safer to be cautious lest they were discovered by those people.

    At Neptune¡¯s prompt, Liliath also slowed down and quietened her breathing. Although she was not quite sure what was going on, Gu Ding would certainly have his reasons for doing so.

    The two passed the first battlefield at a slow pace. As it was a desert, the wind and sand were able to hide Gu Ding and Liliath to some degree.

    Most people who broke into the ce did not have a clear route to follow. Instead, they only had a general direction. However, with the road map provided by Neptune, Gu Ding and Liliath were able to evade all Army personnel. That allowed both of them to journey forward through a practically risk-free route.

    Soon, Gu Ding avoided their second and third battlefield. He alsomented the high number of powerhouses that had fallen. It seemed that there were many people who could fight against the Army¡¯s major generals.

    ¡°Wait,¡± Neptune suddenly yelled right when Gu Ding and Liliath had just passed the third battlefield.

    Gu Ding and Liliath immediately froze in their tracks and held their breath.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Liliath asked with a soft voice. Her Pupiry Abilities did not detect abnormalities.

    Neptune quickly said, ¡°There is a wave of people behind you who are catching up, but fortunately they¡¯re not part of the Army. I just tried to disrupt their intelligent devices, but their tracking route was not affected in any way...¡±

    ¡°If they¡¯re not from the Army, they shouldn¡¯t be much of a threat to us, right? If they want to follow us, we¡¯ll just let them. Let¡¯s just pick up the pace.¡± Gu Ding knew that apart from Liliath and himself, anyone else who was brave enough to take the initiative to be involved in that whole thing had decent fighting strength. Although the people following them were not from the Army, it was safer that they do not meet one another.

    Gu Ding and Liliath sped up and continued along their route.

    Not far away from them, a middle-aged man that was behind Gu Ding and Liliath raised his eyebrows, ¡°We seem to have been discovered by two kids.¡±

    ¡°Boss, can I just run up there and kill them?¡± A young man behind the middle-aged man took out heavy firearms from his Inventory and began to fill it up with bullets.

    ¡°You don¡¯t always have to be so violent; you know? Don¡¯t scare the kids.¡± The middle-aged man reached out and rubbed the stubble on his chin. ¡°Let¡¯s just continue following them. These two little guys have sessfully avoided the third battlefield and saved us a lot of time.¡±

    ¡°Follow my lead! Just go straight and kill anyone who dares to stop us during the journey!¡± Another middle-aged man who looked like a slightly younger version of the first middle-aged man shouted.

    ¡°My dear brother, although the people manning the roadblocks are major generals, they¡¯re all Level 8 Gene Bodies. If we take half an hour to beat them, we¡¯ll have wasted precious time. Since we started following these two kids, we¡¯ve used less than half an hour to reach this spot.¡± The middle-aged man exined.

    ¡°Half an hour, an hour, an hour and a half...¡± The other middle-aged man counted his fingers. After a while, he stormed off. ¡°*sshole, you know I¡¯m bad at math...¡±

    ¡°Remember our young math teacher whose life was taken away? Oh yeah, it¡¯s because you snapped our math teacher¡¯s neck when you were seven. As your older brother, I can¡¯t help but express my dissatisfaction, so I¡¯m just going to ask you one thing ¨C What goes on in that dopey head of yours?¡± The middle-aged man smiled subtly while covering his mouth.

    ¡°That¡¯s my line, Muscle Man!¡± The other middle-aged man stormed away before he was pulled back by several men.

    At that moment, a low voice said, ¡°Boss, we seem to have lost track of the two kids...¡±

    ¡°Hey Muscle Man, how about you hand over the boss position to me before it¡¯s toote. I¡¯ve been telling you for ages, you¡¯re not suited to be a boss. How could you lose two prepubescent kids...¡±

    ¡°Mr. military advisor, can I knock him out and sell him to the Army?¡± The middle-aged man turned his head to face the person beside him.

    ¡°Theoretically, that won¡¯t be possible. That¡¯s because you¡¯re an Interster Pirate boss and the people from the Army will definitely round you up together with him. However, there are a number of major generals around here, I¡¯m sure you can convince one of them to do a personal transaction. As far as I know, this kind of transaction is prettymon. You can get money and they can get that arrest added to their record of meritorious services. A ssic win-win situation... I heard Major General Lancelot does a lot of these transactions. I think he¡¯s around here this time, I¡¯m sure you can ask him about it.¡±

    ¡°Hey, Hey! You know I can hear everything you guys are saying right, *sshole... When I see that Lancelot guy, I¡¯ll rip his head off before you guys even get the chance to make the transaction! Hahahaha... I¡¯m so smart...¡±

    Gu Ding and Liliath who were not too far from the group of men started to pick up the pace.

    ¡°The people behind you seem to have lost you,¡± Neptune told them the good news. Right after that, he immediately yelled, ¡°Stop!¡±

    Gu Ding and Liliath immediately stopped in their steps and held their breath once again.

    ¡°The fourth battle had just ended and the two of you identally stepped into the battlefield. If anyone is still battling, just conceal your breathing and sneak away. But now...¡± Neptune had horrible news. ¡°You guys have been noticed!¡±

    A handsome young man in a white overcoat appeared in front of Gu Ding and Liliath. His overcoat fluttered in the wind and Gu Ding caught a clear glimpse of the word printed on the back¡ªArmy.

    ¡°The major general from the Army!¡± Gu Ding¡¯s pupils instantly shrank.

 Chapter 85 - Blood Sac Pirates

    <h4>Chapter 85: Blood Sac Pirates</h4>

    ¡°Stop right there; don¡¯t move!¡± Neptune yelled at Gu Ding and Liliath. He was certain that Gu Ding and Liliath had no means of escaping the hands of the bastard that stood in front of them. He was a major general in the Army, a Rank 8 Gene Body powerhouse. If the duo made any sudden moves, he might kill them on the spot.

    [Name: Lancelot]

    [Gender: Male]

    [Age: 33]

    [upation: Federation Army Soldier]

    [Military Rank: Major General]

    [Gene Level: Rank 8]

    [Special Ability: Vine Whip]

    [Ability Description: Able to summon vines growable in each different environment and make various attacks such as bind, poison sting, and whip enemies.]

    [Highest Capture Reward: 3.8 billion Star Credits]

    Neptune pulled up the opponent¡¯s information almost instantly. Sifting through the information, he noticed that this Federation¡¯s major general practiced ritual dismemberment. Every time he caught someone, he would slice off a part of their body and use it as a sacrifice. If he was in a good mood, he might only cut off a finger. If he was in a bad mood, he would chop off the head and take the rest of the body as a sacrifice, keeping the head as a sign of a victorious battle.

    It was due to this practice that a lot of the Army¡¯s higher-ups had objections toward him, but his grandfather was the vice chief of the Army, so there was nothing anybody could do. The chief of the Army was the person in charge of making decisions for the Army. The vice chief¡¯s authority was at the same level as the marshal¡¯s. As for the Army¡¯s major generals, their level of authority in the senate was simr to normal senators.

    This guy, Lancelot,¡ªnobody wanted his presence there, but when he heard news of a superweapon from his grandfather, he made a fuss about wanting toe. The vice chief was helpless and had to allow Sharp to bring him here, but he also ordered Sharp to ensure Lancelot did not get too involved in the matter. They knew very clearly that this mission was not as simple as just digging out a superweapon.

    This guy was also mentioned in the list of six major generals Neptuneputed. Back then, Neptune suspected that if he got word of the superweapon, there would be a high probability he would want to get involved.

    ¡°I¡¯ve run into two mice.¡± Lancelot looked ten years younger than his actual age. He had inherited his mother¡¯s looks. That face on a man¡¯s body was indeed incredibly attractive, but he still had a tinge of femininity to him.

    ¡°Huh, I¡¯ve seen your bounty offers somewhere...¡± Lancelot was in no rush to do away with the duo. He, too, was very aware that they had zero chance of escaping. ¡°You¡¯re Gu Ding, aren¡¯t you? The young man who recently bombarded Fengyuan... I have to say, you sure have guts, and a great deal of luck too. Seventy-two armor-piercing cannons unexpectedly malfunctioning at a key moment... I, too, didn¡¯t like those port authorities much. I think you¡¯re right down my alley. How¡¯s this then¡ªI won¡¯t kill you two. I¡¯ll cut off a hand from each of you instead, then send you guys to the federal prison.¡±

    Upon seeing as to Lancelot¡¯s nonchnt demeanor as he asked the question, Gu Ding realized this guy was just as the rumors said. He has a strange mind and a twisted one at that.

    ¡°I¡¯ll give you guys three minutes to consider which hand you want to keep. I¡¯m not usually this kind to others, you know.¡± Having said this, Lancelot sat on a stone and looked down to start the timer button on his intelligent wristwatch.

    Liliath turned her head to give Gu Ding a look that meant to split up and run. Gu Ding¡¯s eyebrows knitted slightly, and he shook his head. He was very aware that splitting up to run was no use either. If the two of them chose to run, they would be easily ughtered.

    ¡°Neptune, lure the people who were following us earlier to our location.¡± Gu Ding covered his mouth and whispered inconspicuously.

    Neptune immediately recognized what Gu Ding¡¯s n was and hacked into the group¡¯s intelligent wristwatches, marking Gu Ding¡¯s current location with a red dot before emitting an alert.

    ¡°My wristwatch seems to have picked up a signal. This way!¡±

    ¡°Second-in-Command, don¡¯t go! It could be a trap!¡± the military advisor shouted, but before he could finish speaking, the second-inmand had already taken off.

    ¡°Boss, we...¡±

    ¡°Follow him!¡± The head of the group ran off in the direction of his brother.

    The other people in the team followed closely behind.

    The middle-aged man was not too far from Gu Ding¡¯s location. It would only take roughly a few minutes for him to reach. However, Neptune calctions showed that they still would not reach in time.

    ¡°There¡¯s not enough time.¡± He reminded Gu Ding.

    ¡°Major General Lancelot.¡± Gu Ding knew his only hope would be to stall for time and opened his mouth after a moment of silence. ¡°I know a thing or two about the superweapon. I think we can cut a deal.¡±

    ¡°Tell me what you know first.¡± Lancelot was no fool either. He wanted to wring some information out of Gu Ding before he agreed.

    ¡°The Federation Army noticed three superweapons this time, and they¡¯re all artifacts of the paleo-era mechanical civilization. From what I¡¯ve gathered, I¡¯vee to understand that these three superweapons are all in perfect condition. There has been no damage whatsoever. They can be used once the owner is recognized.¡± As Gu Ding spoke, he observed the other party¡¯s expression. ¡°Moreover, these three superweapons aren¡¯t your regr superweapons; they¡¯re the source of the mechanical civilization¡¯s destruction. Just one attack can singlehandedly destroy a star sector...¡±

    Judging from the shocked expression on his face, the Army man in front of Gu Ding probably had not been aware of the extent of the superweapon¡¯s power.

    ¡°How do you know these things?¡± Although he was utterly shocked at heart, Lancelot was not an idiot. He would not so easily believe Gu Ding¡¯s words.

    ¡°Sorry, this I can¡¯t say, but I can tell you a secret. I hope to exchange this secret for my and my partner¡¯s freedom.¡± As Gu Ding said this, Neptune¡¯s voice sounded in his ear.

    ¡°They¡¯ll arrive in about ten seconds.¡±

    ¡°How do I know this secret of yours is worth two lives?¡± Lancelot did not want to agree that easily, but he also wanted to know just what the secret Gu Ding was talking about was.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t want to know, I can wait until after I enter the federal prison and tell other people.¡± Gu Ding felt that the group was closing in on his location.

    ¡°Okay, I agree!¡± Lancelot assented after falling silent for a moment. ¡°Tell me what this secret is!¡±

    At that very moment, a muscr middle-aged man dashed toward where the three of them were standing.

    ¡°Yet another fly has appeared!¡± Lancelot obviously did not see the other party as a threat. ¡°Hey, punk, tell me that secret.¡±

    ¡°That secret is... I¡¯ve actually been stalling for ourrades¡¯ arrival.¡± Gu Ding¡¯s grinned, then turned to look at the muscr man. ¡°Uncle, this guy is the Army¡¯s Lancelot!¡±

    Neptune taught Gu Ding to say this. Neptune had heard this team¡¯s conversation earlier and was certain that the name Lancelot would trigger him to attack.

    ¡°Hehe, so you¡¯re Lancelot. As long as I do away with you, Muscle Man can¡¯t sell me off!¡± Once the brawny man heard Gu Ding say the other party¡¯s name, he charged at Lancelot.

    Very soon, the brawny man¡¯s teammates all arrived.

    ¡°You guys are the two kids who were in front of us, aren¡¯t you?¡± A middle-aged man who looked simr to the brawny man walked toward Gu Ding and Liliath. He had three more scars on his face, and his stubble was slightly thicker.

    After spotting Liliath, his previously stern expression changed into a smile. He squatted down and retrieved candy from his Inventory. ¡°Little girl, Uncle here has candy. Do you want to eat it?¡±

    ¡°He softened up so quickly...¡± Gu Ding had been anxious about how to deal with these people, safe to say he was shocked to see them act so kindly.

    ¡°That¡¯s right. Our captain¡¯s a renowned lolicon,¡± the military advisor at the side exined to Gu Ding.

    ¡°You guys are...¡± Seeing that the uncle waspletely harmless toward Liliath, Gu Ding was relieved.

    ¡°We are the Blood Sac Pirates. That lolicon is our captain. The other brainless advocate of violence over there is our vice-captain, Ulrif, who is also the captain¡¯s little brother,¡± the military advisor exined.

    ¡°Blood Sac. What a weird name.¡± Gu Ding felt the name was odd.

    ¡°Actually, this was caused by Captain¡¯s inurate pronunciation when he was registering our pirate crew¡¯s name. He wanted us to go by the name Blood Wolves, but sometimes his Ls and Ns aren¡¯t distinct...¡± The military advisory once again opened his mouth to exin. [1]

    ¡°Alright then...¡± Gu Ding felt he did not have the energy to question them.

    [1] ÑªÄÒ, xu¨¨ n¨¢ng, means blood sac whereas ÑªÀÇ, xu¨¨ l¨¢ng, trantes to blood wolf/wolves

 Chapter 86 - Lexâ€™s Purpose

    <h4>Chapter 86: Lex¡¯s Purpose</h4>

    Although Blood Sac Pirates was a weird name, they were quite a strong unit. Captain Lex and Vice-captain Ulrif both had a Rank 8 Gene Body, and the bounties on their heads were each over ten billion Star Credits. Their military advisor, Alcher, had a Rank 7 Gene Body, and the rest of the members in the group all had gene bodies of at least Rank 6. The strength of the group was within the top twenty of the Dragon Soar Cosmic Nation.

    However, this team¡¯s luck was not good. Every time anything significant urred, they would arrivete due to various reasons. This caused them to be underexposed in the media, and not many people knew of them.

    ¡°Hey, shouldn¡¯t you guys jump in to help? Your vice-captain seems to be getting badly thrashed.¡± Gu Ding pointed at the two people engaged in fiercebat on the battlefield.

    Although the phrase used was ¡°engaged in fiercebat¡±, it was more of Ulrif getting beaten to a pulp.

    Numerous thick,rge vines with thorns were summoned by Lancelot. They sprouted from the sandy terrain, attacking Ulrif like vicious pythons.

    ording to information from Neptune¡¯s search, that species of vine was known as the Desert Poison Dragon. Its barbs were coated in arge dose of neurotoxins. The moment a regr being makes contact with the barbs, the piece of flesh that makes contact will be sliced off. To make matters worse, their nervous system will be severely damaged, rendering thempletely paralyzed.

    Ulrif, against Gu Ding¡¯s expectations, did not make any attempt to dodge. He waspletely relying on brute strength to defend himself, letting those unrelenting barbed vines whip him.

    Before a minute had passed, he was reduced to blood and flesh.

    ¡°Do you know what my favoritebat environment is?¡± Lancelot smiled as he controlled the vines whipping Ulrif. ¡°One is the desert. Another is the ocean. It¡¯s because these two environments let me summon thergest vines. The vines are unbreakable, and they have poisonous thorns as well as venom...¡±

    One strong vine wrapped around Ulrif¡¯s calf then scaled up his body. Very quickly, it had Ulrif tightly bound. The barbed thorns sank deep into Ulrif¡¯s skin, embedding itself in his flesh. Then, the vines coiled around him, slowly encasing Ulrif; all while making deep slices across his body like gullies in thend.

    A second and third vine followed suit in binding him. In an instant, Ulrif¡¯s body had not a single piece of untouched flesh.

    Still, the rest of the Blood Sac Pirates stood and watched in silence. Lex did not look at Ulrif¡¯s battle at all. He was still offering Liliath candy.

    Seeing Gu Ding pointing at the battlefield with a look of horror on his face, Alcher smiled and shook his head, exining, ¡°Our vice captain¡¯s ability is very special. He can absorb the pain inflicted upon him and utilize it as his own before then releasing it onto his opponent several times over.¡±

    ¡°Are you saying he can replicate the opponents¡¯ moves?¡± Gu Ding was a little curious about this ability.

    ¡°Not the moves, the effects of the moves.¡± Alcher shook his head. ¡°What the opponent is using now is a vine attack. Even if Vice-Captain uses his fists to retaliate, when the timees, the effect produced on the opponent¡¯s body will also be a vine attack.¡±

    ¡°Using a fist to produce the effect of a vine...¡± Gu Ding felt this ability was very special.

    ¡°This ability is actually a type of cursing ability. The more damage is done on the person, the stronger the curse on the attacker bes. When the damage received reaches a certain point, the curse will beplete, and the power of the curse will be unleashed on the attacker, dealing loads of damage instantaneously.¡± Neptune¡¯s exnation cleared up any confusion Gu Ding had on how this ability worked.

    After the bloodied Ulrif had been attacked by Lancelot for close to ten minutes, his body was trembling, but he still stood tall. No matter what Lancelot did to him, he did not fall.

    On the other hand, Lancelot was growing increasingly impatient. He had a feeling of dread that there was something off about the situation as the other party was also a Rank 8 Gene Body like himself. Moreover, he had only just entered the Rank 8 Gene Body. For the opponent to have no way to retaliate, logically speaking, this was a little suspicious. After not being able to make his opponent fall after ages of fighting, his suspicion that the opponent was baiting him into attacking grew stronger.

    With this thought in mind, he secretly summoned a few vines which were hidden beneath the sand and attacked the weakest of the group, Liliath. He already decided to stop his tussle with Ulrif. As for the Interster Pirates present, he would kill as many as he could before going down.

    The moment the vines appeared, Gu Ding seemed to see Lex move slightly, and all the vines splintered in an instant. ¡°What did your captain just do?¡±

    ¡°Our captain is a swordsman. Apart from that, he has a special ability¡ªspeed,¡± Alcher said simply, not giving a detailed exnation on this ability.

    ¡°Speed ability. He can increase his speed as well as lower the speed of other things within a certain range.¡± Neptune provided Gu Ding an exnation. ¡°This is an advanced ability and is exceptionally difficult to awaken. What you saw just now was him speeding up his movement sevenfold while simultaneously decreasing the speed of the vines¡¯ sevenfold before he sliced the vines into pieces in an instant.¡±

    As none of Lancelot¡¯s attack seemed to be hitting his intended target, he finally realized that in this group, the strongest was not the guy he was stuck in battle with, but someone else. He recognized the magnitude of danger that the other party posed from just a single disy of their abilities. He looked somewhat cautiously at Lex. The power that the other party disyed earlier was a sign of already being at the peak of Rank 8 Gene Body. He was no weaker than the Army¡¯s colonel general-level powerhouses.

    Having witnessed Lex¡¯s power, Gu Ding was slightly relieved. With him to protect Liliath, there would probably not be any issues regarding her safety.

    After eliminating the threat to Liliath, Lex slowly stood up and turned around, his gazending on Lancelot. ¡°You¡¯re dead!¡±

    ¡°Muscle Man, this is my battle!¡± Ulrif¡¯s head did not even turn, but he seemed to sense Lex¡¯s killing intent, so he opened his mouth to deter him from interfering.

    ¡°I¡¯ll give you three minutes final. If you don¡¯t get rid of this bastard by then, I¡¯ll personally take his head.¡± After saying this, Lex turned away, smiling yet again at Liliath. ¡°Little girl, I¡¯ll chase off these bad uncles for you.¡±

    Liliath looked at Gu Ding helplessly, then seemed to think of something. ¡°Uncle, are you guys also going to where the superweapons are?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. Uncle is going to challenge Sharp to make himself stronger!¡± Lex nodded.

    ¡°You guys didn¡¯te for the superweapons?¡± Gu Ding looked at Alcher.

    ¡°Although our team isn¡¯t weak, the difficulty of obtaining something like that is still a little too high for us. We have self-awareness in this regard. Boss¡¯s main purpose ofing this time is to challenge the Army¡¯s general, Sharp, to increase his understanding of swordsmanship as well as increase our exposure in the media,¡± Alcher exined patiently. He nced at Gu Ding and expressed a sincere opinion. ¡°I think with your strength at its the current level, it¡¯s best you don¡¯t make this trip. There are many Rank 9 and even Rank 10 Gene Body powerhouses who have their eyes on these superweapons. There¡¯s no way the two of you can get your hands on them.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t want to be involved either. But in some instances, it doesn¡¯t matter what you want.¡± Gu Ding shook his head and smiled bitterly.

    Shortly after, Liliath made a request to Lex. ¡°Uncle, bring us to the superweapons!¡±

 Chapter 87 - The Calm Central Battlefield

    <h4>Chapter 87: The Calm Central Battlefield</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    On the battlefield, Ulrif knew the three-minute limit Lex gave was not a joke. If he did not finish off the fight himself, Lex would interfere.

    Ulrif, who had been on the defensive up till then, suddenly pinched his right wrist with his left hand. At the same time, the various wounds on his body started vanishing at an imperceptible speed. Strange symbols started appearing all over his right hand. Those words seemed toe alive as they slowly slithered toward the center of his palm. His palm was slowly enveloped by what looked like a ck fog. The scene looked strange yet somewhat eerie.

    Thatyer of ck fog gradually dispersed. The vines met by the ck fog started wilting speedily as if the life was being sucked out of them.

    Ulrif slowly stood up straight too and gave Lancelot a spine-chilling smile. ¡°Gigolo of the Army, our fight ends here...¡±

    Lancelot seemed to have realized something too. Controlling even more vines, he increased the speed of his attack and tried to engulf Ulrif, wanting to gain back the advantage he had earlier.

    However, Ulrif¡¯s feet moved with a sudden burst of speed, and he charged directly at Lancelot. Lancelot manipted the vines to bind him, but all of the vines wilted in an instant and could not restrain Ulrif in the slightest.

    In a sh, Ulrif appeared in front of Lancelot. Smiling savagely at him, he ced his ck fog-covered right hand over Lancelot¡¯s heart.

    Lancelot extended a hand out to stop him but to his surprise, Ulrif¡¯s attack did nothing more than push him back a few feet. However, he soon noticed the ck fog now engulfed the palm he had used to make the blocking motion. Theyer of ck fog seeped into his skin and weird symbols began to form, quickly spreading from his palm and covering his entire body in a matter of seconds.

    For a brief moment, the symbolspletely disappeared, but a frightening sense of pain overwhelmed his body. He looked down at his own body. It had be a mess of flesh and blood in a sh, and the gorges on his skin were the same as the ones that had appeared on his opponent¡¯s body earlier. Very soon, he noticed his body was starting to have serious spasms, and he very quickly lost the ability to control his body. He knew that was the effect of the neurotoxin kicking in.

    He only then realized that his opponent possessed a cursing ability. He started regretting not focusing all his energy on killing his opponent from the beginning, but his consciousness was starting to fade slowly...

    Seeing Ulrif¡¯s sudden turnaround, Gu Ding and Liliath both felt a mix of awe and fear.

    When encountering someone who possesses a cursing ability, the only correct method of dealing with them is to kill them with the first attack. If they were not dealt with in this manner, the attacker would be in for a world of pain. Some cursing abilities¡¯ effect onlysts for a brief moment while others follow their victims to the grave. This type of opponent was one that nobody would want to face.

    As for Liliath¡¯s request, Lex was a little hesitant. He did want to go to the central battlefield, and aside from Ulrif, he did not n on bringing any team members with him. This was because he was very clear that in the central battlefield, his and Ulrif¡¯s strengths were lone boats in a vast ocean, and they could already barely protect themselves. If they brought Lili, there was no question he would be hindering himself. Moreover, at a battlefield with that level of chaos, the probability of Liliath losing her life was extremely high.

    ¡°Lili, they¡¯ve helped us enough.¡± Gu Ding shook his head at Liliath, not allowing her to make her request.

    ¡°Uncles, thanks. Lili and I should be leaving.¡± Gu Ding walked to Liliath¡¯s side.

    ¡°Uh-huh, thank you, uncles.¡± Liliath nodded and smiled at Lex.

    Seeing the two of them leave quickly, Lex shouted at Gu Ding, ¡°Punk, take care of the little girl, or I won¡¯t spare you.¡±

    ¡°I will!¡± Gu Ding waved, then he and Liliath very quickly disappeared from the Blood Sac Pirates¡¯ vision.

    ¡°Kids are the most troublesome.¡± Ulrif pursed his lips.

    ¡°Let¡¯s return to the direct route!¡± Lex said to his military adviser Alcher.

    ¡°But if we meet other blockades, wouldn¡¯t that just be a waste of time?¡± Alcher felt this route did not make sense.

    ¡°They¡¯re only major generals. I¡¯ll deal with them.¡± Although Lex¡¯s words sounded arrogant, his teammates all knew their captain¡¯s words were not an exaggeration of his ability.

    After making this decision, they walked toward the central battlefield.

    On the other hand, Gu Ding and Liliath had snuck around the two remaining major generals¡¯ and reached the central battlefield¡¯s outer boundary, sessfully meeting up with Robert.

    ¡°How did you manage to bypass so many blockades?¡± Liliath asked curiously.

    Robert retrieved two insects from his Inventory. ¡°I used mechanical insects to determine everyone¡¯s locations. Avoiding them wasn¡¯t hard.¡±

    Liliath picked up the mechanical insects and noticed that the mechanical insects he crafted were remarkably realistic. Even with her closely examining it, she could not see anything abnormal about them.

    ¡°How interesting...¡± Gu Ding picked one up too and thoroughly examined it. He could not find any ws either.

    ¡°Mechanical insects are the simplest things in the mimicry machines. Back in our generation, if you couldn¡¯t craft a mechanical bug that was exactly the same as a real insect, you wouldn¡¯t be able to pass the Mechanic Apprenticeship Assessment.¡± Robert did not think this was a big deal.

    ¡°But now, this kind of craftsmanship is something only grandmaster-level mechanics can do,¡± He exined further. Liliath was surprised at the craftsmanship of the mechanical civilization¡¯s apprentices.

    ¡°Do you know what the situation is on the central battlefield?¡± Gu Ding guessed Robert would have already made at least a preliminary check.

    ¡°I used the mechanical insects to capture some footage. You guys can take a look.¡± As Robert said this, he projected the video recording.

    Two of the Army¡¯s generals stood at the top of two excavators. Another three colonel generals stood guard at the three corners of the pit.

    The rest were the general¡¯s people who were situated at the center. Gu Ding saw Grandma, whom he had seen at the port previously. She stood with a big and strong old man.

    ¡°So, he¡¯s someone from the Liberty Alliance.¡± Liliath determined the old man¡¯s identity after seeing him.

    ¡°You know him?¡± Hearing Liliath say this, Gu Ding looked at the old man too.

    ¡°He was the one who treated me to a Sapphire at the bar that one time.¡± Liliath stuck out her tongue. ¡°But it seemed he was the only one who came from the Liberty Alliance then. I think they must¡¯ve sent more people to help out after hearing about us.¡±

    As the video moved along, Gu Ding even saw the ck-robed masked man he had seen at the port.

    Apart from these familiar faces, there were also three teams of centaurs. Gu Ding and Liliath had never met any of them, but it was obvious they were quite strong.

    The entire battlefield was a picture of harmony. Nobody made a move. Gu Ding knew this meant their group had no chance for the time being.

    Just then, another two people appeared in the video¡ªit was Lex and Ulrif.

    Lex¡¯s gaze swept over everyone there and finally locked on Sharp, who was situated at the center. He tugged down on his cor and loudly yelled at Sharp, ¡°Sharp, I¡ªLex¡ªwant to challenge you!¡±

    After he finished yelling this, he jerked his head toward Ulrif and asked, ¡°Hey, did you record what I just said?¡±

 Chapter 88 - The Main Battlefield Where The Order Fell Apart

    <h4>Chapter 88: The Main Battlefield Where The Order Fell Apart</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    ¡°Is this guy here to poke fun?¡±

    After seeing Lex, this was everyone¡¯s initial reaction. Still, some people immediately recognized Lex was dead serious.

    An Army colonel-general stepped forward. He was prepared to take the ce of his superior in this battle.

    ¡°Raj, step back,¡± Sharp said in a stern tone. The robot insect¡¯s lens zoomed in.

    Sharp¡¯s figure was not on the tall side. His average-looking face was expressionless, and his posture was straight as a pole. If he was put into a crowd, one could easily see he was a soldier. If one had to list what distinguishable features he had, it would be that a sheathed ck sword hung from the right side of his waist. Although the de¡¯s scabbard was in and mundane looking, its craftsmanship was exquisite.

    ¡°If it was under any other circumstance, I¡¯d be more than happy to exchange blows with another swordsman.¡± As Sharp spoke, he was expressionless as usual. ¡°But unfortunately, as for today, I¡¯m sorry...¡±

    After he said this, he extended a hand to his de, movement slow enough that even Gu Ding could see clearly. The moment he gripped the hilt, Sharp¡¯s manner suddenly became frightening¡ªlike an unsheathed changdao sword, sharp and dangerous.

    His right hand grasped the saber firmly, and he moved his arm in an upward motion, lifting the saber. Before the saber left its scabbard, the surface of the ground started quaking.

    Even Gu Ding, who was at the outermost edge of the battlefield, could clearly feel the movement beneath his feet. A roar sounded in the distance, and a huge ravine of which the bottom could not be seen appeared in the desert in the video. The ravine continued extending as it cracked toward Lex¡¯s direction.

    Just then, another person moved¡ªit was that ck-robed, masked man. Two ck handguns appeared in his hands, and he made five consecutive shots in a movement so quick it was imperceptible, aiming directly at five of the Army¡¯s people.

    ¡°A gunner!¡± Liliath could not resist yelping in surprise. She did not think a gunner would appear in a battle of this caliber.

    Just as she was doubting whether bullets had any effect on these powerhouses, she was shocked to see not just three colonel generals, even Sharp and Wendell¡ªthese two generals of the Army¡ªsuddenly made dodging motions.

    After that, Liliath and Gu Ding witnessed a shocking scene. After the bullets were dodged, in the instant they hit the ground, causing an enormous explosion. A scene like a volcano erupting unfolded before their eyes.

    ¡°What sort of special bullets are those?¡± Gu Ding was a little dumbstruck as he watched this, and he could not help asking Liliath.

    ¡°No, they¡¯re just regr bullets, only that they¡¯ve been enhanced with his primary power.¡± Neptune interrupted to exin. He knew Liliath was also not quite certain what had just happened.

    ¡°A martial artist¡¯s primary power can be that terrifying?¡± Although Gu Ding had heard of primary power before, he had never personally witnessed the destruction a martial artist who possessed primary power could create.

    ¡°It¡¯s because his primary power¡¯s level of practice is very high, and his primary power inherently has explosive properties, so it creates this effect.¡±

    The masked man¡¯s sudden unprovoked attackpletely put an end to the current, peaceful situation.

    The old man with psychokinesis from the Liberty Alliance suddenly appeared in front of Lexy and reached out a finger. A semicircr translucent shield enveloped Lex and his brother. Sharp¡¯s de ruthlessly shed over the shield. After a moment, he returned it to its sheath, and the splitting ground finally stopped.

    ¡°You¡¯re not ready to face Sharp yet,¡± said the old man, turning his head to smile at Lex. Before Lex could thank him, the old man suddenly appeared in front of Sharp.

    Seeing the old man make a move, Sharp¡¯s gaze darted all over the ce. He inhaled deeply. ¡°Senior...¡±

    ¡°After not meeting for so many years, you¡¯ve be a general.¡± The old man smiled wryly.

    ¡°If I didn¡¯t have your guidance...¡± Sharp seemed to have a history with the old man.

    ¡°I had only taught you some basic swordsmanship back then. The level of mastery you have attained now stems from your hard work.¡± The old man shook his head. ¡°Let me see what improvements you¡¯ve made in the years since then.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. The matter of the superweapons this time is critical.¡± Sharp inclined his head slightly. His hand shed through the air, and it seemed there was no gap in time before he had grasped the hilt of his saber and drew it out.

    The moment he drew the saber, an aura of powerful energy spilled out from the edge of the de. The nearby air was shredded into nothingness, and hundreds of sharp, invisible des flooded toward the old man like a tide.

    The old man cracked a slight smile. With one hand behind his back and another extended out, the attack that appeared so insanely vicious that even the ground trembled calmed instantly, and it was as if nothing had even happened.

    ¡°Who exactly is he?!¡± Gu Ding watched this with widened eyes. The full-force attack of the Army¡¯s strongest general had been stopped with just one move of this guy¡¯s palm.

    [Name: Vannarab]

    [Gender: Male]

    [Age: 315]

    [Alignment: Liberty Alliance]

    [Gene Level: Rank 11]

    [Special Ability: Psychokinesis]

    [Ability Description: The product of spirit being evolved to a certain point; it has many directions it can be further evolved as well as development possibilities.]

    [Other Abilities: Ten Stars Martial Artist]

    [Special Title: National Treasure]

    ¡°He¡¯s the fabled Vannarab?¡± Gu Ding was shocked into oblivion. This name was not just familiar¡ªto Gu Ding. Hearing that name was like a crash of thunder in his ears.

    Vannarab was the previous marshal of the Federation Army. He hadmanded the Army for thirty years, and those had been by far the most peaceful thirty years the people had seen. This was until over twenty years ago, when he resigned from his duties as a marshal and withdrew from the Federation Army, joining the Liberty Alliance. It could be said that many of the powerhouses in the current Army were singlehandedly raised by him, and so that was why Sharp had that reaction upon seeing him.

    On another side of the battlefield, a colonel general had already pounced on the masked man, and another two colonel generals pounced on two of the opposing units.

    At the Army¡¯s side, only Wendell stayed put to guard, but he was not resting. With a movement of his finger, a fearsome hurricane that spanned the skies and tore the ground formed, rolling over to the other forces. However, he did not take the initiative to attack the Liberty Alliance¡¯s Grandma.

    Grandma seemed to have no ns to take action and quietly watched the battle from the afar.

    The battlefield was in utter disarray. Hurricanes, earthquakes, volcanoes... Nearly every type of natural disaster was present on that ground.

    ¡°Are these guys human?¡± Liliath was full of shock as she watched the images disyed in the video.

    ¡°Robert, how do you feel about us seizing the moment and slipping in?¡± Gu Ding said and grinned.

    ¡°Let¡¯s not rush. This state of chaos definitely won¡¯t be ending any time soon, and the Army still has a general who¡¯s in high-alert, only half-participating in the battle.¡± Robert shook his head. ¡°That¡¯s right, did you guys bring the single-use items I made for you?¡±

 Chapter 89 - Robertâ€™s Plan

    <h4>Chapter 89: Robert¡¯s n</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Upon hearing Robert¡¯s words, Gu Ding nodded. ¡°We brought them. You want to use them now?¡±

    Robert retrieved a metal apparatus that was the size of a grown person¡¯s palm from the Inventory. ¡°Both of you should look for mini-excavators like this one. It would have been fine if it was just me. However, there are three of us now, so the passageway isn¡¯t wide enough.¡±

    Gu Ding and Liliath rummaged around the Inventory and very quickly found metal apparatuses that were the same as the one in Robert¡¯s hand.

    Robert took the apparatuses from their hands. Then, he pressed the start buttons of each mini excavator in session before flinging them toward the sandy ground. The apparatuses that were originally t suddenly grew legs, looking as if they were daddy longlegs before they rapidly burrowed deeper into the sand. A deep hole soon appeared on the surface of the ground.

    Next, Robert pressed his hand on the ground, and a silver metal fluid quickly spread from his metal hand. It seeped into the sand, and at that instant, Gu Ding and Liliath saw the hole seem to change.

    A momentter, Robert stood up. ¡°This is my special ability¡ªcreation. The thing just now that looked like liquid metal is actually countless nanorobots. As long as corresponding materials are present, they can create anything based on my instructions. I only let them reinforce the sand earlier. It¡¯ll be safer this way.

    ¡°They¡¯ve finished excavating the first superweapon and are starting to excavate the second. Only a corner of it has been uncovered. The tunnel we dug directly reaches the location of the remaining two superweapons. When the timees, I¡¯ll enter the two superweapons and program them to self-destruct after a sequence timer. After that, we¡¯ll leave this posthaste. Although the one that has already been dug out might not be able to be destroyedpletely considering our circumstances, it should take extensive damage and be unable to be used for now,¡± Robert exined his n.

    ¡°Even though we¡¯re walking underground, it isn¡¯t safe,¡± Gu Ding expressed his worries as he said, ¡°Powerhouses with detection abilities could still notice us.¡±

    ¡°So, at least all the people on the Army¡¯s side have to enterbat. Only in such a situation where they¡¯re too upied to notice us do we have a chance,¡± said Robert as he observed the state of the battle in the video.

    The atmosphere on the battlefield was intense. However, Wendell was half-alert and not fully immersed in the battle.

    Nevertheless, soon after, the situation changed. The colonel general who had been fighting the masked man finally found the opportunity to stick to him. The former wanted to finish him off in closebat because the closebat abilities of a gunner were usually not too strong.

    Right when everyone thought the masked man would be offed, the situation reversed. The masked man that was being attacked up-close disyed a frightening closebat technique and killed the colonel general on the spot as if he was trampling on a mere flower. The move he used made Gu Ding¡¯s eyes widen.

    ¡°That was... an Ultimate Art! And it¡¯s an iplete Ultimate Art...¡± Gu Ding mumbled.

    All of it happened in the blink of an eye; so quick that Wendell could not lend a helping hand.

    Having witnessed his own subordinate die, Wendell became enraged. His body disappeared from the excavation site and then solidified in front of the masked man in a whirlwind. His handsome face disyed ferociousness for the first time. ¡°I don¡¯t care who you are; you must die today!¡±

    The reply the masked man gave was very simple; he lifted his gun and shot him.

    His response incensed Wendell even further. Wendell lifted both his hands and ten rays of golden helices shot out like soaring arrows. The helices pierced through the air around them as they were aimed straight at the masked man¡¯s ten vital areas...

    ¡°Wendell is focused on the battle now, but the Liberty Alliance¡¯s Grandma still hasn¡¯t made a move. She¡¯s a Rank 10 Gene body¡ªthere¡¯s a very high probability of her noticing us. Should we continue waiting?¡± Gu Ding¡¯s eyebrows furrowed slightly.

    ¡°We can¡¯t wait anymore. Judging by the situation on the battlefield up until now, she probably won¡¯t make a move anytime soon. Furthermore, based on the Army¡¯s excavation speed, they¡¯ll probably reach the second superweapon¡¯s entrance in a little more than an hour. When that timees, we won¡¯t have a chance anymore. She¡¯s from the Liberty Alliance, so her goal should be the same as ours; not wanting anyone to get the superweapon.¡± Robert nodded at Gu Ding and then jumped straight into the hole.

    Gu Ding and Liliath followed him from behind.

    ¡°You two go ahead, I¡¯ll seal the hole to avoid us being discovered,¡± Robert said as he pressed his hand against the wall of the tunnel. Silver liquid flowed out once again, sealing the hole shut In an instant, Robert made his nanobots spread a thickyer of sand over the sealed hole to avoid anyone from noticing any abnormalities.

    Gu Ding felt something sturdy beneath his feet; it was the sand that had been treated. He felt like he was standing on cement.

    ¡°Let¡¯s hurry, it¡¯s about ten kilometers.¡± Robert¡¯s eyes turned into two beams of light, lighting the path in front of them. He walked in front while Gu Ding and Liliath followed from behind.

    Neptune was in charge of monitoring the situation. He only had to connect to Robert and his robot detection circuits. To him, it was not something difficult to achieve.

    On the monitor screen, aside from Grandma, everyone else had descended into battle. Neptune monitored her closely to prevent her from sensing anything.

    The moment the three of them had arrived at a spot around three kilometers away from the superweapons, Grandma¡¯s brows became knitted. Grandma lowered her head, focusing her gaze on the ground. It seemed like she had sensed the trio¡¯s presence.

    ¡°If my deduction isn¡¯t incorrect, we¡¯ve been noticed by Grandma,¡± Neptune said to the trio.

    After a moment of silence, Gu Ding made a decision. ¡°Tell Grandma that if the Liberty Alliance doesn¡¯t want anyone to take possession of therge-scale weapons, don¡¯t hinder our actions.¡±

    Neptune sent a message to Grandma ording to what Gu Ding had said.

    Looking at the intelligent ring on her ring finger that was notifying her about a message, Grandma was a little curious. She could count with her fingers how many people knew her contact number.

    Grandma tapped on hermunicator and read the message; she noticed that the sender was disyed as none. After thinking deeply for a moment, Grandma replied with a message despite not knowing if the other party would receive it. ¡°Tell me, what are you guys nning to do?¡±

    This time, it was Gu Ding¡¯s turn to fall silent.

    ¡°Should we tell her?¡± Neptune asked in uncertainty.

    ¡°Tell her that we can turn on the superweapons¡¯ self-destruct sequences.¡± Although Gu Ding was still unsure about the Liberty Alliance¡¯s stance, based on what he knew, the Liberty Alliance was a group of pacifists. Since the other party had already noticed them, regardless if they told her about the matter or not, it would not make much difference. The main issue was whether she would take action.

    Gu Ding did not doubt for a second that Grandma had enough power to copse the tunnel Robert had dug and bury the three of them alive.

    Grandma very quickly received the answer she wanted when she saw their reply that said they could activate the superweapons¡¯ self-destruct sequences. Although she was not sure of their identities, she knew that even if she asked, they probably would not answer her question. She lifted her head to look at the others on the battlefield and then slowly closed her eyes as if nothing had happened.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Upon seeing Grandma¡¯s response, Gu Ding knew the Liberty Alliance¡¯s standpoint. Hence, the trio resumed forging toward their goal.

 Chapter 90 - A Risky Decision

    <h4>Chapter 90: A Risky Decision</h4>

    The trio arrived at the entrance of the superweapons without any incident. Robert only had to scan with hisrge, shlight-like eyes before the entrance opened automatically.

    Gu Ding and Liliath entered behind Robert.

    Upon stepping past the entrance, Gu Ding and Liliath could not stop smiling. The superweapon was a spaceship so big that there was noparison. Just by looking at it, Gu Ding knew that it was several times the size of a Golden Eagle model.

    ¡°This superweapon is over three hundred times the size of the Grey-faced Buzzard model, in other words, it¡¯s the size of four Golden Eagles,¡± Neptune reported the results of his analysis to Gu Ding and Liliath. He felt that the two of them probably wanted to know some basic information about the superweapon. ¡°The reason why it¡¯s called a superweapon is because it¡¯s a spaceship that has over a hundred batteries of various grades. Its most powerful battery can destroy an entire sector, and that¡¯s not an exaggeration.

    ¡°It also has artillery of various grades such as specialized armor-piercing cannons to counter warships, antimatter cannons for ranged attacks, and specialized intelligent particle beam cannons to lock onto single targets. Even a Rank 11 Gene Body Cosmic Nation lord or Army marshal would be heavily wounded, let alone Rank 10 Gene Bodies. Also...¡±

    Robert did not say a word from start to finish and only silently went deeper into the spaceship.

    Seeing Robert¡¯s response, Neptune fell silent. As artificial super-intelligence, Neptune also had human feelings and could understand Robert¡¯s emotions.

    The duo followed Robert to the cockpit. Seeing the luxurious cockpit, bewildered expressions once again appeared on their faces.

    Robert stood in ce as he slowly perused the cockpit¡¯s every corner. After a long while, he extended his hand and touched the armrest of the pilot¡¯s seat. His metal fingers brushed along the armrest, producing a sound that was heard when metal and metal rubbed against each other. He seemed to feel nostalgic.

    Gu Ding and Liliath did not disturb him, and Neptune only remained silent.

    ¡°Myrades and I spent thirteen years building the first superweapon...¡± Robert spoke out of the blue. After another bout of silence, he headed for the console of the ship.

    His two hands waved across the console. About three minutester, the screen in front of the console lit up, projecting a stereoscopic image.; it was the mold of a concave palm. Theplicated lines of the mold could only be faintly seen, but the model of the palm obviously resembled a mechanic¡¯s.

    Robert took a deep breath and then pressed his palm against it.

    When his palm met the mold, the stereoscopic image turned into the shape of a countdown clock.

    Robert¡¯s fingers moved directly over the stereoscopic image as he set the time of the countdown clock to half an hour.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Robert turned around and nodded at Gu Ding and Liliath.

    The trio exited the superweapon and Robert closed its entrance before they walked toward the second superweapon.

    This time, Robert sped up his actions greatly, only taking less than three minutes before hepleted programming the self-destruct sequence.

    ¡°We must leave this desert posthaste.¡± Robert guided the duo to return the way they hade from.

    Not longer than two minutes in, while the three of them were walking out of the passageway, they heard a roaring sound. Then, the ground beneath their feet started quaking violently. The quaking was more than ten times stronger than the one Gu Ding had felt earlier at the edge of the battlefield. Gu Ding and Liliath could not stand properly.

    ¡°What happened? Have we been discovered?¡± Gu Ding¡¯s first response was to guess that the three of them had been discovered.

    ¡°We haven¡¯t been discovered. Sharp¡¯s attack just happened tond not too far in front... Moreover, because of his attack, a portion of the tunnel has copsed. We have no way to get back,¡± Neptune reported the terrible news.

    ¡°Robert, use three excavators and dig out another tunnel.¡± Gu Ding immediately thought of a solution.

    ¡°Those three excavators were scraped together. I used regr metal for them in order to make it easier for you two to find the required materials. You could say they¡¯re single-use items. Digging through ten kilometers is its limit from what I calcted before.¡±

    ¡°We could retreat to the superweapon and fly away with it?¡± Liliath suggested her idea. ¡°The self-destruct sequence can be canceled, right?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no way to cancel the self-destruct sequence.¡± Robert shook his head. ¡°Besides, the moment we use the superweapon to take flight, the generals of the Federal Government would definitely contact the Federal Government headquarters immediately. Then, we¡¯d have to face the pursuit of countless powerhouses. Theirbined strength would definitely exceed the lord of a nation.¡±

    ¡°We can¡¯t bear to deal with such a consequence!¡± Gu Ding shook his head. ¡°Even if the Federal Government gets ahold of these superweapons, they definitely wouldn¡¯t use them under normal circumstances, let alone fly them around and show them off. Moreover, after getting ahold of these superweapons, I¡¯m certain they¡¯ll sign agreements with other forces immediately, vowing not to use them indiscriminately. The other forces would ally themselves to the superweapons. Hence, it¡¯s not that realistic, being able to control them personally.¡±

    ¡°Another twenty minutes to the explosion. Standing here, we¡¯re going to die even faster than those people from the Army.¡± Liliath pursed her lips.

    ¡°Robert, are there escape capsules on the superweapons?¡± Gu Ding suddenly thought of it.

    ¡°There are, but the escape capsules can only be used on water,nd or air. They won¡¯t work underground.¡± Robert had thought of the escape capsules. Nevertheless, considering the ce they were in, the escape capsules werepletely useless.

    ¡°If they won¡¯t work underground, we¡¯ll take to the skies then!¡± Gu Ding had an idea at once. ¡°Robert, bring us back inside the superweapon.¡±

    ¡°If we leave by air, won¡¯t we be shot down by those powerhouses? Though they can¡¯t fly,¡± Liliath expressed her worries, ¡°No matter how sturdy the escape capsules are, they can¡¯t be stronger than our Grey-faced Buzzard. Even if it was the Grey-faced Buzzard, in front of Rank 10 Gene Body martial artists, it would be shot down in an instant.¡±

    ¡°So we need Neptune to calcte the right angle and use the superweapon¡¯s body to block the powerhouses¡¯ attacks.¡± Gu Ding¡¯s mouth broke into a grin.

    Robert immediately understood Gu Ding¡¯s train of thought. ¡°Good idea. Let¡¯s go back!¡±

    Although Liliath still did not quite understand what Gu Ding meant, seeing that Robert¡¯s reaction seemed to approve the feasibility of his idea, she no longer made any more objections.

    The trio quickly retreated to the first superweapon that had its self-destruct sequence timer set. When it¡¯s entrance opened, they entered one after another.

    Robert once again walked over to the console. His two hands moved rapidly, and the giant superweapon quickly started its power-on sequence.

    [Hull in good condition]

    [Spaceship functions in good condition]

    [Energy left 33%]

    ...

    Robert somewhat excitedly pressed its start-up button, and the body of the spaceship immediately started to shake.

    Meanwhile, everybody else engaged in the fierce battle on the battlefield felt the ground beneath them begin to tremble. All of them shifted their gaze toward the source of the quaking¡ªthe excavation site.

    Amid everybody¡¯s bewilderment, an iparably huge superweapon rose up from the ground...

 Chapter 91 - Escaping Death

    <h4>Chapter 91: Escaping Death</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Seeing the superweapon being activated, everyone was taken aback as nobody had thought that the superweapon would be started. Grandma clenched her fists tightly. She had not thought that the other party would deceive her and that their true goal was to fly away with the superweapon.

    She was the first person tounch an attack at the superweapon. Although the de and kitchen knife in her hands did not look like much, when she wielded them, her aura did not lose to Sharp¡¯s at all.

    Upon seeing Grandma attack, the othersunched their attacks as well, wanting to stop the superweapon¡¯s rising motion.

    However, even after all their attacks hadnded on the surface of the superweapon, they were unable to dent it; not even make it shake.

    Gu Ding, who had been a little worried about the superweapon¡¯s defense capabilities, felt relieved after seeing that everybody¡¯s attacks did no damage.

    Just as Gu Ding thought it was safe, Sharp¡¯s actions made him jump. Sharp leaped up high, intending to jump onto the body of the ship.

    Seeing this, Robert pressed a button. Then, a cannon from the superweapon aimed at Sharp before opening fire.

    Facing the superweapon¡¯s attack, Sharp did not dare dally. He hastily wielded his de and used the counterforce to adjust his position, barely avoiding the attack.

    The cannon¡¯s st struck the ground, and everything turned into powder, close to ten kilometers of the neighboring area looked as if it had been struck by a meteorite. On the other hand, everyone on the battlefield had leaped up, avoiding the terrifying attack.

    After seeing such a destructive level of cannon-fire, nobody dared move recklessly. If Sharp had taken the shot earlier, even if he did not die, he definitely would have been heavily wounded.

    ording to Neptune¡¯s calctions, Robert continued to raise the superweapon¡¯s position until Neptune called for him to stop. When he stopped, the superweapon stopped moving as well.

    Seeing the superweapon stop mid-air, everybody had a bad feeling about it. They guessed that the other party had stopped because they found the best angle to attack and kill everyone present all at once.

    On the other hand, Gu Ding and the other two each squirmed into their own escape capsules. ording to Robert¡¯smands, the superweapon ejected the three escape capsules.

    Everybody below the superweapon saw the escape capsules shoot out. Nevertheless, the escape capsules were at a heigh that exceeded everyone¡¯s attack range. Not to mention, the capsules rose above the clouds very quickly before they sped toward the port.

    Not less than a minuteter, the escape capsulesnded at the edge of the desert where nobody was.

    The trio exited the escape capsules. After Robert had programmed the escape capsules to self-destruct, they headed for the port on foot.

    Not more than five minutester, the trio reached the port. After Neptune had once again distracted the two monitors, the trio slipped aboard a ship.

    At the same time, the superweapon in the desert began counting down its self-destruct sequence as it made a warning sound that had been set beforehand by Robert.

    [Self-destruct countdown, 20 minutes]

    [Self-destruct countdown, 19 minutes]

    ...

    Hearing the sound from the superweapon, quite a few people finally realized what those three little thieves had done.

    Grandma also finally understood that those three people who escaped in the escape capsules had not gone back on their word. She turned on the intelligent ring on her hand and said to Vannarab, ¡°Let¡¯s go. Somebody has helped us with our mission this time.¡±

    Sharp did not feel like attacking either. The power of the superweapon¡¯s cannon he had faced earlier was more than appalling. He did not know what its self-destruction would result in.

    Looking at the superweapon that had been dug out, he shook his head helplessly. Nobody had arge enough Inventory to keep the superweapon. He could only wait and see if the ship was still in good condition after the other two superweapons had self-destructed. He gave out orders to retreat right away, ¡°Everybody, evacuate this desert.¡±

    The masked man that was in a ck robe also twisted his way out of the battlefield. The strength he disyed did not lose to Wendell¡¯s at all.

    Wendell spat out hatefully, ¡°I don¡¯t care what Cosmic Nation you¡¯re from. Once we discover your identity, we¡¯ll report your shameless behavior to the Federal Government.¡±

    The masked man did not respond to Wendell¡¯s threat and instead vanished into the distance with just a few leaps.

    ¡°Muscle Man, the thing¡¯s about to blow. Should we stay back and film it?¡± Ulrif suggested.

    ¡°If you want to court death, go ahead and stay then. It just so happens that I¡¯ve found someone more suitable to be the vice captain.¡± Upon saying this, Lex made a mad dash in the direction of the port.

    ¡°Muscle Man, dream on! The position of vice captain is mine!¡± Ulrif immediately chased after him. ¡°Someday, the captain¡¯s position will be mine too!¡±

    The people in the desert began to scatter like wild birds. On the other hand, Gu Ding and the two had returned to their ship.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go, Neptune!¡± Only after returning to the Grey-faced Buzzard did Gu Ding¡¯s emotions finally settle. Their encounter on Consc had been simply too dangerous. A single misstep could have resulted in their annihtion.

    ¡°Tell me your next destination,¡± Neptune said.

    As Gu Ding rubbed his chin in thought, Liliath noticed something odd about Robert.

    Robert¡¯s body was beginning to liquefy, slowly bing the metal ball Gu Ding first saw him as.

    ¡°What¡¯s happening to Robert?¡± Liliath asked upon seeing it.

    ¡°His reaction is probably due to the Energy Crystals being depleted. If it had been aplete Energy Crystal, he would have been able to operate normally with light energy flow. However, since both of you only got Energy Crystal fragments for him previously, his light energy flow was notpleted. The energy in those Energy Crystal fragments have probably been depleted,¡± Neptune exined.

    ¡°Where can we find more Energy Crystals?¡± Gu Ding hastily asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Neptune¡¯s tone seemed a little down. ¡°Based on my database records, their tribe moved out all their Energy Crystals during the Great Migration in the Middle Ages. All the known mining sites werepletely emptied during the war.¡±

    ¡°Are there none on Consc? There were Energy Crystal pieces when Robert was dug out back then. So, other ces could have them too, right?¡± Gu Ding asked with furrowed brows.

    ¡°I conversed with Robert before. He¡¯s the only remaining Mechanical Tribe tribesman left. Those Energy Crystal fragments were remnants of the Energy Crystals in his body before they were broken,¡± Neptune answered. ¡°Besides, we can¡¯t stay on this any longer. If we don¡¯t leave now, once the Army people get to the port, we might not be able to leave even if want to.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s leave this first and then think of a way,¡± Liliath suggested.

 Chapter 92 - The Remaining Superweapon

    <h4>Chapter 92: The Remaining Superweapon</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    The Grey-faced Buzzard left Consc¡¯s port very quickly.

    What Gu Ding did not know was that after the people from the Army had retreated from the desert, various other forces also left the desert where the superweapons were buried.

    Most of the forces ran straight for the port, wanting to leave the at once because they knew that there was a chance the Army¡¯s mission would be called a fiasco. The Army people would probably take action, the moment the explosion was over, tidying up the remaining other forces to make it look as if they had not failed their mission so badly. The Army people would then give the Federal Government an exnation. The other forces did not want to be tidied up by the Army, so escape was their best choice.

    Gu Ding¡¯s three escape capsules were very quickly discovered by the Army people at the edges of the desert.

    Nevertheless, the escape capsules had already been destroyed. Even after an investigation was carried out, the Army people could not find any information regarding the trio¡¯s identities. Their fingerprints and hairs had all been destroyed in the self-destruction sequence.

    ¡°The other party worked as a trio. Look for all the trios and teams with more than three members on Consc, we¡¯ll slowly rule them out.¡± Sharp looked at the three unrecognizable escape capsules that had been destroyed, eyebrows furrowed together. ¡°And bring these three escape capsules back. Conduct a thorough check and see if we can find anything.¡±

    ¡°The port¡¯s tform canopy failure was clearly because someone had tampered with it. Furthermore, even after we had deployed the signal shield over the entire, information concerning the superweapons as well as Army personnel was still leaked. It was clearly the work of a peak hacker. Check if any hackers visited Consc during this time too. Perhaps the powering up of the superweapon is also rted to the same hacker,¡± Wendell provided his view on the matter, ¡°Even the Army¡¯s information on the three superweapons is extremely limited. The other party obviously knows much more than we do. Aside from being able to sessfully enter the superweapon, they were able to use it normally and start its self-destruction sequence.¡±

    ¡°Could it be someone from the Liberty Alliance?¡± a colonel general standing by the side made his guess, ¡°Vannarab arrived on this pretty much at the same time we did. It probably means that the time they received the news was not much different from ours. Moreover, their goal was never to get the superweapons. Self-destruction was probably the result they wanted to see.¡±

    ¡°To be able to so smoothly enter the superweapon and operate it without any difficulties, I think it¡¯s probably a survivor of the Mechanical Tribe from the Middle Ages. Only they can enter superweapons without any obstructions and operate them adeptly,¡± another colonel general voiced out a bold conception.

    ¡°The cannon that was fired at me earlier was indeed quite adept. It seemed like the moment I leaped up, the other party had already aimed the cannon at me. Its power was not too weak or strong. It was just strong enough to heavily injure me and instill fear in others.¡± Hearing the colonel general¡¯s suggestion, Sharp vaguely felt that it made sense. ¡°It was as if it wasn¡¯t their first time controlling a superweapon.¡±

    ¡°The probability of the guess isn¡¯t high though. There¡¯s no way we wouldn¡¯t have known if Consc had three survivors from the Mechanical Tribe. Even if they avoided going through registration, other people who would¡¯ve had seen them on this. Nevertheless, even after thousands of years, nobody has heard of any news regarding survivors of the Mechanical Tribe on this.¡± Wendell negated the guess. ¡°Moreover, if they really are survivors of the Mechanical Tribe, they probably would¡¯ve known about the existence of the three superweapons before we dug one of them out. Why didn¡¯t they destroy the superweapons beforehand and instead wait for us to discover them before making a move? Such behavior only increases their risk.¡±

    ¡°Once this matter is over, we¡¯ll go back and discuss it in detail. The main problem now is the level of destruction the superweapon that has already been dug out will suffer after the other two superweapons self-destruct. Whether or not we¡¯ll be able to use it as it is or if we have enough information to create replicas.¡± Sharp stood at the edge of the desert as he looked at the center of it where the superweapons were buried from a distance.

    On the other hand, Lex and the Blood Sac Pirates had already fled to the port.

    ¡°Port, did you challenge Sharp?¡± one ship member asked.

    The other members looked at Lex.

    ¡°I challenged him but was blocked by an old man from the Liberty Alliance.¡± Lex rubbed his nose a little embarrassedly.

    ¡°Muscle Man, just admit it. You¡¯re no match for Sharp,¡± Ulrif said hurtfully beside him without an ounce of mercy.

    ¡°Who says? If it weren¡¯t for that old man from the Liberty Alliance who stopped me, you can¡¯t say who would¡¯ve lost or won!¡± Lex immediately retorted weakly.

    ¡°If it weren¡¯t for that Liberty Alliance¡¯s old man, you would¡¯ve died long ago, wouldn¡¯t you?¡± As Ulrif said this, he projected the video he had recorded earlier.

    Everybody first saw Lex cooly challenging Sharp move before thetter executed an earth-shattering move.

    ¡°Muscle Man, you sure you can take a blow like that?¡± Having watched the recorded video, Ulrif then noticed Lex¡¯s horrified expression. Ulrif paused the video at once, and his tone carried some mockery as he spoke.

    ¡°Ahem ahem, Sharp is a Federal general after all. Boss, you¡¯ll definitely beat him in a few years!¡± Their military advisor Alcher smoothed out the matter at that moment.

    In the middle of the desert, the self-destruction countdown timers of the superweapons finally hit zero.

    At that instant, two rays of blindingly white light shot into the sky and deafening roars sounded.

    Even those who were at the spaceship port and far away from it could clearly hear the two explosions. The sound of the explosions kept going on for close to half an hour. Sandstorms flew over the desert and only calmed under Wendell¡¯s control.

    Army people stood at the edge of the desert with their heads lifted as they watched the two rays of blinding light and quietly waited for the explosion to end.

    The moment the mes dissipated, Sharp made a move. He flew toward the middle of the desert while other Army powerhouses followed him from behind.

    The Army people once again appeared at the excavation site of the superweapons. Having been self-destructed, the two superweapons had been blown into scraps. The only thing that remained were metal pieces all over the ce. As for the superweapon that had already been dug out, half of it was damaged. Arge portion of the main control room had been destroyed. However, it was fortunately notpletely destroyed.

    Just then, the Liberty Alliance¡¯s Vannarab and Grandma appeared yet again.

    ¡°Are you guys here to fight for it or are you just here to take a look?¡± Sharp¡¯s expression was heavy. The two were extremely hard to fight, and there was no inevitable conflict between the Liberty Alliance and the Federal Government.

    ¡°No need. You guys can take the remaining half of the superweapon. From the way it looks, it¡¯s definitely useless. Not to mention, half of the main control room has been destroyed. It¡¯s hard to say if replicas can be made.¡± Upon seeing the superweapon, Grandma was very pleased.

    ¡°Making the superweapons self-destruct was your people¡¯s doing?¡± Although Sharp was not too certain that the other party would admit it, there was no harm in asking.

    ¡°I¡¯ll give you a very clear answer: no!¡± Thinking of the three people she had detected underground before, Grandma beamed sunnily. ¡°We¡¯re leaving now. You guys continue!¡±

    ¡°Your Excellency...¡± A colonel general could not help but say as he watched the two of them leave gleefully.

    However, he was stopped by Sharp. ¡°We can¡¯t make them stay. Besides, they said it wasn¡¯t the doing of the Liberty Alliance. Hence, it wasn¡¯t the Liberty Alliance¡¯s doing. Bring the transportation spaceship over here. We¡¯ll bring back the remains!¡±

 Chapter 93 - I Didnâ€™t Do Anything

    <h4>Chapter 93: I Didn¡¯t Do Anything</h4>

    As the Grey-Faced Buzzard slowly made its way along a new route after leaving Consc, Gu Ding and his crew had yet set where their new destination was. Moreover, the matter of Robert needing Energy Crystals was still under discussion.

    ¡°Neptune, can¡¯t we use an alternative energy source if we aren¡¯t able to find the Energy Crystals that Robert needs?¡± Gu Ding felt that it was easier to find an alternative rather than pinning their hopes on Energy Crystals that they had no clue about.

    ¡°Theoretically, it¡¯s feasible. That¡¯s because intelligent life forms like them should have an intelligent energy conversion system in their body. It¡¯s just that it¡¯s been a long time since the Middle Ages and the present time. Most types of energy ores we have now arepletely different from the ones of that era. Therefore, I¡¯m not sure if his body¡¯s energy conversion system ispatible with them.¡± Neptune thought that the idea was feasible.

    ¡°We can find more energy ores to try it out.¡± Liliath also thought that it was the best they could do. ¡°If one type doesn¡¯t work, we¡¯ll just find another type. If the second type doesn¡¯t work, we¡¯ll just get a third type. We won¡¯t stop until we find one he can use.¡±

    ¡°Alright. Neptune, let¡¯s go to the closest area with the most abundant resources.¡± Since they had decided on the solution, Gu Ding immediately set their next destination.

    ¡°Along our new route, there¡¯s a star sector called the Mayor Sector at the edge of the Dragon Soar Cosmic Nation. That star sector has the most ore deposits out of the entire Dragon Soar Cosmic Nation.¡± Neptune quickly found the ce that had the most ore deposits.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go to the Mayor Sector!¡± Gu Ding grinned.

    While Gu Ding propulsed along their next route, the Federal Government published a list of suspects from the Consc incident.

    ¡°When the incident broke out, there were thirty-two crews that were still on Consc. Out of the thirty-two, thirty of them had at least three crew members, and twenty-three of them wereposed of Interster Pirates.

    ¡°Out of the thirty-two crews, twenty-five of them have eyewitness testimonies. They were either seen by us during the war, seen by the guards that we had sent, or seen by the surveince cameras. It¡¯s safe to say that none of them got to the superweapon.¡±

    ¡°Tell me about the remaining seven crews!¡± ordered a middle-aged man that had a steadyposure. The man was in the pilot¡¯s seat.

    ¡°Out of the remaining seven crews, Gu Ding and Liliath are both new pirates. ording to our information, they have yet recruited a third person. Not to mention, they also had a small conflict with one of our guards who confirmed the number of members in their crew. Therefore, we¡¯ve excluded them from the superweapon self-destructing incident. However, we suspect that the starport tform canopy failure and the leakage of information regarding the superweapons were rted to them.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve checked the records of those two neers. Gu Ding appears to have invaded the Skyriver Sector¡¯s prison system before this. The malfunctioning of the seventy-two armor-piercing cannon as well as the failure of the starport tform canopy system was probably his doing. Although we don¡¯t have definitive evidence that it was him, the two incidents seem too simr to be merely coincidences. It would also mean that the neer¡¯s hacking skill level is quite high.

    ¡°When they were on Consc, Gu Ding made prank calls disguised as the family members of our guards to distract them. At that time, the two guards momentarily forgot about the¡¯s signal shield. When they tried to call back, they realized that the signal shield had been breached. After the signal shield was breached, the starport canopy control system was also hacked. Out of the thirty-two crews, it seems like he¡¯s the most likely to do such things.

    ¡°On the other hand, we¡¯re still not sure how he got the mission name list. Although it wasn¡¯t 100% urate, it¡¯s still very bizarre. That¡¯s because when your lordship tasked Wendell and me toplete the mission, I didn¡¯t know who Wendell had selected and Wendell didn¡¯t know who I had selected. This is before we moved out for the mission. Moreover, we reced that day¡¯s surveince with a new memory chip, and I destroyed the original memory chip. There¡¯s no way they could¡¯ve gotten hold of the surveince video.¡±

    ¡°That means you don¡¯t understand the full potential of those two kids.¡± The middle-aged man looked at the projection that showed Gu Ding and Liliath¡¯s bounty. He stared at the projection for half a second before he said, ¡°Double their bounties. Out of the remaining six crews, which crew is the most suspectable?¡±

    ¡°The most suspectable crew at the moment is The Fated Ones. The crew captain is Destiny. The most suspicious thing about them is that they added an unknown intelligent robot to their crew a few months ago. There¡¯s a chance the robot is from the Mechanical Tribe of the Middle Ages. Furthermore, the robot was only seen at the starport on the first day. As for the remaining two days, the robot was never seen, and they left right after the explosion.¡±

    ¡°Sounds suspicious indeed.¡± The middle-aged man nodded after listening. ¡°Try your best to catch them and make sure they¡¯re alive. Perhaps we may even get some information about the superweapons from them.¡±

    ¡°Captain, the Federal Government has issued a new bounty order!¡± a muddle-headed robot shouted excitedly on a poor shaped ck Crow grade spaceship.

    ¡°Everyone,e and see!¡± called a short and stout man to everyone.

    Wanted Offender: Gu Ding

    Sex: Male

    Age: 15

    Gene Level: Unknown

    Special Ability: Unknown

    Bounty: 160 million Star Credits

    Criminal Offence 1: Heavy destruction of Co¡¯s natural ecological environment, the Gray Star Sector; damaged the¡¯s supply system and destroyedrge amounts of scientific research data.

    Criminal Offence 2: Bombing of the Onassis family mansion on Fengyuan.

    Criminal Offence 3: Destruction of Consc¡¯s starport tform canopy system and distribution of information regarding the Federal Government¡¯s confidential missions and name list.

    ...

    Wanted Offender: Liliath

    Sex: Female

    Age: 14

    Gene Level: Unknown

    Special Ability: Unknown

    Other Abilities: Gunner

    Bounty: 120 million Star Credits

    Criminal Offence 1...

    ¡°Those two neers are so arrogant... The one called Gu Ding has a bounty that surpasses mine!¡± Destiny was dissatisfied when he saw the bounty for Gu Ding and Liliath.

    ¡°Boss, I think your name is at the bottom!¡± someone shouted with excitement.

    Destiny curiously opened thetest bounty order.

    Wanted Offender: Destiny

    Sex: Male

    Age: 35

    Gene Level: Level 6

    Special Ability: Unknown

    Bounty: 1.5 billion Star Credits

    Latest Criminal Offence: Suspected to be the leader of the explosion on Consc.

    ¡°My bounty has increased by tenfold! But I didn¡¯t do anything! I just fixed a spaceship, and all of us drank and slept for two days...¡± Destiny murmured softly as he scratched his head in confusion.

 Chapter 94 - Cheers to Gu Ding

    <h4>Chapter 94: Cheers to Gu Ding</h4>

    As soon as the Federal Government¡¯stest bounty order had been issued, everyone rushed to check it out. Of course, the two groups that cared the most about the bounties were the Interster Pirates and the Interster Hunters.

    Each Interster Pirates hoped that their bounties had increased, while the Interster Hunters began searching for new targets.

    Both Gu Ding and Liliath were also prompted by Neptune almost immediately to check thetest bounty order.

    When Gu Ding saw that both Liliath¡¯s and his bounties had increased, he was a little surprised. However, he quickly noticed the note about histest criminal offenses.

    ¡°Destruction of Consc¡¯s starport tform canopy system and distribution of information regarding the Federal Government¡¯s confidential missions and name list.¡± To be honest, Gu Ding was a little surprised that the Federal Government had convicted him of those crimes because it showed that they were very certain that he had done them. Nevertheless, Gu Ding found it strange that the people in the Federal Government could guess that those incidents were his doing but not the incident of the superweapons self-destructing. Instead, another crew of pirates was suspected of causing the superweapons¡¯ self-destructions.

    ¡°The Fated Ones?¡± Gu Ding could not wrap his head around how the Federal Government had connected the poor pirate crew to the Consc explosion.

    ¡°It looks like someone took the me for us.¡± When Liliath saw the note that said Destiny was suspected to be the leader of the explosion on Consc, she could not help but giggle with her hand over her mouth.

    ¡°It¡¯s a good thing. We¡¯ll be in big trouble if the Federal Government finds out that we were the ones who did it.¡± On the other hand, Neptune felt relieved. ¡°Your current bounties have far exceeded your strengths. It¡¯ll take us at least twenty days to arrive in Mayor Sector. You should take this time to improve your strengths as soon as possible.¡±

    ¡°Gu Ding, can you refine a bottle of E-grade gene enhancer for me? I bought a lot of medicinal materials back in Fengyuan, and I want to take this time to level up to be a Level 3 Gene Body.¡± Liliath had seen Gu Ding refine medicine in Fengyuan, so she was sure that Gu Ding could refine an E-grade gene enhancer.

    ¡°Sure, I¡¯ve got nothing better to do anyway,¡± Gu Ding agreed immediately. However, he raised a question after a short while, ¡°But Lili, are you sure you want to use an E-grade gene enhancer? As far as I know, an F-grade gene enhancer should be enough to level up gene bodies below level 3.¡±

    ¡°My genes are a bit special, so F-grade ones are useless on me. In fact, back when I leveled up from level 1 to level 2, I actually used E-grade gene enhancers,¡± Liliath exined.

    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, it would be better for you to use an E-grade one. It¡¯s just that gene bodies lower than level 3 can¡¯t really withstand the energy impact of an E-grade gene enhancer.¡± Gu Ding nodded after hearing Liliath¡¯s exnation. He had only raised the question because he was afraid Liliath would not be able to withstand it.

    ¡°It¡¯s nice having a pharmacologist around.¡± Liliath happily took out medicinal materials she had prepared earlier. ¡°I have twenty sets of materials here that you can refine. You can refine all of them together and I¡¯ll use the one with the best quality. Then, we can sell off the rest of them.¡±

    ¡°Alright.¡± Although Gu Ding had not expected Liliath to ask him to make twenty sets of enhancers in one go, he epted the task with pleasure.

    The first enhancer that was refined was of perfect quality, and Liliath looked at the color of the medicine in Gu Ding¡¯s hands with wide eyes. It was of authentic grass green color and had no traces of imperfection; it was the color of an E-grade gene enhancer of the best quality.

    Soon after, the second and third bottles of enhancers were refined, both of which were of perfect quality.

    Naturally, Liliath was really excited because it seemed like she was witnessing history in the making. However, her eagerness soon diminished because while Gu Ding was refining the fourth bottle of medicine, the spaceship encountered a small group of meteorites. Even though Neptune had calcted a route to avoid any collisions, they were still hit by two small meteorites which caused the spaceship to shake slightly. As a result, Gu Ding¡¯s fourth bottle of medicine was only of good quality.

    After they had passed the meteorites, Gu Ding¡¯s performance became steady again, and he managed to refine another sixteen enhancers of perfect quality consecutively.

    ¡°Although it¡¯s too bad that a bottle wasn¡¯t perfect, the results are still pretty good.¡± Gu Ding was satisfied with the results of his refining. He pushed the bottles of medicine toward Liliath. ¡°Here, you can keep them for the time being. When the timees, we¡¯ll sell them.¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t we agree that you¡¯d take care of such things until we find a partner who¡¯s good at financial management?¡± Liliath pouted and reached out to take an enhancer of perfect quality.

    ¡°Alright. Neptune, I¡¯ll pass them to you.¡± Gu Ding chucked the remaining neen bottles of medicine into the Inventory. ¡°I¡¯ve decided to entrust you with all our future financial matters.¡±

    ¡°Why do I suddenly have another responsibility? Don¡¯t you know that this kind of behavior is considered childbor and child abuse? I¡¯m clearly underage...¡± Neptune protested.

    ¡°Among the few of us, you¡¯re the best at calction. The moment we find another crew member that has better calction skills than you, we¡¯ll definitely agree to hand over your extra responsibility to them.¡± Gu Ding grinned.

    ¡°You know that¡¯s impossible unless you get a mature Sk to join our crew.¡± Neptune knew clearly that he would never be able to give up his extra responsibility.

    ¡°Speaking of that, when are you going to evolve into your maturity, Neptune?¡± Gu Ding was suddenly reminded of Neptune¡¯s growth.

    ¡°It depends on time and opportunities as well as your gene level. I¡¯ll be able to sense it in advance if I¡¯m about to start evolving. Currently, I don¡¯t feel anything yet,¡± Neptune exined, ¡°We¡¯ll wait until Lili breaks through to Level 3 Gene Body. Then, we¡¯ll get her to imnt an Energy Crystal inside of you after she stabilizes. You¡¯ll perhaps be able to break through Level 3 Gene Body, and my limitations might improve a little.¡±

    ¡°Back then when I broke through to Level 2 Gene Body, did your restrictions improved? I never heard anything about it from you.¡± Gu Ding could not help but ask when he heard the topic about restrictions.

    ¡°There wasn¡¯t a substantial restriction upgrade, but my database improved a little. Perhaps it¡¯ll be a better upgrade this time.¡± Neptune was not satisfied with thest restriction upgrade because it only unlocked some information on secret events that happened during the ancient civilizations; he did not get ess to even the slightest bit of confidential information.

    While Gu Ding and Neptune discussed among themselves, Liliath returned to her room. Liliath found afortable spot on the bed for herself and proceeded to drink the bottle of medicine. In the few hours that followed, she fell into a state of threshold consciousness where she was half-asleep and half-awake.

    On the flip side, in Gu Ding¡¯s hometown, Cerule, the Rose Tavern was having a grand celebration unbeknownst to him. Gu Ding¡¯s bounty portrait was hung high on the wall behind the bar counter. The bounty showed his striking pearly teeth, and a huge print underneath it read one hundred and sixty million.

    ¡°All drinks are on the house today!¡± Auntie Roastbeef who fashioned a ck tight leather outfit raised her ss high. ¡°Cheers to Gu Ding!¡±

 Chapter 95 - Gu Dingâ€™s New Abilities

    <h4>Chapter 95: Gu Ding¡¯s New Abilities</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Gu Ding sat in a lotus position in the corridor in front of Liliath¡¯s room. Although a gene enhancer of perfect quality had a sess rate of ny percent and above, there was still a chance of less than one person that the person would end up with long-term side effects. Although Gu Ding did not think Liliath would fall under that one percent, he thought that Lili would feel more at ease with him by her side.

    On the other hand, Neptune monitored Liliath¡¯s physical condition through her intelligent wristwatch.

    The two-hour wait was a long one, and when Gu Ding heard Neptune¡¯s words that Lili had evolved sessfully, the former¡¯s tension was finally released.

    Liliath exited her room and found Gu Ding standing up. She happily announced, ¡°I¡¯ve sessfully evolved into a Level 4 Gene Body!¡±

    ¡°Wh... what?!¡± Gu Ding was stunned when he heard her. ¡°Level 4? Weren¡¯t you supposed to evolve into a Level 3?¡±

    ¡°Nope, not Level 3, I got to Level 4!¡± Liliath said proudly, ¡°I managed to skip through Level 3.¡±

    ¡°Have your abilities improved as well?¡± Gu Ding had not expected his self-refined medicine to be so effective.

    ¡°Yup. My Pupiry Abilities have be stronger, and I got a powerful move. My body also feels stronger. I¡¯m probably able to use bigger and stronger firearms now as a gunner.¡± Liliath nodded with a smile. Suddenly, she recalled something and asked, ¡°Do you need me to imnt an Energy Crystal in you? I heard Neptune mention about your special genes and E-grade gene enhancers are probably too weak for you to use to evolve right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, my physique isn¡¯t suitable for conventional leveling up.¡± Gu Ding thought of his gene locks and remembered that Neptune had told him people born with gene locks had to break them each time they leveled up. That was why conventional medicine used for leveling up did not do much for him. Every time Gu Ding wanted to level up, he had to use a huge amount of energy to break his gene locks.

    The Energy Crystal of a level 4 genebeast only allowed Gu Ding to evolve from a Level 1 Gene Body to a level 2 Gene Body. That itself was enough to tell how much energy was needed for Gu Ding to level up.

    ¡°Even though we previously got a lot of loot from the virus-infected bodies, we only acquired two level 5 genebeast Energy Crystals.¡± Neptune checked their Inventory and reported the number of Energy Crystals they had left.

    ¡°Let¡¯s imnt them together! I¡¯m afraid that one won¡¯t be enough.¡± Gu Ding thought that it was safer to imnt the two of them together in order to ensure that there was enough energy for him to break his gene locks.

    ¡°Will there be a problem? After all, they¡¯re level 5 genebeast Energy Crystals.¡± Liliath asked Neptune.

    ¡°It shouldn¡¯t be a big problem,¡± Neptune was still unsure what the strange virus Gu Ding had was. Nevertheless, Neptune had no doubt in its ability to engulf things.

    Liliath felt better after hearing Neptune¡¯s approval. She took the two Energy Crystals from Gu Ding and disinfected her hands before starting the imntation process.

    It did not take long before Liliathpleted the imntation. Just like before, she managed to cleanly imnt the crystals without leaving any scars on Gu Ding¡¯s neck. Nevertheless, it was a hard task for Gu Ding to get a scar because of his High-Speed Regeneration physique.

    At the site of the wound, Neptune saw the virus emerge and madly engulf the two Energy Crystals. In less than ten minutes, the two Energy Crystals were swallowed up, and the gene locks in Gu Ding¡¯s body started to crack. At a speed that was visible to the naked eye, the locks were crushed and Gu Ding officially evolved into a Level 3 Gene Body. However, that was not the end of it. A strand of Gu Ding¡¯s gene chain began to change subtly.

    Once everything had settled down, Neptune checked Gu Ding¡¯s body stats.

    Name: Gu Ding

    Sex: Male

    Age: 15

    Gene Level: Level 3

    Special Ability 1: Level 2 Rage Attack (Evolvable)

    Ability Description: Continuous attack power, defense power, speed, recovery ability tripled for 10 minutes.

    Side Effects: Ten hours into Prostration,bat power is halved.

    Special Ability 2: Level 1 High-Speed Regeneration (Evolvable)

    Ability Description: Cell regeneration ability is increased tenfold (Permanent).

    Special Ability 3: Level 3 Damage Stacking (Curse Stream Ability) (Evolvable)

    Ability Description: Causes a cursed effect on the target whereby damage can be stacked. The second blow will be stacked onto the first blow, while the third blow will be stacked onto the first and second blow.

    Cell Index: 300

    Spirit Index: 298

    Battle Prowess: B+

    Mental Cognition: A

    Neptune projected Gu Ding¡¯stest stats. He felt that Gu Ding¡¯stest ability was a bit too much. ¡°It seems like you got Damage Stacking from the Curse Stream... I can¡¯t believe you actually got such an unbelievable ability.¡±

    ¡°You hit 300 points for your Cell Index...¡± Liliath admired another stats of his. ¡°Even though I¡¯m a Level 4 Gene Body, my Cell Index is only 300 points... A 300 point Cell Index is more than achievable for Level 4 Gene Bodies at their peak... But you¡¯re only a Level 3 Gene Body...¡±

    ¡°You guys already know that my physique isn¡¯t like an ordinary person¡¯s, so why are you guys surprised? Anyway, this Damage Stacking should be pretty strong right?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not pretty strong, it¡¯s unbelievably strong. Yes, your Cell Index is at 300 points. Regardless of other additional stats, assuming that the damage you cause with your first blow is 300 points, your second blow will inflict 600 points of damage, and your third blow will hit for 1200 points. Not to mention, that¡¯s before activating your Ultimate Arts, without Rage Attack, and without Combat Armor. Furthermore, such stacking abilities are evolvable. In theter stages, as long as you don¡¯t encounter people with anti-curse abilities, you¡¯ll be pretty much invincible,¡± Neptune exined in detail.

    After hearing Neptune¡¯s exnation, Gu Ding was quite satisfied with his new ability. ¡°Neptune, did your restrictions improve after I leveled up my gene body? Have you unlocked any new restrictions?¡±

    ¡°The restriction I have has been unlocked until the intermediate level. I¡¯m now able to lift some energy type seal locks and bans. Other than that, my detection range has increased tenfold from a radius of one hundred meters to one thousand meters.¡± It was evident that Neptune¡¯s abilities had been upgraded as well. ¡°Hold on, I have some good news. Gu Ding, both Liliath and you are famous now.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re what?¡± Gu Ding asked curiously as Liliath moved her head closer.

    ¡°The Rising Neers Ranking in the Dark Web for this year¡¯s Dragon Soar Cosmic Nation rising neers is out. Gu Ding, you¡¯re ranked third and Liliath¡¯s ranked fifth,¡± Neptune said as he projected the rankings.

 Chapter 96 - Derisisâ€™s Brief Interlude

    <h4>Chapter 96: Derisis¡¯s Brief Interlude</h4>

    On the thirteenth day of Grey-faced Buzzard¡¯s voyage, Gu Ding and Liliath once againnded their spaceship on a with many human inhabitants. That was their third stop during their whole trip. The reason they made a pit stop was that Gu Ding¡¯s cooking was mostly inedible except for his egg fried rice.

    In fact, the two of them had already made their first pit stop by the third day. At that time, the two got carried away eating happily that they forgot to grab some for the remainder of the trip. Because of this, the two of them were forced to eat egg fried rice for five days straight before they finally came across a with human inhabitants. This time around, they made sure to pack enough food for five days during their second pit stop and stored it in the fridge on the spaceship. Coincidentally, the foodsted until their third stop. It was better to get fresh food since the stored food would notst too long regardless of being refrigerated.

    Derisis was an unknown little. The most famous thing that came out of it was an Interster Pirate with a 380 million Star Credits bounty. However, said Interster Pirate was locked up in the federal prison more than twenty years ago and he was just a cook in his pirate crew.

    Even so, such a character had a big impact on Derisis which influenced a lot of youngsters in Derisis to get a career in cooking. As for why they did not choose to be an Interster Pirate, it was mostly because they did not want to end up in federal prison-like the guy.

    Gu Ding liked listening to tavern anecdotes as it was something he grew up with. Ever since he could remember, he would hang around in the Rose Tavern with Dad, and every time someone told a new story in the tavern, Dad would listen quietly while he sipped his binks. He never questioned the legitimacy of the story, and he would never gang up with the others to ask the storytellers to shut it. He had always been a good listener, with a slight grin in his mouth and a twinkle in his eyes.

    Whenever he went to the Rose Tavern, Gu Ding¡¯s favorite stories were the tales of Interster Pirate adventures. Now that he had be an Interster Pirate, his new favorite thing was listening to legendary folklore of every he visits.

    Gu Ding and Liliath chose a tavern near the starport that seemed to be bustling with customers.

    The moment they sat down at a table and arge shadow loomed over them, like dark clouds that block the sunlight. ¡°Good day to these two guests, I will be your waiter for the day. What would you like to order?¡±

    Gu Ding and Liliath looked up at the waiter and simultaneously blinked in confusion. He was a giant man who was nearly three meters tall, covered in muscles from head to toe, and had a giant beard on his face. As scary as he looked, he had the sincerest smile on his face.

    ¡°Uncle, can you wait a moment? We¡¯ll be ready to order soon.¡± Gu Ding and Liliath were a little surprised. After all, a waiter of this size was the first they had ever seen. Even so, the two of them did not think too much of it because they had seen their fair share of abnormal humans and non-humans.

    When the two of them had finished ordering, they passed it back to the buff waiter.

    When the buff man nced at their order, he asked, ¡°Are you sure the two of you want this much? I don¡¯t think the two of you can finish all of this.¡±

    ¡°We ordered portions for three days to pack and take away. We¡¯ll be eating the rest of it here.¡± Gu Ding exined with a grin.

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯ll get the kitchen to prepare the dishes you n on eating here before the others.¡± The buff man nodded and turned away with the menu.

    At that moment, Gu Ding heard someone snickering at a nearby table and said, ¡°Did the boss of this tavern intentionally hire this kind of waiter so people will be too scared to dine and dash?¡±

    ¡°Right? Look at him, that¡¯s probably not even his final form!¡± Another person continued.

    When Gu Ding heard what they said, he frowned slightly, but no one noticed the buff man squeezing his fist when he was almost at the kitchen door.

    ¡°Hey, Biggie. Why are you taking orders so slowly today? Did you skip breakfast?¡± Someone scolded from the kitchen.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, the two guests ordered quite a bit of stuff, so I had to wait a while.¡± The buff man bowed his head and apologized.

    ¡°What¡¯s that look on your face? Are you unhappy with me?¡± The cook snatched the order list and shot a look at Biggie impatiently.

    ¡°No, I...¡± Biggie shook his head and denied.

    ¡°Let me tell you something. If I see that look on your face again, pack up and leave my tavern. If you can¡¯t even do your job as a waiter, don¡¯t even think about being a cook!¡± The cook berated loudly.

    With Gu Ding and Liliath¡¯s listening abilities, they were able to hear the words clearly. They did not expect the waiter that looked so powerful to behave so timidly.

    After a while, the dish was ready and Biggie served the dish to them with the same sincere smile, ¡°Please enjoy your meal.¡±

    ¡°Thank you!¡± Gu Ding nodded with a smile.

    When Biggie heard the words thank you, he looked stunned for a moment before showing an even brighter smile. Suddenly, he remembered, ¡°Oh no, I got so caught up just now that I forgot to tell my boss that your other orders are for taking away.¡±

    He quickly ran to the kitchen window and said, ¡°Boss, the remaining dishes of the two guests are to-go.¡±

    ¡°You idiot, why didn¡¯t you tell me earlier?¡± The cook stopped what he was doing and rushed to yell at Biggie because he had already ted two of the dishes.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I forgot to tell you...¡± Biggie lowered his head and apologized again, ¡°I¡¯ll pack up those two dishes.¡±

    ¡°Do you think apologizing does anything? Do you know how much of my time you¡¯ve wasted? Do you know how much money I could¡¯ve made by repacking those two dishes...¡± The cook scolded him mercilessly.

    The tall Biggie just took everything with his head hung low, not saying a word.

    ¡°This boss has really ruined my appetite. Why don¡¯t we go somewhere else? Liliath took the napkin and wiped her mouth.

    ¡°If we leave now, we¡¯ll give more trouble to Uncle over there.¡± Gu Ding shook his head.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean that we¡¯ll leave without paying.¡± Liliath pouted.

    ¡°You saw how that boss reacted just now. Even if we paid for the food, he¡¯ll probably still get mad. And you know he won¡¯t get angry at the customer; he¡¯ll release his frustration on Uncle.¡± Gu Ding could have guessed what type of person they were by their brief conversation.

    ¡°Then we¡¯ll just have to finish everything before we leave.¡± Liliath thought that Gu Ding was too kind for his own good sometimes.

    When they finished up everything on their tes, Liliath nodded and said, ¡°Even though the boss has a bad temper, I have to admit, his food is pretty good.¡±

    It was alreadyte in the afternoon and the tavern was almost empty. The other two waiters had started to clean up, but Biggie was still stood by the kitchen window, being scolded by his boss while he waited for Gu Ding and Liliath¡¯s takeout.

    Gu Ding and Liliath only had to wait for a bit before Biggie walked toward them with their takeout. Suddenly, he slipped and fell hard onto the ground. Not only were the packed meals scattered across the floor, but a nearby table and two chairs were crushed by Biggie¡¯s huge body.

    Biggie was not hurt but he got up quickly and apologized to Gu Ding and Liliath, ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, I slipped and... your takeouts...¡±

    ¡°Biggie! I¡¯m telling you right now, you¡¯re fired!¡± The boss shouted from the kitchen when he popped his head out to see everything sprawled out on the floor. Immediately, he knew what happened. ¡°And topensate for the tavern¡¯s losses, I¡¯m cutting your sry for this month.¡±

    ¡°Boss... Give me another chance, I promise I¡¯ll do better!¡± Biggie seemed to need the job very much.

    ¡°Get out of my tavern!¡± The boss shouted while he pointed at the door.

    After a moment of silence, Biggie walked out looking distraught with his head hung low...

 Chapter 97 - Biggieâ€™s Past

    <h4>Chapter 97: Biggie¡¯s Past</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Biggie gloomily sat on a bench under a streetmp beside the starport.

    His jobsted less than a month. Although he was scolded every day, it was still a job that allowed him to keep a roof over his head and fed him. Now that he lost his job, he felt lost.

    His body type was different from everyone else and he had to consume way more food than a regr person. That was why he cherished every job he got. Most of the time, when his bosses felt he ate more than his money¡¯s worth, he would be fired.

    Biggie turned his head and spotted the two guests from the tavern. He smiled kindly and said, ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±

    ¡°Your boss was being unreasonable. It¡¯s not your fault you tripped. They had just finished cleaning and the floor was slippery and wet,¡± Gu Dingined on behalf of Biggie.

    ¡°Yeah, those tables and chairs weren¡¯t even worth a penny. The owner was obviously swindling you.¡± Although Liliath admitted that the food was rather good, she disapproved of his character.

    ¡°It¡¯s alright, I¡¯ll just find another job.¡± Biggie scratched his head shyly after hearing them standing up for him.

    ¡°Woah! That cargo spaceship is filled with food!¡± Liliath suddenly saw dozens of cargo ships docking nearby unloading their cargo which mostly consisted of food.

    ¡°Tomorrow¡¯s Derisis Food Festival and there¡¯ll be a carnival party that runs from dusk to dawn. It¡¯s the liveliest time of year in Derisis.¡± Biggie tried to keep his eyes off the ingredients, but his belly betrayed him, rumbling loudly in protest.

    ¡°Uncle, haven¡¯t you had lunch yet?¡± Gu Ding grinned his pearly teeth. ¡°It¡¯ll be our treat!¡±

    ¡°I...¡± Biggie was too shy and wanted to decline the offer, but Gu Ding grabbed his wrist and pulled him up.

    ¡°If you refuse, Gu Ding will be really sad.¡± Liliath lowered her voice and secretly whispered to Biggie.

    Only then did Biggie follow the two to the entrance of a high-end restaurant. When he saw the signboard, Biggie shook his head because he felt out of ce. ¡°It¡¯s alright, I think it¡¯ll be better if I stayed outside.¡±

    ¡°Gu Ding, how about we treat Uncle over here to your signature egg fried rice!¡± Liliath suddenly proposed, ¡°He won¡¯t be so shy if it¡¯s so.¡±

    ¡°Alright! Uncle,e and be our guest on our spaceship!¡± Gu Ding nodded and invited him warmly.

    Biggie was not used to refusing other people and when he saw how enthusiastic Gu Ding was, he had no choice but to agree.

    ¡°This is your spaceship?!¡±

    When he saw the Grey-faced Buzzard, Biggie¡¯s jaw dropped. It had been a long time since Derisis saw that sort of spaceship and many of the locals around the starport took pictures of it as a result of this.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it cool?¡± Gu Ding grinned as he brought Biggie up onto the spaceship.

    When they entered the spaceship, Biggie started to find himself admiring Gu Ding and Liliath¡¯s lives. Their spaceship had a homey feel and it was big enough, even for Biggie. The thing he loved most about the spaceship was the spacious open kitchen, and at that very moment, he suddenly had a strong urge. He wanted to stay.

    However, he soon felt ashamed of his thoughts. His head told him that he did not have any valuable skills and all he would do was eat up their food supply, which would mean nothing but trouble for them.

    Gu Ding quickly got busy in the kitchen while Liliath served Biggie a drink.

    ¡°Make yourself at home. Here¡¯s a drink to get your blood sugar up first, Gu Ding will be done in a jiffy.¡± Liliath turned on the video projection so Biggie would feel more at ease while Neptune switched it to the local frequency band.

    They were showing information about the Food Festival on the screen. Biggie, who felt a little restrained at first, soon rxed a little because most of his attention was diverted toward the projected program.

    With Liliath¡¯s unique observational skills, she quickly noticed that when the cook appeared in the show, Biggie would stare at the cook¡¯s movements. She sneaked into the kitchen and told Gu Ding about her discovery.

    ¡°Lili, are you saying that we should ask Uncle to be our cook?¡± Gu Ding raised his eyebrows. After he gave it a thought, he decided that it was a good idea and said, ¡°Alright, now it only depends whether Uncle agrees to it or not.¡±

    The egg fried rice was served quickly. When Gu Ding considered Biggie¡¯s body size, he guessed that he was a big eater, so he prepared a full pot¡¯s worth of food.

    When Biggie smelled the aroma of the food, he almost drooled. After he thanked the two of them profusely, he began wolfing the whole thing down. The entire pot of egg fried rice was emptied in under two minutes, not a single grain of rice was left.

    ¡°That was really delicious!¡± Biggie gave Gu Ding a thumbs up as he licked his lips.

    ¡°Uncle, would you consider staying as our cook?¡± Gu Ding suddenly offered the position.

    ¡°Your cook?¡± The offer took Biggie by surprise. ¡°But I don¡¯t have any qualifications to be a cook. Furthermore, I¡¯ve only been to a kitchen once all my life, only to be kicked out right after.¡±

    ¡°But your dream is to be a cook, right?¡± Gu Ding¡¯s question struck an emotional chord.

    Biggie fell quiet...

    At that moment, Liliath ced the rice paddle onto Biggie¡¯s hand, ¡°Why don¡¯t you give it a try? If you really think you can¡¯t we won¡¯t force it onto you.¡±

    Gu Ding nodded in agreement.

    Biggie looked at therge open kitchen a few feet away then turned to look down at the rice paddle in his hand, ¡°Well... I¡¯ll give it a try...¡±

    ¡°All of the ingredients are in the fridge. Use whatever you want!¡± Gu Ding shouted at him with his thumbs up as Biggie walked toward the kitchen.

    Biggie racked through his brain for any dishes he had secretly picked up over the years as he rummaged through the refrigerator to find the ingredients for them. There was a variety of ingredients in the refrigerator as prepared by Liliath and that gave Biggie a lot of choices to choose from. Soon after, he picked out three dishes to try his hand at.

    The moment he clenched the kitchen knife in his hands, he was filled with energy.

    When Gu Ding and Liliath heard the speed of the chopping sound created from the kitchen knife colliding with the chopping board, they were surprised, to say the least. They were surprised because Biggie¡¯s chopping sounded professional.

    ¡°Neptune, what do you think of him?¡±

    ¡°I looked up his information. He¡¯s an orphan and was sent to a youth detention center previously for stealing food when he was seven years old. During his time in juvie, he had his first fight which awakened his first ability, Knife Heart. After his ability was awakened, he disappeared for three years. Three yearster, he reappeared in Derisis.

    All his memories of those three years have been erased. The only thing that changed was his body shape.¡± Even though Neptune investigated in detail, he could not find data on where Biggie had gone in those three years.

    ¡°His body size? What do you mean by his body size changed?¡± The statement intrigued Liliath.

    ¡°He was thin and tiny before this, around the same size as Gu Ding. After going missing for three years, he grew more than two meters, bing the muscr man that you see today. His change wasn¡¯t caused by his special ability. In fact, it can only be achieved through long-term exercising and regr medicine shots.¡± Neptune exined.

    ¡°What kind of ability is Knife Heart? Is it rted to knives?¡± Gu Ding was interested in Biggie¡¯s special ability.

    ¡°He can tell everything about a knife in an instant, which is an ability admired by countless people in martial arts. He had managed to master the realm where he is one with the knife at just seven years old.¡± Neptune¡¯s exnation made Gu Ding and Liliath¡¯s jaws drop as they listened in awe. ¡°However, I suspect that his super ability may have been seized.¡±

 Chapter 98 - Actually, Iâ€™m Only Seventeen

    <h4>Chapter 98: Actually, I¡¯m Only Seventeen</h4>

    ¡°Seizing someone¡¯s abilities? I¡¯ve never heard of that. Is it really possible? I always thought it was something made-up ages ago.¡± Gu Ding recalled reading a paragraph on the dark history of the Middle Ages, where it shed light on the Witch Tribe of that time. It was said that the powerhouses of the Witch Tribe possessed the ability, but he had always thought it was just fiction.

    ¡°The dark era of the Middle Ages couldn¡¯t be truer. Plenty of powerful people were captured by the Witch Tribe and had their abilities seized.¡± Neptune confirmed the existence of that part of history.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t the people who do that sort of thing virtually invincible? Someone with just a Natural Stream ability would be capable of ungodly havoc! If they had more than one Natural Stream abilitiesbined, who knows what the limits of their power will be?¡± Just the thought alone sent shivers down Gu Ding¡¯s spine.

    ¡°Even though the seizing ability existed, the risk of seizing one¡¯s ability was extremely high and the sess rate was also very low,¡± Neptune exined.

    ¡°First of all, the seizer must have a micro-level of the psychokinesis ability in order to detect the gene chain in the other party¡¯s body. Secondly, the seizer must know the position of the gene chain for the corresponding ability in the other party¡¯s body. These two conditions alone were enough to deter people from trying.¡±

    ¡°Thirdly, the seizer must understand the corresponding secret method for them. These secret methods weren¡¯t passed down during the Middle Ages due to secrecy. That¡¯s why I¡¯d never guessed that it¡¯d be in the hands of someone in this day and age.¡±

    ¡°Fourthly, the stronger the seizing ability, the greater the price to pay. Abilities like Knife Heart would probably require the seizer¡¯s own life in order for the seizing to be sessful.¡±

    ¡°The fifth point is, even if it is sessfully seized, there is a high probability of a conflict between the ability and the body of the new host. If the conflicts were serious, it may cause arge area of the gene chain to break, leading to the death of the host.¡±

    After Neptune¡¯s thorough description, both Gu Ding and Liliath felt that the sess rate of the seizing ability sounded unreliable. ¡°If the risks are that great, why did so many people from the Witch Tribe try it during the Middle Ages?¡±

    ¡°That group of people chose to risk it all for the sake of strength. Since the first person seeded, countless individuals started imitating the first person, thinking that they will also be lucky enough. This is why humans have always been inferior since ancient times. Humans act on impulse and don¡¯t think things through.¡± Neptune took the opportunity to express his views on humans.

    ¡°Why do you think Uncle¡¯s ability got taken away? Did you find out how he lost that ability?¡± Gu Ding asked curiously.

    ¡°After disappearing when he was seven, the civilian watch on his hand also disappeared. Since then, he¡¯s never worn another intelligent wristwatch. That¡¯s why I couldn¡¯t check his body stats.¡± Neptune was not sure if that was the actual reason. ¡°I only guessed that because his disappearance is simr to several cases during the Middle Ages where everyone who disappeared was kids who had their abilities awakened for less than three days.¡±

    ¡°The group of people nted psychokinesis seeds in the kids who just had their abilities awakened and made them go throughbats and killing so that the corresponding genes in the kids¡¯ bodies would evolve. The entire process took between a few years to a decade. When the ability matures, they would remove the gene chain that was wrapped with the psychokinesis seed and kill the child. Of course, there were one or two children who escaped and managed to expose the practice. That¡¯s why I think Biggie¡¯s case is no different from the incidents in the Middle Ages...¡±

    At that moment, Biggie¡¯s voice came from the kitchen, ¡°I¡¯ve made three dishes. Even though they¡¯re rather simple, I¡¯d like for you guys to try it out.¡±

    They could see that the three dishes were beautifully made, especially evident in the meticulous knifework. Even though Gu Ding and Liliath were not hungry, seeing that got their appetite going again.

    ¡°Lili, remember this? This is the one we had in the afternoon that we liked.¡± Gu Ding pointed at the middle dish.

    Each of them picked up a pair of chopsticks.

    Even though Gu Ding felt that it was slightly different from the ones they had in the tavern, it still tasted decent. While he was trying to find the words to describe it, Liliath spoke up, ¡°A little more than half an hour ago, we had this dish in the tavern. There¡¯s some difference between them in which the dish at the tavern used more seasonings so there was more oomph and had a heavier aroma. On the other hand, since there wasn¡¯t as much seasoning, the dish was lighter, and you can taste more of the ingredient¡¯s original vor. Personally, I like the one you made more.¡±

    Biggie stared nervously at Gu Ding in anticipation of his opinion.

    ¡°I can taste the difference between your food and the ones we had at the tavern. However, my taste buds aren¡¯t as good as Lili¡¯s, so I only categorize food into two groups ¨C good and bad. And I think that the dish you made definitely falls under the good food category.¡± Gu Ding showed his pearly whites with a grin.

    Immediately, the two of them tasted the remaining two dishes and it turned out that Biggie was indeed incredibly talented in cooking. Even though it was his first time cooking after so many years, he was able to make them by secretly learning through the cooks from different taverns. The ce he lived at did not have a kitchen. Furthermore, he never had the money to get kitchenware for practice since all the money he made went toward food, even when it was not enough during most days. As for the kitchens in the taverns, the shop owners never granted him entry in fear that he would steal food as a result of his past.

    ¡°So, it¡¯s decided! Uncle, I¡¯m officially inviting you to join our crew as our head chef! I¡¯ll be your sous chef who does the egg fried rice.¡± Gu Ding grinned as he cheerfully offered.

    ¡°There¡¯s one thing...¡± Biggie suddenly hemmed and hawed, ¡°Actually... I¡¯m only seventeen years old.¡±

    ¡°Seventeen...¡± Gu Ding and Liliath were both stunned. No matter how they looked at him, Biggie looked like he was a middle-aged man in his forties.

    ¡°I just look old...¡± Biggie scratched his head shyly.

    ¡°Alright.¡± Gu Ding and Liliath epted the fact as it was, even though it was embarrassing that they addressed him as Uncle the whole time. They decided to just change the way they addressed him.

    ¡°Biggie, tell us about the Food Festival! It sounds like a lot of fun.¡± Gu Ding also noticed that every time they talked about the Food Festival; Biggie had this yearning look on his face so they guessed that he would want to go.

    ¡°Every year, Derisis¡¯s Food Festival is held in a ce with abundant food ingredients because there¡¯s a challenge that requires thepetitor to catch and cook a live ingredient. To win thepetition, eachpetitor will have to present their special skills and try their best to utilize the highest gene level ingredient. This year, it¡¯ll be held at Lake Laker where it is said to be inhabited by a Level 7 Gene Body giant golden alligator. However, I¡¯m guessing that nobody will be able to catch that guy.¡± Biggieughed naively.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go check it out tomorrow. Biggie, are you going to participate in thepetition? It sounds interesting.¡± Gu Ding encouraged him because he could tell that Biggie really wanted to participate.

    ¡°Nah, the people who join are proper cooks.¡± Biggie hesitated for a moment before he shook his head.

    When Gu Ding saw how Biggie shook his head, Gu Ding did not want to push on so he just grinned, ¡°Let¡¯s go and free-load on food together tomorrow!¡±

 Chapter 99 - The Best Ingredients in Honor of My Bestest Friends

    <h4>Chapter 99: The Best Ingredients in Honor of My Bestest Friends</h4>

    Lake Laker was thergestke on Derisis, shaped like a broad leaf, it spanned over eight hundred thousand square kilometers.

    The annual Food Festival always chose ces with an abundance of resources andrge spaces for the audience. Therefore, Lake Laker was undoubtedly an excellent choice.

    Gu Ding and his gang arrived early at the Food Festival site. The entrance ticket price was steep and cost three hundred Star Credits per person.

    ¡°Biggie, I don¡¯t think Lili and I can eat our three hundred Star Credits worth of food, so it¡¯ll be more worth it if you ate some of our share.¡± Gu Ding looked at Liliath, who was eating her ice cream slowly as he shook his head.

    At that moment, a beautifuldy in a bikini walked toward the three of them and her eyesnded on the ice cream machine behind them.

    Liliath looked at her chest that jiggled with every step. She pouted and tilted her head with contempt, ¡°What¡¯s the use of having such big ones? You can¡¯t even use it as a pillow.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a nice size, don¡¯t you think?¡± Gu Ding said with full honesty when his attention went to the beautifuldy¡¯s chest after he heard what Liliath said.

    Liliath rolled her eyes at Gu Ding, ¡°Get away from me! And don¡¯t eavesdrop!¡±

    ¡°Did I say something wrong?¡± Gu Ding looked at Biggie beside him.

    Biggie shook his head. ¡°I¡¯ve always heard people in the tavern saying that a woman¡¯s mind is hard to read. Perhaps this is one of those times.¡±

    ¡°Biggie, let¡¯s have some steak. Those big steaks are at least twenty Star Credits a piece. You could get your money¡¯s worth if you ate fifteen of them.¡± Gu Ding grinned and pointed at the basin-sized steak on disy at a nearby stall.

    When Biggie saw the crystal-clear grease ooze out of the grilled steak above the charcoal fire, he nearly drooled because it had been a long time since hest ate such a meal.

    ¡°Yo, isn¡¯t this our Biggie?¡± A discordant voice came from behind.

    Gu Ding could tell that the voice belonged to the shopkeeper of the tavern that they visited.

    ¡°It¡¯s only been a day, right? I almost couldn¡¯t recognize you with that suit on.¡±

    At that time, Biggie wore a ck suit and had a dark blue bowtie on. That outfit was chosen by Liliath because a ck suit was subtle, not overly eye-catching, but formal enough. Moreover, wearing ck had a slimming effect so Biggie¡¯s tummy looked smaller. As for the dark blue bowtie, Liliath wanted to add a little embellishment because Biggie looked too serious with his suit on. After Liliath¡¯s constant pestering, Biggie shaved his entire face clean. He looked cleaner and well-groomed without his beard, too. From the forty-year-old look, he could finally pass as a thirty-something, with a rugged yet handsome look.

    ¡°Don¡¯t forget that he¡¯s not your employee anymore,¡± Gu Ding turned around and stared at the shopkeeper coldly.

    ¡°Are you the customer from yesterday?¡± The shop owner had previously seen Gu Ding and Liliath from the kitchen window, so he remembered their faces. ¡°Young man, I advise you not to take him in just because he looks pitiful. He¡¯s nothing more than azy cker who eats more than he works. It¡¯s alright, you¡¯ll find out in a few days. But by then, it¡¯ll be toote to kick him out.¡±

    Gu Ding Silent Stepped and appeared in front of the shop owner instantly. With an intimidating look in his eyes, he said, ¡°Let me give you a warning. Stop ndering my partner or I¡¯ll beat you up!¡±

    The store owner was scared for a while. Although he was a Level 5 Gene Body, he could not tell how Gu Ding moved so quickly. He sneered coldly and turned away.

    ¡°Biggie, you don¡¯t need to be polite to these kinds of people. The more polite you are, the more arrogant he¡¯ll be.¡± When Gu Ding turned back, he patted Biggie¡¯s thigh. At their current height difference, he could only pat Biggie¡¯s thigh.

    ¡°Hehe.¡± Biggie giggled. When Gu Ding defended him, Biggie was touched. However, he was a little worried on the inside. It was not about burdening the two of them by the amount he ate; it was something else.

    ¡°Gu Ding, I have something to tell you,¡± Gu Ding was about to grab a piece of meat cutlet before Biggie pulled him to the corner.

    ¡°Oh...¡± It was the first time Gu Ding saw Biggie being that serious. He guessed that there was something heavy that Biggie wanted to talk about.

    ¡°Despite my physique, I can¡¯t really face humans in battle. But when it¡¯s a beast, I have been able to easily knock down a Level 7 Gene Body since I was ten years old. However, I can¡¯t do anything to humans.¡± Biggie told Gu Ding about his secret, ¡°I don¡¯t know why it¡¯s so. Whenever I try to fight a human, a bloody and terrifying image appears in my mind... In the end, I end up shuddering and shaking uncontrobly.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s alright, Liliath and I been looking for a cook for a long time. Even though my egg fried rice tastes good, we can¡¯t stand eating the same thing for many days at a time. You¡¯re a cook, so just focus on being a good cook. You can leave the rest to us.¡± Gu Ding grinned. When Biggie revealed his secrets, it was an indication of his trust in Gu Ding, and Gu Ding would never let anyone who trusted him down.

    ¡°Trust is equivalent to baring your heart out. When others are willing to give their heart out to you, you should form an unbreakable box, pack it inside of that, and keep it safe.¡± That sentence was told by Dad, and it had been ingrained deeply in Gu Ding¡¯s heart.

    ¡°Gu Ding, I want to prepare a dish for Lili and you during the Food Festival. Although I haven¡¯t figured out how I¡¯ll make it, I¡¯ve decided what ingredients I n on using. It¡¯s the best ingredients you can get from thiske!¡± Biggie smiled. In fact, Biggie has been contemting whether he wanted to do it before he came to the Food Festival. However, upon seeing how Gu Ding reacted when he told him his secret, he decided that he must, and he would. Otherwise, he was sure he would regret it.

    When Biggie said that, he squatted slightly, and then suddenly exerted force. His body sprang out at a speed that was imperceptible to Gu Ding¡¯s eyes. The only thing Gu Ding saw was Biggie squatting followed by a sudden vigorous movement. He even noticed the strange airflow surrounding them but once he saw it, Biggie hadpletely disappeared.

    ¡°He¡¯s a martial arts practitioner with primary power?!¡± Gu Ding had a sudden realization and remembered the masked man that erupted the volcano with a single bullet in Consc. Although Biggie was not yet that strong, he had the same primary power as the martial arts practitioner.

    ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Neptune concurred, ¡°It¡¯s unsurprising for people with the Knife Heart ability to grasp the primary power.¡±

    In less than a few minutes, a deafening roar that sounded like a giant beast came from theke. However, the roar sounded like it was a cry of pain.

    After a while, a giant figure shot out from the water andnded on the shore.

    The entire scene was jaw-dropping.

    ¡°Oh gosh, it¡¯s the giant golden alligator! Look at the ridges on its spine, it has evolved to level 8!¡± A bystander eximed.

    At that moment, Biggie leaped out from the water. He was soaked but his clothes were intact as he walked toward Gu Ding while dragging the giant beast by its tail.

    ¡°I want to get the best ingredients for this Food Festival in honor of my best friends!¡±

 Chapter 100 - Bye-Bye, Derisis

    <h4>Chapter 100: Bye-Bye, Derisis</h4>

    Gu Ding and Liliathpletely did not expect that their newly added member would have such terrifyingbat power. Power that required less than five minutes to kill a Level 8 Gene Body giant golden whilst underwater.

    At Gu Ding¡¯s current strength, he estimated that he would be able to face a Level 7 Gene Body. However, if he met a Level 8 Gene Body, the only thing he could do was run for his life. If Gu Ding was to meet a giant golden alligator underwater, he might just end up as dessert.

    After Biggie went ashore, invisible energy emanated from within him. After a while, his wet clothes werepletely dried.

    As he dragged the giant alligator by the tail toward Gu Ding, he flexed his arm slightly and the giant, thirty-meter long alligator bounced up as if controlled by a strange force,nding precisely in front of the three of them.

    When his palm moved, an invisible delike force shot out from his fingers and swiftly dismembered the body of the giant alligator.

    Biggie cut the tail alone into more than three thousand parts. After that, he proceeded with the limbs, then the torso, andstly the head.

    A fist-sized Energy Crystal was finally taken out and Biggie handed it to Gu Ding.

    The whole process took less than twenty minutes, and all the cooks that witnessed the entire thing were stunned. That was the Level 8 Gene Body giant golden alligator, the creature with leather so tough that no knife could pierce it. However, that same imprable armor was cut through like butter at the hands of Biggie.

    ¡°He¡¯s good!¡± Gu Ding and Liliath looked at each other. Both of them could see the shock in each other¡¯s eyes, and they also estimated that Biggie¡¯s gene-level was at least level 9.

    While Biggie looked at the recipes that Neptune sent to his wristwatch, he happily prepared the big feast.

    ¡°To tell you the truth, I didn¡¯t expect this guy to be this strong.¡± Neptune did not think Gu Ding and Liliath¡¯s new recruit would be that terrifying. It did not matter to Neptune whether there was a cook or not, but he knew they were going to get one sooner orter. Besides Robert and himself, the rest of the crew needed food, so he did not raise any objections when Biggie was recruited.

    ¡°Neptune, do you know how primary power can be practiced?¡± Gu Ding watched the movements in Biggie¡¯s hands and his eyes shed with excitement.

    ¡°Yes, but you can¡¯t practice it yet because your Cell Index must be above 1000 points. Using your primary power prematurely will only damage your cells.¡± Although Neptune said that Gu Ding might be able to practice, Neptune already nned out Gu Ding¡¯s training regimen. Gu Ding would have to wait until he had a Cell Index of at least 1000 points before Neptune would allow him to start practicing his primary power.

    ¡°Even though my Cell Index is only 300 points, I¡¯ve been told that having the regenerative ability will allow my cells to repair at a rate that is equivalent to a person with a 3000-point Cell Index. Doesn¡¯t that mean I don¡¯t have to wait until I¡¯ve reached 1000 points?¡± Gu Ding rebutted, a little unwilling to ept Neptune¡¯s answer. Mostly because he did not know when his next level up would be. When he saw how strong Biggie was with his primary power, he did not want to wait a second longer.

    ¡°You¡¯re right in which your recovery rate is ten times the normal speed, but the strength of your cells is still essentially 300 points. No matter what you say, I won¡¯t teach it to you. I¡¯ll block all information about practicing primary power in both Liliath and Biggie¡¯s wristwatch, as well as all search results from the spaceship. Before your Cell Index reaches 1000 points, don¡¯t even think about it.¡±

    ¡°Gu Ding, Neptune¡¯s right. The training of primary power requires the cells in the person¡¯s body to withstand a high force. A 1000-point Cell Index is the minimum requirement.¡± Liliath dissuaded Gu Ding when she saw how adamant he was being. ¡°In fact, I¡¯ve also wanted to practice my primary power for a long time so I wouldn¡¯t be as ineffective of a gunner. I wanted to have arger impact with my shots, just like the masked man.¡±

    ¡°Fine...¡± Gu Ding gave up after hearing what Liliath said.

    On the other hand, Biggie finished up his first dish, teppanyaki alligator meat.

    Everyone was in awe as they looked at the steamy aroma rise from the burning red iron te. Biggie handed a tasting portion each to Gu Ding and Liliath. ¡°My first dish! Tell me what you think!¡±

    ¡°Wow, it¡¯s delicious!¡± Gu Ding was full of praise after only tasting a bite. Immediately, he helped himself to a full te of meat.

    Liliath nodded non-stop while the chopsticks in her hands rapidly shoveled food into her mouth.

    The crowd around them started drooling as they watched them eat.

    ¡°Everyone,e and try it!¡± Biggie beckoned the crowd to join them.

    The crowd immediately swarmed around them and fought to grab their tableware.

    After that, Biggie continued with his second dish, and then his third... In the end, Biggie had made twelve dishes altogether and all of them were incredibly loved by the crowd.

    By the time he took off his apron, the food was almost gone, but there was still a pile in front of Gu Ding. Many people were eyeing it, but no one dared grab it away from him, mostly because someone tried to do so and was beaten up by Gu Ding.

    ¡°Biggie,e here quickly. We saved some for you, but you need to eat it quickly. These people are crazy! Some of them are snatching food from each other¡¯s bowls!¡± Gu Ding shouted at Biggie.

    When Biggie saw only the bones of the alligator remained, he knew that his meal was a sessful one.

    He sat next to the two of them and gobbled up the food that they had left for him.

    ¡°I¡¯m so full...¡± Biggie ate so much that his stomach bulged out.

    ¡°Lili and I are full, too. I think we¡¯ve aplished our goal for the Food Festival today.¡± Gu Ding grinned. ¡°I think it¡¯s time we return to the starport.¡±

    The three of them stood up and walked toward the parking lot, where they parked their rented car.

    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t go yet! The Food Festival¡¯s not over! We haven¡¯t given out the prizes yet!¡± The organizer shouted at the three of them.

    ¡°It¡¯s over for us!¡± Gu Ding shouted without looking back.

    ¡°But Biggie¡¯s the champion cook for this session¡¯s Food Festival. Can you guys wait a little longer? At least until we give out the trophies?¡± The organizer shouted.

    When Biggie heard the words, champion cook, he was stunned.

    ¡°Since there¡¯s a prize, there¡¯s no harm collecting it before we leave!¡± Gu Ding suddenly stopped in his tracks because he thought Biggie would want to savor the win

    ¡°Let¡¯s just go, it¡¯s nothing but an empty title.¡± Biggie shook his head. He thought that the award was not important.

    ¡°This trophymemorates the birth of our friendship here, and it shows the blessings that your hometown has given to you. Let¡¯s put it in the kitchen!¡± Gu Ding grinned at Biggie.

    ¡°Okay, then.¡± Biggie nodded in agreement upon seeing Gu Ding¡¯s perspective.

    Even though it was an award ceremony, there was only one trophy for the champion. After everyone had a taste of Biggie¡¯s cooking, nobody bothered trying the dishes made by the other cooks.

    After the trophy was given, the three of them returned to the spaceship.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go, Neptune!¡± Gu Ding shouted.

    The spaceship lifted off quickly, and Derisis looked smaller and smaller from the window. Biggie rushed to the window and waved at the green, ¡°Bye-bye, Derisis!¡±

    At that moment, the spaceship suddenly jolted.

 Chapter 101 - Backtracking Upon Space-Time

    <h4>Chapter 101: Backtracking Upon Space-Time</h4>

    ¡°Neptune, what happened?¡±

    Normally, Neptune notifies the team in advance before the hull shakes, allowing Gu Ding and Liliath to brace themselves. But when the ship shook this time, Neptune did not give an early warning and both Gu Ding and Liliath nearly fell down. Instead, only Biggie stood steadily on the ground, as if there was a maic force between his soles and the floorboard.

    ¡°We... seem to have experienced the legendary space-time backtracking ...¡± Neptune¡¯s tone sounded grave.

    ¡°What is space-time backtracking?¡± Gu Ding thought it sounded a bit unpleasant.

    ¡°Space-time backtracking is a very rare phenomenon of disordered space-time phenomena that urs in the universe, which makes the time and space of a certain area in the universe go back into the past. The coverage of the area may berge or small andrge ones may cover the entire star field. Small ones might only happen to a small vige on a certain. The time backtracked also varies byrge amounts. Sometimes it may be hundreds of years ago, sometimes it may be tens of billions of years ago.

    ¡°This phenomenon would also cause a space loop which we can¡¯t escape, and people outside can¡¯te in, so all we can do is wait patiently.¡±

    ¡°How long will this phenomenonst?¡± Gu Ding asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s possible that it¡¯dst for a few minutes to a few days. Generally, it isn¡¯t too long, so everyone shouldn¡¯t be nervous.¡± Neptune himself felt a little helpless. After this phenomenon urred, themunicationwork hadpletely failed, and he could not get any new information. He did not know what time period they had backtracked to.

    ¡°If we have experienced space-time backtracking, why haven¡¯t any changes happened to us?¡± Liliath wondered.

    ¡°When space-time backtracking urs, some people or things will exist as variables. They are the things that remain unchanged during space-time backtracking. Other people and things would be reced as constants, such as Derisis... ¡± Neptune¡¯s words led Gu Ding and his colleagues to look out the window.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that Derisis?¡± Biggie looked incredulously out of the window where Derisis was. It was reced by another huge, which was at least a thousand times the size of Derisis.

    ¡°That should be Derisis, or to be more precise, what used to be Desiris billions or even tens of billions of years ago. The you guys just left was the meteorite left behind after the cracked,¡± Neptune exined.

    ¡°If a significant enough event were to take ce whilst we were experiencing this phenomenon, would the real timeline disappear forever? Wouldn¡¯t that make it a catastrophe every space-time backtracking urred?¡± Liliath considered this problem.

    ¡°After the present timeline is reced, the original timeline will be squeezed into a parallel space and continue to exist in another form. They won¡¯t even know that space-time backtracking has taken ce. Only those who became variables would know it had happened.¡±

    Just then, the hull suddenly shook again.

    ¡°Everyone be seated, I mustnd the spaceship!¡± Neptune¡¯s voice sounded nervous. ¡°Otherwise, we will have trouble!¡±

    At this time, Liliath had seen the source of the trouble that Neptune was talking about from the window. It was a giant that was about the size of the original star of Derisis. Its huge head and long tail caused it to resemble a giant blue tadpole. ¡°That¡¯s... a star monster?!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a giant blue whale monster. It usually eats meteorites and often, metal meteorites, so it will also attack human spaceships.¡± Neptune exined, ¡°We mustnd as soon as possible, otherwise the Grey Eagle will be eaten by it.¡±

    Looking at the giant monster¡¯s mouth, a frightening burst of air shot out from its mouth, sweeping all the surrounding meteorite fragments into its mouth. Everyone¡¯s hair stood on its end. If the Grey Eagle were attacked that way, it would definitely not be able to escape.

    Neptune maneuvered the spacecraft and soonnded it on the nearest green. Greens were usually lush with nts, which made it suitable for the sustainability of life.

    After the spacecraftnded, Neptune was able to pinpoint their point in time; they had traveled back 14.6 billion years.

    Neptune¡¯s initial suggestion was that the three of them should remain in the spaceship and wait for time to go back, but Gu Ding felt it was too boring. He decided to use this time to look for the veins on the to see if there was an energy ore that Robert could make use of.

    The three of them got out of the spacecraft and were in a good mood because the oxygen content here was extremely high and there were no pollutants either.

    Through the analysis of the soil quality, Neptune had likely guessed the types of veins on the. Based on the condition of the veins, it was not difficult to calcte the location of these veins.

    ¡°This kind of ore is called Earth-Fire Crystals, which is produced by absorbing the energy from earth fire all year round. It is a type of energy ore.¡± Neptune exined, ¡°You can try putting it into Robert¡¯s body.¡±

    Taking out the metal ball that Robert turned into, Gu Ding put an Earth-Fire Crystal on it.

    One minute, two minutes... they waited for fifteen minutes without any response.

    ¡°It seems that this kind of ore is useless.¡± Gu Ding shook his head. ¡°Let¡¯s continue to look for other ones.¡±

    ¡°There is a giant monster with an eighth-order geneing in this direction, all of you please hide for a bit!¡± Neptune¡¯s detection radius had increased to one kilometer. In this environment, the advantage was muchrger than before.

    The three heard the words and sprang up into arge tree, covering their bodies with the dense foliage.

    A giant beast soon appeared. It was a giant cat with a body length of more than 20 meters. Its movements were frighteningly swift; a walking death sentence wrapped in a body of fur.

    ¡°It¡¯s so beautiful!¡± Liliath could not help utter in admiration.

    At this moment, the cat¡¯s ear flicked twice, and then its eyes fell on the tree where the three of them were hiding. It dashed over.

    Gu Ding and Liliath fled as fast as they could, but Biggie leaped into action. His speed was faster than that of the feline¡¯s and immediately appeared under the big cat¡¯s throat. His left hand was like a knife and he lifted it high. Chaotic energy shot out instantly, directly cutting into the big cat¡¯s throat. The beast immediately froze.

    Gu Ding and Liliath saw this scene and they were both a little shocked. It was indeed surprising that Biggie had killed the giant golden crocodile before, but everyone had only seen the results and assumed there was a tussle. But now it was clear there was not the slightest chance that an eighth-order gene monster could attack Biggie. It was a feline animal that was the strongest of the eight-order gene-monsters in regard to speed and response.

    ¡°Are you all right?¡± Biggie handed the energy crystal beads from the cat¡¯s body to Gu Ding.

    ¡°I¡¯m okay, but that eighth-order genome, with mine and Liliath¡¯s current strength, we would not have stood a chance.¡± Gu Ding shook his head, he still felt that his strength was insufficient.

    ¡°Just leave it to me!¡± Biggie smiled sincerely.

    ¡°Biggie, let them handle any gic beast of less than eighth-order. Don¡¯t take intervene. Let it be an opportunity for the two of them to train in actualbat!¡± Neptune¡¯s voice suddenly sounded in all three of their ears.

    ¡°I happen to think so too!¡± Gu Ding nodded with a grin.

 Chapter 102 - Encountering the Magic Race

    <h4>Chapter 102: Encountering the Magic Race</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Gu Ding hid in arge tree and stared closely at a canine-like animal through the dense foliage.

    The daunting creature, with a length of more than ten meters and covered in ck fur was lying on the ground, ripping apart its food. The sound of bones crunching in its mouth every few seconds.

    Predators were the most alert when eating and it was also the time when they were the most easily provoked. Because food was everything to them, they would even resort to killing their own kind for food.

    However, this time it was not the predator, but Gu Ding who was lurking not far away.

    Predators who were fully focused on eating were still not vulnerable because they instinctively stay on guard, but Gu Ding still waited. Then, it made a fatal mistake. It bit too big a mouth and a long bone lodged itself in its throat.

    Gu Ding sprang into action. His ultimate art of the level 7 limit exploded with full force, his body swooped down from the branch andnded steadily on the head of the giant beast. With one foot nted on the giant¡¯s neck, a huge force suddenly erupted from Gu Ding¡¯s foot, passing through the body of the giant beast.

    ck!

    The sound of a crisp bone fracture quickly passed through Gu Ding¡¯s ears. The beast then lost all vitality instantly.

    A 300-point cell index, power ten times the regr amount of the ultimate arts of the Level 7, two times the increase in armaments, and three times the increase of the Level 2 Rage Attack. All of these factors allowed Gu Ding¡¯s one Phantom Kick to have an attack power of 18,000 points, instantly obliterating the armor of the seventh-order gic monster.

    ¡°I did very well this time, there was no need for a second attack. I killed it with one hit.¡± Biggie nodded with satisfaction. ¡°It¡¯s been more than half an hour and you have grown from being the hunted into the hunter. Your martial arts skills are simply perfect for hunting.¡±

    The three had been wandering through the dense jungle for over half an hour. What had just been hunted by Gu Ding previously was the third seventh order geno body. Based on the way things stood, his actualbat ability appeared to have made considerable progress.

    When he fought in the past, he used to n out his attacks as well as how he would evade his opponents. But with Biggie¡¯s advice, Gu Ding adopted a new yet simple approach¡ªhow to kill his opponent in the shortest time.

    Of course, Gu Ding¡¯s fighting talent was exceptional. In just half an hour, he had basically mastered the key to realbat.

    The energy crystal beads were dug out of the monster¡¯s brain, Gu Ding then threw them into the storage space, and continued to walk into the depths of the jungle. Liliath and Biggie also followed.

    Enemies below Level 7 were the targets for Liliath¡¯s training.

    There was no problem with her marksmanship and her awareness inbat was also particrly good, but her pupiry abilities were not exerted very much, so Neptune allowed her to exercise the use of her pupiry abilities.

    A day of practice passed quickly. Apart from encountering an eighth-order gene body on the way which Biggie took care of, the rest of the encounters were handled by Gu Ding and Liliath.

    The progress made by the two surprised Biggie.

    The night was getting darker and the three finally stopped moving forward, nning to rest and set up camp for the night.

    Upon finding an open space, the three lit a bonfire. Biggie cut the meat, set the barbed wire, and began to roast.

    ¡°It seems that space-time backtracking hassted all day.¡± Liliath looked at the surrounding environment, there was not much change. She was slightly worried.

    ¡°If you imagine the universe as a game, then space-time backtracking is a bug in the game. Once it is detected, it will be repaired at the very first moment. Rest assured, this phenomenon of space-time backtracking has never been heard tost more than 3 days,¡± Neptune saidfortingly.

    ¡°It¡¯ll do us good if we can enjoy two more days of actualbat practice.¡± After a day of actualbat, Gu Ding felt that his strength had improved. It was not the improvement inbat effectiveness but rather the change inbat methods that made him stronger.

    The presence of campfires and the overwhelming aroma of meat quickly attracted a number of carnivores.

    This situation was used as a means of real-lifebat exercise by Gu Ding and Liliath. The battle between the two and the horde of creatures continued untilte into the night, until a mysterious mist arose. Other creatures seemed to detect something terrible as they approached, and then fled. Within a minute, the area surrounding the campsite went dead silent.

    The three of them were not at all sleepy and only grew more vignt.

    ¡°What exactly made those powerful beasts so scared?¡± Liliath frowned slightly. She had turned the firearm in her hand into the most powerful nuclear reactive canon, enough to level a small town.

    ¡°It¡¯s humans, they are starting to get close!¡± Neptune soon detected the other party¡¯s movement. ¡°There are more than thirty people, wearing animal robes, presumably residents of this.¡±

    The white mist became thicker and thicker. Gu Ding and Liliath felt their consciousness began to fade and only then realized that the mist was poisonous. But it was toote and the two copsed onto the floor.

    Biggie also felt a little dizzy and then realized that there was something wrong with the mist. After picking up Gu Ding and Liliath, he attempted to run away. But it seemed that the whole forest was covered in the mist. He could not escape and soon fainted.

    When Gu Ding regained consciousness, he found that he was tied to a big tree with a special rattan. He tried to break out a few times, but the rattan remained strong.

    ¡°No need to struggle anymore, even I can¡¯t even break free from it,¡± said Biggie helplessly not far away.

    At this moment, Liliath finally woke up. ¡°Who the hell are those guys? Why would they catch us and tie us up?¡±

    ¡°These people are a magic tribe...¡± Neptune¡¯s voice rang in the ears of the three.

    ¡°The magic tribe who strengthened themselves by seizing other people¡¯s abilities back in the middle ages?!¡± Gu Ding frowned. This was definitely not good news.

    ¡°Yes, we are very unlucky! Even our spacecraft was discovered by them, but with their power, there is no way for them to damage our spacecraft, nor can they enter it.¡± They could not tell whether this piece of news from Neptune was good or bad.

    ¡°Biggie, have you tried cutting these rattans with your primary power?¡± Gu Ding asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know why but my primary power can¡¯t be used. It feels like it has left my body.¡± Biggie was also depressed.

    ¡°This rattan has been used by them as a means of dampening magical powers and has the ability to block all forms of energy, including true elements and various other special abilities. This is the method of the magic tribe, which is why they¡¯re capable of capturing stronger people back in the Middle Ages.¡± This exnation by Neptune waspletely worse.

    ¡°If I guessed right, our abilities will soon be taken away by someone and then we¡¯ll be thrown into the wilderness.¡± Liliath pouted as if to mock herself.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, there may be room for us to turn things around.¡± Gu Ding was silent for a moment but suddenly asked, ¡± Neptune, can you help me trante?¡±

    ¡°No problem, I will block your voice outter, and then interpret it to them directly. As for what they say, I will also ry it to you.¡± When the three of them were unconscious, Neptune had heard and recognized thenguage used by the magic tribe, it was a standard ancientnguage that existed in the database.

    ¡°Perhaps, we can try talking to them.¡± Gu Ding tried to remain optimistic

 Chapter 103 - Two Conditions

    <h4>Chapter 103: Two Conditions</h4>

    The moment the three of them woke up, the door that had locked them in was pushed open. Then, a woman in a beast fur coat stepped through the door with a tray in her hands.

    The woman¡¯s face was painted with strange colored stripes, so it was hard to tell how old she was. One could tell from her eyes that she was very wary of the three of them. Her eyes were pinned on them from the moment she entered the room, all the way until she brought their food that was on the tray to them.

    She immediately turned to leave after she had put down the tray. It was as if she did not want to stay even a moment longer.

    ¡°Hey, I want to talk to your high priest! I hope that you can pass on my message for me,¡± said Gu Ding suddenly. The woman was taken aback.

    ¡°You can speak ournguage?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right, so I hope we can talk.¡± Gu Ding was hopeful that they had a chance.

    ¡°There¡¯s no use. All of you will be offered as sacrifices for our great god tomorrow. So, enjoy yourst meal.¡± Upon hearing her words, Gu Ding was stunned.

    ¡°I¡¯m a pharmacologist. I personally think that my partners and I can be of good use to your tribe. I hope you can ry my message because I think he¡¯d be interested to meet me.¡± Gu Ding tried his best to see if he could get a chance.

    ¡°A pharmacologist?¡± The woman hesitated a little when she heard his profession because it was a highly respected profession in most ces. After giving it some thought, she asked, ¡°What kind of grade is the medicine you make?¡±

    ¡°I mostly make E-grade medicines, but I can refine D-grade medicines as well,¡± Gu Ding lied.

    ¡°The grades of your medicine are too low. You won¡¯t be of any use to us,¡± the woman said as she opened the door, ready to leave.

    ¡°My teacher was a very prestigious A-grade pharmacologist, he was perhaps only a few steps away from bing an S-grade. I learned all sorts of medicinal forms from him. You can tell that to your high priest, I¡¯m sure he¡¯d be interested to meet me,¡± Gu Ding shouted at the door.

    The woman had closed the door behind her and none of them knew whether she heard Gu Ding.

    With the help of Neptune¡¯s trantion, Liliath and Biggie were able to understand the conversation Gu Ding had with the woman. From what they heard, the conversation had not ended well.

    ¡°What does it mean to be a sacrificial offering for their god? Liliath asked after a moment of silence.

    ¡°If a beast is to be sacrificed, it¡¯ll be killed on the spot. On the other hand, if a human is to be sacrificed, the person¡¯s limbs will be nailed on a high cliff with Magic Sealing Nails until they die on their own. They usually don¡¯t sacrifice humans because once a person is sacrificed, their abilities cannot be taken. The only way they can take a person¡¯s abilities is if the person¡¯s body is fully intact. They do so as a sign of respect toward their gods. The only reason why they would sacrifice humans is that a major crisis is going on within their tribe, requiring them to pray to their gods for protection.¡± Neptune¡¯s database did not have many records about the Witch Tribe.

    ¡°We have to find a way to escape!¡± Biggie told Gu Ding and Liliath immediately. ¡°If I manage to get out of this rattan rope, we can escape.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s useless, their high priest is a Level 12 Gene Body. The fog that you guys had encountered previously was his doing. Our spaceship is with them, so there¡¯s no way we can leave this.¡± Neptune was aware of their situation.

    ¡°Is waiting for our time toe to an end the only thing we can do now?¡± Liliath asked.

    ¡°Their high priest is heading toward your direction. Let¡¯s see if you guys can find an opportunity a chance to get out of this.¡± Neptune suddenly said.

    The three of them immediately kept quiet and waited patiently.

    After a while, the door was pushed open once more and a thin old man stepped into the room. He was short and of darkplexion. His face was full of various colored stripes. In his right hand, he held a short and thin wooden cane.

    ¡°Young man, I heard that you wanted to talk to me?¡± The old man¡¯s hoarse voice that was like a dried-up riverbed was unpleasant to one¡¯s ears.

    ¡°Yes, Your Reverence Priest.¡± Gu Ding could not feel the high priest¡¯s breath, it was as if thetter was just a piece of lifeless wood. Hence, Gu Ding was unable to tell what the high priest wanted from them and whether he was hostile or not.

    ¡°Tell me, what is it that you can do?¡± The old manid his emotionless, ck-colored eyes on Gu Ding.

    ¡°I know that your tribe doesn¡¯t normally sacrifice human beings, so I figured your tribe must be in some kind of trouble. I don¡¯t mind lending a hand.¡± Gu Ding stared right into the old man¡¯s eyes without showing a hint of fear. Since the old man had agreed to talk, it meant that his tribe was at its wit¡¯s end and possibly open to doing anything.

    ¡°That¡¯s very bold of you to assume that!¡± The old man paused for a moment right after speaking. Then, the two pairs of eyes locked for half a second as if the old man was trying to find out if Gu Ding had any secret intentions. Nevertheless, all the old man saw was open honesty.

    After a while, the old man finally said, ¡°Fine. 80 bottles of D-grade purification medicine and 500 bottles of E-grade purification medicine. Each of them will have to be at least ultimate quality. This is my only offer. Will you be able to do so?¡±

    ¡°As long as you have the needed materials, I should be able to do it.¡± Gu Ding did not have a single item required for purification medicine refinement on him.

    ¡°Materials won¡¯t be a problem!¡± the old man said as he stood up to leave.

    ¡°I have two conditions!¡± Gu Ding suddenly said.

    The old man narrowed his eyes and stared at Gu Ding. After sizing him up, he said, ¡°Do I look like some kind of negotiator to you?¡±

    ¡°The first condition. You have to promise that you¡¯ll allow us to take our spaceship back and leave safely without any harm once I finish refining all the medicine,¡± Gu Ding ignored the old man¡¯s question and stated his first condition. ¡°If the condition cannot be met, then I¡¯m sorry but you¡¯ll have to wait until you find another pharmacologist.¡±

    Neptune did not want to trante Gu Ding¡¯s words as they would only anger the old man further. Nevertheless, Gu Ding had repeatedly stated that Neptune had to trante everything the former said. Hence, since Neptune had agreed to it in advance, he was forced to trante Gu Ding¡¯s remarks.

    ¡°I can agree to that condition, but I¡¯m warning you, don¡¯t push your luck!¡± The old man grinned, but a threat was hidden beneath his smile.

    ¡°The second condition is that I want an Energy Crystal from the Mechanical Tribe.¡± When Gu Ding voiced that condition out loud, he was a little nervous. It was not because there was a chance that the old man would be angered, but more so about whether they had an Energy Crystal.

    ¡°We don¡¯t have that item.¡± The old man had thought that Gu Ding would demand an exorbitant price. Little did he know, that all Gu Ding wanted was a mere Energy Crystal from the Mechanical Tribe.

    ¡°Alright, I just wanted to ask. I was thinking it would be great if your tribe had one. You don¡¯t, but it¡¯s fine.¡± Gu Ding nodded.

    The high priest moved his finger, and the rattan rope that bound Gu Ding loosened itself. ¡°Come with me.¡±

    Gu Ding stood up and looked at Biggie and Liliath who were still tied up.

    ¡°They¡¯ll be fine,¡± the old man said casually after noticing Gu Ding¡¯s gaze.

    ¡°Old man, can¡¯t you at least untie our hands? How are we supposed to eat if we¡¯re tied up like this?¡± Liliath protested. Fortunately, Neptune changed her tone to sound gentler when he tranted her words.

    The old man¡¯s finger moved once more and their tied up hands were released. Then, he turned and walked out of the room.

    ¡°Just hold on for a bit more. If I¡¯m able to refine the medicine, I¡¯ll try to get all of it done by tomorrow night,¡± Gu Ding made an estimation based on his current speed of medicine refinement.

    The old man was a little surprised but said nothing when he heard Gu Ding. All the old man did was push open the door and go out with Gu Ding behind him.

 Chapter 104 - The Irreversibility of History

    <h4>Chapter 104: The Irreversibility of History</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    When Gu Ding stepped out of the room, he realized that the room they had been in was merely a tent, and everyone else lived in tents of different sizes.

    Gu Ding was a little curious as to why the old man wanted him to refine purification medicine. Nevertheless, his question was soon answered when he saw everyone of the Witch Tribe in a strange state. Each one of them looked like they were in pain.

    ¡°My name is Oldman, and I¡¯m the high priest of this tribe. For some reason, our tribe has been cursed and everyone is now suffering from pain. The curse has also greatly shortened the longevity of our ethnic group. Level 1 Gene Bodies have had their lifespans shortened to one-tenth of their original lifespans, while Level 2 to 5 Gene Bodies have had their lifespans shortened to one-fifth of their original lifespans. The curse has caused a lot of the young people in my tribe to die... Since you¡¯re able to refine D-grade medicines, Level 7 Gene bodies and below can be saved. As for those who are level 8 and above, you don¡¯t have to worry about them,¡± the old man exined slowly as he walked with his cane.

    ¡°Are you sure purification medicine is of use to treat this kind of curse?¡± It was the first time Gu Ding was hearing about a curse that shortened the lifespan of humans. The curse sounded powerful and purification medicine might not be enough to cure them.

    ¡°Yes, although the curse sounds powerful, it was unleashed in a specific area. Hence, its power is rtively weak after being spread out to everyone. Therefore, it¡¯s something that can be purified by purification medicine.¡± Oldman nodded.

    He brought Gu Ding to a tall, thin man. Oldman introduced the man, ¡°This is Lawton. He¡¯ll take you to a medicine refinement room where you won¡¯t be disturbed in. If you need any materials, you can just look for him. Lawton, this is our guest pharmacologist, please assist him with everything he needs.¡±

    Lawton was tall, thin, had dark skin, and looked like he was in his early twenties. He looked at Gu Ding. ¡°But, Your Reverence Priest, he looks...¡±

    ¡°Lawton, Mr. Gu Ding is a genius pharmacologist.¡± Oldman interrupted Lawton before thetter could finish his sentence. ¡°Take him to the refining room!¡±

    While following Lawton, Gu Ding felt that something weird going on. They were in a ce from 14.6 billion years ago, and their wanted orders could not have been shown to anyone there. Moreover, none of them had told anyone in the ethnic group what their names were. The question was, how did Oldman know Gu Ding¡¯s name?

    After a while, the two arrived at the medicine refinement room. It was a single separated tent that was quiet but had all the equipment needed. With the help of Neptune, Gu Ding hand wrote a list of materials and handed it to Lawton. Since the words used by the tribe at that time werepletely different from the ones Gu Ding knew, Gu Ding wrote down words ording to what Neptune showed him despite not understanding anything.

    Lawton took a look at the list and did not raise a question. He turned around and left the tent.

    ¡°Neptune, how credible were the people of the Witch Tribe during the Middle Ages?¡± Gu Ding wandered around the room and found no guards.

    ¡°You finally asked,¡± Neptune smiled upon hearing Gu Ding¡¯s question. ¡°Do you think a race that ughters humans whenever they want, uses humans as sacrifices, ores up with various ways to eat human flesh, would actually negotiate with humans? In other words, would humans negotiate with hog beasts?¡±

    ¡°But doesn¡¯t the Witch Tribe belong to part of the human branch?¡± Gu Ding could not wrap his head around it.

    ¡°There are many human branches, but there are many human branches that do not consider themselves humans anymore. Some examples are the Witch Tribe, the Giant Tribe, and the Murloc Tribe...¡± Neptune said bluntly, ¡°To be honest, humans have never been a likable kind.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s put the topic aside for now. I already promised those guys to refine purification medicines for them. I need to get it done by tomorrow night... You should¡¯ve stopped me from promising them such a thing.¡±

    ¡°If I had stopped you from making a promise with them, the three of you would be nailed to the cliff and fed to the raptors tomorrow morning. With Liliath¡¯s body size, she¡¯d probably die within an hour. For Biggie? Maybe three hours or more. And you? Without your High-Speed Regeneration, you¡¯d probablyst one and a half hours before your internal organs get torn out by those birds of prey as they enjoy their delicious meal.¡± Although Neptune¡¯s description was gory, he spoke the truth. ¡°The only way you guys could¡¯ve bought more time to live longer was by negotiating with them!

    ¡°Take your time refining. Once the space-time backtracking ends, all of this will be over,¡± Neptune said, ¡°It¡¯s the only way. I doubt you can escape with a Level 12 Gene Body around. The only thing you can do now is wait for the space-time backtracking to end.¡±

    ¡°Is there really no other way?¡± Gu Ding asked unwillingly because Neptune¡¯s suggestion was too passive.

    ¡°From what I see now, there isn¡¯t!¡± Neptune said.

    Not long after their discussion ended, Lawton walked in with a boy that looked to be around nine years old. The boy was holding a pile of medicinal materials.

    ¡°This is only a portion of the materials. Arthas and I will go and get the rest of the materials in a few more rounds. In the meantime, you can start refining now.¡± Lawton did not take Gu Ding too seriously.

    ¡°Big brother Lawton, can I stay to watch him refine?¡± The kid seemed interested in medicine refinement.

    ¡°Your name is Arthas?¡± Gu Ding was startled when he heard his name.

    ¡°I just made aparison with the data records. He matches the description of Arthas, the first Witch Tribe god in the Dragon Soar Cosmic Nation both in time and space,¡± Neptune whispered in Gu Ding¡¯s ear.

    ¡°That¡¯s right, I¡¯m called Arthas!¡± the blond kid answered confidently.

    ¡°Arthas, don¡¯t try to ck off!¡± Lawton reprimanded.

    Arthas reluctantly followed Lawton out of the tent.

    ¡°Is it a coincidence that we¡¯re here?¡± Gu Ding frowned slightly. ¡°Arthas looks like he¡¯s almost ten years old. Presently, he¡¯s only a Level 1 Gene Body. If he¡¯s cursed, he won¡¯t live past ten years old. Why is it that we space-time backtracked to this very moment... right here...¡±

    ¡°Do you think that space-time backtracking was created by humans?¡± Neptune voiced Gu Ding¡¯s thoughts out loud. ¡°Although it makes sense, as far as I know, even gods aren¡¯t able of doing such things.¡±

    ¡°Whether it¡¯s a coincidence or not, if we cure this Witch Tribemunity, history will definitely repeat itself. Arthas will be a god,mand the entire universe, enve humanity, and extract abilities from human powerhouses for his own sake... It would mean that I yed a part in the dark part of history...¡± Gu Ding found such a thing difficult to ept.

    ¡°It¡¯s history, it already happened, you can¡¯t change it!¡±

    ¡°What if I kill Arthas? Then the whole thing won¡¯t happen, right?¡± Gu Ding asked.

    ¡°History that has taken ce is irreversible. If you kill this Arthas, there will be another Arthas that will do the same thing. Even if this ethnic group goes extinct because of the curse, there will be another ethnic group with a young man named Arthas that will make the entire thing repeat itself.¡± Neptune¡¯s exnation was able to calm Gu Ding down a little.

    ¡°Alright! Since I can¡¯t refuse to treat them, the only thing I can do now is to make them pay enough for this treatment!¡± Gu Ding narrowed his eyes slightly.

 Chapter 105 - The Mighty Witch Tribe God

    <h4>Chapter 105: The Mighty Witch Tribe God</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Under Neptune¡¯s control, several small-sized insect robots flew out of the tent where Gu Ding was located to search for valuable things in other tents nearby.

    Although Neptune was able to detect everything within a kilometer of Gu Ding¡¯s location, taking things into their bag was another matter. Under his detection range, Neptune still needed a medium to touch the corresponding items in order to store it in their Inventory. At that time, insect robots were their best choice.

    While the insect robots went off to do their job, Gu Ding started refining the medicine.

    By the time Lawton and Arthas came back, Gu Ding had refined a tube of medicine. It has to be said that Gu Ding had already slowed down his refining speed to try his best.

    When Lawton saw the color of the medicine, he was a little surprised. ¡°Perfect quality?!¡±

    ¡°Seems like a lucky day!¡± Gu Ding casually replied. His hands did not stop as Gu Ding continued to refine the second tube of medicine.

    Lawton and Arthas brought more medicinal materials over to the tent.

    After entering and exiting the tent four times, the two of them finally fulfilled the list of medicinal materials that Gu Ding had requested. By that time, Gu Ding had finished refining five bottles of medicine, all of which were of perfect quality. Lawton was a little stunned when he saw it.

    ¡°Can I stay?¡± Arthas was obviously interested in medicine refinement as he looked at Lawton with wishful eyes.

    ¡°It depends on whether mister pharmacologist agrees to it or not. Your presence may affect his work.¡± Lawton was not sure about leaving Arthas there. Arthas was a genius in the tribe even though he was just a Level 1 Gene Body. As for the pharmacologist of unknown origin, Lawton was still wary of him.

    ¡°As long as you don¡¯t disturb me. If you do, I¡¯ll kick you out,¡± Gu Ding said with a nk expression. Gu Ding did not like Arthas since he was going to be a god in the future. After all, Arthas was going to cause a lot of harm to humans in the Middle Ages.

    ¡°Mister pharmacologist, I promise to watch by the side.¡± Arthas looked at him with the same hopeful expression.

    Gu Ding nodded. Arthas was still an ordinary kid, so Gu Ding had no intention of making it hard for him.

    Arthas sat quietly in the corner of the room as he stared closely at Gu Ding¡¯s hands so that he would not miss a thing. Gu Ding ignored him and focused on refining the medicine.

    By the next morning, Gu Ding had refined more than one hundred and fifty bottles of medicine. Only two out of all those bottles were of ultimate quality, the rest of them were of perfect quality.

    Gu Ding looked up to see where Arthas was. Arthas was still seated in the corner with his eyes wide open, and he was looking at Gu Ding with admiration. ¡°You¡¯re so good.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡± Gu Ding was very happy to hear Arthas praise him. Gu Ding had not expected Arthas to stay up all night to watch him refine medicine without making a sound.

    ¡°Are you interested in medicine refinement?¡± Gu Ding could not help but ask.

    ¡°Yep!¡± Arthas nodded vigorously.

    ¡°Do you want to try it? E-grade might be a bit difficult for you, so you can start with F-grade first,¡± Gu Ding said as he picked out several kinds of materials and started to refine them. Under less than two minutes, Gu Ding managed to refine a bottle of F-grade Cell Enhancer.

    ¡°Find a ce and try it out yourself. Don¡¯t try to refine it here, you might cause an explosion and affect all the medicines that I¡¯ve refined.¡± Gu Ding threw a handful of materials toward Arthas and sent him out of the tent.

    Arthas took the materials and left the tent in great excitement.

    At that time, Lawton was on his way over to Gu Ding¡¯s tent when he saw the materials in Arthas¡¯ hands. He frowned and said, ¡°Arthas, where did you get those materials from?¡±

    ¡°Master Pharmacologist gave them to me. He even taught me how to refine an F-grade Cell Enhancer.¡± Arthas looked very happy.

    ¡°You were there all night?¡± Lawton could not help but ask.

    ¡°Yeah. Master Pharmacologist is very good at medicine refinement. He managed to refine most of the medicine to perfect quality,¡± Arthas praised Gu Ding as if he worshipped him.

    When Lawton heard that, he stopped asking questions and rushed into the tent. When he saw piles of perfect quality medicineying around on the ground, he was a little stunned. ¡°It¡¯s no wonder the high priest said that he was a pharmacologist genius...¡±

    ¡°I already used up quite a lot of my spirit, so it was hard for me to focus on thest two bottles. I¡¯ll rest for an hour. You can wake me up when the timees and I¡¯ll continue refining.¡± Gu Dingid down on a bench made out of rattan and slowly closed his eyes.

    Lawton initially wanted to refute and ask Gu Ding to continue his work. However, seeing the perfect quality medicines, he decided to keep his mouth shut. He turned to leave the tent and headed right for the high priest¡¯s tent.

    ¡°He managed to refine more than one hundred and fifty bottles of medicine in one night, and almost all of them are of perfect quality!¡± Lawton reported the matter to the high priest in his tent.

    ¡°I know.¡± The high priest did not seem surprised by Gu Ding¡¯s medicine refinement ability. ¡°Just keep an eye on him. If anything happens,e straight to me.¡±

    Lawton soon exited the tent.

    Then, the high priest¡¯s finger moved and the tent¡¯s door immediately closed shut. Next, the high priest took out a golden chalice and ced it respectfully on the ground in front of him. He proceeded to take a knife out, shed his wrist, and allowed his crimson blood to flow into the chalice.

    When the blood began in the chalice began to overflow, he moved his fingers over his wound and it healed in an instant.

    Subsequently, he began to speak in strange tongues that could not be understood.

    About a few minutester, the amount of blood in the chalice began to decrease slowly, and a ck mist slowly started to condense above the chalice.

    ¡°The great Witch God, please guide us!¡± The high priest knelt respectfully on the ground.

    ¡°Regardless of whether the amount of medicine refined is enough, kill the three outsiders before sunset tomorrow. I can onlyst until then for this time¡¯s space-time backtracking...¡± The ck mist was erratic and a weird voice was heard from it.

    After that, the blood in the chalice dried uppletely and the ck mist dispersed into the air.

    What the high priest was unaware of was a mosquito hadnded on a ss just a few steps away and witnessed the entire scene.

    Neptune had seen everything through the mosquito robot. He thought about it for a moment before he told Gu Ding about it.

    ¡°This space-time backtracking is man-made?¡± Gu Ding was puzzled. ¡°But didn¡¯t you say that even gods aren¡¯t able of doing this kind of thing?¡±

    ¡°Some gods are weak and some gods are strong. This Witch God in particr seems like a very powerful existence. To be honest, I never thought a god of this caliber existed.¡± It waspletely out of Neptune¡¯s data records. That was why he had the wrong impression regarding the matter. If it were not for Robert¡¯s robots, the three of them would not have known what they were going to have to face.

    ¡°Before sunset tomorrow... How are we supposed to escape from a Level 12 Gene Body?¡± Gu Ding frowned.

 Chapter 106 - The Armyâ€™s Meeting

    <h4>Chapter 106: The Army¡¯s Meeting</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Gu Ding asked Neptune to notify Liliath and Biggie regarding the matter of the Witch God so the two of them coulde up with a solution as well. As for Gu Ding himself, all he could do was slowly refine the medicine while thinking about a countermeasure.

    What the three of them did not know was that the night they went missing, a video had gone viral like crazy on Sk.

    The protagonist of the video was none other than one of Gu Ding¡¯s crew members, Biggie. In the video, Biggie was seen hunting a giant golden alligator down and then slicing it in half like tofu with his hands.

    The Federation Army had taken a look at the video and even worked overtime to examine it throughout an entire night.

    ¡°How did that big man do it? That was a Level 8 Gene Body giant golden alligator, a genebeast which defense capabilities are ranked top 2. Not to mention, he cut it like tofu...¡± A person from the Army who had seen the video could not wrap his head around it.

    ¡°His primary power has a special attribute which allows him to tear his enemy apart. Moreover, he has great control over his primary power.¡± As a swordsman, Sharp could clearly tell that Biggie was a top-tier swordsman. ¡°To a certain extent, he¡¯s probably as good as me.¡±

    ¡°Since he¡¯s able to kill off a Level 8 Gene Body giant golden alligator underwater, it probably means that he¡¯s at least a Level 9 Gene Body at his peak strength, or even a Level 10 Gene Body. However, it seems like other than his superb swordsmanship and powerful physical strength, he hasn¡¯t shown any of his other abilities. Hence, we can¡¯t determine what his true skill level is, nor can we determine his actualbat strength.¡±

    ¡°From the videos posted and the surveince cameras, we can deduce that the guy has joined Gu Ding¡¯s crew.¡± Their lord had told Sharp that he did not understand Gu Ding enough. Hence, Sharp had started investigating the new guy. ¡°I¡¯m sure everyone has heard of the neer, Gu Ding. A martial arts practitioner and a top-tier hacker that acts boldly regardless of the consequences. Compared to old guys whose worths we¡¯re all familiar with, this neer is more dangerous because we don¡¯t know what he¡¯s capable of.

    ¡°Currently, he has two other crew members. One of them is Biggie whom we just saw in the video, the one with amazing fighting power. The other one is Liliath, a gunner. One of our men fought with her previously, and thement given was that she¡¯s currently the gunner with the most potential among all the other neer gunners in the Dragon Soar empire. That description excludes her other abilities.

    ¡°In addition to that, Gu Ding¡¯s spaceship is a first-generation Grey-faced Buzzard that has two anti-matter cannons...¡±

    ¡°Sharp, are you sure you want to waste your time on this neer?¡± Wendell interrupted Sharp with a nk expression. Wendell had been in a bad mood ever since he lost one of his men some time ago. ¡°I think it¡¯s more important to find out what¡¯s the whole thing with the masked man. That guy killed one of our colonel generals!¡±

    ¡°Wendell, we¡¯ll talk about the masked manter. Everyone is working overtime today to discuss the big man in the video,¡± said a slender, tall woman who had red hair.

    Unexpectedly, Wendell did not refute and seemed a little scared of her.

    ¡°Sharp, continue what you were saying. I¡¯d like to hear more about that man,¡± the red-haired woman said as she licked her lips, ¡°Strong men that cook are my favorite...¡±

    Sharp ignored herments and continued to talk about Gu Ding.

    The surveince cameras outside the starport showed that Gu Ding¡¯s crew had left Derisis after they finished what they were doing in the Food Festival. However, strangely enough, ording to the observation of a local, he was looking at Gu Ding¡¯s spaceship through his astronomical scope when he saw it disappear into thin air.

    The astronomy enthusiast near the starport had taken a video of it with his telescope. In the beginning, he took interest in Gu Ding¡¯s Grey-faced Buzzard and wanted to record down the spaceship¡¯s flight process.

    The contents of the video showed the Grey-faced Buzzard sessfully lifting off into the sky. However, as the spaceship was seen leaving Derisis¡¯s atmosphere, it gradually shrunk smaller and smaller before it suddenly disappeared from the screen. In search of the spaceship, the lens was then seen being moved around. Nevertheless, it was unable to catch even a glimpse of the Grey-faced Buzzard.

    ¡°It just disappeared out of thin air?¡± The red-haired woman looked disappointed.

    ¡°What do you guys think happened?¡± Sharp looked at the other people who were present.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t see the appearance of a wormhole, nor did I see the spaceship prepare for a hyperspace jump...¡± A colonel general frowned. ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem like it was hit by something either.¡±

    ¡°Even if we rey this video a hundred times slower, the same thing will be seen. It disappeared out of thin air,¡± Sharp said as he reyed the video at a slower speed.

    ¡°Could it be that some kind of cultural relic in their vicinity was activated, and it sucked them inside?¡± someone guessed.

    ¡°That¡¯s unlikely. Other spaceships that took off at around the same time as the Grey-faced Buzzard didn¡¯t encounter the same thing.¡± Sharp shook his head, he had already read all of the information about the incident beforehand.

    ¡°Maybe a crack in spacetime coincidentally happened at that time, causing them to fall inside it.¡±

    ¡°There were no signs that a spacetime crack urred. Even if a crack in spacetime had urred, it would¡¯ve healed instantly and left residual space fluctuations around it. We already sent people over to investigate and no one found any fluctuations around the area.¡± Sharp shook his head again.

    ¡°Could it be that they¡¯ve encountered space-time backtracking?¡± the red-haired woman voiced out her guess, ¡°Although the phenomenon is rare, it has happened before. There¡¯s a chance that they went into it.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s actually possible!¡± Sharp fell silent for a moment as he searched his mind for all kinds of information on space-time backtracking. He thought that it was the only answer that could possibly exin the whole thing.

    ¡°They must be really lucky. For all we know, they could be receiving a warm wee from ancient mankind as we speak. Think about the heritage they¡¯re going to bring back from the ancient civilization.¡± A federal colonel general sighed.

    What those people from the Army did not know was that their guess about Gu Ding¡¯s crew having encountered space-time backtracking waspletely correct. However, their guess about what kind of situation Gu Ding¡¯s crew was in waspletely wrong. Not only did Gu Ding and his crew not receive the hospitality of ancient humans, but they had encountered the horrible medieval Witch Tribe; their lives were on the line.

    Gu Ding continued to refine more medicine while Arthas, who he had given medicinal materials, was in his own tent. Thetter was trying to refine the Cell Enhancer he had learned from Gu Ding.

    His first bottle was a failure, and it caused a small explosion that almost blew up his tent. However, he seeded in refining a high quality Cell Enhancer on his second bottle. On his third bottle, he managed to refine a bother of ultimate quality medicine. Atst, he was able to refine a sessful perfect quality Cell Enhancer on his fourth bottle..

 Chapter 107 - A Bottle of Black Medicine

    <h4>Chapter 107: A Bottle of ck Medicine</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Inside one of the Witch Tribe¡¯s tents, a tiny mechanical insect was seen probing around without being noticed by anyone. In the primitive jungle, it was normal for all kinds of insects to be around. Hence, no one would suspect a thing since insects had never brought much trouble.

    Nevertheless, it was not a typical insect nor was it a typical situation.

    As long as Neptune managed to lock onto an item that was within his detection radius, the mechanical insect only had tond on the object and it could remotely store the item in the Inventory. In under just a few hours, Neptune got those mechanical insects to steal dozens of items that he thought would be useful.

    After checking many of the tents, Neptune shifted his focus to targeting the treasures of the Witch Tribe. He did this because he had detected that there were many valuable items in the tribe earlier on.

    ¡°Neptune, how¡¯s it going?¡± Gu Ding asked in a whisper as he refined the medicine.

    ¡°Very sessful, the people of the Witch Tribe aren¡¯t that concerned about bugs. It¡¯s probably because they¡¯re used to it. I¡¯ve swept through all of their tents, including Oldman¡¯s tent. I took all of the valuable items and two more insect robots are infiltrating their treasure troves as we speak,¡± Neptune brought good news.

    ¡°Have you found anything that could improve our strength? Be it weapons, medicine, or anything,¡± Gu Ding asked. He had not thought of how he would escape from the Level 12 Gene Body. However, anything he could use to increase his strength would increase his chances of escaping.

    ¡°They always carry their weapons with them. As for medicine, I haven¡¯t found any yet. Even though this ethnic group has its own pharmacologists, their levels aren¡¯t very high. Otherwise, they wouldn¡¯t have allowed you to help them in refining purification medicine.¡± Neptune had not yet found their medicine troves. ¡°Nheless, it¡¯s possible that they might have some medicine inside their treasure troves. I¡¯ll get the robots to check it out.¡±

    ¡°Forget about merely checking it out, sweep clean their treasure troves!¡± Gu Ding made a bold decision. ¡°Perhaps it¡¯ll buy us a little more time.¡±

    When Neptune heard Gu Ding¡¯s decision, he was stunned. However, he could guess why Gu Ding wanted him to do so. ¡°Got it. I¡¯ll start the looting process.¡±

    In the Witch Tribe¡¯s treasure trove, two insects that were smaller than the size of a thumb pped their wings as they flew around. Each time theynded on an item, the item would disappear into thin air.

    After a while, half of the items in the Witch Tribe¡¯s treasure troves were gone.

    At that moment, Neptune saw a tube of medicine that was ck all over. Normally, ck medicines were taboo. When Neptune saw the energy seal on the medicine bottle, it further confirmed his spection.

    Neptune took the bottle of medicine and contacted Gu Ding.

    ¡°ck medicine? With an energy seal?¡± Gu Ding immediately guessed what kind of medicine it was, ¡°It has to be taboo medicine, the kind that gives the user forbidden power.¡±

    ¡°Even though one can gain forbidden power by sessfully absorbing it, the mortality rate of such kinds of medicine is very high. ording to historical data I have, taboo medicine has only been mentioned about thirty-seven times dating from the olden days. Moreover, there¡¯s only one record of a user surviving after using it. Thirty-five people were pronounced dead due to broken gene chains, and the strongest one of them was a Level 14 Gene Body,¡± Neptune read the data he had found pertaining to taboo medicine.

    ¡°I¡¯m guessing the person who survived was merely a Level 2 Gene Body, right?¡± Gu Ding knew about the matter. ¡°Perhaps the lower one¡¯s gene level, the higher chances of surviving.¡±

    ¡°The thirty-five people who died ranged from Level 1 to Level 14 Gene Bodies.¡± Neptune added, ¡°There were also individual differences amongst the thirty-five such as luck and other factors. We can¡¯t rush to conclusions yet.¡±

    ¡°Neptune, did the person who survived at that time gain energy immunity from the taboo energy?¡± Gu Ding asked as he was a little uncertain. This was because it had once been a rumor. Neptune was probably the only one able to confirm the truth with his records in his database.

    ¡°Yes. Energy immunity, the ability to be immune to damage caused by all sorts of energy. The ability is extremely terrifying, and at its matured state, the person can be immune to aging. ording to my database, the person who obtained this power four billion years ago is still alive until now...¡± What Neptune said gave Gu Ding goosebumps. ¡°The terrifying part of taboo energy is that even gods cannot resist it. That was how the name ¡®taboo energy¡¯ got coined.¡±

    ¡°Neptune, help me unlock the seal on that bottle of medicine.¡± Gu Ding made his decision. ¡°This is perhaps the only chance we have to escape from this ce.¡±

    ¡°I refuse!¡± Neptune had never denied Gu Ding¡¯s request before with such straightforwardness. ¡°The probability of death is too high. Don¡¯t risk it. We¡¯ll find another way.¡±

    ¡°You said that the guy survived because he had luck and his body was different, right?¡± Gu Ding tried to persuade Neptune, ¡°We already know that my body is very different from other people. Even though I¡¯m only a Level 3 Gene Body, my Cell Index is alreadyparable to that of a Level 5 Gene Body. Not to mention, I¡¯ve always been lucky. I met you, Lili, Biggie, got the Grey-faced Buzzard, and even got away from Consc right under the nose of two federal generals...¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t bring it up again! I will never agree to such a thing!¡± Neptune refused.

    ¡°You know, we won¡¯t have a chance tomorrow. Oldman is a Level 12 Gene Body. He can kill all three of us with the slightest move of his finger. He¡¯s not stupid. He won¡¯t let us escape via space-time backtracking. I mean, the whole thing was nned by them.¡± Gu Ding¡¯s tone was calm. He had already run through all the possibilities in his mind. There was no way of escaping their situation because their opponent was too powerful.

    ¡°Just give me a little more time...¡± Neptune fell silent for a moment before he finally said, ¡°If I still can¡¯t think of a way by tomorrow noon, I¡¯ll open the seal for you.¡±

    Neptune¡¯s voice sounded weak. He had finally found something beyond his control, and he did not know what to do. Neptune knew that Gu Ding was right. He had simted every possible event based on their current situation as well. No matter how he calcted the matter, the current probability of the three of them sessfully escaping was zero. Even though he did not want to give up that easily, he did not want to put all their hope on a bottle of medicine with unknown properties.

    ¡°Fine. Tomorrow noon it is, then.¡± Gu Ding fell silent for a moment before he clenched his fists. ¡°Trust me, I¡¯ll definitely survive and bring everyone out of this hellhole!¡±

 Chapter 108 - Taboo Energy that Frighten Even the Gods

    <h4>Chapter 108: Taboo Energy that Frighten Even the Gods</h4>

    With each second and minute that passed, Neptune began to dread the inevitable more and more.

    The Witch Tribe¡¯s entire treasure trove had been lootedpletely. Apart from the bottle of ck medicine, Neptune could not find something else that gave Gu Ding and the others hope to escape the ce. By that time, Neptune had simted the whole thing at least a thousand times, and he always got the same result whereby all three of them died each time.

    ¡°Neptune...¡± Gu Ding looked at the time disyed on his wristwatch. ¡°It¡¯s noon.¡±

    Although Neptune was reluctant, he knew that it was the only way. He retrieved the bottle of ck medicine from the Inventory and unlocked the seal on it. Then, the invisible energy that sealed the bottle slowly began to dissipate.

    Gu Ding held up the bottle of medicine, took a deep breath, pulled out its stopper, and then drank it in one go.

    Gu Ding did not feel any abnormalities within seconds of drinking it. However, when the medicine slowly reached his abdomen, Gu Ding felt as if a bomb had been ced inside his body. Energy began to surge through his entire body, and he felt a wave of shock ovee him, stunning him at his core for a brief period of time.

    Then, his brain went nk for a few seconds. However, when Gu Ding was on the verge of death, Neptune witnessed the virus in Gu Ding¡¯s body appear out of nowhere. The virus soon started to devour the taboo energy.

    The very first moment Gu Ding regained consciousness, he felt severe pain and every cell in his body was in agony. Nevertheless, apart from the pain, Gu Ding felt nothing else. Hence, Gu Ding persisted in keeping himself conscious and did not allow himself to pass out because he assumed that if he did not do so, he would probably never wake up again.

    Under such pain, each second felt like thousands of years to Gu Ding, and he could not tell how much time had passed.

    Neptune observed the virus in Gu Ding¡¯s body continue to engulf the taboo energy for almost half an hour before thetterpletely disappeared. It was only at that time did Gu Ding¡¯s pain start to cease.

    Neptune silently took note of the changes in Gu Ding¡¯s body. Soon, he saw one of Gu Ding¡¯s gene chains beginning to mutate. The tiny gene chain began to turn ck, and just like ink on a white piece of cloth, the ck gene chain spread its color to nearby gene chains, staining each of them ck.

    The energy did not seem like it was going to stop spreading any time soon. Upon seeing this, Neptune began to feel very worried. Within mere seconds, one of the two double-helix gene chains in Gu Ding¡¯s body had two-thirds of it stained ck. Nevertheless, it still did not look like it was going to slow down.

    ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± There was no other record of taboo energy in Neptune¡¯s database. After all, he still had restrictions ced over him, and there was special information that he could not ess yet. When he saw the changes in Gu Ding¡¯s body, he started to feel anxious.

    Gu Dingid on the ground, motionless. Gu Ding¡¯s body no longer felt like it was his own after all the pain he had just faced, so much so that he could not even control his blinking, let alone speak.

    The staining only seemed to stop after his entire gene chain had turnedpletely ck. It was then when Neptune realized the big difference between Gu Ding¡¯s ckened gene chain and his original gene chain.

    At that moment, Gu Ding regained control of his body.

    ¡°Neptune, can you check my body stats?¡±

    Neptune immediately projected Gu Ding¡¯stest body stats:

    Name: Gu Ding

    Sex: Male

    Age: 15

    Gene Level: Level 3

    Special Ability 1: Level 2 Rage Attack (Evolvable)

    Ability Description: Attack power, defense power, speed, and regeneration are all tripled continuously for ten minutes.

    Side Effects: Ten hours into Prostration,bat effectiveness is halved.

    Special Ability 2: Level 1 High-Speed Regeneration (Evolvable)

    Ability Description: The regeneration rate of cells is increased by tenfold (permanently).

    Special Ability 3: Level 3 Damage Stacking (Curse Stream Ability) (Evolvable)

    Ability Description: Causes a cursed effect on the target whereby damage is be stacked. The second blow will be stacked onto the first blow, while the third blow will be stacked onto the first and second blow.

    special ability 4: Absolute Seal (Level 1 taboo energy) (Evolvable)

    Ability Description: An absolute seal effect can be ced on any living body via the sense of touch. It is able to seal all energies of the opponent, including primary power, special ability, cell energy, spirit, and any other form of energy.

    Ability Limitation 1: Seal duration: ten hours.

    Ability Limitation 2: Each use must be more than 30 days apart.

    Ability Limitation 3: Not effective for non-living entities.

    Ability Limitation 4: Only can be ced on a single body.

    Cell Index : 300

    Spirit Index: 298

    Battle Prowess: B+

    Mental Cognition: A

    When Gu Ding saw the new ability he had gained, he was shocked. The ability sounded like one that had the capability of frightening even gods. If Gu Ding managed to seal the energy of a god, they would be no different than an ordinary person. In fact, they could then even be killed by an ordinary person. The most terrifying thing about the ability was that it could be evolved. For example, the duration of the seal could be longer, its interval use time could be shorter, and it would be possible for it to be a ranged seal.

    Neptune was also taken aback by Gu Ding¡¯s new ability. As an artificial super-intelligence life, he knew very well how terrible it was to seal a life form. Not only did it mean that Gu Ding could now seal gods, but he could probably seal non-standard super life forms like Neptune himself or Sk.

    ¡°It seems like we¡¯ve been saved!¡± Gu Ding immediately had a new n in mind.

    ¡°All we have to do is seal Oldman, and Biggie will be able to block the rest of them with his strength.¡± There was finally a solution to Neptune¡¯s biggest concern. ¡°Other than Oldman, there¡¯s only one Level 10 Gene Body and two Level 9 Gene Bodies in the Witch Tribe. Since they¡¯re under the curse, theirbat strength should be half their normal state.¡±

    ¡°My only concern now is whether Biggie will be able to do it...¡± Gu Ding knew that Biggie yed a key role in the escape n. ¡°You know that he¡¯spletely unable of finding humans, right? That¡¯s because he has mental obstacles that prevent him from doing so.¡±

    ¡°What if he doesn¡¯t fight but merely escapes with the two of you? Shouldn¡¯t he be able to do that?¡± Upon hearing Gu Ding¡¯s reminder, Neptune recalled Biggie¡¯s condition from the conversation Gu Ding and Biggie had prior to this.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know...¡± Gu Ding was not sure how serious Biggie¡¯s mental obstacles were. However, he was sure that Biggie was the key to sess in their escape.

    ¡°Let me talk to him,¡± Neptune suggested after a moment of silence.

 Chapter 109 - Youâ€™re My Hostage

    <h4>Chapter 109: You¡¯re My Hostage</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Neptune had a discussion with Biggie that did not go very well. There was either mimunication between the two or Biggie simply could not let go of his mental obstacles. When Neptune told Biggie they needed him for the escape, Biggie fell silent. Neptune exined their current situation and told him what he had to do in detail. However, all he heard in response from Biggie was silence.

    ¡°Neptune, are you able to lift the spell on us?¡± Liliath suddenly asked. She had been listening in on their conversation the entire time.

    ¡°Yes, the forbidding spell is a type of energy seal that I¡¯m able to remove.¡± Neptune wondered what Liliath was up to. ¡°Should I lift the spell on the rattan ropes as well?¡±

    ¡°Nope, just the forbidding spell on me will do. You don¡¯t have to lift Biggie¡¯s spell either.¡± Liliath exined, ¡°I have a special ability that will allow Biggie to temporarily forget about his mental obstacles.¡±

    Biggie who had been silent this entire time turned to look at Liliath. ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°It should be possible, but I¡¯ll need your cooperation.¡± Liliath was not too sure whether the method was feasible. ¡°I have a special ability called ck Hypnosis where I¡¯m able to force other creatures to be hypnotized and control all their actions. Neptune, you can lift the forbidding spell on me.¡±

    ¡°Right now? Your ability can¡¯tst that long, right?¡± Neptune was aware that a powerful ability often had more limitations.

    ¡°It can onlyst for up to three hours, and I lose allbat power when I¡¯m using the ability. After those three hours, mybat power will also be halved,¡± Liliath told them about the side effects of the ability.

    Neptune factored in Liliath¡¯s hypnosis ability as a variable before calcting the feasibility of their n. After a while, he said, ¡°There are still six hours before the space-time backtracking ends. If no one from the Witch Tribe realizes that their treasure trove is empty, there will be at least five hours before theye and get us. That¡¯s because Gu Ding has yet reached the amount of purification medicine to be refined. If you hypnotize Biggie now, Biggie won¡¯t be able to fight after three hours, and yourbat power will also be halved at that time. Since Gu Ding can neither escape by himself norst until the space-time backtracking ends, all three of you will die. So Lili, wait a little longer. After three hours, I¡¯ll lift the forbidding spell on you. At that time, our chances of escaping will be much higher.¡±

    ¡°Three more hours?¡± Liliath nodded after listening to Neptune¡¯s exnation. ¡°We¡¯ve been waiting here for a few days. What are a few more hours?¡±

    ¡°How are things over there? Did you manage to talk Biggie into it?¡± Gu Ding asked after he heard Neptune end the call.

    ¡°Not really, he was silent the entire time.¡± Neptune did not know how to handle Biggie¡¯s mental obstacles. ¡°But Lili came up with something. We¡¯llunch our n in three hours.¡±

    Gu Ding nodded and continued to refine more medicine.

    About two hourster, there was amotion outside the tent.

    ¡°There are peopleing over, there¡¯s more than one of them,¡± Neptune alerted Gu Ding in his ear.

    After a while, Lawton charged into the tent with two other Witch Tribe warriors. When they saw Gu Ding still refining medicine, he walked around the tent as if he was looking for something.

    ¡°If you have something to say, then say it. You¡¯re disturbing me from refining medicine.¡± Gu Ding guessed that someone had probably found out that their treasure trove had been emptied. Since Biggie and Liliath were still bound with rattan ropes under forbidding spells, it made sense for them to put Gu Ding on top of the suspect list.

    ¡°Outsider, did you really think that we wouldn¡¯t notice the theft youmitted right under our noses?¡± Lawton stared at Gu Ding as if he was trying to find out if he was innocent or not from his subtle expressions.

    ¡°I haven¡¯t stepped foot out of this tent for days. If you look at the number of bottles of medicine I¡¯ve refined, you¡¯d know that it¡¯s true. I mean, is it even humanly possible to refine medicine to perfect quality while stealing? In order to refine medicine to perfect quality, it requires all of a pharmacologist¡¯s focus and energy. If a pharmacologist is distracted even slightly, they will be unable to refine medicine of perfect quality. If you doubt me, you can bring me to your high priest.¡± Gu Ding was not lying since it was true that he had not stolen anything. He really had been refining medicine the entire time in that tent throughout the past few days.

    ¡°Good, His Reverence High Priest wants to see you too.¡± Although Lawton was a bit suspicious, he did not dare jump to conclusions yet. ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯d lie in front of him.¡±

    ¡°Lead the way!¡± Gu Ding was looking for an opportunity to meet the high priest as well. Although his n was about to start an hour earlier than expected, it did not mean that their chances of escaping were ruined.

    Lawton and his people took Gu Ding to the high priest¡¯s tent.

    ¡°Your Reverence High Priest, we¡¯ve brought him over!¡± Lawton knocked on the door outside the tent.

    ¡°Bring him in!¡± the high priest¡¯s croaky voice was heard from the tent.

    Gu Ding pushed open the door and found the high priest sitting cross-legged behind a table. Thetter was staring at him with an intense gaze. ¡°How dare you!¡±

    ¡°Your Reverence High Priest, I don¡¯t quite understand what you mean. If you¡¯ve lost something, I can assure you, you¡¯re looking for the wrong person.¡± Gu Ding did not n to take credit for Neptune¡¯s work.

    ¡°Oh, really?¡± The high priest¡¯s face had a smile that was slightly daunting. He tapped the crystal ball on the table with the cane in his hand. The crystal ball then showed an insectnding on a staff whereby the staff proceeded to disappear. Right after that, the insect was seen flying toward a piece of armor andnding on it before the armor proceeded to disappear as well. ¡°I¡¯m guessing this is your special ability, right? Summoning insects to steal things for you. You probably have an interspace ability as well.¡±

    ¡°All my abilities are close-range attacks. None of those bugs were summoned by me,¡± Gu Ding denied the high priest¡¯s assumptions.

    ¡°You¡¯ve been deceitful ever since the beginning. You¡¯re the only outsider who isn¡¯t sealed by a forbidding spell. Are you saying that the thief is one of my people?¡± The high priest had not expected Gu Ding to continue denying his words under such conditions.

    ¡°I said, I didn¡¯t do it. Whether you believe me or not, it¡¯s up to you.¡± Gu Ding continued to y along. Gu Ding had only yed the role of the mastermind in the theft, and Neptune was the one who did all the work. Therefore, it was not Gu Ding¡¯s doing.

    ¡°Since that¡¯s the case, do you mind if I check your memories?¡± The high priest doubted his own judgment for a split second because Gu Ding did not seem to be lying.

    ¡°How are we going to do it?¡± Gu Ding felt that it was a good opportunity for him to seal the high priest.

    ¡°Are you worried that I may do something on you?¡± The high priest was not expecting Gu Ding to agree to it so easily.

    ¡°No. If you really wanted to kill me, the slightest movement of your finger would¡¯ve done it.¡± Gu Ding shook his head.

    ¡°Very well, then. Let me see what secrets you have in that little head of yours.¡± The high priest waved his hand, and Gu Ding felt some sort of strange energy beginning to wrap around his body. The energy made him unable to move. Gu Ding slowly floated toward the front of the high priest, and the high priest put a finger on his forehead.

    When the high priest¡¯s finger touched Gu Ding¡¯s forehead, the Absolute Seal in Gu Ding¡¯s body instantly activated. Suddenly, the high priest¡¯s finger stiffened, and the high priest felt strange, cold energy prate his body. The energy seemed to freeze all of his body¡¯s own energy as a strong sense of weakness overcame him. In an instant, the high priest¡¯s neck tensed, and Gu Ding wrapped his hands around the former¡¯s throat.

    ¡°Hehe, I wasn¡¯t expecting it to be this easy. From now on, you¡¯re my hostage.¡± Gu Ding grinned in front of him.

 Chapter 110 - Arrogant Food

    <h4>Chapter 110: Arrogant Food</h4>

    Right before Gu Ding entered the high priest¡¯s tent, Neptune briefed Liliath and Biggie on the n beforehand, as well also making sure to lift the forbidding spell on the rattan rope that bound Liliath.

    ¡°Biggie, empty all the thoughts in your head. Look into my eyes and don¡¯t fight it.¡± Liliath began to use ck Hypnosis on Biggie.

    Biggie who was under the forbidding spell bounded by the rattan rope and in a state of mental blockage trusted Liliath wholeheartedly. After a while, he waspletely hypnotized by Liliath.

    Even so, Liliath was still heavily impacted by Biggie¡¯s spirit when Neptune lifted Biggie¡¯s forbidding spell and unbounded the rattan ropes. When the seal was broken, blood dripped out of her nasal cavity and she almost fainted when she felt impact akin to a heavy hammer striking her head.

    ¡°Are you all right?¡± Neptune noticed her physical condition.

    ¡°I¡¯m alright, it¡¯s just whish. I already anticipated it.¡± Liliath wiped the blood off her nose and shook her head. She propped herself up against the wall and tried to stabilize herself.

    ¡°Was it sessful?¡± Neptune was worried.

    ¡°It¡¯s done. But Biggie is stronger than I thought. I don¡¯t think my hypnosis canst three hours.¡± When Liliath connected to Biggie, she finally understood the extent of Biggie¡¯s true strength.

    Under her control, Biggie started to move. He carried Liliath on his left shoulder and frenziedly ran out of the tent, heading straight for Oldman¡¯s tent.

    Neptune told them where to go while Gu Ding waited for their arrival inside the tent.

    ¡°This is taboo energy...¡± As the high priest of the Witch Tribe, Oldman knew exactly where Gu Ding got the energy from. ¡°You took the bottle of taboo medicine from our tribe¡¯s treasure trove?!¡±

    ¡°You got it!¡± Gu Ding did not deny it.

    ¡°How dare you! You just swore that you didn¡¯t steal anything from our tribe.¡± Oldman spat onto the ground in disdain.

    ¡°It¡¯s true that I didn¡¯t steal anything from you. But then again I never swore that we only have three members.¡± Gu Ding¡¯s words annoyed Oldman.

    ¡°There are other people?¡± Oldman realized what had just happened. ¡°Are you saying that the bug summoning ability is someone else¡¯s doing?¡±

    ¡°You could say that.¡± Gu Ding shrugged.

    ¡°Even if you seal me, you won¡¯t be able to escape. There are highly trained people in my tribe. The more powerful a taboo energy, the more limitations it¡¯ll have. At most, you¡¯ll be able to use this ability one more time.¡± The Oldman¡¯s remarks sounded like bait to Gu Ding. It seemed like Oldman was trying to get Gu Ding to state the number of times Gu Ding could use his taboo energy.

    ¡°I¡¯m not worried about whether I can escape since I have you, the high priest, as my hostage. I¡¯m sure your people won¡¯t risk having me snap your head off.¡± Gu Ding changed the subject because he did not intend to let the Oldman know about his taboo energy¡¯s limitations. ¡°Moreover, we only have to wait another four hours or so before the space-time backtracking ends. And after that, we¡¯ll return to our original world.¡±

    When the high priest heard what Gu Ding said, he looked pale. He did not expect Gu Ding to know when the space-time backtracking would end. ¡°I won¡¯t let you guys get away. This position can be taken by anyone. Sure, I¡¯m the high priest now, but someone else will take my ce.¡±

    ¡°Biggie and Liliath will arrive at the tent in ten seconds.¡± Neptune suddenly said.

    Gu Ding grabbed the high priest¡¯s cor and rushed out of the tent to meet Biggie and Liliath.

    However, the tent was surrounded by people from the Witch Tribe.

    ¡°If any one of you takes another step, I¡¯ll snap his neck!¡± Gu Ding shouted at the people from the Witch Tribe.

    When they saw Gu Ding holding their high priest by the neck, none of them dared move an inch.

    ¡°Your Reverence High Priest...¡±

    ¡°Forget about me! Kill them!¡± Oldman was barely able to say that with Gu Ding¡¯s tight grip on his neck. ¡°We, the Witch Tribe, will never negotiate with anyone...¡±

    Gu Ding squeezed his neck and stopped what the high priest was saying. Oldman¡¯s face turned red from breathing difficulties. ¡°If you guys don¡¯t mind seeing the only Level 12 Gene Body in your ethnic group dying like this, then go ahead and take another step. But who knows how long it¡¯ll take and how much resources your ethnic group will have to use before you guys can get another Level 12 Gene Body?¡±

    Oldman could not make a sound, but he looked like he was trying to say something.

    At that moment, a kid emerged from the mob. It was Arthas. He stared at Oldman¡¯s lips for a while before he announced, ¡°His Reverence High Priest said that we should kill them! That¡¯s an order from the Witch God! These people who have offended the Witch God¡¯s dignity and must die!¡±

    As soon as Arthas said that, Gu Ding knew things were going to turn bad.

    Sure enough, many of the Witch Tribe¡¯s people started to move closer when they heard what Arthas said.

    ¡°Run!¡± Gu Ding shouted at Liliath.

    Under Liliath¡¯s control, Biggie attacked frantically. One of his hands turned into a knife. The mighty de emerged out of his body in an instant and smashed all the powerhouses in the Witch Tribe to the ground. The other hand grabbed Gu Ding by the wrist and ran out through the gap in the crowd where the powerhouses fell.

    The powerhouses of the Witchtribe, two Level 9, and one Level 10 Gene Body, quickly recovered and chased after the trio. They refused to give up that easily. Even though Biggie¡¯s attack was strong, they did not take a lot of damage from that attack.

    Biggie carried Gu Ding and Liliath and fled for about half an hour. Although Biggie was worryingly fast, the three powerhouses were still hot on their heels.

    ¡°We have to fight! It¡¯s impossible to escape them.¡± Gu Ding watched the three of them enveloping them and nodded at Liliath.

    Liliath also knew that buying time before fighting would not be favorable to them. At that time, Biggie was fighting under her hypnosis. Once her hypnosis wore off, Biggie would once again lose his ability to fight due to his mental obstacles. Their opponents were one Level 10 Gene Body and two Level 9 Gene Bodies. Although their strengths were only halved due to the curse, any one of them would have enough strength to kill off Gu Ding and Liliath.

    ¡°Biggie, the three guys in front of you are the leaders of man-eating ogre apes. Kill them and we¡¯ll be able to survive.¡± Liliath whispered in Biggie¡¯s ear and jumped off his shoulder.

    Biggie instantly entered a state ofbat. Terrifying des emerged out of every hair follicle in his body. In Biggie¡¯s head, Liliath, Gu Ding, and himself were surrounded by three man-eating ogre apes. Suddenly, the three man-eating ogre apes provoked him by mooning him.

    ¡°These three deserve to die! Why are they acting so arrogant? They¡¯re minced-meat!¡± Biggie waspletely furious. ¡°I¡¯ll squeeze all three of your brains and make steamed monkey brains!¡±

    ¡°Hey, what the heck did you do to him?¡± Gu Ding looked at Liliath in confusion when he heard what Biggie said.

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Since he can¡¯t fight humans, I hypnotized him into thinking they¡¯re man-eating ogre apes. Right now, he¡¯s seeing the three of them doing provocative ogre ape stuff like digging their boogers and waving their butts at him.¡±

 Chapter 111 - A Major Crisis

    <h4>Chapter 111: A Major Crisis</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Biggie was traumatized from fighting humans, but in his eyes, man-eating ogre apes were merely ingredients, the best ingredients for steamed monkey brains.

    However, Biggie could no longer tolerate the man-eating ogre apes¡¯ provocations. He wielded all his primary power, causing his clothes to shake violently. Invisible des also used the primary power as a medium to spread all over the ce.

    Suddenly, Biggie moved. Gu Ding and Liliath did not even have time to catch up with him. He had already appeared in front of a Rank-9 Gene Body Witch Tribe powerhouse. Biggie then turned his hands into sabers and inserted them into his chest.

    The Witch Tribe powerhouse did not expect Biggie¡¯s attack to be so swift and violent. It did not even have time to react when Biggie¡¯s right hand, just like a sharp de had already torn his chest apart. A brutal force exploded in his body and his heart was instantly shredded into pieces.

    As the first Witch Tribe powerhouse copsed in a pool of his own blood, the other two finally felt the power of Biggie¡¯s strength. An unprecedented level of fear could be seen in their very eyes. They did not expect Biggie to be this strong.

    Just as Biggie killed the first Witch Tribe powerhouse, Gu Ding noticed blood dripping from Liliath¡¯s nose. ¡°Are you alright?¡± He asked.

    Liliath wiped off her nosebleed and shook her head. Her breathing was clearly weaker than before. ¡°I¡¯m fine, it¡¯s just that this hypnotic spell has some side effects.¡±

    ¡°Lili¡¯s ability can cause her to suffer repulse from whoever she hypnotizes. The stronger they are, the stronger the repulse. Any increase in the fluctuations of their mental state can also strengthen the repulse.¡± Neptune exined in Gu Ding¡¯s ear. ¡°If you want her to suffer as little as possible, you¡¯ll need to help Biggie in defeating the enemies faster and let Lili remove the hypnosis.¡±

    Gu Ding furrowed his eyebrows upon hearing Neptune¡¯s exnation.

    Biggie locked his eyes on the second Rank-9 Gene Body after he took out the first Witch Tribe powerhouse. He nned on defeating the weaker ones first.

    With a swift dodge, Biggie disappeared once again. When he appeared, he was right behind the second Witch Tribe powerhouse. ¡°Go to hell, you yellow-furred monkeys!¡±

    This time, the two Witch Tribe powerhouses learned their lesson. It was around the same time Biggie attacked that the Rank-10 Gene Body also retaliated. He instantly appeared beside Biggie¡¯s waist, with sharp nails flying toward his waist.

    The Rank-9 Gene Body powerhouse who was being attacked turned his body, two of his fingers were headed straight for Biggie¡¯s eyes. This was a life-or-death move.

    Biggie tilted his head slightly to the side, avoiding the powerhouse¡¯s attack on his eyes. He turned his left hand into a saber, and with a strong force, he deflected the powerhouse¡¯s attack on his waist. Biggie jumped up in the air with his right left pulled out fiercely. A semi-circr force emerged from his body and was headed straight for the Rank-9 Gene Body¡¯s head.

    The Rank-9 Gene Body powerhouse was unable to dodge his strike. He had no choice but to shield himself behind both of his arms. Intense primary power wrapped around his arms like thick chains.

    The invisible semi-circr force instantly tore his primary power defense apart, viciously picking away at his arms. Two clicks from his bones breaking were heard, and the Rank-9 Gene Body powerhouse¡¯s body flew backward like a bullet. In the forest, a loud bang rang throughout the forest. The powerhouse crashed through twelverge trees before falling to the ground.

    ¡°This bastard should have lost his will to fight by now, right?¡± Gu Ding asked Neptune.

    ¡°Both arms suffered severe fracturing. His back also suffered three fractures due to the impact. His internal organs have experienced mild rupturing, causing bleeding to ur. It also lost consciousness due to the immense shock experienced by his body. Besides, it has suffered many injuries. Considering the current bleeding rate, it won¡¯t survive more than an hour.¡± Neptune was able to assess physical condition with just a brief scan from a kilometer away.

    ¡°That means we have one enemy left.¡± Gu Ding looked at Liliath somewhat worriedly. Lilith turned away and wiped her nose with her hand.

    Gu Ding clenched his fist and said, ¡°Biggie, hurry up!¡±

    Biggie seemed to understand that thest man-eating ogre ape was not an easy foe. He did not attack immediately. Instead, he stared at the man-eating ogre ape intensely, waiting for an opening.

    The Rank-10 Gene Body looked in the direction where his partner had fallen in the jungle earlier, and instantly retreated.

    Biggie instantly followed suit and saw it pick up his partner with one hand before dashing into the dense jungle.

    ¡°Thank goodness. He¡¯s still alive, that means...¡± Evil dark energy emerged from the Rank-10 Gene Body¡¯s palm and quickly enclosed his partner¡¯s body. His partner¡¯s body began to dry up at an rming speed whereas the Rank-10 Gene Body Witch Tribe powerhouse¡¯s breathing started to improve rapidly. ¡°You will all die here!¡±

    Neptune projected the image, causing Gu Ding and Liliath to frown upon seeing it.

    ¡°That bastard wouldn¡¯t even let go of his partner.¡±

    Biggie wanted to stop him, but the dark energy seemed to have a life of its own. It entangled him like a mist and was surprisingly able to drain Biggie¡¯s energy. Biggle immediately withdrew and watched from afar, waiting for him to slip up.

    About five to six minutes passed, the partner in the hands of the Witch Tribe powerhouse had been reduced to a dry corpse. He abandoned the partner in his hands. With a malevolent smile on his face, he exined, ¡°This trick is called a sacrifice. The offering must be a living creature. The stronger it is, the more power I gain. Thank you for leaving a survivor behind, or I wouldn¡¯t have had the chance to perform this trick.¡±

    ¡°Monkeys will always be monkeys. Even though you can speak the humannguage, it still won¡¯t change your fate.¡± Biggie¡¯s face showed no signs of fear. He was a little excited. He did not expect to encounter such a powerful man-eating ogre ape. ¡°I¡¯ve heard that the stronger the man-eating ogre ape, the tastier his brains.¡±

    Once Biggie finished his speech, he struck once again, shing sharp de-like force toward the ogre ape.

    ¡°Humph, how audacious of you!¡± Although he could not understand what Biggie said, he somehow understood that Biggie hadpared him to a monkey. The Witch Tribe powerhouse grew extremely angry. His power had increased, so he had no intention of fleeing. He attacked aggressively. His deadly sickle-like ck ws collided with Biggie¡¯s karate chops.

    Both parties showed no signs of giving in and carried on attacking each other aggressively. The forest was a mess. Everywhere they went, the trees in that area werepletely obliterated. It looked like a typhoon had touched down, the ground was littered with branches and leaves.

    As Gu Ding witnessed Liliath¡¯s body start to tremble, he got increasingly anxious. However, he could no longer see their fight with the naked eye. If he joined the fight, instead of helping Biggie, he would end up being nothing but a burden. ¡°Lili can¡¯t take it any longer. Neptune, we must find a way to help Biggie end this fight soon!¡±

    ¡°One of the single-use items Robert left behind could be useful. You can try something out!¡± Neptune was silent for a moment before throwing out a vague answer.

 Chapter 112 - Removing The Hypnosis

    <h4>Chapter 112: Removing The Hypnosis</h4>

    Neptune immediately took out the item in question and put it in Gu Ding¡¯s hand.

    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Gu Ding stared at the metal button-like object in his hands with a slight look of confusion. Robert had made a lot of gadgets, but he did not have the time to exin their functions in detail.

    ¡°Fiber button,¡± Neptune already had sufficient knowledge about these gadgets Robert made, ¡°You just need to lock onto someone, press the button, and it will deploy tough fibers which will tie them up. Under normal circumstances, the fibers will be capable of trapping a Rank-8 Gene Body for at least half an hour.¡±

    ¡°In other words, it¡¯s useless against a Rank-10 Gene Body.¡± Gu Ding was not optimistic. What can only trap a Rank-8 Gene Body for half an hour would prove to be nothing but a toy to a Rank-10 Gene Body.

    ¡°The reason why I¡¯m letting you use this is not to trap him. He could easily break free from the fibers.¡± Neptune spoke his mind. ¡°Though, even if it throws him off for a second, Biggie can exploit this distraction to find his weakness and break the current stalemate.¡±

    After hearing Neptune¡¯s exnation, Gu Ding decided it was an executable n. He nced over the pale Liliath and pressed down on the target key. A translucent holographic screen was projected in front of Gu Ding. A whileter, the redser sight locked onto the Witch Tribe powerhouse. Gu Ding pressed hard on the button. A strand of transparent silk shot out quickly and instantly wrapped itself around the target¡¯s leg.

    It was toote for the Witch Tribe powerhouse to notice the anomaly. The transparent fiber had already begun to climb up his leg. He grabbed the fiber that had now reached his thigh with one hand and forcefully pulled it away to prevent it from bing a bigger nuisance.

    Biggie, of course, would not let this opportunity slip away. In under a second, he had appeared beside the powerhouse¡¯s waist, a sharp force flowed through his palms as he struck his waist, leaving behind a deep gash.

    Blood burst out from the Witch Tribe powerhouse wound. He immediately clutched his waist and retreated. He knew very well that if he continued fighting in this wounded state, he would be killed by his opponent.

    Biggie had no intention of letting him catch his breath. He was faster than the injured powerhouse and stopped him in the blink of an eye.

    The Witch Tribe powerhouse continued to dodge his attacks, trying his best to avoid engaging inbat. He fully understood that once he challenged Biggie, he would be forced tomit to the fight. He chose to avoid the fight, waiting for an opportunity to escape.

    ¡°Neptune, do you have any more of those fiber buttons?¡± Gu Ding did not n on wasting another second. Liliath¡¯s body was on the verge of copsing. If it was not for him, she might have fallen long ago. Her control of Biggie was also wearing off.

    ¡°I do!¡± Neptune answered and took out another fiber button for Gu Ding.

    Gu Ding once again locked in on the powerhouse and pressed theunch button. A colorless fiber once again shot out of the gadget. This time, it wrapped itself around his head, blinding him in the process.

    When the Witch Tribe powerhouse tore the fiber away, he felt a warm sensation form on his neck and vaguely understood the situation. He reached out to touch his neck; a viscous liquid spurted out continuously. He could also feel his cervical vertebrae were exposed to the air. The rough texture made him realize that his cervical vertebrae were also severely damaged. Subsequently, his vision gradually began to blur, and his body slowly grew heavier...

    When the Witch Tribe powerhouse copsed, Gu Ding let out a deep breath. ¡°Lili, remove the hypnosis!¡±

    ¡°But... it¡¯s not over, the others will catch up soon!¡± Liliath¡¯s body trembled, but she stubbornly shook her head.

    ¡°Leave the rest to me, you¡¯ve done enough.¡± Gu Ding¡¯s tone was a little grim. Liliath¡¯s body was extremely exhausted. If she persisted any longer, it could cause irreversible damage to her body.

    Liliath looked at Gu Ding and forced a smile. Then, she nodded her head and removed the hypnosis on Biggie. Her gold pupils instantly returned to its original color, and her body copsed to the ground.

    ¡°Biggie, let¡¯s go!¡± Gu Ding carried Liliath on his back and shouted at Biggie who was not far away.

    Biggie gazed at the dead body absentmindedly before looking at his hands. He suddenly stood still.

    Seeing that Biggie was not responding to him, Gu Ding went over and patted him on the shoulders. ¡°Let¡¯s just leave it be, we¡¯re running out of time. We have to get out of here at once, or more enemies wille over.¡±

    Biggie then stood up, a little dazed. His body was trembling as if he was afraid of something.

    Seeing Biggie¡¯s reaction, Gu Ding grabbed his wrist and dragged him out of the disastrous battlefield.

    After being on the run for nearly half an hour, Gu Ding, under Neptune¡¯s instructions, found a cave abandoned by a Gene Body. They could not go any further as Liliath had passed out, and so they had to find a safe ce for treatment as soon as possible.

    In the cave, Gu Ding took out some sheets from Inventory andid it out on the floor. He then put Liliath down and let her lie across the sheets. Thankfully, her breathing was steadying.

    ¡°What do we do now? This type of spirit exhaustion requires spirit medicine, but I have never bought any rted medicinal material.¡± Gu Ding had no idea what to do.

    ¡°There are some in Lili¡¯s Inventory. Back in Fengyuan, I saw her buying materials for spirit medicine.¡± What Neptune just said was indeed considered good news. ¡°Hold her intelligent wristwatch in your hand, I¡¯ll get the corresponding medicinal material out.¡±

    Gu Ding immediately proceeded. Neptune quickly took out a portion of medicinal material. Gu Ding did not have the time to create the second or third medicine. Letting Liliath drink a bottle of medicine to stabilize her body was the priority.

    Gu Ding, who got the medicinal material, started the quick refining process. Although it was his first time refining a spirit medicine, it was a piece of cake for him. In less than ten minutes, an E-grade spirit medicine was made and as always, it was of perfect quality.

    Gu Ding gently poured the medicine into Liliath¡¯s mouth and gave her another bottle of E-grade cell repair agent. Liliath¡¯s face then looked a lot better.

    Only then Gu Ding looked over Biggie who had been silent all the while.

    After Biggie entered the cave, he just sat quietly against the wall and looked down at the ground without saying a word. Even when Gu Ding was refining the medicine, he did not look up. Gu Ding was so focused on treating Liliath that he did not notice Biggie sitting in the corner, looking distraught. After seeing Biggie in this state, Gu Ding naturally became concerned.

    Gu Ding walked over to Biggie¡¯s side. He was about to say something when he heard Neptune¡¯s warning. ¡°Those people from Witch Tribe are catching up with us, they¡¯re probably one kilometer away from here. There¡¯s three Rank-8 Gene Body, five Rank-7 Gene Body, and twelve Rank-6 Gene Body.¡±

    ¡°Biggie, I know you¡¯re not yourself right now, and there is no way you can fight. However, our enemies are approaching now. I need you to take Lili away and hide, while I lead these people away. Once the space-time backtracking ends, I¡¯ll contact you as soon as I get the chance.¡± Looking at Biggie¡¯s current state, Gu Ding was doubtful over whether he could even do that much.

    Biggie raised his head and nodded vigorously. ¡°I may not be able to fight, but I¡¯ll do my best to protect Lili.¡±

 Chapter 113 - A 1 Versus 17 Fight

    <h4>Chapter 113: A 1 Versus 17 Fight</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Gu Ding lowered his body and hid in the grass, secretly observing the Witch Tribe hunters through the gaps in the grass.

    The number of fiber buttons in his possession was down to three. This meant that he had to get rid of the seventeen people who apanied the three Rank-8 Gene Body within half an hour.

    After targeting the fiber button at the three Rank-8 Gene Body, Gu Ding pressed hard on theunch button. Three strands of translucent silk thread silently entangled the three Gene Body¡¯s ankle and swiftly made their way up. By the time they noticed it, the fiber had already wrapped about a third of their body. In less than twenty seconds, a thin white cocoon had enveloped their entire body. The three of them struggled hard but to no avail.

    The rest tried to help, but there was no use.

    Once the fiberpletely encased them, Gu Ding simultaneously activated Ultimate Arts Level 7 and rage ability. He took a Silent Step and appeared behind a Rank-6 Gene Body from the Witch Tribe.

    After a two-fold increase from Combat Armor, a three-fold increase from Rage Level 2 and a ten-fold increase from Ultimate Arts Level 7, Gu Ding¡¯sbat effectiveness wasparable to a martial arts practitioner with eighty thousand points Cell Index. To the likes of a Rank-6 Gene Body who had less than three thousand points Cell Index, he was like the Grim Reaper. Gu Ding effortlessly broke his first opponent¡¯s neck, and he copsed without even making a squeak.

    Soon after, Gu Ding appeared right behind the second Gene Body...

    In the turmoil, only after Gu Ding had killed the fourth Rank-6 Gene Body from the Witch Tribe, did the Witch Tribe hunters realized they were under attack. The entire process took less than fifteen seconds.

    Gu Ding was not worried about being discovered. Back in the days, he had to try his best to contend with these Rank-6 Gene Body, but now they were like sheep waiting to be butchered. Even though there were several Rank-7 Gene Body, their Cell Index was less than ten thousand points. In Gu Ding¡¯s eyes, they were no different from the rest. He, however, was a wolf who had sneaked its way into the sheep pen. No matter how hard they resisted, they could not escape their fate.

    He continued taking one Silent Step after another and appeared right in front of the fifth Gene Body. He then fiercely pressed a Terminating Finger on his forehead, causing his head to explode instantly. Gu Ding showed no signs of slowing down, with a deft maneuver, he appeared in front of the sixth Gene Body. Using the Terminating Finger yet again, it shattered the Gene Body¡¯s head.

    Witnessing Gu Ding¡¯s ruthless killings, the people from Witch Tribe were terrified. He was like a demon. Each time he made an attack; he took a life with no mercy.

    Half of the twelve Rank-6 Gene Body enemies were killed in less than a minute.

    ¡°Split up and run!¡± A Rank-7 Gene Body from Witch Tribe shouted at the remaining Rank-6 Gene Body.

    ¡°Can they really escape?¡± Gu Ding¡¯s face was grim. He took another Silent Step and appeared like a ghost behind one of the fleeing people from Witch Tribe. He mercilessly punched a Steel Fist onto the center of his back and the punch instantly pierced a hole in his body. Gu Ding turned around and without looking back, went after the second Gene Body...

    Six of them were effortlessly killed by Gu Ding, none of them stood a chance. He even stacked their bodies on top of one another and looked at the remaining five Rank-7 Gene Body. ¡°Are you guys going to run or fight?¡±

    Five of them looked at each other and charged toward Gu Ding.

    This was exactly what Gu Ding wanted. Rank-7 Gene Body martial arts practitioners were a lot faster than Rank-6. If they ran in all directions, Gu Ding reckoned he could only catch up with three of them at most, allowing thest two to escape. He intentionally piled the bodies of the Rank-6 Gene Body together, just to provoke them as well as suggesting that they would have a chance at surviving if they joined forces. Running in all directions would only bring them death.

    The five Rank-7 Gene Body powerhouses were extremely skilled in their cooperation. Their attacks were also rather aggressive, each aimed at the five different vital parts on Gu Ding¡¯s body so that he could not avoid all of them.

    Gu Ding twisted his body and nimbly avoided the attacks on his vital parts. He then fully activated Righteous Body to withstand the attack from the five powerhouses. Soon after, his Steel Fist hit one of the powerhouses¡¯ chest. His Phantom Kick also mmed into another¡¯s neck with a lightning-like force.

    The two powerhouses hit were so terribly injured that they were incapacitated.

    The other three did not n to let go of this opportunity and continued attacking wildly. Gu Ding resisted the attack with his Righteous Body and pressed a Terminating Finger onto one of the powerhouses¡¯ temple, while a ming Knee rammed hard onto another¡¯s crotch. Based on what Biggie had said earlier, if they were unable to incapacitate their opponents, they should just attack their most vulnerable parts so they lose theirbat effectiveness.

    Five of them had closed in on him but four were badly injured and quit the fight. Thest powerhouse posed no threat to Gu Ding. He punched hard on the powerhouse¡¯s nose bridge with Steel Fist and a Lightning Elbow with Damage Stacking was aimed at his heart. With the Damage Stacking ability, Gu Ding was able to use the cursing ability on the five powerhouses. The second strike immediately got Damage Stacking. The attack which wasparable to eighteen thousand points Cell Index immediately doubled to thirty-six thousand points. This terrifying power was undeniably a lethal blow to a Rank-7 Gene Body with not more than ten thousand points Cell Index who was already under a curse. When hisbat effectiveness was only half of the usual level, the Rank-7 Gene Body Witch Tribe powerhouse who was hit in the heart died on the spot when his heart exploded.

    Gu Ding turned his attention to the remaining four. Their body was already hit with the curse caused by Damage Stacking. Now that they were heavily injured, they were no better than the Rank-6 Gene Bodys he killed earlier.

    Although four of them were no longer capable of striking back, Gu Ding did not n on keeping any of them alive. This hunt for him had led to the Witch Tribe dispatching seventy percent of their powerhouses. If they managed to escape, they could call for reinforcements which would lead to more Rank-8 Gene Body powerhouses or even Rank-9 Gene Bodying after him. Gu Ding did not want to see this happen.

    He mercilessly hit the four powerhouses¡¯ vital parts, killing them instantly. As he lowered his head to look at the time on his wristwatch, only eleven minutes had passed.

    Looking at the three powerhouses still wrapped in fiber, Gu Ding furrowed his eyebrows. ¡°What about these three?¡±

    Rank-8 Gene Bodys were indeed difficult for Gu Ding to deal with. That was because Rank-8 Gene Bodys had four spiral gene chain in their body, with a Cell Index between ten thousand and one hundred thousand points on average. Those people from Witch Tribe who were after him earlier were the best in their respective Gene Body rank. These three Rank-8 Gene Body¡¯s Cell Index should be more than eighty thousand points, there was no way Gu Ding could bypass their defenses. The fiber keeping them under control would probably break at the same time. Gu Ding would be so tired from handling one, let alone three.

    ¡°I¡¯ve used the insect robot to scout the ce. There¡¯s a ce we can get rid of these three nuisances. I¡¯ll show it to you on the map!¡± Neptune said and projected a map. It clearly disyed the directions from Gu Ding¡¯s current location to the target location.

    Looking at the three-dimensional projection, Gu Ding noticed thendform at the target¡¯s location. ¡°There¡¯s a cliff there?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right, we just have to throw them off it. Even if the three of them survived, several days will have passed before they manage to climb back up.¡± Neptune exined. ¡°However, before that, you still have to solve one problem. Someone is hiding in the grass eighty meters from here at your one o¡¯clock.¡±

 Chapter 114 - The End of Space-time Backtracking

    <h4>Chapter 114: The End of Space-time Backtracking</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Gu Ding nced over the ce Neptune mentioned, took a Silent Step, and appeared behind the person.

    After seeing his face, Gu Ding was stunned as it turned out that it was just a kid.

    After realizing Gu Ding had suddenly disappeared, Arthas turned around stiffly and saw that Gu Ding was standing right behind him with a cold look about him. He had been secretly following the tribe¡¯s powerhouses since the beginning. He witnessed the entire scene where Gu Ding ughtered his tribe, from the beginning until the end, he did not miss a thing.

    At first, he had thought that even if they were strong, his people could still win as they had strength in numbers. Naturally, he was surprised to see that Gu Ding could kill seventeen of his tribe¡¯s powerhouses without much hassle. The remaining three Rank-8 Gene Body powerhouses were immobilized by some unknown force, renderedpletely useless throughout the whole ordeal. His powers werepletely beyond his imagination, and from the looks of it, he was only a few years older.

    When he saw Gu Ding standing behind him, Arthas¡¯s body shuddered. He still did not understand the true meaning of death at his age, but he did recognize the gravity of it. He realized Gu Ding would likely not let him go so as to not leave anyone behind who could notify the rest of the tribe. His eyes showed hints of despair, tears flowing out continuously due to fear.

    ¡°Kill him, it won¡¯t have much impact on history.¡± Neptune provided Gu Ding the best option.

    ¡°He¡¯s just a child.¡± Gu Ding shook his head slightly and struck Arthas¡¯s neck with a karate chop. Young Arthas copsed instantly.

    Gu Ding did not kill him, he just knocked him out. It would probably be morning by the time he regained consciousness. The space-time backtracking would have ended by then so he would not cause Gu Ding any trouble.

    After solving the issue with Arthas, Gu Ding followed Neptune¡¯s route and threw the three powerhouses wrapped in a fibrous cocoon off the cliff.

    After doing so, Gu Ding dialed Biggie¡¯smunicator. ¡°Biggie, are you guys alright? Did you encounter any enemies?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s alright. Lili and I are safe, we didn¡¯t get discovered.¡± Biggie¡¯s voice sounded a lot better than before.

    After Neptune locked in on their wristwatches¡¯ position, Gu Ding quickly rushed toward them.

    When Gu Ding found them, they were far from the cave they were hiding in earlier. Gu Ding had no choice but to be impressed at Biggie¡¯s footwork. After all the trouble, there were only two or more hours left before dark.

    The cave Biggie and Liliath hid in was huge. Biggie took over it after driving away a Rank-9 giant iron-armored bear.

    In the cave, Liliath was still fast asleep. Her breathing was stable, that was a good sign. Someone who spent a lot of spirit needed sleep the most.

    Biggie looked a lot better than earlier, but he was still somewhat distracted.

    ¡°Have you settled everything?¡± Biggie lowered his head and looked at Gu Ding. Although he was half sitting on the floor, he was still taller than Gu Ding.

    ¡°Yup, everything has been settled. They shouldn¡¯t be sending any more people.¡± Gu Ding nodded his head. ¡°More than seventy percent of the tribe¡¯s powerhouse was deployed this time. The rest should be reluctant to leave the tribe...¡±

    ¡°Sorry. If it wasn¡¯t for me, Lili wouldn¡¯t have gotten so badly hurt.¡± Biggie lowered his head to look at Liliath who was still fast asleep and apologized softly.

    Gu Ding shook his head. ¡°This is not your fault. When Lili, Neptune, and I recruited you, we were just looking for a good cook. I already told you back then, leave the fighting to us. Your powerfulbat effectiveness was a surprise to us, but that¡¯s all. In other teams, cooks are the object of protection. This is just as true in mine. Fighting is for the mainbatants to worry about.¡±

    ¡°None of us wanted to see Lili hurt, but she made the right choice. She was likely aware of the consequences and decided to carry on, we must respect her choice. Fortunately, based on the current situation, her body will recover soon.¡±

    ¡°As for Lili using hypnosis on you, there was really no other choice. If she didn¡¯t do it this time, the three of us certainly wouldn¡¯t have escaped. This won¡¯t happen again. When Lili gets better, I¡¯ll make it clear to her not to use this move ever again, especially not on any one of us.¡±

    ¡°I hoped I could be of some help...¡± Biggie shook his head after listening to Gu Ding¡¯s statement. ¡°Lili used that move with my consent, as I can only unleash mybat effectiveness and help everyone under hypnosis. If we encounter a situation like this next time, I will still make the same choice and ask Lili to use this hypnosis on me. Of course, I don¡¯t want her to overexert herself and go overboard. It will only hurt herself.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll avoid dragging you into our fights in the future.¡± Gu Ding grew a little worried as he recalled Biggie¡¯s pale face and dull expression earlier. ¡°One was to prevent Lili from getting hurt again, and the other was that this type ofbats is too stimting for your spirit state. You still look terrible.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me, I¡¯ll get used to it.¡± Biggie rubbed his face with his palm. ¡°I¡¯ve always avoided this psychological obstacle but running from it is not the right solution. I hope I can face this problem and ovee it. It will be good for me and the team. I do hope I can make good use of myself and contribute to all our futurebats. I also hope you guys can help me to get over this psychological barrier together. One day, I will be able to unleash my fullbat effectiveness without hypnosis.¡±

    ¡°Alright. I respect your choice. I hope you can ovee this problem soon. After hearing Biggie¡¯s words, Gu Ding finally felt a little relieved. He was slightly worried that Biggie would never get over it initially, but now it seemed that he had made up his mind to ovee this psychological barrier.

    In the cave, Lilith was still fast asleep. Biggie was sitting on the floor deep in his thoughts while Gu Ding was sat on a boulder outside the cave, looking up at the star creeping above the horizon, waiting for the night to fall.

    Two hours went by calmly in the blink of an eye. Just as Gu Ding predicted, Witch Tribe did not send any more people after them.

    As the sky started to darken, Gu Ding¡¯s surroundings suddenly changed. He knew it was the end of space-time backtracking. ¡°Biggie, we should go!¡±

    Biggie looked at the changes in their surroundings. He stood up, carried Liliath on his back, and followed Gu Ding¡¯s lead.

 Chapter 115 - The Best Newcomer

    <h4>Chapter 115: The Best Neer</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    This that was covered in primitive jungles more than ten billion years ago was now a deste mess, traces of war could be found everywhere. A with depleted resources like this had no value to the Federal Government and was not worth redeveloping. Hence, this was simply abandoned.

    Just as Neptune expected, when they found the Grey-faced Buzzard, it was not damaged. Whenever the spaceship falls under attack, the energy barrier activates automatically.

    Before night falls, Oldman who wanted to keep the loot did not get a timely reply from his men. Therefore, he decided to destroy the Grey-faced Buzzard, but it was toote. In the Witch Tribe, the only Rank-12 Gene Body was sealed by Gu Ding while the only Rank-10 Gene Body was killed by Biggie. There were only two Rank-9 Gene Body who did not participate in the hunt. As they only had half of their cursingbat effectiveness left, their attack could not prate the Grey-faced Buzzard¡¯s energy barrier at all. If they were given enough time, they could have exhausted the spaceship¡¯s energy, but they did not get near enough time to do so.

    Under Neptune¡¯s control, the spaceship left the abandoned immediately.

    Lilith was still in a deep slumber.

    Biggie was in a much better mood once he got back on the spaceship. He headed straight to the kitchen and quickly got himself busy. Only when he cooked, was his mind at peace.

    Hearing Biggie¡¯s humming in the kitchen, Gu Ding knew he did not have to worry about his wellbeing anymore.

    ¡°Has there been any important pieces of news over the past few days?¡± The space-time backtrackingsted three days. During these three days, Neptune waspletely isted and could not receive any information from the outside world. Gu Ding also wanted to know if anything happened during these three days.

    Neptune, who got connected to the Sk screened through multiple bits of information and immediately answered, ¡°There are a lot of changes in the Rising Neers Ranking in the undergroundwork in the Dark Web this year. Some guy called Nick made a huge jump to sixth ce. In just a few days, he took out five people who held the sixth to tenth ce on the ranking. Now he explicitly said that he wants to challenge you and Lili. Nick¡¯s current bounty is one hundred and ten million. His special ability is speed. Although he¡¯s only a Rank-7 Gene Body, he has the speed of a Rank-8 Gene Body.¡±

    ¡°Taking over someone¡¯s ce by challenging them, is that appropriate?¡± Gu Ding raised his eyebrows, but he did not seem to mind this guy named Nick. ¡°Any other news?¡±

    ¡°That incident in Consc, didn¡¯t the Federation suspect someone called Destiny was behind it? His team managed to recruit several powerhouses with bounties of more than five hundred million Star Credits because of that. There¡¯s even a swordsman with a bounty of more than one billion who joined them. You¡¯ve probably heard of that swordsman. He¡¯s called Chiora. The Federation Government thinks that Destiny¡¯s threatening level has increased due to the joining of these people, so they¡¯ve increased his bounty to three billion Star Credits.¡±

    ¡°Chiora, an eighteen-year-old Kendo prodigy. Hasn¡¯t he been a lone pirate all this while?¡± Gu Ding was no stranger to this name. Although he was not from Skyriver Sector, Gu Ding had heard of him when he was in Skyriver Sector. He was a Kendo genius who had only just be an Interster Pirate two years ago. His fame had even surpassed that of Kohld Blood.

    ¡°He had been a lone pirate because he felt there was no suitable partner. He felt that the ¡®leader¡¯ of the Consc explosion was the one he wanted.¡± Neptune teased slightly when he said this.

    ¡°In other words, what he wants is to join our team...¡± Gu Ding was also speechless about the screw-up. ¡°We do need strong mainbatants right now, but we can only leave this to fate.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll find it!¡± Neptune felt confident and continued, ¡°I think there¡¯s one more thing you should know. Kohld Blood has entered Border River. He was then attacked by the Army where he ughtered an entire team led by a major general. Federal Government has determined that he had been promoted to a Rank-8 Gene Body and increased his bounty to 1.2 billion Star Credits.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s so fast, he¡¯s in Border River already.¡± Gu Ding was a little surprised at his speed.

    The so-called Border River was a junction between two cosmos. And because it was located at the junction, it was an utter mess. There were all kinds of people there, so it was a lot more dangerous than the usual star sectors.

    ¡°They¡¯ve switched to a White Gyrfalcons after leaving Cerule, and they¡¯re taking a direct route there with no stops in between.¡± Neptune was not surprised at their speed. ¡°It¡¯s normal to be faster than us. We¡¯ll also reach Border River once we pass through Mayor Sector.¡±

    ¡°Any news on Energy Crystal pieces from Mayor Sector?¡± Gu Ding cared more about this.

    ¡°No news on it yet, but there¡¯s been a big auction recently. We¡¯ll be there just in time to join the auction. We can try our luck there.¡± Neptune did not miss out on any useful information.

    ¡°There are no other major events. It¡¯s just that the Federal Government hasn¡¯t been idle when we disappeared for the past few days.¡± Neptune then continued, ¡°They already knew about Biggie¡¯s participation. The video where Biggie killed the giant golden alligator has gone viral on Sk. The most discussed topic was the part where he dismembered the giant golden alligator by hand. Everyone thinks Biggie¡¯s a Rank-10 Gene Body, and almost everyone in Dragon Soar Cosmic Nation knows that Biggie has joined our team.¡±

    ¡°However, the Federal Government seems to have taken their foot off the gas for now. They didn¡¯t give Biggie his bounty immediately, nor did they increase your bounty. This may also be rted to our disappearance. I guess if anything happens next time, your bounty might be greatly increased.¡±

    ¡°A lot of people in Dark Web have high hopes for you. Some even started a betting pool, thinking that you have a good chance at bing Dragon Soar Cosmic Nation¡¯s best neer this year.¡±

    After hearing this news, Gu Ding grinned but did not express any other opinions.

    ¡°However, the number one spot is being held by someone named Bart. His bounty has already reached three hundred eighty million, and it¡¯s still growing rapidly. It¡¯ll be hard to surpass him in one year.¡± Neptune was not trying to throw a wet nket on him. He was merely stating a fact objectively. Based on the current situation, it would be difficult for Gu Ding to be crowned as Best Neer.

    ¡°It¡¯s a lot more fun when it¡¯s challenging, isn¡¯t it?¡± Gu Ding grinned and said.

 Chapter 116 - If You Want to Challenge Me, Then Provide Some Reward!

    <h4>Chapter 116: If You Want to Challenge Me, Then Provide Some Reward!</h4>

    With the speed of a Grey-faced Buzzard, it would take around one week to get from Derisis to Mayor Sector.

    The spaceship had been flying for three days, and Liliath¡¯s spirit had been fully restored.

    As detailed video tutorials for most recipes could be found on Sk and any encrypted information was decoded by Neptune with rtive ease, Biggie was able to learn to cook quite easily, and his cooking skills made drastic improvements daily. Each day, he tried different ways to make soup for the injured Liliath, and Gu Ding was also able to eat good food because of that.

    Although the issue regarding food had been resolved, Gu Ding and Liliath were the restless type that could not stay still for too long. Therefore, after being stuck in the spaceship for three days, the both of them could not take it anymore. After discussing with Neptune, they found a with human inhabitants rather quickly.

    The spaceshipnded at the port smoothly. The hatch opened, and Gu Ding stood at the entrance and stretched. ¡°We¡¯ve finally seennd.¡±

    After the three of them stepped off the spaceship, they realized that this was a fairly bustling.

    A few people casted sidelong nces at Biggie¡¯s huge figure, but none of them seemed too surprised about it.

    There were also a few Interster Pirates idling near the port that recognized Gu Ding and his group. Biggie¡¯s figure made him too recognizable. Besides, the video of him bare-handedly dismembering the giant gold alligator had several times more clicks than the video of Gu Ding bombarding Fengyuan. Practically every Interster Pirate from the Dragon Soar Cosmic Nation had seen that incredible video, and it made Gu Ding and his group one that should not be provoked. In the video, Biggie disyed strength that no ordinary person could achieve. It was practically at the level of a realm god, andparable to the level of a general from the Federation Army. Even after entering the Cosmic Sea, this level of strength would be considered first-ss rank; before entering the Cosmic Sea, it would be considered the pinnacle ofbat strength.

    Quite a few of the other Interster Pirates recognized Gu Ding and his group but pretended not to, because as far as they were concerned, wherever this Gu Ding guy was, there would be no peace. It was as if he brought trouble to every that hended on. As there was still the shock of what Biggie did, most people did not want any conflict with Gu Ding and his group. The longer one had been in the Interster Pirate business, the more they understood that the weak ones were the ones that would get picked on.

    Gu Ding did not n on staying on this named Bostan for too long. He just wanted to find a market near the port to stroll for a bit and relieve his boredom before leaving.

    Neptune easily found a map of Bostan on Sk, and zoomed in onto the area around the port before projecting it out. The map showed that one of the biggest markets on the was only about two kilometers away from the port.

    Just as Gu Ding put the map away and was about to leave, someone called out to him.

    ¡°Are you Gu Ding?¡± A young boy wearing a shawl with long blond hair, a stud earring in his left ear, and d in ck leather walked in the direction of Gu Ding and his group. The bright red leather boots on his feet were blinding.

    ¡°And you are?¡± Gu Ding had no idea who this guy was. With the way the other was dressed, Gu Ding would have definitely recognized him immediately if they had met before, but it was obvious that they probably had not.

    ¡°He¡¯s Nick, the Interster Pirate that wanted to challenge you and Liliath to snatch your rankings.¡± Neptune had searched about the other¡¯s information while they were on the spaceship, and knew how the other looked like.

    ¡°I¡¯m called Nick. Looks like you¡¯re not very well-informed on the news if you don¡¯t even know about my public deration for a challenge?¡± Nick said as he looked at the intelligent wristwatch on Gu Ding¡¯s hand. ¡°I think you should rece that in-looking wristwatch of yours.¡±

    Prior to this, Neptune had camouged himself as a regr wristwatch for convenience¡¯s sake, but now that he was met with the other¡¯s ridicule, he could not stand it. He calmly said into Gu Ding¡¯s ear, ¡°Gu Ding, tten his head into an idiot!¡±

    Hearing Neptune¡¯s words, Gu Ding¡¯s lips split into a grin. ¡°I know about your public challenge, but why should I ept it? If you can give me a convincing reason, then I¡¯ll take you up on your challenge.¡±

    ¡°Reason?¡± Nick scratched his head, not saying a word for a long while. He really could not think of a suitable reason. ¡°What reason do you need to ept a challenge? Let me ask you instead, what reason do you have to not ept my challenge?¡±

    Gu Ding shrugged his shoulders at Nick¡¯s counter-question. ¡°The reason for me not epting your challenge is simple. If I defeat you, I don¡¯t gain anything and you don¡¯t lose anything, but if I lose, your ranking will go up. No matter how I look at it, the only one gaining anything from this is you. Why should I ept a challenge that doesn¡¯t bring any benefit to me?¡±

    ¡°This...¡± Nick momentarily could not find any words to refute Gu Ding.

    ¡°If there¡¯s nothing else, then make way. We¡¯re going for a stroll,¡± Gu Ding said and got ready to leave with Liliath and Biggie.

    ¡°No way, you must ept my challenge!¡± Nick was still blocking their way out.

    Gu Ding stared at Nick for a while. After a moment of silence, he opened his mouth and said, ¡°I don¡¯t do things that don¡¯t benefit me. If you must challenge me, then provide some kind of reward for me. If I win, then I¡¯ll at least get something out of it. It¡¯ll only be fair like this. If there¡¯s no decent reward, then my answer is still no.¡±

    After hearing Gu Ding¡¯s words, Nick went silent for a moment, before he reluctantly dered, ¡°I have two hundred million Star Credits. I can give you a hundred million as a reward.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want money,¡± Gu Ding shook his head. ¡°If you have Energy Crystal pieces used by the Mechanical Tribe from the Middle Ages though, I¡¯ll happily ept that.¡±

    ¡°Why would I have such a thing?¡± Nick felt that Gu Ding was trying to make things difficult for him, but he suddenly remembered something. ¡°Hold on. When I got rid of a guy recently, I think I obtained a strange piece of Energy Crystal rock. I tried searching about it on Sk but found nothing, so I assumed it was probably something that was left behind by an ancient civilization.¡±

    ¡°Show it to me.¡± Even though Gu Ding did not have too much hope, he still wanted a look at this Energy Crystal rock to see if it would be of any use to Robert.

    ¡°I¡¯ll look for it!¡± Nick said and rummaged through his Inventory. After about five to six minutes, he finally fished out a blue stone. The stone was entirely blue in color and crystal clear, like a giant square-shaped sapphire. Under the rays of the sun, the surface of the stone was like a faint white ripple on the surface of the water.

    ¡°ept his challenge!¡± Neptune shouted into Gu Ding¡¯s ear the moment heid eyes on the stone. There was a sense of urgency in his voice.

    ¡°So pretty...¡± Liliath was standing at the side, her eyes shining.

    Gu Ding nodded his head, his expression unchanging. ¡°Okay, this reward looks pretty good. I ept your challenge.¡±

 Chapter 117 - Complete Victory

    <h4>Chapter 117: Complete Victory</h4>

    Biggie and Liliath retreated to one side and observed Gu Ding and Nick¡¯s battle. Although Nick was a Rank 7 Gene Body that had eleration abilities, Biggie and Liliath did not think Gu Ding would lose.

    Gu Ding fully unleashed his seventh tier Ultimate Arts and rage ability. Even though Gu Ding was not afraid of Nick¡¯s Rank 7 Gene Body, a lion still used its full force when hunting a rabbit, simrly Gu Ding did not look down on his opponent. It was within his intentions to end the battle quickly as well.

    The moment the two came face to face, Nick moved. Even with Gu Ding¡¯s eyesight, his vision was blurry. Hence, Gu Ding simply shut his eyes.

    The Ultimate Arts moves that had managed to withstand the tests of strength and time were very suited for blind battles without any source of light. The creator of the peculiar style had taken into consideration many different types ofbat environments. Therefore, every move of the style allowed one to deal deadly blows to his or her enemy¡¯s vital points, even when one¡¯s eyes were closed. Nevertheless, it depended on the user¡¯s level of familiarity with the moves, battle prowess, as well as body reflexes.

    With his eyes closed, Gu Ding¡¯s heart was as calm as still water. Gu Ding had never suspended his connection to the Ultimate Arts even for a day. Hence, he had no problem rted to his level of familiarity with the moves. Although Gu Ding had no way of predicting the other party¡¯s every move, to him, as long as he could grasp the time and angle of the other party¡¯s attack, he could rely on the moves from the Ultimate Arts to retaliate.

    All of a sudden, the sound of wind being blown gently came from Gu Ding¡¯s left side. Immediately, Gu Ding made a split-second deduction that the other party was about to attack his waist from the left. In response, he immediately took a step back with his left leg so that he was facing his opponent. Then, he busted out a merciless and fierce Steel Fist. He executed his moves in one smooth motion; as fluid as moving clouds and running water.

    Nick had not expected the other party to react so fast. Therefore, Gu Ding¡¯s moves were able tond despite the fact that he had reactedter. Nick¡¯s attack had not even reached Gu Ding¡¯s waist, while Gu Ding¡¯s fist was almost about to st him in the chest. Before challenging Gu Ding, Nick had done his homework and knew that the former¡¯s attacks were fierce. If Gu Ding¡¯s fist were to him directly, even if he did not end up dead, it was likely he would lose hisbat capabilities. Nevertheless, it was already toote for him to dodge. Hence, in that instant, after his brain had made a series of judgments, he chose to block. Nick¡¯s arms wrapped around his chest as he took Gu Ding¡¯s attack.

    The moment Gu Ding¡¯s fist hit Nick¡¯s two arms, Nick¡¯s body flew backward. Nevertheless, Nick knew that he had made the right choice. That was because Gu Ding¡¯s punch had ended up breaking both his arms. If Gu Ding had hit his chest, he might have died a gruesome death.

    Nick tried hard to rpose himself about ten meters away from Gu Ding as his two hands trembled slightly. The muscles in his arms were spasming erratically. Gu Ding¡¯s punch had given Nick a big fright. Nick took a few deep breaths and flung out his hands forcefully while he kept his gaze on Gu Ding. The former was worried that thetter would suddenly move during this time.

    Nevertheless, Gu Ding remained motionless in his original ce with his eyes still shut tight. A slight breeze blew and it lifted the sleeves of his shirt. With that scene, Nick thought for a very brief moment that man he was facing was an unshakable mountain, spread solidly at that one ce. The mountain made it so that it was impossible for others to cross over.

    Nick shook his head and tossed those self-disadvantageous thoughts out of his brain. By then, the soreness in his arm¡¯s muscles had taken a turn for the better, so he started to swim around Gu Ding.

    The fight between the two had managed to attract an audience of a few Interster Pirates and other personnel. Among them were a few people who recognized Gu Ding and Nick. Those people recorded a video of the battle.

    Nick circled Gu Ding several times. The former felt that with his attack speed, Gu Ding would not have enough time to retaliate if he were to attack from a blind spot like his back.

    Hence, Nick¡¯s body shed and he appeared out of nowhere behind Gu Ding¡¯s back. His right hand tightened into a fist, and it was aimed straight for Gu Ding¡¯s posterior cervical spine.

    Gu Ding instantaneously detected the other party¡¯s movements, and his body reacted almost immediately. Gu Ding quickly twisted his body toward the right while his right hand executed a backhanded Lightning Elbow that collided with his opponent¡¯s head. In addition to that, his body took off from the ground, and he performed a ming Knee with his left leg that fell heavily on his opponent¡¯s chest.

    Nick had not expected Gu Ding¡¯s attacks to be so swift. The moment he was hit by the Lightning Elbow, his brain practically exploded. What Nick did not know was that Gu Ding had not yet activated his Damage Stacking ability. Otherwise, that one hit would have been enough to make the sma in his brain burst out, in other words, it would have been enough for him to die on the spot. Other than that, Nick¡¯s ribs had been shattered by Gu Ding¡¯s ming Knee attack. As a result, the intense pain caused him to copse in a dead faint right where he was.

    Opening his eyes and noticing the other party¡¯s devastating condition, Gu Ding secretly rejoiced that he had not used his Damage Stacking ability. Otherwise, there would definitely be no way for the man to be saved.

    ¡°Left here, he will definitely croak, right?¡± Gu Ding did not have a grudge against his opponent. Moreover, the loot was still in the other party¡¯s inventory. In front of so many onlookers, Gu Ding was unwilling to reveal Neptune¡¯s secret. Hence, he immediately made Neptune call the local emergency number.

    ¡°Hello, there¡¯s another wounded person here at the starport. He has serious injuries to his head, and all the ribs in his chest are shattered. Please get here as fast as you can, thank you!¡± Seeing Gu Ding call the emergency number, the jaws of the onlooking Interster Pirates¡¯ dropped.

    ¡®That guy is really too much. He beat up his opponent until such a state but still called emergency treatment for him. It¡¯s just tant humiliation!¡¯ They all thought that Gu Ding¡¯s actions were not out of kindness. Nevertheless, right after that, they saw an even more arrogant scene.

    Gu Ding took out a bottle of E-grade cell repair agent. Then, he pried open Nick¡¯s mouth and poured the bottle of medicine into it. In reality, Nick was a Rank 7 Gene Body, so he had three spiral gene chains in his body. Hence, he required the use of a D-grade cell repair agent for the medicine to be effective. E-grade cell repair agents had very limited effects on him.

    Gu Ding¡¯s behavior was basically humiliation in the eyes of the other Interster Pirates. Not to mention, it was without a doubt that the entire scene had been captured on video by a bystander.

    Not long after, an ambnce arrived, and a group of paramedics lifted Nick into the vehicle.

    Gu Ding waved at Liliath and Biggie as he shouted loudly, ¡°I¡¯ll follow the ambnce and make a trip to the hospital. You two look around as you please.¡±

    Lilith and Biggie exchanged nces somewhat speechlessly before nodding.

    Only then did Gu Ding get into the ambnce.

    ¡®Gu Ding is an atrocious guy after all. He even wants to follow Nick along to the hospital, and it¡¯s obviously so that when the other guy wakes up, the other guy will see his victory stance.¡¯ This was what all the other Interster Pirates thought in their hearts.

    In actual fact, Gu Ding was only worried about his loot. Gu Ding was unsure about what the blue crystal rock actually was as he had not managed to ask about it earlier. Nevertheless, based on Neptune¡¯s previous tone, it seemed as if it was something very impressive.

    Sitting in the ambnce, Gu Ding looked at the group of paramedics on one side and typed a sentence on his wristwatch. ¡°Neptune, what exactly is that blue rock?¡±

 Chapter 118 - What Are You Trying To Do

    <h4>Chapter 118: What Are You Trying To Do?</h4>

    ¡°The mechanical civilization was originally from the Middle Ages, and it was wiped out during the same time due to war. However, as Robert said previously, a few of their tribesmen survived and emigrated to other ces. As a result, a new generation was created.

    ¡°During the Modern Age, a small tribe caught the attention of the person in power at that time. The tribe had the same appearance externally as the Mechanical Tribe from the Middle Ages, as well the Mechanical Tribe¡¯s ability of creation. What was even more unbelievable was that they had a special ability simr to that of humans. The special ability they possessed was the same as some of the special abilities humans possessed; they were able to undergo evolution.

    ¡°Later on, the small tribe¡¯s secret was finally discovered. They were a group of survivors from the Mechanical Tribe of the Middle Ages. Their tribe was able to continue thriving due to them identally discovering an alternative energy source. The name of that type of energy source was¡ªEnergy Prism Crystals. Different colors of Energy Prism Crystals had different elements and they each gave the members of the Mechanical Tribe different abilities. In addition to that, every ability obtained from the Energy Prism Crystals were capable of evolution. There was even a rumor that said Energy Prism Crystals of different attributes had a certain level of influence on the user¡¯s personality. For example, the users of the me-element Energy Prism Crystals were known to be more bad-tempered.¡±

    ¡°So what you mean is that the blue rock is also an Energy Prism Crystal?¡± Gu Ding continued to type out his questions on his wristwatch.

    ¡°That¡¯s right. That thing looks exactly like what¡¯s found in my database. It¡¯s a water-element Energy Prism Crystal,¡± Neptune said with full confidence.

    ¡°So that means Robert can use that thing as a substitute energy source?¡± Uncertain, Gu Ding continued to ask.

    ¡°There¡¯s a huge possibility, but it¡¯s not a hundred percent. Since such information was not recorded, we don¡¯t know how simr the energy systems of the Mechanical Tribe survivors from the Modern Age and the Mechanical Tribe survivors from the Middle Ages are. Not to mention, we don¡¯t know if any of them underwent changes in terms of Energy Compatibility,¡± Neptune gave an answer that was not very confirmatory. He did not have any relevant data in his database to support his theory, so he did not dare give an assertion.

    ¡°But it¡¯s worth a try, isn¡¯t it?¡± The corner of Gu Ding¡¯s lips split into a grin.

    It did not take much time before the ambnce arrived at the hospital. Nick, whose entire body was covered in blood, was quickly pushed into the Intensive Care Emergency Room.

    Gu Ding sat on a long bench outside the ICER and waited patiently for Nick to wake up. After finding out what that blue rock was, he knew that he definitely had to obtain the loot this time around.

    A little over an hourter, Gu Ding¡¯smunicator sounded. The caller was Liliath.

    ¡°Gu Ding, we¡¯ve bought all the stuff. When are youing back?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know either. That guy¡¯s in the Emergency Room surrounded by a team of doctors that¡¯s performing surgery. I don¡¯t know when he¡¯ll wake up.¡± Gu Ding felt that he had gone overboard with his strength when he struck Nick. In fact, his third move waspletely unnecessary. The other party had already lost theirbat effectiveness after being hit by his elbow strike.

    ¡°Is there anything special about that rock?¡± In Liliath¡¯s eyes, Gu Ding was an indifferent person. To wait over an hour for one piece of loot did not seem like something within Gu Ding¡¯s personality. Hence, she guessed that that rock had something special about it.

    ¡°Neptune said that the rock is called an Energy Prism Crystal, and there¡¯s a high possibility that Robert can use it as a substitute energy source.¡±

    Upon hearing Gu Ding¡¯s words, Liliath finally understood why the former would wait so patiently for it. ¡°Want us to go over?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no need. You guys go ahead with your own business. It¡¯s enough with me over here, I¡¯ll leave once I get that Energy Prism Crystal.¡± Gu Ding shook his head, he felt that there was no need for such a thing.

    ¡°Alright then, but with his injuries, it¡¯s probably very unlike that he¡¯ll regain consciousness in such a short while.¡± The position at which Liliath and Biggie had observed the battle earlier was very close to Nick. With Liliath¡¯s eyesight, she was able to determine the seriousness of the other party¡¯s injuries with just a nce.

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing we can do about that. If it ends up being impossible, I¡¯ll just let Neptune sneakily transfer that object out of his Inventory.¡± Gu Ding was actually unwilling to do that as such an action would easily expose Neptune¡¯s secret. After all, nobody was capable of doing something like taking an object out of someone else¡¯s Inventory.

    After Gu Ding hung up themunicator, he saw a doctor walking out of the Intensive Care Emergency Room.

    Gu Ding frantically called out to him as he asked, ¡°Doctor, around what time will the person inside wake up?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s hard to say. Although his constitution is very strong, and the surgery can be considered rtively sessful, the injuries he suffered were really serious. Even we don¡¯t know when he¡¯ll be able to wake up.¡± The doctor shook his head and followed up with a question, ¡°Are you a family member of the patient?¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯m the guy who beat him up,¡± Gu Ding gave the doctor an extremely frank answer.

    The doctor sized him up as he looked up and down, clearly doubtful of his answer. The doctor then said, ¡°The patient needs rest now, so it¡¯d be best if youe back tomorrow or the day after.¡± Then he turned and left.

    With the surgeryplete, Nick was pushed out very quickly. Gu Ding followed Nick to his ward as thetter remained in aatose state.

    ¡°Do you want my help?¡± Neptune asked. Neptune was aware that nobody knew how long it would take for Nick to wake up.

    ¡°Let¡¯s wait a little longer and see,¡± Gu Ding insisted. If Nick found out that something was missing from his Inventory, he would definitely know that it was Gu Ding who had done something to him. When that time came, the Federal Government might find out about it as well. Then, once Neptune¡¯s secret was exposed, Gu Ding knew he would be in deep shit.

    What Gu Ding did not know was that the video of his fight with Nick on Bostan had already been uploaded by someone to Sk. In the video, Gu Ding was seen finishing Nick off in three moves with his eyes closed, appearing extremely formidable. The video even had a narrator who exined the details of the whole incident.

    With the person¡¯s narration, viewers of the video were able to notice all the details of the incident including Gu Ding calling an ambnce for his opponent, as well as force-feeding his opponent some cell repair agent. Not to forget the epitome of it, Gu Dingstly followed his opponent along to the hospital. The narrator had a very firm opinion that Gu Ding did all of it on purpose as a way to ridicule his opponent and mock him for overestimating his own capabilities.

    As a result, some new catchphrases appeared on Sk.

    ¡°I can finish you off even with my eyes closed!¡±

    ¡°Are you trying to make me call you an ambnce?¡±

    ¡°Would you believe me if I said I¡¯ll feed you some cell repair agent?¡±

    In one single night, Gu Ding had a new impression in the eyes of many people¡ªhe was arrogant!

    At the same time, the other Interster Pirates who were on Bostan began speeding up their work progress in hopes of leaving the earlier and avoiding Gu Ding who was a dangerous person.

    Nevertheless, Gu Ding¡¯s exposure during this period of time also attracted the attention of a few true powerhouses. Some of them had started bing eager to try him with their own hands.

    Although Neptune knew about all these matters, he did not tell Gu Ding as he thought that the news was just superfluous and full of useless information. Hence, there was no need for him to let Gu Ding waste his time by looking at such messy news.

    At that moment, in the ward, Nick, who had great recovery strength, began to slowly open his eyes. Upon noticing Gu Ding grinning at him, he had a shock. ¡°What... What are you trying to do?¡±

 Chapter 119 - The Awakened Robert

    <h4>Chapter 119: The Awakened Robert</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Having noticed that Nick had regained consciousness, Gu Ding immediately moved closer to him. ¡°You¡¯re finally awake!¡±

    Seeing Gu Ding¡¯s face, Nick felt slightly fearful. After all, the one who had caused him his injuries was Gu Ding. ¡°What are you trying to do?¡±

    ¡°Do you remember the reward you promised you¡¯d give me earlier?¡± Gu Ding said, grinning widely. Gu Ding¡¯s smile seemed somewhat savage in Nick¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°Reward? That blue rock?¡± Nick only just recalled his promise. ¡°You followed me all the way to the hospital just for that rock?¡±

    ¡°Of course. What other reason could there be? It¡¯s my loot.¡± Gu Ding thought that it was a somewhat odd question for the other man to ask.

    Nick appeared slightly suspicious of the situation. Gu Dinging for the rock meant that he probably knew what the rock was, and it was highly likely that it was something valuable. ¡°I can give you the rock, but can you tell me what exactly it is?¡±

    ¡°No!¡± Gu Ding gave a negative reply. ¡°I can only tell you that it¡¯s useless to humans, so it won¡¯t serve you much use even if you keep it.¡±

    After a short pause, Nick chose to relent, ¡°I can give you that rock, and I won¡¯t bother you or your team members anymore. However, there¡¯s one condition. After I give you the rock, you and your team members must not attack me.¡±

    Gu Ding stuck out his hand. ¡°Deal! Give me the rock!¡±

    Only then did Nick pull out the blue Energy Prism Crystal and pass it to Gu Ding.

    Gu Ding turned and left the ward while Neptune contacted Liliath and Biggie to let them know they were to prepare for departure.

    Half an hourter, after leaving the hospital, Gu Ding arrived at their spaceship docked at the port.

    ¡°You got that blue rock?¡± Neptune had not exined the details of the situation to Liliath through themunicator. He had only said that the item was in hand and Gu Ding was on the way back. Hence, Liliath was not too certain.

    ¡°Uh-huh!¡± Gu Ding nodded and pulled out the Energy Prism Crystal.

    ¡°Did that guy really regain consciousness so fast? What great constitution he has.¡± Liliath had seen with her own eyes that the other party was basically one foot in the grave. Nevertheless, it did not take him more than two hours to regain consciousness from his serious state of injury.

    ¡°Not only did he regain consciousness, but he was very aware of his surroundings. For the rock, he even discussed conditions with me,¡± Gu Ding said, grinning, ¡°Neptune, let¡¯s go. We¡¯ve dilly-dallied for quite a bit of time.¡±

    Very soon, the spaceship left Bostan¡¯s port. Once the spaceship stabilized itself, Gu Ding took out the metal sphere that Robert had turned into. Right until now, the former had kept the metal sphere in his Inventory. Gu Ding slowly pushed the blue Energy Prism Crystal into the metal sphere that was of simr size.

    Uponing into contact with the Energy Prism Crystal, the metal sphere began to undergo some change. As if it had been activated, it split open, and very quickly, it enveloped the entire Energy Prism Crystal.

    After about a few minutes, the color of the metal sphere began to change slowly from its original silver color to blue. It only stopped once the entire metal sphere was dyedpletely blue. Then, the metal sphere started to wriggle once again, and it slowly condensed into the shape of a human that was about half a meter tall.

    The entire processsted for around half an hour before Robert finally returned to his original form. Other than the fact that his entire body had turned blue, in terms of appearance, he looked almost exactly the same as before.

    ¡°Robert, are you alright?¡± Gu Ding could not help but ask after seeing Robert look down at his hands without saying a word.

    ¡°Why have I turned blue?¡± Robert looked down and sized up his new body. ¡°And why do I have one more special ability¡ªFreeze Ray?¡±

    Gu Ding gave Robert an exnation about the Energy Prism Crystal. However, based on thetter¡¯s reaction, Gu Ding could tell that Robert had not known about the existence of an alternative energy source like the Energy Prism Crystal.

    ¡°It seems as if this type of energy source is more advanced than the ones we used previously.¡± After having heard Gu Ding¡¯s exnation, Robert appeared to be very calm. Robert turned his head and saw Biggie standing not too far away. ¡°Who¡¯s this big guy?¡±

    ¡°Our new member, Biggie. He¡¯s also our chef.¡± Liliath smacked Biggie¡¯s thigh. ¡°Say hi.¡±

    ¡°Hello, my name¡¯s Biggie!¡± Biggie smiled openly. He was aware of Robert¡¯s existence, but it was his first time meeting him.

    ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Robert. It¡¯s so nice to meet you!¡± Robert exchanged pleasantries with Biggie for a moment before he turned to look at Gu Ding again. ¡°Captain, I¡¯m going to work.¡±

    Robert returned to his room and began to tinker with little bits and pieces.

    ¡°Why do I feel like Robert isn¡¯t as lively as he used to be?¡± With her instincts as a little girl, Liliath was able to detect the subtle change in Robert.

    ¡°The water-element Prism Crystal has a certain level of influence on one¡¯s personality,¡± Neptune exined. He spected, ¡°If fire-element Prism Crystals can make one hot-headed, then I guess water-element Prism Crystals are capable of making one calmer. Hence, those people would respond a little less emotionally to external affairs.¡±

    ¡°Since we¡¯ve found Robert an alternative energy source, are we still going to Mayor Sector?¡± Liliath asked subsequently.

    ¡°Of course we are, I haven¡¯t been to an auction before.¡± Gu Ding was unwilling to miss out on fresh things along the way.

    ¡°Mayor Sector is a ce we¡¯ll definitely pass on the new route, so there¡¯s no harm in stopping there for a while,¡± Neptune added, ¡°Additionally, we can take the opportunity to sell off the stuff we got from the Witch Tribe during the auction. We should sell them off as quickly as possible and exchange them for resources that everyone can use. Otherwise, who knows when¡¯s the next time we¡¯ll get the chance to get them off our hands? The auction this time around is also going to be held on a big scale, so resources that everyone needs will probably show up. Before we enter Faye Cosmic Nation, it¡¯s important we increase our strength as fast as possible. Faye Cosmic Nation is a 5-star Cosmic Nation. There are many more powerhouses there than in Dragon Soar Cosmic Nation. Not to mention, the strength of Faye Cosmic Nation¡¯s Army is much fiercer as well.¡±

    ¡°Neptune, you already took stock of all those Witch Tribe items, right? Are there any ones that might prove useful to us?¡± Gu Ding only knew that Neptune had taken over a hundred items from the Witch Tribe, and the former had not had the time to check exactly what those things were. Hence, it was faster for him to just ask Neptune anyway.

    ¡°The cultivation method practiced by the Witch Tribe¡¯s tribesmen is not quite the same as ours. I¡¯ve already scanned through each and every one of those items, and only one item, a jasper bracelet, can be used by Liliath. That bracelet has the ability to triple one¡¯s spirit. As for the other items, they can all be sold.¡± As Neptune spoke, he took out the bracelet and had Gu Ding pass it to Liliath. ¡°Lili, when you¡¯re doing your regr spirit cultivation, don¡¯t wear the bracelet. It can very easily cause spirit over-expenditure. The item can be considered a double-edged sword for you. That¡¯s why I never took it out all this while until now.¡±

    Liliath nodded. She understood why Neptune was worried. She quite liked the bracelet, and after toying with it for a bit, she put it back in the Inventory.

    ¡°We¡¯ll arrive at Mayor Sector in four days, so you guys will have to hang on for the next four days. Don¡¯t stop in the middle of the journey and waste your time. The Space-time backtracking we encountered previously cost us three days, so we¡¯ve fallen behindpared to others,¡± Neptune reminded them. He was slightly worried that Gu Ding and Liliath would be restless in the cabin.

    ¡°Alright, full speed ahead to Mayor Sector!¡± Gu Ding was a person who was not willing to fall behind. Hence, hearing Neptune¡¯s words, he immediately drew back his lips and yelled a promation, ¡°Overtake those jerks and make up for the three days we lost!¡±

 Chapter 120 - Meeting Senior Again

    <h4>Chapter 120: Meeting Senior Again</h4>

    The four days on the Grey-faced Buzzard was like a form of torture for Gu Ding and Liliath. With their personalities, staying idle on a spaceship was basically no different from being locked up.

    Robert tinkered with things throughout each day in his own room without idling for even a single moment. On the other hand, Biggie kept himself busy in the kitchen, creating new and colorful dishes for each meal, giving Gu Ding and Liliath great culinary satisfaction. When Biggie was not preparing dishes, he could be found looking up all sorts of recipes and spending his time iparably productively.

    To kill time, Gu Ding had Neptune adjust his room to twice the usual force of gravity. Under such circumstances, he used the seventh tier Ultimate Arts to push his body¡¯s limits and strengthen his body¡¯s cells. Four days down the line, Gu Ding managed to increase his Cell Index slightly to 320 points.

    On the other hand, Liliath spent her time entering the Virtual Arena¡¯s Intermediate-level stage to train herbat techniques.

    After the four days of torture finally passed, the Grey-faced Buzzard Model safely arrived at Mayor Sector¡¯s Great Divinity based on the route that had been established.

    The Great Divinity was thergest habitable in the entire Mayor Sector, and it was also the most bustling in all of Mayor Sector. The¡¯s poption made up one-thirtieth of the Mayor Sector¡¯s total poption. It has to be said that Mayor Sector had five hundred or mores that were inhabited by humans. Therefore, that was the reason why the had been chosen as the location of therge-scale auction.

    When the spaceship stopped at the port of Great Divinity, Gu Ding¡¯s Grey-faced Buzzard attracted the side-eyes of several people. Such first-generation antiques were flown by very few people. Of those who hade to attend the auction this time, quite a few had discerning eyes and were very interested in Gu Dign¡¯s Grey-faced Buzzard.

    In contrast, the Interster Pirates did not care too much about the value of the spaceship. They cared more about the fact that the arrival of that type of Grey-faced Buzzard Model meant that Gu Ding and his team had arrived at Great Divinity.

    The moment the Grey-faced Buzzard stopped, Neptune rushed to tell Gu Ding, ¡°There are many people from the Army around us. They were probably hired to maintain public order by the lord of this star sector. Seems like quite a few valuable things will be among the auctioned items in the auction.¡±

    Gu Ding knocked on the door that led to Robert¡¯s room. ¡°Robert, we¡¯ve reached Great Divinity. Do you want to go and walk around together?¡±

    ¡°Hold on, I¡¯ll give you a copy of a checklist of materials I need. If you see those materials, help me buy them. I won¡¯t be going out, but you guys have fun.¡± After a short while, Robert sent the checklist straight to Neptune. Robert had not opened the door to his room throughout the entire conversation, and Gu Ding did not know what exactly it was that he was busy with.

    Although Biggie was obsessed with the kitchen and his recipes, he knew how to enjoy the food of different districts. Hence, he followed Gu Ding and Liliath as they left the Grey-faced Buzzard.

    After leaving the spaceship, the constraint Gu Ding and Liliath had felt from being ¡°locked up¡± for the past few days was finally erased.

    The arrival of the trio attracted the attention of members of the Army as well as a few Interster Pirates at the port. Being thetest rising neer, Gu Ding¡¯s exposure rate was rtively high. In addition to that, with Biggie¡¯s video that had been uploaded, it was hard for people not to recognize his team.

    Not long after the trio had started walking, their path was blocked by someone.

    A big and tall male confronted them. However, this time, the person looked differentpared to thest time they met him on Consc. This time, the other party was wearing an army uniform.

    ¡°It has been a few days since we met, Gu Ding,¡± the other party said pleasantly in a seemingly-casual manner. ¡°Your team¡¯s recent exposure rate is quite high.¡±

    As the man spoke, his gaze swept over Biggie who had a ratherrge build. A look of fear shed in his eyes.

    ¡°You¡¯re Senior. Why would you be here?¡± Gu Ding recognized the other man at first nce. Back then, he had found dealing with the person in front of him rtively difficult even when Liliath and he joined hands.

    ¡°You can rx. I didn¡¯t receive a pursuit mission this time, just a regr mission to maintain public order. I came over to say hello and give you a word of advice while I¡¯m here. Don¡¯t cause a riot on this, or I¡¯ll send you to Federation Prison even if it means I¡¯ll have to risk my life.¡± After saying that, Senior turned around and prepared to leave. However, he was called back by Gu Ding.

    ¡°Hey, wait a moment.¡±

    ¡°Do you need anything?¡± Senior stopped in his tracks and turned his head around to look at Gu Ding, a cold expression was on his face.

    ¡°I want to challenge you!¡± Gu Ding¡¯s mouth broke into a grin, revealing a neat row of white teeth.

    Senior wrinkled his brows lightly. He nced at Biggie who was standing not too far behind Gu Ding. ¡°You want to go to war against the Army?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant, I still want to attend the auction.¡± Gu Ding shook his head. ¡°What I meant by challenge is I want to challenge you as an individual. It has nothing to do with your status. After all, thest time we fought can be considered as my loss. My strength has increased somewhat within this period of time, and to challenge you anew isn¡¯t too extreme of a request, is it?¡±

    ¡°You want to regain your footing?¡± Senior finally rxed secretly. Gu Ding speaking in such a way meant that he had no ns of letting Biggie take action. Among those who hade to maintain public order on the this time around, the strongest of them were only two colonel generals who were Rank 8 Gene Bodies. If Biggie were to take action, it would be disastrous for the Army.

    ¡°You can put it that way. Do you ept or not?¡± Gu Ding nodded.

    Senior immediately weighed the current situation in his mind. If he did not ept Gu Ding¡¯s challenge, who knew what kind of trouble Gu Ding would start. However, if he epted the challenge, the chances of him winning were not great; he had seen the video of Gu Ding¡¯s fight with Nick, and from what he saw, Gu Ding¡¯sbat standard was above his own. After a moment of silence, he made his decision. ¡°I can ept your challenge, but I have one condition. No matter who wins or loses, you and your team must not cause trouble on this.¡±

    ¡°I can only promise not to cause trouble of my own volition. If anybody takes the initiative and provokes us, it¡¯s impossible that we hold our breaths and swallow ourints.¡± Gu Ding pinned Senior with a stare, he did not want the other party to reject his challenge.

    Seniorpsed into a moment of silence but nodded in the end anyway. ¡°Alright.¡±

    He made the decision to ept Gu Ding¡¯s challenge because he had already nned to sacrifice his reputation and future to guarantee the sess of his mission.

    In the Army, there was an unspoken rule. Everybody¡¯sbat results were taken into ount whenever they had an assessment for promotion. Losing to a neer who had not been out for even half a year would undoubtedly leave a ck spot on Senior¡¯s r¨¦sum¨¦, and that ck spot would be a great hindrance for him to be promoted in the future. Nevertheless, to him, the threat Biggie posed to the Army and its mission was too big. Only by epting Gu Ding¡¯s challenge could he minimize Biggie¡¯s threat.

    Looking at the opponent in front of him, Senior did not dare ck even the slightest bit. Half a month earlier, both Gu Ding and Liliath together were not a match for him at all. However, in just half a month¡¯s time, the other party was capable of easily defeating an opponent whose strength was simr to his own without wasting a breath. The other party¡¯s growth was simply unbelievable.

    ¡°Let¡¯s start!¡± Having received the other party¡¯s approval, the corners of Gu Ding¡¯s mouth broke into a smile yet again.

 Chapter 121 - Gu Ding Versus The Army Senior Colonel

    <h4>Chapter 121: Gu Ding Versus The Army Senior Colonel</h4>

    Gu Ding¡¯s decision to challenge Senior was not on a whim. Gu Ding had made up his mind to beat Senior during their next meeting after he had been defeated on Consc. Gu Ding never thought that his opportunity woulde so soon.

    Gu Ding did not dare to ck when it came to Senior. After all, he and Lili were both subdued thest time even though they had joined forces. If Senior had not stopped back then, Gu Ding might have found himself locked up in the federal prison.

    Gu Ding activated his Ultimate Arts Level 7 and Level 2 Rage Attack at the same time and then performed a Silent Step. He instantly leaped and appeared in front of Senior before executing a Steel Fist with all his strength, not showing any mercy.

    Standing in front of Senior who stood nearly two meters tall, Gu Ding seemed a little thinner. However, no one dared doubt Gu Ding¡¯sbat strength, and that included Senior himself. Senior had seen Gu Ding¡¯s peculiar body art countless times in the video, and he knew the horror of Gu Ding¡¯s punch. Defense was not the best choice in tackling such a brutal attack. Hence, Senior chose to attack and used his palm like a knife, wielding his palm that was twice the size of Gu Ding¡¯s like a sharp de.

    It was a fist against a palm!

    When Senior¡¯s palm that had turned into a de struck Gu Ding¡¯s fist, the sound of metal shing was heard. Then, as Senior felt a colossal forceing from his palm, he immediately retreated in horror. Under normal circumstances, his special ability ¡°de¡± would cause damage to his opponents even if their powers exceeded his. However, when his attack collided with Gu Ding earlier, he realized that Gu Ding¡¯s body art was capable of not only improve his attacks greatly but was capable of terrifyingly enhancing his defense. It made his body strong as if it was made of iron.

    The special effect had of course beem caused by Righteous Body. Under the Ultimate Arts Level 7¡¯s influence, Righteous Body increased Gu Ding¡¯s defense by ten-fold. It also had a special effect that hardened his skin. Evidently, the Ultimate Arts was aprehensive technique without any defects in attack or defense.

    With only a single blow from Senior, Gu Ding obviously did not give up pursuing victory as he still had the opportunity to do so. Gu Ding once again performed a Silent Step and, with a sway of his body, he appeared in front of Senior. In both of his attacks, Gu Ding had chosen to attack Senior from the front, trying to suppress him with force.

    On the other hand, Senior activated his Level 2 Defense. Then, he once again sent a karate chop toward Gu Ding¡¯s neck, hoping he could fight fire with fire. Senior¡¯s Cell Index surpassed the limit of a Rank-7 Gene Body which was thirteen thousand points, and having activated his Level 2 Defense, his defense had improved. Their collision earlier made him calcte Gu Ding¡¯s attack at about an intensity of nearly twenty thousand points; it did not exceed twenty thousand points, so it was not enough to threaten his Level 2 Defense at such short notice.

    Senior¡¯s an eye for an eye strategy surprised Gu Ding slightly, but it did not deter him. Whether it was Ultimate Arts, Rage, or Combat Armor, the increase in strength of his defense and attack was the same. Based on Gu Ding¡¯s Cell Index of three hundred and twenty points, factoring in the ten-fold increase from Ultimate Arts, the three-fold increase from Rage, and the two-fold increase from Combat Armor, Gu Ding¡¯s defense and attack wasparable to a martial arts practitioner who had a Cell Index of 19200 points. There was a certain gap between it and Senior¡¯s twenty-six thousand points since thetter had activated his Level 2 Defense, but Senior¡¯s attack was unparalleled to Gu Ding¡¯s.

    Nevertheless, it has to be said that the neck is the human body¡¯s weakest part. Gu Ding had no intention of defending himself from the blow, but he still staggered to his feet and dodged by a hair¡¯s breadth. Due to the angle of the attack, Gu Ding¡¯s Steel Fist changed into a Terminating Finger as he pressed against Senior¡¯s heart that was in his left chest.

    Senior¡¯s moves may not have been as fluid as Gu Ding¡¯s, but since Gu Ding had dodged his blow, his karate chopnded on Gu Ding¡¯s left shoulder de. Nevertheless, it only left a shallow scratch on his body. On the contrary, Gu Ding¡¯s Terminating Finger had actually hit his heart. Although he was able to withstand Gu Ding¡¯s attack with his defense, the impact caused to his chest made him have a cardiac arrest and feel dizzy in the head. Senior immediately retreated, worried that Gu Ding would attack continuously. That was because, feeling lightheaded, he might not have been able to retaliate.

    Gu Ding was a little surprised to see Senior moving freely despite having suffered a blow from his Terminating Finger. The Terminating Finger was a point-to-point attack. If the power of the attack was the same, it would be more destructive than other moves. Besides, Gu Ding had attacked Senior¡¯s heart earlier in order to make him losebat effectiveness. Gu Ding was not expecting Senior to be so tenacious. Thetter had managed to resist the blow and did not seem like he was suffering from much damage. That blow should have been almost fatal for a Rank-7 Gene Body.

    ¡°Don¡¯t forget, his Cell Index has already surpassed the limit of a normal Rank-7 Gene Body. He also has a Level 2 Defense ability that allows him to double his defense. If you don¡¯t use Damage Stacking, your attacks will cause limited damage to him,¡± Neptune reminded Gu Ding at this time.

    Gu Ding then realized he had seen Senior¡¯s information earlier. Senior had not shown his full potential in theirst battle, so Gu Ding ignored it. Gu Ding did not activate Damage Stacking earlier because he was worried about identally killing Senior. After all, an ordinary Rank-7 Gene Body could only have a Cell Index of ten thousand points at most, so his attack of twenty thousand points was lethal enough. If he used Damage Stacking, there was a strong possibility that would end up killing Senior by ident.

    Gu Ding was a little relieved after learning that Senior had a Level 2 Defense ability. He immediately activated Damage Stacking ability and chased after Senior.

    Gu Ding still chose to execute a frontal attack for his third move. He performed a violent Steel Fist that carried enough force to cut through the wind.

    Senior still had an irregr heartbeat. Hence, when he saw Gu Ding rushing toward him, he did not dare fight him rashly. He was not as flexible as Gu Ding, so he was unable to escape Gu Ding¡¯s attack. Therefore, he had no other option but to fold his arms and prevent Gu Ding¡¯s Steel Fist from hurting his internal organs.

    As Gu Ding seeded innding his punch, the cursed effect from Damage Stacking began to activate, and Senior was blown away by his punch. Nevertheless, even though Senior¡¯s arms felt numb, his body was not affected as much. With the help of anti-shock force from the punch, Senior retreated once again. He then tried to adjust his breathing, hoping that his heartbeat would return to normal as soon as possible.

    On the contrary, Gu Ding obviously did not intend to stop there as his legs mmed hard beneath him, and the bricks under his feet shattered instantly. Gu Ding leaped out like a swift cheetah and appeared once again in front of Senior in the blink of an eye.

    Once again, Gu Ding sent another punch flying, still a Steel Fist, nothing fancy. It was the simplest attack, but it was also the most brutal attack.

    Senior who had not yet managed to calm down once again folded both his arms, hoping that he would be able to resist the blow, giving his irregr heartbeat more time to calm down. However, his decision was wrong this time.

    Having activated Damage Stacking, Gu Ding¡¯s punch was horrifying. When itnded on Senior¡¯s arm, it crushed the bones of his arms as if they were made of ss. The peculiar colossal force then hit Senior¡¯s chest with ease and broke eight of his ribs. Senior¡¯s internal organs felt the intense impact, and his heart once again stopped beating at that moment. Then, he spurted out bright red blood from his mouth as his body flew backward weakly before itnded heavily on the floor. Senior lost consciousnesspletely.

    The onlookers thought the fight would take longer because based on the earlier situation, the two had no idea how to break each other¡¯s defenses and could only cause a limited amount of damage to each other. What just took ce was not within the expectations of anyone except Liliath and Biggie.

    After checking Senior¡¯s injuries and finding out that Senior¡¯s heartbeat was extremely weak, Gu Ding immediately asked Neptune to dial the emergency number.

    ¡°Hello? Is this the emergency center? A senior colonel from the Army is deeply injured at the port. Come over as soon as possible, he can¡¯t hold on much longer.¡± After hanging up the phone, Gu Ding took out a bottle of E-grade cell repair agent, opened Senior¡¯s mouth, and then poured the medicine in.

    The entire scene was once again recorded on video and posted on Sk.

    It was not until Senior was carried into the ambnce that Gu Ding left the port with Liliath and Biggie. They rented a car to get to the auction site.

 Chapter 122 - Double Rewards

    <h4>Chapter 122: Double Rewards</h4>

    It was no exaggeration to say that the auction site at Great Divinity was grand.

    The area of the venue was nearly one million square meters wide, and it was capable of amodating five hundred thousand people. In addition to that, a tower was located in each corner of the area for free trading; sellers were able to set up their stalls in the towers. The only thing the sellers had to do was pay rent and payment was easily settled each day. On the other hand, buyers had free entry to the ce. Besides that, all four corner towers were different from the main area, and they were open all year round.

    When the three of them, including Gu Ding, reached the main venue, it was still closed as the auction had not yet started. Only one room was open for reception purposes.

    The room was crowded and noisy. Everyone in the room was a seller who was trying to sell items on consignment.

    There were eighteen attendants who looked exactly the same. They were girls who looked seventeen to eighteen years, and they were each wearing the same uniform. Gu Ding was stunned for a while when he saw them. However, he immediately asked, ¡°Are those attendants robots?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. They¡¯re specially customized robots used for the appraisal of items. Their eyes are actually special sensors that are capable of detecting the production date of items. Furthermore, their palms can analyze the structure of an auction item just by touching it. They also have a lot of appraisal-rted information stored in their databases.¡± Neptune had studied a lot about the auction site before arriving in Great Divinity, so he had enough knowledge about the robot. ¡°This type of robot isn¡¯t very popr due to its high cost. Hence¡¯s they¡¯re only used inrge auctions. They¡¯re different from human appraisers as they only need a few seconds to determine whether or not an item is valuable. They are very efficient.¡±

    As he watched people enter and leave the room, Gu Ding chose a shorter line and waited patiently.

    Once every ten seconds or less, Gu Ding would see someone leave in despair, and only a few were taken away by an attendant each time. Nevertheless, each time they were taken away, it was not for more than a minute.

    The number of people in line with Gu Ding began to decrease rapidly, and not one of them was taken away by an attendant.

    There was a beef-faced man in front of Gu Ding. The man was carrying a broken ax on his back. When it was his turn, he walked up to the counter and put the ax on his back on the counter. ¡°This is an ax that was handed down to me from my ancestors. Little girl, can you help me evaluate how much it¡¯s worth?¡±

    The good looking appraiser robot nced at the ax and reached out to touch it from its handle to its de. The robot shook her head. ¡°Sorry, your item has no value.¡±

    The man pped the table fiercely. ¡°This robot must be broken. When I was in line, there were hundreds of people in front of me. Each and every time you appraise an item, you onlye out with the same sentence. I demand to see your management and want a real appraiser re-appraise my item!¡±

    ¡°Sorry, your item has no value,¡± the appraiser robot merely gave the same reply.

    ¡°Damned robot!¡± cursed the man. He picked up his ax from the table and swung it at the appraiser robot¡¯s head. However, the very next moment, someone caught him by the wrist.

    He struggled hard but found himself unable to move.

    ¡°If you have a problem, you can look for the manager at the door. If you break the robot, then everyone at the back of the line will have lined up for nothing.¡± Gu Ding stared at him coldly.

    When the man saw that the one stopping him was only a kid, he did not take him seriously. However, when he looked up and saw that a huge man was standing behind him, he immediately let go and left with his ax.

    ¡°Hello, I¡¯m d to be of service.¡± The appraiser robot saw Gu Ding walk toward the table and smiled professionally.

    ¡°Please look at this for me.¡± Gu Ding had a crystal ball in his hand. Neptune previously had a mechanical insect steal it from the Witch Tribe high priest¡¯s room.

    ¡°This item of yours is a product from the Middle Ages 14.6 billion years ago. It has been well preserved.¡± In just the blink of an eye, the appraiser robot replied, ¡°Pleasee with me!¡±

    After finishing her sentence, she led Gu Ding into another room while Lilith and Biggie followed from behind.

    The room was a mess with all sorts of things piled up everywhere.

    The three of them including Gu Ding were hesitant, they were a little worried that they would trample on something by mistake.

    ¡°Take out whatever you guys are going to auction!¡± a hoarse voice rang behind the square table. Gu Ding stood on tiptoe and raised his head to see who was speaking, but he did not see anyone.

    ¡°Take out your item and put it on the table, I don¡¯t want to repeat this a second time!¡± The voice sounded impatient.

    Gu Ding put the crystal ball on the table.

    This time, a head popped out in front of the table. Then, a pair of hands grasped the edges of the table, and a man climbed onto the table. Gu Ding then realized why he could not see anyone earlier. The man was really short, and he seemed to be sixty to seventy centimeters tall. Nevertheless, the main¡¯s hair and beard were all white, causing him to look like a mini-sized little old man.

    The little old man carefully observed the crystal ball with a special pair of sses. Only after some time did he open his mouth and ask, ¡°Where did you get this Middle Age Witch Tribe crystal ball? How did you manage to preserve it so well?¡±

    ¡°We encountered space-time backtracking, and we happened tond near a Witch Tribemunity.¡± Gu Ding had no intention of hiding anything from him.

    ¡°How lucky are you to have survived!¡± the little old man said as he looked at the three of them. ¡°Since you managed toe back alive, this shouldn¡¯t be the only item you have, right? Do you have anything else?¡±

    ¡°Ask him how much is the crystal ball first,¡± Neptune reminded Gu Ding as he did not want to reveal his cards to the man so soon. Although he had been hired by the auction, Neptune felt that it was not wrong to be a little cautious.

    ¡°How much is this crystal ball?¡± Gu Ding asked.

    ¡°The crystal ball is one of the Witch Tribe¡¯s special items, it can¡¯t be used by other races. Although legend has it that there are remnants of the Witch Tribe, no one knows where they¡¯re hiding. Even if someone were to buy it, it can only serve as decor. It won¡¯t cost more than two billion Star Credits,¡± the little old man exined seriously. ¡°Now, can you take out the other items?¡±

    Gu Ding proceeded to take out the items one by one and had them appraised by the little old man.

    Gu Ding spent about an hour in the auction site, while the video of him fighting Senior began to go viral on Sk.

    Calling ambnces for his opponents and feeding them cell repair agents had be Gu Ding¡¯s signature¨Cit was not the first time he pulled such a thing off.

    People in the Army also saw the video, but they did not think that Gu Ding¡¯s behavior was out of arrogance. Nevertheless, no matter what they said, news about Gu Ding¡¯s victory over a senior colonel from the Army could not help but spread like wildfire. It was clearly a p in the face for the Army. Senior was not weak¨Che was one of the top senior colonels in the Army who had one of the Highest Capture Rewards that was as high as seven hundred and ten million Star Credits. In other words, it meant that Gu Ding¡¯s bounty of one hundred and sixty no longer match his currentbat effectiveness.

    After some discussion, Gu Ding¡¯s bounty was finally doubled to three hundred and twenty million Star Credits. In the undergroundwork on the Dark Web, his Neers Ranking also jumped to second ce.

 Chapter 123 - Half A Sacred Object

    <h4>Chapter 123: Half A Sacred Object</h4>

    In the appraisal room, the little old man who was an appraiser began feeling a little numb in his nerves. Besides that, his buttocks were also a little numb from sitting on the hard appraisal table. He stood up with a serious expression on his face and rubbed his buttocks without a hint of embarrassment. Even though he was standing on the table, his height was still shorter than Liliath¨Cthis was without a doubt a little funny.

    Gu Ding took out hundreds of items for the little old man, and thetter appraised them one by one¨Call of them were genuine products from 14.6 billion years ago, and none of them were fake.

    When Gu Ding took out a gilded Witch Tribe staff from his Inventory, the little old man waspletely taken aback. After swallowing hard, he cautiously took the staff from Gu Ding and examined it carefully.

    After more than ten minutes, he took a deep breath. ¡°If my guess is correct, this Witch Tribe staff is something that was used by Witch Tribe Spirits. It¡¯s basically a half-sacred object. If we were in a 5-star Cosmic Nation, half of the nation¡¯s demi-powerhouses would be fighting over it. The auction on Great Divinity is grand inparison to the Dragon Soar Cosmic Nation¡¯s auction. No one can afford to bid for your item here. Try auctioning it again after you¡¯ve entered Faye Cosmic Nation. You¡¯ve opened my eyes today. I¡¯ll keep the existence of this thing a secret. I won¡¯t tell a single soul.¡±

    Gu Ding put away the staff. ¡°Old man, approximately how much can I sell it for?¡±

    ¡°I can only provide you with a reference price; at least tens of billions of Star Credits. No need to take action if it¡¯s any lower.¡± The little old man pondered for a while as he stroked his white beard.

    ¡°Thank you, uncle!¡± Gu Ding grinned.

    ¡°Please forgive me for asking one question.¡± The little old man who was an appraiser was curious about the source of Gu Ding¡¯s items. ¡°You didn¡¯t rob the Witch Tribe¡¯s treasure vault, did you?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t rob them, I stole from them!¡± Gu Ding grinned and showed his pearly white teeth.

    ¡°Alright.¡± The little old man was not expecting Gu Ding to be so honest. ¡°Except for the staff, sell everything else. I estimate that the things you have are worth about 1.9 billion Star Credits in total. That amount of fortune should be enough to make some lords of Cosmic Nations turn green with envy. Young man, an old man like me would like to give you a piece of advice¨Cdon¡¯t show your fortune.¡±

    ¡°Okay!¡± Gu Ding nodded vigorously and asked in return, ¡°Uncle, would you like to join our pirate crew?¡±

    When Gu Ding asked this, Liliath and Biggie were both taken aback, even Neptune fell silent.

    ¡°No!¡± Little old man rejected Gu Ding without hesitation.

    ¡°Why?¡± Gu Ding was not expecting him to reject his proposal right away.

    ¡°Only a kid would be an Interster Pirate. It¡¯s not something for my age.¡± The little old man projected a page in front of them. ¡°Register whatever you¡¯re going to put up for auction and leave those items here. The auction officially starts the day after tomorrow. Information on each seller is hidden, so you don¡¯t have to worry about information leakage.¡±

    Gu Ding connected his wristwatch and got Neptune to register everything that they were going to sell.

    After theypleted the registration, the little old man went through their items once again. Having made sure that they were consistent with the details they had put in the registration form, he waved his hand at Gu Ding and his friends as if they were flies. ¡°You can leave now.¡±

    After they left the appraisal room, Neptune asked Gu Ding, ¡°Gu Ding, why did you want to recruit the old man just now? We don¡¯t need an appraiser. If you have anything you want to appraise, hit me up.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you think he¡¯s interesting?¡± Gu Ding grinned.

    ¡°Can¡¯t you recruit someone normal like me in the future?¡± Liliath could not help but protest.

    Biggie who was on the side scratched his head. He had a smirk on his face, but he did not express his thoughts.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go shopping in the towers. Robert gave us an extremely long list, let¡¯s see what we can buy.¡± Gu Ding changed the subject and began walking toward the tower on their left.

    Liliath and the others stopped talking and followed Gu Ding into the tower.

    This tower¨Clocated at the corner of the auction site¨Chad seven floors. Each floor had items that were of different categories.

    There was a description of each category at the gate outside the tower¨CGu Ding took a look at them. Most of the items Robert wanted were metal materials, and they were located on the sixth floor. ¡°I¡¯m going to the sixth floor to run some errands for Robert, do you guys want to tag along?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going to the third floor!¡± Liliath saw that the third floor had been categorized for clothes and essories.

    ¡°How about you, Biggie?¡± Gu Ding was a little worried about him shopping alone.

    ¡°I¡¯ll follow Lili.¡± Biggie smiled.

    ¡°After going through the third floor, we¡¯ll head to the food section on the fifth floor.¡± Liliath was d that she hadpany and thought that Biggie would want to visit the fifth floor more.

    ¡°Okay.¡± Biggie nodded.

    ¡°Alright then, contact me if you run into anything,¡± Gu Ding said as he hurried into the tower, leaving before them.

    Liliath and Biggie seemed more rxed as they slowly waited for the elevator.

    When Gu Ding got to the sixth floor, he asked Neptune to quickly find the items on Robert¡¯s list. Looking at the list that contained more than seventy different materials, Gu Ding knew that he would need more time toplete the task.

    After going around the sixth floor once, Gu Ding was able to purchase more than twenty items on the list with help of Neptune. Gu Ding dialed Liliath¡¯smunicator. ¡°What¡¯s up? I¡¯ve finished purchasing the items in this tower.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re still shopping. I tried on a lot of clothes but none of them looked good on me.¡± Liliath¡¯s voice sounded excited as she spoke. ¡°The seventh floor seems to sell weapons and armor. You can go take a look, maybe you¡¯ll find something useful.¡±

    After hanging up the call, Gu Ding headed towards the seventh floor as it was still early.

    Once he arrived on the seventh floor, a dazzling array of weapons and armor piqued Gu Ding¡¯s interest. He had no interest in the metal materials Robert wanted¨Che just wanted toplete the task quickly with a shopping spree. Hence, he had Neptune scan the surrounding materials andpare them with the list he had, purchasing them right away if they were something on the list. On the other hand, once Gu Ding got to the seventh floor, he looked at the stalls one by one, not willing to let any of them slip past him.

    There were all sorts of armor, uniquely-shaped changdaos, and cool firearms that raised Gu Ding¡¯s interest.

    Standing in front of a set of ck armor, Gu Ding almost had drooling out from his mouth. ¡°This is so cool, I want to buy it so much...¡±

    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t forget that your Combat Armor has stronger defense than this,¡± Neptune could not help but remind Gu Ding from making impulse purchases.

    Gu Ding looked away reluctantly. Suddenly, he saw a familiar figure in a stall not too far away.

    The person coincidentally happened to look in Gu Ding¡¯s direction. ¡°It¡¯s you!¡±

 Chapter 124 - An Ax For Ten Billion Universe Credits

    <h4>Chapter 124: An Ax For Ten Billion Universe Credits</h4>

    The man in the next stall was the beef-faced man who queued in line in front of Gu Ding earlier at the reception. He recognized Gu Ding instantly.

    Gu Ding lowered his head to look at his stall. It turned out that the ax was quoted as ¡°no value¡± by the appraiser robot at the reception earlier.

    ¡°Did he really think he was going to get a decent sum of money for his ax?¡± Gu Ding did not understand. He had the impression that the man was deliberately there to cause trouble. However, he had set up a stall in the tower and the tower charged a stall fee daily.

    ¡°Hey, young man. Don¡¯t leave!¡± Gu Ding stopped in front of his stall for a moment before turning around for the next stall, but the man yelled at him.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Gu Ding turned his head around, feeling confused.

    ¡°I just wanted to ask whether your item was also deemed as worthless.¡±

    ¡°There was no problem with my appraisal.¡± Gu Ding shook his head. He actually wanted to tell him that it was not an issue with the appraiser robot but rather with his axe, but he held back.

    ¡°How can that be?¡± The man looked at his ax in disbelief. ¡°It was inherited from my ancestors; how could it be worthless?¡±

    ¡°Neptune, the appraiser robot can¡¯t be wrong in this, right? Have you seen his ax?¡± Gu Ding could not resist asking.

    ¡°I¡¯ve briefly scanned his ax and couldn¡¯t find anything special about it. I can see the materials of each part clearly, including the structural alignment of each material. Additionally, the workmanship of this ax is average.¡± Neptune¡¯s evaluation was not very satisfactory. ¡°His elders probably have him fooled since he was a child, and he¡¯s still in the dark about it.¡±

    ¡°Grandpa clearly said one of our ancestors ughtered a dragon with the ax...¡± Neptune heard the man¡¯s mutterings clearly.

    Gu Ding was about to leave but Neptune yelled, ¡°Gu Ding, hold on. Pick up the ax so I can scan it better.

    Gu Ding was a little confused, but he turned around and asked the man, ¡°Can I take a look at it?¡±

    ¡°Do you want to buy it?¡± The man stopped muttering and looked at Gu Ding in surprise as he had seemed visibly uninterested up to this point.

    ¡°I just want to take a look at it.¡± Gu Ding felt that even if Neptune scanned for a second time, the result would still be the same. However, he still went with Neptune¡¯s request and picked up the ax. It was heavy but Gu Ding felt nothing else.

    He carefully examined the ax in his hands. The handle was made of ferrous metal and the de was rusty. The rust made Gu Ding furrow his eyebrows.

    Noticing Gu Ding¡¯s expression, the man quickly exined, ¡°I can¡¯t get rid of the rust stains. I¡¯ve tried a lot of cleaning agents, but to no avail.¡±

    A momentter, Gu Ding heard Neptune¡¯s panicked voice. ¡°Gu Ding, buy it! I couldn¡¯t have been more wrong about it. We have something good on our hands!¡±

    Gu Ding calmly reached over to touch at the rust stains, none of it fell off. ¡°How much are you selling this ax for?¡±

    ¡°Ten billion Universe Credits!¡± Gu Ding was speechless when the man quoted the price.

    When he heard ten billion, he thought he was for sure pulling his leg. He never thought he would ask for ten billion Universe Credits. However, by the looks of it, he was not joking. What surprised Gu Ding was that Neptune remained silent when he heard about the price.

    ¡°Since you¡¯ve put it at this price, you must be reluctant on selling it, right?¡± Gu Ding squinted at him.

    ¡°I have no say in this. Before my grandpa passed away, he told me that if I ever lost the family fortune and had no choice but to sell the ax, that I should sell it for at least ten billion Universe Credits. He even made me sign some sort of spiritual contract. If I sold it for less than ten billion Universe Credits, I¡¯ll be cursed with one hundred years of bad luck...¡±

    After hearing this, Gu Ding chose to bite his tongue and wait for Neptune¡¯s reply.

    ¡°This worth more than that Witch Tribe staff of yours. It¡¯d be considered cheap at ten billion Universe Credits.¡± After being silent for a while, Neptune¡¯s reply surprised Gu Ding. ¡°The curse he mentioned appears to be true. I¡¯ve scanned his body and found traces of cursing. Special curses that bring you bad luck do exist.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think you can get it sold at that price.¡± What Gu Ding said was also directed at Neptune. ¡°When the auction is over, there should be fewer buyers here. You can talk to me again if you haven¡¯t sold it.¡±

    When Gu Ding finished, he turned around and walked away. He was no longer in the mood to shop and immediately left the tower.

    Once they were out of the tower, Gu Ding asked, ¡°What exactly is that ax?¡±

    ¡°The owner of the ax should be a spirit. Unlike the Witch Tribe staff, this ax is a closebat weapon and is stained in dragon blood. The ax itself is under a seal, and the remaining dragon blood concealed its traces. That¡¯s why I wasn¡¯t able to notice the abnormality in the ax earlier. The rust spots you saw were traces of the dragon¡¯s blood.¡± Neptune¡¯s exnation caught Gu Ding by surprise.

    ¡°Did dragons really exist? I thought they were mythological creatures.¡± Gu Ding could not help asking.

    ¡°Dragons were one of the earliest intelligent creatures to exist in Cosmic Sea. Not only did they possess intelligence that wasparable to modern day humans. They were also born with great powers. Once a true dragon reaches maturity, they¡¯ll attain powersparable to the spirits. They were the most active in the Ancient Age, almost dominating the whole era. The entire Cosmic Sea was their kingdom, but they failed to escape the catastrophe brought by the changing times. The entire race was almost wiped out with only a few that survived...¡±

    Gu Ding was slightly distracted as he heard Neptune¡¯s story. He could hardly imagine the extinction of such a powerful species.

    ¡°The main reason why I asked you to buy the ax was not because of the ax itself, but rather the dragon blood. Through the remaining bloodstains, I should be able to study the characteristics of the dragons¡¯ gene chain. It will be helpful for your future evolution. If there is enough gic information, I might even be able to clone a dragon. Of course, there¡¯s no way to achieve this in a short window of time.¡±

    ¡°As for the ax, once you¡¯re strong enough, you can erase the original owner¡¯s remaining will to battle and refine it. It¡¯s significantly more valuable than the Witch Tribe staff.¡± Neptune had calcted everything.

    However, Gu Ding thought of a practical problem. ¡°I think if the curse the man mentioned was real, he¡¯d probably be unwilling to reduce the price. Therefore, the biggest problem right now is that we don¡¯t have enough money for it.¡±

    Neptune was silent for a while after hearing Gu Ding¡¯s query. He then came up with an idea. ¡°What if we sold the Witch Tribe staff? It¡¯s useless anyway.¡±

 Chapter 125 - Raging In The Storm

    <h4>Chapter 125: Raging In The Storm</h4>

    It did note as a surprise to the little old man when Gu Ding returned to the appraisal room. All he did was climb onto the desk, sitting atop it with his legs crossed. He folded his arms in front of his chest and directed his words at Gu Ding, ¡°Only two types of peoplee looking for me. One, are those who are looking to add onto their existing list of auctioned items. The other, are those who are trying to cancel a trade they made with me. I¡¯m guessing you would be the former.¡±

    ¡°How do you know I¡¯m not here to cancel my trade with you?¡± Gu Ding did not immediately reveal his reason for being there and asked this question instead.

    ¡°Simple. Because these things from the Witch Tribe are of no use to you. Selling them would be the wisest choice. Besides, you were pretty satisfied with the estimated price I reported. This further suggests that you won¡¯t be canceling this trade anytime soon,¡± the little old man answered with full confidence.

    ¡°Fine. Register this for me as well!¡± Gu Ding brought out a Witch Tribe staff.

    ¡°Are you sure you want to sell this?¡± The little old man frowned slightly at the staff. He had informed Gu Ding previously that it would not be worth it to auction this item here.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure of it,¡± Gu Ding had discussed this over with Neptune before. The staff was of no use to him and his crew. The best option they had, was trading it for that ax.

    ¡°You should be aware that no one else will be able to offer a higher estimation than me if you auction this here,¡± the little old man wanted to make it absolutely clear.

    ¡°I understand!¡± Gu Ding nodded. There was a vast difference between a 2-star Cosmic Nation and a 5-star Cosmic Nation. Even if they were on par in terms of power, there was still a huge wealth gap between the two. That staff would have gotten a minimum price of ten billion Universe Credits in a 5-star Cosmic Nation. However, in a 2-star Cosmic Nation, it might be a challenge to even get a final price of more than ten billion Universe Credits at the auction.

    ¡°Why did you suddenly change your mind and decide to sell this so urgently?¡± The little old man felt that Ding Gu must have stumbled upon new information which prompted him to make this decision.

    ¡°I suddenly realized that I don¡¯t have enough money with me. So, I decided to try to get this sold as soon as possible,¡± Gu Ding was not nning to tell anyone about the ax. If someone found out about it, it might jeopardize his chances of obtaining the ax.

    This answer seemed legitimate enough to the little old man and he did not continue with his questioning. If the other party were unwilling to share much, it would be pointless for him to probe any further. He immediately registered the staff for auction on behalf of Gu Ding and took the staff out of Gu Ding¡¯s hands. Unlike his other auction items that were set aside all over the ce, the little old man carefully ced the staff into a box and kept it in his storage room.

    After leaving the appraisal room, Gu Ding made a call to Lili and found out that she was still shopping for clothes with Biggie. Gu Ding decided to head toward the second tower instead.

    It took less than an hour for him to work his way through the entire sixth floor of the fourth tower. He had bought nearly everything on Robert¡¯s list. There were only three items that he was unable to find.

    It had been a good haul for Gu Ding. He returned to the Grey-faced Buzzard earlier than expected and handed all the ingredients over to Robert. Gu Ding called Lili again on themunicator. ¡°Lili, I¡¯m back in the spaceship.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s quick. Did you manage to get everything Robert wanted? If you haven¡¯t, I can get them after I¡¯m done shopping with Biggie,¡± Lili had lost track of time because she was too engrossed with shopping.

    ¡°I¡¯ve bought everything except for three items, but I don¡¯t think Neptune would leave anything out. You guys shouldn¡¯t waste any more time looking for them. Juste back with your food and clothes after you¡¯re done shopping.¡±

    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll speed things up. There are so many stalls in this tower,¡± Lili was saying this when she suddenly thought of something.

    ¡°Oh yeah, I think you would like to know this. I bumped into Bart just now.¡±

    ¡°Which Bart is this?¡± Gu Ding found the name familiar, but he was pretty sure that he did not know this person.

    ¡°He¡¯s the neer who currently has the highest bounty issued by the Dragon Soar Cosmic Nation,¡± Liliath added.

    ¡°He made an appearance here too?¡± Gu Ding¡¯s eyebrow raised slightly.

    ¡°He told me he wasn¡¯t the only one. Among the top ten neers, six have arrived on this, including you and me. More are on their way here. He specifically told me to inform you about this.¡±

    ¡°Six are already here?¡± Gu Ding frowned slightly at this news. He had a bad feeling about this.

    After hanging up on his conversation with Liliath on themunicator, Gu Ding rushed toward Neptune. ¡°I¡¯d like to see if there are any recent news reports.¡±

    Neptune ran through the information before projecting the relevant reports. ¡°The news that has the closest connection to you is this. The video of your battle with Senior has been uploaded to Sk. It didn¡¯t take long before the military saw the video. Unsurprisingly, the bounty on your head quickly doubled from 1.6 billion Star Credits to 3.2 billion Star Credits. Your ranking on the Rising Neers Ranking has moved up to second ce because of this.¡±

    ¡°Is there any other news?¡± Gu Ding was not too concerned about this news about him.

    ¡°Senior has ovee his critical period after getting beaten up by you. He has been sent back to the headquarters of the Universal Federation Government for further treatment.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s also Nick. After getting seriously wounded by you, he was ced under the watchful eyes of the Federation Army to prevent any chance of escape. He would be immediately arrested and sent to the Federation prison once he fully recovers.¡±

    ¡°Liliath just bumped into that guy, Bart. His bounty has been increased from 3.8 billion Star Credits to 4.5 billion Star credits because of several recent encounters with the army. That¡¯s not the only thing. Thetest member on his crew was an independent Interster Pirate with a bounty of over 8 billion Star Credits ced on his head.¡±

    ¡°Besides that, many are here for the auction. Six out of the top ten from the Rising Neers Ranking have just arrived on this. There are also quite a few veteran Interster Pirates here. It would be strange if the Federation Army does nothing about this. It¡¯s difficult to figure out what they¡¯re nning with them stationing only a few Peacekeepers here,¡± Neptune pointed out to Gu Ding, who started to feel something was not quite right.

    The army gave the impression that they were not going to do anything about this auction. This was not the usual style of the Federation Army.

    ¡°There¡¯s another thing. There¡¯s an auction every year on the Great Divinity, but this is the first time in over thirty years that they have gone all out in regard to publicity and marketing. Not only that, the auction has yet to reveal the official list of items being auctioned, but there¡¯s a list being shared around on the Sk for more than one and a half months. It¡¯s updated every couple of days. The list had just been updated today which included the Witch Tribe Staff you had just handed in. There¡¯s even an apanying remark that clearly states, ¡®Weapon previously used by the Witch Tribe Spirits¡¯.¡±

    ¡°Someone must be disclosing confidential information of the auction on purpose to draw people to it...¡±

 Chapter 126 - An Unexpected High Bid

    <h4>Chapter 126: An Unexpected High Bid</h4>

    Gu Ding and his crew spent the next two days wandering around and it was soon time for the auction.

    Robert spent those two days locked indoors, holing himself him. No one knew what he was working on, he was even ignoring Neptune. He had been keeping himself extremely busy since getting the ingredients from Gu Ding.

    In this short span of time, Neptune noticed a number of spaceships touching down at the harbor. Most of them were Interster Pirates worth high bounties.

    When Gu Ding entered the auction with the three tickets provided by the little old man, he noticed they were given front row seats. Even though it could notpare to a private suite, it was still quite a luxury. Gu Ding loved a lively scene and having a seat at the first row suited him very well.

    ¡°This is not bad of the little old man. He gave us such great seats,¡± Gu Ding said with a big grin on his face.

    Biggie turned around as he looked behind him awkwardly. If he sat in that seat at the front row, he would be blocking the view of those behind him. He scratched his head in embarrassment and chose to sit cross-legged on the ground.

    ¡°It looks like being tall may not be such a good thing after all. He can¡¯t even sit in his chair,¡± Liliath covered her mouth as sheughed.

    ¡°We¡¯re lucky to have seats in the first row. If it were any other location, there wouldn¡¯t be arge enough space on the ground,¡± Gu Ding added. He had a frame that was considered skinny and small. Even though he had gotten more muscr and slightly taller after cultivating the Ultimate Arts, his body was still considered standard for those of the same age.

    Biggie gave a kiddishugh and did not refute them.

    An auctioneer appeared on the auction stage, which was a semi-circle. She was a woman dressed in a professional suit who looked intellectual. Her golden hair was tied up high at the back and she had exquisite features. She had on light make-up; her lips were colored in a light shade of pink. Her frameless sses gave her a demure appearance. The auctioneer had on a white shirt with only the top button undone, but everyone could still vaguely see down her chest.

    The moment Liliath set eyes on this auctioneer, she mumbled in disapproval, ¡°Hmph, you can¡¯t use your breast as a pillow anyway. Button yourself up all the way if you have the confidence.¡±

    The auctioneer seemed to have heard Liliath¡¯s mumbling as she lowered her eyes to nce at her chest. She smiled slightly as she started to say something.

    ¡°Hello everyone. I¡¯m the auctioneer in charge of hosting this auction. We have received a total of more than 3000 certified auction items this time around. As there are many collector¡¯s itemsing up, we will conduct an 18-hour auction system.¡±

    ¡°I will be the host for 8 hours each day, during which we will conduct live auctioning. The collector¡¯s items up for auction during the day have been carefully selected by us. They are all items that are valued at ten billion Star Credits and above.¡±

    ¡°As for the ten hours during the night, we will conduct the auction via booth disy. Every booth will have a price increaser connected to it. All you need to do is to connect your smartwatches to it and name your desired price. The most recent bid will be disyed on the price increaser and we will record the buyer¡¯s information backstage, which will not be made public. The buyer with the highest price will have the item disyed at the respective booths after the auction is over.¡±

    ¡°A seal has been added onto every item in the booths. No one will be able to remove them besides our chairman. Sellers need not be worried about anyone stealing any of the items up for sale.¡±

    The female auctioneer had exined the process in a professional manner before nodding at the staff below the stage. ¡°Let us start with the first item up for auction.¡±

    The first collector¡¯s item was not a huge object. It was hidden under a red cloth when the staff brought it on stage. A tform as tall as a half a person slowly ascended from the bottom of the stage and the staff ced the item on it.

    ¡°This is one of the items on auction which has the longest history. It dates back to about 146 billion years ago, during the medieval times, and was made by the strongest race within the Witch Tribe at the time,¡± the female auctioneer paused and reached out to pull off the red cloth. A glittering, translucent crystal ball free of any imperfections appeared in front of the audience¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°Everyone here is aware that crystal balls are known to be extremely fragile. That was why I was surprised when I firstid eyes on this perfectly preserved crystal ball. Even though it was been around for 146 billion years, time has notid its mark on this crystal ball. And although this item can only be used by the Witch Tribe and the Holy Gospel Tribe, if you look at it from a collector¡¯s perspective, this is definitely a top-grade keepsake worth collecting. It has retained its wlessness for the better part of 146 billion years and in my eyes, looks tost forever.¡±

    The female auctioneer¡¯s moving words attracted the desire of many women in the auction. ¡°Who would end up owning this timeless item? The floor price will begin at ten billion Star Credits. Each bid increment will be no lower than ten million Star Credits. You may start the bidding now.¡±

    ¡°This auctioneer sure has some tricks up her sleeves,¡± Liliath had to admit that she was tempted to make a bid after listening to the auctioneer¡¯s introduction.

    ¡°There were two crystal balls among the items Neptune had stolen. One is the crystal ball currently on auction, which was also the same one owned by the high priest. The other is in the treasure vault and is double the size of this one. I¡¯m keeping it with me. If you want it, I¡¯ll give it to you when we return to the spaceship.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I want it!¡± Liliath nodded without hesitation when she heard there was another one.

    ¡°Fourteen billion and eight thousand!¡±

    ¡°Fifteen billion!¡±

    All it took was a few moments and the crystal ball had doubled in price. The bidders mostly consisted of men who had a female partner.

    The bidding price for this item skyrocketed. It was quicklying up to almost twenty-one billion Star Credits.

    ¡°Twenty-one billion Star Credits. Is there a higher bidder out there?¡± The price was within the expectations of the female auctioneer. It was an upational disease of hers to fish for higher bids. As it would also mean arger cut for her.

    When the auction turned silent, a female voice could be hearding from a private room upstairs. ¡°Fifty billion Star Credits!¡±

    ¡°Fifty billion Star Credits, the VIP upstairs had made a bid of fifty billion Star Credits. Is there a higher bidder out there?¡± This was a bid that surprised the female auctioneer.

    ¡°One hundred billion Star Credits!¡± An elderly voice came from another private room. Even Gu Ding was shocked at the amount.

    The female auctioneer on stage thought she had misheard. She said in surprise, ¡°Was I hearing things? Another esteemed guest has just made a bid of one hundred billion Star Credits! Is there a higher bidder?¡±

    This price had far exceeded her expectations.

    A middle-aged man turned to look at the young woman by his side in the private room that had called out the bid for fifty billion. He reached out to hold her hand. ¡°Let¡¯s continue bidding. The item looks quite enticing.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. It¡¯s just a little toy. It¡¯s not worth it. The people next to our room look like they are from the Holy Gospel Tribe. I¡¯m guessing they¡¯ll be cing huge bids to get every item belonging to the Witch Tribe,¡± the young woman shook her head and chose to give it up.

    The crystal ball had been easily bid by the VIPs who offered up one billion Star Credits. Gu Ding could not help but share his shock with the rest of the group as they all sat with their jaws dropped.

    The auction continued with the second and third items being disyed one after the other. There was nothing that caught the eye of Gu Ding and his crew.

    ¡°The next collector¡¯s item will grab the attention of swordsman out there...¡± It took all the strength of two members of the staff to haul up a long sword housed within its sheath. Biggie¡¯s eyes brightened slightly.

 Chapter 127 - The Cursed Blade

    <h4>Chapter 127: The Cursed de</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    The sword sheath was entirely gilded with intricate engravings all over. The sword handle was ck, while the sword was around 1.5 meters long.

    Gu Ding snuck a nce at Biggie from the side and noticed him staring intently at the sword. Gu Ding immediately made a decision. He would bid on this sword for Biggie.

    ¡°Many of you may have heard of this sword. It¡¯s called Darkness,¡± when the female auctioneer revealed the name, there was a slightly uneasy look on her face.

    A funny look appeared on some of the people who were interested in the sword when they heard the name.

    The female auctioneer continued exining, ¡°That¡¯s right. This is the legendary cursed sword. There may be many out there who have not heard of this sword¡¯s history. Do allow me to exin.¡±

    ¡°The first master of this sword was a demigod from the Ancient Age. He may have had the power of a demigod, but it did not stop his life force from being absorbed by the sword, resulting in his death.¡±

    ¡°After that, this sword went through many masters. Each of its masters died from eventually losing their life force to the sword. It was some time before someone finally realized there was a curse on the sword.¡±

    ¡°It has been passed down through the ages and we have it here in our possession. The sword¡¯s previous master was the Raving Sword Baron from the Faye Cosmic Nation. When he ultimately decided to give up the sword, he was left with less than 100 years of life force.¡±

    The Raving Sword Baron was a Rank 12 Gene Body powerhouse who was considered a national treasure in the Faye Cosmic Nation. He previously worked as a marshal within the military. Anyone who was awarded the title of Baron by the Federal Government was the best among Rank 12 Gene Body powerhouses.

    At this point, the auctioneer¡¯s exnation had nted fear in the audience. Even Gu Ding, who had nned to bid on the sword for Biggie, hadpletely lost interest.

    The legendary demigod and the Raving Sword Baron were much powerful than Biggie was. If these people were unable to ovee the curse, Biggie would not stand a chance either.

    ¡°However, this sword will only absorb its master¡¯s life force when it is being used. It is capable of enhancing your battle skills by three to ten times while in use. There is also another irresistible detail about it. It has been said that hidden within the sword, is the swordsmanship experience of its first master. There has been more than one person, among which includes the Raving Sword Baron, who has proven this to be true. Opportunity and risk share amon existence, in which case, interested buyers may start bidding. The floor price of the sword is fifty billion Star Credits. Each bid increment may be no less than 5 billion Star Credits,¡± the female auctioneer had informed the audience of the sword¡¯s positive traits after talking about its curse. Both the auctioneer and the organizer had been reluctant to mention the curse, but in the auctioning line, it was necessary to be upfront and honest with bidders to prevent any future disputes.

    ¡°Captain, can you get this sword for me?¡± Biggie turned to look at Gu Ding.

    ¡°Big guy, don¡¯t be stupid. Didn¡¯t you hear what the auctioneer said? That thing has a curse on it. Even a demigod could not escape from it. You¡¯ll probably be sucked dry within a few days of using it,¡± Liliath tried her best to talk him out of it. When it came to dangerous items such as this, her choice would always be to stay as far away from it as possible.

    ¡°Biggie, I don¡¯t think that sword suits you either. This curse of absorbing its master¡¯s life force sounds pretty serious. Not to mention the many powerhouses who died because of it,¡± Gu Ding couldn¡¯t bring himself to reject Biggie¡¯s request, but he felt that the sword was an evil item.

    Biggie lowered his head. By the looks of it, he was not willing to give up the sword.

    Neptune suddenly spoke up. ¡°Gu Ding, bid on the sword for him. At a certain level, curses are a special type of energy restriction. If I can upgrade my Deciphering Restriction to the highest level, I should be able to break the curse. Even if I am unable to upgrade it soon, I still have plenty of information regarding curses in my databank. I can try searching methods on breaking the curse, but before that happens, try not to let him use the sword often. It would be better if you don¡¯t let him use it at all.¡±

    ¡°Neptune just told me that he will find a way to break the curse in the sword. I can bid on the sword for you, but you must promise not to use the sword often, or perhaps not at all; at least until the curse is broken.¡±

    Neptune usually only makes a decision after giving it tremendous consideration. If Neptune felt it was okay to bid on the sword, there was no reason for Gu Ding to think otherwise.

    There was only a handful of people taking part in the auction for this particr item. Every time someone made a bid, they would only bid at the minimum increment of five billion. The bid was only now up to sixty-five billion.

    ¡°Seventy billion!¡± Gu Ding pressed on the auction button and yelled out his bid.

    ¡°Seventy-five billion!¡± Someone chimed in not long after Gu Ding.

    Gu Ding frowned and pressed the button again. ¡°Ny billion!¡±

    ¡°Ny billion! Will that be the final price? Even if the sword is not usable, it would still make for a fine piece as a collector¡¯s item. The curse will not activate if the sword is not in use. There is no harm in owning it. Does anyone else have a higher bid?¡± The female auctioneer continued to entice the crowd with her words.

    The bidding went higher because of the enticing of this female auctioneer. The price had immediately jumped to a hundred billion.

    Gu Ding frowned again and asked Neptune in a low voice, ¡°Do the auction rules require the buyer to make payment on the same day as the purchase?¡±

    ¡°Nope. You can pay when picking up the item. After the auction has ended, a staff member will get in touch with you. You can inform them that you won¡¯t be picking up your item today. They aren¡¯t worried about you running off because they have your record as a seller. They know you can afford to pay for it,¡± Neptune had gone through the rules and regtions of this auction and was extremely familiar with the procedure.

    ¡°Two hundred billion!¡± Gu Ding decided not to waste any more time with this opponent and doubled his bidding price.

    The auctioneer was taken aback by the bid. She had not expected someone to want this sword so badly. She was still quick to react despite the surprise. ¡°A buyer has offered a direct bid of an additional one hundred billion Star Credits. The current bid has been raised to two hundred billion Star Credits. Is there anyone who wants to offer a higher bid? Two hundred billion Star Credits once... Two hundred billion Star Credits twice... There are still no higher bidders. In that case, two hundred billion Star Credits... Sold!¡±

    Biggie got excited when he heard the words ¡®sold¡¯.

    ¡°Reel in that excitement. We probably won¡¯t be able to get our hands on the sword today. We¡¯ve only sold a crystal ball at the moment. Even if the buyers pick up the crystal ball today, we won¡¯t have more than 120 billion Star Credits even after adding up all the money we have on us. We need to wait till all our other items have been sold before we can pick it up,¡± Gu Ding said as he patted Biggie¡¯s shoulders.

    ¡°Okay,¡± Biggie nodded and did not object to it.

    The auction continued and the 8 hours was over before they knew it. Gu Ding had a total of four items that were sessfully auctioned off, among which included the crystal ball. Every item was bought by the same buyer from the private suit, and every purchase had a generous bid on them.

    The four items had left Gu Ding with a grand total of two hundred- and eighty-Star Credits. When the auction was over, the staff approached to Gu Ding.

    ¡°Sir, all four of your auctioned items have been picked up by the buyer. The total amount is two hundred and eighty billion Star Credits. After deducting ourmission of 5%, the total amount in your ount is two hundred- and sixty-six-Star Credits. You have yet to collect an auctioned item, would you want to make that collection now?¡±

    ¡°Those people in the private room sure are efficient. Come on, let¡¯s go collect that sword!¡± Gu Ding said with a big smile on his face.

 Chapter 128 - Newcomers Get Together At The Food Street

    <h4>Chapter 128: Neers Get Together At The Food Street</h4>

    The trade had been quite an efficient process at the backstage of the auction. All it needed was a quick scan of the smartwatch for the bank transaction. Once the money has been sessfully transferred, the items can be collected.

    With the sword in hand, Biggie could not wait to pull it out of the sheath. The ck-bodied sword looked eerily beautiful. Biggie gripped the handle with his right hand while his left hand gently caressed the de. Faint whispering could be hearding from the sword as if it was reacting to something.

    Biggie closed his eyes. This sword gave him a special feeling as if the outside world did not exist. It felt like reality had shifted to a point where only he and his sword were left.

    It was not long before a few strange memories made their way into Biggie¡¯s mind. There were memories of Darkness¡¯s previous masters. Within these memories were the many sword techniques used by them. This was the swordsmanship experience mentioned earlier. All previous masters were of gene levels that were Rank 12 and above. Some of them were even demigod level powerhouses.

    These memories alone had brought Biggie¡¯s understanding of swordsmanship to the next level in a matter of seconds.

    Biggie had a revtion and learned the source of the sword¡¯s curse. It was not a curse at all. When Darkness was first created, it had wielded a special ability ¨C Regeneration.

    The definition of Regeneration was to absorb a person¡¯s life force and convert it into battle power. Darkness had been originally designed to absorb the opponent¡¯s life force in exchange for enhancing its users¡¯ battle power, however, Darkness¡¯s none of previous masters had been able to establish a soulful connection with the sword. They could not understand this ability and had ended under the assumption that it was a curse instead. This had resulted in Darkness absorbing life force without discrimination of friend or foe, turning it into an ominous sword.

    Biggie ced the sword back into its sheath and opened his eyes. A strangely bright look shed in his eyes. He hung Darkness on his waist. This 1.5-meter-long sword did not look out of ce at all on his huge body.

    ¡°Biggie, don¡¯t go using this sword so flippantly. Let¡¯s put it into storage first,¡± Liliath felt uneasy about it.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. Darkness¡¯s ability isn¡¯t actually a curse, it has been misunderstood all this time. I¡¯m able to control its ability. It won¡¯t affect me at all,¡± Biggie exined.

    Liliath was still not fully convinced. She wanted to continue talking him out of it, but Gu Ding shook his head at her.

    Gu Ding had noticed the change in Biggie. As an outstandingly talented martial arts practitioner, he could sense Biggie was gaining something from the sword. That was why he had no doubts at all with what Biggie had said.

    Neptune, however, was slightly surprised. ¡°That¡¯s strange. Something seems different about that sword, even something about Biggie feels off. Could it be that he hasn¡¯t lost his ability nor his knife heart? If that¡¯s the case, it would exin why he¡¯s able to understand everything about the sword in an instant, even inheriting every legacy left behind by the sword¡¯s previous masters...¡±

    Neptune did not voice out these thoughts but was mumbling to itself in private.

    ¡°If Biggie thinks it¡¯s not a problem, then it shouldn¡¯t be a problem. He has never lied.¡± Gu Ding smiled at Liliath.

    Biggie nodded at the side as well. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine. If there really is a problem with it, the first thing I¡¯ll do is ce it in storage.¡±

    Liliath felt slightly better about it, but she continued to turn her face to the side and pout as she said, ¡°Do whatever you want. You¡¯re the one who will end up with his life force absorbed, not me.¡±

    At that very moment, an auction staff approached them. ¡°How do you do, Mr. Gu Ding? You have 63 items that will be ced up for silent auction tonight. The appraisal for all 63 items has a total value of less than ten billion Star Credits. As time is of the essence, we were unable to auction it off on stage and we do hope you understand. Tonight¡¯s silent auction will start in an hour. Please feel free to visit it if any of you are interested. The auction will be located at the first level of the fourth tower. You may have your meal at the basement restaurant or visit the food street at the North entrance of the auction.¡±

    ¡°Thank you!¡± Gu Ding suddenly felt a little hungry at the mention of food.

    He turned toward Biggie and Liliath to say, ¡°Let¡¯s have a meal. Do you want to head to the food street or the basement restaurant?¡±

    ¡°The food street!¡± Liliath voiced her choice.

    Biggie smiled and said nothing.

    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s head to food street!¡± Gu Ding had never been picky about food. Everything was the same to him.

    The three of them headed toward the North entrance. The food street was crowded. There seemed to be a never-ending stream of people and the sound of food sellers yelling to attract customers filled the street.

    The Mayor Sector has a rich resource of mineral veins. Some of these minerals could be digested and were added into the food process as spices. The three of them were slightly overwhelmed with all the food the street had to offer.

    ¡°Hey, what¡¯s that gold thing? It looks like gold bars. Can that be consumed?¡± Gu Ding made a beeline for that stall. He grew incredibly excited over the pieces that look like gold bars.

    ¡°This must your first visit to the Mayor Sector. This gilded spice is made from Mayor Sector¡¯s special powder scaled from our unique gold scaling stone. The taste is sweet and refreshing, and it¡¯s a popr ingredient for desserts.¡±

    ¡°Give us three sets for a taste,¡± Gu Ding took the three and passed them out to Biggie and Liliath.

    Liliath gushed about it at the first bite. ¡°Let¡¯s have another three. I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll need to have a proper meal tonight. These local street snacks are plenty for us.¡±

    ¡°Agreed!¡± Gu Ding gave his approval.

    Biggie was focused on the spice and turned toward the owner of the stall. ¡°Where can we buy this spice?¡±

    ¡°Follow this road and walk to where the road ends. There is a huge spice shop there. You can take a visit there if you are interested. 80% of the spices on Mayor Sector can be found there. The prices at the shop are also reasonably fair. Most of the stalls on this road buy their spices there,¡± the stall owner exined in a friendly manner.

    The three of them continued shopping around for food excitedly. They ate as they walked along.

    Suddenly, Gu Ding heard someone call him from behind.

    ¡°Gu Ding!¡± A young man who looked to be the same age as Gu Ding appeared abruptly in front of Gu Ding. His hair waspletely white, and he had on a ck hat.

    ¡°It really is you!¡±

    ¡°You are...¡± Gu Ding had no clue who this person was.

    ¡°My name is An Luo, pleased to meet you,¡± the young man reached out for a handshake. There was a friendly smile on his face.

    ¡°I¡¯m Gu Ding,¡± Gu Ding reached out to shake his hand.

    ¡°Do you know me?¡±

    ¡°Of course I do. It¡¯s not possible for Interster Pirates on Dragon Soar Cosmic Nation to not know who you are,¡± An Luo smiled as he nodded.

    ¡°You have the most potential for being this year¡¯s Neer powerhouse, plus, you have a formidable crew.¡±

    Gu Ding scratched his head in embarrassment.

    ¡°An Luo person is a neer pirate who broke out onto the scene recently in the past few months. His current bounty is set at 2.3 billion and he is ced third on the Neers Rankingpetition. He may seem quitezy and has a warm demeanor, but in fact, he is a professional assassin. His current crew is made up of two people. One of them is named Mi Dong. He is also a professional assassin but is seldom seen in action. His current bounty is set at eighty million,¡± Neptune quickly pulled up information on him.

    ¡°An Luo, you¡¯re running around again. You¡¯re terrible with directions. Aren¡¯t you afraid of getting lost?¡± A big built young man walked toward them and berated An Luo.

    ¡°Run around again and I¡¯ll leave you here and drive off with your spaceship.¡±

    ¡°Mi Dong, look who I¡¯ve bumped into,¡± An Luo said excitedly.

    This got Mi Dong¡¯s attention as he looked at Gu Ding and the rest. He recognized him immediately, ¡°Gu Ding?¡±

    He took a look at the Biggie, who came off matured andposed, taking one step forward. He shielded half of An Luo behind himself.

    ¡°How do you do? You must be Mi Dong, am I right?¡± Gu Ding guessed who he was based on Neptune¡¯s introduction.

    ¡°That¡¯s strange. Why would Gu Ding know who you are, but not me? My bounty is supposed to be higher than you!¡± An Luo mumbled unhappily.

    ¡°That¡¯s because he checked our information after immediately after meeting you,¡± there was no expression on Mi Dong¡¯s face, looking warily at Gu Ding and the rest.

    ¡°Hey, what are you doing standing in front of me? They¡¯re not the enemy,¡± An Luo was exasperated by Mi Dong¡¯s sensitive reaction.

    ¡°Na?ve people like you without a sense of danger will end up dead sooner rather thanter,¡± Mi Dong chided.

    ¡°Come on. Gu Ding¡¯s bounty is higher than mine. There¡¯s no reason for him to attack me. Besides, I was the one who took the initiative to say hi. He didn¡¯t even recognize me before this,¡± An Luo retorted.

    Mi Dong finally rxed a little upon hearing An Luo¡¯s words.

    ¡°There seem to be many neers here,¡± Gu Ding tried to start a conversation.

    ¡°Yeah. I bumped into Bart at the auction and even saw Mi En the Magician just now,¡± An Luo nodded.

    ¡°Mi En is another uing neer this year. His bounty is 1.6 billion and is currently ranked at Number four in the Neers Rankingpetition. He loves ying cards and his ability is visual deception and elementary divination,¡± Neptune exined.

    ¡°Mi En told me that he had divined his own fortune previously. There are bad signs for him, but no signs of imminent death. That was why he chose toe here. He mentioned as well that there will be a massive event taking ce on Great Divinity. The wisest choice right now is to leave early,¡± An Luo shared what Mi En told him.

    ¡°This ability for divination sounds interesting,¡± Gu Ding grew increasingly intrigued at the mention of Mi En.

    ¡°Elementary divination is only able to predict good or bad oues, and life or death. You won¡¯t be able to see details, only the results,¡± exined Neptune.

    ¡°This ability will only appear in someone with a special physical constitution. Their ancestors would need to be someone who had explored their ability for divinity at the highest level, or if their body has hidden genes from the Holy Gospel Tribe or the Witch Tribe. On top of that, the evolution of this ability is much more difficult than other abilities.¡±

    ¡°He has a stall not far from here. It costs ten thousand Star Credits for each session where he¡¯ll predict good or bad oues. However, hardly anyone visits his stall. You can visit it if you are interested,¡± An Luo pointed to a direction.

    ¡°Oh, thanks! We¡¯ll check it out!¡± Gu Ding nodded.

    Just as Gu Ding and the others were preparing to leave, An Luo suddenly called out, ¡°Wait! That thing in your hand looks delicious. Where did you buy it?¡±

    Gu Ding looked at the meat skewers in his hand and pointed him in the direction of the stall, ¡°Turn to your left and it¡¯s the third stall. I think the owner said this is the thigh meat of the purple magic beetle. It tastes pretty good.¡±

    ¡°You glutton, chatting for such a long time with someone because of meat skewers...¡± the voice of Mi Dong berating An Luo could still be heard as they walked farther away. Gu Ding and the others finally knew the real reason why he had approached them.

    The three of them walked toward where Mi En was.

 Chapter 129 - An Ominous Divination Result

    <h4>Chapter 129: An Ominous Divination Result</h4>

    It was not long before Gu Ding and the others saw Mi En.

    Mi En looked to be around 20 years old. He was tall and thin and had gold-framed sses that rested on his pale face. He looked like a student who came from a non-military school rather than an Interster Pirate.

    He sat cross-legged in the middle of the street with a huge card ced on his chest. It wrote, ¡°Foresee your good or ill luck, ten thousand Star Credits for a session.¡±

    He smiled when he spotted Gu Ding. ¡°Gu Ding, I would never have expected to see you here.¡±

    ¡°We just bumped into An Luo. He told us you were here.¡±

    ¡°Is there something you need from me?¡± Mi En was surprised and quicklyposed himself.

    ¡°Do you want me to predict your future?¡±

    Gu Ding nodded. ¡°An Luo told me about it and it sounded interesting. Predict the future for all three of us.¡±

    Mi En stood up. ¡°Even though I¡¯m really happy to have met you here, my divination doesn¡¯te free to anyone. Even my crew members have to pay for it and I only take cash. You should be aware that there is a price to pay every time we use our ability.¡±

    Under normal circumstances, those with special abilities would need to pay a price after using their abilities, some even end up with permanent side effects. Gu Ding was already aware of this.

    ¡°Do you guys want to foresee your future together?¡± Gu Ding turned to look at Biggie and Liliath.

    ¡°I¡¯m not interested. You two can go ahead,¡± Liliath folded her hands in front of her chest and shook her head.

    Gu Ding paid twenty thousand Star Credits in cash. ¡°Let¡¯s start.¡±

    Mi En took out a golden metal table from his inventory and strange energy appeared from his hand. It slowly transformed into a deck of cards.

    Gu Ding and Biggie stared at it in a daze as it happened. Liliath was the only one who seemed used to this sort of thing.

    After cutting the deck of cards a few times, he ced them on the table with the back of the deck facing up. Then, he spread it out across the table.

    ¡°Pick a card. Before turning it over, think about the question you¡¯d like to ask,¡± Mi En looked towards Gu Ding.

    Gu Ding reached out to pick a card. He raised his head and stared off into space. It was difficult to tell what he was thinking. After a while, he flipped the card over.

    There was a picture of a flood on the card. An entire vige had been submerged in the flood and only the roofs of the houses could be seen.

    ¡°The card seems like an ominous sign,¡± Gu Ding did not understand divination, but it was easy to tell that nothing good had been shown in that picture of the card.

    ¡°I¡¯m guessing your question has something to do with your crew,¡± Mi En picked up the card and looked at the picture on it.

    ¡°A flood represents disaster. This would be a disaster that does not only involve you alone, it would involve the people around you. There are five submerged houses from the vige in the picture. This means that you and four of your friends will soon be met with danger.¡±

    Mi En stopped here and gave Gu Ding a curious look. ¡°Your crew isn¡¯t made up of just three people, is it?¡±

    Gu Ding smiled and did not answer his question. ording to what Mi En had just told him, Neptune and Robert might be entangled in whatever mess was headed their way.

    ¡°Of course, this is none of my business,¡± Mi En did not continue with his questioning when he saw that Gu Ding was not willing to answer.

    He continued, ¡°The danger you will face is destructive by nature, but the roof of all five houses are shown here. This means that you and your four friends may suffer a hard hit, but there is a chance of survival.¡±

    ¡°In conclusion, this is an ominous card,¡± when it came to divination, Mi En would never sugarcoat anything. He candidly informed them of everything he knew.

    ¡°Besides that, the flood also holds the meaning that there is no escape. Even if you were to leave this right now, there would be no difference in the result.¡±

    Liliath frowned slightly when she heard the result of the divination.

    ¡°Biggie, you try picking a card too!¡± Gu Ding did not seem too surprised over getting such a result from the divination. He patted Biggie¡¯s arm to encourage him to go one with his portion of the divination.

    Biggie was a little hesitant. Gu Ding did not get a good divination and it made Biggie feel a little uneasy.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. All you need to do is pick a card. There¡¯s no need to worry,¡± Gu Ding could sense Biggie¡¯s hesitance.

    Biggie nodded and approached Mi En.

    Mi En cut the deck again and spread it out, allowing Biggie to pick a card.

    Biggie pressed on a card with his finger and pulled it out. He closed his eyes, as if in prayer. After a while, he turned the card over.

    There was a picture of a man holding a sword shown on the card. He was covered in blood and there was a huge, evil-looking beast with sharp ws standing in front of him.

    Biggie¡¯s heart skipped a beat at the sight of the card. He knew this had an ominous meaning to it as well.

    Mi En raised his head to nce at Biggie. He sighed lightly. ¡°This picture means that you will soon face the biggest challenge of your life and it will be personal. The beast represents a strong opponent. The man in the picture is severely wounded and bleeding profusely. This means that you will be badly hurt in this battle. However, the man in the picture did not fall. This means that your opponent may put you in desperation, but there is a chance of survival.¡±

    At this point, Liliath¡¯s brows tightened further in a frown. Even Gu Ding, who had been oddly nonchnt before, started to look serious. Gu Ding could take it if he was the one who got hurt, but he could not stand any of hispanions being hurt.

    Mi En exined unwillingly, ¡°Judging from both cards, your crew will face a tremendous hit. Apart from the two of you, I conducted divinations for my crew, An Luo¡¯s crew, and even Bart¡¯s crew. I¡¯ve even divined the future for two veteran Interster Pirates. The results were all ominous. By the looks of it, there could only be one reason for so many crews toe head to head with catastrophe at the same time ¨C the Federation Army.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve had a bad feeling about what wasing even before this auction started. The opening of this new route ces Mayor Sector on the map as a ce we are forced to pass through. The auction was used to attract us here so they could get rid of us in one go. This is the best opportunity for the Federation Army.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why there was such huge publicity for this auction, to the point of having its list of auction items leaked with demigod status items belonging to 5-star Cosmic Nations appearing as well...¡±

    Mi En¡¯s analysis might not be entirely urate, but he made rather good points. Of course, only Gu Ding and his crew knew that those demigod status items were not provided by the Federation Army.

    ¡°I¡¯d like a divination too!¡± Liliath walked toward Mi En with a serious look on her face. She seemed to be determined about something.

    ¡°Lili, you...¡± Gu Ding had always known that Liliath never liked the idea of having her future told this way.

    ¡°Both of you are about to be in impending danger. I¡¯d like to know what will happen to me.¡± Liliath stuck her tongue out at Gu Ding.

    Gu Ding paid Mi En ten thousand Star Credits.

    The cards once again appeared in Mi En¡¯s hands and Liliath picked one from it. When she turned it over, there was a picture of a grave on the card. A magnificent gold cross was on the grave.

    At the look of this picture, Liliath¡¯s pupils contracted. The expressions on Gu Ding and Biggie changed.

    Even Mi En was speechless...

 Chapter 130 - Preparation For Battle

    <strong>Chapter 130 Preparation For Battle</strong>

    Mi En was hesitant, nevertheless, he answered, ¡°The grave represents death. The golden cross means that the deceased was not an ordinary person...¡±

    He took the card in his hand and looked at the details within the picture. It was then that he realized there was a little flower in front of the cross. It had a fiery hue and much like the feathers on a bird, the flower petals bloomed toward two opposite sides. He continued exining, ¡°There is a Phoenix Plumeria right in front of the cross. This flower usually represents rebirth...¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not entirely sure of its meaning. One might say that the deceased in that grave could be returning to life. It could also mean that whoever is buried in there would get a chance to be reborn in another world,¡± it was not often that Mi En would be uncertain in his analysis.

    Gu Ding turned toward Liliath and Biggie. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter which of those predictions is true. Why don¡¯t both of you return to the Grey-faced Buzzard? I¡¯ll make a trip to the auction and return to the harborter, and all of us can leave this.¡±

    ¡°Gu Ding, your divination revealed a flood. The flood represents something that cannot be stopped by man. You won¡¯t be able to escape whatever ising. Why don¡¯t you spend your time figuring out how to face the impending danger, instead of running away,¡± Mi En chimed up to remind Gu Ding.

    ¡°From what I gather, the danger you and all of us are about to facees from the Army. The Army had only sent some peacekeepers and a bunch of nobodies to Great Divinity. I¡¯m guessing they are currently hidden on the few nearbys, waiting for the right time to make their move. If you choose to leave now, you¡¯ll only be elerating your capture in their hands.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s right. We should stay calm and observe the situation instead of making a hasty escape. Let¡¯s take the time to prepare for the uing battle and minimize our losses as much as possible.¡± Neptune thought Mi En¡¯s reasoning was well worth noting.

    ¡°Since we can¡¯t escape, let¡¯s just stay back and prepare to go into battle!¡± Liliath looked at Gu Ding with a calm look in her eye. She seemed to have epted the results of the divination.

    Gu Ding clenched his fists. He was not willing to ept this impending oue. ¡°Fine, we¡¯ll stay back. If anyone hurts any of you, I¡¯ll make them pay a huge price.¡±

    Gu Ding and the others were not in the mood to continue visiting the auction after getting the divination session.

    They returned to the Grey-faced Buzzard and Gu Ding got Neptune to give the Grey-faced Buzzard a full charge. He even gave the backup energy storage a full charge.

    Next, Gu Ding knocked on Robert¡¯s room door.

    Robert half-opened the door and poked his head out. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±

    ¡°Robert, build us the most powerful weapon you can muster up. It would be best if you could finish it within three days. I¡¯ll pick up any materials you need,¡± Gu Ding¡¯s battle prep was in full swing

    Robert raised his head to look at Gu Ding and nodded. He prepared a shopping list for Gu Ding within two minutes.

    Gu Ding made a copy of the list and passed it to Biggie. Once again, both of them headed toward the tower where the auction was being held. Before they left, Gu Ding took the time to speak to Lili. ¡°Lili, I¡¯m going out with Biggie to do some shopping. Don¡¯t go out there for the next few days if you can. If there are any problems, just let us settle them. If you need to buy anything, pass us the shopping list.¡±

    Liliath nodded and said nothing. She watched as they left the spaceship and returned to her room after. She locked the door behind her and sat on her single seat sofa, curling on it. A video was projected from her smartwatch.

    A little girl could be seen running on a lush, green field in the video. She kept looking back at a middle-aged man running after her. Herughter rang out like a clear silver bell.

    ¡°Lili, I¡¯m about to catch you,¡± the man had short, chestnut-colored hair. There was a steadfast look on his face, and he appeared physically strong and tall. He was slow jogging behind her with a huge grin on his face.

    ¡°You can¡¯t catch me, you big stupid bear!¡± The little girl clucked withughter.

    ¡°If I¡¯m a big stupid bear, you would be the little stupid bear,¡± the manughed.

    ¡°I am not!¡± The little girl rebutted.

    ¡°That¡¯s enough. You two should know it¡¯s time for some tea,¡± a young woman walked over to them with a te in her hands, her golden hair was tied up in a neat bun. There was not a trace of makeup on her but her natural beauty was enough to take one¡¯s breath away. She had on a long, green dress. It was an ordinary-looking dress, but it looked especially ssy when it was on her. She smiled sweetly as she waved both of them over toward her.

    Liliath sat on the sofa while the tears could not stop running down from her eyes. ¡°Mum, dad, Lili really misses both of you...¡±

    Meanwhile, in the tower where the auction was held, Gu Ding and Biggie took no time at all to find most of the materials on the list with directions from Neptune. However, there were a few items on the list that could not be found at the stalls set up in the tower.

    ¡°Biggie, you can head back first with these materials. Pass them to Robert and look after Lili. I¡¯ll figure out how to get the rest of the materials and try to get them together as fast as possible. I¡¯ll return as soon as I do,¡± Gu Ding transferred all the material from the Inventory to Biggie.

    Biggie nodded. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll take good care of Lili. Nothing will happen to her.¡±

    Gu Ding headed straight for the information counter at the auction after Biggie left.

    The sky had darkened by now and there was no one in the auction hall. The appraisal service robot at the information counter was still present, but there was no one else.

    ¡°Hello, you do provide service in the form of shopping assistance at the auction, don¡¯t you?¡± Gu Ding asked at the information counter.

    ¡°Please provide us with the shopping list and we will assist you in getting everything on your list as quickly as possible. The price will be 10% higher than the usual price.¡±

    Gu Ding did not mind the 10% increase. The situation had called for an urgent need for the materials because the battle would begin the moment the auction ends. He passed the list to the service robot and asked, ¡°How long before I can get everything?¡±

    ¡°Ordinary materials can be collected within 20 hours. More unique materials might require 40 hours. For material that we are unable to source, we will inform you within 20 hours so as to not waste any of your time,¡± the service robot gave an borate answer.

    The length of 20 hours was enough for Gu Ding. By the looks of the auction¡¯s progress, it would go on for at least five more days. The Army would not take action while the auction was still in process because it was organized by the Federation Government. It would be equivalent to pping their own faces if the Army acted now. There was no doubt they would wait until the auction was over.

    Gu Ding had witnessed Robert¡¯s ability previously and was confident that Robert would deliver. As long as Robert had enough materials, it would take one day at the most for him to create a weapon of mass destruction.

    Besides getting ready for the battle, Gu Ding was nning on boosting both his and Liliath¡¯s capabilities. He had no intention of directly involving Liliath in the battle, but if Liliath could be stronger, it would help improve her ability to self-protect.

    Gu Ding quickly left the auction after handing the list over to the service robot, and he headed toward the harbor.

 Chapter 131 - Neptuneâ€™s Plan

    <strong>Chapter 131 Neptune¡¯s n</strong>

    The sky was dark by the time Gu Ding returned to the Grey-faced Buzzard.

    He returned to see Biggie was busy cooking up a feast in the kitchen. He was preparing a big meal to lift everyone¡¯s sunken spirits. He was never one to speak much and this was all he could do for them.

    Liliath sat on the deck on top of the spaceship. Her hands were ced by her side while she raised her head to look up at the overarching sky. She forced a smile on her face when she saw Gu Ding approaching. ¡°You¡¯re back. Did you manage to get all the materials?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s still a few missing, but I¡¯ve enlisted help from some of the people at the auction to seek out the remaining items. We should have an answer before noon tomorrow.¡± Gu Ding sat beside Liliath.

    ¡°Robert needs a lot of material. He should be making more than one weapon. It shouldn¡¯t affect him too much if one or two items are missing.¡±

    Liliath looked at the arching sky again. The twinkling stars were mesmerizing. ¡°The night sky tonight is clear. I¡¯m starting to understand why you like staring into the night sky. I can no longer remember which direction is my home, but I can vividly remember that purple getting further and further away from me on the day I left. It¡¯s the most beautiful color in my memory...¡±

    Gu Ding stayed silent. He tried his best to be a good listener.

    Not long after, Biggie¡¯s voice could be hearding from the cabin. ¡°Come on down for dinner. We¡¯re ready to eat.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s go have our meal!¡± A smile broke on Gu Ding¡¯s face. Ever since Biggie joined the crew, their daily meals had been getting better by the day. Biggie came up with different dishes each time, so it was never boring.

    ¡°This looks scrumptious!¡± Gu Ding stared at the table full of dishes. He knew it was Biggie¡¯s way of trying to soothe everyone¡¯s moody emotions.

    Liliath knew that too.

    Biggie took off his apron and ced it aside as he sat down. ¡°I made more than usual. Take your time and enjoy it.¡±

    Robert was still busy, cooped up in his room. He was from the Mechanical Tribe and was not able to digest human food. Since using the new substitute energy source, he was not as depressed as before. His attitude toward the outside world was much more indifferent. Gu Ding was not too bothered about it. Robert¡¯s personality may have changed, but his character remained the same.

    The dining table was not as rowdy as before. The three of them were rather silent.

    ¡°Neptune, I¡¯d like to try imnting a Rank 6 Energy Crystal to upgrade my body to Rank 4. This way, mybat effectiveness will be enhanced, and I¡¯ll be well-prepared for the uing battle,¡± Gu Ding directed his words at Neptune.

    ¡°No way. It¡¯s too close to thest time you conducted a Gene Level upgrade. Under normal circumstances, gene medicine upgrading can only be conducted after a wait of at least a month. If you use it continuously more than three times, the fourth time should only be conducted after at least three months,¡± Neptune voice his objections.

    ¡°Just calcte it for yourself. You were only at Rank 1 Gene Body when you left Cerule. It¡¯s only been a little more than a month and you¡¯ve already achieved Rank 3. Not to mention, thest two enhancement was by a passive catalyst. Your upgrade has been conducted too quickly. It will only end up affecting your foundation in the future. If your gene foundation bes unstable, you might be at risk of your DNA chain breaking apart when you attempt to upgrade to a higher level. I don¡¯t expect your Cell Index to reach 1000 points, but it should at least be above 500 points before I allow you to use the Energy Crystals to upgrade your gene level. It¡¯s the same with Lili. Thest time she had the gene enhancer was under a month ago.¡±

    ¡°This is a different situation. I need to upgrade my abilities quickly,¡± Gu Ding knew that Neptune was right, but Liliath¡¯s safety was far more important to him.

    ¡°I¡¯ve discussed with Robert regarding upgrading yourbat effectiveness. Don¡¯t worry about it. You¡¯ll get a weapon tomorrow morning that will amplify yourbat effectiveness by three times,¡± Neptune had discussed this situation over with Robert, and they havee up with a few solutions.

    ¡°Besides you, Biggie and Liliath will have their own set of weapons as well.¡±

    ¡°I told you before that Liliath is not allowed to take part in this battle,¡± Gu Ding was insistent.

    Liliath voiced out, ¡°Gu Ding, I¡¯m taking part in this battle. The power of divination is something unique and it is urate most of the time. A soothsayer had predicted something would happen to my parents before tragedy struck. I was able to survive because they had taken precautions to make sure I did, but they could not escape from it no matter what they did. That was why I wasn¡¯t keen on seeing Mi En because soothsayers bring me unpleasant memories. Since it has been foretold that I will meet with death, I won¡¯t be able to escape it no matter where I hide. I¡¯d rather go into battle than run away from it. At the very least, I can be of help to Biggie.¡±

    ¡°Casting your power of ck Hypnosis will take its toll on you. Even if that bracelet is able to give you three times the spirit, there is still a huge gap between your spirit strength and Biggie¡¯s. You may suffer serious repercussions,¡± Gu Ding had a feeling that Liliath¡¯s impending doom might have something to do with hypnosis. She had been badly wounded thest time she overexerted herself.

    ¡°I¡¯ve given this problem some thought, which is why I¡¯ve provided Robert with a design for a spirit tool. Robert is working on it right now. That tool will help enhance Lili¡¯s spirit by a few hundred times. It will eliminate the threat of any severe repercussions,¡± Neptune had analyzed each person¡¯s battle capabilities in detail in order to maximize the crew¡¯s battle effectiveness.

    As for Biggie, he already has his weapon. We made a set of light armor for additional defense. Besides that, Robert has created many other tools for increasingbat effectiveness of the crew, which you will be able to see soon. Robert and I have been doing a lot of nning. We¡¯re fairly certain we¡¯ll be able to ovee this crisis,¡± Neptune continued.

    ¡°Gu Ding, you¡¯ve told me before to trust Neptune, because it never wrong,¡± Liliath looked toward a slightly emotional Gu Ding.

    ¡°I trust Neptune. I believe it hase up with the best strategy that will minimize the total loss experienced by the crew. However, if you have a better n, we are all ears. Otherwise, we¡¯ll stick to Neptune¡¯s.¡±

    Gu Ding stayed silent. He did not have a better strategy than Neptune and he knew that if he stopped Liliath from taking part in the battle, Biggie would have little to nobat effectiveness at all. Gu Ding did not think he would be able to protect Liliath well on his own.

    The dinner ended with an atmosphere of sourness.

    After dinner, Gu Ding went back to his room without saying a word. He would usually drift off to sleep the moment his head touched his pillow, but tonight, he could not sleep.

    The next morning, Neptune¡¯s voice could be heard quite early in the day, ¡°Your tools are ready. They are all in Robert¡¯s room, go see for yourself. These tools will help increase yourbat effectiveness without having to upgrade to a Rank 4 Gene Body.¡±

    Gu Ding¡¯s interest was slightly piqued at Neptune¡¯s words. He walked toward Robert¡¯s room and knocked on the door. Robert¡¯s voice rang out, ¡°Come in!¡±

    He pushed the door open to see Robert¡¯s back facing him, working busily on something. There was an object that quickly caught Gu Ding¡¯s eyes. He could not shift his gaze away from it. ¡°This thing, is it mybat tool?¡±

 Chapter 132 - The Aborted Emergency Backup Plan

    <strong>Chapter 132 The Aborted Emergency Backup n</strong>

    It was a ck mech, but much smaller and advanced than the ones Gu Ding had seen in Military Academy. It had a moreplex structure and the build quality was impable.

    Back when Gu Ding was a student in the Combat stream, there were only three retired mechs in the academy. One semester of the mech course would consist only of theoretical knowledge. Gu Ding had only operated an actual mech on two asions, both timessting less than an hour.

    A hot-blooded young man would no doubt have a passion for mechs. Gu Ding was not the only one who loved it, every boy in the Military Academy had signed up for the mech course.

    There was an indescribable excitement bubbling within Gu Ding when he saw aplete mech appear in front of his eyes.

    ¡°This mech will yourbat tool. Even though it might be slightly disruptive to your cell strength in the way that you are only able to conduct a maximum of Ultimate Arts Level 7 whilst inside the mech, this mech will enhance yourbat effectiveness foundation by roughly 10000 points. That would be 30 times yourbat effectiveness foundation.¡±

    ¡°Robert had also intentionally used a protein transmitter when building the palms to enhance the effectiveness of your Damage Stacking. The difference from using the Damage Stacking before is that you would need to get in physical contact with your opponent using your hands in order for you to unleash the curse of Damage Stacking upon the enemy. However, now once the curse has been sessfully cast, Damage Stacking using other body parts will be possible.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s one more thing. Using the mech and the Combat Armor at the same time will not grant you extra power. When you go into battle, there will be no need for you to summon your Combat Armor.¡±

    ¡°This mech was designed by me and Robert. We took into consideration all the moves in the first 8 levels of Ultimate Arts. That is why you might notice the design of the mech gets slightly moreplex toward the joint area. You will need to test out this mech for the next few days to conduct different pieces of training. Do your best to familiarize yourself with it its functions and operations.¡±

    Gu Ding could not wait to get started after listening to Neptune. He finally had a mech of his own and all he wanted to do was coop himself up in there forever.

    Gu Ding moved his joints a little after getting into the mech, but it was not long before he was able to walk out of Robert¡¯s room with ease. However, he did not notice the height of the door and knocked his head against the door frame.

    This mech was small in size but agile. It stood at a height of 2.7 meters. Liliath nearly choked on the fruits she was eating when Gu Ding stormed into the dining room wearing the mech to show off. Even Biggie poked his head out of the kitchen when he heard themotion.

    ¡°Gu Ding? Where did you get the mech? I want one too!¡± Liliath yelped in excitement upon seeing the mech.

    ¡°Hehe, this was designed by Neptune and Robert. Robert made it for me. I¡¯ll be wearing this when we go into battle,¡± Gu Ding¡¯s voice could be heard through the microphone. His voice sounded like it was being transmitted through a megaphone.

    ¡°Neptune, design one for me too. I¡¯d like one too!¡± Liliath¡¯s face was filled with envy.

    ¡°I¡¯ll design a mech specifically for a gunner when I have the time. You¡¯ll be using another type of tool since you¡¯ll be ying a more passive role in the uing battle,¡± Neptune promised Liliath readily.

    ¡°Robert isn¡¯t done with building it, but it should bepleted by noon. There¡¯s also Biggie¡¯s light armor. It waspleted yesterday, and he already has it on his hand in ring form.¡±

    ¡°Biggie, let¡¯s see your light armor!¡± Liliath and Gu Ding called out expectantly.

    Biggie, who was in the middle of preparing breakfast, shyly ced the pan down and took off the apron. He twisted the ring on his index finger. ¡°Armor transformation!¡±

    The ring turned into a blob of gold liquid that flowed toward every corner of Biggie¡¯s body with great speed. It coagted into shape and turned into a full-body suit of ck armor. Biggie looked especially intimidating in it.

    ¡°I was considering creating a set ofbat armor for him, but the materials for it were quite difficult to source. We¡¯ll settle for light armor for now. When the opportunity arises, I¡¯ll design a full set ofbat armor for him,¡± Neptune exined.

    ¡°That is so cool! Neptune, I want one too!¡± Gu Ding suddenly decided that light armor was way better thanbat armor, and he shouted his request at Neptune.

    ¡°The light armor only provides additional defense. It does nothing forbat effectiveness and is nothingpared tobat armor. You already own a set ofbat armor. I¡¯m not about to waste my time designing this for you,¡± Neptune rejected Gu Ding¡¯s unreasonable request without hesitation.

    ¡°Robert is very busy. He won¡¯t have time to make it for you too. You¡¯d better make the most of your time and get yourself familiarized with the mech. Also, you need to get your hands on those missing materials from yesterday and hand them to Robert quickly. There are other measures to be taken besides weaponizing the three of you.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll get an answer regarding those materials in the afternoon,¡± Gu Ding nodded.

    He opened the mech halfway and poked his head out, reaching his hands out to grab a handful of food to stuff into his mouth. He chewed quickly. ¡°I¡¯ll have something to eat first before I start my training.¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t you just get out of your mech and have a proper meal?¡± Liliath found it funny to see Gu Ding act that way.

    ¡°Neptune said to stay in the mech as long as possible to familiarize myself with it. I¡¯m nning to be in it all the time except for when I¡¯m sleeping,¡± Gu Ding said as he stuffed another handful of food into his mouth.

    ¡°If you say so. I¡¯d really like to find out what my spirit enhancing tool will look like,¡± Liliath rested her chin on her hand as she slowly stuffed a small fruit into her mouth.

    Biggie walked out of the kitchen with a pie in his hands. ¡°Where¡¯s the captain? It¡¯s time for breakfast.¡±

    ¡°He was just done with breakfast!¡± Liliath pointed to the surface of the table with scraps of food scattered all over it.

    ¡°Looks like all we have left is this pie,¡± Biggie shook his head in slight irritation. He considered it a miracle that Gu Ding did not break any tes or destroy any tables while wearing the mech.

    ¡°Let¡¯s punish him with doing the dishes for creating such a mess,¡± Liliath suggested.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. He¡¯ll just end up breaking all the tes if he wears that,¡± Biggie felt this was not the best suggestion.

    ¡°You should stop pampering him and asionally raise some objections,¡± Liliath thought that Biggie was being too soft-hearted. She was a little worried Gu Ding would be spoiled rotten if she were no longer around.

    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll make him do the dishes if this happens again.¡± Biggie finally nodded.

    Gu Ding stayed in the training room, practicing the Ultimate Arts in his mech. The morning passed by very quickly. Gu Ding¡¯smunicator rang when it was around noon.

    ¡°The call is from the people from the auction,¡± Neptune reminded him before he answered.

    ¡°Is this Mr. Gu Ding?¡± A female voice could be heard from themunicator. She sounded quite young

    ¡°How do you do? There is a total of five items on the shopping list you provided us with yesterday. We¡¯ve managed to source four items but have yet to hear any news about the high energy purple crystal. I don¡¯t think we will be able to obtain it within such a short period. This item is usually used forplex, industrial machinery, which is why it is not amon purchase. Understandably, the supply for it is quite low.¡±

    Neptune said to Gu Ding, ¡°It¡¯s fine if there isn¡¯t any. There is probably a low chance of us using it anyway.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, thank you. If you can¡¯t get your hands on the material, then let¡¯s forget about it. I¡¯lle over right now to pick up the other four materials,¡± Gu Ding hung up with a curious expression on his face.

    ¡°Complex, industrial machinery? What is

    that?¡±

    ¡°That would only be used in case of an emergency. You don¡¯t need to worry about it. By the looks of it, this n can¡¯t be enacted without the support of a power source,¡± Neptune was not nning to exin further.

    ¡°Take off your mech suit and go collect the materials. It will only make the Army extra wary of us if you wear that out.¡±

    Gu Ding got out of the mech unwillingly and headed toward the auction to pick up the materials.

    While he was away, Neptune got in touch with Robert quietly. ¡°Can that thing be attached to an energy converter and use another source of power?¡±

    ¡°Ancient weapons are sophisticated tools. This is also the reason I have been working on it tirelessly since I was awakened. Every detail needs to be carefully worked out. These ancient weapons are very picky when ites to an energy course. It won¡¯t be able to work without apatible energy source... To be honest, Neptune, this weapon was made to kill. You can even use it to destroy Army generals with Rank 10 gene body, but it will only bring further trouble to Gu Ding. If that timees, it won¡¯t be mere Rank 10 gene bodiesing after Gu Ding¡¯s head.¡±

    ¡°I understand, but Lili¡¯s divination results...¡±

    Robert¡¯s voice was calm and collected. ¡°The power of divination is the special ability to transcend time and space. If there is no doubt about the legitimacy of the divination results, then whatever is bound to happen, will happen. It won¡¯t matter how much work we¡¯ve put into preventing it. You should understand better than I do that the results of divination will be bound to be history. If your aim is to achieve the ultimate revenge, this ancient weapon is not the best choice. The best chance we have is the antimatter cannon on the ship. If we add on the reserve energy source, the antimatter can be shot at least five times, which is enough to destroy five cities on this and cause the deaths of seventy million people... But please believe me when I say that is not what you want. Even though the depressed side of me haspletely disappeared after changing my energy source, I still vividly remember the destruction I have caused. That is something I will never forget for the rest of my life. Even though hundreds and billions of years have passed, those memories will stay with me. You will never want to experience something like that.¡±

    ¡°I understand...¡± Neptune drew a long sigh after a moment of silence.

 Chapter 133 - Invitation From The Holy Gospel Tribe

    <strong>Chapter 133 Invitation From The Holy Gospel Tribe</strong>

    The auctionsted for seven days with Gu Ding and the others training for six of those days.

    During those six days, Gu Ding kept the mech suit on at all times apart from when he went to bed. The six days of training had familiarized him very well with his mech suit. Other than using it forbat, he was even able to recognize the perfect amount of strength needed when washing the dishes.

    Liliath had gotten a spirit enhancing tool in the form of a hat. It was able to increase her spirit effectiveness by two hundred times. She had been slowly assimting, learning to control and harness such a huge amount of spirit effectiveness over thest few days. She had unquestionably improved with each day of practice.

    Biggie, on the other hand, who usually spent his time researching recipes was now researching sword techniques instead. He had benefited quite a lot from Darkness in regards to swordsmanship experience. Though some of his time went toward cooking meals, he would spend most hours studying sword techniques, bettering hisbat effectiveness.

    Gu ding did not attend thest day of the auction. He had informed the auctioneers very early on to transfer the final sum of the auctions sales to his ount. He had not been there to witness the climax of the auction, which was brought on by his Witch Tribe staff. It had created quite a rouse, causing an intense bidding war that was bordering insanity.

    All he knew was that after the staff had been auctioned off, a sum of 12.8 billion Universe Credits appeared in his ount. This total was after deducting the auction¡¯s administrative fees.

    ¡°I find it pretty incredible that this staff fetched such a high price in Dragon Soar Cosmic Nation,¡± Neptune had expressed his surprise at the amount as well.

    Gu Ding¡¯smunicator rang less than two minutes after the money was transferred to him. Gu Ding had previously recorded the number disyed on themunicator. It was the number from the auction.

    Gu Ding picked up and found the voice on the other end familiar. ¡°Young man, do you still remember me? I¡¯m the appraiser.¡±

    An image of the appraiser, who was the little old man, appeared in Gu Ding¡¯s mind. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s you, old-timer. What¡¯s the matter?¡±

    ¡°Listen to yourself. Can¡¯t I catch up with you for the sake of it?¡±

    Gu Ding remained silent at the old man¡¯s words. He was no in the mood for idle chat.

    ¡°Fine, I won¡¯t beat around the bush. Have you ever heard of the Holy Gospel Tribe?¡± The little old man felt uneasy when Gu Ding did not react to his words.

    ¡°I have. I remember them being a unique tribe that has been around since the Middle Ages and that they¡¯re capable of predicting the future,¡± Gu Ding could not figure out why he was being asked the question.

    ¡°It¡¯s not as simple as that. Predicting the future is just one of many abilities possessed by this tribe. They¡¯re capable of evolving their abilities to be much more powerful,¡± Neptune added as he whispered into Gu Ding¡¯s ear.

    ¡°Since you¡¯re already aware, it¡¯ll save me some time trying to exin it to you. What I¡¯m about to share with you involves the Holy Gospel Tribe.¡±

    The little old man paused before continuing, ¡°Most of the items you got from the Witch Tribe has been bought by them, including the staff that was sold off today.¡±

    ¡°This group would really like to meet the seller of the staff. Of course, I didn¡¯t reveal any information due to professional conduct. I simply informed them that I will help ry their request. It is up to you to decide if you want to meet them. If you are unwilling, I will reject them on your behalf. Their tribe is not in the habit of being a hassle when ites to rejections.¡±

    Gu Ding was about to reply ¡®not interested¡¯ when he heard Neptune¡¯s voice by his ear. ¡°GU Ding, say yes to the meeting.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll meet them!¡± Gu Ding was not in the mood to meet the Holy Gospel Tribe but epted it when he heard Neptune¡¯s words.

    ¡°Why did you get me to agree to meet the Holy Gospel Tribe? It¡¯s bad enough that we have terrible divinations from one soothsayer. I don¡¯t want to hear more bad news,¡± Gu Ding was reluctant to get involved with these so-called soothsayers and fortune-tellers.

    ¡°Mi En¡¯s divination of Lili may not be entirely urate. The interpretation of the picture on the card was quite unclear. I think we should take the opportunity to get a Holy Gospel Master to help paint a clearer picture.¡±

    When it was about time, Gu Ding got out of his mech and rushed toward the auction building.

    He lowered his head to look at the time. There were still a few minutes left, ording to the timing given to him by the little old man. Gu Ding scanned the area around him and suddenly spotted a familiar figure.

    It was the man who was selling the ax. He had casually set up stall just outside the auction building

    ¡°Neptune, do we still want that ax?¡± Gu Ding asked.

    ¡°Of course!¡± Neptune had also noticed the man.

    Gu Ding walked towards his stall. ¡°Mister, the auction has ended, and I see your ax has yet to be sold. Why are you setting up stall at such a ce?¡±

    ¡°That tower charges a daily fee for stall rental. I ran out of money and got kicked out by them,¡± the man sat cross-legged on the floor. He was not expecting Gu Ding to buy his ax.

    ¡°What price would you be offering for the ax now?¡± Gu Ding assumed he must have realized from the difficulty in selling the item that his asking price was ridiculous.

    ¡°Ten billion Universe Credits! No discount!¡± The man flicked his gaze upwards at Gu Ding. He did not think Gu Ding could afford it.

    ¡°Can¡¯t you go any lower?¡± Gu Ding was taken aback when he heard the same price for the second time. He thought that the man would have changed his mind after so many days of seeing no sess.

    The man shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s not cheap! I was going to sell it at a lower price on thest day, but after witnessing thest auction, it made me realize that if something was really of value, there would be someone willing to pay the right price because they would recognize its worth.¡±

    ¡°Buy it. It¡¯s not a loss for us,¡± Neptune convinced Gu Ding.

    ¡°Fine! Ten billion it is. Pass me your ount number,¡± Gu Ding finally agreed.

    ¡°It¡¯s Universe Credits, not Star Credits!¡± The man passed Gu Ding the number and emphasized it again.

    A huge amount of money appeared in the man¡¯s ount within seconds of Neptune making the transfer. He carefully counted the number of digits numerous times and even checked the currency several times. He passed the ax to Gu Ding after making sure there were no mistakes.

    The first thing Gu Ding did when he received it was keeping the ax in the inventory. He saw the little old appraiser rushing toward him from a distance.

    The little old man slowed down slightly when he reached Gu Ding. ¡°Follow me!¡±

    Gu Ding followed behind him as they went through several alleyways. The little old man stopped and pointed to a tall tower-like building not far away, ¡°Head to the thirty-third floor of that building. Room 3301.¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t youing with us?¡± Gu Ding called out when he saw the little old man turn to leave.

    ¡°Nope. You are the one they want to meet,¡± the little old man did not even turn back as he disappeared into a little alleyway.

 Chapter 134 - Nisothâ€™s Prophecy

    <strong>Chapter 134 Nisoth¡¯s Prophecy</strong>

    33rd floor, room 3301. Gu Ding stood in front of the door and was just about to knock when he heard an elderly voice yell out, ¡°Come in!¡±

    Gu Ding reached out to turn the door handle-it was unlocked, and then pushed open the door.

    The room was bright and spacious with exquisite decorations. A tall white-bearded old man in a wheelchair looked at Gu Ding with a smile.

    ¡°Would you like something to drink? I just found out they have a collection of 880-year-old red wine in this hotel-they¡¯re almost the same age as me. You look like you don¡¯t drink though. Would you like some tea or fruit juice instead?¡± The old man said kindly.

    ¡°I...It¡¯s alright.¡± Gu Ding shook his head as he saw that it was inconvenient for the old-timer to walk.

    ¡°Are you embarrassed to ask for a drink just because I¡¯m disabled?¡± The old man moved his fingers slightly and a ss quickly flew into his hand, as though it was pulled by an invisible force. ¡°You must prefer sugary drinks like fruit juice. I¡¯ll get you a ss of my signature.¡±

    The old man said and took out seven different fruits from Inventory. His fingers moved and the drink made itself right before Gu Ding¡¯s eyes. About two or three minutester, a colorful ss of juice was ready. He handed Gu Ding the ss. ¡°This drink is called A Colorful Life. I learned it from a bartender-it¡¯s a non-alcoholic drink.¡±

    Gu Ding looked at the psychedelic colors in the ss and took a sip. Other than its sweetness, there¡¯s also a strange unspeakable taste. The drink may not contain alcohol, but it could intoxicate you.

    Gu Ding who thought it tasted good, drank it in one gulp-not forgetting to stick out his tongue to lick the residue on his lips after finishing it. ¡°Delicious!¡±

    The old man smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s best to finish A Colorful Life in seven sips because each sip is a different taste. However, chugging it like that is apletely different experience as well.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t a drink¡¯s main purpose to quench our thirst?¡± Gu Ding grinned and said.

    ¡°That¡¯s true. The main thing is to quench our thirst, good taste onlyes as an added bonus.¡± The old man nodded.

    ¡°Old man, you wanted to see me?¡± Gu Ding decided not to beat around the bush anymore after the drink.

    ¡°Alright, are you the seller of those Witch Tribe items at the auction?¡± The old man finally got to the point.

    Gu Ding nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    ¡°Did you guys encounter space-time backtracking and stole them from Witch Tribe?¡± The old man asked.

    Gu Ding did not hide this from the little old man, he immediately nodded. ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Did you meet someone called Arthas during space-time backtracking?¡± The old man stared at Gu Ding, as though it was important to him.

    ¡°I did, he was only about ten-years-old. I know he became a Witch Tribe Spiritter on.¡± Gu Ding nodded.

    ¡°Did that same Arthas know how to refine purification medicine?¡± The old man continued asking.

    ¡°He did. I taught him how to refine purification medicine.¡± Gu Ding did not quite understand why the old man would ask these questions.

    After hearing the answer, the old man who was originally sat upright leaned weakly on the back of his wheelchair. ¡°It seems that Witch Tribe did not perish...¡±

    ¡°Old man, are you alright?¡± Gu Ding could not help asking after the old man fell silent for a long time.

    ¡°Thank you, I¡¯m alright. Sorry for wasting your time.¡± The old man looked worse than before.

    ¡°If there are no further questions, I¡¯ll be leaving.¡± Gu Ding looked outside the window and saw that the sky began to darken so he knew it was gettingte.

    VCI

    The old man stopped Gu Ding. ¡°Hold on, I¡¯m Nisoth from the Holy Gospel Tribe. We never owe anyone any favors. You¡¯ve been of great help for selling us the Witch Tribe staff. Besides, you cleared a lot of my doubts when I took the liberty to ask. To return the favor, I¡¯ll answer some of your questions too. You can ask me anything, I¡¯ll try my best to answer them.¡±

    Gu Ding turned around, he thought of Liliath suddenly. ¡°We bumped into Mi En a few days back-he¡¯s a soothsayer. His divination showed that my crew will experience a disastrous turn of events, and someone will die. I want to know how to keep my crew members from dying.¡±

    ¡°Is this about that girl named Lili?¡± Nisoth seemed to know about it.

    ¡°You know about it?¡± Gu Ding furrowed his eyebrows slightly.

    Nisoth gave a faint smile. ¡°Death often represents new beginnings; you need not worry.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t get it.¡± Gu Ding could not understand what Nisoth meant.

    ¡°You¡¯ll get it when the timees. The solution to Lilith¡¯s problem wille sooner orter. Nisoth did not provide any further exnations. ¡°What you should worry about is how to deal with the impact of this crisis. This will not only affect Liliath and you; those around you will be affected as well.

    ¡°I understand.¡± Although he did not get a clear reply, ording to what Nisoth said-the solution wille sooner orter, and that was slightly reassuring. ¡°Then I won¡¯t bother you anymore.¡±

    Gu Ding went out the door but heard Nisoth¡¯s voice behind him. ¡°The people from Dragon Soar Cosmic Nation¡¯s Army will take action tonight. Don¡¯t hide on the spaceship, hide somewhere else.¡±

    ¡°Neptune, inform Lili and the rest to evacuate the spaceship as soon as possible. Tell everyone including Robert to keep all their valuable things in the Inventory ring and stay away from the port.¡± Gu Ding immediately made a decision and rushed out of the hotel.

    After receiving Neptune¡¯s message, Liliath and the rest immediately took action. Although Robert was a little reluctant, he knew this was an emergency. After stuffing everything in the room into Inventory, the three of them locked up the spaceship, quickly left the port, and waited for Gu Ding in a little tavern.

    <b>ro</b>

    After ten minutes or so, Gu Ding arrived at the tavern.

    ¡°What the hell happened? ¡°Lilith asked somewhat puzzled. Neptune could not exin in detail as he was not able to pick up the entire conversation between Nisoth and Gu

    Ding.

    ¡°The army will move tonight. They should be here soon.¡± Gu Ding then exined, ¡°Let¡¯s go to the city center and find a hotel. We¡¯ll assess the situation first and see who the Army sent.¡±

    ¡°Grey-faced Buzzard¡¯s still here. They must know that we¡¯re still on the.¡± Lilith felt that the first generation of Grey-faced Buzzard was too eye-catching. Almost every Interster Pirate in Dragon Soar Cosmic Nation knew that the spaceship belonged to Gu Ding, not to mention the Army.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, they won¡¯t destroy the spaceship immediately because they¡¯ll try to use it to lure us. Moreover, it¡¯s not like no other Interster Pirates abandoned their spaceships and escaped. The Army will probably assume we escaped on another spaceship.¡± Gu Ding was not worried about the spaceship. They could always buy another spaceship; their safety came first.

    The four of them headed towards the city center in a taxi. During this time. Neptune blocked all surveince equipment along the route that could potentially catch sight of them. They then checked into an inconspicuous hotel.

 Chapter 135 - Damn It!

    <h4>Chapter 135 Damn It!</h4>

    When nightfall came, Gu Ding and the rest had only settled down for less than twenty minutes when Neptune projected a video.

    The video feedback showed a vast fleet of Army spaceshipsnding. Apart from a Golden Eagle, a total of thirty-two Army spaceshipsnded on the port. Nearly all of them were fully geared out.

    Seeing so many Army spaceships appearing suddenly, many Interster Pirates started to panic. Some fled to their spaceships, attempting to fly away only to find the top part of the port closed. They then realized that the Army was going to have a big cleanout this time.

    When the Army spaceship docked, over six thousand soldiers with ranks above senior colonel uniformly marched out of the spaceship.

    None of them were Gene Bodies below Rank-6.

    When they appeared in the port, they had not only caused panic amongst the Interster Pirates, they had also attracted a lot of locals who came to check out themotion.

    The six thousand soldiers immediately fell into a square formation positioned not far away from the Golden Eagle.

    The Golden Eagle¡¯s hatch finally opened. What stepped out of the hatch was not human, but thirty silver mechs that were each nearly four meters tall.

    Even Gu Ding was stunned.

    ¡°Looks like they really went all out this time,¡± Neptune said in a disheartened tone.

    The thirty mechs lined up in three rows just beneath the Golden Eagle.

    At the Golden Eagle¡¯s hatch, three people stood side by side-it was two men and one woman. Gu Ding was no stranger to the middle-aged man standing in the middle. He was the Federal Army¡¯s general, Sharp.

    On Sharp¡¯s left was a tall red-haired woman. She was d in military attire, making her look valiant and heroic. On the left side of her waist was an intricately detailed silver handgun. It was obvious she was a gunner.

    On Sharp¡¯s right was a man in his early twenties-he was of average height and wore a pair of ck-rimmed sses. He looked slightly nervous, not knowing where to put his hands.

    ¡°Who are those two?¡± Gu Ding knew that anyone who stood next to Sharp was a serious threat and a force to be reckoned with.

    ¡°The red-haired woman is an Army general as well as Dragon Soar Cosmic Nation¡¯s chief gunner. The other guy is a chief of staff who just got promoted this year-he¡¯s a disciple of the head chief of staff. However, don¡¯t underestimate him. He may be a civil servant, but he¡¯s also a Rank-9 Gene Body with outstandingbat prowess,¡± Neptune read out their information.

    Name: Emily

    Gender: Female

    Age: 37

    upation: Federation Army Soldier

    Rank: General

    Gene Level: Rank-10

    Special Ability: Insight (Rank-9)

    Ability Description: No lies and deceptive movements can fool her eyes. She could see down to the tiniest details.

    Other Abilities: Gunner

    Highest Capture Reward: 81 Million Universe Credits

    Name: Walter

    Gender: Male

    Age: 28

    upation: Federation Army Soldier

    Rank: Colonel General (Chief of Staff)

    Gene Level: Rank-9

    Special Ability: yer (Rank-8)

    Ability Description: Engages in battle as if it were a game of chess. He sees all opponents as enemy chess pieces. With information gathered from the opponent, he can urately determine what actions they will take.

    Ability Deficit: The results may sometimes be disturbed by unknown information.

    Highest Capture Reward: 130 Million Universe Credits

    The information of these two people made Gu Ding and the rest shudder slightly. Their abilities were extremely unique. They did not increasebat effectiveness directly, but they could already tell both abilities would y a major role in the uing battle.

    ¡°Walter probably set this up,¡± Neptune deduced. ¡°They intentionally caused all this panic to capture all the Interster Pirates-only he would make a n like this.¡±

    ¡°Based on the current situation, they¡¯ll win by andslide. They have two Federal generals, five colonel generals, eight lieutenant generals, fifteen major generals, plus those thirty mechs. Those mech pilots may only be a Rank-6 or Rank-7 Gene Body, but they¡¯re all probably skilled at closebat-theirbat effectiveness isparable to that of a Peak Rank-8 martial arts practitioner.¡±

    ¡°The port¡¯s skydome is closed, no spaceship can escape. However, this is not the biggest problem. After learning their lessonst time, the Army got smarter.¡± Neptune said and projected a new video. In the video, three Baby

    Eagle were hovering outside the atmosphere above the port.

    ¡°It¡¯s probably because we paralyzed the port systemst time,¡± Gu Ding guessed the reasoning behind the Army¡¯s move. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, even if we paralyze the port system again-if a spaceship escapes, it will be

    Neptune popped out another page. This time a statement from the Federal Government. Its content went like so ¡°There are arge number of Interster Pirates gathered on Great Divinity. The Federation Army is trying their best to evict them and so the port has been temporarily closed. If any ship wishes to enter, do visit the others nearby. The ports on the others will be providing free entry for the meantime. All civilian and transport vessels wanting to leave must wait at least three days before being discharged.¡±

    ¡°All civilian spaceships and transport vessels have been banned from entering and leaving for the time being. They¡¯re worried that some Interster Pirates might hide in the ships and take the opportunity to escape.¡±

    ¡°Under such circumstances, it¡¯s unlikely that we¡¯ll be able to escape.¡± Liliath frowned slightly.

    ¡°There¡¯s no hurry. It¡¯s just the beginning, we¡¯ll think of a way to escape.¡± Gu Ding seemed calm. ¡°At least we got ourselves out before the battle broke out. Neptune erased all our electronic records. The Army should not be able to find us in such a short time. We¡¯re hiding in the dark while they¡¯re out in the open. This is our advantage.¡±

    In the video, the port was in chaos. Arge number of Interster Pirates fled into the city-they already knew they could not leave in their spaceships.

    The Army¡¯s thirty mechs sprung out to intercept. Mechs that wereparable to Rank-8 Gene Bodies¡¯ peakbat effectiveness rushed into the crowd, causing people to cry out in distress.

    On the other side, over six thousand Army members divided into over twenty teams and searched the spaceships on the port one by one to see if anyone was hiding in them.

    ¡°I¡¯d like to see how long it¡¯ll take you idiots to unlock this!¡± Neptune scolded impatiently when he saw that someone started to crack the spaceship¡¯sbination lock. He hade up with the design for the lock while Robert crafted it. Based on the Federal Government¡¯s current technology level, they would probably still fail even if they went at it the entire day.

    ¡°If they can¡¯t unlock it, they¡¯ll probably destroy the door.¡± Gu Ding felt that the Army probably did not have the patience to unlock it.

    ¡°If they dare destroy our door, I¡¯ll encrypt all the Army¡¯s spaceship¡¯s door, so they can¡¯t enter or leave!¡± Neptune said angrily.

    As soon as Neptune finished talking, he saw someone take a bomb and attach it to the Grey-faced Buzzard¡¯s hatch. The Army¡¯s order was that if they could not unlock it in three minutes, they would resolve it with force; not wanting to waste time.

    Neptune went berserk upon seeing this. ¡°Damn it! You asked for it!¡±

 Chapter 136 - Walterâ€™s Plans

    <h4>Chapter 136 Walter¡¯s ns</h4>

    A small team of Federation Army members searched the interior of the spaceship after blowing up the Grey-faced Buzzard¡¯s hatch. Of course, they ended up finding nothing-no one was hiding in it and no useful clues were found.

    Gu Ding and the others had packed up their belongings and stashed their valuables in the Inventory ring. Biggie even packed all the pots and pans in the kitchen to prevent the Army from smashing things during their search.

    Most of the other teams did not find anything. After all, the Army was too aggressive earlier. Many people saw trouble and packed up to hide in the city before the spaceships even docked.

    The city the port belonged to was called Bartow. It was thergest city in Great Divinity with a poption of more than twenty-four million.

    It was undoubtedly difficult to find a few Interster Pirates in a poption of more than twenty-four million, the same went for Gu Ding and his friends. Thanks to Neptune, they were invisible to all the video and camera equipment in Bartow.

    At the port, one after another, the teams would report their search results-only three teams found people hiding in the spaceships. They naively expected that Port Authority would not allow the Army to force the spaceships open. Some even mored they wouldin about Port Authority and the Army to the federal court when they were caught.

    Those who were arrested were mostly those who could not escape in time. They were still observing when they saw the Army¡¯s spaceshipnd. They had only reacted when the Army showed its manpower, but by then it was already toote.

    The speed of thirty mechs wasparable to that of a Rank-8 Gene Body martial arts practitioner. Most of the Interster Pirates were unable to evade them.

    Sharp was not too pleased after hearing the results because none of the people were on their list of wanted fugitives. For example, up-anding neer teams such as Gu Ding¡¯s teams and Bart¡¯s teams, as well as some powerful older teams.

    ¡°Well, I didn¡¯t expect to catch those guys so easily.¡± Walter who was standing beside him was not surprised, he even gave a faint smile. ¡°This is only the first stage of the pursuit...¡±

    ¡°I realized that this time, things have turned out more interesting than I anticipated. My biggest regret was that I couldn¡¯t meet Biggie in person...¡± Emily looked like she was in her early twenties. As a Rank-10 Gene Body powerhouse, she could live until she¡¯s at least eight hundred years old. Her youthful appearance would remain until she was three hundred years old before aging slowly.

    ¡°Emily, Biggie¡¯s my target. I told you before we came here. You can deal with him all you want after I hunt him down, but I don¡¯t want you to intervene in the hunt.¡± Sharp frowned. He had finally met another Rank-10 Gene Body swordsman, of course, he refused to let him go easily. He had only ever encountered a simr opponent once in Border River, and that battle was a truly challenging one.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t say I was going to snatch this from you. In fact, if you lose, I¡¯m not helping.¡± As she was also an Army general, Emily could care less about the others-she had never been afraid of Sharp who was the strongest.

    They had worked together for a few years. Sharp knew about her temper and said nothing about her reply.

    ¡°Sister Emily, our n requires your help in capturing Biggie. His actualbat effectiveness remains unknown to this day. It¡¯s a huge obstacle for this operation...¡± Before Walter could finish, he was interrupted by two people at the same time.

    ¡°I¡¯m not attacking!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t need help!¡±

    Walter did not expect to encounter this. He froze for a moment and changed the subject. ¡°Based on our intel, Gu Ding and his team will be the hardest to capture. Not only do they have outstandingbat effectiveness, but Gu Ding¡¯s hacking abilities could also cause us huge difficulty. He¡¯ll definitely be erasing all their traces. It¡¯ll be impossible to find them through standard surveince systems.¡±

    Just then an Army senior colonel appeared. ¡°Sir, bad news. Someone tampered with our spaceship¡¯s password, we can¡¯t get in, and the people in it can¡¯t get out. We¡¯ve checked on the other spaceships; they¡¯re also experiencing the same issue.¡±

    Sharp leaped onto the Golden Eagle. He pressed his palm on the hatch, but it did not respond. He tried entering the password again, but the system stated that the password was wrong. He leaped off the Golden Eagle and waved his hand. ¡°Get the password cracker and fix this!¡±

    ¡°Gu Ding did this?¡± Emily, who was beside him could not think of anyone else besides Gu Ding who would do such a thing.

    ¡°Who else?¡± Sharp said peevishly.

    ¡°This is child¡¯s y.¡± Emily covered her mouth andughed. ¡°One of the teams earlier blew up the hatch to their spaceship, that¡¯s probably why they retaliated that way. It¡¯s alright though. It¡¯s nothing more than a prank. If it were me, I¡¯d definitely choose to activate all the Army spaceships¡¯ self-destruct system.¡±

    Walter¡¯s forehead broke out in cold sweat. He immediately said, ¡°Big sister, don¡¯t say that. They must be watching us through the surveince system. How else would they have known that their spaceship¡¯s hatch was blown off? If they heard what you just said and actually do so. We¡¯ll suffer a lot of damage.¡±

    ¡°They must have a death wish to even consider doing that!¡± Sharp said with his eyes wide open. ¡°The four generals will surely join forces to hunt him down. They¡¯ll find him even if he had entered the Border River-the marshal himself might even take action. In fact, His Highness The Lord might even contact the Faye Cosmic Nation for help.¡±

    Gu Ding and his crew heard their conversation. They knew the consequences of something like this.

    ¡°The Golden Eagle¡¯s password was changed and there¡¯s no ce to detain these captured bounty criminals. Let¡¯s send them to the local prison first.¡± Neptune¡¯s prank brought about some changes whereby Walter was now forced to relocate the detainees.

    ¡°They changed the detention camp to the local prison, he he...¡± Neptune waited patiently. When the surveince video showed that the bounty criminals were halfway there, he spread the news.

    ¡°The Army spaceships malfunctioned, and the bounty criminals will be transported to the local Federation Prison.¡±

    It was already toote when Walter saw the news. Several teams of Interster Pirates intercepted the convoy. They vented their anger on the transport troops, attacking them and releasing everyone who was caught.

    ¡°The transportation vehicle was hijacked. There were heavy casualties and all prisoners were released.¡± When this news was sent to Walter¡¯s intelligent wristwatch, Walter¡¯s heart instantly shriveled. He did not expect that these Interster Pirates would be so bold as to hijack the Army¡¯s cars. He did not even expect that Gu Ding and his crew dared to provoke the Army publicly.

    ¡°That guy has got a hold of our every move now. Let¡¯s destroy all surveince near the port.¡± Sharp suggested.

    ¡°It¡¯s no use. With his current hacking abilities, I¡¯m afraid he can very well hack into our intelligent wristwatches. Even if we destroyed the surveince at the port or turned off our intelligent smartwatches, he¡¯d always find a way to get the information he wants. If he wants to see, let him see then.¡± Walter seemed to understand that Neptune¡¯s surveince ability was pretty much unavoidable. He offered his opinion. ¡°In a game of chess, there¡¯s a method called unravel, you let the opponent know your every move withoutpromising your chances of victory. We can do the same. They won¡¯t be able to stop us, even if they know our every move. Let¡¯s just proceed as nned. Don¡¯t let a little setback ruin our original n.¡±

    Sharp nodded after hearing his statement. In fact, now that he thought about it, Gu Ding and his crew would at most cause a disturbance in his mission, it would not stop them from doing what they came to do. Those who escaped were really not that smart, it would not be difficult to recapture them.

    A look of approval shed over Emily¡¯s eyes. She had never worked with the young chief of staff. asionally, she would hear some stories about him-they all praised him as if he were a god. She had always been wary and skeptical of exaggerated opinions like this. That was why she did not favor Walter at the beginning. However, judging from hisments, he was indeed intellectually gifted.

    ¡°This guy, Walter, was certainly not simple-he managed to steady himself so quickly.¡± Gu Ding could not help admiring.

    ¡°Hey, don¡¯tpliment the enemy!¡± Liliath objected.

    ¡°I¡¯m just stating facts, he¡¯s indeed amazing.¡± Gu Ding said and poked Biggie who was beside him with his elbow, hoping he would back him up.

    Biggieughed and stepped back, a nk expression on his face-not intending to express any opinions.

    ¡°What you¡¯re doing is boosting their spirits while undermining our morale.¡± Lilith rolled her eyes at Gu Ding.

    ¡°I really want to know their next move. Since they¡¯re no longer worried about us, their next move must be a big one.¡± Gu Ding guessed that they must be extremely confident in their ability to execute their n if they dared to let them know about their next move.

    Walter did something on his wristwatch. About ten minutester, he projected a piece of information in front of himself. It showed the matches between the images shot by the surveince equipment on this and the pictures of the bounty criminals. In no time, over fifty bounty criminals were located.

    ¡°Neptune, can¡¯t you do something?¡± Gu Ding asked while watching the projection.

    ¡°No, I just tried. He activated a Level S ess control encryption on his wristwatch. It¡¯s the highest level of encryption in Sk. If I crack it forcibly, Sk will notice.¡± This frustrated Neptune.

    After determining the location of over fifty bounty criminals, Walter assigned tasks to the fifty-three teams. Each team would travel to a certain point to capture a bounty criminal. Each team consists of ten people. The team leaders were all Rank-8 Gene Body powerhouses who were at least of the rank major general.

    After everything was arranged, Walter looked over the nearest surveince equipment. The corners of his mouth curved upwards, forming a devious expression.

 Chapter 137 - The Arrogant Bart

    <h4>Chapter 137 The Arrogant Bart</h4>

    Neptune stomped his feet in anger after seeing Walter¡¯s provocative smile on the surveince equipment. ¡°He¡¯s so arrogant!¡±

    Gu Ding seemed calmer. ¡°We can¡¯t interfere if he did that. The fugitives won¡¯t get far even if we notify them. It¡¯s only a matter of time till they¡¯re caught-many people in the Army are good at tracking.¡±

    ¡°Neptune, is there anyone stronger on the Army¡¯s wanted list this time? We may not be able to save everyone, but we can notify the stronger ones-they should be able to cause a decent amount of trouble for the Army.¡± Liliath proposed another idea.

    ¡°There¡¯s only one, Bart, with a bounty of hundreds of millions on the list. The others with bounties over one hundred million are being extremely cautious, but this guy and his team casually appeared in a mall in the city center-they¡¯ve been wandering about for over twenty minutes so far.¡± Neptune filtered the list and found that only Bart who was number one on the Neer Ranking was rtively strong in the wanted list.

    Neptune projected live footage of Bart. The fellow was dressed like a delinquent, d in jeans that looked like it had been scratched by a cat and a ck leather jacket with the chest area exposed. He was naked underneath, showing lush chest hair. There was a metal chain as thick as a thumb hanging around his waist. Eight of his ten fingers wore oddly shaped rings. His hair was styled in an arrogant quiff that was dyed blonde-it was somewhat reflective under the illumination of the surrounding lights-obviously, his hair dye was not cheap.

    ¡°Hook me up to him.¡± Gu Ding decided to get in touch with him.

    Neptune immediately dialed Bart¡¯smunicator. When Bart saw an iing unknown number, he epted the call without thinking twice.

    ¡°Bart, I¡¯m Gu Ding.¡± This was Gu Ding¡¯s introduction. ¡°Listen, an Army lieutenant general is heading toward you with a team of ten. Leave the mall as soon as possible, or there¡¯ll be serious trouble.¡±

    ¡°Yo, it¡¯s Gu Ding. I didn¡¯t expect to get a call from you. I¡¯ve forgotten you¡¯re a talented hacker who can track me down through videos.¡± Bart said and waved his hands at a camera nearby as if to say hello.

    ¡°This guy... is bloody arrogant.¡± Liliath was speechless.

    ¡°Did you see me waving at you?¡± Bart asked in themunicator.

    ¡°I did. Leave immediately. There¡¯s too much surveince equipment in ces like the mall. You¡¯vepletely exposed your location, leave immediately.¡± Gu Ding was astounded by his behavior.

    ¡°Why should I leave?¡± Bart asked suddenly. ¡°I attracted the Army here on purpose. I knew that as long as they were given enough time-they can surely secure my position, that¡¯s why I¡¯ve been wandering around...¡±

    Bart stopped talking midway and looked at the time before he continued. ¡°About twenty-three minutes. It seems that the Army¡¯s not that efficient,they¡¯ve taken so long.¡±

    ¡°Are you using yourself as bait to ambush them?¡± Gu Ding was lost for words.

    ¡°Bingo! You got it!¡± Bart threw a thumbs up in the surveince cameras¡¯ direction. ¡°Your bounty¡¯s going to exceed mine if I don¡¯t do anything soon. I¡¯m not giving away my ce as the best neer.¡±

    ¡°If you wanted to ambush them, why didn¡¯t you just do it at the port?¡± Gu Ding was confused.

    ¡°There are too many people at the port. Although there is also a lot of surveince equipment, someone will definitely upstage my fight. Look at how good this mall is. There¡¯re so many surveince cameras, and only my crew and I will be fighting the Army. Everything that happens here will be recorded by the surveince equipment, and someone will upload it to Sk. Once the Army sees it, my bounty will increase once again. Gu Ding, won¡¯t be that easy to catch up to my bounty.¡± Gu Ding grinned at the camera. ¡°If there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll hang up the call. Of course, if you¡¯re interested, you can watch my performance tonight.¡±

    After he hung up, Liliath who was beside him was a little upset. ¡°He¡¯s so arrogant. We¡¯re just reminding him out of kindness, yet he¡¯s poking fun at us. He deserves to get caught.¡±

    ¡°Neptune, take a look at all the surveince in the mall and see whether you can find where his crew members are hiding.¡± Gu Ding thought of something Bart said.

    Neptune searched and found nothing. ¡°Nothing came up, I can only see him. There¡¯s no sign of other crew members. They must be hiding themselves using a special method.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s watch the fight. He might as well help us test the Army¡¯s strength.¡± Gu Ding said to Neptune.

    At the port, a senior colonel who was in charge of monitoring these Interster Pirates¡¯ movements also saw the video of Bart¡¯s call earlier. He felt that something was up. He intercepted the video and found Walter.

    ¡°Sir, I just saw a video of Bart. It seemed a bit strange.¡±

    Walter nodded. The video was immediately projected. Emily who was standing not far away joined them.

    The video had no sound. In the video, Bart answered a call and started to wave at the surveince equipment. This caught Walter¡¯s attention.

    Walter asked, ¡°Who was he talking to just now? You¡¯ve been monitoring their intelligent wristwatches, right?¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t trace it. The number does not exist.¡± The senior colonel seemed nervous. He just found the video strange, but it did not contain any other useful information.

    ¡°He was talking to Gu Ding. If I¡¯m not mistaken, Gu Ding was telling him to escape but he refused.¡± Emily nodded at the senior colonel. ¡°Keep on ying it!¡±

    The video finished quickly. Emily kept a poker face after watching it. ¡°Send two more teams over to Bart¡¯s location immediately, or our current teams will be annihted.¡±

    ¡°Big sister, what did he say?¡± Walter could not help asking

    ¡°He¡¯s merely acting as bait. His crew is hiding in the mall, waiting to ambush our troops. He told Gu Ding that he¡¯s doing all of this to increase his bounty and keep his ce as the best neer.¡± With Emily¡¯s vision, she easily read his lips. Although his face was not exposed to the surveince equipment for too long, it was enough for Emily to figure out what she wanted to know.

    Walter¡¯s face changed slightly after listening to Emily¡¯s words. ¡°Order the two teams en route to the mall to drop what they¡¯re doing right now. Get them to head there for support and get an additional two teams to support them.¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡± The senior colonel immediately left after receiving the orders.

    ¡°Looks like Bart¡¯s in deep trouble this time.¡± Gu Ding and his crew saw the changes the Army made. He thought about it and got Neptune to send Bart a message. ¡°The Army sent two more teams after you.¡±

    Bart replied with a full face of disdain after seeing the message. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter how many they send, just wait and enjoy my performance!¡±

    Gu Ding was perplexed when he saw the message, but he did not say anything

    Once the Army gave the order, the other two teams rushed over immediately. The original team was told to hold their positions and wait for the other two teams to rendezvous.

    ¡°What the hell? Why are they adding another two teams to our mission?¡± A member said discontentedly.

    These missions usually divide merits by groups. Everyone gets a smaller share of merits when there are more people.

    ¡°Yeah, there¡¯s only one person per team for the other capture missions. Why do we need three teams for ours? Isn¡¯t our target that neer Bart? He¡¯s not even a Rank-8 Gene Body yet, he can¡¯t be that much of a threat.¡± The other one asked, slightly flustered.

    ¡°The higher-ups gave the orders. There¡¯s no need to question it. They made this decision in the spur of the moment; something must have changed,¡± The lieutenant general who was the leader spoke up in a calm tone. He once fought alongside Walter. He knows Walter must have his own reasons for making such arrangements. ¡°Also, don¡¯t underestimate these neers, especially the best neers like Bart. Their actualbat effectiveness is normally a lot higher than others at their gene level. Moreover, they haven¡¯t debuted for long, so we don¡¯t know much about the specific abilities they have.¡±

    The others finally shut their mouth after the lieutenant general said his piece. Some were still discontent, but they kept their mouth shut regardless.

    It was not too long before the remaining two teams arrived at the rendezvous point.

    ¡°Charter, what¡¯s going on? Why was our mission suddenly canceled and now we¡¯re sent here by the higher-ups to support you?¡± A bald man was the leader of one of the teams. He spoke loudly, ¡°You¡¯re not frightened, are you?¡±

    ¡°Charter, it¡¯s unlike you to ask for backup. Did something happen to the target?¡± The other leader seemed older with some greying hair. He had a calmer personality. His rank was higher than the other two-he was the strongest colonel-general among the Rank-8 Gene Bodies.

    ¡°Senior Callum, I didn¡¯t ask for backup. It was a sudden arrangement by the higher-ups. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on either,¡± Charter exined helplessly. ¡°They just told me to hold my position and wait for the other two teams to rendezvous before we all head out to execute the mission.

    ¡°Did Walter give the order?¡± Callum asked with his eyebrows furrowed slightly.

    ¡°Looking at the signature on the order, Sir Walter and Miss Emily signed it together.¡± Charter projected the contents of the message earlier.

    Even the bald man¡¯s face changed a little after seeing it. ¡°Looks like it¡¯s going to be a tough battle.¡±

    ¡°Everyone stay alert. Adding backup at thest-minute means our opponents are stronger than expected. This is not a drill. It¡¯s going to be a tough battle. I¡¯ve looked up that guy Bart¡¯s information on my way here. He¡¯s an extremely dangerous bloodthirsty maniac. Don¡¯t lose your own life due to carelessness.¡± Callum seemed to recognize the severity of the matter and shouted at the three teams.

    His words sparked nervousness in those who were initially unbothered by the threat.

    ¡°He¡¯s in that mall. Let¡¯s go!¡±

 Chapter 138 - Bartâ€™s Special Ability

    <strong>Chapter 138 Bart¡¯s Special Ability</strong>

    The sky hadpletely fallen dark, but there was a huge crowd of people in the brightly lit shopping mall. Most of the people there were dressed properly and of the ordinary working-ss. They could onlye at night because it was their only leisure time. Bart looked a little out of ce among the crowd. Nevertheless, the city of Bartow had a poption of more than twenty-four million. Hence, people asionally passed by strangely dressed people, and they could not care less.

    Bart once again wandered around the mall. He felt hungry, so he bought a bunch of meat skewers from a food stall-as much as forty to fifty sticks. Bart sat down on the spot and started to gobble them up.

    ¡°That¡¯s a lot of food, won¡¯t you be too full for battleter?¡± Liliath grumbled upon seeing the scene being yed on the screen. She had no affection for guys like Bart. He was not only arrogant, but he was also gross-he did not have any table manners whenever he ate.

    Bart of course did not care about other people¡¯s opinions. He seemedpletely unaware of the danger approaching as he kept on indulging in his food without a care in the world for his surroundings.

    At the same time, Gu Ding noticed through the surveince camera at the door that people from the Army had entered the mall. The crowd was immediately evacuated by the Army¡¯s people. Three gunners that were armed with powerful armor-piercing sniper rifles began to take aim at Bart¡¯s head. All they needed was a single order and they would open fire without hesitation. They would be more than happy to see Bart¡¯s head explode like a watermelon.

    Liliath noticed the gunners and their positions as well. ¡°Those three gunners are very strong, they¡¯ve positioned themselves in the best way possible. Not to mention, they managed to adjust their breathing patterns in under two seconds to enter battle mode. It might be the results of their training, but it¡¯s still quite outstanding.¡±

    Bart was still busy tackling the meat skewers in his hands. It did not seem like he was aware that his head was being targeted by gunners.

    Charter felt that things were going too smoothly. He looked toward Callum, and thetter nodded in response. Callum then cried out and waved his hand. As soon as the first sniper saw Callum wave his hand, he pulled the trigger.

    Gu Ding held his breath as he observed the situation. He knew that if he were the one in Bart¡¯s position, it would not be difficult for him to avoid taking a shot in the head. Nevertheless, it would be hard for him to avoid getting injured. A good gunner was capable of urately predicting their target¡¯s movements. Not to mention, the Army¡¯s gunners had formed a triplebo formation this time around. It did not matter whether the first shotnded. Once their target made a move, their second sniper would immediately fire another shot. Then, even if the second sniper¡¯s shot did notnd, the third sniper would open fire.

    Strangely enough, a gunshot was not heard even after the first sniper had pulled the trigger. The sniper lowered his head and looked at the gun in his hand in confusion. What he saw was a ck chain crawling out of the muzzle of his gun like a thin snake. All of a sudden, it quickly wrapped around his neck. In the blink of an eye, the sniper was strangled until his neck broke.

    <b>III</b>

    Not hearing the first gunner open fire, the second gunner reacted immediately by pulling the trigger. He was met with the same fate as the first gunner.

    The third gunner died instantly right after that as well.

    The special ability slightly surprised Gu Ding. ¡°What was that ck chain? Why did it feel like the ck chain has a life of its own?¡±

    ¡°The chain isn¡¯t primarily made up of power but a special spirit energy. We¡¯re still not clear about how he made it. Generally speaking, he¡¯s at least a demigod for being able to manifest spirit energy like that.¡± Neptune seemed confused as well. It was indeed difficult to manifest spirit energy, but the chain¡¯s flexibility made it seem like it had a life of its own.

    Liliath was also a little surprised. She vaguely felt that even Vannarab¡¯s spirit control was not up to that extent.

    The person involved did not even move a finger and yet, three gunners had died on the spot in under ten seconds-he was still eating meat skewers with his hands. This uncanny scene made Charter wonder whether Bart had another strong helper around. Nevertheless, Charter could only wade in with their ns.

    He waved his hand at both Callum and the bald man, hinting for their assistance.

    The three of them then led their teams to close in on Bart from three different directions.

    ¡°Yo, it¡¯s the Army people. Fancy bumping into you guys here.¡± Bart had not finished eating the meat skewers in his hands and did not n to stop.

    ¡°Hey, stop fooling around. You noticed us long ago and just killed three of our snipers,¡± the bald Bord yelled loudly.

    ¡°Hey hey, based on the badge on your shoulders, you must be a lieutenant general. Don¡¯t you know that you can¡¯t simply speak without evidence? Watch out or I¡¯ll sue you for nder.¡± Bart took another bite out of one of his meat skewers and chewed for a bit before he swallowed hard. He retorted, ¡°I¡¯ve been eating from the very start. Did any of you see me do it?¡±

    ¡°Stop making excuses. Everyone knows what happened earlier. Even if it wasn¡¯t you, it has to be your partners. You better surrender, it¡¯ll save you the pain.¡± Charter frowned, he always felt that Bart was only fearless because he had backup.

    ¡°Do you want to hear the truth?¡± Bart stood up and threw the remaining skewers into the trash can beside him. ¡°My partners aren¡¯t in this building... I was the one who did everything just now because my strength is more than you can imagine.¡±

    The moment Bart finished talking, ck chains wrapped around the feet of the twenty-seven Army members. The chains that were as thick as a person¡¯s thumb quickly crawled up their bodies as if they were living creatures. In less than ten seconds, all twenty-seven people were bounded in chains. Then, the chains kept on tightening. The following minute, twenty-four of them were strangled to death and had their bones broken.

    The remaining three were Rank-8 Gene Bodies, and it took them a lot of strength to break free. They gasped heavily as they tried to catch their breaths.

    Upon seeing the corpses that were strewn across the floor, the three of them shuddered. Nevertheless, they were quickly filled with anger.

    Gu Ding and his crew witnessed the entire scene take ce.

    ¡°That guy is tough...¡± It was Gu Ding¡¯s first time seeing Bart in action. He had not expected such a shock.

    Even Liliath who had always been displeased with many of Bart¡¯s actions was silent. She was clearly shocked by Bart¡¯s powers.

    ¡°The ability may not be his own,¡± Neptune suddenly said, ¡°Not to mention, the power of his ability... He would need to be a demigod at the very least to manifest his spirit like that. I wasn¡¯t too sure just now because there was only one chain. Nevertheless, it¡¯s impossible for a powerhouse who just got promoted to a demigod to perform suchrge scale spirit manifestation.¡±

    ¡°That ability of his probablyes from the metal chain he hangs around his waist,¡± Biggie voiced out his thoughts. Prior to this, Biggie had always been a listener who rarely voiced his opinion on such matters. ¡°This is what Darkness told me. That thing is a demigod item that was once used by spirits.¡±

    Gu Ding and his crew were not the only ones who had witnessed the scene as Walter was also there. He was originally a tactician and had no time to waste on watching battles. However, Bart had indeed reacted unusually earlier. Although he had dispatched three teams, Walter still felt a little uneasy and wanted to take a look at the progress.

    Taking a look at the video, he was not expecting to see twenty-four people get ughtered. In less than two minutes, three teams of thirty people were down to three team leaders. Even a Rank-9 Gene Body like himself was not capable of killing people that fast.

    He immediately dialed Sharp¡¯s contact number.

    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Sharp knew that something big must have happened for Walter toe to him.

    ¡°Senior, we have a big problem with Bart. We underestimated his abilities. He managed to single-handedly annihte the three teams that we dispatched. Only the team leaders are left, and they¡¯re struggling.¡± Walter did not n to hide his mistake in decision-making. What was most important was that they find a solution to the problem.

    ¡°How¡¯s that possible? He¡¯s merely a Rank-7 Gene Body, and he was only promoted not too long ago.¡± Sharp was stunned when he heard the news-he found it unbelievable. Every team in the Army was led by a Rank-8 Gene Body except for nine of them. Seven of which were led by Rank-7 Gene Bodies while the remaining two were led by Rank-6 Gene Bodies. Nevertheless, three teams had been annihted at the same time. It meant that all information concerning Bart¡¯s strength was aplete flop.

    ¡°Senior, do you want to send two colonel generals with Rank-9 powers over?¡± Walter asked. Since Walter was a colonel general, he had to ask for the general¡¯s permission if he wanted to dispatch other colonel generals.

    ¡°Perhaps I should go! You go ahead and tell Emily that both of you will hold the fort here.¡± Sharp fell silent for a while before he made his decision. ¡°Send me the address.¡±

    After receiving the address, both of them leaped and disappeared from the port.

    Gu Ding noticed Sharp¡¯s movements at the port and sent Bart a message. ¡°Finish the battle immediately, Sharp ising!¡±

    On the battlefield, Bart seemed at ease despite being under the siege of three Army powerhouses. When Gu Ding sent him the message, he even took the time to lower his head and read it. Afterward, Bart looked up and smiled at the three of them before saying, ¡°Hehe, Gu Ding¡¯s a pretty cool kid. He just told me that Sharp ising. Well then, I¡¯ll finish the three of you first and wait for Sharp.¡±

    Upon hearing this, the three of them understood why Walter had sent for backup. They also suspected that Gu Ding¡¯s crew was waiting to jump in nearby. Nheless, they were wrong-Gu Ding had never once thought of joining forces with Bart, he just wanted to cause the Army some trouble and prevent Bart from getting caught.

    Although the battle was basically a fiasco, the news of Sharping personally motivated the three. At the very least, it meant that the arrogant bastard in front of them would definitely be beheaded or captured alive.

    Bart reached out his hand and grabbed the chain around his waist. Instantly, strange energy began to flow out from it. Then, the chain sprang out in a strange manner as if it was a living creature-it was so fast that the three could not catch it with their own eyes. By the time the three of them finally caught on, they found themselves trapped in a ck spider web. On the spider web, thread after thread of strange ck energy could be seen seeping into their bodies.

    After about three minutes, their bodies quickly became shriveled up as if something had sucked up all their bodily fluids. The ck spider web only disappeared once the three dry corpses fell to the ground from mid-air. Then, the chain around Bart¡¯s waist reverted to its original state.

 Chapter 139 - A Fallen General!?

    <strong>Chapter 139 A Fallen General!?</strong>

    Nevertheless, Bart, who had killed three people, did not leave. Instead, he lit a cigarette, sat down on a chair beside him, and began to smoke. He had no intention of leaving

    Gu Ding and his crew were speechless upon seeing this.

    ¡°Is this guy for real?¡± Liliath felt that Bart was being a little ignorant. There was a hundred-fold gap between a Rank-8 Gene Body and Rank-10 Gene Body¡¯sbat effectiveness. He had managed to kill three Rank-8 Gene Bodies by borrowing the demigod item¡¯s power. Nevertheless, it would not be enough to tackle a Rank-10 Gene Body top powerhouse like Sharp. ¡°He doesn¡¯t think that he¡¯s invincible just because he has that demigod item, does he?¡±

    ¡°He may be extremely arrogant, but for now, everything he did was within his expectations.¡± Gu Ding thought that Bart was staying for a reason. Gu Ding knew very well that Bart would not be able to defeat Sharp with only a demigod item. ¡°Let¡¯s just see what he wants to do.¡±

    At the port, Walter had been keeping a close watch on the situation. He clearly witnessed the death of the two lieutenant generals and the colonel general. Despite his grief, he had no time to mourn. The fight made him notice the metal chain around Bart¡¯s waist that looked like a cheap essory. ¡°The reason hisbat effectiveness is so strong must be because of that chain.¡±

    He clipped the video and sent it to Emily and Sharp who were on their way.

    ¡°That¡¯s a demigod item!¡± Emily said instantly but did not say anything else. She knew that Sharp was already on his way, and Bart would definitely pay for his actions.

    ¡°That bastard, is he still in the mall?¡± Sharp dialed Walter¡¯smunicator.

    ¡°Yes, he¡¯s still smoking as if he¡¯s waiting for something.¡± Walter was uncertain of what Bart¡¯s intentions were.

    ¡°That arrogant bastard, he should know that we¡¯re sending another team of people. He¡¯s waiting there on purpose.¡± Sharp had dealt with many Interster Pirates before and could sort of guess what Bart¡¯s idea was in his mind. Nevertheless, what Sharp was unaware of was that Bart already knew that he was his pursuer.

    ¡°There¡¯s also something that concerns me,¡± Walter said after a short pause, ¡°Gu Ding contacted Bart before weunched our attack. He must have told Bart that we¡¯re making a move. That¡¯s why I sent two more teams over. However, I was not expecting it to turn out like this. Gu Ding must be aware that you¡¯reing as backup, and Bart seemed to receive a message the moment you set off earlier. We don¡¯t know the contents of the message, and the sender¡¯s number is only shown as non-existent. The message should have been from Gu Ding. If I¡¯m not mistaken, Gu Ding must have told Bart that you¡¯re on your way there personally this time. Nevertheless, based on the current situation, it seems like he has nothing to lose.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s rather naive if he thinks he can beat me with a mere demigod item. I¡¯ll try my best to capture him alive but will not hesitate to kill him if necessary. As for Gu Ding, find him as soon as possible but do not kill him. The Lord told me and Emily before we came that he would like to meet Gu Ding but not his dead body,¡± Sharp mentioned Gu Ding in passing.

    ¡°Indeed. A hacker of his level is much more precious than a national treasure level powerhouse. It¡¯s understandable that the Lord appreciates talents.¡± Walter had heard of Gu Ding¡¯s notoriety, and he was impressed by his hacking talents. That was because no one in Dragon Soar Cosmic Nation was up to his skill level. ¡°If he were to side with us, he would be a great addition to Dragon Soar Cosmic Nation.¡±

    Sharp had arrived outside the mall, so he hung up the call. He stepped into the first-floor lobby of the mall.

    Bart, who was sitting on a swivel chair, turned it around and looked straight at Sharp. Slowly, he puffed out a cloud of smoke and said, ¡°You¡¯re finally here.¡±

    Sharp nced at the thirty corpses on the ground and raised his head. ¡°Did you kill all of them?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Bart did not deny it and merely flicked the ashes of his cigarette. ¡°Your men came after me. You can¡¯t simply expect me not to fight back, can you?¡±

    ¡°Are you aware of the consequences of angering me?¡± Sharp stepped forward and violent energy began to flow out from his body as if he was a beast that had suddenly been woken up from his slumber. His aura immediately enveloped the surrounding area up to hundreds of meters.

    The cigarette in Bart¡¯s hand was instantly put out. Bart lowered his head to look at it before casually flicking the remaining half of the cigarette butt to the side. Bart then jumped off the swivel chair, he did not seem fazed by Sharp¡¯s aura. ¡°Perhaps I¡¯m about to find out?¡±

    Sharp held a saber in his right hand. He lifted the saber with its sheath attached. A violent force sted out as a soft sonic boom was created in the air; it left a deep scratch on the floor and ceiling.

    The force was aimed at Bart with great precision.

    Bart reached over to grab the chain around his waist, and the chain¡¯s color instantly turned dark before it started to slither like a spiritual snake. Immediately after that, it wrapped itself around Sharp¡¯s attack. However, this time, it did not shatter the force of the attack. Instead, it began to devour it, and the force slowly became smaller at a speed that was visible to the naked eye.

    By the time the force reached Bart¡¯s face, it hadpletely vanished.

    Sharp was slightly surprised but nothing more. That was because he had only used half of his strength in that strike. ¡°I really want to see how much force you can devour!¡±

    Upon finishing his sentence, Sharp sent multiple shes flying. He had made a total of nine consecutive strikes.

    Seeing that a force more than double the first attack he took on was going to strike him from different angles, Bart¡¯s casual demeanor disappeared. He shook his chain.

    The ck chain transformed into nine spiritual snakes and once again wrapped around each of the attacks. Then, the snakes began to devour them. However, the speed at which each of them devoured the attacks was significantly slower this time. By the time the attacks had arrived in front of Bart, they still had half their strength left. As a result, Bart was forced to dodge them awkwardly.

    ¡°If that¡¯s all you got, you better hand over that demigod item and follow me to federal prison. Sharp felt that he had pretty much tested out the bottom line of Bart¡¯s power. Bart was not as strong as he thought. ¡°Even with that demigod item, you¡¯re just a Rank-7 Gene-Body. Don¡¯t make any vain attempts.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡± Bart seemed dispirited, but the corner of his lips was slightly curled up. ¡°Do you really think that¡¯s all a demigod item can do?¡±

    Only then did Sharp feel something unusual underneath his feet. Unaware of when it happened, his feet had been forced to take on a weird posture by ck silk threads. Looking closely, those silk threads were extremely small chains. Sharp then realized something bad was about to happen.

    Even Gu Ding who had been watching their fight was a little surprised. ¡°Is he really capable of killing Sharp?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s an ancient civilization¡¯s primary power seal formation.¡± Neptune recognized the technique immediately. ¡°However, the formation is iplete. I don¡¯t know how long it¡¯ll be able to seal Sharp for. Bart must have set up the formation in secret before the first attack even took ce.¡±

    ¡°He was targeting a federal general from the very start!¡± Gu Ding finally understood Bart¡¯s ambitions.

    If Bart were to kill a Federal Government general, his would immediately surge to billions of Universe Credits. It would result in an increase in his bounty by at least a few hundred-folds. One could say that Bart was willing to go through great pains to increase his bounty.

    Sharp found himself seemingly stuck in a quagmire. As the silk threads slowly made their way up his body, his body became harder and harder to control. Additionally, Sharp found that his primary power was being blocked by strange energy, and he could not use it like normal.

    A ck cocoon slowly began to form around Sharp¡¯s body. The cocoon started to thicken, and Sharp¡¯s struggle began to weaken.

    Walter¡¯s hands trembled slightly at the sight of this. He had not fathomed Bart¡¯s strength to be of such level. His ns had been disrupted due to Bart¡¯s emergence.

    If Sharp were to die, he would be left with Emily and her Rank-10bat effectiveness. Nevertheless, whether it was Biggie from Gu Ding¡¯s crew or Bart in the current situation, both of them hadbat effectivenessparable to a Rank-10. If Sharp died, the Interster Pirates would certainly feel motivated while the Army would definitely feel demotivated. Then, if the Interster Pirates joined forces, even with Emily¡¯s strength, there was a possibility that she would end up being annihted. Not to mention, if they failed their mission, whether they would be pardoned and not executed was a problem.

    As a Federal Army Soldier, Walter was not afraid of death, but he was afraid of being condemned for posterity. He had nned the capture. If the mission ended up failing miserably-even if he died-he would be burdened with all sorts of infamy. The entire Dragon Soar Cosmic Nation would also be proven by Gu Ding and Bart-both of which were neers who had only debuted less than a year ago. Taking the consequences of the mission¡¯s failure into ount, the Federal Government might even demote Dragon Soar Cosmic Nation to a 1-star Cosmic Nation. That was what Walter was most afraid of.

    Na

    Walter felt lost at that moment. Nevertheless, after hesitating for a while, he did not send Emily to back Sharp up. Walter was worried that Bart had backup, and he could not afford to lose two generals in one go. Hence, all he could do was clench both his hands and pray silently. ¡°Senior Sharp, please be alright...¡±

    At this time, Sharp was in a great crisis. Not only was his body and movements being restrained, but his primary power was also slowly being sealed. Sharp hystericallymanded the primary power in his body to move around-attempting to move his body, but he only felt the pressure get heavier and heavier.

    The color of the ck cocoon started to lighten. Gu Ding and his crew looked at it carefully. The tiny chains could be seen plunging themselves in Sharp¡¯s skin as if they were tattoos. Then, after a while, they sunk into his skinpletely. All they left behind was another strange pattern on Sharp¡¯s skin.

    Sharp copsed to the floor, unconscious-even the grip in his right hand that was holding his saber had been let go.

    Bart slowly walked over and stepped on Sharp¡¯s head with his feet. After seeing that there was no response from him, Bart bent down and picked up Sharp¡¯s saber.

    ¡°This is such a good saber. I could probably sell it for a good price,¡± Bart said and looked in the direction of a surveince camera. ¡°Gu Ding, if your crew¡¯s Biggie wants this saber, I¡¯m willing to sell it to you at a cheaper price. Contact me once we leave Great Divinity, we¡¯ll find a safer ce to carry out the transaction.¡±

    Afterward, Bart slowly unsheathed the Saber and aimed the tip of it at Sharp¡¯s heart. Then, he raised his head and grinned at the surveince camera. ¡°Look properly, Army general Sharp has died in my hands!¡±

    Upon finishing his sentence, Bart pushed the tip of the saber down with both his hands and thrust it into Sharp¡¯s heart...

 Chapter 140 - Resurrection

    <strong>Chapter 140 Resurrection</strong>

    Sharp¡¯s body was nailed to the ground by his own saber, and the saber pierced his heart straight through his left chest.

    It was obviously not Bart¡¯s first time doing such a thing because by the feeling he felt with his hands, he knew that Saber¡¯s heart had been pierced for sure.

    Even Rank-10¡¯s with advanced regenerative abilities would not be able to survive under such circumstances.

    Bart pulled the saber out and blood flowed out from the wound on Sharp¡¯s chest. After returning the saber to its sheath, Bart ced the saber in his Inventory and then turned around before he strode off.

    Bart exited the mall entrance, and with a few leaps, he disappeared.

    At the port, Walter was stunned. He had watched everything unfold in front of his eyes.

    Sharp was dead. It meant that Biggie and Bart, who had killed Sharp, no longer had anyone that could rival their strength. The mission had ended in apletete fiasco.

    Walter stared at the video that was still live. He waited for a few minutes or so, hoping that a miracle would happen. Nevertheless, nothing happened and Walter lowered his head in defeat as he dialed Emily¡¯s contact number.

    Emily¡¯s voice was heard over themunicator. ¡°Walter, what¡¯s the matter?¡±

    ¡°Senior Sharp...¡± Walter was still staring aimlessly at the screen when he suddenly saw Sharp¡¯s body move a little. He stopped halfway-words stuck in his throat-his eyes became glued to the screen.

    ¡°Hey, what¡¯s wrong with Sharp?

    ¡°Hey, say something...

    ¡°That¡¯s weird. There¡¯s nothing wrong with the signal. Why is there suddenly no sound?¡±

    Emily¡¯s voice kepting over themunicator. Nevertheless, Emily hung up the call after a while as she did not receive a reply.

    Sharp who was on the screen seemed to be motionless. Walter wondered if what he had seen earlier was his eyes ying tricks on him. Right then, Emily walked over. ¡°What were you talking about...¡±

    While Emily was talking, her eyes so happened to nce over the video projection that was in front of Walter. From the projection, she could see Sharp lying motionless on the floor with blood all over his chest. She covered her mouth incredulously. After a while, she asked, ¡°Sharp is dead?¡±

    ¡°I think I saw him move just now...¡± Walter said with a little hesitation.

    ¡°Sharp never awakened such an ability. He¡¯s dead. He won¡¯te back to life!¡± Emily¡¯s face was stone cold. She and Sharp had known each other for nearly ten years. Although not on familiar terms, they had worked together for ten years. Hence, Emily found it difficult to ept Sharp¡¯s sudden death. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you notify me when Sharp was at a disadvantage? I may not have reached in time but there had to be at least a chance for him to be rescued. Do you know how much the Federal Government will suffer because of the loss of a general?¡±

    ¡°Bart set a trap in that building, I was worried that you¡¯d go in and...¡± Emily interrupted Walter before he could finish.

    ¡°Do you really think that Rank-7 Gene Body called Bart would¡¯ve been able to handle two Army generals at the same time?¡± Emily retorted. ¡°Or was it within your thoughts that I would surely die as well?¡±

    After a bit of scolding, Emily was about to say something when she saw Sharp slowly get up in the video. She instantly froze.

    Walter, who had his back turned to the projection, turned his head after seeing her expression. Then, he alongside Emily saw Sharp trying to slowly prop himself up in the video. As for the wound Sharp had in his chest, it began to heal quickly at a speed visible to the naked eye.

    In the mall, Sharp slowly got up and looked around in a daze. The only thing he could remember was him being hit by Bart¡¯s weird move and his body suddenly bing heavy. At the end of it all, he could not move and the world was inplete darkness for him.

    That was when a de suddenly thrust itself into thatpletely dark world, and a subtle ray of light was seen. Sharp had tried his best to push through a gap made by the crack before he barely managed to escape from the darkness.

    The moment he woke up, he felt that his chest was heavy. Then, he was hit with an unfathomable throbbing paining from his heart. However, the feeling unexpectedly got him to develop a new understanding of swordsmanship.

    He screened his body with his intelligent smartwatch.

    Name: Sharp

    Gender: Male

    Age: 43

    upation: Federation Army Soldier

    Rank: General

    Gene Level: Rank-11

    Special Ability: Knife Heart

    Ability Description: Able to instantly understand everything about a sword, including its battle techniques and sentiments regarding each swordmaster from the past, even each and every battle scene concerning it.

    Other Abilities: Ten Stars Swordsman

    Highest Capture Reward: 130 Million Universe Credits

    Upon looking at his body¡¯stest stats, Sharp was a little stunned. He had somehow leveled up to a Rank-11 Gene Body and learned a special ability that every swordsman dreamed of having-Knife Heart. Even his own understanding of swordsmanship had managed to hit level Ten Stars Swordsman. It could be said that his strength had improved greatly.

    Sharp looked around for a while and could not find his saber-he guessed that Bart had probably taken it away. Nevertheless, he was calm. Even without his saber, hisbat effectiveness was no longer the same as before. Besides, he was not in a hurry to seek revenge on Bart. At the time at hand, consolidating his strength was far more important. A series of sentiments on swordsmanship suddenly shed through his mind, making him eager to start training.

    After making sure that Sharp was alright from the video, Emily dialed Sharp¡¯s contact number.

    Sharp nced down at his wristwatch. He and Emily had known each other for many years, yet Emily had never dialed his number before. He presumed that it was something important and immediately answered the call. ¡°Emily, what¡¯s the matter?¡±

    ¡°Looks like you¡¯re alright. Come back quickly and let the army doctor check you out.¡± Emily felt relieved after hearing that Sharp¡¯s voice was normal.

    ¡°Is there anything else? I¡¯ll be back soon!¡± Sharp nced down at his bloodied clothes. Then, he shook his head and quickly left the mall.

    Gu Ding and his crew had witnessed Sharp¡¯s resurrection.

    ¡°How did he suddenlye back to life?¡± Liliath was a little confused. ¡°Bart pierced his heart for sure. He doesn¡¯t have any regenerative abilities, not to mention abilities to resurrect.¡±

    ¡°I only noticed his gene level advance. As for the rest, I¡¯m not too sure. Nevertheless, generally speaking, that itself should not have been adequate to bring him back to life.¡± Neptune was also a little puzzled. ¡°The only exnation is that his promotion this time gave him some ability simr to resurrection, or the demigod item has a few special effects and it gave him the ability to regenerate. No matter what, the guy hase back to life. Not only has hee back to life, he¡¯s even stronger than before. It isn¡¯t good news for us.¡±

    Sharp, who had returned to the port, did not feel depressed for being defeated. After a few examinations by the army doctor, results showed that all his body functions were normal. What surprised Emily and Walter more was that there were no scars on his chest.

    ¡°How do you feel?¡± Emily looked at Sharp skeptically. Sharp used to have a bad temper, even a little cranky. He was usually not this calm whenever he lost a fight. Nevertheless, Emily could tell with her eyes that Sharp was not faking his calmness, it was genuine.

    ¡°Better than ever.¡± Sharp looked at both his hands and gave a weird answer.

    ¡°What the hell happened?¡± Emily felt that things were a little strange. ¡°We clearly saw that you were dead...¡±

    ¡°I was dead?¡± Sharp was a little confused when he heard her. ¡°I only remember that my body began to feel heavy and I slowly sank into darkness.¡±

    ¡°Walter, bring up the video of the fight and let him see it for himself,¡± Emily yelled at Walter who was not too far away.

    Walter immediately projected the video. The length of the video was less than twenty minutes, but its image was clear.

    Sharp¡¯s eyebrows furrowed slightly when he saw himself wrapped in a ck cocoon that slowly prated his body. Then, he saw the next scene-that guy Bart took his saber and thrust it into his heart.

    The video yback fell silent after Bart left. Then, after nearly twenty minutes, Sharp saw himself get up slowly as the wound in his chest began to heal. He himself could not believe it.

    Sharp shook his head, somewhat puzzled. ¡°I have no recollection of what happened after I was sealed by his formation. I just remembered that I was surrounded by darkness. Then, I saw a knife pierce through it as it tore the dark environment apart. With that gap, I used my strength and managed to escape. Afterward, I saw an open wound on my chest, but the wound quickly began to heal at a weird speed without leaving a trace.

    ¡°Also, there¡¯s good news. I leveled up to a Rank-11 Gene Body,¡± Sharp said before he announced the good news that cheered Walter and Emily up. ¡°Moreover, my understanding of swordsmanship has also hit the next level. Although Bart has taken my saber, my strength has improved greatly. I n to sustain my strength thorough the next few days. Both of you will have to take over the mission.¡±

    ¡°But...¡±

    Walter seemed as if he wanted to say something, but Emily interrupted him and said, ¡°Got it, I¡¯ll give you up to three days. Take this time to consolidate it. We won¡¯t contact you unless something urgent happens. Even if Biggie or Bart reappears, I¡¯ll take care of them.¡±

    Sharp only smiled faintly. ¡°Be careful if you meet Bart. That guy is very good at maniption. I underestimated him and failed terribly. However, he won¡¯t be so lucky the next time I meet him. As for Biggie-if there¡¯s any news, let me know right away. Validating my sword technique with him will probably be better than practicing vigorously behind closed doors.¡±

    ¡°Alright, for the sake of your resurrection, I¡¯ll leave Biggie to you.¡± Emily agreed even though she was a little reluctant.

    ¡°Other than Gu Ding¡¯s crew, the others hid really well-basically choosing ces without any surveince. Tomorrow morning, we n to start searching those areas with little to no surveince, it could prove to be fruitful.¡±

 Chapter 141 - Sharp Is Not Dead

    <strong>Chapter 141 Sharp Is Not Dead</strong>

    ¡°Sharp is not dead!¡± Gu Ding typed out the message but did not send it to Bart.

    Gu Ding was not on familiar terms with Bart. He had been giving Bart reminders just to take revenge on the Army. Nevertheless, judging from the video¡¯s content earlier, Bart did not seem like the same type of person as him. Like how it was always said, those with different beliefs should not work together. Gu Ding did not feel the need to be friends with someone like him.

    There seemed to be only one crazy idea in Bart¡¯s mind and that was increasing his bounty. Bart would do whatever it took to achieve that purpose. Although Gu Ding also hoped that his bounty would keep on increasing, unlike Bart, he would not take the initiative to stir up trouble.

    Bart¡¯s actions in the mall earlier were extremely provocative. Bart might have managed to manipte a strong Army general. However, if he had not chosen to pierce his heart and instead beheaded him, his n might have seeded.

    Therge increase in their bounties might have resulted in them attracting many powerhouses to join their crew, significantly increasing their overall strength. Nevertheless, man proposes, but God disposes. Bart¡¯s n had failed. Sharp did not die-it meant that his n to assassinate an Army general had failed.

    However, Bart was unaware of this. He had left the mall right after thrusting the saber through Sharp¡¯s heart. In his opinion, there was no way Sharp would have been able to survive anyway.

    Their hiding ce was a slum. The toilets were all open-air and right on the streets. Forget about surveince, even though there was supposed to be at least one tavern in each block, there was none there.

    Their amodation was a pretty decent guesthouse which month¡¯s rental was only one Star Credit. Truth be told, Bart was stunned when he heard the price.

    Hence, he generously threw a bunch of Star Credits at thendlord. ¡°Don¡¯t tell anyone that we¡¯re staying here, including your friends and family. You can¡¯t tell anyone, especially the Federal Government. If you can keep it a secret, we¡¯ll pay you a generous reward before we leave.¡±

    Seeing that Bart had returned, his crew members who had been holding back for half the night gathered around him. ¡°Boss, how did the n go? Did you meet an Army general? Did you guys fight?¡±

    Bart took Sharp¡¯s saber out from his Inventory. ¡°Any idea to whom this saber belongs to?¡±

    ¡°Could that be Sharp¡¯s saber?¡± a young man with a somewhat keen eye stared said hesitantly after staring at the saber for a long time. ¡°I saw it in a video and it seems like the saber Sharp uses.¡±

    ¡°Seems? This is the saber Sharp once used!¡± Bart raised the saber with pride. A dreadful ray of light shone from the saber, and one could see that it was not an ordinary item.

    Everybody believed it to a certain extent.

    ¡°It looks like some of you still don¡¯t believe me. However, this time, I did not forget to record everything that happened with my intelligent smartwatch,¡± Bart said as he projected the video he had recorded.

    The length of the video was more than twenty minutes. It was a little overwhelming because it had been shot from Bart¡¯s angle. Everybody could see from Bart¡¯s point of view that Sharp was indeed terrifying.

    Nevertheless, when they saw Bart finally thrust the saber into Sharp¡¯s chest, a moment of silence ensued before the room went bananas-many shouted in excitement. They had no idea that the boss they followed was so strong-he managed to kill an Army general on his own. Such a feat was unprecedented in Dragon Soar Cosmic Nation-no other neer could have done such a thing.

    ¡°It seems like Sharp didn¡¯t pull his saber out from the start...¡± a weak voice rang from among the crowd.

    Everyone who heard this fell silent.

    ¡°It just means that our boss is so strong that Sharp didn¡¯t even have a chance to pull his saber out before he died,¡± someone said unconvincingly.

    Nevertheless, the crowd roared in excitement once again.

    Bart himself knew that he had been really lucky this time. If Sharp had taken the battle seriously from the beginning and pulled out his sword to attack with full force, he would not have had stood a chance. Sharp¡¯s attacks were already terrifying even when he had his sheath on. One could only imagine how terrifying it would be if Sharp unsheathed his saber. Sharp had been defeatedpletely by his own carelessness.

    Nevertheless, Bart was very satisfied with his performance. He believed that the video would get out soon, and his worth would soon skyrocket.

    On the other hand, Gu Ding¡¯s crew was discussing about ways to handle the Army.

    ¡°Based on the current situation, the Army shouldn¡¯t be able to find us anytime soon. However, once a majority of the others are caught, they will focus on hunting us down. The moment they see that there are fewer people, they will immediately issue wanted posters. A lot of people who have seen us might provide them with clues, and they won¡¯t be too far from arresting us.¡± Neptune was very clear about the Army¡¯s manhunt procedure. When a lot of people still remained, it was unlikely they would issue wanted orders because they would not work well. It was improbable that ordinary citizens had seen all of them, and many citizens would have forgotten that they had seen them before. However, once there were fewer people left, the wanted posters could be put to good use-just one nce and one would have an impression of it.

    ¡°What you mean is no matter how we hide, they¡¯ll find us sooner orter. It¡¯s inevitable that we fight.¡± Gu Ding had some theoretical knowledge about hunting wanted criminals from the military academy. He somewhat understood Neptune¡¯s deduction.

    ¡°That¡¯s right. However, seeing Sharp¡¯s situation, the Army should not make any big movements soon.¡± Neptune then continued, ¡°If they do make any big movements, they¡¯ll be forced to operate with only two of their topbatants.¡±

    ¡°Therefore, they will do things step by step and hunt us slowly to diminish our patience.¡± Gu Ding nodded.

    ¡°Indeed. It may prove to be time-consuming and a waste of money for the Army, but Interster Pirates are often reluctant to be trapped in a single ce for a long time. They¡¯ve caught on to our mentality. Besides, with the opening of the new route, everyone is eager to enter the Cosmic Sea-no one wants to be left behind.¡± Liliath could also understand what the Army had in mind. ¡°The main thing right now is that they have our spaceships under control. The port¡¯s skydome is also closed. All civilian andmercial ships are prohibited from entering and leaving. The only way to leave this is to kill the Army¡¯s men. It is only a matter of time until a battle breaks out.¡±

    ¡°The Army¡¯s operation tonight can¡¯t be considered an actual failure. They managed to recapture forty-eight bounty criminals.¡± Neptune had managed to obtain thetest data. ¡°Only less than 10% of them managed to escape. Walter is still cross-checking their appearances, but from the looks of it, those people did not manage to get very far. Everyone else was more cautious.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯ll start searching the areas with little to no surveince tomorrow morning. A small-scale battle will probably ur.¡± Gu Ding spected that besides themselves, arge majority of the rest would probably adopt the same method to avoid being tracked down.

    ¡°There are a few crews with people who have camouge abilities. They should be able to get away with it,¡± Liliath added.

    ¡°If you need to camouge yourselves, I can make camouge masks to make you look like apletely different person.¡± No one doubted Robert¡¯s craftsmanship.

    However, Liliath looked at Biggie who was beside her. ¡°With Biggie¡¯s physique, he will still attract other people¡¯s attention even if he were to change his face.¡±

    ¡°Physique isn¡¯t really a big problem. I can refine body shaping medicine to contract muscles and bones. However, it might cause great pain to the user after the medicine is injected. I don¡¯t think we need to escape being tracked down. After all, the Army will keep on standing guard if we continue to be absent. You probably heard it earlier too. Biggie is Sharp¡¯s biggest target in this mission. He won¡¯t leave so easily without seeing Biggie.¡± Gu Ding was well aware of the obsession such martial arts powerhouses had. The most important thing was that the longer they went into hiding, theter they would enter the Cosmic Sea. Hence, Gu Ding would rather take a simple and direct battle. The worst oue that coulde of it would be nothing but him being put in Federation Prison. With Neptune around, escaping Federation Prison would not be too hard. Not to mention, he had done something simr once.

    While everybody was still discussing amongst themselves, Gu Ding¡¯smunicator rang. He looked at the number and saw that it was Bart¡¯s. He did not quite understand why Bart would contact him.

    After answering the call, Bart¡¯s voice was heard from the other side. ¡°Gu Ding, you must be looking for a way to escape this too, right?¡±

    ¡°Any bright ideas?¡± Gu Ding had not expected Bart to think about something else other than ways to increase his own bounty.

    ¡°Here¡¯s what I think, we willunch a strike on the port alongside Mi En and An Luo. We¡¯ll each get our spaceships back and escape. However, it won¡¯t work without your cooperation. That¡¯s because only you can activate the port¡¯s skydome, and only you can destroy the port¡¯s armor-piercing cannon system. Without your help, the mission is only empty talk. That¡¯s why I had the cheek to dial your number that appears as non-existent.¡± Bart¡¯s idea was alright but in Gu Ding¡¯s opinion, it would not work. ¡°I thought about it. After the mission, I¡¯ll give you Sharp¡¯s saber for free. I don¡¯t think Mi En and An Luo would mind paying you some remuneration as well. If you agree, I¡¯ll go and talk to them.¡±

    ¡°The main problem is neither the port¡¯s Sky Shield nor the armor-piercing cannon. The biggest problem is the three Baby Dragon interceptors hovering outside this.¡± The other crews were obviously unaware of the Baby Dragons, but Gu Ding did not n on hiding anything. ¡°It¡¯s because of the two incidents on Fengyuan and Consc that the Army is wary of me.¡±

    ¡°It can¡¯t be! Are you sure there are three Baby Dragons?¡± Bart¡¯s voice was clearly not as confident as before after hearing the information Gu Ding had.

    ¡°I¡¯m very sure. Three humongous boys. If you want to see them, I can send you the video I shotter.¡± Gu Ding smiled wryly.

    Bart fell silent for a moment. ¡°If that won¡¯t work, why don¡¯t we just join forces and get rid of those Army people. Sharp¡¯s dead anyway. The Army is left with only one Rank-10 Gene Body. Biggie only has to pin down the woman. Once we kill off the other people from the Army, the port will be ours.¡±

    ¡°Your idea is pretty good. However, Sharp did not die. Not only did he not die, but he was also promoted to a Rank-11 Gene Body because of the fight he had with you.¡± Gu Ding could not help but tell Bart the bad news.

 Chapter 142 - The Armyâ€™s Raid

    <strong>Chapter 142 The Army¡¯s Raid</strong>

    Bart started to feel anxious when Gu Ding told him that Sharp was not dead. Nevertheless, he had a feeling that Gu Ding was only trying to scare him. ¡°Hey, could you not make a joke out of this? You saw it for yourself. I thrust that sword through his heart, and he stopped breathing on the spot. How is it possible that he survived when he doesn¡¯t have any special abilities?¡±

    Gu Ding said nothing and only sent Bart the full of video of what had transpired as well as a video of all three Baby Dragon ships. ¡°Take a look at the video yourself. That man stood up from the ground about twenty minutes after you left. I¡¯ve also shared the video on the Baby Dragons with you too.¡±

    Liliath moved closer to Gu Ding after thetter had ended the call. ¡°Are you sure we¡¯re not going to ally ourselves with them?¡±

    Gu Ding shook his head. ¡°There¡¯s no way their n would work. We would be sending ourselves to our deaths if we entered into an alliance with them. Don¡¯t worry about it. If they end up getting into a fight, they¡¯ll definitelye to us because they need the help of Biggie to deter the Rank 10 Gene Body powerhouse. Besides, they would need Neptune¡¯s help if they wish to leave this with their spaceship. Bart can afford to sacrifice any other crew except ours. He won¡¯t give us up. If we can¡¯t escape, no one else can. Now that they have all the information, we just need to wait for their reply and find out if they have any other ns that might work.¡±

    There was a grim look on Bart¡¯s face when he hung up themunicator. One of his crew members asked with trepidation, ¡°Boss, did that Gu Ding reject to work with us?¡±

    ¡°He didn¡¯t reject working with us, but he did share two pieces of very bad news with me,¡± Bart said as he projected the first video Gu Ding had shared with him. It was the video of him fighting Sharp in the shopping mall. He scrubbed through the video until it was twenty minutes after he had left. Finally, he saw Sharp slowly getting up from the ground. He also saw the wound on Sharp¡¯s chest begin to heal at an astonishing rate.

    ¡°How is this possible? Did the ability to resurrect awaken within him?¡± Bart found the scene in front of him truly out of the world. The very person he had killed with his own hands had returned to life once again.

    A few of his crew members came forward to view the projection of the video.

    ¡°Boss... Sharp isn¡¯t dead?¡± someone asked hesitantly.

    Bart closed his eyes and took a long, deep breath as he tried his best to calm down. The scene was a huge blow to him. He had given so much thought to his n, only to be rewarded with such results. He had blown his opportunity, and there was no second chance for him. Sharp would not make the same mistake, and he had leveled up to a Rank 11 Gene Body. Sharp was much more powerful than before. Bart could picture Sharp conducting a mad search for his location to exact revenge on him and retrieve his sword.

    ¡°Yes, that was the first piece of bad news Gu Ding told me,¡± a helpless tone could be heard within Bart¡¯s voice.

    ¡°What... What¡¯s the second piece of bad

    news?¡±

    Bart opened the second video Gu Ding had shared with him. There were three spaceships in the video that were much bigger than the Golden Eagle. They were Baby Dragons waiting in formation outside Great Divine.

    ¡°Are those three ships Baby Dragons? Why is that considered bad news? Do they have anything to do with us?¡± There was someone among them who did not notice what it was under those spaceships.

    ¡°Those three Baby Dragons are interceptors that are anchored right outside Great Divine. Even if Gu Ding were to help us activate the Sky Shield at the harbor and destroy the harbor¡¯s armor-piercing cannon, we would still end up being attacked by those three Baby Dragons the moment we exit of the¡¯s ozoneyer,¡± Bart¡¯s joy from killing Sharp had disappearedpletely. He even felt a little depressed. He had worked so hard only to have all his effort go to waste. Not to mention, he was now trapped on a where he had no idea how to make an escape. The situation stifled him.

    Much unlike Bart who was depressed about the situation, Gu Ding and the others were rather calm in the motel they were staying at.

    After the day¡¯s excitement, Gu Ding was exhausted even though he had only yed to role of a spectator.

    Liliath had long fallen asleep in her room.

    Biggie did not look tired, but he had retired to his room as well.

    Even Robert, who had never slept before, was in sleep mode.

    Gu Ding pulled the covers over himself after saying good night. He turned in his bed and once again looked at the starry sky outside the window...

    Early the next morning, Gu Ding was wakened by Neptune.

    Gu Ding stretched and asked with his eyes barely open, ¡°What¡¯s going on? It¡¯s still early.¡±

    ¡°The Army has started taking action! They¡¯re raiding every area in the city without surveince cameras,¡± Neptune projected a video as he spoke.

    The Army had split themselves into smaller teams. Each district was assigned two teams as they knocked on every household, one by one, conducting their investigation.

    Gu Ding raised his head every once in a while to watch what was happening in the video while he brushed his teeth. A little over ten minutes passed and Gu Ding had already witnessed a few arrests. Even though they were unfamiliar faces, it was obvious that they were Interster Pirates.

    There was no restaurant in the little motel Gu Ding and the others were staying at. Hence, Biggie still prepared their meals each day. The only difference was that they did not gather at the kitchen but at Biggie¡¯s room.

    Biggie had only started preparing breakfast when Gu Ding knocked on the door to his room.

    ¡°Why are you so early today?¡± When they were still on the spaceship, Liliath was always the earliest. Gu Ding would normally appear only when breakfast was almost ready.

    ¡°Neptune woke me up.¡± Gu Ding was still observing the chaos in the video.

    ¡°What are you watching?¡± Biggie nced at the video and did not quite understand what was happening

    ¡°Those Army guys are raiding districts that aren¡¯t covered by surveince cameras,¡± Gu Ding¡¯s eyes did not leave the screen.

    Gu Ding suddenly saw a familiar figure appear on the screen-it was An Luo. His distinct feature, his white hair, was quite obvious even amongst the crowd of people. He was wearing a ck hat on his head.

    An Luo was walking in a very strange way. Each step he took looked small, but they were each able to bring him a great distance. Each step he took did not leave any obvious signs. That alone showed that whatever he was doing was simr to Silent Step.

    Nevertheless, An Luo was quickly discovered, and a small Army team led by a major general gave chase.

    An Luo ran a few steps forward before he suddenly disappeared at a corner. Gu Ding was able to notice what he had done. An Luo had snuck to the back of the Army¡¯s team.

    Discreetly, a knife appeared in An Luo¡¯s right hand as he took light steps and appeared behind one of the soldiers. Then, covering the soldier¡¯s mouth, he took the knife and sliced it across the throbbing veins on the man¡¯s neck. An Luo¡¯s movements were fluid and swift. It was obvious that it was not the first time he had done something like that.

    Shortly after, having silently ced the dead body down, An Luo appeared behind another soldier and sliced open the person¡¯s neck.

    It was not until the death of a third soldier that the remaining soldiers in the team noticed that they were being attacked.

    An Luo did not panic at all when he was discovered. Instead, he moved in a sh and appeared in front of one of them. Then, he thrust his knife into one of the soldier¡¯s heart before vanishing once again.

    ¡°This must be what is known as the art of assassination.¡± Gu Ding held his chin in his hand as he watched the video.

    In the video, An Luo could be seen conducting a one-sided massacre. One person copsed within every five seconds that passed. It was not long before the major general was the only one left standing in the team of ten.

    Gu Ding thought the fight was about to get interesting. An Luo might have been a Rank 7 Gene Body, but there was something formidable about his art of assassination. His opponent was a Rank 9 Gene Body from the Army. Even though he was not as agile An Luo was, he was much stronger physically than An Luo and would not go down so easily.

    An Luo yed a few tricks with the dagger in his right hand as he stood in front of the major general. ¡°It¡¯s just the both of us now, and you don¡¯t look like a weakling. So... I¡¯ll take my leave!¡±

    An Luo disappeared without a trace the moment he finished speaking.

    The major general was left clueless about what had just happened. He had expected the situation to turn into a fight to the death with the enemy, but his enemy vanished without a trace.

    Gu Ding was stunned as well, but heter burst outughing. ¡°That fellow actually escaped. I actually thought he would put up a serious fight.¡±

    At this point, Neptune voiced out his opinion, ¡°Only someone stupid would go head to head with a major general. His choice was a very wise one. Nearly every street in that district has people from the Army. If he were to get tangled in a sticky situation, it¡¯s without a doubt that the other teams would¡¯ve provided backup. It would be impossible for him to make his escape at that time.¡±

    Gu Ding saw another familiar face after that, but it was in another area of the district that had no surveince. This time, it was Bart.

    Bart was acting differentlypared to the others who were attempting to escape. He had chosen to take a more aggressive and direct attitude. He had the necks of every member of the Army within his sights strangled and broken by his ck chain.

    If Gu Ding was able to see everything Bart did, so was the Army.

    Walter narrowed his eyes as he watched the arrogant Bart. Walter quickly gave the order for teams around the area to evacuate. Nevertheless, it did not mean that Walter had chosen to back down. Instead, he had intentions of using a different battle tactic.

    ¡°All teams evacuate to the outskirt of the district now and release three mechs instead,¡± Walter gave the order.

    Bart was pleased with the quick evacuation of people from the Army. It meant that they feared him.

    However, he raised an eyebrow when he next saw three mechs appear in front of him. Mech or not mech, it made no difference to him. He could manifest his Spirit Chain anywhere. If his opponents were willing to serve themselves up on a te, there was no reason for him to reject them.

    He grabbed hold of the chain around his waist and whipped it out with force. In an instant, the ck chain stretched out and wrapped itself around the mechs. However, Bart was then taken aback. That was because his ck chain that should have been able to override the mechs¡¯ defenses under normal circumstances seemed to be blocked by something outside the mechs.

    This time, he was not able to use his chain on the mechs.

    Neptune exined what was going on when he saw this, ¡°Those three mechs probably went through alteration and were given additional spirit maic fields that are capable of causing enough disturbance to iste spiritual attacks. It looks like that arrogant fellow is about to get into big trouble.¡±

 Chapter 143 - Gu Dingâ€™s Plan For A Night Raid

    <strong>Chapter 143 Gu Ding¡¯s n For A Night Raid</strong>

    In face of the three mechs, Bart had acted arrogantly. Nevertheless, after three minutes, the mechs were the ones who had beaten him to the ground.

    It was not because his chain, which was of demigod grade, was too weak. Instead, it was because his spirit was not strong enough. That caused the effects of the demigod item to diminish greatly. Hence, he was unable to break through the spirit maic fields on the outeryer of the mechs and harm the pilots.

    Gu Ding shook his head helplessly as he watched Bart¡¯s demigod item get snatched off from his waist in the video. A star core cor was also put around his neck and taken away. Gu Ding had thought Bart would not get captured so easily, but the truth had proven him to be wrong.

    Liliath had pushed open the door and witnessed the scene of Bart being captured. Even she was shocked over it. ¡°What happened? Who caught Bart?¡±

    Gu Ding rewound the video back to five or six minutes prior. After watching it, Liliath was slightly puzzled. She asked, ¡°Why was his chain attack ineffective?¡±

    ¡°Those three mechs were altered to be equipped with additional spirit maic fields. Bart¡¯s spirit wasn¡¯t strong enough, so he could not break through the maic fields to attack those piloting the mechs,¡± Gu Ding repeated the exnation Neptune had given him.

    ¡°It proves that the way to victory is to train oneself to be stronger. Using borrowed power, he only managed to obtain momentary victory.¡± Liliath thought Bart¡¯s retribution hade quite early, considering she had just witnessed him emerge victorious over the powerful Sharp the day before. It was fairly fast considering he was arrested the following

    day.

    Gu Ding suddenly realized something. ¡°Neptune, none of Bart¡¯s crew have been arrested, have they?¡±

    ¡°None!¡± Neptune gave a quick answer.

    ¡°That¡¯s strange...¡± Gu Ding felt like something was amiss, but he could not understand why.

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing strange about it. He has always thought that he¡¯s invincible and capable of taking down everyone in the Army. Running out there solo and getting himself arrested is pretty much an expected oue.¡± Liliath did not think much about it.

    The fight continued as battles broke out in other areas shown in the video.

    Quite a number of powerful Interster Pirates ended up shing with people from the Army. Most of them were forcefully suppressed, but a small amount of them managed to escape from being captured by the Army.

    The fighting did not stop throughout the whole morning and only slowly died down around noon.

    Most of the Interster Pirates who were arrested were escorted to the harbor. Gu Ding¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly at this. ¡°Neptune, throughout the past two days, how many Interster Pirates have been arrested?¡±

    ¡°Three hundred and sixty-eight arrests have been since yesterday.¡±

    ¡°How many members of the Army are guarding the harbor right now?¡± Gu Ding continued with his questions.

    ¡°There are more than five hundred of them collecting intel out there. More than two hundred died in the line of duty. If you include Emily and Sharp, there should be four thousand five hundred and eighty-seven people on guard now.¡± Neptune had calcted all the data urately.

    ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± Liliath vaguely felt like a scheme was about toe from Gu

    Ding.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you think that we¡¯re acting a little too passively?¡± Gu Ding asked with a smile.

    ¡°Well, we don¡¯t really have a choice. There are so many of them from the Army. They even have two generals at hand...¡± Liliath suddenly realized something.

    ¡°You aren¡¯t thinking about making the first strike, are you?¡±

    ¡°We will have to go into battle, anyway. We might as well conduct a sneak attack and catch them off guard.¡± Gu Ding was thinking about making a bold move.

    ¡°We should forget about it. It¡¯s just the few of us,¡± Liliath said without holding back.

    A big smile appeared on Gu Ding¡¯s face. ¡°Who says there¡¯s only a few of us? Neptune, get themunication number of all those who haven¡¯t been arrested and send a message to them. Tell them that it¡¯s from me, Gu Ding. I will release everyone who was arrested today, at midnight, and I hope that we can work together, inside and out. Let¡¯s conduct a big scale night raid and take it out on the Army!¡±

    Neptune quickly searched for all the avable numbers and sent out Gu Ding¡¯s message to them.

    In less than a minute, Gu Ding¡¯smunicator rang. The iing call to Gu Ding¡¯smunicator was from Mi En the Magician.

    ¡°Gu Ding, is that really you?¡±

    ¡°Mi En, is there a problem?¡±

    ¡°There isn¡¯t. I just wanted to confirm that you were the one who personally sent that message.¡± Mi En was obviously in agreement with Gu Ding¡¯s n, otherwise, she would not have called Gu Ding¡¯s number so quickly.

    Gu Ding nodded. ¡°Yup, it was me. We start at midnight. The more the merrier. Inform those whom you are in contact with as well.¡±

    ¡°Those people from the Army haven¡¯t stopped since yesterday night. It would serve them right to teach them a lesson,¡± there was dissatisfaction in Mi En¡¯s tone.

    ¡°I performed quick divination earlier, and the results of tonight¡¯s n look quite positive.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s great,¡± Gu Ding did not n to continue listening to something that had to do with divination. He had no interest in its results.

    Having hung up themunicator, Gu Ding saw on his screen that he had a few missed calls. At that moment, An Luo called him as well.

    ¡°Is this Gu Ding?¡± An Luo¡¯s voice could be heard from the other end of themunicator.

    ¡°Yes, I am. Is this An Luo?¡±

    ¡°Were you the one who sent out that message?¡± An Luo asked uncertainly.

    ¡°That¡¯s right. Midnight tonight. Are youing?¡± Gu Ding was aware that the reason these people were calling him one by one was because they were worried it was a trapid out by the Army.

    ¡°Of course! Those guys from the Army are too much. They actually sent out a team to arrest me,¡± An Luo said irritably.

    ¡°Was it what happened this morning? I saw it through the surveince camera,¡± Gu Ding could vaguely recall An Luo¡¯s escape from the major general.

    Gu Ding hung up after chatting with him for a moment. Soon, more and more calls came in. and Gu Ding exined his n to each and every one of them.

    It was proof that the Army¡¯s continuous raids for Interster Pirates throughout the past two days had angered arge majority of them. It took Gu Ding the whole afternoon to recruit more than two hundred Interster Pirates for the night raid.

    At the harbor, the arrested Interster Pirates had been locked up in the dungeon of the Golden Eagle.

    A few serious offenders such as Bart were fitted with star core cors. They had no control over their bodies aside from being able to turn their heads.

    As for the other prisoners, they were fitted with handcuffs and shackles which limited their movements.

    As for everyone¡¯s smartwatches, they were confiscated without exception. Nevertheless, there were two Interster Pirates who used intelligent rings; they went unrecognized by those in charge of confiscating the smartwatches and managed to retain them.

    The dungeon of the Golden Eagle was also within the surveince of Neptune. It made it easy for Gu Ding to locate the two intelligent rings and convey his message of the night raid to the captured Interster Pirates.

    When both those pirates received Gu Ding¡¯s message, they were ted. Gu Ding¡¯s message contained only two to three sentences, ¡°I am Gu Ding, and I have organized more than two hundred people to conduct a night raid at midnight on where the Army is gathered at the harbor. When the timees, I will remotely unlock the binds on everyone. I hope all of you can assist us from the inside to teach the Army a memorable lesson. Please keep this to yourselves first and wait until I have set everyone free before getting them in on the action.¡±

    Evening came and night eventually arrived. The Army members outside the Golden Eagle were having a huge celebration for their morning¡¯s catch. They had managed to arrest more than three hundred Interster Pirates in one sweep. They had broken the record set centuries ago in Dragon Soar Cosmic Nation.

    Walter was in an ecstatic mood as well as he had managed toplete a major task this time. Even though the mission had not yet ended, he believed they were off to a good start. It would not be long before they were met with positive results.

    ¡°Congrattions, you¡¯ve done it once again.¡± Emily walked over and raised her ss at Walter.

    ¡°This is the fruits of everyone¡¯s hard work!¡± Walter said humbly.

    They downed their drinks in one go and Emily said, ¡°I hope you didn¡¯t take it to heart when I lost my temper at you yesterday over what happened to Sharp.¡±

    ¡°What happened yesterday was my mistake.¡± Walter realizedter on that he had made a mistake the day before. The smartest thing he should have done was to inform Emily immediately and get her to the scene where Sharp and Bart were fighting as quickly as possible. That was because Bart had bypassed quite a few ranks to increase hisbat effectiveness to such a level, and he hadbat restrictions when it came to fighting. In most cases, his capacity was limited. If Sharp had note back to life the day before, Walter would have been considered guilty within the Army and would not be having such a casual time drinking. He felt fearful whenever he thought about what transpired the day before.

    As for the current day, the best news Walter had received was regarding Bart¡¯s arrest. Not to mention, the confiscation of Bart¡¯s demigod item. He took three drinks one after another because of this.

    The Army¡¯s banquet was under Gu Ding¡¯s surveince. Walter and the others were used to taking action under Gu Ding¡¯s watch. Hence, the banquet was being held in the open and at the harbor on purpose to taunt Gu Ding. It was the Army¡¯s way to boast and also protest.

    Walter was being bold with the banquet because he was certain Gu Ding would not dare appear. After all, Gu Ding had less than ten people in his crew, while there were more than four thousand Army members. If Gu Ding were to confront them, it would be like a moth throwing itself into a me, a suicide mission.

    The banquet went on from evening all the way until midnight when the night was at its darkest. Even the stars in the sky were dim.

    Gu Ding and the others had gathered at a tavern near the harbor. Watching people of the Army get drunk in the video, many of them felt d about it. The more drunk those people were, the fewer opponents they had. That was what they wanted the most.

    ¡°They¡¯re having their celebration way too early,¡± Liliath covered her mouth while she giggled.

    ¡°They must not be expecting us to take action, and they probably never expected us to gather so many people.¡± Gu Ding looked around at the two hundred and thirty over Interster Pirates gathered in the tavern. He raised an eyebrow. Even he himself had not expected such support.

    The pendulum of the old grandfather clock in the tavern moved left and right. Seconds and minutes passed and the hour and minute hand of the clock finally stacked above each other on the number ¡¯12¡¯.

    ¡°Dong, dong, dong...¡± The moment the clock chimed, Gu Ding typed something into his smartwatch. ¡°Neptune, release those who have been arrested!¡±

 Chapter 144 - Female Korazan Gorilla

    <h4>Chapter 144 Female Korazan Gori</h4>

    Inside the Golden Eagle, two Interster Pirates that had been imprisoned in the dungeon could be seen constantly looking down at the intelligent ring on their fingers. They were waiting for the time to reach midnight. The moment the number on their rings hit ¡¯12¡¯, all they heard was a soft click, and the shackles on their arms and legs came loose in an instant.

    Even the star core cors that were around the necks of those ruthless people came undone, and they regained their freedom.

    Some of them could not fathom what had happened. ¡°Was there a malfunction in their electronic lock system?¡±

    Just then, a short, bearded man waved at everyone. His name was Ralph and he had been an Interster Pirate for more than ten years. His bounty was at 8.3 hundred million Star Credits. He was quite popr with many friends, and he had a reputation within themunity.

    ¡°Listen up, everyone. Gu Ding helped free us in hopes that we will help him with his night raid on the Army at the port. We will attack from both the inside and outside. Those on the outside have already started making their

    are any of you who would like to take this opportunity to run away with your tail between your legs, I won¡¯t stop you. However, are you really going to just forget about how the Army aggressively oppressed us for the past two days? I certainly won¡¯t! I won¡¯t talk too much, so those willing to give us their strength, follow me.¡±

    Ralph pushed open the doors of the dungeon. They were able to escape so easily as Neptune had unlocked all the locks inside the Golden Eagle.

    Ralph and his group bare-handedly got rid of several guards that they met along the way.

    They were quickly spotted by members of the Army that were guarding the port as they rushed out of the Golden Eagle. After all, it was hard for them to avoid being noticed as they were arge group of people heading toward the same location.

    Ralph and the others were not worried about being found out. They did not n on running away anyway. From the very start, they had nned on facing the people from the Army head-on.

    Gu Ding and his entourage also made a glorious appearance. In the face of drunkards lying all over the ground, as well as members of the Army who had jelly-like feet, Gu Ding¡¯s group of more than two hundred people seemed almost invincible. The scene turned into a massacre and what was supposed to be a grand feast for the Army very quickly turned into a bloody banquet.

    Emily, who was sprawled across the wine table, heard themotion and turned her body around. She lifted her eyelids, and her mind, which previously had been numbed by alcohol, sobered up immediately. Unfolding right before her eyes was a scene that she could hardly believe. Those Interster Pirates were actually conducting a night raid on the port and were ughtering her fellow Army members in a frenzy. She stood up, thoroughly expelling the alcohol in her body, and grabbed the silver-colored handgun that hung from her waist with her hand. She raised her right hand and aimed her gun at the head of the closest Interster Pirate next to her before pulling the trigger. Then, without stopping to look at what was the oue, she locked onto her next target and opened fire again. Right after that, she moved on to the third person... She fired seven shots in the blink of an eye, disposing of several Interster Pirates that were in her sight. Shortly after, she leaped onto the roof of a spaceship and lifted her gun once again.

    The gunshots had alerted Gu Ding and the others of Emily¡¯s presence.

    ¡°That woman is a Rank 10 Gene Body, she¡¯s also a gunner who¡¯s really good at long-ranged attacks. Our attacks won¡¯t work on her even if we attack from all sides. Our best bet is to have someone with extraordinary strength to restrict her,¡± Mi En voiced her opinion.

    ¡°I got it.¡± Gu Ding nodded his head. He knew Mi En was referring to Biggie. ¡°Lili, Biggie, both of you go!¡±

    Liliath reluctantly put on the spirit-enhancing metal hat and followed Biggie toward Emily¡¯s location.

    As a gunner, Emily had excellent eyesight. Therefore, she was able to spot two figures, one tall and one short, making their way toward her. It has to be said that she spotted them under the dark sky of the night. Nevertheless, she could not make out their faces clearly and could only roughly guess that therger figure was Biggie. On the other hand, she was not too sure about the shorter figure. ording to the information she had received, Biggie was the only one among the Interster Pirates at Great Divinity that was suspected to be a Rank 10 Gene Body. As for the others, they were Rank 8 Gene Bodies at most.

    As the two figures got closer, Emily finally realized that the young girl who looked to be twelve or thirteen years old was actually Liliath, a member of Gu Ding¡¯s crew like Biggie. Nevertheless, she could notprehend the reason why Biggie had brought along a burden such as her with him.

    Compared to Biggie, Liliath was actually much calmer. She carefully scrutinized Emily who was standing under the light. The fur on the woman¡¯s body did not seem to match her age. Liliath¡¯s gaze then shifted from the other¡¯s face to her chest area. When Liliath saw the two perky mounts on her opponent¡¯s chest, she grumbled, ¡°What does a woman who can¡¯t even get married need such big boobs for? Are they for decoration?¡±

    Lilith¡¯s words made Emily¡¯s veins bulge. Instantly, she had the urge to blow up Liliath¡¯s head with a single shot. Nevertheless, her female instincts steered her to retaliate verbally instead, ¡°At least I¡¯m not like a certain someone who only has a small, t chest even at the age of fifteen. ording to this big sister¡¯s experience, someone like you won¡¯t have much hope even at 150 years old.¡±

    ¡°Aunty, I think you¡¯re getting old. You¡¯re just looking for someone to chat with, aren¡¯t you?¡± Liliath shot back, unwilling to be outdone even by a bit. She then turned around and paid Emily no heed.

    Biggie also turned around and their eyes met for a moment. Emily did not know why but she

    guys such as Biggie like young ones.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s just a female Korazan gori that likes throwing rocks. Kill her!¡± Liliath set the image in Biggie¡¯s mind.

    Nevertheless, Emily was not aware that Liliath was using hypnosis and only thought Liliath was insulting her through metaphors. The female Korazan gori was a giant,rge-boobed mammal that had an ugly face and an explosive temper.

    Emily refuted once again, ¡°You¡¯re an Ariat rib monkey!¡±

    The Ariat rib monkey was a type of small-sized monkey that had a pair of enormous eyes, short limbs, and a chest area so skinny that its ribs were prominent. Appearance-wise, there was not much difference between the males and females of its kind when one looked at them from the front since both of them were t-chested.

    ¡°Kill her!¡± Hearing herself beingpared to such a creature, Liliath was outraged.

    Biggie finally made a move as he put one hand on the handle of his saber. Without any warning, the saber was unsheathed, and a sharp, ck-colored de materialized out of thin air. Then, a giant, ck-colored crescent wildly shot out toward Emily. Emily noticed that her opponent had attacked without any warning and was going all out right off the bat without the intention of testing her limits. Hence, Emily put up her guard.

    Emily felt that the ck de was somewhat stronger than Sharp¡¯s previous de. Hence, she retreated immediately. When it came to close-rangedbat, she was no match for a swordsman. Only by putting some distance between herself and her opponent would she have an advantage. Nevertheless, the de narrowed in on Emily at a high speed and quickly caught up to her. Left without a choice, Emily shot back with her gun, and three spiral energy-filled bullets flew out from the barrel of her gun. One after another, they shed against her opponent¡¯s de. Finally, the attack finally stopped and the de dissipated. Meanwhile, the bullets that had been shot were seen to have shattered into pieces.

    Nevertheless, the next moment, Biggie was already right beside Emily as he swung his saber once again at her waist. Biggie had no intention of giving Emily a chance to catch her breath. Simr to before, Biggie¡¯s ck-colored de cut through the air with overbearing power. However, this time, his attack was much swifter and fiercer than hisst one.

    Panic shed in Emily¡¯s eyes as she was not expecting such agility from Biggie¡¯s attacks. It was to the point where she was barely getting away with her life. Even as a gunner, her opponent¡¯s movements were definitely not any weaker than hers. She could not seem to increase the distance between them.

    Emily gritted her teeth and backed off once again. While in mid-air, she raised her arm and pulled the trigger several times. Spiral energy-filled bullets shot out continuously from her gun, and they once again shed with the surface of the ck de.

    However, the de did not vanish until it was right in front of Emily. Gu Ding had the video of Biggie¡¯s battle ying this whole time and was paying attention to the situation of the battle. An Luo and the others saw that Biggie was the one with the upper hand in his battle against the general, and they were quite shocked at hisbat

    envious of Gu Ding for his luck to be able to get such a powerful member to join his crew.

    In actual truth, Gu Ding was not worried about Biggie. What he was worried about was Liliath¡¯s condition. Although the metal hat-like device made it possible for her spirit to increase by two hundred-fold, the increased power was not being taken from her body naturally but through technological means. Hence, Gu Ding could not help but be worried due to the divination from before.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, she¡¯ll be fine. If she starts overworking her spirit, I¡¯ll remind her immediately. Let her control Biggie this time. After all, Biggie¡¯s role is to restrict Emily. They just need to buy us some time.¡± Neptune noticed that Gu Ding was worried. ¡°If Liliath can¡¯t hold out, we¡¯ll stop our operation. I¡¯ll also notify the others to retreat together.¡±

    ¡°I understand.¡± Gu Ding nodded his head. ¡°If she insists on overworking her spirit, let me know immediately. I¡¯ll talk to her.¡±

    ¡°Mhm. If that happens, I¡¯ll notify you as soon as possible,¡± Neptune answered. He knew that Liliath could be very persistent at times, and Gu Ding was the only one who would be able to talk some sense into her.

    Back at the port, the night raid continued. Emily, who was the strongest person from the Army, had been restricted. All the Army members, excluding those that were on duty at their posts, were dead drunk. Even though they wererge in number, they were no match for the Interster Pirates who werepletely sober. Hence, they were easily ughtered.

    As for Emily, she was caught in a crisis. Biggie¡¯s offensive power ferociously increased with each attack he performed. Not only did his powerful, ck de possess astonishing destructive power, but it also allowed him to attack from abnormal angles. Emily, who could not seem to increase the distance between them, was forced to take all his attacks head-on. She was only a gunner; no matter how great her closebat skills were, there was no way she could bepared to Biggie. Within a few minutes, Emily¡¯s body was covered in multiple wounds.

    Biggie¡¯s saber struck from an abnormal angle once again. The speed of his attacks was not affected by hisrge build in any way.

    At such a close distance, all Emily could do was try and block the iing attacks. Nevertheless, the impact of the attacks eventually caused her arm to be dislocated, leaving her with a fatal vulnerability.

    Biggie noticed the opening and leaped forth, the tip of his saber aimed squarely at the left side of Emily¡¯s chest. However, just as it was about to pierce through her, a powerful force shed with the tip of his saber. That bout of force shook Emily and allowed her to withdraw from the battle.

    Biggie took a step to his right and cast his gaze toward the person who had intercepted his attack. The person who had done so was not particrly tall. However, the serious expression on that person¡¯s face could be seen slowly turning into a look of excitement.

    Liliath¡¯s eyes widened. She recognized the person. It was Sharp, and he had appeared in front of them without so much as a sign...

 Chapter 145 - Pirate Biggie VS General Sharp

    Chapter 145 Pirate Biggie VS General Sharp

    Sharp stood not more than ten meters away from Biggie with an arrogant demeanor. There was no hiding the desire in his heart, his eyes were filled with an eagerness for a fight. His voice, however, remained calm and there was no sign of excitement in his tone. ¡°Let me take this, Emily.¡± Emily had thought it was the end for her. She gave Biggie, who was not far off, a defeated look. This fight had made her realized that she was no match for Biggie. She might not know much about swords, but she could sense the murderous rage hidden within Biggie¡¯s sword. That alone was enough to chill one to the bone. She could tell that Sharp had decided to step into the fight because he could sense the sword¡¯s power.

    She backed away in a burst and disappeared from everyone¡¯s sight in a few leaps,pletely retreating from the battlefield.

    Biggie did not give chase because he knew Sharp would attack the moment he tried.

    ¡°Male Korazan Gori...¡± Biggie mumbled. Sharp was no longer a human being in Biggie¡¯s eyes, instead, he was now a male Korazan Gori. His perception had changed due to the influence of Liliaths¡¯ hypnotism on his mind.

    Biggie had no fear as long as the opponent was not a human being. He furiously attacked, and the sword in his hand, Darkness, shot out several dark des at his opponent.

    There was no longer a sword in Sharp¡¯s hand, but that did not mean he was any weaker. In actuality, he was stronger when he fought with his fists rather than a sword due to his gene-level being upgraded at the same time as the cultivation of his swordsmanship. The day he lost the sword in his hand, was the day he got the closest to the roots of swordsmanship. It was on this day that he achieved a greater understanding than he did in the years before. Spending a day in deep though had cleansed his heart thoroughly, clearing the clutter in his mind. In fact, several military matters he had always regarded with high value were now of little to no importance to him. There was nothing that could rece swordsmanship in his eyes. It was only then that he finally understood why Vannarab would resign from his post as the Army¡¯s marshal to join the Liberty Alliance.

    ¡°Let this be myst mission...¡± Sharp had made his decision. After his mission today, he would resign from his post as the Navy general.

    Biggie had attacked him while he was distracted by his thoughts.

    Biggie¡¯s attack was sudden and vicious, charging at him at from apromising angle. The attack point was lethal. Sharp¡¯s eyes lit up. Biggie¡¯s swordsmanship waspletely different from his own, which was the Path of ughter. He could tell from Biggie¡¯s assertive manner that many had died at his hands.

    Sharp¡¯s sword was still lying in Bart¡¯s inventory. His primary power gathered within his palm and a cloud of white sword energy extended outward, shing itself with Biggie¡¯s dark sword energy.

    Both sword energies ruptured upon impact and they both instantly dashed away, avoiding the lethal energy that was released from the explosion.

    They lunged back at each other at almost the same time even before the energy from the first attack fully dispersed, shing hard once again with one another...

    Gu Ding could no longer see the fight between Biggie and Sharp through the video with his naked eyes. He could vaguely make out two shadowy figures lunging at each other before immediately pulling back only to go back at it again. This resulted in a horrifying effect of explosions that sounded akin to a storm, with thunderous booms filling the atmosphere.

    ¡°Such power...¡± A few Interster Pirates witnessing the fight through Gu Ding¡¯s projected video could not help voicing their shock at the spectacle. This was a fight that had far exceeded any of their capabilities. Gu Ding was also quite surprised to see Biggie and Sharp on par with each other. Sharp was something of a legend and the extent of his power was godlike. Gu Ding had witnessed it earlier on Consc. He knew Biggie was strong too, but he had not expected Biggie¡¯s strength to be of this degree.

    However, Sharp¡¯s appearance did not only mean that Biggie would meet a strong opponent, but this also meant that Emily, the other Army general, was now free to wreak havoc on Interster Pirates somewhere else.

    Gu Ding got Neptune to search everywhere for signs of Emily and finally located her where the mechs were kept. She had taken some medication out and injected over twenty mech operators on the arm with it in one go. Not long after, some mech operators woke up from their drunken stupor. The medication was a sobering antidote that could convert the alcohol in the bloodstream into glucose.

    ¡°Get into your mechs and stop those Interster Pirates from continuing their ughter. I¡¯ll join you immediately after!¡± Emily patted one of them on the shoulder.

    That group which consisted of over twenty mech operators were well-trained army men. They got into their mechs quickly and rushed into battle.

    Some of those who had been caught previously had witnessed the power of the mechs and they were still fearful of them. Their attacks were useless against those mechs while the mechs wielded the power andbat effectiveness of a Rank 8 gene body in its prime.

    ¡°Gu Ding, those mechs pose a huge problem. Besides Biggie, none of us here can break through the mechs defenses. Some of our gunners have tried attacking them earlier, but there wasn¡¯t much effect. These mechs were built with a specialpound metal that makes them immune to gunshots,¡± Ralph had reservations as he had witnessed the mechs¡¯ power earlier that morning. ¡°I¡¯ll take care of the mechs,¡± Gu Ding looked calm.

    He turned toward Bart. ¡°Bart, will you be able to stall Emily for us if she appears?¡±

    ¡°That won¡¯t be a problem. Even though it would be difficult to overpower her, but I should be able to hold her off,¡± Bart had gotten his chain back. He knew that the Army was wary of him ever since he defeated Sharp. They won¡¯t be falling for his tricks again. Besides, this was an open area so he couldn¡¯t set up another trap simr to the one he used on Sharp.

    Bart¡¯s answer had eliminated Gu Ding¡¯s concern and he proceeded to take his ck mech out of the inventory.

    Everyone was envious when they saw Gu Ding owned a mech. They finally understood why Gu Ding said that he would take care of those mechs. This was because besides possessing immense power, only a mech was able to damage another mech.

    Gu Ding moved his hands and feet after getting into the mech to refamiliarize himself with the mech¡¯s operation. He gave a jump and headed toward the enemy group of mechs. The Army mech operators immediately recognized the iing threat when they saw a non-standard ck mech running toward them. However, Gu Ding¡¯s mech did not intimidate them much as his mech was no taller than three meters. Mechs such as this were usually made for agile movements and did not have much in the defense department.

    The Army mechs were huge and at least four meters tall. They were specifically designed by the Army to excel in both attack and defense.

    However, it did not take long before these operators realized how wrong their initial analysis was. Gu Ding had rushed into the group of mechs and evade several mech attacks easily and with grace. He instantly appeared out of nowhere next to a mech and gave it a hard m on the waist with his elbows.

    The mech¡¯s waist was badly dented inward and the operator realized immediately that his air discer had stopped working. Gu Ding¡¯s had made a precise attack, targeting the motor of the air discer. With Neptune¡¯s help, he was able to see the insides of all the other mechs, gaining a clear understanding of every mechanical part and its usage.

    The loss of the air discer gave the operator only about five minutes¡¯ worth of oxygen within the mech. This would force the operator to abandon his mech.

    Gu Ding did not choose to fight this battle in a violently destructive manner as it would exhaust too much energy. There were more than twenty mechs after all. He had to use the simplest, most efficient way to end the fight.

    Just as Gu Ding expected, the operator from the attacked mech had frantically opened up the hatch to climb out of it.

    Gu Ding ignored him and dashed toward the second mech.

    This time, he targeted the wiring behind the opponent¡¯s head. These wirings were simr to the human brain and were used to transmit information throughout the machine. Once it was destroyed, the mech will lose control and even disable itself as a failsafe.

    Gu Ding¡¯s agility gave him a huge edge in this fight. Even though the mech operators were capable fighters, theirbat technique was pretty much at a toddler¡¯s levelpared to Gu Ding, who was trained in the Ultimate Arts.

    After dispatching a few mechs in a sh, he moved behind another mech and gave it a heavy hit right at the back of the head. The wiring at the back of the mech¡¯s head immediately burned and the mech entered an uncontroble state due to its malfunctioning.

    Gu Ding showed no signs of slowing down, after taking down that mech he was immediately onto the next. This time, he aimed for the opponent¡¯s energy tank located at the chest. It was where the mech¡¯s Energy Crystal rock was, which was used as the mech¡¯s power source. There was ayer of a metalpound te covering the energy tank. It would be near-impossible for an ordinary person to prate theyer, which was strong enough to withstand an attack from a powerhouse with a hundred thousand points worth of Cell Index. However, Gu Ding¡¯s mech was able to enhance his basic attack effectiveness to ten thousand points. Besides that, it had also enhanced his Ultimate Arts Level 7 by ten times and a berserker conversion of three times the rate, making his attack effectiveness equivalent to that of a powerhouse with three hundred thousand Cell Index points. His mech had been built with a stronger metalpound and it was not difficult to crush theyer of his opponent¡¯spoundyer, especially with his strength.

    He dodged some attacks by a few mechs, and Gu Ding appeared like a phantom in front of his target. A soft crack could be heard within theyer of thepound metal when he punched forcefully onto the metalpound on his opponent¡¯s chest. It was the sound of the Energy Crystal rock breaking apart. This mech had beenpletely paralyzed as a result.

    Ralph and the others watched incredulously as they witnessed Gu Ding take down three mechs with ease in the span of three minutes. Even Bart was visibly shocked as he did everything in his power only to fall at the hands of the mech in their previous encounter

    Gu Ding¡¯s fight continued while Biggie and Sharp were still battling it out in a rage. The wildcard-Emily appeared once again, but this time, she was not alone. She had three colonel generals and four lieutenant generals with her. The party of eight were speeding toward where Gu Ding¡¯s fight was.

    For the Army, this was a powerful addition to the ongoing fight...

 Chapter 146 - Robert Turns The Tables On The Battle Outcome

    Chapter 146 Robert Turns The Tables On The Battle Oue

    Emily had no idea who was operating the little mech, but it was fighting the Army¡¯s mechs, and that meant he was an enemy. She raised her arms to give him two shots, aiming to kill without a second thought.

    A normal gun did not work well against a mech, but if it was used with a bullet of primary power, it would be enough to cause significant damage.

    Gu Ding knew this quite well, which was why he made sure to first dodge the shot before he continued his attacks.

    Emily was surprised upon seeing Gu Ding¡¯s unusual movements when dodging her shot. Those two shots had been carefully calcted and calibrated by her in an attempt to incapacitate the opponent. He would have been shot at least once no matter which way he moved. The strange thing was that the enemy had managed to evade both shots effortlessly.

    Gu Ding was starting to get a headache in the mech as he was aware that he was no match for Emily even with the mech suit on, which enhanced his basicbat effectiveness by a few hundred times. All Emily needed was tond a single shot and he would be out of the game.

    He had nned to get Bart to take care of Emily, but he did not expect Emily to bring another sevenpanions with her. At Bart¡¯s current capabilities, he can barely hold off Emily by herself. With an additional seven people, he would be taken out almost immediately.

    Robert calmly retrieved several items from his inventory at the sight of Gu Ding¡¯s sudden danger. They were seven silver-white robots that were about the height of a human being. They had the same joints as a human. The seven robots came alive the moment they were taken out. Each of them locked onto one of the seven people that came with Emily and rushed toward them.

    Robert turned his head toward Bart. ¡°They will finish off the seven that came with Emily. Your mission is to hold her off for as long as you can. I will need some time.¡±

    Bart was taken aback by this. This robot seemed to be from Gu Ding¡¯s spaceship, and he had probably never known of the robot¡¯s existence because the robot was not a member of the crew who was in charge ofbat. Bart had promised Gu Ding that he would hold back Emily in front of so many people, and he had no choice now but to follow through on his promise.

    <b>TeLS</b>

    He mumbled internally that if those seven released robots were not powerful enough and ended up being destroyed by the Army¡¯s colonel generals and lieutenant generals, he would be the one in danger.

    Gu Ding was relegated to dodging the bullets in an embarrassing manner under Emily¡¯s attack. It was lucky for him that he had managed to evade every shot Emily made even though there were quite a few close calls.

    Gu Ding was slightly surprised when Bart appeared next to him. It was understandable for Bart to stay put where he was, with the overwhelming threat of the seven colonel generals and lieutenant generals. However, Gu Ding quickly realized that seven silver-white robots had taken them on. He immediately understood that this was Robert¡¯s doing.

    ¡°Robert has made full preparation for this battle. He had built twenty-four of these robots. Each possesses thebat prowess equivalent to a Rank 8 Gene Body. They have also been programmed with the first eight levels of the Ultimate Arts. It should not be a challenge for them to take care of those colonel generals and lieutenant generals,¡± Neptune exined.

    When Gu Ding found that tides of battle were turning in favor of his party, he gave chase toward the mechs located among the crowd. Emily had given the order for the mechs to spread out and kill the Interster Pirates when she first arrived. She could tell that when Gu Ding put on the mech, hisbat effectiveness could not be matched by the mechs on the Army¡¯s side.

    Emily condescendinglyughed when she found Bart blocking her way. ¡°This is courageous of you.¡±

    She had watched the video of the fight between Bart and Sharp, and she was aware that this was not a powerful opponent. He had won that fight with a setup and a little luck.

    ¡°Are you aware of how a high-ranking female officer such as yourself is known within the pirate circles?¡± Bart sounded slightly flirty with his opening line.

    ¡°Sounds like nothing goodes out of you,¡± Emily had no intention of listening to his nonsense and she took a direct shot.

    Bart¡¯s hand held on to the chain on his waist. His fingers moved slightly, and the chain turned ck as it morphed into a spiral-like form and extended forward, immediately blocking the bullet shot by Emily. He replied in a slow and casual manner, ¡°They say that women in the Army are extremely passionate in bed. You may think those words sound a little uncouth, but it¡¯s actually high praise.¡±

    Emily red at Bart. Under normal circumstances, she would have been quite willing to participate in the conversation. However, this was a situation where she did not have time to spare. Besides, the other party was an Interster Pirate. Emily frowned when she noticed her bullet had been entangled in the enemy¡¯s chain. She fired off a few more shots, one after another, not allowing her opponent to take a breather.

    Those twelve bullets were filled with highly destructible spiral energy and explosions could be heard in the air. The bullets were aze as they headed straight for Bart, much like a meteor.

    The look on Bart¡¯s face changed when he saw what was happening. He quickly whipped out the chain in his hand, demonstrating once again, the power of a weapon with demigod powers. The ck chains entwined the twelve bullets within it.

    However, these twelve bullets were unlike the first one Emily had shot. These violently flew toward him and almost instantly reached Bart. Bart frowned and quickly dodged, but all twelve bullets exploded at almost simultaneously, generating a deafening shockwave.

    Bart attempted to dash away but he was not able to escape the shockwave, leading to him throwing up a mouthful of blood. He understood why Emily had immediately decided to shoot for the kill. After witnessing his fight with Sharp, this woman had be quite careful and conscious when dealing with him. Bart knew that his mission to withhold her could not bepleted under this circumstance.

    Emily reloaded her gun clip after firing twelve shots. The gun in her hand had a capacity for twenty bullets and she had fired seven shots prior to her battle with Bart.

    She followed up closely with another attack of ten continuous shots after seeing Bart gravely hurt by the energy of the shockwave. This time, she aimed for his head, determined to take his life.

    The demigod weapon in Bart¡¯s hand might be powerful, but Bart had limited spirit, and the ck chains had limited speed when it came to absorbing energy. Even though the chains were able to block his opponent¡¯s attack to a certain extent, it was inadequate as it could notpletely dissolve an attack.

    He dodged the bullets erratically. Emily¡¯s attacks were relentless, and she kept on going.

    Bart closed his eyes and braced for his end when he realized he would never be able to evade all the bullets. It took a while before he became aware that he did not suffer any physical pain. His eyes popped open in surprise and he noticed Emily¡¯s focus was no longer on him. She was looking in another direction.

    He turned toward where she was looking and saw a metallic building close to two meters tall located where Robert was standing. There were a few cannon muzzles on the building that were pointing to where Bart was.

    Before Bart could react, a few more cannon muzzles pointed toward him. Those muzzles moved slightly upwards and locked onto Emily¡¯s location. The cannons fired unrelentingly, much like a thunderstorm hailing down toward her, and all sight of Emily, the gunner, waspletely lost in the barrage of cannon shots.

    Bart waspletely shocked upon witnessing this scene.

    However, his attention was quickly diverted when something happened at the other battlefield not far from where he was. The silver-colored robots had killed off all three colonel generals and four lieutenant generals in less than ten minutes ofbat. Those seven robots immediately refocused on new targets as they ran toward the enemy mechs.

    Gu Ding had taken care of five mechs by now. He raised his head and noticed the metallic building not far away. ¡°What¡¯s that thing? Did Robert build it?¡±

    ¡°That thing is called a battle fort, but it¡¯s just an entry-level fort and not very powerful. It can only be used to suppress an opponent with the close-ranged sessive firing of the cannons. It can only cause limited damage to Rank 10 Gene Body powerhouses such as Emily,¡± Gu Ding heard Neptune¡¯s voice in his ear.

    ¡°Thebat robots areing over to help. Work with them quickly to finish off as many mechs as possible. Lili¡¯s spirit is reaching its limit and we need to retreat quickly.¡± Gu Ding crushed the circuit board on another mech¡¯s chest with a punch and said to Neptune, ¡°Order them to collect their battle spoils and prepare to retreat. If they are looking for a reason, just tell them that Biggie can¡¯t hold out much longer and that Sharp will arrive in no time.¡±

    ea

    The Interster Pirates began to retreat gradually after Neptune spread the news. No one was willing to stick around to test the Army¡¯s limits. Emily alone was difficult enough to take down, with Sharp thrown into the mix, it would be a nightmare. However, the main reason they retreated was that the night raid had achieved its primary goal, which was to save everyone who was locked up. Adding on the fact that they managed to take out plenty of the Army¡¯s troops, this was a big victory for them.

    The crucial turning point in this battle was Gu Ding and his crew.

    Neptune was the one who helped unlock everyone¡¯s chains, but of course, everyone assumed it was Gu Ding who did it.

    The one who helped hold off General Sharp from the Army was Biggie from Gu Ding¡¯s crew.

    The one who had battled the mechs was Gu Ding and the mech suit built by a member of Gu Ding¡¯s crew.

    Even some of the Army¡¯s colonel generals and lieutenant generals had been finished off by the robots from Gu Ding¡¯s crew.

    Even though Bart was the one who held Emily off, he was not able to do it alone. It was Gu Ding¡¯s crew who helped suppress Emily at the very end.

    When Liliath got word of the retreat, she took control of Biggie and got him to leave the battlefield. Biggie carried Liliath on his back and made a hasty escape. Sharp was befuddled by Biggie¡¯s sudden retreat, but he gave chase immediately.

    When Biggie arrived at the harbor, most of the Interster Pirates had evacuated.

    Sharp hasted toward Gu Ding and the others when he saw them gathered, in an attempt to stop them. Unfortunately, he did not expect toe under heavy gunfire. His vision was blocked entirely by the dust and debris caused by the sheer amount of gunfire.

    The firing stopped after a few minutes and by then, Sharp realized the Interster Pirates had vanishedpletely.

    Emily, who had been continuously attacked by the battle fort, had her clothes tattered all over. She cried out in anger, ¡°Damn those Interster Pirates!¡±

    Sharp looked at all the dead bodies lying on the ground as he gave a silent pause. ¡°Let¡¯s request for backup from His Highness The Lord!¡±

 Chapter 147 - Neptuneâ€™s Bad News

    Chapter 147 Neptune¡¯s Bad News

    The angry, cursing Emily changed into aplete undamaged set of clothes and turned her gaze toward the metallic building still sitting at its original ce. That was the thing that had stopped both Sharp and herself from victory. Just as she was about to take action on it, the metallic building suddenly exploded, and pieces of its debris were scattered all over the ground.

    At that moment, the words ¡®request for backup¡¯ could be heard from Sharp, who was not far behind Emily. She went silent upon hearing it.

    Sometimes, members of the Army would rather be defeated in the mission than request for backup. This was not because it was considered an embarrassment to fail. Everyone had failed missions at some point or another, but requesting backup was a whole different matter. This implied that whoever was in charge was incapable. It was not difficult to ept failure, but to ept oneself as being ipetent was something that most people have trouble dealing with.

    ¡°Let¡¯s conduct a headcount of how many people we have left and see if we still stand a chance before making that decision,¡± Emily had a string of hope in her heart.

    ¡°This is a failed mission. It would just be a waste of time to continue agonizing over it. We can finish the mission earlier if we request for backup,¡± Sharp voiced his opinion.

    ¡°I¡¯ve thought about this. I¡¯ll bear the responsibility for what happened today. None of you will be implicated. Once this mission is over, I will resign from my post as general and leave the Army to focus on researching swordsmanship.¡± ¡°Sharp, there is no need for you to do this. Requesting for backup might not be a glorified move, but this mission was always going to be a tricky one. His Highness The Lord would understand,¡± Emily had thought Sharp¡¯s notion of resignation was due to the huge blow from the failed mission.

    ¡°I made the decision to resign after attaining the new ability of Knife Heart yesterday,¡± a smile appeared once again on Sharp¡¯s usually nk face.

    ¡°My post in the Army was the most important responsibility to me before. It was something I had always prioritized, but now, this has be my new priority. I need to let it go in order to advance further.¡±

    ¡°You attained that legendary ability?¡± Emily pushed the question after hearing his words.

    ¡°Yes, I have. It¡¯s an ability that I¡¯ve always dreamt of having. I had not expected to gain it in failure. This must be fate...¡± Sharp shook his head andughed bitterly. ¡°If His Highness The Lord and the marshal found out about it, they would never let you leave,¡± even though Emily had no idea how powerful this legendary ability was, but it was an ability highly coveted by all swordsmanship powerhouses within the cosmos seas. Clearly, it was a powerful ability to possess.

    ¡°That is why I need you to keep this matter a secret for me,¡± Sharp was willing to share this with Emily because he trusted her.

    ¡°I can keep this a secret on your behalf, but you would still need to get someone trustworthy to help you take care of those video records,¡± Emily pointed at two surveince cameras not far off.

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯d have forgotten about that if you didn¡¯t mention it,¡± this reminded Sharp of the surveinces conducted around the area.

    He lowered his head to look at the ground covered with dead bodies, and continued, ¡°There have been so many deaths this time around. Obviously, something went wrong with the decision-making of the strategy. If I don¡¯t bear this responsibility, young Walter¡¯s future would bepletely ruined. It¡¯s timely as well; I need a good excuse to retire from the Army. When the momentes, just push all responsibility on me.¡± ¡°I understand,¡± Emily did not say anything more. She knew that Sharp had made up his mind and there was no point in trying to talk him out of it. Besides, by doing this, Sharp had helped Walter and herself out of a bad situation. Normally, all decision-makers would need to take responsibility, but Sharp was the veteran among three of them and had the most experience, his words carried more weight. It was likely that he would make certain decisions that bypassed both of them. This had given Emily and Walter a valid excuse for denying any responsibility. ¡°All of you, take off your mechs and round up the remaining number of people. Give them shots of sobering antidotes and let them have a good rest. Report the data to me after calcting the number of people left,¡± Sharp shouted the instructions to over ten mech operators at a distance. They were the only ones left at the quiet harbor at the time.

    ¡°Yes, sir!¡± Those mech operators gave Sharp and salute and quickly opened the hatches to their mechs and exited them. They gathered together in a discussion and delegated duties before going their separate ways.

    After around half an hour, a young soldier appeared in front of Sharp. He was one of the few who was left of the mech operators.

    ¡°Reporting, sir, that we have the figures. There is a total of one thousand two hundred and sixty-three survivors, including those who are present. Eight hundred and twenty-two people are unharmed while the rest are wounded with varying severity. The medical team is currently treating the wounded.¡± ¡°Got it. Have an early rest, everyone,¡± Sharp waved him off. Even though he was prepared to submit his resignation, it was still a headache to figure out how to write the report for this mission.

    ¡°The survivors make up only a quarter of what we had. There has definitely been a major miscalction in the strategy. This is turning out to be a lot of trouble...¡± Emily was getting a migraine because of this. Sharp could get rid of his burden and leave just like that, but his resignation would mean that she was the highest-ranking person responsible for this mission, and there was quite a lot that needed salvaging here.

    Sharp nodded. ¡°A special inspection team might be assembled to investigate this mission. It would be quite troublesome. Let¡¯s find a time to get our statements aligned without revealing something by ident, otherwise, both of you will get into trouble. By the way, is young Walter okay?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s fine. He had a little too much to drink and is passed out, sleeping on the floor. He probably has no idea what happenedst night. Sometimes, ignorance is bliss.¡± Emily sighed. ¡°That¡¯s just as well. You should take a rest too. It doesn¡¯t matter if you can¡¯t get any sleep, it will do you good to recharge. I¡¯ll be catching up with some sleep too,¡± Sharp said as he walked toward Golden Eagle.

    Gu Ding and the others returned to the motel after their big victory. The others had left and gone their separate ways earlier with most of them escaping to another city during the night.

    Gu Ding checked up on everyone when they got back to the motel.

    ¡°Lili, are you okay?¡± He was most worried about Liliath¡¯s physical condition. Being overburdened by operating with spirit had a worse effect than being physically overwhelmed.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine. Neptune had reminded me before I exhausted my spirit. Besides, you guys ended the battle very quickly, so there was basically no effect on me.¡± Liliath shook her head. With the help of that power-enhancing helmet, the side-effects of her hypnosis had been significantly reduced.

    ¡°What about Biggie? Is he hurt? Sharp had given me the impression that he was much stronger than before,¡± Gu Ding shared his thoughts.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Biggie did not find any wounds on himself.

    ¡°Robert helped out a bunch this time as well. Thanks. If it wasn¡¯t for you, our mission wouldn¡¯t have gone through so smoothly,¡± Gu Ding was aware that there were at least two situations that would prove to be a great obstacle for them if not for Robert¡¯s help.

    ¡°Have you gotten all your props back?¡±

    Robert¡¯s voice was calm and emotionless as usual. ¡°It is my duty to help out as a member of this crew. Besides the entry-level battle fort, all of my props have been collected. I gave the battle fort a self-destruction setting that activates after the mission was over.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve just received bad news,¡± Neptune suddenly said at this moment.

    ¡°I¡¯d really much prefer good news,¡± Gu Ding mumbled quietly.

    ¡°Sharp and the others have decided to request for Army backup. He will be submitting the report tomorrow morning,¡± Neptune¡¯s news was indeed a terrible blow to everyone.

    Gu Ding had thought this battle would have put matters to rest and the Army would cease their attacks for a while. He had not expected it to turn out this way. ¡°The Interster Pirates you brought along with us had killed too many soldiers in the Army. Their death rate hit more than 70 percent and those who survived make up only a quarter of their original number. There are two ways for the Army to deal with this when faced with such a situation. The first would be to admit their mission was a failure and return to Army headquarters with their tail between their knees. The second is to request backup and ask for extra help from the headquarters to settle the matter. Most would normally go with the first choice because the second choice would end up with them being looked down upon by others.¡±

    ¡°Why would they report this to headquarters? They could have chosen not to say a word and continue fighting it out with us, even if it means taking us down at a slower pace. They have two generals with them, and it would just be a matter of time before theypleted the mission,¡± Gu Ding thought this would have been the more obvious choice.

    ¡°If their death rate was less than 20 percent, your suggestion would have been the best way to deal with the situation. However, this mission has caused them a death rate of more than 70 percent. If they had chosen to keep this under wraps and it was discovered by the Army and the Federal Government, they would get into serious trouble. The Federal Government might have gotten them arrested and sent to Federation Court under the ¡®Crimes Against Humanity¡¯w,¡± Neptune exined.

    ¡°Crimes against humanity... The Army has too many rules!¡± Gu Ding could not helpining. It¡¯s just withholding information in the name of self-preservation, but one has to be pinned with such a serious usation because of this. Liliath knocked on the table with her knuckle. ¡°Hey, this is not the time to be discussing such a topic. Once backup arrives from the Army, they will be conducting a mad sweep over the entire, scouring every inch to capture everyst one of us. When that timees, we¡¯ll have nowhere to run.¡±

    Neptune gave a suggestion. ¡°That is why the smartest thing to do right now is to leave the before the Army¡¯s backup arrives. It won¡¯t be difficult to sneak into the harbor and steal a spaceship. It also wouldn¡¯t be difficult to turn off the Sky Shield and armor-piercing cannon. The biggest problem right now would be those Interceptors. They¡¯ll attack any Interster Pirate¡¯s spaceship at first sight without warning.¡±

    ¡°Neptune, can you disrupt the system of all three Interceptors?¡± Gu Ding asked.

    ¡°Those three Interceptors are Baby Dragons. The Army had designed this Interceptor by modeling it after the mechanical civilization. They have retained manual operation for these spaceships which are at a much higher level than that of a system operation. If I conduct an attack on their system, it would not be difficult for them to switch into manual operations. The reason they had chosen Baby Dragons was that they had considered the possibility of us hacking in the Interceptors,¡± Neptune had researched the internal operations of all three Baby Dragons earlier on.

    ¡°If it is truly impossible, let¡¯s just spend some money to hire mercenaries to take down all three of those Interceptors,¡± Gu Ding suddenly thought up of an unconventional way of solving this problem. Everyone had only heard about the Federation Army hiring mercenaries, but this was the first that anyone has ever heard of Interster Pirates hiring mercenaries.

 Chapter 148 - Destroy Every Interstellar Piratesâ€™ Spaceship!

    Chapter 148 Destroy Every Interster Pirates¡¯ Spaceship!

    Interster Mercenaries operate the same way as Interster Pirates, both were nomadic organizations. Every crew had a different number of people that ranged from one person to more than ten thousand crew members. To put it simply, they were both organizations that operated with money as motivation, and they epted almost any jobs that came their way. That was why it wasmon for Interster Mercenaries to be hired by the Federal Government.

    There were times when it was not convenient for the Federal Government to take action for certain missions and they would resort to anonymously hiring mercenaries to finish the job. This alliance has resulted in aplicated rtionship between the Federal Government and the mercenaries.

    There were usually two ways for Interster Mercenaries to obtain a job.

    The first was to get a job via the Mercenary Alliance¡¯s site. The Mercenary Alliance would take amission that ranged from 1% to 10%. In return, the alliance would conduct point umtions for the mercenary crew. The mercenaries were categorized into ten grades, from one star to ten stars. The lower the grade, the higher themission paid to the alliance. A one-star Mercenary Alliance member would need to pay 10%mission, two-star was 9%, and so on, with ten stars being 1%.

    The second way was by getting a middleman to make the necessary arrangements by getting in touch with the mercenary crew suitable for the job. In this situation, there would be no need to go through the Mercenary Alliance¡¯s site and they would not take anymissions.

    If the middleman chooses the first way to contact the mercenary and announce the job on the Mercenary Alliance¡¯s site, the middleman would be allowed to state the terms upon epting the job. Mercenary crews who were unqualified for the job would be able to view it, but to them, the mission would just that, viewable, as they would not be able to ept the job. The automated system would run through the selection and recruit crews that match the terms before they were able to ept the job. Of course, the middleman would also be able to set the number of crews who can ept the job. There was a setting for one crew and a setting for multiple crews or even an unlimited number of crews. If they had only made a setting to ept one crew, the mission would be a read-only status once the first crew epts the job, and other crews would not be able to take it up. If it was set to ept multiple crews, apetition would ur between the few crews who had epted the job. This was because only the crew that had aplished the mission would be able to collect the mission payment.

    Neptune had easily overridden the¡¯s signal masking and connected to the Interster Mercenary Alliance¡¯s site.

    There was a hugely visible mission box on the upper-right corner of the site, which Neptune had clicked on.

    ¡°How should we write this?¡± Neptune asked.

    Gu Ding ced his hand under his chin in deep thought. ¡°Let¡¯s put this down as the headline: Destroy all three of the Federation Army¡¯s Baby Dragon Interceptors!¡±

    ¡°Location: Outside the ozoneyer of the Great Divinity, right above the interster harbor.¡±

    ¡°Number of crews for mission: Unlimited.¡±

    ¡°Terms for epting mission: Any crew with the capability of destroying Baby Dragon Interceptors!¡±

    ¡°Duration forpleted mission: Within two days, the sooner the better.¡±

    ¡°How much should we put down for the mission payment?¡± Gu Ding suddenly realized he had to double-check the number of credits he had.

    Neptune reported a shocking number, ¡°We still have more than 3.5 billion Universe Credits. This situation is a bit of an emergency, it¡¯s best to set a higher payment. This system has been set up to ce the highest offer at the top of the list until it gets pushed down by a higher offer. The top of the list currently is an offer of 2.3 billion Universe Credits, which had been updated three days ago. This is a very high payment in Dragon Soar Cosmic Nation.¡±

    ¡°Then let¡¯s put it down for 3 billion Universe Credits, 1 billion for each Interceptor!¡± Gu Ding immediately decided.

    The system updated the list automatically when they submitted the mission.

    The headline for the mission had attracted plenty of viewers.

    ¡°Who were the ones that submitted this mission ¡®Destroy all three of the Federation Army¡¯s Baby Dragon Interceptors!¡¯? Such arrogance! Are they trying to openly challenge the Federal Government?¡± An Interster Mercenary had clicked into the system¡¯s listing of mission headlines by ident.

    ¡°If it¡¯s listed there, it means that the payment must be really high. Click on that mission and let¡¯s have a look!¡± The crew¡¯s leader was having a rxing cup of coffee when he came over upon hearing the news. ¡°Terms for epting mission: Any crew with the capability of destroying Baby Dragon Interceptors!¡±

    ¡°Duration forpleted mission: Within two days, the sooner the better.¡±

    ¡°Mission payment: 3 billion Universe Credits, 1 billion for each Interceptor.¡±

    Larwell stared at the huge ¡®ept¡¯ button below the listed mission and drank the steaming hot coffee from his cup in a single gulp. He turned toward the spaceship pilot. ¡°Can we get to Great Divinity in two days?¡±

    The pilot nodded. ¡°If we head there right now with full speed, we should be able to make it. Although, do we really want to ept this mission, boss? This would mean going against the Federal Government.¡±

    ¡°Our crew is on the wanted list, aren¡¯t we? What do we have to lose with destroying a Federal Government Interceptor? Besides, we have three chances in this mission. All we need to do is destroy one Interceptor and we¡¯ll have a billion Universe Credits in our pockets. There are going to be many crews taking up this job, but all we need is to make sure we get one Interceptor. 1 billion Universe Credits. If we finish this job, I¡¯ll give everyone ten days off!¡± Larwell thought this was worth the trouble.

    ¡°Boss, this is a great decision,¡± the young man who was looking at the listing clicked on the button to ept the mission at the promise of ten days off.

    ¡°I¡¯ll start the spaceship¡¯s engine. Let¡¯s gather in the spaceship¡¯s cabin in ten minutes,¡± the pilot, who was lying on the sofazily, suddenly got up and jogged toward the door.

    Many other strong mercenary crews had noticed Gu Ding¡¯s listed mission besides Larwell¡¯s crew.

    There were even some mercenary crews with insider¡¯s information who knew very clearly about what was going on in Great Divinity.

    ¡°A bunch of Interster Pirates are probably trapped in Great Divinity. The signal from the should have been masked. How did this mission manage to get listed?¡± Someone questioned.

    ¡°There are two possibilities. One, the mission did note from Great Divinity. Two, the person who listed this might be that neer pirate, Gu Ding, who has been making quite a name for himself. Hacking through a signal masking is something he has done before. He must be nning for a quick escape by enlisting help to destroy all three Baby Dragons. There is more than a 90% chance that this mission had been listed by Gu Ding. That young man is not only bold, it looks like he has quite a fortune.¡±

    ¡°In that case, should we ept the mission, boss?¡±

    ¡°Of course, we are. There are 3 billion Universe Credits and it wouldn¡¯t be too bad even if we get 1 billion. Wouldn¡¯t this just cost us a few Energy Crystal rocks? This mission is just too easy. Two days would be more than enough for us to get there. Let¡¯s go!¡± A big bearded man blew a smoke ring as he removed a cigar from his lips.

    Gu Ding¡¯s mission had be a hot topic among the Interster Mercenaries in less than half an hour.

    It had led to many crews who matched the terms stated to immediately ept the mission without thinking and rush toward Great Divinity.

    Of course, such big news would not elude the Army¡¯s ears.

    ¡°Marshal, a mission has just been listed on the Mercenary Alliance¡¯s site...¡± A young man said as he projected an image of the site.

    Howell, who was white-haired with a matching beard, immediately knew what was going on when he read the mission headline. ¡°That brat, Gu Ding, is really audacious. Looks like Sharp and the others are in big trouble. Send this webpage over to Sharp and the others. We¡¯ll wait for their decision on this.¡±

    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we send backup immediately? If all three of the Interceptors are destroyed, won¡¯t there be higher chances of those Interster Pirates making their escape with Gu Ding around?¡± The young man expressed his concern.

    ¡°I¡¯d like to send backup as well, but Sharp has contributed so much to the Army. If I gave the order to send backup, it would be equivalent to me telling him that I don¡¯t believe in his capabilities. I can¡¯t do something that would humiliate him, it would not be apassionate move. Just send him the webpage. If he decides to call for backup, we¡¯ll send it over to him. If he decides not to get backup and lets the mission fail, then he would have already made his mind up about epting failure. Let¡¯s leave it to him to decide,¡± Howell shook his head.

    ¡°Go on with it. Let me know the moment he replies.¡±

    Sharp was in a drowsy state on Great Divinity when he had received the news from the Army headquarters. There was not a single word in the message. Only a screenshot of the Mercenary Alliance¡¯s mission listing could be seen.

    Sharp broke out in a cold sweat upon seeing the screenshot.

    He knew no one else but Gu Ding could have submitted that mission, but he had not expected Gu Ding to act so quickly. When he had announced his decision to get back up in front of the camera surveince on purpose, he wanted Gu Ding to know that they had no way of escaping. No matter what they did, they could notst long. He had not anticipated that Gu Ding woulde up with a winning move.

    Getting those Interceptors to retreat was not a choice. Gu Ding would realize it immediately. With Gu Ding¡¯s capability, he would definitely sneak into the harbor and get his spaceship back. It would not be difficult for him to disable both the harbor¡¯s Sky System and the armor-piercing cannon¡¯s control system before making his escape from this.

    The Interceptors were the only guarantee to keep Gu Ding and his crew on this. Without them, the chances of Gu Ding and his crew escaping were very high.

    Sharp knew that this night raid might not be masterminded by Gu Ding, but he was definitely one of the people behind it. Without Gu Ding, those locked up Interster Pirates would not have been released. Without Biggie from Gu Ding¡¯s crew, he would have been able to stop this tragedy from happening.

    At that moment, there was an anxious knock on Sharp¡¯s room door. ¡°Sharp, did you see the screenshot sent over by headquarters?¡±

    Outside stood Emily, who did not manage to go to sleep. She was lying on a chair at the harbor entrance, thinking about how to resolve the current crisis when she received the screenshot. She had not expected another crisis to appear. Sharp opened the door. ¡°I know about it. Looks like we don¡¯t need to wait till morning. I¡¯ll write the report to request backup now.¡± Emily frowned slightly. ¡°The backup from the Army will not be able to arrive within two days, will they? Even the fastest spaceship would take at least three days to reach here from headquarters. Gu Ding must have anticipated the timing and ns to make his escape before backup arrives.¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing much we can do. Do you have a better n?¡± Sharp knew very well what Gu Ding was nning, but he had no solution to this.

    Emily already had a n in hand. ¡°I thought about something before receiving the news to keep them on this slightly longer. Let¡¯s just destroy all the spaceships belonging to the Interster Pirates! Even though we would need to return all battle spoils to the Army¡¯s storage in ordance with Army regtions and exchange them for funding through the storage personnel, but this is for the sake ofpleting the mission. We can put aside the issue of funding for now.¡±

    Sharp nodded after a moment of silence. ¡°Let¡¯s do it. Destroy all the Interster Pirates¡¯ spaceships in front of everyone first thing tomorrow!¡±

 Chapter 149 - Goodbye, Grey-faced Buzzardâ€¦

    Chapter 149 Goodbye, Grey-faced Buzzard...

    The moment the decision had been made to destroy all the Interster Pirates¡¯ spaceships, Neptune was alerted almost immediately. Neptune woke Gu Ding up right away.

    Gu Ding flipped over and sat up. He watched the video clip Neptune had copied and said slowly in a grim voice, ¡°They will regret making such a decision!¡±

    After a moment¡¯s silence, Gu Ding said, ¡°Neptune, inform every Interster Pirate on this that the Army will destroy their spaceships tomorrow morning. Let them know that the Army has called for backup, and the backup will arrive in three days. Tell them that we¡¯ve managed to hire mercenaries who¡¯ll destroy the three Baby Dragon Interceptors in two days. We will unlock the Sky Shield over the harbor on the same day and disable the armor-piercing cannons. When that timees, it¡¯ll be up to them to snatch the Army¡¯s spaceships and escape from this.¡±

    Neptune quickly transmitted Gu Ding¡¯s message to every Interster Pirate on the.

    Everyone who received it was shocked by the news. The message contained very overwhelming information, none of which was within the expectations of anyone.

    ¡°Boss, is Gu Ding¡¯s information real? The Army usually doesn¡¯t destroy spaceships because they¡¯re winning spoils for them, right?¡± someone in Bart¡¯s crew asked. Nevertheless, the other crew members had the same doubt.

    Bart shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t think Gu Ding would lie about such things. He has the same aim as we do, which is to leave this. We¡¯re on the same side for this matter. This time, we dealt a lot of damage to the Army. It wouldn¡¯t be strange if they made such an extreme decision. Besides, the few things Gu Ding mentioned in his message are connected. He said that he has managed to get mercenaries to destroy those three Interceptors in two days. It means that he was already aware that the Army had requested backup, and he¡¯s nning to make an escape before backup arrives for the Army. The Army is worried that we¡¯ll escape after these two days, which is why they are anxious to destroy all of our spaceships.¡±

    ¡°Gu Ding wants us to take the Army¡¯s spaceships, but it¡¯s obvious that the Army doesn¡¯t have enough of them. Including the Golden Eagle, there are only thirty-three spaceships. On the other hand, there are more than a hundred pirate crews here. How are we going to divide the ships amongst ourselves?¡±

    ¡°Do you think that the other eighty plus crews will stand by and watch as thirty-three crews grab spaceships for themselves? There will definitely be cases whereby a few crews will board one spaceship and make their escape right away before deciding on anything else. Under such circumstances, if any crew decides to take a spaceship for themselves, they¡¯ll end up being the target of other crews.¡± Bart was an arrogant person, but he knew that that the probability of a crew taking a spaceship for themselves was quite low. He was reluctant to share a spaceship with another crew, but given the current situation, it would be considered very lucky if they managed to escape. It was not the time to ask for more.

    ¡°If multiple crews board a spaceship, who will it belong to?¡±

    ¡°Please, can¡¯t you use your brain? The Army¡¯s spaceships have serial numbers. They¡¯ll start tracking down their spaceships once we steal them. Then, the Army will send innumerable powerhouses to hunt us down. Those spaceships are like hot potatoes we¡¯ll have to get rid of at the first opportunity. Keeping them as our own would be like courting death.¡± Bart was starting to think that his crew of youngsters was pretty brainless. He was envious that Gu Ding had a good set of crew members.

    ¡°Boss is right. We have to take part in Gu Ding¡¯s mission. Once reinforcements from the Army arrives, there¡¯ll be no way for us to escape,¡± said a young man who seemed to be around Gu Ding¡¯s age. The man looked about fourteen or fifteen years old. He had short, golden hair on his head, and he looked especially perky.

    There were more than thirty members in Bart¡¯s crew and this young boy had recently signed up with them. He did not have a particrly conspicuous presence, and Bart did not even know his name. ¡°You are Ry... Ryan, right?¡±

    ¡°Boss, I¡¯m Rhine.¡± A warm smile was spread across the young boy¡¯s face. ¡°Okay, Rhine. Tell us what you think,¡± Bart was not expecting the young boy toe up with any substantial ideas, but the former was having a splitting headache over the matter and needed to hear from someone else who had a different point of view. There was a possibility it would help him find a solution to the problem.

    Rhine nodded. His posture remained confident, and he did not back away even though he was being stared at by everyone else. ¡°I¡¯ve analyzed the situation. The mission might be dangerous, but it is our only chance. I say this because Gu Ding¡¯s crew and ours have the lowest chances of making a sessful escape.¡±

    ¡°Oh, and why is that?¡± The young man¡¯s words had managed to pique Bart¡¯s interest.

    ¡°We are fearful of the Army because of the two generals stationed here, Sharp and Emily, who are in charge. Grabbing a spaceship with both of them present will definitely prove to be difficult for us. They are both capable of destroying a powerful Rank 8 Gene Body in a single move. For the mission to seed, someone has to hold back both of the Army generals.¡±

    ¡°Nevertheless, the only person who can do that on this and keep the Rank 11 Gene Body Sharp at bay, is Biggie from Gu Ding¡¯s crew. It has to be said that even he may end up being overpowered by Sharp. Gu Ding would never give up and sacrifice Biggie to make his own escape. That¡¯s why Gu Ding¡¯s crew might be strongest among us, but the probability of him escaping sessfully is the lowest.

    ¡°The second would be us. Boss, you previously fought with Sharp and Emily. Hence, our crew¡¯s threat to the Army is second to Gu Ding¡¯s crew because you almost killed Sharp. Not to mention, you killed many of the Army¡¯s colonel generals and lieutenant generals. You also have that demigod item in your hand. Therefore, even though you might not be the strongest among the Interster Pirates, you¡¯re the one the Army wants to get rid of the most.

    ¡°In other words, on this, you might be the first on the Army¡¯s kill list. Gu Ding¡¯s crew may pose a bigger threat, but he¡¯s very skillful at hacking. Hence, the Army probably doesn¡¯t want him dead and is more interested in recruiting him. It¡¯s without a doubt that they would opt to capture him alive and force him to ept certain terms and conditions made by the Army in order for him to escape being jailed. Simr things have happened before. I believe everyone has heard about the genius pirate, Tyrant? The amount of damage he caused in the past through his actions is a hundred times more than the amount of damage Gu Ding has done. Nevertheless, he was recruited by the Federal Government in the end...¡±

    Bart fell silent upon hearing Rhine¡¯s words. The young man¡¯s analysis sounded quite reasonable. After a fairly long time, Bart said, ¡°If that¡¯s the case, Rhine, what do you think is the best thing for me to do?¡±

    <b>re</b>

    ¡°Boss, looking at the current situation, there are only three possible oues.¡±

    ¡°One, we¡¯ll be arrested and you¡¯ll be sentenced to at least 300 years of jail time in ordance with your crimes. Consequently, the rest of us will probably be sentenced to jail for less than a hundred years. The probability of this is very high. Not to mention, if we don¡¯t act in two days and the Army¡¯s reinforcements arrive, it will without a doubt be reality. However, if we take action and fail to make a sessful escape, the oue will be the same.

    ¡°The second oue would be us dying. Nevertheless, it¡¯ll only happen if we choose to fight the Army in two days. That¡¯s because there¡¯s a chance Emily and Sharp would do anything to hunt you down for the kill.¡± ¡°Third would be we sessfully escape. It¡¯s the best possible oue for us, but we can only consider it as a probability if we choose to fight it out in two days. In addition to that, we¡¯d need courage and luck to make it happen.¡±

    At this time, Bart nodded. ¡°So, the best choice is to fight it out with the Army in two days.¡±

    ¡°The possible oues may not look so good, but it¡¯s also the best choice we can make,¡± Rhine said with a serious look on his face.

    A smile appeared on Bart¡¯s face. He was d that he had finally found himself a capable young man in his crew. ¡°Very good. From this day onward, I proim Rhine as our crew¡¯s strategist!¡±

    Bart¡¯s crew was not the only one deep in discussion after Gu Ding had put the word out. In actual fact, many other crews were also discussing the matter amongst themselves.

    As for An Luo and his crew, they called Gu Ding.

    ¡°Gu Ding, how confident are you in terms of escaping sessfully during your mission two days from now?¡± An Luo knew that the mission that would take ce in two days was very different from the night raid. This time, the Army would be prepared to fight them; it was an unprecedented challenge for the pirates.

    Gu Ding was silent at An Luo¡¯s question. Nevertheless, after a while, he gave An Luo an answer thetter was not expecting. ¡°I¡¯m not.. but If we wait till the Army¡¯s backup arrives, we won¡¯t stand a chance at all. We have no other choice but to take this gamble.¡±

    ¡°I understand,¡± An Luo did not question further. Instead, he only stated that he understood the situation and hung up.

    Not long after, Gu Ding¡¯smunicator rang once again.

    ¡°It¡¯s Mi En, do you want to answer the call?¡± Neptune asked. He knew that Gu Ding was not too willing to hear from a soothsayer.

    ¡°I¡¯ll answer it.¡± Gu Ding nodded. Not long after, Mi En¡¯s voice could be heard from themunicator, ¡°Gu Ding, I¡¯m sorry to disturb you sote at night. I just received your message and did some divination. The results from my divination are not that great, and I foreshadow a disaster. Are you sure you want to go through with it?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to end up in federal prison because it would mean I¡¯ll be back at square one on my journey. Escaping from prison wouldn¡¯t mean a thing. There is no other choice for me,¡± Gu Ding told Mi En the reason for his decision. ¡°I¡¯m fine with that. No matter what the oue, we¡¯ve decided to follow you with this,¡± Mi En dered his stand.

    The long night finally ended. Liliath and the others received Gu Ding¡¯s message early the next morning as Gu Ding did not want to disturb their rest.

    ¡°They want to destroy the Grey-faced Buzzard?¡± Liliath knocked on Gu Ding¡¯s door first thing in the morning.

    Gu Ding opened the door and nodded silently. He had turned on the video projection very early that day. In the video, the Army could be seen making preparations. ¡°Can¡¯t we stop them?¡± Liliath unwilling to let it happen. Although she had only spent around a month¡¯s time on the spaceship, she had many memories tied to it.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, there¡¯s really nothing we can do.¡±

    Biggie and Robert also came to Gu Ding¡¯s room when they heard Liliath¡¯s voice. They looked at the video that was being projected on the wall.

    The Army could be seen activating fifty-two armor-piercing cannons in the video. Each cannon was pointed at an Interster Pirate¡¯s spaceship. Then, at the sound of an order, the canons were shot madly at the spaceships.

    The shiny Grey-faced Buzzard that still looked good as new was instantly enveloped in mes.

    The spaceship¡¯s recognizable outline could still be seen through the smoke of the first shot along with red mes that seemed to be swaying on the spaceship.

    Another shot was heard, and a third shot was soon fired.

    Very quickly, the Grey-faced Buzzard was destroyed. Only its mainframe was left as each piece of metal support that held up the spaceship¡¯s body was the only thing that could be seen. It looked much like a human being without anything but its bare bones. Nevertheless, it stood proud and strong.

    All of the other spaceships had beenpletely obliterated while the Grey-faced Buzzard was the only spaceship that had its frame still standing. It was like a sturdy set of bones that simply refused topromise nor give in. Gu Ding and the others could still tell where their bedrooms were and where the kitchen was...

    One could only wonder if life was ying a joke on them or the Grey-faced Buzzard had chosen to end things this way.

    Liliath could not hold back her tears as they fell from her eyes.

    Biggie bit his lips as he silently watched the scene y out in the video that was being projected on the wall.

    Robert was expressionless as he watched with his head raised. He did not move but a strange look was hidden within his eyes.

    Gu Ding watched the frame of Grey-faced Buzzard stand solo in the video. He closed his eyes for a brief moment and said silently to himself, ¡°Goodbye, Grey-faced Buzzard...¡±

 Chapter 150 - Whatâ€™s Giving The Army Marshal A Headache

    Chapter 150 What¡¯s Giving The Army Marshal A Headache

    A wise man once said that the sky is always calm before the storm.

    After all the Interster Pirates¡¯ spaceships had been destroyed by the Army, the Army enjoyed two days and two nights of peace and quiet. Nevertheless, those two days were days many members of the Army were the most worried about. Not a single person dared to touch a drop of alcohol, fearing a raid likest time would happen again

    As for information regarding the Interster Pirates, they seemed to vanish along with the remains of the spaceships as not a trace of it was left behind. Even Sharp and Emily could feel the strange feeling of depression and tension. They knew that the Interster Pirates would make a move, but they did not know how or when-that was why the Army was so tense. As for the Interster Pirates, they had all returned to Bartow. With Neptune¡¯s help, no one¡¯s information was leaked. They lurked patiently, waiting for Gu Ding¡¯s next message.

    Not far from Great Divinity, the spaceship of a mercenary had finally arrived.

    The three interceptors were aware of the spaceship¡¯s presence. They had heard from the Army that Gu Ding had hired mercenaries-that was why they were extremely cautious. However, they could not just shoot any other spaceships except those owned by Interster Pirates-they could just be passing by.

    ¡°The Army is on a mission. Please leave immediately or we will have you evacuate by force,¡± the three interceptors shouted at the Silver Hawk at the same time.

    ¡°Hey, we¡¯re just passing by. Don¡¯t shoot, we¡¯ll take a detour!¡± a husky male voice was heard from the Silver Hawk, it seemed like he was the spaceship¡¯s captain. ¡°Boss, your acting has improved yet again,¡± the pilot casually said to Captain Big Beard.

    ¡°Hehe, we¡¯re the earliest here. Every single one we take down counts!¡± Big Beard¡¯s face was flushed with excitement.

    ¡°The ship was just passing by...¡± The three interceptors felt relieved after seeing the Silver Hawk turn around. All of a sudden, one of the interceptors was shelled.

    Only then did they notice that the Silver Hawk had two batteries installed on its rear. Having turned around, the two batteries of the spaceship were aimed exactly in their direction.

    ¡°Damn it, these mercenaries are crazy! Not even the slightest sign was seen before they opened fire. They didn¡¯t even activate their energy barrier and fired right away. They must have done so intentionally to let our guards down.¡±

    The other two interceptors immediately aimed at the Silver Hawk to retaliate. Nevertheless, the Silver Hawk had already popped open its energy barrier by then, and it managed to quickly dodge the attack.

    Interceptors had nothing simr to the flexibility of assault ships. That was the reason why each time they showed up, they would be apanied by several others. ¡°The shell of the Baby Dragon is indeed thick.¡± The young pilot noticed that even though they had hit one of the Baby Dragons with an attack, the damage caused to the spaceship was very minimal as the attack had been blocked by the spaceship¡¯s energy barrier. Nevertheless, they hade fully prepared. Their weaponry had gone through some modifications. For example, some of their weapons could now cause electromaic interferences, they could disable the spaceship hit within a short span of time and disrupt itsmunications.

    Under the fire of two interceptors, the Silver Hawk continued to dodge. It was trying to look for an opportunity to strike back, but most of its attacks were inevitably countered by the stronger gunfire the interceptors had.

    ¡°Boss, it¡¯s a little tricky this time. The pilots in charge of the interceptors are not inferior to me in terms of skill. The one that just got hit will soon return to action,¡± the pilot said grimly after having put up a fight.

    ¡°Retreat! We¡¯ll try again once the next spaceship appears!¡± Big Beard decisively made the order to retreat.

    Just then, the spaceship¡¯s radar showed that another spaceship was fast approaching them. The spaceship was not too far away, and it was a Grey-faced Buzzard. ¡°Boss, someone¡¯sing over. Looks like they¡¯re mercenaries too. They¡¯re flying a Grey-faced Buzzard.¡±

    ¡°Fly toward it and get it into the battlefield,¡± Big Beard waved his hand as he said, ¡°It¡¯s not that easy to steal from under our noses.¡±

    Larwell, who was in the Grey-faced Buzzard, was a little excited. His spaceship was moving at full speed, and the journey could not have been smoother. Larwell vaguely felt that the mission would be a sess.

    As they approached Great Divinity, they found two parties exchanging fire.

    A Silver Hawk was being sieged by two Baby Dragons. The moment Larwell saw the logo on the Silver Hawk, he knew who the spaceship belonged to. ¡°It¡¯s Big Beard, let us take a detour.¡±

    ¡°Boss, they¡¯re heading straight for us.¡± The pilot seemed a bit nervous. ¡°Damn, that Big Beard is evil. He¡¯s clearly trying to make us his scapegoat.¡± Larwell scolded morosely. ¡°Then we should simply stay put and focus all our firepower on... Huh, why isn¡¯t that spaceship moving? Let¡¯s focus all our firepower on that stationary ship!¡±

    ¡°Alright...¡± the pilot said timidly after receiving Larwell¡¯s instructions. He moved the spaceship slightly before pouring focusing their firepower on the motionless Baby Dragon.

    The Baby Dragon which had not yet returned to normal due to electromaic interference was once again attacked violently out of nowhere. Its energy barrier percentage dropped from 70% to 0% in a matter of seconds before it waspletely under fire by the Grey-faced Buzzard. Not long after, it exploded into pieces. ¡°Damn it, he took advantage of us!¡± Big Beard was outraged. He had nned on dragging them into the battlefield and was not expecting them to react so quickly. Instead of escaping, they attacked the half-paralyzed Baby Dragon. ¡°Boss, should we take down the Grey-faced Buzzard?¡± the pilot could not help but ask.

    ¡°Our money matters more, leave it alone!¡± Big Beard instantly made a decision.

    After the Grey-faced Buzzard had gotten rid of one of the Baby Dragons, it immediately led one of the other interceptors to attack it. Hence, some burden was lifted from Big Beard¡¯s Silver Hawk.

    ¡°It¡¯s diverting some of the firepower. Good job, we¡¯ll strike back!¡± Big Beard issued a new order.

    ¡°Boss, we did it!¡± On the Grey-faced Buzzard, everyone had not thought that they would be able to take down a Baby Dragon interceptor so easily.

    ¡°Let¡¯s get out of the battlefield and leave,¡± Larwell issued a weird order out of nowhere. ¡°Boss, we still have a chance. There are two more Baby Dragons.¡± The others were a little reluctant.

    ¡°Do you think anything good wille out of stealing from Big Beard? If we stay, even if we don¡¯t get killed by those two Baby Dragons, Big Beard will kill us off.¡± Larwell was well aware of the situation. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s get out of here. The faster we escape the better!¡±

    Reluctantly, the pilot steered the spaceship around and fled into the distance. It did not take long before the Grey-faced Buzzard disappeared from the Silver Hawk¡¯s radar.

    ¡°The Grey-faced Buzzard escaped?¡± Big Beard had not expected them to pull something like that. As a result, his Silver Hawk was once again under the attack of two Baby Dragons. Recognizing this, he immediately gave the order to retreat, ¡°Let¡¯s retreat first and wait for another spaceship toe closer.¡± Therefore, the Silver Hawk turned around and sped away.

    Nevertheless, the pilots of the two Baby Dragons knew that everything was far from over and it was only the beginning.

    Sure enough, after about less than half an hour, two more Grey-faced Buzzards appeared at almost the same time and violently opened fire at the two interceptors. Aware of what was happening, Big Beard¡¯s Silver Hawk quickly re-entered the battleground. Then, it struck one of the Baby Dragons from the side, causing it to go through electromaic interference. Instantly, the energy barrier outside the Baby Dragon vanished, and a bright fire was lit in the starry sky.

    Then, the three assault ships proceeded to aim all their firepower at thest Baby Dragon. A frantic barrage of gunfire poured out and it was taken down fairly quickly.

    At the same time, on Great Divinity, it was at the break of dawn.

    Gu Ding received a message on his wristwatch.

    ¡°Gu Ding, the Mercenary Alliance has just informed me that the three inceptors have been taken care of. They had videos of the matter verified and sent to us. There¡¯s no problem with them. I¡¯ve checked them myself, and there are no signs of tampering,¡± Neptune said as he projected the videos.

    There were three videos in total. Gu Ding spent a few minutes to watch them and nodded. ¡°Inform the others that the three Baby Dragons have been destroyed. Send them the videos as well. Tell them to meet up at the tavern not too far from the port.¡±

    Neptune immediately sent out the videos as well as Gu Ding¡¯s message.

    Many Interster Pirates were thrilled the moment they saw the videos pertaining to the destruction of the three Baby Dragons. It meant that they could escape if they managed to sessfully seize a spaceship. The news regarding the destruction of the Baby Dragons quickly reached the Army as well.

    Howell¡¯s face was expressionless as he watched the videos. From the very moment Gu Ding issued the mission, he knew the destruction of the three Baby Dragons was inevitable and it would only be a matter of time before they were destroyed. Sometimes, mercenaries were crazier than Interster Pirates. Howell immediately got someone to find out the owners of the four assault ships and ced new bounties on their heads.

    Howell was in no mood to deal with the matter, and he was worried about something else. He had received a support application report from Sharp on the same night Gu Ding issued the mission.

    The report contained a detailed and clear description of all that had happened on Great Divinity, including information about the death of nearly four thousand Army members. Sharp had chosen to take full responsibility for it. His reason being was that he had caused the tragedy because he ignored the bigger picture and insisted on challenging Biggie. In addition to that, Sharp made it clear that he would step down as an Army general because of the incident.

    Howell was a bit skeptical about some parts of Sharp¡¯s report. He vaguely felt that Sharp was taking everything on himself just so he could resign. Thest thing Howell wanted to see was Sharp¡¯s resignation because he had been molding Sharp as Army¡¯s next marshal. Sharp was the strongest and most responsible person among the four generals. Additionally, he was the most experienced-he was the best candidate to serve as the next marshal.

    As a marshal, Howell often thought further than the rest of the Army. Winning battles were important, but his top priority had always been maintaining the prosperity of the Army. Hence, to Howell, others could bepromised for that sake.

    Howell knew that all he had to do was help Sharp weather the storm. However, the main issue was that based on Sharp¡¯s words in his report, his resignation was a done deal. That was what Howell was having a headache about.

    Howell rubbed his head and shouted at themunications officer, ¡°Send these videos to Sharp. You don¡¯t need to say anything. He¡¯ll know what to do.¡±

 Chapter 151 - The War Begins

    Chapter 151 The War Begins

    Upon receiving the videos from the Army¡¯s headquarters, Sharp¡¯s eyebrows furrowed as he scrubbed through each one of them. ¡°It seems like there¡¯s going to be war.¡±

    In terms of headcount and absolutebat effectiveness, the Army had the advantage. However, the Interster Pirates were all desperadoes.

    The people in the Army were different-they received a steady paycheck each month. Life was easy when they were not on missions, especially for Army officials of higher rankings. If they were lucky, they would only encounter a few small scale battles every few decades. They spent most of their time drinking coffee in the office.

    On the other hand, Interster Pirates spent almost every day being hunted down-not one day of their lives was safe. The higher the bounty offered by the Army for their heads, the stronger the crew. Nevertheless, the probability of such people being chased by others who wanted the bounty on their heads also increased exponentially-it was the same for their death rate. Once Interster Pirates reached a certain point, they would find it hard to increase their bounties; the risk of being assassinated was half of the reason. Hence, fewer Interster Pirates with high bounties existed.

    Those who chose to be Interster Pirates were adventurous people. They were used to betting on their own lives and challenging themselves over and over again. They were fundamentally different from the people of the Army.

    Those who chose to join the Army were mostly people who wanted a stable life.

    If one wanted an exciting life, they could choose to be an Interster Pirate, an Interster Hunter, or an Interster Mercenary, very few would choose to join the Army.

    Sharp became emotional looking at the youth that was more than twelve hundred people. He nced over them before speaking up, ¡°Be prepared for battle. The three Baby Dragons outside Great Divinity have been destroyed. Those Interster Pirates can strike anytime. Today, I will stake my honor to fight alongside you! Reinforcements will arrive the day after this and then everything will be over.¡±

    While Sharp was giving a speech at the port, Gu Ding and his crew were gathered at a tavern. Nevertheless, within the next twenty minutes, around six hundred Interster Pirates joined Gu Ding¡¯s crew as they headed toward the port.

    Led by Gu Ding, the group of Interster Pirates came face to face to the Army and only stopped in their tracks when they were less than three hundred meters away from them.

    ¡°Gu Ding, were you the mastermind behind the previous night raid?¡± Sharp looked at Gu Ding who was in the lead as his eyes shed eerily. Sharp was clueless as to why Gu Ding had so much appeal and was the one leading the operations. Among the nearly six hundred Interster Pirates, many of them were veteran powerhouses-seven of them had bounties higher than Gu Ding. In terms of strength, Gu Ding was not the strongest. Although Biggie, who was in his crew, was undeniably the number one powerhouse, there were at least ten people who were much stronger than Gu Ding. ¡°I knew that people would die in that fight, but I had no intention of creating a massacre.¡± Gu Ding did not answer Sharp¡¯s question directly. ¡°My goal was only to save lives that night. What happened thereafter was nothing I wanted to see.¡± ¡°My goal is also very simple this time, I just want to leave this.¡± Gu Ding¡¯s voice was calm. ¡°I¡¯m not sure how things will turn out this time but one thing is for sure-I will get rid of all obstacles in my sight in order to achieve my goals. The same goes for the people behind me.¡±

    ¡°Very well then.¡± Sharp was so outraged that heughed out loud. ¡°It seems like Federation Prison isn¡¯t the best ce for you. Where you should go to is hell!¡±

    The moment Sharp finished, a strong force burst forth from him. In addition to that, raw strength began to flow out like a river from Sharp¡¯s body. Seeing this, the expressions on the faces of many Interster Pirates changed drastically.

    Just then, Biggie, who was beside Gu Ding, stepped forward. Drawn by bloodshed, Sharp focused his attention on Biggie, and the two powerhouses confronted each other.

    The others who had only felt the tension between them then realized their enormous strength-they were on an entirely different level.

    Sharp¡¯s right hand turned into a saber as white true primary power quickly solidified on the surface of his palms. With that, he struck at a speed that was hard for the naked eye to catch. In an instant, hundreds of white des were shot out with a force strong enough to break the sound barrier. Like a huge falling from the sky, the attack had a range that could cover more than five hundred people.

    Biggie flicked his thumb slightly. Then, a ck saber was drawn from its sheath and an undetectable thin line was drawn in the air. The thin line was like a ripple in water as it slowly spread out. The further it went, the longer it extended-and the thicker it grew. When it finally collided with the white saber, its length was the same as the opposing attack with all its des piled together.

    ¡°Break!¡± Biggie shouted.

    The ck thread instantly turned into a sharp de as it prated the white saber like as if it was cutting tofu-the saber was torn apart without any resistance. A momentter, the saber seemed to have reached its limit as it began to crack and vanish into nothingness.

    The exchange of abilities stunned everyone. Sharp could extend his attacks to cover a range of more than three hundred meters to envelop arge number of people-the control he had over his primary power was indeed unbelievable.

    Biggie¡¯s thread managed to break andpletely crush Sharp¡¯s devastating attack-it was enough to show how strong he was.

    Even Gu Ding looked on with envy. He hoped to one day raise his Cell Index to one thousand points so that he could learn how to use primary power.

    Lilith was beside Gu Ding and was wearing a metal hat. Her eyes were slightly closed, and she was being guarded by Robert who was beside her.

    Sharp had expected his long-range attack to be ineffective. In his previous battle with Biggie, neither of them was able to break the tie. Hence, he had no idea why Biggie chose to withdraw from the battleground back then. In his opinion, Biggie was the toughest opponent he had ever faced. Nevertheless, his understanding of swordsmanship had gotten more extensive throughout the past few days. Therefore, he thought that he had a chance at oveing the challenge. Nheless, based on Biggie¡¯s most recent attack, he seemed to have be strongerpared to two days ago.

    ¡°He seems to have improved from the battle two days ago. Looks like it will be hard for me to resolve this battle in a short amount of time.¡± Although Sharp was excited because he was being faced with an opponent that practiced swordsmanship, he was also slightly worried about the Army¡¯s situation. ¡°I wonder if Emily can lead this battle to victory.¡±

    <b>§ª,</b>

    I

    ¡°Emily, I¡¯ll leave it to you.¡± He to Emily over his shoulder.

    Just then, Biggie took advantage of the opportunity. Biggie appeared on Sharp¡¯s right in an instant and struck with his saber.

    Sharp reacted immediately by blocking the attack with his hand-transformed saber.

    ck domineering force poured out from Biggie¡¯s saber, and it collided with Sharp¡¯s white primary power. As a result, a destructive force was produced. Although the ck force was unable to tear the white primary power apart, the strong impact sent Sharp flying in an instant.

    Seeing this, Biggie gave chase after hitting him. In the blink of an eye, he once again appeared in front of Sharp after a short pause. The former at this time had just regained his footing. With a sh, Biggie mmed hard on Sharp¡¯s waist with a crescent-like ck force from his de. As a result, blood was spilled.

    Sharp¡¯s pupils contracted immediately. It has to be said that if he had been hit directly, his body would have taken a heavy toll. Sharp instantly withdrew and threw out several strikes to suppress Biggie.

    Emily was shocked to see Sharp on the losing end. Nevertheless, she knew that if Sharp lost, she would not be able to win the battle alone. Hence, she had to get rid of the stronger ones on the opposing side. The silver handgun in her hand was not a Firearm Combat Armor-it was a special handgun. It was not that she could not afford a Combat Armor. Instead, even a bronze-grade Firearm Combat Armor heavy sniper was nowhere near the strength of her handgun. As for silver-grade Combat Armor, no one in Dragon Soar Cosmic Nation had seen one in many years. The only downside of the gun was that it could only carry twenty rounds. Nevertheless, to Emily, it was not a disadvantage.

    Setting twenty people including Gu Ding and Bart as her targets, Emily raised her gun and opened fire after confirming each person¡¯s position.

    Twenty deadly silver bullets soon began to whirl with spiral force. Then, just like twenty tiny meteorites in the air, they drew traces in the air as they headed straight toward the twenty people including Gu Ding.

    At that moment, Robert calmly pulled out a strange machine that was the size of his palm. After a push of the button, the trajectory of Emily¡¯s bullets began to change strangely. It was as if they were being repelled by some sort of invisible force-moving to either the left or right.

    Then, all the twenty bulletsnded on the ground, leaving trails as they streaked through the dirt.

    ¡°I studied her through a video. She uses a special handgun instead of Combat Armor. That sort of handgun can only use one type of bullet. That¡¯s why I studied the material of her bullet casings and designed this maic field disruptor. It¡¯s capable ofpletely disrupting the maic field of an entire area and constantly producing irregr changes. As a result, the trajectory of her bullets will change as they¡¯re pulled by the maic field, making it impossible for her to predict where her attacks will fall. It wouldn¡¯t matter even if she were capable of performingplex mathematical calctions because the maic field includes that of the human body. In other words, it can deflect the bullet directly. Her attacks will be nullified against all forms of life that emit maic fields in this port. In other words, under the influence of this appliance, her bullets cannot hit any living person. Since this maic field was designed for her bullets, it won¡¯t impact other metals as much. Hence, it won¡¯t interfere with Biggie¡¯s battle and affect the operation of mechs,¡± Robert exined after seeing the strange look on Gu Ding¡¯s face.

    Upon seeing what had happened-though somewhat confused ¨C Emily swapped magazines and continued firing. Nevertheless, the oue this time was a lot worse. As soon as the bullets flew out of the muzzle, their trajectories took a strange turn and once again quicklynded in the middle of nowhere. Emily guessed that someone had to be using some sort of special ability to interfere with the trajectories of her bullets.

    Emily was not too rmed when she learned that she could not use her gun. Instead, she stowed away her handgun and hung it at the back of her waist, reached behind herself, and unsheathed a gleaming dagger. She smiled coldly. ¡°Do you think I only know how to use guns? How naive!¡±

 Chapter 152 - The Chaotic War

    <h4>Chapter 152 The Chaotic War</h4>

    The war was about to begin!

    As Soon as Emily made a move, the Army¡¯s members behind her did the same. They rushed madly toward Gu Ding and the others.

    Emily had made Gu Ding her target. She knew that if Gu Ding died, no one would be able to escape. That was because no one else could unlock the skydome and disable the armor-piercing cannons at the port.

    She leaped twice, rapidly trying to close the distance between Gu Ding and her.

    Gu Ding put on his ck mech and was about to confront Emily when Bart stopped him.

    ¡°You¡¯re no match for that woman. Leave her to us and you take out the mech.¡± Standing in line with Bart were three other Rank-8 Gene Body powerhouses. They had all stepped forward and were in front of Gu Ding. It has to be said that all three of them were veteran Interster Pirates with bounties of more than a billion Star Credits.

    The four surrounded Emily as she came closer.

    Emily did not want to waste her time with the four men. Nevertheless, as she shed past them to reach Gu Ding, she found that her foot was entangled in a ck chain that seemed to be trying to climb up her leg. Additionally, her strength was slowly being drained by the chain. Although it would take some time, she knew that getting rid of Bart was inevitable.

    ¡°You want to stop me with just the four of you?¡± Emily said with a slightly disdainful smile. ¡°Bart, I was going to get rid of you after getting rid of Gu Ding. However, seeing how you¡¯vee to me, I guess you didn¡¯t learn your lessonst time.¡±

    ¡°A few lessons from a woman that has such a nice face and figure isn¡¯t enough.¡± Bart leered at Emily¡¯s chest. ¡°You asked for it!¡± Emily was about to attack when she noticed that her body had be heavier. Her movements seemed several times slowerpared to normal as well. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s my ability to control gravity.¡± A stubby middle-aged man bared his teeth. He was called Benter and had the highest bounty among the four at 2.2 billion Star Credits. He once killed a Rank-9 Gene Body powerhouse with his ability to control gravity. ¡°And there¡¯s us!¡± Emily looked over her shoulder as two more voices came from behind her. It was a pair of twins-one man and one woman. Emily had not noticed their faces before because they were dressed differently.

    The twins looked young, but they had been Interster Pirates for more than three years. The older brother was called Sonny, while the younger sister was called Luna. Their family name was Berryminda-a family whose ancestor was a demigod-so they had very good genes. Basically each family member-once awakened-gained decent special abilities.

    Sonny and Luna both had spirits much stronger than ordinary people. After both of them awakened, their spirit levels increased by twenty-foldpared to martial arts practitioners of the same level. In addition to that, their spirits could be integrated perfectly as long as the two held hands together. With that, their spirit levels could surge to about two hundred times the strength of a martial arts practitioner of the same level. Both of them had chosen to be illusionists because of their spirit levels.

    Emily nced over her shoulder and fell into an illusion the two had set up together.

    ¡°We got her!¡± Sonny and Luna noticed it almost immediately when Emily fell into their illusion. They smiled at each other.

    ¡°Her defense capabilities are too strong for us to do any effective damage. I¡¯m going to set up a seal formation. It¡¯s a bitplicated and it might take some time. However, once she steps in there, we can seal herpletely. I pulled it off with Sharpst time and it worked. However, this time, I¡¯m not going to pierce her heart. I¡¯ll chop her head off so that even if the Spiritse, she won¡¯t be able to resurrect.¡± Bart did not have a tender heart for the fairdy. Sharp¡¯s resurrection had made him determined to behead anyone he used the seal on as soon as possible to avoid them from resurrecting

    Upon finishing what he wanted to say, Bart got to work. The other three watched Emily closely, worried that there would be changes in her body.

    On the other hand, Gu Ding was deep in enemy territory. He was pretty much invincible with the mech on.

    With the basic attack effectiveness of a Rank-8 Gene Body, plus the ten times increase in power from Ultimate Arts, as well as the three times increase inbat effectiveness due to berserker conversion, Gu Ding¡¯sbat effectiveness was as good as a Rank-9 Gene Body martial arts practitioner.

    Among the Army people that hade this time-besides Sharp and Emily-the strongest of the Army¡¯s men was merely a Peak Rank-8 Gene Body colonel general.

    Watching Gu Ding rampage through the battleground without a rival, three mech operators decided to drive their mechs toward him to stop him.

    Two of the mechs sped Gu Ding¡¯s left and right hand while thest one tried to smash its knee into Gu Ding¡¯s head. Gu Ding grinned from inside the mech. If it were someone else, they would have taken the blow. Nevertheless, Gu Ding had no intention of taking the hit.

    Gu Ding immediately tore hard with both his hands and tore off the arms of the two mechs that were gripping his hands. The mechs that made Rank-8 Gene Body powerhouses helpless were as brittle as a twig in front of Gu Ding.

    The perfectly intact mech in front of Gu Ding came to aplete halt as the mech operator inside it was stunned. Gu Ding did not let go of this w. He leaped high and performed a Phantom Kick to the side of the mech¡¯s head. With that, half of the mech¡¯s head was blown away and it ceased to function.

    The other two mech operators which had their arms ripped off began running around franticly. Only then did they notice that the ck mech in front of them was the devil.

    Gu Ding mercilessly caught up with the first mech and performed a Steel Fist to the back of the mech¡¯s head with a force so strong the wind was blown away. The mech¡¯s head instantly burst open and ceased to function.

    Then, Gu Ding quickly turned around to chase the second mech. After several leaps, Gu Ding appeared in front of the mech. Using his elbow, Gu Ding crushed the energy slot in the chest of the mech without hesitation.

    It took Gu Ding less than five minutes to kill the three mechs.

    Gu Ding looked up and down to look for his next target. Soon, he locked his eyes on an unlucky fellow.

    The guy was still attacking a bloodied Interster Pirate. He didn¡¯t seem to be in a hurry to kill him-he was just taunting him.

    With a few leaps, Gu Ding dived behind the mech and tapped on its back with his finger.

    The mech operator turned around in surprise. He was stunned when he saw Gu Ding¡¯s ck mech. Then, he saw his vision turn ck-Gu Ding had severed the mech¡¯s head and ripped off the control circuits around its neck with his bare hands.

    Gu Ding tossed the mech¡¯s head aside and grabbed the mech operator by his cor with one hand. Then, he pulled the person out of the mech and threw him in front of the bloodied man.

    The bloodied man was a newly promoted Rank-8 Gene Body martial arts practitioner while the mech operator was only a Rank-6 Gene Body. He was barely able to put up a fight before the bloodied man wrung his neck.

    Gu Ding opened the hatch of his mech and threw the man a bottle of E-Grade cell repair agent. Although it wasrgely ineffective for a Rank-8 Gene Body, it was rather effective in healing wounds and stopping bleeding.

    After closing the hatch, Gu Ding went after his next target.

    In less than 10 minutes, Gu Ding managed to violently destroy twelve Army mechs. There were less than ten mechs left on the battleground. Then, he heard Neptune¡¯s voice, ¡°Gu Ding, Biggie and Sharp are getting further and further away. Lilliath is losing contact with Biggie.¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t Biggiee back?¡±

    ¡°No, in his state of hypnosis, he can only hear the voice of the caster. He automatically rejects other sounds so he can¡¯t hear me. Besides, Lilliath is struggling to hold on to their bond and is unable to focus on anything else-including talking. I can dial Biggie¡¯s number through Lilliath and get Biggie on the line. However, the main thing we need is for Lilliath to order him to return. Or else, we¡¯ll just have to send Liliath somewhere closer to where they¡¯re fighting.¡±

    ¡°Then let Robert take her there. He should have abat robot left to protect her.¡± Gu Ding was often felt worried when Lilliath was not in his sight. Nevertheless, after seeing Robert¡¯sbat abilities throughout the past few days, Gu Ding believed that Robert could take good care of Lilliath.

    On a tower in Bartow, Sharp wiped the blood off from the corners of his mouth. He smirked as he looked at Biggie who was standing still and had stopped attacking. ¡°It seems that this is the maximum distance there can be between the little girl and you. Although I don¡¯t know the connection between the two of you, I noticedst time that no matter how fierce the battle got, she never attacked and only stood still. Nevertheless, whenever the little girl showed signs of difort, you¡¯d retreat immediately. Therefore I took a wild guess-your strength isrgely influenced by the girl.

    ¡°Ever since the beginning of this fight, I¡¯ve been coaxing you away from the little girl by pretending to be at a disadvantage and running far away. I admit that the method I used isn¡¯t entirely clean but I had to do it for the sake of the Army and the ultimate victory of this battle. It¡¯s the best way to save time. It¡¯s going to be hard for me and you, who are at your peak to fight it out at such short notice. However, I have to get back to the battleground as soon as possible to win this battle.¡±

    Sharp slowly approached Biggie as thetter stood still with ragged breathing. Biggie¡¯s expression was weird ¨C he looked confused, lost, and even frightened.

    As Sharp got nearer, he raised his hand saber and cut Biggie¡¯s neck. All of a sudden, Biggie¡¯s breath steadied once again. Then, it was as if Asura had descended into the world as his eyes widened with rage. Biggie silently struck his saber at an odd angle, and a ck thread stretched out to strike the back of Sharp¡¯s neck...

 Chapter 153 - Crisis Everywhere

    <h4>Chapter 153 Crisis Everywhere</h4>

    In the city made of concrete and steel, the two figures ran wildly across streets and alleys.

    The one in front was a robot carrying a girl, while the one behind was a smaller robot that was only half a meter in height. The two moved around really fast before stopping at the foot of arge building. There, Robert saw that at the top of a tall building less than three hundred meters away, Sharp was slowly walking toward Biggie.

    At that moment, Lilliath suddenly opened her eyes and looked toward Biggie¡¯s direction. All of a sudden, Biggie sprang into action without warning-Force from his ck saber curled around Sharp¡¯s neck like a thread.

    Sharp frantically retreated. The ck thread was like a ripple as it got longer and longer-until it could no longer be avoided. Sharp once again transformed his hand into a saber and lifted it. Next, he drew a white, de-like force from the void and dashed toward the ck thread.

    Sharp knew that Lilliath, the little girl from Gu Ding¡¯s team, had to be nearby. That was why Biggie¡¯sbat effectiveness had been restored again. He originally thought that Lilliath could not move in that state of hers. However, based on the situation at hand, his spection seemed to be wrong. As long as their opponent could move around the battleground, then there were only two ways to defeat Biggle: one was to fight him head-on and win with strength; the other was to kill Lilliath.

    Sharp looked toward his left but could not see where Lilliath was. He guessed that she had probably gone into hiding and was out of his sight. To find Lilliath in a short amount of time would not be easy. The only choice left was for him to fight Biggie head-on.

    After arriving at this conclusion, Sharp slowly closed his eyes and took a deep breath. The next moment, his eyes burst open and his muscles began to swell. His otherwise modest figure began to turn burly as an extremely powerful force began to flow from within him; he seemed at least ten times stronger than before. It was as if a man-eating beast had suddenly torn its cage apart. When Sharp released his power, even Gu Ding and the others who were at the port were able to notice the changes on the battleground. Sharp¡¯s powerful force was somewhat oppresive.

    ¡°Upon grasping the true essence of Knife Heart, I sealed myself as a Rank-10 Gene Body to avoid falling into delusion brought by its powers. I abandoned my powers as such so that I couldprehend swordsmanship wholeheartedly. In exchange, I¡¯m now able to improve my swordsmanship rather quickly. Thest time I fought with you, I didn¡¯t unseal myself to make it fair. Just now, I didn¡¯t relieve the seal at the port because I was worried that I would not be able to control myself and would cause idental casualties. However, now that we¡¯re here, and seeing that n A which was to weaken you didn¡¯t work, I can only go with n B which is to unseal myself.¡±

    This time, Sharp not only unsealed the power, but he also pushed his power to its limit so that he could defeat Biggie within the shortest amount of time possible.

    Sharp took one step forward. Then, without any warning, he appeared in front of Biggie. At that same instant, white primary power burst out from his hands. It has to be said that the primary power was at least ten times more intensepared to before, and one could faintly see small swirls in the air when the primary power burst out from his hands. The swirls were a phenomenon that urred when the air was torn.

    Sharp¡¯s hands moved so fast that they could not be caught by the naked eye. One could only see a white shadow in the air before they disappeared. On the other hand, Biggie¡¯s huge figure was instantly swallowed by the light.

    Sharp moved his hands frantically as if he was a chef mincing meat on a cutting board. Biggie was, of course, the minced meat on the cutting board; he was being pounded and sliced mercilessly by Sharp.

    Sharp¡¯s attacksted for several minutes, and he struck at least ten thousand times with his double-handed saber-frantically and aggressively. If it had been an ordinary person, they would have been cut into millions of pieces under the dense force.

    After making sure that his opponent was dead, Sharp stopped. Then, his figure slowly fell, and he stood still on the ground to look at the damage he had done. The building that was hundreds of meters high had been knocked down by his force; it was only less than half its original height.

    Not far ahead of Sharp was a huge, bottomless hole that even went through the building¡¯s foundation.

    Sharp had made sure that the building was unfinished and had no upants in it before he chose to fight there. ¡°Biggie lost...¡±

    At the port, Gu Ding who was tearing off the arm of a mech heard Neptune¡¯s voice. He frowned slightly and blew the mech¡¯s head off before asking, ¡°So soon? Didn¡¯t Lili and the rest go over?¡±

    ¡°Sharp has been hiding his strength. For many years, he lived as a Rank-10 Gene Body. His gene level promotion could be due to a build-up caused by that. Upon leveling up, he sealed himself at as a Rank-10 Gene Body. On the other hand, he improved his swordsmanship and gained a new ability, Knife Heart. Hence, the strength he has is much more than what¡¯s actually shown. His realbat effectiveness is way beyond his stats,¡± Neptune exined, ¡°Sharp now probably has the power to challenge a Rank-12 Gene Body. His previous attack caused Biggie to lose consciousnesspletely. I just connected to the wristwatch on Biggie¡¯s hand and activated the medical examination function. Although he¡¯s not dead, his body is extremely weak. Not to mention, his heartbeat seems very faint. Since he¡¯s unconscious, Liliath lost connection with him and her hypnosis stopped working.¡±

    ¡°Under these circumstances, will Sharp take him alive?¡± Gu Ding was a little worried that Sharp would kill Biggie-he would kill him off while thetter was unconscious.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. Sharp won¡¯t kill Biggie. He¡¯s worth more alive. Biggie has thebat effectiveness of a general. The Army should be interested in recruiting him. He won¡¯t be killed without any consideration.¡± Neptune was not worried about it at all.

    Sudden cries of surprise were heard not too far away from Gu Ding.

    Emily, who had previously been trapped in a state of illusion, managed to break out of the dreand Sunny and Luna had set up together. The moment the illusion was broken, the two of them suffered a heavy blow to their spirits.

    Emily took the opportunity to dash forward and eerily appear beside Sonny. Her sharp dagger slid across his neck, and blood began to gush out non-stop.

    It all happened so fast that neither Bart nor Benter could react.

    Upon seeing this, Gu Ding was about to rush in to help them. However, he was stopped by Neptune.

    ¡°The Army still has three mechs left. Your task is to kill thest three mechs to minimize the casualties in this war. No one else can stop the three mechs. Go over and help them now. Those three mechs will do whatever they want on the battleground, and they¡¯ll cause a lot of casualties. When ites to that, not only four people will be killed.¡±

    Gu Ding averted his eyes after hearing Neptune¡¯s statement. He zeroed in on the mech closest to him. He strained the muscles in his legs as he sped towards it. It took Gu Ding less than three seconds to leap as far as five hundred meters away. With the force of his impact, Gu Ding hit the mecha on the head with a cross arm. The mech¡¯s head became warped and it was instantly snapped off. Gu Ding then threw the head high into the air before it fell to the ground and began rolling.

    Gu Ding did not even look at the mech operator inside. Instead, he locked his sight on another mech. He knew that he had to finish his mission as soon as possible or Emily would cause a massacre.

    Four hundred meters-two seconds-that was how fast Gu Ding was going. Gu Ding performed a Steel Fist, and struck his opponent in the chest with a huge punch, crushing the mech¡¯s metal parts as if it was rotten wood. Gu Ding¡¯s punch went through the mech¡¯s chest and sent it crashing to the ground. ¡°Onest mech!¡±

    ¡°Two o¡¯clock, eight hundred meters!¡± Neptune said.

    Locking in the position of thest mech, Gu Ding¡¯s ck mech once again moved. Like a ck thunderbolt, it disappeared in a sh only to appear secondster in front of the enemy mech.

    Gu Ding sprung up and wrapped his arms around the mech¡¯s neck. Then, with a twist of his body, he twisted the mech¡¯s head three hundred and sixty degrees around. Next, Gu Ding seized the top of the mech¡¯s head, pulled it hard, and tore its head off.

    As thest Army mech fell, Gu Ding tossed the huge head aside and looked in the direction where Emily and the others were.

    Although it had only been mere seconds, Sonny and Luna were in a pool of blood. On the other hand, Bart and Benter were still struggling, and their bodies were bruised.

    Gu Ding darted out, and Emily thought he was going to attack her. However, what Gu Ding did instead was to quickly pick up the siblings who were lying in a pool of blood. He did so before leaving the battleground.

    Emily wanted to give chase but was stopped by Bart and Benter.

    Gu Ding opened his mech and took out an E-grade cell repair agent. He poured it over their necks and injected two more when he saw their wounds beginning to heal slowly.

    Cell repair agents had a wide range of uses. They could be used externally, taken internally, or injected. Although Gu Ding only gave both of them E-grade medicine that had limited effects, it was enough to stop their bleeding. Nevertheless, the rest was up to them to see whether they were tenacious enough to survive.

    Upon taking care of their injuries, Gu Ding slipped back into his mech and once again turned around to lock his sights on Emily.

    Emily smiled dryly in Gu Ding¡¯s direction, her eyes zing with defiance.

    Gu Ding¡¯s eyes were full of anger as he thrust his ck mech¡¯s legs hard. His body sprung out like a ck lightning bolt, and Gu Ding mmed his indestructible Steel Fist at where the woman was...

 Chapter 154 - A Bet

    <h4>Chapter 154 A Bet</h4>

    Gu Ding¡¯s attacks were aggressive, and Emily was not one of those mechs with a hard shell. Instead, she was a genuine Rank-10 Gene Body powerhouse.

    A Rank-10 Gene Body meant a Cell Index of at least millions of points. In a 2-star Cosmic Nation like Dragon Soar Cosmic Nation, such a gene level was already the peak ofbat effectiveness. In addition, Emily had been a Rank-10 Gene Body for more than a year, and she had a Cell Index of about two million points.

    Whether in terms of cell strength, primary power, or even special abilities, a Rank-10 Gene Body powerhouse would always have the advantage.

    Even with Gu Ding having his mech on, the difference between them was stillrge. That was why Gu Ding had chosen to attack furiously from the start, utilizing his Damage Stacking ability.

    Emily did not take Gu Ding¡¯s attacks too seriously. She might not have been a mech operator, but as an Army general, she had a basic understanding of mechs. Dragon Soar Cosmic Nationcked the necessary metallic mineral deposits to make advanced mechs. Hence, even if Gu Ding had the blueprints to make an advanced mech, as well as someone to help him make it, the mech¡¯s maximum basic attack effectiveness would be that of a powerhouse with a Cell Index of ten thousand points.

    Emily was right about that as the mech Gu Ding was piloting only had a basic attack effectiveness of ten thousand points. However, taking into ount Gu Ding¡¯s Ultimate Art and Rage Attack, his attack effectiveness was actually thirty thousand points.

    Gu Ding attacked furiously. However, instead of fighting back, Emily reached out with one hand and caught Gu Ding¡¯s fist.

    The scene made people feel surreal as Emily¡¯s hand was not even half the size of the mech¡¯s fist. Nevertheless, she managed to stop the huge mech¡¯s thunderous blow. Emily stood motionless while Gu Ding took control of the mech and fled out upside down. The message Emily was trying to send Gu Ding was very clear¨C your attacks have no effect on me!

    In fact, the moment news of Biggie¡¯s defeat came, Gu Ding knew that they had lost the battle. As soon as Sharp returned to the battleground, no one would be able to escape. Not to mention, now that Biggie had been captured, there was no way Gu Ding would escape without him.

    The ck mech instantly retreated to Bart and Benter¡¯s side. Gu Ding said, ¡°Leave Emily to me. Sharp will be back soon. Inform the others to grab the spaceships and get out of here!¡± Gu Ding¡¯s words were also directed to Neptune, who immediately sent the message to all the Interster Pirates.

    ¡°What are you going to do?¡± Bart asked despite his character.

    ¡°I can¡¯t escape. Biggie has been captured by Sharp.¡±

    Bart wanted to say something. Nevertheless, he knew that no matter what he said, Gu Ding would not escape without a member of his crew. Hence, Bart chose to run away with Benter instead.

    Emilyughed upon hearing Gu Ding¡¯s words. ¡°Gu Ding, you brought some good news. Even I didn¡¯t know about it. Why resist in vain when you know the end is in sight? Besides, those guys don¡¯t even know you, do they? Helping them escape and leaving your own team behind is not the sort of thing a wise man would do.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve never considered myself a wise man. I only do what I think is right.¡± Gu Ding stepped forward, blocking Emily¡¯s view of Bart and Benter.

    ¡°It seems to me that you¡¯re very foolish.¡± Unwilling to let any of the Interster Pirates go, Emily shed past Gu Ding and went straight for Bart and Benter.

    Gu Ding, still unrelenting, went after them as

    well.

    When the rest of the Interster Pirates received Gu Ding¡¯s message, arge majority of them left the battleground and rushed toward the Army¡¯s spaceships.

    Shortly after, the first group of Interster Pirates managed to snatch an Army spaceship. Once they got inside, they hastily started up the spaceship.

    The ship slowly rose into the air while the armor-piercing cannons at the port remained silent.

    However, just then, a figure appeared on top of the ship. That person was Emily who was in am Army uniform. She shot out spiral energy from her dagger, and the Army¡¯s standard spaceship was pierced in an instant. As a result, the spaceship quickly began to fall from the air.

    ¡°Damn, that crazy woman won¡¯t even think twice about destroying an Army spaceship.¡± Nevertheless, everyone could see that Emily had jumped onto the spaceship when it was not yet even twenty meters off the ground. If it had activated its energy barrier, or been at a higher height, the spaceship might have been able to escape.

    Emilynded on the ground and saw the rest of the Interster Pirates rushing toward other spaceships. She was furious as she said, ¡°Damn it, I¡¯m going to crush all your hopes today. Nobody¡¯s leaving this!¡±

    Upon finishing her sentence, Emily appeared right next to the nearest spaceship. Spiral energy burst out from her dagger once more and instantly destroyed the civilian spaceship. She then sprang up and down continuously. At the end of it all, not a single spaceship Emily had passed by at the port was left intact.

    asionally, Emily shot down spaceships in the sky as well. In under less than ten minutes, all the spaceships at the port, except for one Golden Eagle, were destroyed.

    Seeing how Emily was so determined this time, Gu Ding knew that everyone was doomed.

    Emily stood alone on the Golden Eagle¡¯s hatch as she looked coldly over all the Interster Pirates present. The Golden Eagle was made of special metal, and only Gene Bodies who were Rank-12 or above could damage the ship. Hence, Emily had no choice but to stand guard at the spaceship¡¯s hatch.

    The Army had spent quite a lot on their n. Hence, if they failed, it would mean that everything they had spent on the mission was all for naught. That exined why Emily had chosen such a resolute move. She was willing to spend more money in order to keep all the Interster Pirates there.

    ¡°Now what? That madwoman is standing on the Golden Eagle¡¯s hatch-no one can escape now!¡± Bart was speechless. Just moments ago, he was about to steal a spaceship when Emily destroyed it. He was full of hatred for Emily.

    Gu Ding paused for a moment before he took a step forward. ¡°Emily, would you be interested in making a bet?¡±

    As soon as Gu Ding said this, the noisy port instantly fell silent.

    ¡°Do you expect me to fall for your childish tricks? As long as I¡¯m here, none of you can escape. Why should I risk betting with you?¡± Emily shook her head andughed at Gu Ding¡¯s words.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you want to know what the stakes are before you make your decision?¡± Gu Ding sounded confident. It was as if he knew that Emily would take the bet once he told her about it.

    Emily silently stared at Gu Ding who was in the ck mech.

    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll tell you what the stakes are before you make up your mind.¡± Gu Ding paused for a moment, and everyone pricked up their ears to hear what Gu Ding had at stake.

    ¡°I challenge you to a 1 on 1 fight! If I win, you¡¯ll give up this ship and release my crew members; If you win, I, Gu Ding, and my crew, that includes Biggie, will join Dragon Soar Cosmic Nation¡¯s Federation Army unconditionally.¡±

    Everyone present was stunned the moment they heard what Gu Ding was staking.

    Many of them knew that Gu Ding¡¯s hacking skills were second to none in Dragon Soar Cosmic Nation. The Federal Government would certainly wee the addition of his talents. Not to mention, Biggie¡¯sbat effectiveness wasparable to that of a general. Gu Dinng¡¯s bet was indeed tempting for the Federal Government.

    The moment Emily heard Gu Ding¡¯s stakes, her heart leaped. The Army would definitely benefit a lot by having Gu Ding and Biggie on board-especially since Sharp was about to step down. With Biggie¡¯sbat effectiveness, it was likely that he would be a popr candidate as a general. On the other hand, Gu Ding more than capable of being a chief hacker.

    ¡°The stakes are indeed tempting. However, how can I be sure that you¡¯re not deliberately trying to trick me to move from this ce so that the others can grab the spaceship?¡± Emily was still hesitant to agree. ¡°Besides, there¡¯s a chance you won¡¯t keep your promise even if I win.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t insight your special ability?¡± Gu Ding opened the hatch of his mech to reveal half of his body, including his head. ¡°You can check for yourself whether the bet I¡¯m proposing is real.¡±

    Emily stared at Gu Ding. She activated her insight ability and found no signs that Gu Ding was lying. In silence, Emily calcted the difference between Gu Ding¡¯s strength and her own. She made sure that Gu Ding had no chance of winning before she nodded in agreement. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll ept your bet. However, if anyone tries to sneak into the ship during the bet, I won¡¯t show them any mercy.¡±

    With that, Emily beckoned to the remaining Army members; there were about a few hundred of them. ¡°Come here and stand by at the hatch. If anyone approaches, attack with all your might. Don¡¯t hesitate.¡±

    ¡°Why did you propose a bet when you have no chances of winning?¡± Neptune was a little confused about what Gu Ding was up to. In his opinion, Gu Ding¡¯s chances of winning the bet were almost zero.

    Gu Ding shut his mech¡¯s hatch and said, ¡°That¡¯s because I don¡¯t want to be locked away in federal prison. I also don¡¯t want to see Biggie, Lili, or Robert-any of them-put in federal prison. Therefore, I have to take this chance even though I have no chance of winning. I¡¯m incapable of saving Biggie from Sharp so I came up with this method. It¡¯s the only way we can save Biggie, and it¡¯s the only choice we have to escape being put to jail...¡±

    The men from the Army soon gathered together and formed a square in front of the Golden Eagle¡¯s hatch.

    ¡°We can now start!¡± Emily was slightly relieved as she nced over her shoulder at Gu Ding.

 Chapter 155 - Gu Ding Vs Emily

    Chapter 155 Gu Ding Vs Emily

    Now, above everyone were the stars of Great Divinity. White rays reflected off Gu Ding¡¯s ck mech under the sunlight.

    The knees of the ck mech bent slightly as it pushed itself off the ground and quickly flew forward, heading toward Emily. Emily stood where she was. Gu Ding¡¯s speed and strength were nothing to her even though he was in a mech. That was why Emily had no intention of evading Gu Ding¡¯s charge. On the other hand, Emily was intent on fighting him with all her strength and speed in order to end it quickly. In a sh, Gu Ding¡¯s mech appeared in front of Emily. However, in Emily¡¯s eyes, his movements were slow. Emily crouched slightly as she moved closer to the chest of the ck mech with her knife. ording to what she knew, most mechs had their energy tanks located on their chest. If she managed to destroy the energy tank of Gu Ding¡¯s mech, it would be the same as her disabling it. In order for it to be usable again, Gu Ding would need to rece some of the circuit boards around the energy tank.

    Terrifyingly strong spiral energy shot out of Emily¡¯s knife. However, Gu Ding reacted by twisting his body right when the energy was about toe in contact with his mech. By doing so, Gu Ding managed to sessfully dodge the attack.

    Emily was stunned by this. Gu Ding had not acted any faster than her, but for some strange reason, he was able to dodge her attack by twisting his body. The pration power of Emily¡¯s spiral energy was strong enough to create a hole in a spaceship such as the Grey-faced Buzzard, what more a little mech like Gu Ding¡¯s. Emily originally intended to win the fight in one blow. However, she missed her mark.

    Emily¡¯s attack caused Gu Ding to be in a cold sweat. She was much stronger than Gu Ding had expected. She was far too fast for him to even catch a glimpse of her attack. Nevertheless, his long-term training in the Ultimate Arts had instilled in him the instinct of how to react toward such dangerous situations. That was how Gu Ding was able to dodge Emily¡¯s lethal blow.

    ¡°You¡¯re not only inferior to her in terms of physicality, but also in terms of gene stability, cell strength, cell regeneration rate, movement speed, nerve response rate, primary power, battle experience, and so on.¡± Neptune pointed out that the odds were not in Gu Ding¡¯s favor. No matter how he calcted it, Gu Ding¡¯s chance of victory was practically zero based on the current data he had.

    Gu Ding did not disagree with Neptune¡¯s statement. Nevertheless, all Gu Ding did was to continue rushing toward Emily. Emily responded by moving to the side and then appearing right next to him. Waving her knife once again, Emily shot out spiral energy toward the right waist of the ck mech.

    However, just as it was about to hit its target, the ck mech twisted its waist once again and barely dodged the attack.

    After seeing it happen another time, Emily understood what was going on. She sort of envied Gu Ding for having such powerful fighting instincts. Such fighting instincts were normally developed by a special body art basic simr to the Ultimate Arts. Nevertheless, the two werepletely different.

    Gu Ding was not too pleased even though he had managed to dodge his opponent¡¯s attacks twice at such close proximity. To him, it seemed like he was only lucky as he was unable to grasp Emily¡¯s movements.

    Gu Ding had been able to attack Emily in their previous fight because Bart had interfered with his Spirit Chain, and Benter had increased the force of gravity on Emily by tenfold. Now, it was a one-on-one fight. Those restraints that had held Emily back were no longer around. ¡°It looks like Ultimate Arts Level 7 isn¡¯t enough...¡± Gu Ding was forced to react passively; he knew that prolonging the situation would only be a waste of time.

    ¡°Unlocking Level 8 will allow you to keep up with her speed but only barely. It wouldn¡¯t help much as you still wouldn¡¯t be able to wound her. Besides, you¡¯ll only strain your body with level 8, and you can only use it for half an hour at the most.¡± Neptune did not attempt to stop Gu Ding. He knew that Gu Ding would never give up without trying everything he could.

    ¡°I won¡¯t even stand a chance unless I unlock level 8.¡± Gu Ding was aware of his situation.

    It did not take long for Gu Ding to make his decision after his discussion with Neptune. He was set on unlocking Ultimate Arts Level 8. It would enhance him and increase hisbat effectiveness by twenty times-twice of what Ultimate Arts Level 7 gave him.

    Emily immediately noticed that Gu Ding had be faster the moment he unleashed Ultimate Arts Level 8. He had be almost twice as fast, and his steps were abnormalpared

    The ck mech increased in speed as it charged toward Emily like a phantom. Reacting quickly, Emily made a sh to her left. The spiral energy that shot out from her knife was aimed at the joints of the ck mech¡¯s right arm. Emily was nning on dismantling the mech¡¯s right arm.

    This time, Gu Ding was able to grasp his opponent¡¯s movements. Hence, he reacted immediately by taking a step backward with his right leg and bending his body toward the right. Then, he clenched his left hand into a tight fist and punched Emily¡¯s head.

    Emily was no weakling when it came to closebat. However, she was facing a strange opponent like Gu Ding who practiced Ultimate Arts. Hence, she did not have the upper hand.

    Emily had not expected Gu Ding¡¯s counter-attack. In an effort to block Gu Ding¡¯s attack, she raised her arms. Gu Ding¡¯s first attack had a strength index of about 300 thousand points. Hence, adding 600 thousand points to his current attack, its strength was about 900 thousand points.

    The attack was close to that of a Rank 9 Gene Body¡¯s maximum capabilities.

    Emily was forced to move a few steps backward due to the force generated by the powerful punch. Even though it did not injure her, it still brought Emily tremendous shock.

    Gu Ding¡¯s mech possessed only ten thousand attack points. However, it managed to create a massive attack that was close to that of a Rank 10 Gene Body¡¯s attack. It meant that Gu Ding¡¯s unique ability andbat technique had enhanced his usualbat effectiveness by around 100 times. It was something out of the world.

    The fact that Gu Ding could enhance his usual prowess by 100 times meant that he would be able to make a great leap of about two levels while in battle if he was able to be a Rank 8 Gene Body. It was not a strange urrence for someone to cross two levels while in battle before one became a Rank 8 Gene Body. That was because one¡¯sbat effectiveness could only be enhanced tenfold after crossing two levels. On the other hand, when one became a Rank 8 Gene Body, one¡¯s battle effectiveness would increase ten times for each level crossed.

    Emily could not help but feel curious about Gu Ding. She was eager to find out what strange capabilities Gu Ding possessed.

    It was only when Emily had been forced backward by Gu Ding¡¯s attack that the Interster Pirates realized how powerful Gu Ding was even though hisbat effectiveness was much stronger while in the mech. Emily was a Rank 10 Gene Body, and for Gu Ding to be able to effectively counter-attack a Rank 10 Gene Body, it meant that whoever had the mech on was not too far off from bing a Rank 10 Gene Body as well.

    Gu Ding continued attacking after sessfullynding a hit. Closebat was Gu Ding¡¯s specialty. Even though Emily was stronger them him, and she had enough destructive energy to instantly destroy the mech in one attack, Gu Ding would not lose the fight as long as he was careful.

    Emily realized she was stuck in a strange situation. She was stronger than her opponent. However, it seemed like she might not be able to win the fight.

    Each time Gu Ding closed in on her, she would coagte primary power in her left hand while she thrust the knife in her right hand at the chest Gu Ding¡¯s ck mech. The spiral energy would generate within the knife and burst out as it was shot at the head of the ck mech.

    Nevertheless, Gu Ding cocked his head to the side in response, easily avoiding the spiral energy that was shot out. As for the attack from Emily¡¯s left hand, it did not faze Gu Ding one bit. He merely threw a punch at her left hand, countering her attack with an attack of his own.

    The moment Gu Ding¡¯s fist made contact, he felt a strong force move along his robotic arm. Hence, he quickly retreated backward and redirected that strong force tond beneath his feet, creating two cracks on the ground that were long and deep.

    Emily was not any better. She stepped back with her right foot, moving backward to negate the force from Gu Ding. There was a sore feeling in her arm, and she could clearly feel that Gu Ding¡¯s attacks had increased in power. It was not a force that could be achieved by a Rank 9 Gene Body. Instead, it was a force that had a cell index of around 1.8 million points and most likely belonged to a Rank 10 Gene Body. The force of Gu Ding¡¯s attack was quite close to Emily¡¯s own strength. This resulted in a huge wave of shock for her. How was it possible that Gu Ding could enhance his attacks to such a high degree? If it was not for the primary power within her left palm, she would have taken damage from Gu Ding¡¯s attack.

    On the other hand, Gu Ding was shaken by Emily¡¯s terrifying primary power. He had felt something st the mech¡¯s solid metal, creating a strong anti-shock within it. It was then that he finally understood why Sharp and the others were able to use primary power to go head to head with Biggie¡¯s sword.

    However, Gu Ding also knew that Emily had taken half a step backward. It meant that his attacks on Emily were not without their effects. Even with her primary power, Emily had been forced to take half a step back. It was proof that his attacks could potentially harm his opponent.

    Gu Ding became slightly excited upon this discovery and immediately lunged at Emily in another attack.

    Emily was beginning to have a bit of a headache with Gu Ding¡¯s continuous attacks. He seemed to be able to dodge her attacks each time. Moreover, every time he made a move, it was more vicious than thest. She also noticed that Gu Ding did not seem to be getting tired and was bing quite fearless. Emily had fought with numerous opponents before, and she was well-aware of how scary such an opponent could be. She frowned slightly when Gu Ding lunged at her.

    The fist of the ck mech quickly found itself colliding with Emily¡¯s fist once again. This time, Emily felt that the strength of her opponent had decreased greatly. Gu Ding¡¯s ck mech flew backward due to the strength of Emily¡¯s attack.

    It has to be said that after three rounds of Damage Stacking, the stacking effect would return to zero. This time, Gu Ding¡¯s attack was only around 600 thousand points. Nevertheless, Gu Ding managed to stand up and steady himself as he continued with another attack. The mech¡¯s ck fist once again shed with Emily¡¯s fist, but this time, Gu Ding was forced to take only a few steps back from the burst of the attack.

    This time, Emily could clearly feel that Gu Ding¡¯s attack had be stronger again. She could vaguely sense that Gu Ding¡¯s ability was simr to that of Damage Stacking or Additional Damage. Nevertheless, there was a limit to such abilities. Once the ability reached its limit, its effects would regress to zero and the calction would be reset. That was why Gu Ding¡¯s attack damage had decreased. Gu Ding was about tounch another attack at Emily for the third time when he saw a figure not too far approaching their direction at a high speed.

    The figure was not considered very huge. It was Sharp, and he was carrying the veryrge body of Biggie on his back...

 Chapter 156 - The Target Of The Dark Sectors

    Chapter 156 The Target Of The Dark Sectors

    Sharp took a few leaps and was soon at the harbor. He dashed underneath the Golden Eagle where his people were and threw Biggie on the ground.

    Biggie¡¯s eyes were closed, and he was still lost in consciousness. Sharp did not bother putting a restraining device on him because he knew Gu Ding could unlock the device in a matter of seconds.

    Sharp looked off into the distance after he was finished with Biggie. Two figures were speeding toward him. It was Robert and Liliath, who were on the back of abat robot.

    It was not long before they were by Gu Ding¡¯s side. Liliath looked worriedly at Biggie, who was lying on the ground.

    ¡°You¡¯ve finally caught up. That means everyone is here,¡± Sharp finally spoke. He seemed to have been aware that the two had been following him, but it did not bother him much.

    ¡°Biggie has lost the fight. That means you no longer have any leverage over Emily and me. There¡¯s no point in you continuing to defy us.¡±

    Gu Ding moved a step forward and his gaze fell onto Sharp. ¡°I want to make a bet with Emily. If I win, you return Biggie to us and the Golden Eagle will belong to us as well.¡±

    Sharp gave Emily an astonished look when he heard Gu Ding¡¯s words. He had no idea why Emily would agree to such a ridiculous bet.

    Emily nodded and walked to his side. She whispered a few words into his ears and Sharp nodded, turning toward Gu Ding. ¡°Even though I personally do not condone bets of this nature, an agreement has already been reached between the two of you. There¡¯s no use in me interfering with this. However, if you end up losing, I hope you keep your promise.¡± Sharp might be leaving the Army, but he still wished to see the Army strengthen further. After all, he had spent more than twenty years with the Army, and it would be impossible not to be concerned for them. Besides that, the most important factor in him not stopping the bet was because he knew there was no chance of Gu Ding winning.

    Just as Gu Ding was about to make his move, Sharp and Emily suddenly turned sharply in the direction of the harbor, looking alert and wary.

    Gu Ding turned to look as well. Arge, long warship that was totally ck slowly descended from the sky. Therge warship was obviously a grade higher than the Golden Eagle.

    ¡°The battleship Cmity...¡± It took one look for Gu Ding to recognize the type of spaceship this warship was. Even the Army in Dragon Soar Cosmic Nation was not qualified to own such a specimen. Only cosmic nations of three stars and above would own one.

    Cmity slowly descended upon the harbor of Great Divinity. When the spaceship had anchored safely, the hatch door opened, and two figures slowly emerged from the inside.

    Both figures were dressed in a peculiar, long ck robe, which covered their entire bodies. A wide hat covered their heads, making it difficult to see their faces clearly despite it being noontime.

    They walked one after the other toward everyone on the battlefield. The figure in front had a slightly rickety physique and looked to be slightly older. The one behind stood a little to the right. He had a rather huge physique. Even though he was not asrge as Biggie, he was still over two meters tall and had a muscr build.

    ¡°The Army is rather ineffective in their work. Do you need our help getting rid of these Interster Pirates?¡± The ck-robed figure at the front finally spoke. His voice sounded scratchy and dull, but it was clearly heard by everyone present.

    ¡°I hadn¡¯t expected anyone from the Dark Sectors would want to visit a 2-star Cosmic Nation such as ours. Is there anything I can help both of you with?¡± From the look in Sharp¡¯s eyes, it was apparent that he was on high alert as he had just identified both figures. There was a blood-red logo of a demon on the chest of their long robes. That was the mark of the Dark Sectors.

    The expression on everyone¡¯s face, including Gu Ding, changed the moment Sharp revealed their identities.

    The Dark Sectors was the most powerful assassin organization within the Cosmic Seas. The first basic condition for joining the organization was that the person had to at least be a Rank 11 Gene Body.

    Every mission consisted of a team made of two members. One would be the lead while the other was known as a shadow who assisted with the mission. The team of two would usually work together on a permanent basis. There would be the asionalst-minute change in team members for missions, but these situations were few and far between.

    Something big was bound to happen every time someone from the Dark Sectors appeared. Hiring an individual from the Dark Sectors would cost a minimum of 100 million Universe Credits. Anything above 100 million Universe Credits would be enough for assassinating an Army general from a 2-star Cosmic Nation.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you an Army general? You should know better than anyone that the Dark Sectors never reveal their mission beforepleting it.¡± The man in the ck robeughed sinisterly with a tinge of sarcasm in his tone. He looked Sharp and Emily over, and then turned to look at Biggie on the ground. However, his gaze did not stay too long on the three of them as he quickly turned toward Gu Ding in his ck mech.

    ¡°You¡¯re Gu Ding, aren¡¯t you? I looked up your information on the Sk beforeing, and I know quite a bit about your antics, including the video clip of what had just happened at this harbor. I truly admire your character,¡± the tone at which the man spoke gave Gu Ding a feeling that something bad was about to happen.

    ¡°However, admiration is just admiration. Our mission must continue...¡± As expected, the words from the man in the ck robe were not just a friendlypliment. There was no need for friendliness in the Dark Sectors.

    The man in the ck robe suddenly pointed a finger. ¡°Give us that girl. If youply, no harm wille to anyone here. If you resist, there will be terrible consequences...¡±

    Liliath shuddered in terror. She had a vague feeling that they were here for her the moment she saw them walked out the hatch. ¡°I won¡¯t let you!¡± Gu Ding stepped in from the side as he reached out to shield Liliath behind him.

    ¡°Liliath is on my crew. If you want her, you¡¯ll need to do it over my dead body.¡±

    The man in the ck robe had expected this. ¡°Just as I thought... Although, the decision is not up to you.¡±

    He moved in a sh and appeared in front of Gu Ding¡¯s ck mech without warning. He smiled savagely at Gu Ding in the mech. He held on to the mech¡¯s arm with one hand and flung Gu Ding, sending him flying. Next, he sped Liliath on the shoulders and carried her away as he returned to the side of the other man in the ck robe.

    When Gu Ding got up from the ground and saw them taking Liliath away, he charged madly toward them. Therger man in the ck robe reached out with a finger and a golden beam of energy came shooting out from his fingertip, and the head of Gu Ding¡¯s ck mech cracked in the sudden explosion.

    The indestructible ck mech was broken so swiftly. The mech¡¯s head was destroyed and the mech¡¯s hatch was not working properly due to the damaged circuit boards. Gu Ding wriggled out of the mech through the wrecked head and was covered with dozens of cuts on his body from the shrapnel caused by the explosion. His wounds might have healed instantly, but Gu Ding¡¯s body was still drenched in fresh blood.

    <b>Vd</b>

    He was breathing heavily as he forced himself out of the mech. His eyes were red with rage as he looked toward the two men.

    ¡°Keep this up and the mech¡¯s head won¡¯t be the only thing exploding,¡± therger man finally said. His soulless eyes were as cold as metal.

    Therger man shielded the rickety old man behind him, and the old man performed a karate chop on Liliath¡¯s neck. Liliath fell unconscious and copsed and heid her t on the ground. A ck fingernail extended from one of his fingers as he inserted it between Liliath¡¯s eyebrows.

    Gu Ding could no longer hold himself back upon witnessing this scene.

    ¡°Gu Ding, don¡¯t be brash. You¡¯ll get yourself killed! We¡¯ll think of some other way!¡± Neptune quickly tried to talk him out of it. It had immediately analyzed from the attack that therger man, who was the shadow, was a Rank 12 Gene Body. This meant that the lead, who was the rickety old man, had to be above a Rank 12 Gene Body. Gu Ding would immediately be killed if he went head-to-head with someone so powerful. He had been able to go up against Emily because of the mech. Now that the mech was destroyed, Gu Ding was but a Rank 3 Gene Body. As for his ability of Absolute Seal, it could only be used after half a month. Besides, even if he did manage to seal one of them, the other would still be powerful enough to kill everyone on this harbor.

    At this moment, Robert appeared at Gu Ding¡¯s side as well. ¡°Gu Ding, calm down. I have a n! I¡¯ve justmunicated with Neptune in a differentmunication mode, and we think this might work.¡±

    Right then, the ck Cmity suddenly yet slowly ascended into the sky.

    The two ck-robed members from the Dark Sectors were taken aback as they looked up toward the spaceship. There was no third member on this mission.

    <b>11</b>

    Neptune was whispering into Gu Ding¡¯s ear while all this was going on and Gu Ding finally managed to calm himself down, but the fury in his eyes was still visible.

    ¡°Listen to me, both of you. Bring Liliath back immediately or I¡¯ll unleash Cmity¡¯s particle annihtion cannon and bury everyone in the city and harbor here with me! That includes both of you, the whole Army, and all of us as well, no one will live!¡± Gu Ding¡¯s voice was cold yet determined.

    ¡°Hehe, little boy, I did not expect you to be so reckless!¡± The expression on the rickety old man¡¯s face changed, but he immediatelyughed. ¡°I¡¯ve always been known to mean what I say!¡± Gu Ding gave him a death stare and the Cmity¡¯s cannon pointed at the ground from the sky. Energy started to gather within the cannon.

    ¡°You...¡± The rickety old man had never thought that he would be threatened by this young brat. His eyeballs twisted and looked around for a few times before finally removing the ck nail on his right index finger from between Liliath¡¯s eyebrows. ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll return her to you. Although, I¡¯d like to let you know that she has been poisoned by me and will only live for ten days at the most. If the deal between my boss and a certain someone goes smoothly, I¡¯ll search for you and give her an antidote after seven days. If I don¡¯t appear after seven days, that means the deal has gone sour with our boss and this little wench will pay the price for it.¡±

    The rickety old man threw Liliath toward them after the warning and Gu Ding caught her in his arms.

    ¡°Now, can we have our spaceship back?¡± Neptune finally allowed the spaceship to descend and the two men left without looking back as they steered the spaceship away from Great Divinity.

    Gu Ding turned toward Sharp while carrying Liliath in his arms. ¡°Release Biggie and let us leave Great Divinity!¡±

 Chapter 157 - Gu Ding The Local Tycoon

    Chapter 157 Gu Ding The Local Tycoon

    Sharp went silent when he heard Gu Ding¡¯s words. He did not take kindly to threats, especiallying from Gu Ding, but he knew what that look in Gu Ding¡¯s eyes meant-¡®If you do not allow me to leave, I will take control of your Golden Eagle and wreak havoc on this. In one night, dozens of cities will be destroyed, and billions will lose their lives.¡¯

    ¡°Let them go,¡± a voice could be heard from afar. Sharp and Gu Ding looked toward the direction. It was a long-bearded old man in a wheelchair. Both Sharp and Gu Ding recognized him, it was Nisoth. ¡°Elder,¡± Sharp and Emily called out respectfully. The Federal Government had always been polite to the Holy Gospel Tribe because they had helped the Federal Government out of multiple crises.

    ¡°Both of you know very well what the consequence would be of not allowing him to leave. You¡¯re just not willing to admit it,¡± Nisoth looked toward Gu Ding, whose eyes were filled with misery.

    Nisoth looked back at Sharp and Emily as he continued, ¡°If a huge massacre urs on this, it won¡¯t be something that Sharp could handle all alone.¡±

    ¡°The Army¡¯s backup will be arriving tomorrow...¡± Emily was not about to give up just like that.

    ¡°I told Howell from the very start not to approve this mission, but he told me that the Army did not expect to capture every single target in this mission. All he wanted was to catch a few who had made a little name for themselves to show some results to the Faye Cosmic Nation. This has been a mistake from the very beginning, but the situation has gotten out of hand under your leadership. If you continue on this path, it will only lead to an irredeemable end. I am here to salvage the situation because I can¡¯t allow this to continue,¡± Nisoth had predicted this result from the start.

    ¡°It would not benefit either of you if this deadlock situation continues. Not only that, ording to one of the future possibilities I¡¯ve foreseen, all the Interster Pirates here will be annihted, including Gu Ding¡¯s crew, once the Army¡¯s backup arrives. However, all the Army¡¯s spaceships would end up under the control of some unknown power, which will conduct a psychotic attack on the entire. This, including all of you and the Army¡¯s backup, will end up apanying Gu Ding to the realm of death on the same night. No one will make it out alive. Even though I have no idea how Gu Ding achieves this, this ending is concrete.¡±

    Gu Ding could only sneer at this. If he and the rest of his crew were dead, Neptune would definitely go crazy trying to avenge them.

    Sharp and Emily looked at Gu Ding disbelievingly when they heard Nisoth¡¯s words.

    ¡°I understand, but we won¡¯t be able to exin why we allowed them to leave so easily. We have lost at least one billion Universe Credits in this battle, including thepensation to the families of our fallen soldiers and the destroyed spaceships, as well as thepensation for the business organizations that had made a loss,¡± Sharp knew the huge financial loss from this mission alone would cause His Highness The Lord and the marshal to break into a rage, much less failing the mission.

    ¡°A billion Universe Credits should be doable for you. Am I right, Gu Ding?¡± Nisoth looked at Gu Ding. Nisoth had, after all, spent more than 10 billion Universe Credits on that staff.

    ¡°If Ipensate you, would you agree to let everyone here leave safely?¡± No one else knew that Gu Ding was that rich.

    Even the lord of Dragon Soar Cosmic Nation did not make more than two hundred million Universe Credits in annual ie. He would have to save everything for at least seven to eight years to have a billion Universe Credits after deducting his spending. Gu Ding had just started being a pirate less than half a year ago, yet he has already amassed so much money. Many were starting to get suspicious of who Gu Ding really was. Nisoth was the only one who knew how Gu Ding got the money, but he was not nning on revealing the truth to anybody.

    ¡°As the elder just mentioned, we have no other choice. You can take the Golden Eagle and fly to a nearby. Anchor her at the harbor and find yourselves another spaceship. Don¡¯t even think about leaving with the Golden Eagle. That spaceship has been serialized by the Army and we are fully capable of tracking her down. Besides, that is my personal spaceship. I¡¯m only lending it to you. Don¡¯t you dare damage any internal parts...¡± ¡°Sell the Golden Eagle to me,¡± Gu Ding¡¯s words once again shocked everyone as their jaws dropped.

    Even a Golden Eagle with little to no upgrades was worth at least a billion Universe Credits on the market. Sharp¡¯s spaceship might be showing its years, but it still would not be cheap taking it off Sharp¡¯s hands.

    ¡°I¡¯ve checked the information. His spaceship¡¯s model had been retired by the Army thirteen years ago and was manufactured thirty-three years ago. Sharp bought it at half the price ten years ago, which was five hundred million Universe Credits. He had bought it via installment and has owned it for almost ten years. To date, he has only paid less than three hundred million for it. Once he resigns from his post, he would no longer be able to make payment for the subsequent installments. At most, the Army would only refund him half the payment he has made previously. That is why he would probably want to sell that spaceship of his,¡± Neptune had quickly obtained the information on Golden Eagle.

    ¡°Sure, if you want to purchase it, it would be eight hundred million Universe Credits!¡± For the past few days, Sharp had been contemting how best to sell the spaceship for at least six hundred million Universe Credits. Now that Gu Ding had expressed interest, he intentionally added two hundred million to the original amount.

    Everyone had thought Sharp would decline Gu Ding¡¯s proposal without hesitation, especially those from the Army. They knew Sharp loved the spaceship and it would be impossible for him to sell it. They had never expected Sharp to name a price immediately.

    ¡°Do you think it¡¯s right for you to buy this for five hundred million, only to sell it to me for eight hundred million?¡± Gu Ding blinked and stared at Sharp. He continued saying, ¡°Besides, this ship is thirty-three years old and is poorly configured. It was sold for only a billion Universe Credits back then, and it¡¯s not even a first-generation model. There¡¯s no memorabilia value to it at all. It would cost me only a billion Universe Credits to buy myself a new ship, or search for one in the ck market that would cost me only six or seven hundred million.¡±

    ¡°How much would you pay for it then?¡± Sharp went red in the face. He was never good at haggling

    ¡°6.5,¡± Gu Ding stared straight into Sharp¡¯s eyes. He knew this price was within the range Sharp was willing to ept.

    ¡°6.7!¡± Sharp tried to add on a year¡¯s worth of sry onto Gu Ding¡¯s offer even though he was not entirely sure if Gu Ding would agree.

    ¡°Deal!¡± Gu Ding was not in the mood to continue haggling when Liliath was in this condition. Moreover, Liliath had always taken charge when it came to haggling for any purchase they made.

    ¡°You should be able to solve the issue of the Army¡¯s serialized mark on your own, right? Also, you need to repaint the ship. If I ever catch wind of you misusing the Army¡¯s logo to deceive or swindle others, I will make sure to hunt you down,¡± Sharp gave a longing look at the Golden Eagle, which had been with him for decades. The spaceship still bore the Dragon Soar Cosmic Nation¡¯s Army mark.

    ¡°Sporting the Army¡¯s logo while entering Border River will bring me nothing but trouble,¡± Gu Ding had heard long ago that the Border River was filled with a mixed variety of characters, many of whom were not fond of the Army. Some of them would even try to provoke the Army unnecessarily.

    The Interster Pirates, including Bart, looked worriedly at Gu Ding when they saw him purchase the Golden Eagle. If Gu Ding did not take them away with him, the only thing waiting for them the next morning would be incarceration.

    Gu Ding got Neptune to transfer 1.67 billion into a designated ount provided by Sharp. After that, he turned toward everyone while waving his hand. ¡°Everyone, get onto the spaceship!¡±

    Robert had gotten abat robot to carry Biggie onto the spaceship.

    Just as Bart was about to board the ship, Sharp suddenly appeared in front of him. ¡°Hey, I think you¡¯ve forgotten something.¡±

    Bart was taken aback, butter unwillingly took Sharp¡¯s sword out of the inventory on his ring, throwing it at Sharp

    Sharp stepped aside after getting his sword back.

    Nisoth called out to Gu Ding when he saw him turn to leave, ¡°Gu Ding, there is a with arge temple within the Border River. Look for a man with holy scriptures tattooed all over his body on that. He should be able to help Liliath.¡±

    Gu Ding turned back when he heard Nisoth¡¯s words and bowed slightly at Nisoth. ¡°Thank you very much!¡±

    Neptune started searching for more information upon hearing Nisoth¡¯s suggestion. Very soon, they found the Nisoth was referring to. It was called Tampa. They would be able to reach there in about two days with Golden Eagle¡¯s speed.

    Gu Ding closed the door to the hatch when they go onto the spaceship. He ced Liliath onto the sofa and retrieved a blood sample from her arm, handing it over to Neptune for analysis. Afterpleting this, he stood up and looked at the hundreds of Interster Pirates housed within the ship¡¯srge cabin. ¡°I¡¯ll be taking everyone to the nearest administrative. You may go your separate ways there. Judging by the current situation, the safest bet would be to escape into the Border River. I expect the backup Army would continue the hunt for everyone here once they arrive tomorrow.¡±

    The Golden Eagle left the harbor of Great Divinity as quickly as it could.

    Sharp felt sad seeing the Golden Eagle leave, but he had also noticed that Nisoth was still there in his wheelchair. He could not help asking, ¡°Elder, why are you still on this after so many days?¡±

    Nisoth looked at them both with an upset expression. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you would ask me this question. I¡¯ve been taking part in the auction until the veryst day when you sealed up the harbor on the night the auction ended. It was impossible for me to leave. Not only that, but this youngdy had also damaged my White Gyrfalcons and I have no idea if it is repairable. I n to leave with both of you tomorrow and make a visit to the Army¡¯s headquarters.¡±

    ¡°Elder, what do you need from headquarters?¡± Emily asked carefully. She was worried Nisoth would make aint about her to the marshal.

    Nisoth replied in feigned anger, ¡°To exin what happened today, of course. What do you think I n on doing? Comin about both of you brazenly over a spaceship? It¡¯s not something I would do. Even if I did, most Howell would do is reprimand both of you in front of me. He is aplete cheapskate, there would be no chance of himpensating me with a single cent for spaceship repairs.¡±

    Sharp and Emily said nothing in reply, but they were both sniggering in their hearts. ¡®Cheapskate is truly the best word to describe the marshal...¡¯

 Chapter 158 - Biggie Has Awakened

    <h4>Chapter 158 Biggie Has Awakened</h4>

    Less than an hour after leaving Great Divinity, Neptune anchored Golden Eagle at the nearest administrative.

    Bart and the other Interster Pirates poured out of Golden Eagle in utter disarray. Many at the harbor thought they were criminal escapees running from the Golden Eagle.

    Robert spent only a few minutes on painting portions of the white spaceship into a gold color. The entire ship looked quite modern being interspersed with white and gold; the Army¡¯s logo had beenpletely painted over.

    Neptune wiped off the Army¡¯s serial number easily. The whole process took less than five seconds.

    When Bart and the others noticed Robert painting the spaceship, they realized that this little robot, who was only half a meter tall, was the mechanic on Gu Ding¡¯s ship. The process of painting the ship required special treatment of the metal on the spaceship¡¯s surface by reconfiguring the atomic structure of the metal to obtain the desired effect. Only a professional mechanic would be able to conduct a painting job such as this. However, Golden Eagle was arge spaceship and it would take several mechanics a few hours to finish the job. Despite this, Bart witnessed Robert use less than a few minutes to finish more than 60% of the paint job. He grew envious of Gu Ding again. How wonderful it must be to have such a capable crew member.

    The Golden Eagle only stayed at the harbor for a few minutes. When the paint job was done, it left the harbor.

    ¡°Bart, it looks like your ce as the Neer King won¡¯tst much longer,¡± An Luo made an unwee appearance and patted Bart on the shoulder. He had always been a friendly person.

    Bart red at him but did not retort. He knew that the bounty of their groups of pirates would immediately increase once Sharp and Emily returned to Army headquarters. Gu Ding¡¯s increase would be the highest and there was no doubt it would overtake his. Bart had a feeling that once Gu Ding entered the Cosmic Sea, he would make big waves in that vast ocean in space.

    Back on the Golden Eagle, Neptune¡¯s analysis of Liliath¡¯s blood results waspleted.

    ¡°This poison is a new type of synthetic poison that has never been recorded in my databank, but ording to my analysis, a major ingredient of the poison is human fluid. It must be that man¡¯s special ability to convert his fluid into poison. Under such circumstances, only the poison antibodies in that man¡¯s body would be able to cure Liliath. Another way to counter this is to harvest the antibodies from the body of someone who has the absolute immunity trait. However, there aren¡¯t many who possess such a unique trait. The chances of finding this person are very slim.¡±

    ¡°I do have some good news though. This poison spreads slowly through the nerves in the brain. If the brain activity is lowered, it will slow down the spread of the poison. It would normally take around a week or so to spread throughout Lili¡¯s brain, but if her brain activity is kept to a minimum, we will be able to keep Lili alive for much longer than that.¡±

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be dangerous to lower her brain activity?¡± Gu Ding voiced his worry.

    Neptune was highly confident about this. ¡°I was nning to use the simplest Quick Freeze technology. There is detailed information stored in my databank. In addition to that, with Robert¡¯s high uracy in execution, I don¡¯t think there would be any issues. I¡¯ve done a calction and even if we choose to use the most basic Quick Freeze, we would able to extend Liliath¡¯s lifespan to a month.¡± ¡°If that is the case, we should give it a try. One week is too short, and I¡¯m worried it might not be enough time for us. Whatever trade the Dark Sectors is conducting, it doesn¡¯t sound like anything good. Using Lili as a pawn means they are dealing with someone from Lili¡¯s family. Since her parents are no longer around, whoever they are dealing with might notpromise over Lili. Besides, I can¡¯t put Lili¡¯s life in the hands of a bunch of strangers,¡± Gu Ding was not optimistic over the situation. The most reliable way was to rely on themselves to obtain an antidote for Lili.

    ¡°Also, is Biggie okay?¡± Gu Ding had been so fixated on Lilith that he had only just noticed Biggie lying unconscious on the cabin floor.

    ¡°He has suffered serious physical injury, but his body has not gone into aa. I¡¯ve scanned his body previously, and his wounds are rapidly healing. Even though it can¡¯tpare to your High-Speed Regeneration, but it¡¯s not too far off from your ability. He will probably awaken tonight.¡± ¡°If that¡¯s the case, let him continue resting. Let¡¯s take care of Lili¡¯s situation first,¡± Gu Ding felt relieved to hear that Biggie was going to be okay. He called Robert to the cabin and Neptune exined the n to Quick Freeze Liliath. Robert agreed without asking any questions.

    Robert quickly froze Liliath¡¯s body in ice with the Quick Freeze ray under Gu Ding¡¯s supervision. He had used less than half a minute to produce a golden box and proceeded to ce the Liliath¡¯s frozen body into it. There was a blooming flower from summertime printed on the surface of the golden box. There were also gorgeous looking tassels on it, which made the box look like an elegant art-piece.

    ¡°This instion box will keep her frozen for at least thirty days as long as it does not leave the spaceship and get exposed to sunlight, or experience pressure from the outside or inside of the iceyer,¡± Robert exined afterpleting the process.

    Gu Ding sat next to the golden box as he stared at it in a daze for a few hours. He stayed silent and it was difficult to figure out what was going through his mind.

    In those few hours, the Golden Eagle went full speed ahead toward Tampa as instructed by Gu Ding.

    ¡°Biggie has awakened,¡± it was the first time Neptune had seen Gu Ding act this way. Neptune was slightly worried. It was lucky that Biggie woke up at this time, giving Neptune the chance to say something to Gu Ding.

    ¡°Okay.¡± all Gu Ding did was give a simple nod without much of any reaction.

    Biggie slowly opened his eyes while lying on the ground. He was slightly disoriented from the unfamiliar environment, but he quickly realized in astonishment that he was in a spaceship. It was easy to tell from the spaceship¡¯s interior that it was ten times the size of the Grey-faced Buzzard.

    Biggie flipped over and sat up as he looked around him. He saw Gu Ding sitting on the sofa nearby.

    Gu Ding gave him a slight nod. ¡°You¡¯re awake.¡±

    ¡°Did we manage to escape?!¡± Biggie was surprised. He knew that none of the pirates but himself was strong enough to go up against Sharp and Biggie. After Sharp had overpowered him, he lost consciousness and had no idea what happened after. Under the circumstances they had faced, Sharp would have the upper hand when he returned to the harbor. There should not be any obstacles in his way and all the pirates would have been arrested by the Army.

    It was not a surprising question to Gu Ding as the chances of them making it out were slim. ¡°Yup, we managed to escape!¡± ¡°Is this spaceship the Army¡¯s Golden Eagle?¡± Biggie guessed that this must be the Army general¡¯s Golden Eagle when he raised his head and noticed the height of the ceiling and the spaciousness of the main cabin.

    ¡°It¡¯s ours from now on,¡± Gu Ding nodded and corrected him.

    ¡°We¡¯re using the Army¡¯s spaceship? That¡¯s not a good thing, is it? Won¡¯t we be hunted down by them?¡± Biggie was a little worried.

    ¡°I bought it from Sharp. Neptune has erased the serial number and Robert has made some adjustments to the ship¡¯s surface. Besides, we¡¯ve entered the Border River, so it won¡¯t be easy for the Army toe after us.¡±

    Biggie shook his head, which was still aching, after hearing Gu Ding¡¯s words. He stood up and finally noticed Liliath sealed within the golden box ced in front of Gu Ding. He quickly ran toward it. ¡°What happened to Lili?¡±

    Gu Ding finally exined what had transpired whilst Biggie was unconscious. Neptune had even shown Biggie some video clips of their time on the battlefield.

    Biggie lowered his head in worry at the frozen Liliath after watching the videos. ¡°Is there any way to get an antidote?¡±

    His question was obviously directed at Gu Ding.

    ¡°I¡¯m looking for it. Nisoth had instructed me to head to Tampa. He said there might be someone there who could help Liliath. I¡¯m nning to take a look there,¡± Gu Ding was quite optimistic as Nisoth was from the Holy Gospel Tribe and his divinations were rarely wrong. He was also the one who had informed Gu Ding that Liliath would not die.

    ¡°The prophecy of the Holy Gospel Tribe should be urate, right? Nothing¡¯s going to happen to Lili,¡± Biggie thought that Liliath was sure to be saved if the Holy Gospel Tribe had said so.

    ¡°I¡¯ll check the fridge for some food. You haven¡¯t eaten anything since this morning, right...¡±

    The Great Divinity¡¯s harbor was buzzing with activity the next morning. More than thirty Army spaceships had touched down.

    This time, they were led by another general from the Army-Bruce. He was normally fond of making jokes, but today, he was unusually stern, only giving a few simple greetings to his old friends, Sharp and Emily. He would always hand out sarcastic jokes, but none were heard from him today.

    Bruce recognized the severity of the situation. There were more than four thousand deaths within the Army, and it was preposterous that not even one Interster Pirate was arrested under the leadership of two generals. If other Cosmic Nations learned of this, it would be a major embarrassment to the Dragon Soar Cosmic Nation. Such a serious matter would also badly tarnish the reputation of Sharp, Emily, and the others.

    Sharp, Emily, Nisoth, Walter, and the rest of the surviving Army members quickly boarded the spaceships.

    More than thirty spaceships anchored for less than ten minutes before leaving in unison, heading back in the direction of the Army headquarters.

 Chapter 159 - You Look Really Weak

    <h4>Chapter 159 You Look Really Weak</h4>

    The Border River was a deste zone that connected cosmics with one another. It could be said that it was the boundary between two cosmics. Hence, every once in a while, there were abnormal urrences that one normally would not witness in cosmic territory.

    This Border River was the boundary between Dragon Soar Cosmic Nation and Faye Cosmic Nation. Dragon Soar Cosmic Nation rarely sent people into to the Border River, while Faye Cosmic Nation did not really pay much attention to the jurisdiction of matters within the Border River. Hence, chaos ruled the Border River.

    Tampa had never been a well-known. It was poor in resources and had a scarce poption. Not to mention, it was dpidated and poverty-stricken. However, one day, a deity descended among them. The person cured the sick and taught the people agricultural knowledge. He stayed on the for a whole three years.

    After the deity left, the people of Tampa built a temple in his name on the highest mountain and had a day named after him as the Day of Worship. Each year, on that day, they would pay their respects to him.

    At first, the tradition was only practiced by a few residents of the. However, following the movement set by the Federal Government in an effort to develop the, it started to gain wealth. Soon, it was transformed into a tourist destination at Border River. Ever since then, Interster Pirates who were passing by Border River would stop by the and visit the deity¡¯s temple to pay their respects, wishing for good luck. They were not necessarily religious, but they wanted to beforted in the aspect that luck was with them.

    Gu Ding had always thought that deities and gods were nothing more than humans themselves who so happened were more powerful. They had a higher-ranking gene body and possessed more special abilities, which was why they were able to do more.

    The Golden Eagle finallynded in Tampa¡¯s harbor after traveling for two days.

    Gu Ding and Biggie left Robert to take care of Liliath while they exited the spaceship.

    When Gu Ding stepped out of the hatch, he felt that there was something different about thepared to others he had visited.

    Interster harbors were usually rowdy with all sorts of noisesing from Interster Pirates, Interster Hunters, and traveling merchants who were transporting their cargo. Many people were moving around the harbor on this, but the ce had an odd sense of serenity to it. Even those who were obviously Interster Pirates seemed worried about disturbing the peace as they conversed amongst themselves in hushed voices.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Gu Ding scratched his head, mumbling in confusion. He was not used to such environments.

    Biggie raised his head to look at the sky. He vaguely felt something. ¡°It¡¯s the will of a powerhouse... It¡¯s a will that leaves an imprint on people¡¯s souls, causing them to feel repressed. The feeling ends up bringing out a sense of respect within a person. That¡¯s why they¡¯re talking in a soft manner. I can feel it too, it¡¯s like a pair of eyes in the sky are watching my every move and warning me not to break the rules. Can¡¯t you feel it?¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t feel a thing!¡± Gu Ding raised his voice and everyone at the harbor turned to look at him. There was an usatory look in their eyes, and Gu Ding quickly covered his mouth with embarrassment.

    Gu Ding mumbled in a low voice, ¡°Neptune, hurry up and help us search for that man who has scriptures carved on his body. This doesn¡¯t allow people to speak loudly, I¡¯ll go crazy if I stay here for too long.¡±

    ¡°Let me do a quick check. This isn¡¯t under much surveince in locations other than the harbor. There isn¡¯t even a single surveince camera near the temple. The possibility of finding that person using such a method is very low. Moreover, most of the people on this prioritize the purity of the heart and soul; they do not wish to be disturbed by the outside world. Many of them do not have smartwatches, which is why I don¡¯t have ess to a lot of information. I suggest you check out the temple since it¡¯s a blind spot. From the looks of it, the person with scriptures carved on him is someone religious. He should be found somewhere near the temple,¡± Neptune¡¯s news did not sound too good. Gu Ding and Biggie rented a car and headed out. It took them more than two hours to reach the foot of the mountain where the temple was located. ¡°Is there any method of transportation here to get to the top temple on the mountain?¡± Gu Ding could not help but ask the driver when he saw a winding, bluestone stairway leading up the mountain.

    ¡°There isn¡¯t. You need to bring with you a sincere heart when you enter the temple. Only those who finish walking the bluestone stairway are considered truly sincere.¡± Having heard the driver¡¯s exnation, Gu Ding was speechless when he got off the car. ¡°There are a lot of steps on the bluestone stairway. I took a quick look and calcted that it would take at least three days for an ordinary person to reach the peak of the mountain. There are a few rest stops along the way set up by the temple. There¡¯s a stop avable every 1000 meters or so. The entrance fee ispletely free. With your stamina and speed, it should take you around twenty hours to reach the peak...¡±

    ¡°Twenty hours is too slow,¡± said Gu Ding as he activated his rage ability and Ultimate Arts Level 7. With that, all he needed was a slight push from his feet, and he was able to cover more than thirty steps per leap. Biggie quickly followed suit when he saw this.

    They ran up the stairway in a mad rush, catching the attention of many around them.

    Throughout the past several days, Elsa had been eating for free nearby the temple. She would climb up from the foot of the mountain each day. A meal was provided at every rest stop, so she was able to have 12 meals a day. With that, her stomach was almost always at least 70% full. Even though Elsa could not experienceplete satisfaction, it was better than going hungry. She felt like it was the kindest in existence. At the very least, no one had attempted to touch her while serving her food, and there was no need for her to break anyone¡¯s hands.

    Two months prior, Elsapleted her rite of passage at the age 16. ording to Viking tradition, when a child came to be of age, they would be left to fend for themselves. That was why Elsa was kicked out of her house by her mother the day after she hadpleted her rite of passage. At that time, her mother pointed a finger at her nose and lectured her, ¡°You have two choices. First, find a man who can beat your father and marry him! Second, be strong enough to beat your father in order to continue living and eating in this house for free!¡±

    Else was aware of this tradition that Viking families practiced. However, she had never once thought of marrying herself off to someone because no man in her tribe could withstand more than three moves from her father. As for men who were not Vikings, rumor had it that their thighs could not evenpare to the arms of Viking men. Moreover, their height was less than half a Viking¡¯s height. These things were proven over and over again after Elise left her tribe.

    Else was at a loss when her father and younger brothers said their goodbyes to her at the harbor.

    ¡°If you bring a strong and mighty man back, I¡¯ll definitely give him some leeway. Hmm, I¡¯ll just use 90% of my strength,¡± her father had winked and said in a low voice when Elsa was boarding her spaceship.

    Else nodded vigorously. Upon hearing her father¡¯s words, Elsa felt like her father treated her the best in the world.

    At the port, Acoot extended his huge head out to Elsa. Elsa smiled and reached out her hand to scratch it on its neck. Feelingfort, Acoot closed his eyes.

    Right then, Elsa¡¯s father pped Acoot on the head, and its head immediately hit the ground.

    ¡°Why did I even take this stupid dragon as a pet in the first ce. It doesn¡¯t know how to do anything but eat. Elsa, why don¡¯t you take Acoot with you. I¡¯ll get a smarter dragon.¡± Elsa¡¯s father looked expectantly at her.

    ¡°No way, I want my own dragon!¡± Although Elsa had replied in such a manner, all she was thinking about was how difficult it was going to be trying to survive on her own. If she were to bring along such a huge dragon that had an appetite that was ten times her own, she would end up dying of hunger.

    Elsa traveled to many differents after leaving her tribe. She lived in hunger every day. When she heard that a temple in Tampa was providing free meals, her eyes brightened. It took Elsa quite a lot of effort to sneak onto a cargo ship and smuggle herself to the.

    Elsa did not forget the mission that had been handed to her by her parents even though she was busy trying to fill her stomach each day: Find herself a strong and mighty man.

    That was why Elsa constantly challenged martial arts practitioners who looked like powerhouses. However, most of them turned out to not even be as strong as her youngest brother, Jeff. When Jeff went through his rite of passage, he was only four years old. Elsa was pleasantly surprised when she saw a tall man that was apanied by a shorter man, pass her while she was climbing up the stairway. She immediately gave chase to the two.

    Gu Ding was running at full speed and was almost the equivalent of a Rank 8 Gene Body. He was surprised when he saw the girl in a ponytail catch up to them breezily. The girl was as tall as him.

    ¡°I¡¯ve got you!¡± The girl in the ponytail blocked their path.

    ¡°Is there anything you need?¡± Gu Ding and Biggie stopped. She did not look like a threat, and Gu Ding had no idea why she wanted to block their path.

    The girl in the ponytail nced past Gu Ding and her gazended on Biggie. She sized him up carefully. ¡°Are you a Viking too? Although, you aren¡¯t that tall, nor do you seem very strong. You don¡¯t really seem like one to me...¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not.¡± Biggie shook his head. It was the first time in his life that someone had described him as not tall nor strong enough.

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s not that important whether or not you¡¯re a Viking. My name is Elsa, and I want to challenge you!¡± The girl in the ponytailpletely ignored Gu Ding as she focused on Biggie to have a fight with him.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I don¡¯t ept your challenge!¡± Biggie shook his head. He could sense that Elsa was not a weakling, but without Liliath¡¯s hypnosis, he could not fight human beings.

    ¡°It¡¯s Elsa, is it? Why do you want to challenge Biggie?¡± Gu Ding thought that the challenge hade out of nowhere.

    ¡°I need to find a strong man and bring him home to my tribe! Only a man who¡¯s stronger than I am can beat my father!¡± Elsa sounded determined.

    ¡°Biggie doesn¡¯t fight people. If you want a challenge, I¡¯ll ept it. However, you must not harass us any further no matter the oue.¡± Gu Ding had the impression that Elsa was not someone who would give up easily. He might as well take up the challenge and settle the matter quickly in a fight because he was short of time.

    ¡°You?!¡± Elsa looked blinkingly toward Gu Ding rather unwillingly.

    ¡°You kind of look really weak...¡±

 Chapter 160 - A Spiritual Healer Who Cures Others

    <h4>Chapter 160 A Spiritual Healer Who Cures Others</h4>

    Arge majority of the Interster gPirates at Border River were Rank 7 Gene Bodies or higher. Gu Ding was only a Rank 3 Gene Body. Not to mention, even with the help of berserker conversion and Ultimate Arts to enhance his power, hisbat effectiveness was still not that powerful.

    The girl named Elsa in front of him looked to be the same age as him. Hence, Gu Ding did not think that she had abat prowess stronger than a Rank 8 Gene Body.

    However, Biggie could tell that there was strange energy running through her body. It was a type of energy different from primary power, and it existed within her as another form of power. Biggie sped his hand on Gu Ding¡¯s shoulder and shook his head. ¡°Don¡¯t go up against her. She¡¯s very strong.¡±

    ¡°Gu Ding, you¡¯re no match for her. I did a quick check and found that the cells in her body are stronger than Biggie¡¯s. Moreover, from what she just told us, I¡¯m guessing she is a Viking. Every member of the Viking tribe is born with a powerful physique. Moreover, they¡¯re given unique training when they be of age. Their strength is equivalent to that of arge dragon.¡± Neptune had managed to quickly gather some data on Else. The powerful Vikings! Gu Ding¡¯s eyes brightened. He had not expected to meet someone from the legendary tribe at such a location.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to fight you. I want to fight the big guy!¡± Elsa shook her head and rejected Gu Ding¡¯s challenge after ncing at him. ¡°He won¡¯t fight people.¡± Gu Ding shook his head determinedly while shielding Biggie behind him.

    It was Elsa¡¯s first time encountering such a situation. All those she had challenged before epted happily. However, this big guy in front of her was not willing to fight. She felt slightly bothered by it. Elsa stood where she was, refusing to budge. After a moment, a thought shed in her mind. ¡°In that case, let¡¯s not fight each other. Let¡¯s arm-wrestle! If you can overpower me with your strength, I¡¯ll take it as you¡¯re the stronger one.¡±

    ¡°Arm wrestle...¡± Gu Ding could not fathom the logic behind her idea. That was because even though strength andbat effectiveness were tied together, they were not the only ways to disy one¡¯s strength. As for people who were very powerful, it was only even more so. The more powerful one was, the smaller the gap between their strength andbat effectiveness.

    Gu Ding could only nod at Biggie when he saw the stubborn look in Elsa¡¯s eyes. ¡°Biggie, it wouldn¡¯t be a problem for you to arm-wrestle, would it?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll do it,¡± Biggie finally agreed to the challenge. ¡°There¡¯s a temple rest stop not too far from here. We¡¯ll arm-wrestle there.¡± Elsa had visited each rest top throughout the past few days and was quite familiar with thend.

    The three of them made their way to the rest stop very quickly, and Elsa found an empty stone table. Both Biggie and her respectively sat on the left and right of the table and sped their hands together. Elsa¡¯s little hand almost disappeared from view when Biggie¡¯srger hand wrapped around hers.

    Gu Ding was the judge, and he pulled their hands to the central axis of the table. After making sure that there were no problems, he called out for them to start.

    Gu Ding was shocked by what happened next. Both of them were stuck in a deadlock. However, the muscles on Biggie¡¯s arm were ripped with protruding veins, while Elsa looked as if she was not suing much strength at all.

    ¡°You¡¯re much stronger than other opponents I¡¯ve faced before, but you¡¯re still not strong enough.¡± Elsa looked disappointed. The muscles on her arms began to contract as she used some force. Then, there was a loud bang, and Biggie¡¯s arm was pressed t on the table¡¯s surface. The entire stone table was instantly shattered into pieces by the force.

    Gu Ding was stunned. It waspletely out of his expectations.

    Having lost to such a little girl in an arm-wrestling match, Biggie did not look too happy. Even though he had been aware that she was pretty strong, he was not expecting her to have such strength.

    ¡°Biggie, let¡¯s go.¡± Gu Ding felt that there was not much use wasting anymore time there.

    ¡°Wait, I¡¯d like to have another go!¡± Biggie was not about to leave just like that.

    Gu Ding was taken aback but nodded.

    Elsa knew why Biggie wanted a rematch. ¡°You didn¡¯t use your primary power just now, but the results would have been the same anyway. Primary power doesn¡¯t strengthen you that much physically. It won¡¯t help you be any stronger. My tribe cultivates energy that is used physically. Hence, it directly enhances our strength. However, it would be nice to have a rematch.¡±

    They changed to another stone table and went at it again.

    This time, Biggie coated his arm in primary power. His ck primary power surged and pulsed around his hand continuously.

    Elsa, on the other hand, did not do anything different.

    When Gu Ding called out for them to start, they once again got into a deadlock position. This time, Biggie was fully focused, and he was intent on giving it his all. The ck primary power continued to hold its own against Elsa¡¯s strange strength.

    Elsa¡¯s muscles began to vibrate more and more until she reached her limit after three minutes. On the other hand, Biggie continued to hold on with all his might. Three minutes into the match, he felt Elsa beginning to be weaker. Hence, he took the opportunity to press her arm down in one full motion. Having lost, Elsa admitted that Biggie was powerful, ¡°You¡¯re really strong! You¡¯re the second person I¡¯ve met during this time who has a good grasp of utilizing primary power. I wasn¡¯t expecting you to be able to withstand my different vibration frequencies that help enhance my strength.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re pretty strong too. Your strength alone shows that you¡¯re no weaker than some Rank 11 martial arts practitioners,¡± Biggie might have been a Rank 10 Gene Body, but he had a cell index not far away from a Rank 11 martial arts practitioner. He managed to withstand Elsa¡¯s special strength by employing a few primary power techniques during the arm-wrestling challenge. If he had not done so, the loser would have been him once more.

    ¡°I¡¯m actually a Rank 10, but my people are quite strong... Even though you¡¯re a strong person, I think you¡¯re slightly weaker than the level of strength I¡¯m searching for. I¡¯m very sorry to say that I can¡¯t marry you,¡± Elsa exined naively. ¡°Marry...¡± Gu Ding and Biggie were stunned at this. So, that was her reason for going about challenging people. However, this Elsa was quite strong, and it would probably be quite difficult for her to get married any time soon.

    If it was not for the urgency of Liliath¡¯s matter, Gu Ding would have taken the time to find out more about Elsa. Nevertheless, he was in a hurry to find the man with scriptures carved on him; the man Nisoth had mentioned. ¡°You can continue searching for someone else. We¡¯ll be heading to the peak.¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to have a meal before leaving? There¡¯s a rest stop every 1000 meters. They provide free board and food,¡± Elsa said casually as she picked up an empty te and pointed toward a nearby location where people were lining up.

    r

    ¡°You can get food there.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. We¡¯re in a hurry. Please do enjoy your meal.¡± Gu Ding broke into a wide smile. He could sense Elsa¡¯s kindness. The littledy with super strength had a very pure heart. ¡°Hmm, fine then. If you¡¯re looking to cure your illness, you better hurry up. The spiritual healer stops taking in patients after sundown. If you miss her, you¡¯ll have to wait until tomorrow to return,¡± Elsa provided them with some useful information.

    ¡°Spiritual healer? What kind of person is he?¡± Gu Ding could not help but ask. He suspected the person to be the man he was looking for; the man who had scriptures carved onto him with a knife.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t know? There¡¯s a spiritual healer in the temple who tends to those who are sick. Everyone says he¡¯s pretty amazing and can cure any sickness. It¡¯s not the Day of Worship yet, so most of the people here havee to visit the spiritual healer to help them with their illnesses. A portion of the people here are also visiting tourists looking for some blessings. Nevertheless, most of the people on this are Interster Pirates. The amount of real worshipers here is less than 10%.¡±

    Neptune did not know any of this information because Sk did not have any data about the matter. Only the locals had such information, and they had not shared it on Sk.

    ¡°It¡¯s toote for Robert to bring Lili here. It¡¯s going to get dark in less than three hours. It¡¯ll take him at least three hours just to get here. To reach the peak, it would probably take him another two hours.¡± Neptune made a quick calction and concluded that there was not enough time.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t both of you visit the spiritual healer first to find out if there is any way of curing her? If there is, we can get Robert to bring Liliath here tonight, and we can take her to the spiritual healer first thing tomorrow morning.¡±

    Gu Ding nodded at Elsa. ¡°Thank you for the information, we¡¯ll head there right now.¡±

    Once again, Gu Ding and Biggie made a mad dash toward the peak.

    It took them less than two hours to arrive at the temple on the peak.

    There was a calming effect within the temple¡¯s surroundings that gave everyone a sense of tranquility. Even Gu Ding, who was anxiously looking for the spiritual healer, suddenly felt his worries disappear thanks to the help of some strange energy. As a result, he was able to calm down quickly.

    The temple was a greyish-white building that took up quite arge area of the ce. It looked magnificent but not extravagant. It gave off a sense of simplicity and had a rustic feel to it. From the left side of the temple to its right, 12 round pirs arranged in a straight line could be seen. Those thick pirs did not have anything grandiose carved on them. Instead, they only disyed simple scriptures. The words carved on them were strong and powerful but not arrogant. There was something spiritual about them as well, causing one to wonder which holy figure had penned them. Biggie stared at the temple from afar. He could clearly sense the will that was giving the people around them a sense of peace. It wasing from deep within the temple. Biggie suspected that the deity might have left something there that had been in close proximity with him to create the effect.

    Gu Ding turned toward a bypasser and asked, ¡°Hello, do you know where the spiritual healer who helps people is?¡±

    The bypasser pointed toward a location in the middle of the temple. ¡°The spiritual healer is in the middle of the hall. You need to go in quickly because it¡¯s about to get dark. Once it gets dark, the temple will close and only the side halls on both rears will remain open to provide free board and meals. You can stay in the side halls after you¡¯ve had your illness looked at and leave tomorrow morning.¡±

    ¡°Thank you!¡± The person¡¯s exnation was very detailed, and Gu Ding pulled Biggie into the temple¡¯s hall after thanking the bypasser.

    In the middle of the hall was a young man sitting cross-legged on a futon. He had a slightly open scroll in his hands. He looked up at Gu Ding with a light smile on his face.

 Chapter 161 - The Addition Of A New Member

    <h4>Chapter 161 The Addition Of A New Member</h4>

    Was he the spiritual healer?

    That was the first thought that game to Gu Ding¡¯s mind when he saw the man-he was young and did not seem more than a few years older than him.

    Although the man had a babyface, he did not look childish. He was dressed in a long white robe and looked a little thin.

    ¡°Are you the spiritual healer who treats people¡¯s illnesses?¡± There was a hint of suspicion in Gu Ding¡¯s tone, but it was not disrespectful. ¡°I am the spiritual healer, but neither you nor the man behind you look like sick people.¡± The young spiritual healer had only nced at them and was able to make such judgment.

    ¡°The patient can¡¯t make it here before dark today.¡± Gu Ding felt that the man seemed a little discerning. ¡°She was poisoned. Do you think you can cure her?¡± ¡°That depends on the poison.¡± The young spiritual healer put down the scroll in his hand. ¡°Have you analyzed the poison?¡±

    Gu Ding nodded, and Neptune immediately listed the molecr form of the poison he had tested.

    ¡°This is the structure of the poison, a synthetic poison that¡¯s injected directly into one¡¯s brain. ording to the man who poisoned her, the patient only has seven days left to live,¡± Gu Ding went on to provide more information.

    The young spiritual healer frowned slightly at the form as he studied it. A momentter he asked, ¡°Was the poison made with a special ability? It¡¯s obvious that it¡¯s a synthetic poison, but it¡¯s not quite like man-made ones that have much neater structures. Ones that are made with special abilities tend to appear a lot messier.¡±

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯sposition includes special abilities, and the maker¡¯s gene level isn¡¯t low.¡± Gu Ding nodded. He did not tell the spiritual healer that the person who had made the poison was from the Dark Sectors because he was a little afraid that if he did, the healer would be scared to provide treatment.

    ¡°Indeed, the structure of the poison isplex. It¡¯s impossible to determine whether some of the keys are useless or poisonous with the current technology that we have,¡± said the spiritual healer as he disyed a few keys on the projection and shook his head. ¡°Sorry, I can¡¯t help you for this case. Based on my experience, the only way you can treat the poison is by finding the person who poisoned her and getting him to extract the poison¡¯s antibodies from her body. Alternatively, you could find someone who is immune to poison and borrow their poison antibodies.¡±

    ¡°Is there really no other way?¡± The healer¡¯s answer was the same as the one Neptune had given him, but it was not what Gu Ding wanted to hear.

    ¡°Sorry, there¡¯s nothing I can do.¡± The spiritual healer shook his head and looked at Gu Ding very seriously. ¡°Can you send me a copy of the structure of this poison? I want to look into it,¡± the spiritual healer asked as he gave Gu Ding a public email address.

    Gu Ding instructed Neptune to send the virus structure map. ¡°Thanks a lot anyway.¡± Gu Ding and Biggie walked away from the hall.

    ¡°Wait a minute, are you heading for Faye Cosmic Nation?¡± The spiritual healer asked out of the blue.

    ¡°That¡¯s right!¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s one more thing I need to ask of you. If you meet my junior, tell him that our master is dead. As for the cause of his death... It¡¯s not convenient to tell outsiders. However, knowing his character, he will certainly ask about it, so just make one up. Let¡¯s say, he took a poison he made by ident and had no time to make an antidote before it began to take effect. He should believe it.¡±

    ¡°Well... Is your master really dead or is his death fake?¡± Gu Ding thought that the spiritual healer was being too casual about it.

    ¡°Of course he¡¯s dead. Why would anyone joke about such a thing?¡± The spiritual healer looked very serious as he muttered, ¡°Although I¡¯ve always asked twenty times a day why hasn¡¯t that old man died ever since I was three...¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t you just tell him about it through yourmunicator?¡± Gu Ding still found it impolite to give people such information.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have his contact number. We haven¡¯t spoken to each other in six years. However, I just found out earlier that he has be an Interster Pirate when I saw his wanted order,¡± the spiritual healer said and projected a bounty order.

    Wanted Criminal: Dockett

    Gender: Male

    Age: 16

    Gene Level: Rank-9 Special Abilities: Negative state transfer (This ability is known, other special abilities he has are unknown.)

    Ability Description: Able to transfer the negative state of a living organism to another or more living organisms. If the organism that is transferred dies, the ability will backfire on its user and the person will experience twice the effects of the negative state.

    Ability Limit: The user of the ability must transfer the negative state within 10 hours of absorbing it, otherwise, they will experience the negative state themselves.

    Bounty: 50 million Faye Credits

    Crime: ...

    Gu Ding did not look too much into the rest of the information except for the Faye Credits which had been written on his bounty. It got Gu Ding wondering what sort of currency it was. The young man on the bounty order did not look like he was sixteen years old. Instead, he looked a little more mature-people would believe that he was in his early twenties, or at least a little older than the spiritual healer who was in front of their eyes. Nevertheless, what caught Gu Ding¡¯s attention the most was his special ability-negative state transfer.

    After reading the description of the ability, Gu Ding was slightly confused, and he asked the spiritual healer, ¡°That ability of his can also work on my friend¡¯s illness, right?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. However, he¡¯s in Faye Cosmic Nation right now, and I don¡¯t know his exact location. Even if you don¡¯t make any stops, it would take you at least half a month to leave Border River. Faye Cosmic Nation contains more than thirty thousand cosmoses. It¡¯s like looking for a needle in a haystack if you want to find him on such short notice. That¡¯s why aside from you, I¡¯ve asked other Interster Pirates-at least about two hundred crews that came before you-to help me get this message to him while the new route is open.¡±

    Neptune managed to find Dockett¡¯s contact number fairly quickly. That was because he had started conducting a portraitparison search the moment he saw the wanted order. Hence, it did not take him long to find it. Neptune also locked in his position ording to the person¡¯s contact number. The guy was in the middle of the Faye Cosmic Nation, and Neptune knew it would be impossible for them to reach there within a month. Even if he stayed in ce, with the speed of the Golden Eagle, it would take them at least three months to reach his location.

    ¡°I¡¯ve got Dockett¡¯s contact number. You can contact him yourself,¡± Gu Ding said and sent Dockett¡¯s contact number to the spiritual healer¡¯s email address.

    The spiritual healer was a little surprised when he received Dockett¡¯s contact number from Gu Ding. The former looked at themunication function on his wristwatch hesitantly.

    ¡°Do you have any scriptural tattoos on you, mister spiritual healer?¡± Gu Ding could not help but ask. He did not think Nisoth would say anything out of the blue.

    ¡°You may call me Orm,¡± the spiritual healer revealed his name. He was a little puzzled by Gu Ding¡¯s question. ¡°Scriptural tattoos? That sounds painful. Why would anyone do that?¡±

    ¡°All right then, let¡¯s go!¡± Gu Ding knew that Orm was not the one he was looking for, so he pushed open the door to leave. Biggie quickly caught up to Gu Ding from behind.

    ¡°What are we going to do now?¡± Biggie looked worried. He had thought that the spiritual healer was the one they were looking for, but apparently not.

    ¡°Huh? Since you just came out of the temple, you must have met the spiritual healer?¡± Elsa had reached the summit-just in time to see Gu Ding and Biggie walk out of the temple. She immediately rushed forward to greet them.

    ¡°Yes, he¡¯s not the one we¡¯re looking for. He took a look at our partner¡¯s illness but said he¡¯s unable to cure it.¡± Gu Ding did not intend to hide anything from Elsa.

    ¡°Are you looking for someone? Maybe I can help. I¡¯ve taken this mountain road no less than ten times, and I remember all the people I¡¯ve met. If you tell me some of their features, I might know them.¡± Elsa looked enthusiastic.

    ¡°All we know is that they have a bunch of scriptures carved on them, we don¡¯t know anything else.¡± Gu Ding was not expecting Elsa to help but told her their only clue anyway.

    ¡°Scriptural tattoos on their body?¡± Elsa stared at Gu Ding-her eyes were wide open. ¡°Are you sure? I think I know that person.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve seen someone with scriptural tattoos on their body? Where is that person?¡± Gu Ding immediately felt hopeful again.

    ¡°I can¡¯t take you there. He told me to stop pestering him. If I didn¡¯t, he said he¡¯d kill me.¡± Elsa sounded aggrieved. ¡°I met him four days ago. I felt that he was strong, so I challenged him. He really is strong. All he did was just stare at me and I lost. I kept pestering him after that, trying to get him toe back with me to the Vikings and challenge my father, but he kept rejecting me. That¡¯s why I watched him each day until the night before yesterday-when I identally saw him taking a bath and saw the engravings he has on his chest. At that time, he flew into a rage when he found out and forbade me from pestering him any further.¡±

    ¡°Where is that man now? You don¡¯t have to take us, you can give us his location, and we¡¯ll find him ourselves.¡± When Gu Ding heard Elsa¡¯s exnation, he felt that the man was probably the person in Nisoth¡¯s prophecy. ¡°No, you can¡¯t have his location now. He doesn¡¯t like to be disturbed after dark. He always closes his door at night and prays.¡± Elsa shook her head. ¡°How about tomorrow? I¡¯ll take you there in the morning, and you can knock after I leave.¡±

    ¡°That works too!¡± Gu Ding nodded.

    ¡°It¡¯s getting dark now. Please check-in at the side hall as soon as possible or you won¡¯t have a ce to stay tonight.¡± Elsa reminded them.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Gu Ding said, suddenly realizing that the little girl was a perfect candidate as a member of his crew. Gu Ding¡¯s crew was short of leadingbatants, and she was pretty strong. ¡°How long are you going to stay on Tampa? Which are you going to head to next? Do you have any ns?¡± Upon hearing Gu Ding¡¯s question, Elsa fell silent for a moment before she shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know. There¡¯s food and ces to stay here...¡±

    ¡°Are you an Interster Vagrant?¡± Gu Ding was speechless. The girl was strong. However, she had no sense of survival and had been reduced to a vagrant.

    ¡°I guess so...¡± Elsa felt that she had no other identity, no money, and was only constantly wandering around.

    ¡°Would you be interested in joining our crew?¡± Gu Ding grinned and asked her. ¡°We¡¯re Interster Pirates.¡± ¡°Will there be a lot of food? I eat like a horse, and I¡¯m never full here even after having twelve meals a day,¡± Elsa still sounded aggrieved as she said. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m sure we have plenty of food! Standing next to me here is our chef Biggie! Biggie eats like a horse too.¡± Gu Ding pointed at Biggie with his thumb. ¡°He¡¯s really good at cooking, and he makes something new almost every day.¡± ¡°How about a ce to stay? It doesn¡¯t have to be nice, a bed would do. I¡¯m just not used to sleeping on the floor.¡± Elsa looked at Gu Ding in anticipation. ¡°We each have our own rooms with basic necessities in them. If you need anything else, you could just ask us to buy it for you. Just give us a list. Of course, you could also ask me for money to buy stuff yourself. I¡¯m currently in charge of the crew¡¯s finances.¡± Gu Ding guessed that Elsa had been through a lot.

    ¡°Really? Then I agree!¡± Elsa was so happy she almost jumped. ¡°My name is Elsa. Nice to meet

    you.¡±

 Chapter 162 - Liliathâ€™s Grandfather

    Chapter 162 Liliath¡¯s Grandfather

    Having heard some news about the man with scriptural tattoos, Gu Ding asked Elsa for more information about him.

    It turned out that he was a man who seemed to be in his fifties or sixties, and he had grizzled hair. In Elsa¡¯s words, he was not very tall and was only about half the size of a Viking man. Besides having scriptural tattoos on his body, the man had numerous scars that had been left behind by previous battles. Nevertheless, the most special thing he had was his eyes that turned gold during battle. Elsa had gone against him more than once, and each time she saw the man¡¯s eyes turn gold, she lost herbat effectiveness. That was why she thought the man might be able to beat her father.

    The fact that the man¡¯s eyes would turn gold in battle caught Gu Ding¡¯s attention. That was because Lilliath¡¯s eyes also turned gold whenever she initiated Pupiry Abilities. Gu Ding suspected that the man might be rted to Lilliath.

    That night, Gu Ding told Robert to send Lilliath over to the mountain.

    The three of them then went back to the foothill because ording to Elsa, the man was usually in his best mood in the morning.

    Early the next morning, Elsa took them to a small wooden hut at the foothill where the temple was located.

    She somewhat timidly took refuge behind the huge Biggie before Gu Ding knocked on the wooden hut¡¯s door.

    ¡°Senior, My name is Gu Ding, and I¡¯m here for medical advice.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re asking the wrong man for medical advice. You should look for the spiritual healer called Orm on the summit,¡± a deep voice came from within the house. ¡°Elsa, I told you not toe here anymore, not bring more people.¡± ¡°Sir, they said they were looking for someone with scriptural tattoos on them...¡± Elsa quickly exined.

    The voice in the room fell silent for a moment. Then, a man with grizzled hair pushed open the door of the wooden hut. He nced at Biggie and the others with a slightly puzzled expression before he finally fixed his eyes on Gu Ding, their leader. There was something oppressive about the man. He looked as if he was ready to attack anytime. ¡°What on earth do you want to see me about?¡±

    ¡°One of our friends was poisoned, so we want you to cure her.¡± Gu Ding could vaguely sense the man¡¯s powers by his oppressive aura-he was not someone his crew couldpete with. Even if Biggie and Elsa joined forces, they would not have any chance of winning.

    ¡°I already told you that I don¡¯t know how to cure illnesses, what more treat poison. I don¡¯t know what Elsa told you, but you¡¯re talking to the wrong person. If you want to cure an illness, go to the spiritual healer on the summit,¡± the man said and was about to close the door.

    ¡°We¡¯ve seen the spiritual healer, and there¡¯s nothing he can do,¡± Gu Ding replied immediately, ¡°Someone from the Holy Gospel Tribe told us that Lili can only be saved by the person who has scriptural tattoos on their body.¡±

    ¡°Holy Gospel Tribe?¡± The man stopped closing the door upon hearing this. ¡°I really don¡¯t know how to cure any illnesses. If I can help-for Elsa¡¯s sake- I will not turn my back. Who is this person who gave you the prophecy? Could they be an imposter of the Holy Gospel Tribe?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s Nisoth from the Holy Gospel Tribe-an old man with white hair who¡¯s in a wheelchair. He shouldn¡¯t be a fraud. The generals in Dragon Soar Cosmic Nation know him, and he spent tens of billions of Universe Credits to participate in the auction.¡± Gu Ding instantly became puzzled as well. The man did not seem to be lying, and he probably really did not know how to cure illnesses.

    ¡°Nisoth? I¡¯ve heard of him. What did he tell you?¡± The man frowned slightly. He could not understand why someone from the Holy Gospel Tribe would make such a strange prophecy. ¡°His words were: There lies a huge temple on a within Border River. Find a man with scriptural tattoos on his body on that. He should be of some help to Lilliath,¡± Gu Ding said as Neptune projected the video of the incident.

    ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll take a look at it for you. Don¡¯t get your hopes up though. I really don¡¯t know anything about medicine,¡± the man agreed and walked over to the metal cab that was being carried by two robots. The moment he saw Lilliath, he froze.

    ¡°Senior, are you alright?¡± Gu Ding felt that it was a little strange to see the man freeze in front of Lilliath for so long.

    ¡°What¡¯s her name? How old is she?¡± the man asked all of a sudden.

    ¡°Her name is Lilliath, and she¡¯s fourteen years old.¡± Gu Ding felt that it was even more strange when he heard the man ask those two questions.

    ¡°Lilliath?¡± The man looked skeptical but did not delve any further. He asked, ¡°Do you know what special abilities she has?¡±

    ¡°She has Pupiry Abilities. When she activates them, her eyes turn gold.¡± Gu Ding did not intend on hiding anything from the middle-aged man as it was highly likely that he was Lilliath¡¯s rtive. ¡°She¡¯s also a very good gunner.¡±

    The corners of the man¡¯s mouth slightly curled upward when he heard this. Nevertheless, tears began to flow out from his eyes and his body started to tremble slightly.

    ¡°Why is uncle crying?¡± Elsa wondered.

    ¡°Shh...¡± Gu Ding put his finger in front of his mouth and motioned Elsa to remain silent. Immediately, Elsa covered her mouth.

    ¡°Tini, your daughter-my granddaughter is alive!¡± The man¡¯s hand trembled as he touched Lilliath¡¯s face that was isted by ice.

    Only then did the mystery finally reveal itself that the man was actually Lilliath¡¯s grandfather.

    ¡°Tell me how it happened-how was she poisoned and who did this.¡± The man turned around to look at Gu Ding.

    Neptune immediately projected the video of the incident.

    ¡°The Dark Sector!¡± The moment he saw two men in ck robes, he recognized them as people from the Dark Sector. As he watched a stooped old man inject poison into Lilliath¡¯s body, he clenched his fist and shot something out in the air. Then, the man fell silent for a long time after watching the video. ¡°Seven days, how many days have passed since then?¡±

    ¡°Today¡¯s the third day. However, we studied the poison and its process should slow down at low temperatures. That¡¯s why we¡¯ve been keeping Lili frozen. She should have more than twenty days left,¡± Gu Ding exined.

    ¡°People from the Dark Sector can¡¯t be trusted, so we have to give up the idea of asking them for help. Besides, whatever deals they promise are unlikely to be struck. Lili¡¯s paternal family is a bunch of profit-minded bastards. Lili¡¯s death may cause them some trouble, but it¡¯ll do them more good than harm.¡±

    ¡°Senior, do you have any way to cure Lili?¡± Gu Ding was most concerned about this question.

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing I can do to cure her, but I can try to induce her body to produce virus antibodies. Since she¡¯s my granddaughter, I could use my blood as a medium to guide her spiritually. As long as her will is strong enough, her body will listen to the spiritual guidance and slowly produce antibodies. Other than that, she¡¯d need a lot of cell repair agents to provide her with energy. In her current condition, E-grade cell repair agents should suffice.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m a pharmacologist, don¡¯t worry about it.¡± Gu Ding was not worried about the medicine. He had plenty of medicinalponents in his Inventory which had been supplied at no cost during hisst trip to the Hermean Alliance on Great Divinity. Each time he visited a, he would redeem all the free medicinal supplies avable; he never left one behind.

    ¡°Can you refine medicine that¡¯s above good quality? It¡¯s better if it¡¯s high quality but the sess rate of high quality medicine isn¡¯t that high. This might not even sell it.¡±

    ¡°Senior, I can, I should also be able to refine high quality medicine.¡± Gu Ding concluded by saying that he could not refine perfect quality medicine only when the spaceship was shaking or if he was extremely tired. Under normal conditions, his sess rate was one hundred percent. Nevertheless, there was no need for him to show off such a thing at this moment.

    ¡°That would be best.¡± The man nodded. ¡°Don¡¯t call me senior again, my name is Caesar.¡±

    As Ceaser said this, he took an empty syringe from his Inventory and drew a tube of blood out from his arm. What surprised Gu Ding and the others was the blood that was drawn into the transparent tube; it turned out to be dark gold.

    Then, under the watchful eyes of Gu Ding and the others, Caesar switched to a long needle and slowly inserted it into the ice. He slowly ced it into Lilliath¡¯s neck and injected the tube of blood into her. Caesar then pulled out the needle without causing any damage to the ice. ¡°Do you have any cell repair agents now?¡± Caesar held out his hand. Gu Ding nodded and handed over a handful of perfect quality E-grade cell repair agents to him-there were five tubes of them.

    Caesar was taken aback. ¡°Did you refine these by yourself?¡± ¡°Yep.¡± Gu Ding nodded.

    ¡°Perfect quality. Pretty good,¡± Caesarplimented. Nevertheless, he soon became busy once again as he ced long needles on the cell repair agents and injected them into Lilliath¡¯s arm one after the other. Caesar gave the other three cell repair agents back to Gu Ding.

    ¡°I¡¯ll ask you for more when I need them. Refine more for a rainy day. I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll need seventy or eighty more tubes of medicine,¡± Caesar said as he picked up Lilliath along with the chest and went back into the hut. Under his motion, Gu Ding and his crew followed.

    ¡°I will use Pupiry Abilities to enter her soulter. I willmunicate with her in her dreams and stimte her will to live. I can¡¯t be disturbed during this time, so someone strong will have to stand guard outside,¡± Caesar said as he looked at Biggie and Elsa.

    ¡°I¡¯ll do it. Biggie can¡¯t fight. He¡¯s just a cook.¡± Elsa took it upon herself to be the guard, and the fact that she was there was reassuring enough.

    Caesar said nothing else and only looked at Gu Ding. ¡°You stay here. I¡¯ll call you if I need you. Everybody else go out and do something, just don¡¯t make any noise.¡±

    Gu Ding nodded to Biggie and Robert. Only then did they take Elsa out of the hut.

    In the hut, Caesar¡¯s eyes soon turned gold. Beyond the gold was a strange, secret pattern made of silver.

    Gu Ding sat still beside them as he waited quietly.

 Chapter 163 - Liliathâ€™s Dream

    Chapter 163 Liliath¡¯s Dream

    Inside a dark house, Lilliath felt her clothes drenched to the skin. She looked around in a daze. A French window not too far away from her was half-open. A cool breeze came sweeping in and blew on her wet clothes, making her shudder.

    It was raining heavily outside the French window, and the wind was howling. Lilliath could vaguely see tree branches shaking in the distance. Being blown by the wind, rain poured into the house. Every once in awhile, thunder roared outside, apanied by shes of lightning that illuminated the room.

    Lilliath wrapped her clothes around her tightly, pulled up the French window, and locked it.

    With the help of several shes of lightning that gave the room light, Lilliath managed to determine the position of the power switch in the room. She walked up to it and pressed a button that had an unknown purpose, figuring that there should be at least one light switch on the switch panel.

    Lilliath pressed all four buttons on the switch panel several times. Nevertheless, the lights did not turn on, nor did anything else respond.

    Then, Lilliath vaguely heard a strange noiseing from outside the door.

    She crept as quietly as she could to the door, pressed the door handle gently, and cracked the door open. Through the crack, she saw a corridor. In that same corridor, a huge insect could be seen heading toward the room she was in with its eight long legs.

    Quickly, Lilliath locked the door. She covered her mouth with one hand and backed away, trying not to make a sound. Her legs were trembling. This time, it was not because of the cold but because of her fear.

    The eight-legged insect was a spider she feared and hated ever since her childhood. She was traumatized back then when she was bitten and nearly poisoned to death by the creature when she was very young.

    The spider outside was huge and stood nearly three meters high. It had terrifying spikes on all its eight feet, and sharp teeth could be seen protruding out of its mouth. Strangely, its eyes had evolved as it had twelve instead of eight on its back. It was a bit like the mutant beasts Gu Ding had encountered on Co. One could say that it was a fusion of her two most unpleasant experiences.

    Not long after, the sound of knocking was heard from outside the door. Then, in just one hit, the sharp spines on one of the spider¡¯s legs made a hole in the wooden door. Next came the second and the third...

    Lilliath began to back away but suddenly lost her footing. She happened to stumble over a stool on the floor, and her eyes fell right under the bed.

    There was a sh of lightning and Lilliath saw a little girl lying underneath the bed. She put her hands over her mouth and began to sob softly

    The little girl had fiery red hair and looked around five to six years old. Lilliath recalled being bitten by a spider at around the same age. Perhaps it was because of the sight of the little girl, but Lilliath¡¯s fear subsided a little. She walked toward the bed and lifted its sagging sheets. Then, she crouched down and held out her hand to the little girl. ¡°Come out. I¡¯ll take you with me. It¡¯ll find you if you hide here.¡±

    The little girl hesitated for a while. Nevertheless, she wiped her tears before nodding and crawled out from under the bed. She was holding a fluffy white teddy bear in her arms.

    Lilliath felt that the toy looked oddly familiar, but she did not delve too much into it. Lilliath rubbed the little girl¡¯s head. ¡°Tell big sister, what¡¯s your name?¡±

    ¡°My name is Lili.¡± The little girl¡¯s nervousness seemed to abate a little. ¡°What a coincidence? My name is Lili too.¡± Lilliath looked at the door. The lower part of the door had basically been destroyed. Nevertheless, with the spider¡¯s size-it could not squeeze in. On the other hand, it did not look like the door wouldst any longer either.

    Lilliath took the little girl¡¯s hand and walked toward the French window. After pushing open the French window, a cold wind blew in from the outside. The rain was still pouring, but Lilliath could not care less about it. When they stepped onto the balcony, Lilliath looked down, she wanted to know how high the room was from the ground. Looking down, she was despaired by the possibility of them escaping. The ce was at least two or three hundred meters away from the ground.

    ¡°Big sister, there¡¯s a tunnel in the closet,¡± Lili said as she pointed toward the closet in the room.

    Lilliath was not in the mood to think about why there was a tunnel in the closet. She tugged at Lili, rushed toward the closet, and opened it. The closet had a lot of premium clothes-both men¡¯s and women¡¯s. The room was probably upied by a couple.

    Pushing the clothes aside, Lilliath saw a tunnel. She picked Lili up and carried her inside. After stepping into the tunnel, Lilliath closed the closet behind her and moved the clothes back into ce before she began to lead Lili down the tunnel.

    Both of them continued to walk for a long time. Just when Lilliath was beginning to wonder whether the tunnel would ever end, she saw a fork in front of her. The tunnel split into two different directions-one on the left and one on the right.

    Lilliath activated her pupiry power but still could not see the difference between the two tunnels. Hence, she turned to Lili. ¡°Lili, do you know where these two tunnels lead to?¡± Lili shook her head. ¡°I only knew there was a tunnel here. I never came in because it was too dark.¡±

    Liliath was rendered speechless. Normally, she was not an indecisive person. However, she was now running for her life-it was important to make the right decision. After a moment¡¯s hesitation, she averted her eyes to her left. ¡°Lili, let¡¯s take the left one, shall we?¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡± Lili nodded, raising no objections.

    Having received Lili¡¯s reply, Lilliath¡¯s confidence rose slightly. ¡°Let¡¯s just go left. If it doesn¡¯t work, we¡¯ll juste back here.¡±

    Having chosen the left tunnel, the two continued down it. They had not walked too far before they were met with a door. Lilliath¡¯s grip on Lili¡¯s hand tightened a little, and she motioned Lili to remain quiet. Lili covered her mouth with the teddy bear¡¯s head and walked heel-first like Lilliath, trying to make as little noise as possible.

    Liliath opened the door gently to reveal a crack and peered through it.

    Behind the door was another room. It was quiet and seemed secure.

    Taking Lili by the hand, Lilliath led her into the room. The room was a study that was veryrge. Bookshelves that were more than three meters high were affixed to the walls-the top of the bookshelves was close to touching the ceiling. The bookshelves were filled with arge variety of paper books.

    There was a wooden mahogany desk in the middle of the room. Items made up of pure wood were quite expensive. Even ordinary people could not afford to buy paper, let alone items made of pure wood like desks.

    Everything on the desk was organized in a neat and orderly manner. The owner of the study was clearly someone strict with themselves. There was also a frame on the desk, but in the darkness, Lilliath could only see a couple and a little girl in it. She could not see their faces clearly and did not bother trying too hard.

    Behind the desk was a swivel chair made of ck leather. Its legs were made of metal-it reflected a light metallic sheen in the darkness. ¡°Where are your parents?¡± Liliath finally took the time to ask.

    ¡°At work...¡± Lili did not seem very happy when she said it.

    Scurrying toward the desk, Lilliath began rummaging through the cupboards and drawers for any weapons she could use.

    She searched through the drawers that were on her left one by one. Nevertheless, the drawers were filled with only disks and things for work.

    Lilliath did not leave any drawers closed except one that would not open.

    Finding a metal card, she carefully slid it through the drawer¡¯s lock and opened it.

    ¡°Big sister, are you a thief?¡± Lili asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m not a thief. I¡¯m just looking for a weapon to protect us.¡± Without looking up, Liliath rummaged through thest drawer but found nothing.

    ¡°Is this all right?¡± Lili handed her a silver handgun.

    ¡°Where did you get this?¡± Lilliath took the pistol.

    ¡°I took it from my mom¡¯s purse when we were in the closet,¡± Lili replied.

    Liliath looked at the magazine. It was fully loaded. The pistol had a capacity of twenty bullets. As soon as Lilliath got hold of the handgun, her gear instantly vanished, and she was ready to take the initiative and attack.

    She would never have felt that way if she had not met Gu Ding; she learned from him that one had a bigger chance of winning by being proactive rather than being passive.

    ¡°Follow me. Don¡¯t get lost,¡± Lilliath whispered to Lili.

    Lili nodded.

    Lilliath opened the door and looked around. The spider monster was gone, but she could see the room where she and Lili had hidden in earlier. It was less than twenty meters away from their current room. Lilliath remembered very clearly how the door had been damaged, and she could see her position clearly through the crack in the door.

    Lilliath knew that the spider had not gone too far. Right at that moment, mucus dripped from the ceiling not far in front of Lilliath. Instantly, Lilliath reacted and raised her gun, pulling the trigger. The spider that had been hiding on the ceiling with its body bent low, was instantly shot in the eye by Lilliath.

    Stimted by pain, it frantically rushed toward Lilliath. Nevertheless, Liliath was fearless at this point. Shended her shots repeatedly on the spider¡¯s eye socket that had been burst by her earlier. Five shots in rapid session. Just as the spider¡¯s serrated teeth were about to mp onto her neck, the huge monster¡¯s body copsed.

    The ground was covered in green blood. ¡°It¡¯s over...¡± When Liliath turned to look back at Lili, she found that the little girl had disappeared. ¡°Lili?!¡±

    Then, when she turned to look around once more, she noticed that her surroundings had changedpletely...

 Chapter 164 - Lilliathâ€™s Dream 2

    Chapter 164 Lilliath¡¯s Dream 2

    She was clearly at a party, and there was noise everywhere. Lilliath lowered her head to look at herself, wondering when her wet dress had changed into a white evening dress. There was even a pair of silk gloves embellished with blue diamonds on her hands.

    ¡°Lili, what are you standing there for? Come here!¡± a woman beckoned to her.

    Lilliath froze at the sight of the woman. The woman was clearly her mother, and Lilliath walked over in a slight daze. ¡°Come on, say hello to Auntie Laura.¡± The woman hinted at Lilliath with her eyes. ¡°Good evening, Auntie Laura!¡± Lilliath performed a slightly awkward noble salute. She had not been to such parties for more than half a year. Hence, her movements were slightly awkward.

    The woman called Laura did not look too pleased. She exchanged a few pleasantries with Lilliath¡¯s mother and turned away.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter with you today? You look distracted.¡± Tini could see that something was wrong with her daughter.

    Lilliath hugged her mother. ¡°Mom, I miss you so much...¡±

    Tini put down her goblet. ¡°Have you been drinking?¡±

    ¡°What party is this, mother?¡± Lilliath had seen a lot of faces she did not know.

    ¡°It¡¯s a party to celebrate your second grandfather¡¯s session as the patriarch.¡± Tini thought that Lilliath was drunk to have forgotten the purpose of the party.

    ¡°That maniptive hypocrite?!¡± It was Lilliath¡¯s first time scolding someone like this.

    Tini frowned. ¡°What did you say? Second grandpa has always been good to you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s all a lie!¡± Lilliath could recall all the events that transpired at the party in the past. If it was not for her so-called second grandfather, her parents would not have died tragically. ¡°That old man with a mouthful of righteousness tried to marry me into the Naptons in exchange for power without consulting you. Father objected, and three dayster, second grandfather called a family meeting. He assembled the elders and threatened father. When father disagreed, they kicked him, you, and me out of the family. On our way out of this, our spaceship was attacked by more than thirty interceptors. Our spaceship instantly broke apart, and everyone on board died. I escaped in an invisible escape pod alone... Don¡¯t believe him, he¡¯s a liar!¡±

    ¡°What are you talking about? Tini thought Lilliath had gone on a bender.

    Just then, an old man knocked on a ss a few times, attracting many people¡¯s attention. The man was Lilliath¡¯s second grandfather.

    ¡°Today is a great day. Not only is it the day that I take over as patriarch, but it is also the day the sole female in our family, Olivia, marries the Napton¡¯s Ulrich! On a day like this...¡±

    ¡°Wait a minute.¡± He was interrupted by a tall man. ¡°Second uncle, I don¡¯t think you¡¯ve ever discussed with me and my wife about such matters with my daughter.¡± ¡°Gardner, this is a family matter. Don¡¯t get your personal feelings mixed into it. I am now the patriarch and the decision I¡¯ve made is the result of careful discussions from previous family meetings.¡± ¡°It¡¯s ridiculous that my wife and I, who are both family council members, were not called to the so-called family meetings. What¡¯s the meaning of this? Second uncle, don¡¯t forget that the ce as patriarch was originally passed to me by my father. You told the council that I was too young to take on such responsibilities and that my daughter has no talent for cultivation that the future of the family was in doubt. Hence, I gave up my ce. However, you¡¯re now after my daughter¡¯s marriage?¡± The tall man was really angry. ¡°Here¡¯s one question, how thick is your skin?¡±

    Gardner¡¯s remark caused an uproar as everyone present was of high society. It was rare for such a distinguished family to fall out so dramatically in front of outsiders.

    Everyone knew that Gardner was not only tough but also hot-tempered, which was why the family council was unanimously reluctant to make him patriarch. Everyone finally witnessed his true temper at the party.

    Balin¡¯s face turned red and then pale. He had no idea that Gardner dared to humiliate him in front of so many people. He had expected Gardner to swallow his pride at the party. ¡°Anyhow, the decision has been made. As long as you¡¯re a member of the Harris family, it cannot be changed.¡±

    When Gardner heard this, he sneered. ¡°In that case, Me, Gardner, my wife, and daughter, from now on, are no longer of the Harris family! Balin, if you want to form an alliance through marriage, have a daughter of your own and get her to marry them!¡±

    Upon finishing his words, he turned around and walked toward where Tini and Lilliath were standing. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±

    Outside the banquet hall, Tini furrowed her brows. ¡°Gardner, you were too impulsive this time. You should have borne with it. It might not be that hopeless.¡±

    ¡°Before the old man died, I told him that the Harris family would be doomed without him.¡± Gardner looked emotional. ¡°I¡¯m just not cut out to be patriarch. Everyone else only has personal gain in mind, and some even engage in shady dealings with outsiders. I told the old man a long time ago that if ites to a point where I can¡¯t stand it anymore, I¡¯ll leave the family and go my own way. He agreed. He knew that I wouldn¡¯t be able to clean up this mess. Not to mention, there¡¯s a chance I might end up getting myself killed if I¡¯m careless...¡±

    Lilliath remained silent. The scene was different from what she remembered. Her father had been silent back then, but it was a different story this time. She did not know what the future held or if it was a good or bad sign.

    The three of them got into a hovercar and drove to another house that Gardner had bought far away from the family home. While they were on their way, their car was stopped out of the blue by four men in ck robes. At the sight of the ck robes, Lilliath¡¯s pupils contracted almost instantly. She was able to recognize them as people from the Dark Sector. All four of them had blood-red demons engraved on the chests of their ck robes.

    ¡°People from the Dark Sector? The Naptons must have seen thising, being able to arrange an ambush so quickly.¡± Gardner recognized them as well. He seemed vignt, after all, the Dark Sector was an infamous organization of killers.

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t expecting you to know about us. What an honor. In order to get rid of you two, our boss selected the four of us to group up.¡± The first man in ck robeughed. ¡°Does your boss know that you¡¯re full of crap?¡± Gardner said as heunched an attack-a ck me burst from his hand. The surrounding area outside the hovercar, where the four men were standing, instantly burst into mes. Tini, who was on the other side, alsounched an attack. Her eyes turned golden in colour, and a horrible illusion of ck mes fell upon the area at around the same time.

    ¡°It¡¯s no use!¡± a voice was heard through the mes.

    At that moment, Tini¡¯s pupils returned to their normal color, and the ck mes gradually began to fade away.

    ¡°An ability sealer?!¡± The expression on Tini¡¯s face changed drastically. They had sealed her Pupiry Abilities, and herbat effectiveness waspletely gone.

    ¡°That¡¯s right, we brought an ability sealer with us. Though his seals can onlyst for a really short time-less than ten minutes, for powerhouses like you, it¡¯s enough for us. As for your husband, his Purgatorial me is not a Natural Stream force. Instead, it¡¯s a dark curse, so we specially equipped ourselves with a light purifier. Even if your powers are close to Demi-powerhouses, there is no doubt that the two of you will die here today. As for your daughter, we¡¯ll take her back and have her marry the Naptons. Then, the Naptons will be able to subdue the Harris family.¡±

    Lilliath looked left and right, hoping to find a weapon that could inflict damage on the people from the Dark Sector. All of a sudden, she caught a glimpse of a building on the street to her left-it was a military museum. Lilliath vaguely remembered that she had been in it before, and there was a long and huge cannon called Deicide.

    The cannon could not actually kill gods, but it had been used by a demigod before to kill other demigods. The person renamed the weapon Deicide in hopes that he would be able to bypass the ranks and ughter deities. Unfortunately, he was killed by a deity in a challenge before he could do so. Lilliath thought about it and dashed out from the left door of the car, running toward the museum.

    ¡°Look, your daughter has abandoned you.¡± One of them taunted.

    Nevertheless, Gardner and Tini felt happy because there was a chance for Lilliath to survive.

    Lilliath ran all the way to the museum, looking for the weapon in it. She soon found the Deicide beside a window-its muzzle was facing outward.

    Looking down the muzzle, she saw her parents struggling. Under such circumstances where their abilities were being restrained, theirbat effectiveness was less than ten percentpared to usual. Not to mention, the people of the Dark Sector were of the same rank of strength as them. Hence, both of them suffered heavy injuries very quickly.

    ¡°Stop it! i¡¯ll fire if you go on!¡± Lilliath shouted to the four.

    When they saw Lilliath standing next to the Deicide, they looked at her with disdain. ¡°Don¡¯t be silly, little girl. Do you really dare fire that thing? It¡¯ll destroy the entire city. The museum will also be destroyed, and you will die!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not afraid of death! I was afraid before, but now I¡¯m not!¡± Liliath shouted. ¡°That¡¯s because I know that some people will always be remembered even after they die-just like mom and dad. I will always remember, and I will never forget. Even if I die one day, I know Gu Ding will remember me, and there¡¯s Biggie, he will also remember me!¡±

    ¡°Then watch them die again with your own eyes!¡± With a twisted and ferocious face, the man under the cloak pierced Tini¡¯s chest. He then pulled out his saber with his hand and chopped off Gardner¡¯s head before looking defiantly at Lilliath.

    With tears in her eyes, Lilliath aimed in the direction of the four and pulled the trigger of the Deicide.

    At that moment, fire burst into the sky, and the four of them were instantly turned into dust. A powerful shock wave was also emmited, and the whole block of buildings copsed in an instant. Only Lilliath¡¯s body was left unharmed. She looked at the city and centered on the block. Then, she released strong explosive shock waves in all directions. The hotel where the party was being held was instantly destroyed. Everyone in the party, including Balin, was obliterated.

    The entire city copsedpletely. Except for Lilliath, no one left was alive.

    Lilliath sank to her knees, sped her head in her hands, and wept...

 Chapter 165 - Lilliath, Letâ€™s Go Home

    Chapter 165 Lilliath, Let¡¯s Go Home

    Four days had gone by since Caesar started Lilliath¡¯s. Nevertheless, Lilliath had not yet woken up.

    It was already the seventh day since Lilliath had been poisoned and the Dark Sector¡¯s people had not yete to Tampa. Gu Ding guessed that the deal was dead. Gu Ding was also secretly d that they had frozen Lilliath as per Neptune¡¯s suggestion or she would have been dead by then.

    Over the course of the four days, Neptune brought a lot of news. The biggest news of all was that Gu Ding¡¯s bounty had increased significantly It had increased from 320 million Star Credits to 80 million Universe Credits; it had increased by at least 200 fold.

    Wanted Offender: Gu Ding

    Gender: Male

    Age: 15

    Gene Level: Unknown

    Special Abilities: Unknown

    Other Abilities: Owns special arts, can enhance his ownbat effectiveness manyfold Bounty: 80 million Universe Credits

    Criminal Offence 1: Badly destroyed the ecological environment of Gray Star Sector on Co, destroyed the energy supply system on the said, and wiped out arge amount of scientific data.

    Criminal Offence 2: Shelling the Onassis family mansion on Fengyuan.

    Criminal Offence 3: Destroyed Consc¡¯s port canopy tform system and disseminated the Federal Government¡¯s ssified missions and name lists.

    Criminal Offence 4 :(1) Rescued bounty criminals who had been arrested on Great Divinity. Launched a sneak attack on the Army, resulting in massive losses and casualties to the Army; (2) Gathered arge number of bounty criminals to fight with the army openly; (3) Openly hired Interster Mercenaries and destroyed three Army interceptors.

    Besides Gu Ding, Biggie¡¯s bounty went from zero to a skyrocketing fortune.

    Wanted Offender: Biggie

    Gender: Male

    Age: 17

    Gene Level: Rank-10

    Special Abilities: Unknown

    Other Abilities: Strong swordsmanship

    Bounty: 50 million Universe Credits Criminal Offence 1 :(1) Participated in the rescue of other bounty criminals who had been arrested and offered rewards on Great Divinity. Snuck an attack on the Army, resulting in massive losses and casualties to the Army (2) Consecutively hindered Army generals from carrying out their missions twice.

    Although Lilliath had not done anything, her bounty fluctuated as well because she was a member of Gu Ding¡¯s crew.

    Wanted Offender: Lilliath

    Gender: Female

    Age: 14

    Gene Level: Unknown

    Special Abilities: Unknown

    Other Abilities: Gunner

    Bounty: 2 million Universe Credits

    Criminal Offence: Assisted Gu Ding in many crimes.

    Even Robert was wanted-even though he had always kept a low profile and was rarely seen by the army. Wanted Offender: Robert

    Race: Suspected to be of Mechanical Tribe

    Age: Unknown

    Combat Effectiveness Level: Unknown

    Special Abilities: Unknown

    Other Abilities: Can build robots to take part in battles.

    Bounty: One million Universe Credits

    Criminal Offence: ...

    As for the rest of the gang, Bart¡¯s had increased the most.

    Wanted Offender: Bart

    Gender: Male

    Age: 20

    Gene Level: Rank-7

    Special Abilities: Unknown

    <b>wn</b>

    Other Abilities: Has a demigod chain that can create a sealing effect but takes time to use. Bounty: 5 million Universe Credits

    Latest Criminal Offence: Took part in a confrontation with the Army on Great Divinity, killed arge number of Army members.

    Mi En, An Luo, and the others¡¯ bounties also increased. Nevertheless, their bounties were not on the same level as Gu Ding even in the slightest bit.

    What surprised Gu Ding the most was that Kohld Blood¡¯s bounty had increased to more than one hundred million Universe Credits. He had spent his time challenging other Interster Pirates within Border River. Every time he targeted an Interster Pirate crew, thetter would suffer a devastating blow. With that, he caused a disturbance in almost the entire Border River. Faye Cosmic Nation had no choice but to send in a team of hunters to seize his team.

    It took ce two days prior, but no one on Sk had uploaded any news about it, leading Gu Ding to suspect that the hunters failed their mission. Otherwise, news about Kohld Blood¡¯s arrest would have been out by

    then.

    Over at the hut, Biggie served them meals each day. Robert spent only a few minutes before he was able to create a makeshift portable kitchen that was easy to use. As for Elsa, she carried along performing her guard duty throughout the few days. The past few days were also the days when she had eaten the most food ever since she left home.

    In the wooden hut, Lilliath¡¯s condition began to worry Gu Ding a little. Throughout the past four days, she was injected with no less than sixty tubes of cell repair agents. Other than that, Caesar would inject her with a tube of blood each day. Then, he would spend hours on her. Caesar was starting to look more and more unwell with each day that went by.

    ¡°Caesar, how is Lili now?¡± Gu Ding could not help but finally ask.

    After a moment¡¯s silence, Caesar chose to tell the truth, ¡°Not very optimistic, her second dream world has been broken, and she will soon fall into a third dream. If this enthrallment continues, she may never wake up, and her soul will permanently drift around in dream world.¡±

    Gu Ding frowned upon hearing this. ¡°Can I help?¡±

    In Lilliath¡¯s dream, the whole world had copsed. Her parents had once again died in front of her, leaving her close to a breakdown. Looking around herself, she saw that everything had been destroyed. Suddenly, a strange feeling began to stir in her heart-it was the pleasant sensation of revenge.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to destroy everything. I¡¯m going to kill everyone! Then, no one can hurt me...¡± A seed of hatred sprouted in her heart and soon grew into a tree. The idea of getting revenge grew stronger and stronger within her.

    All of a sudden, her gene level began to climb rapidly. It shot from Rank-4 to Rank-6, and then went up further-Rank-7, Rank-8... At Rank-14, she instantly gained ess to demigod powers. A ck me shot up from inside her body, It was the Purgatorial me she had inherited from her father. Nevertheless, the fire in her hand was more domineering. In her right hand, the Combat Armor that had apanied her all this while, evolved and turned golden in colour. It had transformed itself into a giant particle cannon. Even her defensive Combat Armor had turned gold. Lilliath, who was now dressed in gold armor had a ball of fire in her left hand and a cannon in her right hand. She slowly floated in the air. Her fiery red hair turned blood-red as it grew at a speed the naked eye could see. Soon, her long hair was sweeping the floor.

    Her golden pupils also turnedpletely blood-red, and eerie ck patterns began circting them-it made them look creepy.

    Beneath her, the world that had copsed had disappeared. A bustling was now in front of her, and arge ck mansion stood before her.

    With her eyes, she peered through the window that was tens of miles away and saw several men in ck robes secretly discussing something inside. The men in ck robes all had pictures of bright red demons on their chests.

    ¡°Die!¡± Lilliath was instantly infuriated, and she shot the particle cannon in her hand wildly. ck mes immediately swept through the city. She was not bothered by the civilians in the city. Her goal was simple-let everyone die with her!!

    The ck mansion copsed instantly!

    Soon, the whole city was enveloped in mes. There was screaming everywhere, but Lilliath ignored it. Her eyes were fixated on the ck mansion which was nowid in ruins. She wanted to make sure that everyone in front of her had died-no one could escape her wrath!

    Just then, a man in a ck robe slowly crept out of the ruins. The red demon on his chest was still visible. In a sh, he appeared before Lilliath. Even with Lilliath¡¯s pupiry power, she could not see his face that was covered by the brim of his hood.

    Without hesitation, Lilliath pressed the muzzle of her ck particle annihtion cannon against her opponent¡¯s heart. At that moment, the man in the ck robe calmly removed his hood.

    At the sight of his face, Lilliath hesitated. That was because it was Gu Ding.

    ¡°Olivia, are you really going to kill me?¡± ¡°Gu Ding¡± had a sarcastic smile on his face. Lilliath was on the verge of having a breakdown. She could not understand why the Dark Sector¡¯s leader had be Gu Ding.

    ¡°Since you can¡¯t do it, let me kill you and put an end to your misery...¡± ¡°Gu Ding¡± smiled gently. At the sight of his smile, Lilliath suddenly reacted, and ck mes instantly drowned her opponent. She had done so decisively, without holding back. ¡°Gu Ding¡± quickly fell in front of her. ¡°Why? Aren¡¯t we partners?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not my partner. Gu Ding has never called me Olivia. His smile can shine through shadows like the sunlight, so you¡¯re just a fake!¡± Lilliath finally managed to calm down.

    After she had calmed down, she looked at the city which was in ruin. Gradually, the ck mes in her hand extinguished. Additionally, the huge cannon that she was holding disappeared. Her long hair also returned to its original state, and the color of her pupils reverted to normal.

    A strong sense of prostration came over her. She fell to the ground, tears streaming down her face. ¡°What have I done?¡±

    The sky was thick with smoke and haze, even the sun could not be seen. She felt her body slowly turn cold. ¡°Am I going to die? It would be a relief to die... I might get to see mom and dad again...¡±

    Just then, Lilliath heard footstepsing in the distance. Slightly curious, she turned her head and looked toward the source of the footsteps. Among the debris, a thin figure could be seen moving amidst the smoke. The moment he saw Lilliath, he appeared beside her and crouched down next to her. With the corners of his mouth curled upwards, he held out his hand to her. ¡°Lili, let¡¯s go home!¡±

 Chapter 166 - Gu Dingâ€™s New Ability

    <h4>Chapter 166 Gu Ding¡¯s New Ability</h4>

    Lilliath slowly opened her eyes and saw Gu Ding smiling at her. ¡°I knew you¡¯d be alright.¡±

    Then she saw the old man next to Gu Ding. ¡°Is he... our new member?¡±

    Gu Ding had always liked recruiting strange people. Even if he did, Lilliath would not be surprised, so she asked the question the moment she saw him.

    ¡°My name is Caesar.¡± Caesar smiled faintly. Lilliath looked exactly like Tini.

    ¡°Are you... Grandpa?!¡± Although Liliath had never seen Caesar, she often heard her mother mentioning the name. He was her father and a demi-powerhouse.

    ¡°Tini told me about you. We¡¯ve actually been in touch, but we haven¡¯t met each other. Within a year of her marriage, she sent me a message that she had a daughter and sent me a picture of you...¡± Caesar said and projected the picture. It was a little baby wrapped tightly in a nket. Her skin was pink, and she looked adorable.

    ¡°Then your father was expelled from the family and his spaceship crashed on the way out. I thought you... I didn¡¯t expect God would offer me the blessing of meeting you again.¡± Caesar had always thought that Lilliath died in the disaster with her parents.

    ¡°When my mother saw the interceptors, she knew something was going to happen. She immediately put me into an invisible escape pod. I was the only one who escaped.¡± Lilliath exined. I saw the Dreadnought burst ame with my own eyes... Shortly after, my escape podnded on a nearby administrative, so I changed my name to Lilliath and began to drift around to make myself stronger. That¡¯s when I met Gu Ding...¡±

    Meanwhile, Gu Ding had reached the door and called out to the others, ¡°Lili¡¯s awake, everyonee in!¡±.

    Even Caesar, who always preferred the peace and quiet did not object.

    Biggie and the rest barged their way in.

    Lilliath was visibly startled at the sight of Elsa. Her eyes glossed over Elsa¡¯s chest which was matured for her age. There was a sh of envy in her eyes, but she held out her hand anyway. ¡°Hello, my name is Lilliath, are you the new member?¡±

    ¡°My name is Elsa. Nice to meet you!¡± Elsa held out her hand too.

    ¡°Sister Elsa, what do you like to eat?¡± Suspecting that the size of her breasts might have something to do with her diet, Liliath decided to ask Elsa for advice.

    ¡°Hehe, Elsa eats twice as much as I do, and she¡¯s not fussy at all.¡± Biggie chimed in on the subject of food.

    Lilliath ignored Biggie. She looked expectantly at Elsa.

    ¡°Biggie¡¯s right. We Vikings eat a lot. My father eats a hundred times as much as I do. We eat everything, but meat and fish are our favorites...¡± When it came to food, Elsa instantly felt like they had something inmon.

    ¡°Vikings?¡± Lilliath had read about the race. ¡°Can your people really tame dragons?¡±

    ¡°Most people tame vipers when they grow up. So far only my father and two other warriors have tamed real dragons. Out of the three dragons, father¡¯s Acoot is the strongest, even though he¡¯s not fully mature yet.¡±

    After hearing what Elsa said, Lilliath deduced that Elsa¡¯s father should at least be a demigod. This was because dragons had powers like a god after reaching adulthood. Their powers wereparable to a demigod even in infancy. In that case, Elsa should not be weak.

    Gu Ding and his crew left the wooden hut, leaving Elsa and Lilliath to talk.

    ¡°Gu Ding, you really need to get stronger.¡± After leaving the wooden hut, Neptune¡¯s voice reached Gu Ding. ¡°I¡¯ve just scanned Liliath¡¯s body. She¡¯s jumped to Peak Rank-6 Gene Body from Rank-4 Gene Body. The double spiral gene chain in her body has be a triple spiral. Your bounty isparable to that of a Peak Rank-9 martial arts practitioner, which is seriously disproportionate to your actualbat effectiveness.¡±

    ¡°It has been nearly a month since thest Energy Crystal was imnted. I think it¡¯s about time. After this promotion, Neptune, you can teach me how to cultivate primary power, right?¡± Gu Ding also knew that Neptune was just telling the truth. Hisbat effectiveness was nowhere near the top in Dragon Soar Cosmic Nation. In Border River, it was thew of the jungle, there were more powerhouses. Even with strong members like Elsa in the mix, Gu Ding was not looking to rely on his partners to protect him. Besides, Elsa¡¯s ¡°you look really weak¡± statement when she challenged Biggie before joining the crew made Gu Ding realized the extent of his weakness.

    ¡°There¡¯s only one Rank-6 crystal left but there are quite a few Rank-7s here. You hunted them down during space-time backtracking. There are ten. Lili¡¯s having a good chat with Elsa right now, maybeter.¡± Neptune counted the Energy Crystals.

    ¡°This time I¡¯ll ask Robert to imnt it for me.¡± Gu Ding felt that Robert was better suited for the job than Lilliath.

    Taking Robert aside, Gu Ding asked him for the crystal imntation, and Robert readily agreed. Thest thing he wanted was to have nothing to do. He, too, had been looking after the crew and did not have much time to spend in hisboratory. He was d to hear Gu Ding ask him for help.

    The two borrowed Biggie¡¯s portable kitchen and began the imntation.

    ¡°First, imnt a Rank-6 Energy Crystal and three Rank-7s to see if you can hit Rank-6 in one go.¡± Gu Ding decided to take a chance.

    Neptune did not object because he knew that whatever force entered Gu Ding¡¯s body would bepletely absorbed by the strange virus.

    Robert was so quick that he made a perfect incision in Gu Ding¡¯s neck with a single swipe of his finger and inserted the four crystals in less than ten seconds.

    The neck wound quickly disappeared with the help of Gu Ding¡¯s high-speed regenerative ability.

    The virus reappeared and within minutes, it had engulfed all four crystals. Gu Ding¡¯s body began to change drastically. The gene locks in his body broke twice in a row, elevating Gu Ding¡¯s Rank-3 Gene Body to Rank-5. His cell strength and activity were strengthened once again, and his Cell Index increased rapidly.

    The gene chain that held the berserker conversion ability finally morphed again and seemed to be strengthened.

    The other gene chain had also started to experience its first change, followed closely by a second and a third.

    When all the changes had been made, Neptune checked Gu Ding¡¯s body data:

    Name: Gu Ding

    Gender: Male

    Age: 15

    Gene Level: Rank-5

    Special Ability 1: Level 3 Rage Attack (Evolvable)

    Ability Description: A fourfold increase in attack effectiveness, defense, speed, and resilience thatsts ten minutes.

    Side Effects: Enter a state of unconsciousness for ten hours,bat effectiveness will be halved.

    Special Ability 2: Level 1 high-speed regeneration (Evolvable)

    Ability Description: Cells¡¯ regenerative ability to increase by tenfold (Permanent).

    Special Ability 3: Level 3 Damage Stacking (Curse Stream ability) (Evolvable)

    Ability Description: Cast a curse on the target, the damage can be stacked. Every consecutive hit adds extra damage to all previous hits.

    Special Ability 4: Absolute Seal (Level 1 taboo energy) (Evolvable)

    Ability Description: It could create an Absolute Seal effect on any living body through touch. This effect involves sealing all their energy, including primary power, special abilities, cell energy, spirit, and any form of energy.

    Ability Limit 1: Seal time: 10 hours.

    Ability Limit 2: There is a downtime of 30days between each use.

    Ability Limit 3: Ineffective against inanimate objects.

    Ability Limit 4: Only works on a single target.

    Special Ability 5: Level 3 Iron Block (Evolvable) Ability Description: Makes the skin, muscles, internal organs, and bones of the body as solid as iron. Increases defense by fourfold and applies a 4% reverse shock effect to iing attacks.

    Ability Limit: Can only be used for up to half an hour at a time. Defense will be halved when the effect is over.

    Cell Index: 3000

    Spirit Index: 2950

    Battle Prowess: B+

    Mental Cognition: A

    After projecting the data out, Gu Ding was still not satisfied. He thought he could promote to Rank-6 Gene Body, but he got stuck at Rank-5. ¡°Go ahead and imnt the remaining seven crystals.¡±

    Robert nodded and once again made a cut in Gu Ding¡¯s neck before stuffing the remaining seven crystals inside.

    After the seven crystals were engulfed by the virus, just as expected by Neptune, they stopped affecting the gene locks. Instead, it elerated the evolution of Gu Ding¡¯s Iron Block ability.

    After the gene chain associated with the Iron Block ability finished morphing, it once again caused changes in the three surrounding gene chains.

    When the process was over, only one piece of data in Gu Ding¡¯s body changed-the original Iron Block transformed into Advanced Iron Block.

    Special Ability 5: Level 2 Advanced Iron Block (Evolvable)

    Ability Description: Makes the skin, muscles, internal organs, and bones of the body as solid as iron. It could also form ayer of energy protection outside the body. Increases defense by twenty times its original value and applies a 20% reverse shock effect to iing attacks.

    Ability Limit: Can only be used for up to an hour at a time. Defense will fall to 1/3 of its original value when the effect wears off. ¡°This ability seems to be able to hold off primary power attacks...¡± Gu Ding was also a little surprised at the breakdown of the Advanced Iron Block ability. Although it did not meet his expectations, his overall strength seemed to have improved significantly.

    With a basebat effectiveness of 3000 points, plus the fourfold increase from rage, the twentyfold increase from the Rank-8 Ultimate Arts, and the twofold increase from Combat Armor, Gu Ding¡¯sbat effectiveness could potentially reach up to four hundred and eighty thousand points. A Rank-9 Gene Body¡¯sbat effectiveness was usually between one hundred thousand and one million points. This way, Gu Ding had reached Rank-9bat effectiveness. Once he used Advanced Iron Block ability, his defense would experience a twentyfold increase. That was nearly ten million units worth of defense. Only a peak Rank-10 Gene Body powerhouse could hurt him. If anyone wanted to kill Gu Ding, they would have to be stronger than a Rank-11Gene Body powerhouse.

 Chapter 167 - Gu Dingâ€™s Underrated Crew

    <h4>Chapter 167 Gu Ding¡¯s Underrated Crew</h4>

    During their stay on Tampa, Gu Ding and his crew enjoyed a few days of undisturbed peace. This kind of situation had been very rare since leaving Cerule.

    However, in Caesar¡¯s words, there were remnants of the deities¡¯ will on this. It could suppress and weaken negative emotions such as anger and sadness so the average man would not feel the impulse to attack. For example, when Elsa challenged others earlier, she was just looking to have fun, they were not really fighting

    Lilliath had awakened, and Gu Ding had achieved his greatest goal in Tampa. There was also the unexpected addition of Elsa. Lilliath had evolved to Rank-6 Gene Body, and Gu Ding had also evolved to Rank-5 Gene Body.

    The two promotions in Gu Ding¡¯s gene-level had also allowed Neptune to once again increase his detection range, this time from a radius of one kilometer to a hundred kilometers. At the same time, a new ability-gene pool ability (rudimentary restrictions) had been unlocked.

    This ability allowed Neptune to reconstruct the entire gene structure from the body fluids of an organism and, given enough material, replicate it. It could also copy the corresponding gene directly and insert some of the gene segments that carried specific abilities into other people¡¯s bodies so that they could acquire the ability. At the moment, of course, it was restricted to a rudimentary level-he could only analyze and replicate organisms with double-spiral gene structures.

    It was a very good start, so to speak, as they had just entered Border River.

    Gu Ding and his crew did not leave immediately after Lilliath woke up. Caesar was a little reluctant to part with his granddaughter, and Lilliath had a lot to talk about with her grandfather.

    Taking advantage of this free time, Gu Ding did not sit around-he took the initiative to approach Neptune. ¡°Neptune, Can I cultivate my primary powers now? You said you¡¯d teach me as soon as my Cell Index reaches one thousand points and now, I¡¯m at three thousand points.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve nned everything out for you.¡± Neptune was not anxious at all. ¡°Based on your character and fighting style, I chose an ancient primary power cultivation skill for you called Sun Sutra. This skill absorbs the stars¡¯ light energy and converts it into your own primary power. This skill is extremely domineering. I had prepared another set of skills for you. If you had not awakened the Advanced Iron Block ability, I would have never dared let you cultivate Sun Sutra.¡±

    ¡°Sounds great.¡± Gu Ding also knew that Neptune¡¯s selection of skills would not be bad, as can be seen in Ultimate Arts.

    ¡°When you cultivate the Sun Sutra to its max potential, it will allow you to cast terrifying Natural Stream abilities such as Star Fire. Everyone knows that the me-based abilities of Natural Stream are very destructive. And Star Fire ranks first in terms of the destructive power, and it¡¯s also among the top three in terms ofprehensiveness.¡± Neptune¡¯s exnation lit up Gu Ding¡¯s eyes.

    As soon as Neptune had the skill set imprinted in his mind, Gu Ding read it. After a brief review, he was surprised by the domineering power of the skill where it could utilize the energy from light energy to strengthen cells while also converting it into true primary power. This meant that it could make Gu Ding¡¯s Ultimate Arts even more powerful. It was a perfect match for Gu Ding.

    ¡°Generally speaking, there are two major stages in cultivating primary power, they¡¯re known as coagtion and solidification.¡±

    ¡°The first stage, coagtion, is the simplest, in which external energy is brought into the body and converted into primary power. It is then distributed to various parts of the body as needed to attack and defend. Some people with strong primary power even have the ability to spread it across their body and harness it for a long time, but I wouldn¡¯t rmend it.¡±

    ¡°The second stage is called solidification. People who reach this stage can solidify the primary power and use it forbat. You¡¯ve seen that when Sharp doesn¡¯t have a saber in his hand, he¡¯ll just solidify his primary power and fight.¡±

    ¡°Actually, there¡¯s a third stage called change but let¡¯s not talk about it now. It seems that no one in your era has cultivated primary power to that level.¡±

    Neptune roughly exined the cultivation stages of primary power. Although there were only two stages in general, the two stages could also be broken down into some smaller stages by referring to the different levels of application of primary power. However, Neptune did not continue to subdivide it. ¡°The first stage of your cultivation is very simple, which is to absorb light energy into your body and convert it into primary power. Then, try to concentrate the primary power into your hands.¡±

    er.

    Gu Ding immediately walked to a sunny spot outside the wooden hut and ording to the instructions of the Sun Suntra, he slowly began to convert the light energy shining on him into his primary power.

    A warm feeling soon spread across his body, as if every cell in his body was rapidly absorbing the light energy, and Gu Ding even vaguely felt as if his Cell Index had improved. His cellposite index was rising, but only a little-it rose by one point in a few minutes.

    As the light energy entered his body, Gu Ding began to control the energy to circte through his body, and the process went on so smoothly that the first cycle waspleted in under twenty minutes. As Gu Ding pushed more energy into the cycle, one by one it began to move.

    It took more than three hours to stabilize the first cycle in Gu Ding¡¯s body and it urred before dark. This progress left Neptune a little speechless. Supposedly, everyone else would have to fail dozens or even hundreds of times to really constitute a cycle but Gu Ding finished it in one afternoon.

    After forming the cycle, Gu Ding tried to control the energy in his hands. The first few attempts did not go well, and the energy dissipated quickly. However, soon he got the hang of moving the energy around his hands, and the primary power dissipated much more slowly.

    They stayed at Tampa for another night because of Gu Ding and Lilliath. Gu Ding spent the night practicing to control primary power. Early the next morning, they returned to the port.

    Back on the ship, the Golden Eagle quickly took off from the port and headed deeper into Border River.

    Talking to the crew, Lilliath realized how much she had missed during her time in thea and was shocked to see how much her bounty had risen.

    Two million Universe Credits, which trantes into two billion Dragon Soar Cosmic Nation¡¯s Star Credits. It was nearly twenty times the amount of her previous bounty.

    Lilliath¡¯s jaw dropped when she saw Gu Ding and Biggie¡¯s bounty. ¡°That¡¯s over one hundred million Universe Credits. I expect we¡¯ll soon be noticed by some Rank-10 and Rank-11 Gene Body powerhouses. In the Border River, we are small fishes swimming from a tiny stream into ake, and we are easy prey for the big fishes.¡±

    ¡°Lili¡¯s right, the rules in Border River are pretty messed up, especially after that guy Kohld Blood caused trouble the other day. There are a lot of pirate crews following his lead. We not only find those with bounties challenging others with higher bounties, but there are powerful pirate crews that are copying Kohld Blood by poaching talents from other crew.¡± Neptune felt that things were not in their favor. ¡°In Border River, the most important thing to be mindful of is not the Army¡¯s pursuit, but the threat of other Interster Pirate crews.¡±

    Gu Ding had heard Neptune mention that Kohld had done something in the Border River earlier, but he did not know exactly what it was. Now that Neptune mentioned it, he could not help but ask, ¡°What did Kohld do?¡±

    ¡°He challenged thirteen pirate crews that were offered over a hundred million Universe Credits in bounties and destroyed eleven of them with a sweeping gesture. He even snatched two men with unique abilities from two other pirate crews. One of them is incredibly adept atputers while the other one is the best surgeon in Border River. Poaching members from other pirate crews has happened before, but this was the first time he has poached so openly. As a result of this, many of the best crews in Border River have this idea in their head. That¡¯s why this is perhaps the most disorderly and dangerous time to be in Border River.¡±

    ¡°There are even some meddlesome guys who have done research on new crews andpiled a list of the top ten crews to attack. Our crew is in the top ten.¡± Neptune said and ejected a picture.

    It listed the names of ten crews and specified the main reason for the attack.

    Gu Ding looked from the top to the bottom. The crew at the top was not very strong-theirbined bounty was only 1.1 million Universe Credits. Gu Ding looked curiously at the reason for the attack:

    This is a very weak crew. The most powerful one in the crew being a Rank-8 Gene Body. There is a neer with Holy Light ability in the crew, which is bound to be the object ofpetition from various forces. When Gu Ding saw the word ¡°Holy Light¡±, he understood why this crew was ranked first. This was because Holy Light is an ability that removes most types of Curse Stream abilities-more than 90% of Curse Stream abilities could be negated by Holy Light ability. Understandably, many powerhouse crews would do their best to have this in their arsenal to eliminate any threat from strong Curse Stream opponents.

    Gu Ding¡¯s crew was ranked second in the list, the reason for the attack below read:

    Neer crew from a 2-star Cosmic Nation, debuted less than half a year, their captain, Gu Ding has mediocrebat effectiveness. There is only one Rank-10 Gene Body swordsman in the crew-Biggie. The whole crew has abined bounty of more than 130 million Universe Credits-it is unbelievably high and is bound to attract the attention of many. As for the member Biggie, he is the object ofpetition of great forces with ack of strong melee powerhouses. The crew¡¯s spaceship is a valuable Golden Eagle. This is also the reason some may choose to attack.

    ¡°Looks like we¡¯re seen as a lousy crew...¡± Gu Ding was speechless. ¡°It¡¯s normal, most of the materials on Great Divinity are locked away by the Federal Government. The others can only see yourbat videos and the most interesting one is your fight with Senior. Senior is only a Rank-7 Gene Body. In Border River, a Rank-7 Gene Body is the least you can expect and there¡¯s so many of them. It¡¯s not surprising that they would say that about you.¡± Neptune knew exactly why these people would think of Gu Ding that way. ¡°If the ck mech hadn¡¯t been destroyed, I would be able to fight any Rank-10 Gene Bodies with abat effectiveness of ten thousand points or lower.¡± Gu Ding said and looked at Robert. ¡°Robert, help me build another one!¡±

    ¡°Based on the current situation, the basicbat effectiveness of the new mech will be the same as thest one. The increase in yourbat effectiveness will be limited. To make a better mech, you have to find better materials. Since you¡¯re going to look for materials anyway, you might as well look for materials to re-forge your Combat Armor, upgrading it to bronze-rank, which will prove more effective in improving your ability.¡±

    ¡°In three days, we¡¯llnd on Kerma, another busy. You try looking around to see if you find enough materials.¡± Neptune chimed in.

 Chapter 168 - Elsaâ€™s Horrifying Combat Effectiveness

    Chapter 168 Elsa¡¯s Horrifying Combat Effectiveness

    As the spaceship docked in Kerma¡¯s port, Gu Ding unexpectedly did not make noise about getting out of the ship, as he and Lilliath always did.

    However, Gu Ding had beenpletely immersed in cultivating primary power these days. During the three days of the voyage, the spaceship moved at high speed. Although he was unable to absorb light energy from the stars, Gu Ding had been practicing controlling his primary power. Three days down the road and one could say that they had a little sess. Even Neptune had some admiration for Gu Ding. Neptune thought that Gu Ding¡¯s body learned to absorb and transform the light energy in one afternoon, and it would be useful if he needed to survive for a day. However, Gu Ding had been practicing his mastery of it for three days, and his training was not finished yet.

    Gu Ding was never idle except for when he slept. When other people were chatting, he was practicing. Even when everyone was eating, he would eat with one hand and practice using his primary power with the other.

    As soon as the spaceship docked, Gu Ding threw Lilliath a shopping list and frantically climbed to the top of the spaceship to work on Sun Sutra and begin absorbing light energy.

    Lilliath looked at the list. They were materials Robert had previously used for Gu Ding¡¯s Combat Armor evolution. After pulling Elsa out of the ship, shepletely ignored Biggie.

    As for Robert, he was just as busy as Gu Ding, working in studiously his room.

    As light energy was absorbed, Gu Ding¡¯s body that was deprived of primary power began to fill up rapidly. His cells once again began to perk up. One afternoon of absorption on Tampa earlier got Gu Ding¡¯s Cell Index to rise more than twenty points-it went up in about ten minutes. The absorption rate was simr on this. Neptune also sensed that Gu Ding¡¯s mastery in primary power these days was quite high. He could control primary power to instantly reach every part of his body to defend and attack effectively without any obstacles. In a few days, once Gu Ding¡¯s body was fully saturated with primary power, Gu Ding was going to possess outstandingbat effectiveness. If Robert¡¯s Combat Armor could bepleted in time, Gu Ding would be strong enough to fight even a Rank-10 Gene Body.

    Lilliath and Elsa talked andughed along the way, Biggie followed them like a bodyguard.

    Just as the three of them were about to leave the port, a couple of delinquents came by whistling

    The leader looked like he was in his early twenties, with a faint mustache above his lips. His eyes fell on Elsa¡¯s chest with a sh of scity in his eyes.

    As soon as he held out his hand, Elsa reacted. Before anyone saw her move a muscle, they heard a few clicks, it was the sound of his broken bones. Almost at the same moment, Lilliath appeared like a ghost in front of him. A gun that was nearly two meters long had its ck muzzle pressed against his head. ¡°Leave!¡± Lilliathmanded in a cold tone. The Murderous Intent in her gushed out in an instant. Her eyes looked like a frozenke that had been frozen over for ten thousand years, no person dared to look at it directly. She looked like a demon arose from hell, spreading a dangerous and horrible aura.

    Murderous Intent was the result of the murder of tens of millions of people in her dream. The use of the Murderous Intent was also personally taught by Caesar who was a demigod.

    The moment the Murderous Intent was released from her body, even Elsa, who had never known fear, shivered, and Biggie¡¯s eyes shed strangely. Heinous Murderous Intent instantly filled the whole port. Many powerhouses who were secretly stalking them retreated immediately.

    ¡°We misjudged Gu Ding¡¯s crew¡¯s information. Lilliath, the gunner, had killed at least tens of thousands of people. The Murderous Intent in her was just as terrifying as the arrival of a demon. Their new female member twisted a peak Rank-7 Gene Body martial arts practitioner¡¯s arm in an instant. She was so fast I couldn¡¯t catch even catch a glimpse.¡± A Rank-9 powerhouse who was stalking them quickly replied to his crew with the new information. ¡°Biggie did not attack so I could not gauge the degree of his strength. I also didn¡¯t see the target, Gu Ding, so I couldn¡¯t judge hisbat effectiveness.¡±

    ¡°I see. Keep observing them. There will be others who will try to test them.¡± A voice came from the other end of themunicator.

    The gang of delinquents quickly fled the scene, running as fast as they could.

    ¡°Lili, you were so good that you scared me.¡± Elsa was telling the truth.

    ¡°I just wanted to try what Grandpa taught me, and it seems to be working.¡± Lilliathughed. She had only been with Caesar for one day, but he had taught her a lot of useful things, including how to use Murderous Intent and Pupiry Abilities. He also gave her advice and guidance on the use of firearms and closebat. The three left the port and spent several hourspleting Gu Ding¡¯s shopping list. Robert¡¯s long list was only about halfplete but the three of them had shopped in all the stores nearby. If they wanted more, they had to go to others.

    ¡°Biggie, you should take the materials back first. I¡¯ll shop around some more with Elsa and buy her an intelligent wristwatch as well as check out some other stuff.¡± Lilliath knew that Gu Ding needed those materials to upgrade his Combat Armor, and the sooner the better.

    In fact, Lilliath also mentioned the idea of upgrading her Combat Armor to silver-rank to Robert. However, ording to Robert, the materials needed to upgrade the Combat Armor to silver-rank were extremely rare. Many were unlikely to be found on a like Kerma. However, he still added the materials for the silver Combat Armor to the list, but Lilliath only managed to procure less than a third of it.

    With Elsa around, Biggie did not worry too much about their safety. After Lilliath handed the materials over to him, Biggie immediately headed for the port.

    Several peeping eyes had noticed Biggie¡¯s departure.

    Two little girls hung out in the middle of the bustling market, arm in arm.

    One crew could not stand it any longer.

    A bald man appeared in front of them with two young men apanying him.

    ¡°Are you both part of Gu Ding¡¯s crew?¡± The bald man was beef-faced and had a tattoo of a naked woman on his left arm.

    ¡°Why would you ask something you perfectly know the answer to?¡± Lilliath could not helpughing when she heard him ask. ¡°You¡¯ve followed us all the way from the port and watched us descend from the Golden Eagle. Of course, your crew was not the only one. Twenty-one teams were interested in us at the port. After what just happened at the port, eight teams stopped their surveince of us, and the remaining thirteen followed us here. Out of the thirteen teams, only your team chose to confront us while everyone else stands by and watches.¡±

    ¡°Now that you know you¡¯re being monitored; I¡¯ll cut the crap and ask you toe with us.¡± The bald man did not expect them to know so much about their crew monitoring them, but he was unfazed. In Gu Ding¡¯s crew, Lilliath¡¯sbat effectiveness was so poor, and the video showed that she could not even defeat a Rank-7 Gene Body. On their ship, all crew members were of a Gene Body higher than Rank-7. As for the new girl, she did not look any older than Lilliath, and so presumably was not any better. ¡°Why should we go with you? ¡°Lilliath asked rhetorically.

    ¡°If you two don¡¯t want to suffer, be a peach, ande with us as hostages. Our men will negotiate with Gu Ding to exchange the Golden Eagle for your safe return. If you choose to resist, then you¡¯ll suffer a little, but the result will be the same. Therefore, if you¡¯re smart enough, you should know what to do next.¡± The bald man still saw no threat from the two little girls.

    ¡°Lili, why are these guys so arrogant when they¡¯re so weak?¡± Elsa blinked her eyes in confusion.

    ¡°That¡¯s because they don¡¯t know what you¡¯re capable of, Elsa.¡± Lilliath turned to the bald man. ¡°A lot of people made the same terrible mistake of underestimating our team. Are you so naive as to think that the bounty the Federal Government set for us is an overestimation of our strength? Then I¡¯m going to make it clear to all of you that the bounty of 133 million Universe Credits is equivalent to the amount of influence and destruction our team is capable of causing now, and that amount is only going to get higher and higher!¡± After she finished, Lilliath turned to look at Elsa. ¡°Elsa, you can attack now, I know you can¡¯t wait!¡±

    Elsa who was abat maniac did not hesitate to do so. She was as athletic as a bobcat and darted into the arms of the bald man. Her seemingly small fistnded on the bald man¡¯s left chest, and then a strange force rushed through her muscles into his body, shattering all of the bald man¡¯s ribs like it was nothing. His chest copsed and he flew upside down into a storefront, not knowing whether he survived.

    Before the other two young men could respond, Elsa grabbed one by the neck, knocked them unconscious, and threw them into a man-made fountain nearby.

    The battle began and ended in a split second.

    The bald man, as many of the other crews knew, was a Peak Rank-9 Gene Body. He was so close to reaching Rank-10. She must be at least a Peak Rank-10 Gene Body or even a Rank-11 to be able to take him out so easily. A few crews that saw this scene quietly dispersed and stopped stalking them. ¡°Lili, let¡¯s continue shopping.¡± Elsa pped her hands and returned to Lilliath¡¯s side.

    ¡°Wait, there¡¯s one more thing we haven¡¯t done,¡± Lilliath said and dialed a number. ¡°Hello, is this the emergency center? There¡¯s a wounded man in the market with copsed ribs. He probably won¡¯t live much longer. Come quickly!¡±

    After dialing the number, Lilliath pulled out a tube of E-grade gene repair agent. She quickly slipped into the shop that had been knocked down. Then walked over to the bald man, pinched his mouth open, and poured the medicine in.

    As she turned and walked out of the shop, she grabbed a handful of what looked like twenty Universe Credits and passed it to the shopkeeper.

    Then, she took Elsa¡¯s arm. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s continue shopping.¡±

 Chapter 169 - The Battle Begins

    Chapter 169 The Battle Begins

    A golden-haired young man sat on a leather chair. His legs rested at the side of the table while he tapped his right index finger on the table. ¡°Two members who are Rank 10 Gene Body, while the ranks of the others are unknown... Gu Ding and Liliath¡¯sbat effectiveness seem pretty average judging from the most recent video of them. Even if they had improved over this short time, it would be impossible for them to be powerful enough to go up against a Rank 10 Gene Body powerhouse. There¡¯s another crew member of theirs who is a robot. He hasn¡¯t gone into battle before, but it¡¯s obvious from his size that he is not abat robot. We don¡¯t need to worry about him

    No one else spoke in the room. They were aware of how much their boss loved talking to himself. It would be catastrophic for anyone to interrupt him at this time.

    ¡°Is Grato okay in the emergency center?¡± Yarrow asked nonchntly. He was the captain of the Marauders. He might be more than forty-years-old, but he still looked like he was around twenty.

    ¡°His sternum ispletely fractured, and his internal organs have suffered severe shock. The doctor said that he would have been a goner if he had arrived anyter to the hospital. He has just pulled through a critical period and is now in deep sleep. We don¡¯t know when he¡¯ll awake,¡± the man who had answered the question was a burly man named Benji. He had a very deep voice.

    ¡°Boss, we should take our revenge, even if it¡¯s not for Grato. All the other pirate crews are watching us. We¡¯ll be looked down on if we do nothing. Besides, we just lost to that jerk, Kohld Blood, a few days ago and he took our ship doctor. We need a victory and Gu Ding¡¯s crew is the perfect target...¡±

    Yarrow was a little vexed over Benji¡¯s words.

    He was a Rank 11 Gene Body, and he had two crew members who were Rank 10 Gene Bodies. In the eyes of his crew members, Gu Ding¡¯s crew was like a meal served up to them on a nice te. The thing that was holding him back, was that fight with Kohld Blood. It had left a hidden wound him that lowered his power back to when he had just be Rank 11 Gene Body. This wound that had caused his ability to be affected could have been quietly taken care of by the ship doctor. Yarrow had always been too proud to show weakness in front of his crew members, excluding the ship doctor. However, the doctor was no longer with them and Yarrow chose to quietly deal with the wound on his own.

    He was a cautious man and was not willing to jump into battle with anyone before he waspletely healed. Besides that, the high bounty on Gu Ding¡¯s crew had convinced him that the crew¡¯s capability was not as he had seen in the video, especially when they had just taken in a new crew member who was a Peak Rank 10 Gene Body powerhouse. This alone had him thinking that perhaps there was more than meets the eye when it came to Gu Ding¡¯s crew. These were the reasons that were stopping him from challenging this unknown opponent before he waspletely healed. However, Benji¡¯s words were not wrong. The fact that Kohld Blood had beaten them and snatched their ship doctor was a great humiliation. To add salt to the wound, a member of his crew had just been beaten half to death by Gu Ding¡¯s crew. If Yarrow chose to back down, it would take him a long time before he could raise his head proudly in front of the other pirate crews. There was no way he could back off from this now. He needed to fight Gu Ding¡¯s crew as soon as possible in order to salvage the reputation of his crew.

    After a short struggle within his head, he finally mmed his hands on the table and decided. ¡°We¡¯ll go into battle with Gu Ding¡¯s crew! Get prepared, everyone.¡±

    Just as Yarrow made his decision, Robert had just finished refining Gu Ding¡¯sbat armor from Dark Iron Grade to Bronze Grade. The enhancement that used to only double his power would now raise it by five times. Gu Ding injected the newbat armor into his body. Even though it had been upgraded, there was no need for thebat armor to refamiliarize itself with its owner.

    Gu Ding could feel himself be stronger after going through armor transformation.

    Right then, Liliath and Elsa were done with their full day of shopping. Gu Ding had no idea what they bought besides an extravagant looking watch on Elsa¡¯s hand.

    Biggie started getting busy in the kitchen when it was near dinner time.

    Gu Ding returned to the topmost area of the cabin and continued cultivating his Sun Sutra before it got dark. He had spent nearly the whole day absorbing light energy on the first day they had arrived on Kerma. The primary power in his body had gotten quite strong.

    Arge group of people were marching toward Gu Ding¡¯s Golden Eagle before dark.

    The person at the front looked to be a golden-haired young boy of about twenty. He had a slightly slim build with long, slender legs. He had a clean-cut look, but his eyes were soulless, it made anyone looking at them want to avoid his gaze.

    A loud voice shouted towards the huge Golden Eagle, ¡°Every one of Gu Ding¡¯s crew, get out here! We¡¯re the Marauders! We hereby dere that the Marauders officially challenge Gu Ding¡¯s crew to a battle!¡±

    Gu Ding leaped off the top of the cabin in one move. He looked at the crowd of people with a befuddled expression. ¡°Marauders? Is that the pirate crew whose ship doctor was snatched by Kohld Blood¡¯s crew?¡±

    Yarrow and all his crew standing behind him immediately became upset when they heard what Gu Ding had said. Even though they looked angry on the outside, their emotions were now leaning toward agitation instead.

    Most of the spectators thought Gu Ding¡¯s sarcasm had hit the right spot when they heard him.

    ¡°You should be going after Kohld Blood¡¯s The Punishers for a fight. Why are youing to us instead?¡± Besides being busy with hisbat armor, Gu Ding had spent the whole day at the top of the spaceship training. He had no idea what had happened.

    ¡°Your crew member had nearly beaten our member, Grato, to death. He¡¯s still lying unconscious in the emergency room. Please don¡¯t im you¡¯re unaware of this when you¡¯re the captain of your crew. Liliath and the others should have been back on the spaceship half an hour ago, right?¡± The man¡¯s voice boomed as he shouted at Gu Ding.

    The Golden Eagles hatch opened at that moment and Liliath¡¯s voice could be heard, ¡°I allowed Elsa to beat him up. However, why didn¡¯t you tell him the reason we beat him up, old man with the loud voice?¡±

    Liliath turned purposefully toward Yarrow, who was obviously the captain of the crew. ¡°Your crew tried to cut off two underage little girls, me and Elsa, in an attempt to kidnap us and use us as a ransom for the Golden Eagle. Why didn¡¯t you shout out your underhanded tactics? As for that bald old man, he wasn¡¯t as powerful as we were. He deserved to get beaten up. Besides, I called him an ambnce and fed him a cell repair agent. I think we were more than civil about it.¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter what happened. As the captain of this crew, it¡¯s my responsibility to seek justice for my crew member when you¡¯ve beaten up Grato so badly. As for what Grato had done wrong, it should be up to our crew to judge and sentence ordingly, it¡¯s not your ce as an outsider to do so. Since you¡¯ve already made your move, it¡¯s pointless to continue with this incessant babbling. Prepare to bear the consequences,¡± There was not much emotion in Yarrow¡¯s voice.

    ¡°Are you sure you want to battle it out?¡± Gu Ding looked at Yarrow calmly.

    Yarrow was slightly bewildered by this. He did not see any fear nor emotions in Gu Ding¡¯s eyes. In fact, he felt that Gu Ding seemed to be excited about something. He felt a sudden wave of dread wash over but chose to ignore the gut warning as he gave a definite answer, ¡°I¡¯m sure!¡±

    The people behind Yarrow suddenly made their move as they started brandishing their weapons and swarmed toward Gu Ding¡¯s crew.

    On Gu Ding¡¯s side, Liliath calmly put on her metal hat and started hypnotizing Biggie. Robert released more than twentybat robots at one go, leaving two to guard Liliath while the rest joined the fight.

    Thesebat robots¡¯ basicbat effectiveness was equivalent to a Rank 8 Gene Body and they were programmed to have the first 8 levels of the Ultimate Arts. They were even capable of going up against Rank 9 Gene Body powerhouses. When they entered the fight, it was akin to releasing wolves into flocks of sheep. It did not take long before painful howling and terrified screams could be heard.

    Biggie was intercepted by a burly man called Benji. Benji was also a Rank 10 Gene Body powerhouse. He was close to 2.5 meters in height and was very muscr. Obviously, aspared to a normal person, this physique would attract a lot of attention. However, when facing Biggie, he looked one size smaller. Benji seemed to be extremely annoyed about Biggie beingrger than he was. He was used to looking down on others with his head tilted down, but now he was forced to look up at his opponent. Elsa was intercepted by a girl named Annie; whose physique was almost on par with Benji. However, she did not have muscles, rather, she was fleshy and had an obese body. Her height was close to two meters and she looked like a thick wall. It was not an exaggeration to say her arms were thicker than both of Elsa¡¯s legsbined.

    <bi</b>

    ac

    The most ridiculous thing about her was her choice of outfit in a fight like this. She was wearing a long, pink dress made of thin fabric. Every time a light breeze swept past, her skirt would lift and she would immediately attempt to press her dress down shyly. In fact, everyone could see that she was wearing a pair of white panties through her thin pink dress with or without the wind blowing it up. It was a strongly-vored ¡®view¡¯ not fit for normal admiration.

    Yarrow was surprised to see that Gu Ding did not take part in the fight. He had thought the first thing Gu Ding would do, was to try his best to avoid fighting with Yarrow. From the looks of it, Gu Ding had done theplete opposite. Gu Ding stood rooted to the spot, eyes as calm as still water. He looked toward Yarrow without any sign of emotion.

    Yarrow immediately went into alert mode amidst his astonishment. Gu Ding¡¯s reaction was abnormal and disconcerting. This was not how a weakling would react to a powerhouse. His eyes narrowed as he started to analyze Gu Ding in an attempt to figure him out but failed toe up with anything.

    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have chosen to go into battle...¡± Gu Ding suddenly said.

    ¡°And you shouldn¡¯t choose to fight when your wound hasn¡¯t fully healed yet...¡±

 Chapter 170 - Gu Ding VS Yarrow

    Chapter 170 Gu Ding VS Yarrow

    Gu Ding did not detect Yarrow¡¯s wound. He was a pharmacologist, not a doctor. Moreover, Yarrow had concealed it very well. At the very least, he had sessfully fooled more than forty of his crew. If his crew of more than forty people, who spent every day with him, were unable to tell he was wounded, it was only natural that Gu Ding would not notice it.

    Neptune was the one who had detected it.

    Neptune has the ability to analyze a person¡¯s physical condition based on the maic field surrounding the individual as long as they were within Neptune¡¯s range. The maic field around Yarrow was erratic and his power signatures were not at that of a true Rank 11 Gene Body. In addition to that, Neptune was more than 96% sure that Yarrow had been wounded based on the video of his fight with Kohld Blood, and he had yet to recover.

    Neptune happily shared this news with Gu Ding. If Gu Ding had to go up against a Rank 11 Gene Body, there would be no chance of victory. However, his opponent had a secret wound that affected his true power, dropping from his peak form of Rank 11 Gene Body to a level close to Rank 10 Gene Body. This gave Gu Ding a fair chance at winning the fight.

    Yarrow¡¯s expression changed slightly at Gu Ding¡¯s mention of his unhealed wound, but he quicklyposed himself. ¡°I have no idea why you would make such a strange judgment, but even if I was truly wounded, I am still a Rank 11 Gene Body. As for you, the highest you¡¯ve ever been is only a Rank 7 Gene Body, am I right? Do you really think you would be an obstacle for me?¡±

    ¡°So, you think that I¡¯m nothing more than a Rank 7 Gene Body when there¡¯s a bounty of eighty million Universe Credits on me?¡± Gu Dingughed at Yarrow¡¯s words. He moved a step forward as he activated Ultimate Arts Level 8, summoning his Bronze Gradebat armor. He had also fully unleashed his Level 3 Rage Attack.

    Three thousand and sixty points of basicbat effectiveness were enhanced by 400 times, giving it a sudden spike to one million two hundred and twenty thousand points. This was simr to thebat effectiveness of a Rank 10 Gene Body. Under the enhancement of the Advanced Iron Block, Gu Ding¡¯s defense was further increased another twenty times, bringing the figure close to twenty-five million points.

    After he was done with this preparation, primary power in the form of a bright, golden beam of light slowly emerged from his palms. Gu Ding clenched his hands into a fist and made a powerful jump as his figure dashed forward, arriving in front of Yarrow in a split second as he made the first attack.

    Yarrow was taken aback upon witnessing Gu Ding¡¯s speed. It was no lower than a Rank 10 Gene Body. It was at this point that he realized how misleading those videos he watched were. Gu Ding, whom everyone had thought to be only a Rank 7 Gene Body, had abat effectiveness that was equivalent to that of a Rank 10 Gene Body!

    Yarrow quickly pulled himself together. He did not panic over this as he was a Rank 11 Gene Body. Even though he was surprised by Gu Ding¡¯s true power, he still did not think of Gu Ding as a threat t. He was well-versed in closebat, just like Gu Ding, and his body art had the effect of doubling his power. This was a skill that he had always been proud of.

    As Yarrow watched Gu Ding speeding up to him, he met the attack with a punch as his fist was epassed within a thick, silver light.

    There was a sh as their attacks collided, causing an explosion from the golden and silver energy. A strong wind billowed from the powerful collision of both energies and drew the attention of everyone around. At the same time, Gu Ding was blown away by it as the golden energy in his fist dissipated instantly. He had only spent one day absorbing light energy for conversion into primary power. Unsurprisingly, it was no match for Yarrow¡¯s years of training in Righteous Force. It was only normal that Gu Ding¡¯s energy would dissipate.

    As the crowd watched Gu Ding fly away with a single attack, they guessed that Gu Ding would lose hisbat effectiveness following Yarrow¡¯s punch. They had not expected Gu Ding to pick himself up as if nothing had happened, dashing speedily once more toward Yarrow.

    Yarrow¡¯s previous attack had caused a strong pushback that Gu Ding could not shield himself from, which was why Gu Ding had flown off backward. However, under the effect of the Advanced Iron Block, there was not much effect on his physical state. Only his arms felt slightly numb from the attack.

    Yarrow noticed something unusual after the punch. Gu Ding¡¯s strength was far inferior to him, yet when he delivered that blow, it felt like he was attacking the exterior of the Golden Eagle. He knew that his attack did not cause any damage to Gu Ding.

    As expected, Gu Ding moved forward toward Yarrow immediately after stabilizing himself.

    Many busybodies outside the battlefield were recording this scene. They saw it as an opportunity to record a sensational video. Neer Gu Ding had faced the full brunt of an attack from Yarrow yet managed toe out of it unscathed.

    Elsa had taken the time to peek at Gu Ding¡¯s battle and she was slightly surprised by the result. She had always thought Gu Ding was not powerful, but after witnessing Gu Ding being unaffected by an attack of that level, she realized she might have had apse in judgment.

    What Elsa did not know, was that Gu Ding was indeed pretty weak when they had met. If it were not for the fact that he had upgraded himself over thest few days, he would not even be able to withstand a single attack from Elsa.

    There was another sh between Gu Ding and Yarrow as their punches collided, creating a tremble in the air that sounded like a booming detonation from a cannon. It had created a shockwave of energy that rang through the air, much like a raging storm being unleashed in every direction. At that moment, anyone lower than a Rank 8 Gene Body was blown away. Gu Ding was sent flying backward once again as he spun around in circles in the sky.

    He managed tond feet-first on the ground but was still pushed back a few meters by the overwhelming force. He regained bnce once again and it was apparent that Gu Ding remained unharmed yet again. Yarrow was surprised as he clearly sensed Gu Ding bing stronger than before. Even though it was not enough to harm Yarrow, but if Gu Ding¡¯s increasing strength was a special ability, it would mean big trouble. This is because each time Yarrow attacked, the more Gu Ding would gain in strength. The worst part of it all was that his attack could not prate Gu Ding¡¯s defenses at all.

    The thought of this convinced Yarrow to change his battle tactics.

    He had nned to go head-to-head with Gu Ding and overpower him with pure strength, making Gu Ding realize that Yarrow was the stronger of the two. That was why Yarrow did not follow up with another attack during both times Gu Ding was sent flying. By the looks of it, Gu Ding¡¯s defense was extremely solid. To make sure Gu Ding would stay down permanently, Yarrow¡¯s only option was to focus on destroying his defense by raining down a storm on Gu Ding. This time, Yarrow made the first move. Yarrow attacked the moment Gu Ding stabilized himself, appearing in front of Gu Ding in one quick dash. The speed of a Rank 11 Gene Body was miles faster than a Rank 10 Gene Body, which was why Gu Ding did not have time to react.

    Yarrow¡¯s body was immediately epassed within a silver-colored Righteous Force. This time, he did not hold back as he bombarded Gu Ding with continuous vicious assaults. Each punch and each kick pummelled Gu Ding with full strength as the attacks rained down on Gu Ding¡¯s body.

    Every attack that collided with Gu Ding¡¯s body produced a booming sound, much like the explosion created by a cannon shot. It felt like armor-piercing shellsnding on rocky terrain. The explosive power from the Righteous Force created sparks of silver fire, causing everyone watching it to be dumbstruck.

    Elsa, who was not far away, witnessed Gu Ding get buried within the silver sparks. She grew slightly worried at the sight of those powerful attacks as she knew that even with her physical strength, she would have been seriously wounded under such an attack.

    Robert, in an unusual move, was also staring at Gu Ding¡¯s location. He was wondering whether to unleash that weapon. However, Neptune did not transmit any messages, which meant that Gu Ding was not in danger yet. At this thought, he stood down from the decision and turned to watch Liliath, whose eyes were shut tight.

    The exploding noises had gone on for quite a while and all the spectators were under the assumption that Gu Ding had beenpletely smashed into a pulp, but Yarrow knew that was not the case. He still had the feeling as if he were attacking a special grade metal. Every attack had given off the feeling as if the impact was being absorbed. If he had sessfully destroyed Gu Ding¡¯s defense, this would not be the sensation he would feel from his punches. Yarrow was starting to doubt that Gu Ding was a human being because of this unbelievably powerful defense that made it seem like he was a robot made of a special metal.

    As for Gu Ding, he was starting to feel dismal over the situation. Even though Yarrow¡¯s attacks could not bypass his defense, Gu Ding still felt the pain from those attacks on his body. Moreover, he was being forced into a passive state as he had no way of retaliating. This was the first time he had been in such a situation and he was miserable. More importantly, the Advanced Iron Block could onlyst for an hour. If this went on for more than an hour, not only would he lose his enhanced defense, he would also lose one-third of his original defense. When that timees, Yarrow¡¯s attack wouldpletely annihte him. ¡°I can¡¯t go on like this!¡± Gu Ding calcted his timing. His fight with Yarrow had gone on for more than ten minutes, he only had slightly more than forty minutes of this advantage. Gu Ding had to win this fight within that timeframe or face lethal consequences.

    The Ultimate Arts Level 8 had helped enhance Gu Ding¡¯sbat effectiveness to one million two hundred and twenty-four thousand points. Even with the help of Damage Stacking of three times the enhancement, he could only reach four million eight hundred and ny-six thousand points. There was no way he could put a dent in Yarrow. Even if he used Ultimate Arts Level 9 and enhanced hisbat effectiveness further, his strongest attack would only be at nine million seven hundred and ny-two thousand points. It was not enough to break through Yarrow¡¯s defense. The only option was to use Ultimate Arts Level 10... This would enhance hisbat effectiveness even further and only then, could his attack be stacked up to neen million five hundred and eighty-four thousand points.

    Gu Ding calcted in his mind and knew that only by using Ultimate Arts Level 10, would he be able to wound his opponent enough to win the fight.

    His breathing sped up at this thought, and his Ultimate Arts was quickly upgraded from Level 8 to Level 9, but that was not the end. It continued increasing from Level 9 until it was finally at Level 10...

    Unexpectedly, Neptune did not voice any objections to this. Judging from Gu Ding¡¯s current physical condition, he could exhaust himself too much trying to achieve Ultimate Arts Level 1oi n such a short time. All Neptune did was give a casual warning, ¡°You only have twenty minutes to end this fight.¡± A smile appeared on Gu Ding¡¯s face as he mped his hands around Yarrow¡¯s fists. ¡°Are you done punching?!¡±

 Chapter 171 - Hostages Are Used For Making Money

    Chapter 171 Hostages Are Used For Making Money

    When the ear-deafening explosions stopped, many turned toward the source of the noise and what they saw was shocking.

    Gu Ding had sped his hands on Yarrow¡¯s wrist while there was not a scratch found on Gu Ding. This was something entirely unexpected. Everyone thought Gu Ding had been killed and beaten to a pulp under the vicious attacks of Yarrow. Yarrow was a Rank 11 Gene Body and under such high frequency raging attacks, even a Rank 10 Gene Body would have been annihted as it was near impossible to survive such an attack, but Gu Ding came out of it unscathed.

    Not only were the spectators shocked, most of the Marauders¡¯ crew members were chilled to the bone when they witnessed this scene. They knew how powerful their boss was and no one could have predicted that a young brat with less than half a year¡¯s experience would be able to withstand their boss¡¯s attack without suffering any damage. It was only then that they realize their crew had picked a tough opponent. They were destined to lose quite a few teeth in this fight.

    Benji and Annie had bitter expressions on their faces. Benji could hardly hold the fort with Biggie. Biggie had such expertise in swordsmanship that Benji knew quite well he could not continue the fight much longer he had been using his special abilities and defense the whole time. He was nning on keeping Biggie at bay until his boss took care of Gu Ding. Instead, things had turned out this way. Benji was starting to regret suggesting going into battle to Yarrow.

    As for Annie, she had always had a violent streak in her, but fighting with Elsa made her realize that Elsa was a notch more violent than she was. Elsa may look like an underaged girl, but she had the power of a Rank 10 Gene Body at its peak. Her strength was different from primary power, and she had an unusually huge amount of stamina. When they went head to head, Annie found herselfpletely overwhelmed by her opponent¡¯s pure strength, something that Annie had always been proud to possess. She had also expected everything to end with Yarrow finishing the battle, but it looked like Yarrow hadnded himself in big trouble.

    Elsa, who was fighting Annie, had also witnessed this scene and was surprised because Yarrow¡¯s attack would have no doubt seriously wounded Elsa if she was the one on the receiving end. Yarrow was a Rank 11 Gene Body, after all.

    Gu Ding had managed to grasp Yarrow¡¯s wrist not because Gu Ding was more powerful than he was, but because he was shocked by Gu Ding¡¯s action. He could sense Gu Ding did not get hurt by his attacks, rather, it made Gu Ding stronger.

    Not only that, but there was also an rming sense of danger in Gu Ding¡¯s smile.

    Yarrow knew that Gu Ding was a closebat martial artist, so he made an urate decision to struggle from Gu Ding¡¯s grasp and dash away to distance himself. Just as he was making his escape, Gu Ding followed in pursuit. Gu Ding¡¯s right hand was epassed in gold-colored primary power as he reached into the air to grab Yarrow on the left leg. Yarrow immediately reacted with silver-colored Righteous Force epassing his right leg as he gave Gu Ding a kick on the chest. Silver light shot out from the bottom of his feet and collided fiercely with Gu Ding¡¯s chest. Gu Ding did not even bother to evade it as he took the full force of the hit. He was now at Ultimate Arts Level 10. His defense was four times higher than before and it was safe to say that none of Yarrow¡¯s attack could hurt him. Gu Ding had been able to feel the pain from Yarrow¡¯s punches previously, but with the enhancement of defense, that vicious kick was nothing but a tickle to Gu Ding.

    While Yarrow was attempting to escape, Gu Ding pulled him back forcefully. His left hand was clenched in a fist as gold-colored primary power began umting around it again. He punched Yarrow with sudden prowess on the chest and this time, freshly wounded Yarrow with the help of an Additional Damage curse.

    This sole attack had reached a peak of four million eight hundred and ny-six thousand points.

    Even though it was unable to prate Yarrow¡¯s defense, the collision had badly hurt his chest. Yarrow could clearly feel that Gu Ding¡¯s attack had been enhanced once again. Yarrow tried to ignore the pain on his body as he made another attempt to escape. The Righteous Force on his left leg suddenly surged in an explosion but Gu Ding¡¯s right hand did not let go, seemingly unfazed. Gu Ding proceeded to tighten his grip around Yarrow¡¯s left ankle.

    Following which, Gu Ding delivered a second punch, which brought along that glimmering golden attack thatnded on Yarrow¡¯s chest. This time, Gu Ding¡¯s attack had reached nine million seven hundred and ny-two thousand points. This level of attack was awfully close to Yarrow¡¯s defense of more than 10 million.

    Yarrow could feel the pressure of something heavy crashing onto his chest. It was twice the pain from before and very close to the limit of his defense. It was only then that he realized the true ability Gu Ding possessed. ¡°My God, he has the ability to amplify attack effectiveness. That would mean every attack would be double the previous attack?! This punch is way too close to the limit of my defense, that means the next attack...¡±

    Yarrow¡¯s guess was quite close to the truth. The difference was that Gu Ding¡¯s ability was not to amplify attack effectiveness, but was Damage Stacking, which had a three-time limit. ording to Yarrow¡¯s calction, Gu Ding hadunched four attacks on him with each assault doubling the power of thest, and he had no idea what Gu Ding¡¯s limit was.

    Yarrow started to struggle frantically. He knew that he would suffer defeat once Gu Ding¡¯sst punchnded right on him, but the more he panicked, the more he overlooked the fact that he could have retaliated with a counterattack. He was like amb waiting to be ughtered in front of Gu Ding as Gu Ding grasped him around the neck with his left hand and mmed Yarrow to the ground.

    Yarrow felt death calling out to him in an instant.

    Gu Ding¡¯s gold-colored primary power surged into his fists, but he did notnd the punch on Yarrow¡¯s head. Instead, he punched Yarrow on the chest. As the gold-colored primary power and silver-colored Righteous Force collided, the silver Righteous Force dissipated in an instant, and close to twenty million points ofbat effectiveness was released, mighty as a torrential flood, flowing into Yarrow¡¯s muscles and bones. Nothing was stopping that force as it crushed every bone in Yarrow¡¯s chest, destroying his ribs. That force had also caused a huge rupture in his internal organs and finally passed through Yarrow¡¯s body as the full force was released onto the ground.

    In an instant, a huge crater of close to a hundred meters deep appeared on the originally t surface of the jade marble floor. Jade marble was a material that was solid and durable, which was why harbors used it for porting spaceships. Spaceships weighing tens of thousands of tons would anchor on it and all it would leave was a minor scratch.

    Yarrow threw up blood and lost consciousness.

    All who had witnessed this scene were shocked.

    ¡°Is this a dream?¡± Some of them even pinched their faces. What had unfolded right before them did not seem real at all.

    Yarrow was a powerhouse with a bounty worth over 100 million Universe Credits. With his crew¡¯sbined power, they were among the top ten Overlord Ranking crew. Yet now, Yarrow had just been finished off by a neer like Gu Ding, and it took less than 20 minutes.

    Benji and Annie quickly retreated from their respective fights when they saw what had happened.

    ¡°Stop, everyone!¡± Benji was the crew¡¯s second-inmand. When he gave the instructions, every one of the Marauders stopped.

    In fact, more than thirty out of their crew of over fifty had been their lights punched out by thebat robots. The rest were barely holding on.

    All of Robert¡¯s robots stopped as well when they saw the enemy withdraw.

    Elsa had also pulled Biggie back and returned to Gu Ding¡¯s side.

    ¡°As the second-inmand of the Marauders crew, I ept the defeat of this battle,¡± Benji looked very upset because many of the spectators around him had recorded everything. When he had given the instructions for everyone to stop, those people immediately started uploading the footage. ¡°Gu Ding the leader, we hope to end this farce of a fight peacefully. We, the Marauders, are willing to give some materialpensation to you as a token of our apology, and hope that you would be able to return our captain to us in one piece,¡± Benji said humbly as he gave Gu Ding a bow. He had seen Gu Ding¡¯s powerfulbat effectiveness and was worried Gu Ding would break Yarrow¡¯s neck out of anger.

    Neptune conducted a quick check on Yarrow¡¯s physical condition and whispered in Gu Ding¡¯s ears, ¡°This guy¡¯s breathing is a little week, but it¡¯s stable. His heartbeat is also slightly weak, though he could still hold on for three to four hours before it gets serious. I think you can get Lili to conduct negotiations and sell him for a good price.¡±

    Gu Ding nodded and Neptune immediately awakened Lili. ¡°Lili, the battle is over, and Gu Ding got us a hostage. It¡¯s the captain of their crew. Let¡¯s sell him for a good price!¡±

    Liliath took off her metal hat and whipped her hair about. She noticed the unconscious Yarrow. ¡°Looks like this is their big boss. Good job, Gu Ding!¡±

    Liliath patted Gu Ding on the shoulder and walked to his side. She hugged herself across the chest with one hand while sticking her thumb near her mouth with the other hand, smiling at Benji. ¡°How much do you think your big boss is worth?¡±

    Benji was stumped by this question. If he gave a high value, they would request a high price, but if the value is too low, it would humiliate their boss when so many people were recording this. ¡°Please don¡¯t make this difficult for us, nobledy. Our boss is priceless. What¡¯s important is how much he is worth in your eyes.¡±

    ¡°How much is the bounty on him?¡± Liliath asked on purpose, even though she knew the answer.

    ¡°one hundred and eighty million Universe Credits,¡± Benji replied honestly.

    ¡°That would mean that we would get one hundred and eighty million Universe Credits if we send his head to the Federal Government. However, I¡¯m not really fond of dealing with cosmic governments,¡± Liliath shook her head.

    ¡°Your crew targeted us for a fight because of this Golden Eagle, didn¡¯t you? Let¡¯s just have it this way, you can justpensate us with the price of our Golden Eagle. Our is second hand, so we won¡¯t ask for a billion Universe Credit. ording to the market price of a second hand... We¡¯ll take eight hundred million!¡±

    Gu Ding raised his eyebrow when he heard Liliath make that exorbitant request. Even he would have just asked for three or four hundred million, which was about twice the price of Yarrow¡¯s bounty. Yet, Liliath had demanded eight hundred million without hesitation.

    Benji had a grim look on his face, and the others behind him looked even worse. ¡°We don¡¯t have that kind of money. To be honest, when Kohld Blood took our ship doctor, he took most of our valuables as well.¡±

 Chapter 172 - Closed Deal

    Chapter 172 Closed Deal

    Liliath frowned slightly at Benji¡¯s words. She was about to say something when Annie, who was next to Benji, voiced out.

    ¡°How about we conduct the negotiations on the ship,¡± Annie patted Benji, hinting for him not to continue discussing this matter under the scrutiny of the public.

    ¡°We can¡¯t do anything to your Golden Eagle, anyway. You don¡¯t need to worry at all.¡±

    The Golden Eagle was made out of unique materials that could only be destroyed by someone with Rank 12 Gene Body. It was indeed a good ce for having negotiations. ¡°Brothers, go back and wait for our news. Annie and I promise to bring our boss back in one piece. Carry those who have yet to regain consciousness back,¡± Benji shouted out to his crew as he waved them off.

    Even though they were reluctant, they still left with their heads hung low.

    There was a defeated look in Benji¡¯s eyes as he watched the crew of the Marauders leave despondently. This was their second recent loss and this time; their boss had be a hostage. This had been a total failure and their reaction was not to me.

    Benji and Annie followed Gu Ding and the others up the spaceship after watching their crew members leave the harbor.

    ¡°Benji is the second-inmand and I¡¯m the financial nner of the crew. I¡¯m Annie,¡± Annie introduced herself. She was much more rationalpared to before the battle.

    ¡°I named the asking price while I was outside,¡± Liliath turned her gaze from Benji to Annie.

    ¡°We don¡¯t have that much money,¡± Annie did not look like she was lying.

    ¡°Our crew has had financial issues since being robbed by Kohld Blood, which was the reason we targeted your Golden Eagle. We didn¡¯t want the Golden Eagle for our own use, we wanted to sell it.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s not lying,¡± Neptune could easily sense she was telling the truth by monitoring the movement of her bioelectric current.

    Liliath frowned slightly at Neptune¡¯s information. If Marauders did not have any money, this trade would end with them making a loss. ¡°If you have no money, then there¡¯s nothing to discuss. Even though we won¡¯t be selling him to the Federal Government, some other pirate crew might be interested in buying him off our hands. Someone might even be willing to pay a higher price.¡±

    Benji knew that his crew had made many enemies. If Gu Ding¡¯s crew was really nning to sell Yarrow, there would be other crews who would be willing to pay for him. He did not want to see Yarrow chained up by a star core cor and humiliated for all to see. ¡°We truly don¡¯t have eight hundred million. Even if we sold our spaceship along with all of our other valuables, we still won¡¯t be able to put together that amount. If you lower the price a little, we can try our best to figure out how to get the money and there will be a chance that you will be paid.¡±

    ¡°How much do you have?¡± Gu Ding asked curiously.

    ¡°The crew is left with savings of less than one hundred and fifty million. If we add everyone¡¯s personal savings, we might be able to get together a sum of more than two hundred million, but it won¡¯t be more than two hundred and fifty million,¡± Annie replied calmly.

    Neptune¡¯s voice was once again heard at this moment. ¡°I checked their bank ount. It¡¯s just as she says.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t there anything you have of value?¡± Liliath was not willing to give up.

    ¡°The spaceship is worth around three hundred million, but we can¡¯t sell that. We did however obtain a dagger from the ruins of the ancient civilization. It might not have been a demigod item, but it was worth more than one billion. However, it had been stolen by Kohld Blood,¡± Annie was not willing to admit it, but from the looks of the crew¡¯s current financial situation, she had failed as a financial nner.

    ¡°Ask them if they¡¯ve gotten anything else from the ruins of the ancient civilization,¡± Neptune prompted.

    ¡°Did you manage to get anything else from that ancient civilization ruins?¡± Gu Ding grew curious at Neptune¡¯s question.

    ¡°We did, but there was nothing valuable or useful to us, so we sold them off in an auction. We had made a total earning of one billion and one hundred million Universe Credits, but Kohld Blood robbed us of one billion.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t your money saved in a bank ount? Did he force you to make a transfer?¡± Liliath was not sold on Annie¡¯s story.

    ¡°They have a very skilled hacker on their crew who was able to track our ount number through ourmunicator¡¯s encryption code. They proceeded to decipher the password and made the transfer. The whole process took less than half an hour, transferring one billion Universe Credits out our ount. It was only after the battle ended that we realized what had happened,¡± Annie felt like clenching her teeth when she was telling the story.

    ¡°How about this, Gu Ding used six hundred and seventy million to buy Golden Eagle. So, I¡¯ll give you a slight discount. Six hundred million is myst offer. If you still think the price is too high, there would be space for us to continue negotiations,¡± Liliath skimmed two hundred million from the original price.

    ¡°Six hundred million may prove to be quite a challenge for you, but I believe you will be able to get the money. We¡¯ll give you... Three days.¡±

    Benji and Annie did not look too happy when Liliath announced their price. This was a price that would require the crew to sell their spaceship...

    ¡°You can begin raising the money now. The sooner the better!¡± Liliath proceeded to kick them out immediately.

    ¡°Wait!¡± Benji hesitated as if struggling with something in his mind. It took a while before he continued.

    ¡°Two hundred million, plus a treasure map to the ruins of the ancient civilization. Take anything you want from the ruins and sell it in an auction. It would not be too difficult for you to get six hundred million Universe Credits.¡±

    Liliath looked toward Gu Ding and he nodded. He was not a greedy person and he was not too keen on keeping Yarrow on his spaceship. That guy was a Rank 11 Gene Body, after all. He was a threat to everyone on the ship, including Gu Ding. ¡°Fine, but we¡¯ll have to determine if the treasure map is real. If we find out it¡¯s a fake treasure map, there will be serious consequences,¡± Liliath threatened. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s not something we would do,¡± Benji replied as he projected the treasure map.

    Neptune conducted a scan and concluded. ¡°This treasure map is real, but this is only a portion of it, about one-ninth of the full

    map.¡±

    ¡°Where¡¯s the rest of it?¡± Gu Ding asked after listening to Neptune¡¯s exnation.

    ¡°Return our boss to us and we¡¯ll send you the rest of the map. Also, Annie will immediately transfer the money to you,¡± Benji was being wary about the situation.

    Gu Ding grasped Yarrow on the cor and threw him before Benji¡¯s feet. Benji crouched down and conducted a quick check. He was relieved when he realized Yarrow was alright. He stood up once again and emailed all nine portions of the map to Gu Ding¡¯s mailbox.

    <b>OV</b>

    VV

    Annie also followed up with the promise and transferred two hundred million Universe Credits into Gu Ding¡¯s ount.

    After the trade was done, Benji and Annie left the harbor quickly with Yarrow, fearing that Gu Ding and the others would go back on their word.

    The spectators surrounding the area watched as Benji and Annie left crestfallen with Yarrow, specting privately about how much had been paid to buy their captain back.

    Gu Ding and the others had not noticed the huge stir caused by the battle. They had resumed their daily activities after dinner.

    Gu Ding went back to perfecting his primary power, Liliath caught hold of Elsa for some chatting, Biggie was looking at new recipes again while Robert continued hankering about in his room, busying himself with work.

    Unbeknownst to them, the video of the battle between Gu Ding¡¯s crew and the Marauders crew had started trending in the Border River. More than twenty people were recording the battle, meaning every angle had been caught on camera.

    The video had also garnered manyments on Sk:

    ¡°This neer called Gu Ding looks really

    powerful!¡±

    ¡°Everyone underestimated their crew, thinking that neers can be bullied. Instead, they ended up getting themselves in hot soup.¡±

    ¡°The Marauders are not a weak crew. They deserve to be in the top 8 among all the Interster Pirates in the Border River. How did they end up getting beaten up so badly?¡±

    Many powerhouse crews within the Border River had also watched these videos.

    They paid the most attention to the fight between Gu Ding and Yarrow among all the video recordings. Some of them had even noticed something from the clips.

    ¡°This Yarrow seems to have be weaker... Did he get hurt in that battle with Kohld Blood?¡±

    ¡°Judging by these videos, Gu Ding¡¯s defense looks really strong. He waspletely immune to Yarrow¡¯s attacks.¡±

    ¡°Gu Ding¡¯s attacks look a little strange. The first few punches didn¡¯t seem to cause much damage to Yarrow. It was thest punch that disintegrated Yarrow¡¯s defensepletely... Does he have the ability to amplify his attack effectiveness?¡±

    Many had started to analyze Gu Ding¡¯s special ability.

    Some of Gu Ding¡¯s old friends in the Border River had also watched the videos.

    Bart had just started making a name for himself in the Border River when he saw the videos. He thought something was wrong with his eyes.

    Gu Ding had collided into a Rank 11 Gene Body in the video. He had flown off after getting struck in the beginning yet got the upper hand and finished things in a powerful ending, knocking his opponent unconscious with a single punch. That was not even the end of it. Gu Ding had openly requested a ransom for them to get their boss back. As for the final result of the negotiations, no one knew what transpired.

    Bart was surprised at Gu Ding¡¯s growth. Gu Ding had required a mech around ten days ago to go up against Emily, who was a Rank 10 Gene Body. Now, Gu Ding did not even need a mech to go head-to-head with a Rank 11 Gene Body, and he won the fight. Byparison, Bart¡¯s improvement was not even worth mentioning. The most envious part of it all was that Gu Ding had recruited another Rank 10 Gene Body crew member with terribly powerfulbat effectiveness.

    It waste in the night and Gu Ding and his crew were all sleeping soundly, unaware of the overnight sensation they had be.

 Chapter 173 - Queen Of The Border River

    Chapter 173 Queen Of The Border River

    Deep into the night, a woman in a purple dress was seen half lying on a wooden sleeping chair. In her hand was an intelligent ring, projecting a few videos. The videos being projected were of Gu Ding inbat.

    They ranged from Gu Ding¡¯s first battle after his debut, all the way until the most recent fight he had with Yarrow. The woman even had videos of Gu Ding refining medicine in the Hermean Alliance.

    The woman dressed in purple curved her lips up slightly. ¡°He¡¯s an interesting boy, isn¡¯t he? He¡¯s only a Rank 5 Gene Body, yet he possesses such powerfulbat effectiveness.¡±

    ¡°Young mistress, Gu Ding might look worthy to be ced under the Monster Ranking, and he would be at least 4-stars or above ording to them. However, the Gu Ding now still has a long way to go as there is a huge gap between his essence and those of 7-star ranking monster powerhouses who possess prohibited abilities.¡± A figure slowly formed in the darkness. It was a tall, slender woman. Any man who saw her would not fail to describe her as a woman with an angelic face but a sinfully tempting body. ¡°It¡¯s still too early to jump to any conclusions.¡± The woman in purple did not look away from the screen.

    ¡°Young mistress, you aren¡¯t attracted to that boy, are you? Even though he is quite cute to a certain level, and is totally my type, but for the young mistress...¡± The tall, slender womanughed.

    The woman in purple raised an eyebrow. ¡°There¡¯s something about him that I find attractive, and I have no idea what it is...¡±

    The tall, slender woman fell silent when she heard those words. ¡°The people from the Dark Sectors are after them again. That little girl named Lili is currently the biggest burden for their crew...¡±

    ¡°Camilia will be celebrating her one-thousandth and seven hundred birthday soon, right? Get her to invite Gu Ding. Also, prepare an exquisite gift for her and get two peak Rank 12 Gene Body powerhouses to deliver it to her,¡± said thedy in purple, her tone was calm and casual.

    ¡°Camilia won¡¯t be too happy about this, especially when she sees those people from the Dark Sectors at her birthday celebration,¡± the tall, slender woman knew very well what her young mistress was nning.

    ¡°That is why you should pick a gift that will satisfy her,¡± the woman in purple finally turned off the video projection and turned to look at the tall, slender woman. The former¡¯s lips were curved up in a small smile. ¡°Understood.¡± The tall, slender woman nodded.

    However, she continued in a low mumble, ¡°Trading a third-grade life fruit in exchange for the lives of an entire pirate crew that we don¡¯t even know. We¡¯re only going to suffer a loss no matter how I look at it.¡±

    ¡°Just keep your opinions to yourself if you don¡¯t agree with me. You don¡¯t need to grumble about the matter in a low voice, I can hear you...¡± The purple-dressed woman was a little exasperated as the tall, slender woman had always behaved that way on purpose.

    The tall, slender woman covered her mouth andughed. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, it came out unexpectedly. I¡¯ll make the appropriate arrangements. You should rest earlier today.¡±

    After the tall, slender woman disappeared, the woman in purple broke into a smile. She projected a picture of Gu Ding that showed him smiling widely with his bright, white teeth. ¡°I wonder how you¡¯ll handle things this time?¡±

    Gu Ding was woken up by Neptune the next morning. The battle the day before had left Gu Ding quite exhausted. Even after a night¡¯s worth of sleep, his body was still aching all over. Gu Ding stretchedzily and asked in a slightly unhappy tone, ¡°Neptune, can¡¯t you just let me sleep a little longer?¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you all say you were bored recently and want to go somewhere to have fun?¡± Neptuneughed as he asked.

    ¡°You found a ce?¡± Gu Ding got up immediately and started to wash up.

    Neptune exined, ¡°I wasn¡¯t able to find anything, but someone managed to find us. I guess our battle yesterday must have caught the attention of some big-shots.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Gu Ding asked in a garbled tone.

    ¡°I just received an invitation from Viscount Camilia. She¡¯s inviting us as guests to Jiewang to attend her one-thousandth and seven hundred birthday bash,¡± Neptune sounded quite excited.

    ¡°What sort of person is Viscount Camilia?¡± Gu Ding thought that the name was quite familiar, but he did not know where he had heard it from.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you about the top ten crews in Border River? Camilia is the renowned queen of Border River. Even if the other nine crewsbined forces, they would still be no match for her. The woman is a Rank 12 Gene Body. She¡¯s a powerhouse that was bestowed the title of Viscount by the Federal Government.¡±

    ¡°She sounds really powerful but isn¡¯t she an Interster Pirate? Why would the Federal Government give her the title of Viscount?¡± Gu Ding was unable toprehend the matter.

    ¡°The Federal Government is known to recruit powerful and influential Interster Pirates. They bestow them titles and promise not to interfere with their matters on the condition that the pirates ept the titles and help the Federal Government guard the territory. The Federal Government recognizes the Border River, and the area belongs to Camilia. It¡¯s part of the reason why Dragon Soar Cosmic Nation and Faye Cosmic Nation rarely interfere with anything here,¡± Neptune exined in detail.

    ¡°In other words, it means that the Federal Government gave her a license to be an Interster Pirate, which is why she doesn¡¯t have a bounty on her,¡± Gu Ding described the woman¡¯s situation with much moremon

    terms.

    Neptune thought that Gu Ding¡¯s description of the situation was apt. ¡°You could put it that way. Before that woman was recruited, the bounty on her was seven billion and eight hundred million Universe Credits. Her entire crew¡¯s bounty was more than fifteen billion Universe Credits. On the other hand, your bounty has not even reached a zero on her bounty. Nevertheless, after she was recruited, her crew¡¯s second-inmand left with a small number of others.¡±

    ¡°Tell me more about Camilia,¡± Gu Ding thought that it would be best for him to know more about her since he was about to attend her birthday party.

    ¡°Camilia has been in charge of the Border River for more than two hundred years, and she is turning one thousand and seven hundred years old this year. She¡¯s almost at the end of her lifespan. She and her second-inmand were lovers and were very much in love before she was recruited. They were still together even when she was recruited. However, on the night of her recruitment banquet, her second-inmand found her in bed with a young officer from the Federal Government. As a result, he left in anger.¡±

    ¡°She started leading a degenerate life after she was recruited, seeking out different types of men each day. Some say that she has slept with every captain and second-inmand of the nine powerful crews in Border River... No one knows how true the rumor is. Nevertheless, the only thing that we¡¯re sure of, is that she wastes her nights away.¡± ¡°What sort of people did she invite for her birthday banquet?¡± Gu Ding changed the topic.

    ¡°Almost all the crews in Border River that are in the top twenty. The top ten crews make their appearance each year. Sometimes, well-known personalities who are passing by the Border River are invited by her. For example, a high-ranking army officer from some cosmic nation, officers from the Federal Government, Federal nobilities. Rarely, she invites potential neer crews she thinks well of.¡±

    ¡°When is the birthday banquet?¡± Gu Ding walked toward the kitchen after washing up.

    ¡°There¡¯s still a week left before it. We only need two days to travel from here to Jiewang.¡±

    ¡°Is there any ce that¡¯s interesting to visit on Jiewang?¡± Gu Ding was weighing his options; to stay on the current and cultivate, or make an early arrival to Jiewang.

    ¡°Jiewang is a that revolves around tourism. It¡¯s thergest administrative in Border River, and it¡¯s the with the highest number of visitors in Border River. There is a unique nature reserve on the that has plenty of rare beasts in it. They even have two vipers.¡±

    ¡°Sounds great!¡± Gu Ding was already in the kitchen. Everyone was present there besides Robert.

    Hence, Gu Ding announced, ¡°Let¡¯s prepare to make our way to Jiewang after breakfast!¡±

    ¡°Elsa and I have read a little bit about Jiewang. There¡¯s a nature reserve there that looks quite interesting,¡± Liliath was also thinking about where to go during their next stop.

    ¡°That nature reserve is a must-visit for us, but the main reason we¡¯re heading there is to attend Camilia¡¯s birthday banquet...¡± Gu Ding started to exin the reason for their journey to everyone, including Robert. ¡°Attending a birthday banquet... Looks like the first thing we need to do after getting off our ship is to shop for clothes.¡± Liliath nodded. ¡°Didn¡¯t we just buy some yesterday?¡± Elsa did not really understand. The number of clothes she had in her inventory ring was as high as a mountain.

    ¡°They¡¯re different. Those clothes are for everyday wear. For banquets, we¡¯ll need something like a gown, something nice. Hmm... Besides new clothes, we need essories and shoes. Just leave it to me. I¡¯ll do the picking, and you guys just wear whatever I get you,¡± Liliath shared her opinion.

    ¡°I guess there¡¯ll be no need for us to leave the spaceship to try on the clothes, right?¡± Gu Ding felt like he had dodged a bullet when he heard Liliath¡¯s words.

    ¡°How would that be possible? You need to try on the clothes to find out if they fit.¡± Starting at Elsa and ending with Biggie, Liliath pointed at each and every one of them.

    ¡°You, you, you, and Robert, all of you have to leave the spaceship to try on the clothes.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think Robert has to wear anything,¡± Gu Ding voiced his objection.

    ¡°That¡¯s not possible. It¡¯s a banquet, and everyone has to wear something. Robert is not allowed to run around buck naked.¡± Liliath¡¯s stubbornness was beginning to stress out Gu Ding as cold sweat poured from thetter¡¯s forehead.

    ¡°Bossdy, why did you send an invitation to that little brat, Gu Ding, for the banquet?¡± A woman asked questioningly as she looked at a dignified woman who was sitting on a golden chair.

    ¡°He made his debut less than half a year ago and only entered Border River recently. I don¡¯t think he has much influence. Even though he was victorious over the Marauders, maybe he was just lucky. Besides, it would be awkward to have him and Yarrow appear at the banquet together.¡±

    ¡°Bonita, stop asking questions about it.¡± Camilia was looking through videos of Gu Ding¡¯s fights. She saw the clip of Gu Ding¡¯s battle with Yarrow, and it only took one look from her to notice that Yarrow had been hurt before the fight. Gu Ding¡¯s performance during the fight with hisbat effectiveness did not impress her at all. To her, a regr person would be able to cultivate primary power after umting ten thousand Cell Index points. For Gu Ding to be able to cultivate primary power, his gene level had to be at Rank 8. Nevertheless, even if a Rank 8 managed to unleashbat effectiveness simr to that of a Rank 10 at his peak, he would only be considered as half a monster at most. That would mean Gu Ding was not even at the standard of a 1-star monster. However, Camilia had received a request from someone important to invite Gu Ding. Consequently, that request prompted her to investigate and find each and every one of Gu Ding¡¯s battle videos. After a night of research, Camilia came to know a few intriguing details about Gu Ding. Gu Ding¡¯s gene level was not high, and there was a chance he was not even a Rank 6... Camilia suddenly understood why a woman as important as that person had taken notice of Gu Ding.

 Chapter 174 - Bonitaâ€™s Evaluation

    <h4>Chapter 174 Bonita¡¯s Evaluation</h4>

    Jiewang was located in the middle of the Border River, and it was thergest that had been made suitable for inhabitation. It was also a known for tourism.

    It was the where Cam¡¯s Scorpion Pirates stayed. Unlike others in the Border river, the only Interster Pirates who had residential rights were Camilia¡¯s Scorpion Pirates. Without Camilia¡¯s approval, no member of the Federation Army was allowed to visit the. That was her privilege as a Viscount.

    Gu Ding had nned to stay on the spaceship to continue his cultivation when they arrived on the. He was not expecting to receive a call from Liliath below the ship the very moment he climbed onto the top of the ship¡¯s cabin.

    ¡°Get down from the ship and drag Robert out with you. Camilia¡¯s people are here to pick us up.¡± Liliath hung up after speaking. Gu Ding was stunned. It looked like the female Viscount named Camilia was a friendly person. He knocked on Robert¡¯s door and exined the situation. With that, Robert packed up his things and left with Gu Ding.

    They got off the spaceship together and saw an elongated version of a ck ssical parked nearby. The window of the car was rolled down, and they could see Elsa waving crazily at them.

    ssicals were retro car models for nobles. Its price was not the most expensive, and it was not even one of the top 10 car models. The reason as to why the model was well-known was because each car was hand-made. Hence, there was only one of each car model. Besides that, the car manufacturer only epted orders from those who had noble titles bestowed by the Federal Government. That was why every in the cosmic seas was unique, and every one of them represented their owner¡¯s status.

    A tall, thin woman dressed in a clean, tidy looking gown stood next to the door of the car. She was not pretty but not ugly either. However, there was a unique charm to her that gave everyone the impression that she was of a very good upbringing. She gestured to Gu Ding from afar to wee him.

    Gu Ding nodded and smiled at her as he pulled Robert into the car.

    ¡°How did you know we were going to arrive today?¡± Gu Ding asked casually.

    ¡°Bossdy instructed some of our sisters to wait at the harbor the day the invitations were sent to our guests. It would be rude of us to allow our guests to stay at hotels. Besides, we have more than enough guest rooms for everyone who was invited.¡± The voice of the tall, thin woman did not match her looks. Another woman opened the door to the car for them while the tall, thin woman turned specifically to look Gu Ding in the eyes as she answered his question. There was a small smile on her face.

    ¡°Bossdy? Does everyone call her that?¡± The matter piqued Liliath¡¯s sudden interest. She thought it sounded quite pleasant to be called bossdy.

    ¡°Yes. Camilia¡¯s especially loves it when others refer to her as bossdy. Everyone in Border River calls her that, including the captains of the other crews. It has been this way for many years, and all of us have gotten used to it.¡± The tall, thin woman nodded.

    ¡°If you aren¡¯t used to that moniker, it would be fine to call her by her name. You just arrived at Border River, so she won¡¯t mind.¡±

    ¡°Big sister Bonita, is there anywhere in Jiewang worth visiting,¡± Liliath started to sweet-talk, referring to the woman as big sister very quickly. The tall, thindy had introduced herself to everyone before Gu Ding got down from the spaceship. ¡°Jiewang is a tourist. There are many ces you can have fun at. However, there are a few spots I highly rmend.¡± Bonita got into a happier mood the moment she heard Liliath call out to her in such a friendly way.

    ¡°The first ce you should visit is the nature reserve. You¡¯ll be able to see many precious beings there; even those that can only be seen after venturing into the cosmic sea. There¡¯s also a section set up for picture taking and video recording. It¡¯s situated in a non-danger zone and is filled with gentle beings that are safe...¡±

    Bonita exined everything in detail and managed to get along with Gu Ding and the others during the journey.

    When the ssical stopped, Gu Ding got off the car with the others. The next moment, they were rendered speechless when they raised their heads and saw a huge castle.

    Liliath and Robert did not react too much. On the other hand, the others had stunned looks on their faces. It was the first time they had seen such arge castle that was not a picture being projected from Sk.

    ¡°It¡¯s huge!¡± Gu Ding could only blurt out two simple words after racking his brains in an effort to figure out how to describe it.

    Bonita was not surprised by their reactions. All she did was smile. ¡°Let me take you to your guest room.¡±

    She led Gu Ding and the others toward the left-wing of the castle and stopped in front of a door numbered 203. She ced her palm on the door and it opened automatically. ¡°There are five rooms and two washrooms here. You can check out the room and decide if you like the interior design. If it doesn¡¯t suit your tastes, I¡¯ll take you to the next room.¡±

    Gu Ding and the others filed into the room that was clean and tidy. Its essories were warm-toned, and it had nice lighting. It also had a huge courtyard with a big swimming pool in it.

    ¡°I think it¡¯s pretty good. What about you guys?¡± It was Gu Ding¡¯s first time staying in a room that had a personal pool. He was pretty happy about it.

    Liliath smiled and nodded. ¡°It looks like your bossdy spent a lot of thought on this. We¡¯ll take this room.¡±

    The others had no objections as well.

    ¡°That¡¯s great. You just have to register your fingerprints, and you will be able to get in and out freely,¡± Bonita said as she pressed against the door with her palm for some time.

    Then, a screen popped up in the middle of the door. ¡°Press your palms on the screen and it will be done. Once your fingerprint has been registered, there will be a voice-prompt.¡±

    Gu Ding was the first to press his palm against the door. It took less than three seconds before he heard a synthetic female voice say, ¡°Your palm print has been sessfully registered. Thank you!¡± Liliath and the others, including Robert, also registered their palm prints. Each one of their registrations was sessful.

    ¡°You can call me directly through mymunicator if you need anything,¡± Bonita said as she emailed hermunicator number to Gu Ding.

    ¡°We shouldn¡¯t need anything else. We¡¯ll just take a casual tour around the. You can carry on being busy with your work. You should be upied these few days, we¡¯ll try our best not to disturb you.¡± Gu Ding did not like causing trouble for others and liked to solve problems his own way.

    Bonita smiled and nodded when she heard Gu Ding¡¯s words. ¡°You can have your meals at the huge hall we passed by earlier, the one with a g of a fork and knife hanging at the door. Take whatever you¡¯d like to eat as it is open every day for 36 hours. All the food and drinks are free. The restaurant is usually closed for two days during the weekend, but we¡¯ll be hosting many guests during this period, so it will remain open this weekend. Since we need to take into ount everyone¡¯s different dietary needs, you won¡¯t find that many local specialties at the restaurant. If you wish to have a taste of the local vors, you may head over to Ford Street in the city center.¡±

    ¡°Thank you!¡± Elsa shouted out before Gu Ding was able to. Food was her number one priority, and anyone willing to provide her with it for free were good people in her eyes. That was why her gratitude toward Bonita waspletely sincere.

    After leaving the room she had arranged for Gu Ding, Bonita began to head toward the main building of the castle.

    There, a tall, slender woman in a white dress could be seen holding a cup of coffee in the study of the main building. She was bathing under the sunlight that shone through the French windows.

    A knock was heard from the study¡¯s door. ¡°Come in,¡± thedy in the white dress said without turning to look at the door. She gently sipped on her coffee and licked her lips as she called out lightly.

    ¡°Bossdy, Gu Ding¡¯s crew has arrived. I just picked them up from the harbor and have settled their amodation.¡± There was a soft smile on Bonita¡¯s face.

    ¡°What do you think of them?¡± Camilia finally turned toward her.

    ¡°They¡¯re just a bunch of innocent kids.¡± There was a smile on Bonita¡¯s face when she answered Camilia.

    ¡°That¡¯s quite high of an evaluation. You look pretty happy.¡± Camilia raised an eyebrow and ced the cup of coffee down.

    ¡°It just felt really rxing when I was with them. I felt much younger than I currently am...¡± The look on Bonita¡¯s face suddenly changed when she said this. She started to panic after having realized that she probably should not have mentioned anything about age.

    Unexpectedly, Camilia did not lose her temper. She remained silent for a while before she asked, ¡°Do you think I should interact with them unofficially?¡±

    ¡°I think... That¡¯s not a bad idea.¡± Bonita knew what her bossdy meant by unofficial interaction.

    ¡°Do evaluate them one by one. We¡¯ll start with Gu Ding.¡± The matter piqued Camilia¡¯s interest as Bonita was usually quite reserved when it came to unofficial interaction.¡°How should I describe Gu Ding? A young man who is very polite and sincere. There¡¯s a look of purity in his eyes, transparent and clean as clearke water. There¡¯s a special charm about him that makes people feel safe and secure. Even I have no idea why I felt that way... However, he does not give me the feeling that he is a powerful person.¡±

    ¡°How about the girl named Liliath?¡± Camilia continued asking.

    ¡°She¡¯s very smart and knows how to observe the people around her. She also has a wide knowledge of different etiquettes. Characters such as hers are normally a thorn within a crew because the smarter one is, the more selfish they tend to be. Such type of people always attempt to garner the greatest benefits for themselves. However, she doesn¡¯t act that way at all. She has a lot of trust in each member of the crew and gets along well with them. I feel that she sees Gu Ding and the others as family. Not the kind that argues with each other all day long, but the kind of family that rely on each other.¡± ¡°That huge man should be someone with powerful abilities, am I right?¡± Camilia extended her questioning to Biggie.

    ¡°He¡¯s a Rank 10 Gene Body at his peak. He has terrifying sword sense, and I have a feeling that he has never shown his truebat effectiveness even in his previous fights. He has a very simple and honest personality. Additionally, he does not talk much. He seems quite differentpared to the way he fights as shown in videos. Both sides of his personalities don¡¯t seem to match up.¡±

    ¡°What about that little robot?¡±

    ¡°I couldn¡¯t find out anything about him. It seems like he is an artificial intelligence robot. He didn¡¯t say a word at all. Even while I was chatting happily with the others, he continued to sit at the side in a daze.¡±

    ¡°What about that newly recruited girl?¡± Camilia had a feeling that Elsa was not amon girl.

    ¡°She¡¯s very powerful! She¡¯s the most powerful member on Gu Ding¡¯s crew...¡± Bonita gave a strange evaluation.

 Chapter 175 - A Kitten

    <h4>Chapter 175 A Kitten</h4>

    Ford Street was one of the most famous food streets on Jiewang.

    It would not be that urate to call it a food street as one could find almost anything there, including all kinds of fruits, vegetables, and other unprocessed foods. The food street there was a little different from other food streets Gu Ding had been to.

    Usually, food streets were dirty ces simr to red-light districts, only with less blood and more grease.

    However, this food street gave people apletely different feeling. It was clean and spotless-all smells of cooking were sucked away by underground pipes.

    ¡°It¡¯s a little different from what I expected,¡± Lilliath spoke Gu Ding¡¯s mind. ¡°However, it¡¯s a change for the better.¡±

    ¡°That looks delicious...¡± Elsa¡¯s eyes were drawn to a stall not too far away.

    ¡°That looks like scallops.¡± Watching scallop meat cooked to a glossy sheen, Gu Ding felt a little hungry.

    ¡°That¡¯s a shrieking scallop. It¡¯s a food that requires special treatment.¡± Biggie recognized the ingredient immediately. ¡°Shrieking scallops are said to be very timid. If even a sound is made within a meter of their surroundings, they will be startled immediately, scream horribly, and shut close their shells. Then, it will take them at least three days to open once again.¡±

    ¡°You can just roast them when they¡¯re closed. What¡¯s the difference?¡± Gu Ding asked in slight confusion.

    ¡°Don¡¯t look down at how small their shells are. Chefs have done experiments with them, their shells can withstand very high temperatures up to eight hundred and eighty thousand degrees. The shell will explode violently the moment its temperature surpasses eight hundred and eighty thousand degrees. The cook who had conducted the experiment was a Rank-10 Gene Body. He died from the explosion.¡± Biggie¡¯s story sounded a little surreal.

    ¡°Can¡¯t you pry it open with brute force?¡± Elsa did not think that it would be a problem to break the shell with her own strength.

    ¡°No one below demigod level can force its shell open, and a few videos on Sk confirm that quite a few people have tried it,¡± Biggie exined while shaking his head.

    ¡°I don¡¯t believe it!¡± Elsa did not believe that such shells existed in the world. She walked up to the shopkeeper and said, ¡°Boss, can I borrow an unopened shell? I wish to try and break it.¡±

    The shopkeeper was a middle-aged man with a flushedplexion. He did not seem surprised as Elsa was clearly not the first customer to make such a request. Besides, the show usually brought a lot of business to his stall, so he happily handed Elsa a shrieking scallop that had its shell closed. Elsa gripped the shell with her fingers and made a sudden effort to tear it open. Nevertheless, she found that it would not budge. Instantly, she became angry, and she clenched her teeth as she amplified her vibration force. The sinister force was once again poured into the shell, but it vanished as quickly as mud that was poured into the sea. The shell remained as strong as a rock without a crack.

    Liliath could not stand it. She took out her silver handgun and turned it into a sniper rifle. She loaded it with two armor-piercing shells. ¡°I don¡¯t believe it. The fact that you can¡¯t pry it open with brute force or break it with armor-piercing shells!¡±

    ¡°It won¡¯t work.¡± Biggie discouraged her. ¡°People have tried such methods before.¡±

    Lilliath ignored his advice and fired two consecutive shots at the shrieking scallop. The shell ended up ricocheting away, and Elsa leaped to catch it. Elsa looked down at the shrieking scallop in her hand and shook her head regretfully at Lilliath.

    The shrieking scallop was as strong as an indestructible fortress.

    The two girls¡¯ actions had attracted many onlookers. Most of the elderly residents were only expecting the worst. Apparently, it was not their first time seeing this kind of thing.

    ¡°Let me have a look!¡± Robert reached out his hand and took the shrieking scallop. He knocked it from side to side. Then, he took out a drill, a cutting machine, and tried all of his tools. Nevertheless, they were to no avail. Suddenly, his eyes lit up after a while and he ran to the shopkeeper¡¯s booth. He asked, ¡°Boss, could you sell me these useless shells?¡±

    ¡°If you want them, you can have them. We treat them as rubbish anyway. They¡¯re also very difficult to dispose of as rubbish. You have to immerse them in extremely acidic materials for several days before they soften,¡± the shopkeeper agreed readily as it was not cheap for them to dispose of the scallops each day. Returning the scallop to the shopkeeper, Robert transferred the empty shells in the former¡¯s rubbish bin into his Inventory. ¡°In that case, how do you eat them?¡± Gu Ding asked his own question.

    ¡°A shrieking scallop takes 0.001 seconds to react and 0.001 seconds to close its shell. In that 0.002 seconds, the chef has to quietly pick out the shrieking scallop¡¯s meat with a hook,¡± Biggie exined.

    ¡°Looks like I¡¯ve bumped into an expert.¡± The middle-aged shopkeeper smiled. ¡°Would this gentleman be interested in giving it a go?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never cooked shrieking scallops before, but I¡¯ve heard of them.¡± Biggie was also a little nervous. He was not too sure.

    ¡°There¡¯s no shame in trying.¡± Gu Ding patted Biggie.

    Having been encouraged, Biggie nodded and took the hook from the shopkeeper.

    Buggies eyes fell on an open scallop in front of him. His right hand swung out, and with a quick pull, he hooked the pink blob out of the scallop. He was so fast that the shrieking scallop had no time to react.

    ¡°Nice work!¡± The shopkeeper started pping. The others at the side tried to sound out, and their business immediately picked up.

    ¡°Boss, we¡¯ll take four, takeaway!¡± Gu Ding felt that it was inappropriate to disturb others for so long. Not to mention, the shrieking scallops on the grill did look delicious. Except for Robert, Gu Ding bought one for himself and the rest.

    Gu Ding and his crew found the shrieking scallops delicious after tasting them.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to buy some shrieking scallops. Then, when we leave this, we won¡¯t have to worry about not being able to taste them anymore.¡± Biggie had made up his mind to learn how to cook shrieking scallops.

    The five continued their journey into the depths of Food Street.

    ¡°That fish looks adorable. It looks like a stuffed chubby man. It can¡¯t even swim freely.¡± Elsa pointed to a fish tank not too far away. ¡°That fish with silver scales that¡¯s wagging its tail quickly but swimming slowly is called a poisonous pufferfish.¡± Biggie exined, ¡°That fish also requires special treatment. It¡¯s delicious, but you can¡¯t touch its innards while gutting it. Otherwise, the whole fish will turn purple and be inedible.¡±

    ¡°Why can¡¯t you eat it when it¡¯s purple?¡± Elsa felt that food should not be wasted.

    ¡°That¡¯s because if it turns purple, it means that it contains a lot of poison. Apparently, any powerhouse below demigod level will die in less than ten hours after eating it.¡± Biggie¡¯s words got Elsa to look away from the fish immediately.

    Without walking too far, Elsa¡¯s eyes were suddenly drawn to a piece of meat.

    ¡°That piece of meat belongs to a steel jagged teeth beast, which is a Rank-9 Genebeast. The genebeast¡¯s muscles are as hard as adamantium alloy and possess extreme defensive capabilities. Only Gene Body powerhouses at Rank-10 or above who have managed to cultivate Righteous Force can kill it. Their meat also has to be heated to a high temperature of over fifty thousand degrees to soften. Otherwise, it will taste like adamantium alloy...¡± Before Biggie could finish, a yellow shadow shed by and the piece of meat disappeared.

    Elsa reacted instantly. She reached out to grab it, only to see it elerate and grab nothing but air.

    Biggie had also made a move by then. However, instead of reaching out to grab it, he pulled out his saber to intercept it. The saber came out of its sheath and blocked the way of the yellow shadow.

    Just then, the yellow shadow stopped in its tracks. That was when Gu Ding and his crew saw that the meat had been stolen by a kitten. The cat looked a little thin and had tiger stripes, but it was energetic. It nced over Biggie, sat back, and slowly nibbled at the meat that was as hard as an adamantine alloy.

    At the sight of this scene, Gu Ding and his crew were speechless.

    ¡°It looks really hungry.¡± Gu Ding looked at the puny little guy and felt sympathetic for him. After all, he had been bullied for being thin since childhood. If the cat was not desperate, it would not have dared to steal food.

    ¡°That cat thief!¡± The shopkeeper quickly caught up. ¡°I¡¯m going to kill you!¡± ¡°Boss, I¡¯ll pay for that piece of meat.¡± Gu Ding felt sorry for the kitten and feared that it would end up miserable if the owner caught

    it.

    The little guy saw it all.After paying the shopkeeper and sending him away, Gu Ding took a bag of chips from his Inventory and walked over to the little guy. He had heard that many cats enjoyed such a snack.

    The little guy nced at Gu Ding, seemingly oblivious to his approach, and continued to nibble away at the piece of meat. In just tens of seconds, it finished a quarter of it.

    Gu Ding thought that the little guy had unusually good teeth. He approached the little guy with a smile and unwrapped the packet of chips. Then, Gu Ding picked one of them up and held it to his mouth. The little guy gave Gu Ding azy nce and chose to ignore his gesture.

    Gu Ding reached out his hand to touch it, but it vanished right when Gu Ding was about to touch its fur.

    ¡°How fast!¡± Elsa could not help but exim.

    ¡°The cat¡¯s speed is in par with a Rank-11 Gene Body¡¯s.¡± Biggie nodded. ¡°He was also able to bite through a piece of steel jagged teeth beast¡¯s meat that a lot of Rank-12 Gene Body predators are unable to kill. It¡¯s meat that¡¯s hard to bite without cooking it properly, and even if you can bite through it, it tastes horrible and is harder to digest.¡±

    ¡°No matter how bad it is, it¡¯s only a poor little thing. Otherwise, it wouldn¡¯t have stolen it.¡± Gu Ding shook his head. ¡°Let¡¯s go back. It¡¯s getting dark. We¡¯ve been out shopping since noon, and I¡¯m so full right now.¡±

    As Gu Ding and his crew left, the kitten poked its head out of a corner, stuffed the rest of the meat into its mouth, and trotted off behind them.

 Chapter 176 - Into the Nature Reserve

    <h4>Chapter 176: Into the Nature Reserve</h4>

    The room Bonita had chosen for Gu Ding and his crew had good lighting. Early in the morning, sunlight shone through the yellow curtains of the room to light up the ce. A gust of wind blew into the room through a half-opened French window and slightly swung open the curtains, causing ayer of light and shadows to form in the living room. A yellow shadow shed by.

    A kitten with tiger stripesnded softly on the living room coffee table. It looked around and confirmed the location of the kitchen. Then, it jumped off the table and trotted toward the kitchen.

    Evidently, Neptune noticed everything. In actual fact, the little creature had been following them since the day before. Nevertheless, Biggie and Elsa had not noticed its existence. When the two returned to the room, it hid in a big tree outside and silently watched them.

    Neptune had left a gap in the French window the night before, but it was cautious to observe for a night to make sure it was not a trap before slipping in.

    Once it was inside the house, it ran toward the kitchen and pulled the door of the refrigerator open with great skill.

    There was nothing to eat in the fridge except milca, which Gu Ding had bought the night before. When Gu Ding and his crew arrived on the, Biggie put all the ingredients they had into his Inventory ring. For the past few days, instead of cooking, he was studying the¡¯s local specialties.

    The kitten looked disappointed but picked up the bottle of milca which was bigger than it was anyway. It then dragged the bottle away from the fridge.

    Hiding under the coffee table, it easily cut open the metal bottle containing milca with its ws. What it did next was quickly lick the milca leaking out from the opening.

    All of this was witnessed by Neptune, but he did not tell Gu Ding and the others who were fast asleep. He wanted to see Gu Ding¡¯s expression when thetter opened the refrigerator the next day and found that out of the two bottles of milca, only one bottle was left.

    Not long after, Gu Ding rolled out of bed and asked sleepily, ¡°Anything new?¡± Hearing Gu Ding¡¯s question, Neptune suddenly remembered something more important. ¡°The Dark Sectors have gotten the news that Lili is not dead. The two men from before are heading toward Jiewang.¡±

    ¡°Those two... When will they arrive?¡± Upon hearing the news, Gu Ding¡¯s drowsiness vanishedpletely.

    ¡°In four days. ording to their style of doing things, they¡¯ll probablye straight to the party.¡± Neptune spected.

    ¡°That¡¯s good news. My Absolute Seal will be avable in three days, and I will dly give the Dark Sectors¡¯ people a serious warning.¡± Gu Ding¡¯s eyes were cold. He would never forget what they did to Lili in the past.

    ¡°There are two of them, and you are only able to use your ability once a month.¡± Neptune did not forget to remind Gu Ding.

    ¡°Camilia will make a move.¡± Gu Ding¡¯s reply was reassuring. ¡°She¡¯s considered half a Federal Government member. Anyone from the Dark Sectors can be considered a primary target for the Federal Government. Sharp and his crew may have been helplessst time. However, this time, Camilia¡¯s a Peak Rank-12 Gene Body. Besides, it¡¯s her own birthday party. She¡¯ll do it for her own sake.¡±

    ¡°Be careful anyway.¡± Neptune was still a little worried even though he knew Gu Ding¡¯s n was fine.

    ¡°Wake Up Lili and the others. We¡¯ll go to the nature reserve today.¡± Gu Ding was looking forward to going on a trip to the nature reserve.

    Once he finished washing up, he changed his clothes and went into the kitchen. He opened the refrigerator door and saw only one bottle of milca left. He raised his eyebrows. ¡°I remember buying two bottles yesterday. Who drank it?¡±

    Shaking his head, Gu Ding did not think too much about it. He took the bottle of milca, sat down in front of the coffee table in the living room, and started drinking it.

    What he did not know was that beneath the coffee table, hidden by tinted ss, a tiger-striped kitten was drinking the other bottle of milca.

    All of a sudden, Gu Ding heard the sound of a metal bottle rolling from under the coffee table. He looked down and saw a kitten peering at him. The man and kitten fixed met eyes and instantly looked away. Gu Ding¡¯s eyes fell on the empty bottle below the table, while the cat¡¯s eyes fell on the unfinished milca bottle Gu Ding was holding. The former licked its tongue.

    ¡°Looks like you haven¡¯t had enough, little one.¡± Gu Ding left the bottle of milca on the coffee table and went to the kitchen to get a bowl. He was not expecting to return to a scene of the little guy drinking from the other metal bottle of milca on the table. The kitten had managed to tear through the metal bottle of milca. ¡°Why you little cat thief...¡±

    Meanwhile, Lilliath and the others had just finished cleaning themselves up and were about to enter the living room.

    Both girls seemed delighted when they saw the kitten. Meanwhile, Biggie began projecting recipes, searching for the term, ¡°How to make a cat a delicacy.¡±

    Before the two girls could reach the kitten, it ran away with the metal bottle in its mouth and continued to drink milca at Gu Ding¡¯s feet. It seemed as if it was indicating that he preferred Gu Ding.

    Gu Ding crouched down and tried to touch the kitten. This time, instead of dodging, the kitten reached out his paw and pped Gu Ding¡¯s hand away. The message it was trying to convey was also clear this time around. ¡°I don¡¯t like to be touched. Don¡¯t touch me!¡±

    Gu Ding withdrew his hand somewhat sheepishly. ¡°This gluttonous cat thief drank my milca but won¡¯t even let me touch it.¡±

    The kitten¡¯s second bottle of milca was soon emptied. It looked up at Gu Ding as if to ask, ¡°Is there more?¡±

    ¡°I only bought two, but there¡¯s food in the restaurant. I wonder if there¡¯s any milca.¡± Gu Ding was not sure if the little guy could understand him.

    ¡°Can it understand you?¡± Lilliath was skeptical.

    The cat nodded.

    ¡°It¡¯s not an ordinary cat after all. Ordinary cooking won¡¯t work...¡± Biggie muttered under his lips as he continued to flip through the menu on his projection.

    ¡°If you understand me, follow us to the restaurant.¡± Gu Ding got up and followed his crew to the restaurant. Following from behind them, the kitten trotted along.

    Once they were in the restaurant, Gu Ding and his crew found an empty table. The kitten, with a piece of meat in its mouth, fell on the table and began to tear it apart. The way it consumed the meat resembled that of a fierce predator. Nevertheless, it was inevitably endearing to Gu Ding and the others.

    Their breakfast took a little longer because of the kitten. Gu Ding was surprised that the cat could eat as much as Elsa. However, it appeared to eat only raw meat and milca. It had no interest in nt-based drinks, including those that contained sugar.

    The cat only seemed satisfied when it finished thest steak in the restaurant. It also left other diners in the restaurant disappointed as it ate so much steak that the restaurant was beginning to run out of ingredients. It was something that rarely happened at the restaurant.

    ¡°We¡¯re going to the nature reserve. Do you want toe with us?¡± Gu Ding found it convenient to know that the little guy could understand him.

    It hesitated for a while before it jumped onto Gu Ding¡¯s shoulder.

    ¡°Looks like it wants to hang out with us.¡± Gu Ding felt that its attitude was indicative of what it wanted.

    ¡°A cat that understands people...¡± Lilliath shook her head in frustration, presumably guessing that based on Gu Ding¡¯s personality, he would keep the little one. Although she liked small animals, it was clear that the little cat thief was reluctant to answer to anyone.

    Elsa sneaked up behind Gu Ding in an effort to reach and touch it. Nevertheless, she was only faced with a warning look that read, ¡°No touching!¡±. Hence, Elsamely withdrew her hand.

    The nature reserve had four entrances, one of which was on the outskirts of the city near the port. It was already noon by the time they had arrived by car.

    The kitten seemed to be asleep as its eyes were closed and it was wagging its tail gently. It had not moved from Gu Ding¡¯s shoulder throughout the journey.

    After getting out of the car, under the intense sunlight, the Sun Sutra within Gu Ding slowly began to operate on its own without him even realizing it. On the other hand, the kitten opened its eyes just as the Sun Sutra began to operate. It nced at Gu Ding, noticed nothing unusual, and proceeded to close its eyes. It then started to wag its tail a little more than before, as if in a happier mood.

    In the nature reserve, the main means of transport was hoverboards that had transparent protective barriers. Everyone got one.

    While Gu Ding was handing out hoverboards to his crew members, he was stopped by a staff who said, ¡°Sorry, Sir, we don¡¯t allow pets because they¡¯re vulnerable to the predators in the reserves and might be attacked. If you go in with your pet, not only will it end up being eaten, but you and your friends may also be attacked.¡±

    ¡°You heard him, little guy. We¡¯ll go in and take a stroll. You can just hang out here and look for something to eat,¡± Gu Ding said to the kitten.

    The kitten reluctantly jumped off Gu Ding¡¯s shoulder and sat obediently at the customer service table.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go in.¡± Gu Ding grabbed hold of his hoverboard and entered the reserve together with Lilliath and the rest.

    After watching them leave, the kitten disappeared in a sh.

    It was very easy to operate the hoverboard. Its direction was controlled with its handle. On the other hand, the button on the left side of it that was near one¡¯s thumb was to shift gears and adjust the hoverboard¡¯s speed. Lastly, a red button found on the right side of the board acted as a brake while the green button functioned to raise the transparent protective barrier.

    After a brief round of instructions by the staff and after everyone had raised their protective barrier, the group of tourists was allowed to leave.

    It was Gu Ding and his crew¡¯s first time-they were excited.

    They had not gone very far before they were met with their first rare animal¨Ca giant ck-armored rhinoceros. The giant rhinoceros was nearly five meters tall and was more than ten meters long. Additionally, its back was covered by ayer of thick ck armor, and it was eating the broad leaves of a tree not too far away.

    Just then, the ck-armored giant¡¯s ears started twitching, and it stopped chewing. All of a sudden, it lunged in Gu Ding¡¯s direction.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Gu Ding did not get it.

    ¡°It¡¯s a bloodthirsty abyss demon that¡¯s roaring...¡± Neptune said as he projected an image.

    It was a huge red-armored creature that stood upright with a horrible face. Moreover, it was a rank-11 Gene Body. It gave a terrifying cry, and the nearby mountains were shaken to the ground by its horrible sound waves...

    ¡°It¡¯s a bloodthirsty abyss demon. These guys are usually fast asleep, I don¡¯t know why they¡¯ve they woke up this time. Let¡¯s make a detour and not go in that direction,¡± a smartly dressed, bespectacled woman with a nervous expression on her face shouted at them.

 Chapter 177 - The Vipers And The Cat Look At Each Other In The Eye

    <h4>Chapter 177: The Vipers And The Cat Look At Each Other In The Eye</h4>

    The name ¡®bloodthirsty abyss demon¡¯ was known to many as an abyssal creature that walked upright on two feet like humans. Nevertheless, unlike humans, they were over thirty meters in size and had six arms and three eyes. They were extremely bloodthirsty and liked to tear their prey to pieces; they loved watching blood spurt around.

    Such creatures were far from lovable. It had been given to Camilia as a gift by an admirer who knew that she had built a free reserve. He had helped her seal the beast in a volcano.

    The beast was fed once a month, and it was extremely tough. Other than when it was fed, it slept in order to avoid burning more calories.

    However, it had now gone into a frenzy, out of everyone¡¯s expectations. Its cry was shrill and it hit the volcano¡¯s walls frantically as if it was suffering drastic pain.

    Although the nature reserve had professional veterinarians, they always kept a respectful distance away from the abyssal creature. Nevertheless, even if they could get close to the creature, they would not be able to treat it. That was because most drugs made by humans proved ineffective on the creature.

    Upon hearing the bespectacleddy¡¯s words, arge number of people chose to take a detour. Some people also felt unsafe and began to retreat to the exit. Gu Ding and his crew could not see anything from the video projection other than the ugly creature mming wildly against the wall and screaming. They could not see anything else and thus, they took a detour.

    They hade to see rare species, not to engage in pointless battles.

    The bespectacleddy was clearly very familiar with the free reserve. She steered the group away from the volcano and offered some advice on a few safe routes they could take.

    ¡°Have you visited this free reserve many times before?¡± Gu Ding osted her after seeing that the bespectacleddy had chosen the same route as his crew.

    ¡°Ie here to rx when I¡¯m not that busy with work.¡± The corners of the bespectacleddy¡¯s mouth curled up slightly. ¡°What about you guys? You all look like tourists.¡±

    ¡°Do we look that touristy?¡± Gu Dingughed.

    ¡°It¡¯s not that. It¡¯s just that this ce is where singles, couples, or families with their kids oftene. Very few peerse in groups. Those whoe in groups usually consist of only two kinds of people, school students led by teachers and old people who organize such trips themselves. For teenagers like you, especially since you¡¯re in a group of five, your normal pastime should be going to a pub or going to a party at someone¡¯s house or even having a small party at your own house. You wouldn¡¯t go to such ces like this normally, so you can only be tourists.¡± The bespectacleddy analyzed them thoroughly.

    ¡°Wow, what an impressive analysis.¡±Gu Ding thought that the woman did not seem easy.

    ¡°Which of these circumstances do you fall under?¡± Lilliath instinctively felt a little repelled by the woman. Although it was Gu Ding who initiated the conversation, Liliath vaguely sensed that the woman had approached them with some kind of purpose.

    The bespectacleddy¡¯s eyes fell on Lilliath. She smiled faintly. ¡°I¡¯m sort of a spinster.¡±

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you get married, big sister?¡± Elsa asked out of the blue. She was curious about the question since she had been raised to marry a strong man as soon as possible.

    On the other hand, Liliath smiled to herself. She initially wanted to raise the question, but Elsa did it before her.

    ¡°I enjoy being single. There are no constraints. I¡¯ve been with a lot of men, and without exception, every man has bad habits that you can put up with for only a short period of time. Those bad habits only get bigger and bigger in your eyes each day until a point you can¡¯t stand them. My choice is, when I can¡¯t stand them any longer, I change who I sleep with. Then, if I can¡¯t stand it once again, I¡¯ll change to another man. The situation would be different if I was married because marriage is sacred, and you can¡¯t just abandon your husband. I can¡¯t seem to make thatmitment to anyone, so I choose to stay single.¡±

    Lilliath blinked a few times upon hearing the bespectacleddy¡¯s words. She found herself unable to refute the woman¡¯s strange views.

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t a woman have to be married to be happy? If not, she¡¯ll end up a desperate olddy who would¡¯ve been single all her life.¡± Elsa remembered that her mother had said the same thing to her almost daily.

    ¡°That point of view is not necessarily correct, whether one bes a desperate olddy depends on their attitude toward life. I know a lot of women with bad marriages who end up as desperate olddies.¡± The bespectacleddy was not stingy with her opinion on the topic.

    The bespectacleddy¡¯s words made Elsa think deeply.

    ¡°Big sister, which area are you going to?¡± Lilliath asked out of the blue, wanting to avoid going on the same route as the woman.

    ¡°What about you?¡± The woman¡¯s eyes fell on Gu Ding when she asked the question.

    ¡°We¡¯re going to the viper¡¯s territory,¡± Gu Ding said as he did not see Lilliath winking at him.

    ¡°What a coincidence, me too.¡± The bespectacleddy had a look of surprise on her face. ¡°Since we¡¯re heading to the same ce, let¡¯s get to know each other better. My name is Kaya.¡±

    ¡°My name is Gu Ding, over here is Biggie, Lilliath...¡± Gu Ding introduced his crew members one by one.

    ¡°Big sister Kaya, what do you do for a living?¡± Lilliath was trying to find something wrong with this woman. Lilliath felt that she was too well disguised.

    ¡°Trust me, you don¡¯t want to know my profession.¡± Kaya deflected the topic.

    ¡°Would you like to know what our profession is?¡± As soon as Lilliath said this, she saw Gu Ding frown.

    ¡°Lili...¡± Gu Ding shook his head at Lilliath. ¡°We all came here to rx. Some topics are better left untouched.¡±

    Lilliath did not want to go on because she knew what Gu Ding meant. ¡°I know there¡¯s something wrong with this woman¡¯s identity but there¡¯s no need to tear each other up by asking about it.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll take you to the viper¡¯s territory.¡± Kaya knew her identity was under suspicion, but she did not panic even in the slightest bit. Instead, she acted as if nothing had happened.

    ¡°Excellent!¡± Though her identity was still a mystery, Gu Ding did not see her as an enemy because he did not perceive her as hostile. Since she had intentionally offered to tag along, she had to have a purpose. They might as well walk with her and see what she was up to.

    ...

    Vipers were the offspring of dragons that had bred with other species, so there were many kinds of vipers.

    There were two subspecies of dragons in the nature reserve. One was a golden-winged dragon horn beast while the other was a crowned dragonhawk. Both vipers were Rank-12 Gene Bodies and were two of the most powerful vipers in the nature reserve.

    When they were first sent to the nature reserve, the two dragons caused trouble everywhere; theypletely destroyed the entire nature reserve within just a few days. When Camilia learned of it, she took it upon herself to keep the vipers under control. After that, the two huge beasts finally stopped their troublemaking. That was why both vipers were left free to run in the reserve.

    Upon entering the two vipers¡¯ territory, Gu Ding and his crew could feel a subtle pressure pressing against them.

    All of a sudden, the sky darkened and Gu Ding looked up. A pair of huge wings could be seen sweeping over their heads, blocking the sky. With a long, clear cry, the crowned dragonhawk swooped down on them.

    Gu Ding and his crew immediately got ready to retaliate.

    When the crowned dragonhawk was about tond, it pped its wings and came to a halt right in front of them. Gu Ding then noticed that the creature was incrediblyrge; its wings were at least two hundred meters long.

    After ncing at Gu Ding and the others, the crowned dragonhawk¡¯s gaze fell on Kaya. When it saw her, it hesitated before stretching out its head to her.

    Kaya touched the dragonhawk¡¯s crowned head. It seemed as if she and the viper were on good terms. The dragonhawk had swooped down not to attack but because it recognized Kaya.

    ¡°You know each other? !¡± Gu Ding was surprised.

    ¡°I used toe and feed them whenever I had the time, but I haven¡¯te here for a while.¡± Kaya turned to the dragonhawk. ¡°Why is there only you...¡±

    Before she could finish her sentence, she heard a long scream from not too far away. Kaya recognized it as the golden-winged dragon horn beast¡¯s scream.

    At the same time, Gu Ding saw a yellow shadow sh in front of him, and the tiger-striped kittennded on top of his energy barrier. Before Gu Ding could remove his energy barrier, the little thing waved its paw, and a crack appeared on the energy barrier. Then, it leaped andnded on Gu Ding¡¯s shoulder. Shortly after, the tear in the energy barrier disappeared without a trace. The whole scene happened in a sh.

    Kaya looked strangely at the kitten on Gu Ding¡¯s shoulder.

    The dragonhawk¡¯s eye also fell on the little cat thief. Its eyes glinted in an unfriendly fashion.

    Before long, the huge, golden-winged dragon horn beastnded on the ground. Its eyes that wererger than Gu Ding¡¯s head, were somewhat unkindly fixed on the little cat thief that was on Gu Ding¡¯s shoulder.

    The little cat thief sat on Gu Ding¡¯s shoulder, gazing quietly into the eyes of the golden-winged dragon horn beast. Its tail was slightly pping in rhythm, and its eyes showed little signs of fear.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Surely the little cat thief did not steal those two vipers¡¯ food?¡± Gu Ding had a bad feeling.

 Chapter 178 - The New Member Tagore

    <h4>Chapter 178: The New Member Tagore</h4>

    Gu Ding was rendered speechless by the spectacle. The energy barrier outside the hoverboard was only capable of defending against attacks below Rank-10. It was not much different than a soap bubble in front of a Rank-12 viper.

    On the other hand, the little cat thief hadnded on Gu Ding¡¯s shoulder, which meant that whatever trouble it got into, Gu Ding and his crew were in league.

    Although Gu Ding was very reluctant to provoke two Rank-12 vipers, now that trouble hade to him, he had to face the music¨Che could not just give up little cat thief.

    Although Kaya was familiar with the two vipers, she did not understand dragonnguage and thus did not know what was happening.

    Just then, Elsa stepped forward. She uttered strange sybles at the golden-winged dragon horn beast. Her voice alternated between high and low sounds, and it did not sound like a voice the human throat could make.

    After hearing Elsa¡¯s voice, the golden-winged dragon horn beast opened its mouth and uttered simr-sounding sybles.

    ¡°Elsa speaks dragon?!¡± It was news to Gu Ding and his other crew members.

    Kaya was also surprised.

    After a few moments ofmunication, Elsa turned around to trante, ¡°The viper said that it and the other viper was entrusted by Camilia to guard the nature reserve. It is their duty to prevent any other species from causing trouble in the area. However, that evil creature decimated the bloodthirsty abyss demon in a short amount of time. Its presence is a serious threat to the area.¡±

    Just then, little cat thief opened its mouth, and the same strange sybles came out of its mouth. The urrence of this made it even more inconceivable¨Cit also knew dragonnguage.

    Elsa continued to trante, ¡°Little cat thief said that the abyssal creature¡¯s existence was an even greater threat to other species in the area; she was only doing them a favor. What¡¯s more is, if she hadn¡¯t done something about it, the abyssal creature would have evolved to Rank-12 very soon. If that happened, the moment they were to emerge from the volcano, everything in the area will be its food, including the two vipers.¡±

    At that moment, the crowned dragonhawk spoke up, his voice now louder.

    ¡°The dragonhawk said, we can¡¯t trust you unless you can prove conclusively that the bloodthirsty abyss demon was on the verge of evolving into a Rank-12. If not, we¡¯ll have to attack you,¡± Elsa tranted.

    With an extremely humane expression of helplessness, little cat thief stretched out its paw, glided through the air, and made a crack in midair. Then, a ck crystal fell through the crack andnded in Gu Ding¡¯s hands.

    The ck crystal was about the size of a fist and it looked like ink. The surface of the crystal was covered with numerous circles and spiral lines. There were dozens of those lines. The one at the top was a little lighter in color, and each spiral line was not fully embedded. Nevertheless, it was enough to suggest that the original owner of the crystal would soon evolve to be a Rank-12.

    The two vipers stared at the crystal with their huge eyes and looked at it carefully. They also saw the spiral lines, and their faces instantly turned pale.

    Abyssal creatures had extremely powerfulbat effectiveness because they fought without the fear of death. They only had an eye for killing. Had the bloodthirsty abyss demon evolve into a Rank-12, it would have been difficult for the two vipers to keep it under control.

    The two vipers were reluctant to admit it, but it looked like little cat thief had indeed done them a favor.

    ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll admit that you¡¯re right. We don¡¯t know exactly what species you are, but we forbid you from attacking anyone else in the area. Otherwise, we¡¯ll have to hunt you down together,¡± the crowned dragonhawk warned.

    ¡°Not even a steel-backed boar? That species is food.¡± the little cat thief asked with a fluke mind upon recovering the ck crystal.

    ¡°No!¡± The crowned dragonhawk refused sternly.

    ¡°Let me just hunt two. You have arge herd here. I think there are more than thirty of them,¡± little cat thief tried negotiating.

    ¡°You aren¡¯t allowed to even hunt one down!¡± The crowned dragonhawk and the golden-winged dragon horn beast roared at the kitten at the same time.

    ¡°Fine...¡± Little cat thief lowered its head unhappily.

    Elsa did not trante the conversation. Instead, she only giggled with her mouth covered by her hand on one side. When the conversation between the three was over, she said to Gu Ding, ¡°We can go. They¡¯vee to an agreement.¡±

    The two dragons brushed against Kaya and fluttered away.

    ¡°Now that we¡¯ve seen the two vipers up close, we can move on to the next stop.¡± Kaya smiled at Gu Ding and his crew as she adjusted her sses that had been blown crooked by the wind.

    Gu Ding and his party spent the rest of the day with Kaya at the nature reserve. It was not untilte in the evening that they said goodbye to Kaya and returned to Camilia¡¯s pce.

    This time, little cat thief casually followed the group back to the guest room. It was as if it was already part of Gu Ding¡¯s crew.

    Robert purposely made a cat den for little cat thief. Lilith also stuffed it with an expensive nket she had bought.

    However, when they woke up the next morning, they found little cat thief asleep on the sofa. It did not seem to like the den very much.

    Robert was a little confused, he had designed the cat den ording to little cat thief¡¯s body size. Hence, it should have been extremelyfortable; he did not know why little cat thief did not like it.

    During breakfast, the crew gathered to give little cat thief a name.

    ¡°This little one is sneaky, let¡¯s just call it little cat thief,¡± Gu Ding suggested.

    ¡°Let¡¯s call it Tigerstripes. The little guy has tiger stripes all over it.¡± Biggie really had no talent for names.

    ¡°Call it Kim!¡± Elsa shouted.

    ¡°I think it should be called Little Mischief.¡± Lilliathughed.

    ¡°My name is Tagore.¡± Just then, a voice was heard.

    Everyone looked at Robert, thinking he had suggested the name.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t say anything.¡± Robert spread out his hands.

    ¡°I said that. My name is Tagore.¡± Little cat thief who was sitting on the coffee table raised his paw. ¡°Now you can stop thinking of a name for me.¡±

    ¡°You can talk? !¡± Gu Ding¡¯s eyes were almost glowing.

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing to be surprised about. The humannguage is not the mostplicatedpared to all the other races.¡± Little cat thief did not find it strange.

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say anything before?¡± Gu Ding asked with some curiosity.

    ¡°That¡¯s because I didn¡¯t know you well before.¡± Little cat thief, Tagore, had a look of entitlement. ¡°So you know us now?¡± Gu Ding asked expectantly.

    ¡°Does that mean you know us well now?¡± Gu Ding asked again.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s because you have food to eat.¡± Tagore¡¯s reply disappointed Gu Ding, but it struck a chord with Elsa who ended up nodding desperately in agreement.

    ¡°Tagore, join our crew!¡± The moment Gu Ding found out that he was a cat that could talk, his desire to invite him to join his crew became even stronger.

    ¡°Sure, but I have a few conditions.¡± Tagore once again stretched out his furry paws.

    ¡°First, don¡¯t treat me like a cat. Don¡¯t feed me cat food even though it tastes good; Nor make me a cat bed, though it was the mostfortable bed I¡¯ve ever slept in; Don¡¯t pat my head, though it feels veryfortable.¡±

    ¡°Second, I have the same rights as you to rummage through the fridge.¡±

    ¡°Third, I want my own room¨Cjust like all of you¨Cwith a bed and a quilt. I also want a shower and a bathtub even though I don¡¯t like water.¡±

    ¡°Fourth, I want an intelligent wristwatch because you all have one.¡±

    ¡°Fifth, don¡¯t leave me out when there¡¯s fun. That¡¯s because I¡¯m a fellow crew member and I have the right to enjoy the same fun as you.¡±

    ¡°And onest thing, every year on my birthday, I want everyone to give me a birthday present. I also want a birthday cake even though I don¡¯t like cake.¡±

    ¡°If you promise that you can fulfill all of that, I¡¯ll join you.¡± Tagore looked at Gu Ding.

    ¡°It should be fine. There¡¯s still room on the spaceship. We can also buy you an intelligent wristwatch. As for your birthday... When is your birthday?¡± Gu Ding thought about it. All of it seemed easy, except for Tagore¡¯s first condition.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know...¡± Tagore hung his head low at the question.

    ¡°Let¡¯s just make it today. Everyone else, give me a gift list and I¡¯ll buy it for you.¡± Gu Ding had always been a person with strong execution capability.

    ¡°I¡¯ll buy the cake, I¡¯ll buy the cake!¡± Elsa shouted as she raised her hand.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go buy the cake with Elsa.¡± Lilliath thought that she should keep an eye on Elsa to prevent her from secretly eating the cake on their way back.

    ¡°I¡¯ll make dinner!¡± Biggie ran happily to the kitchen.

    ¡°Let me set up the birthday party...¡± Robert also found himself a job.

    ...

    Tagore had his first birthday party that night. There were cakes, presents, and everyone else sang him a birthday song. After the party, Tagore slept soundly in the cat den Robert had built for him.

    In the few days that followed, Gu Ding did not go out to y. Instead, he practiced the Sun Sutra every day under the sun. Each time Gu Ding was practicing his cultivation, Tagore slept on his shoulder. In turn, it made Gu Ding feel that he was absorbing light energy much faster.

    Gu Ding did not tell anyone about the Dark Sectors¡¯ pursuit. Only Neptune and himself knew about it. Hence, Lilliath did not feel too nervous. She and Elsa went out each day for the past few days to run errands for Robert and bring him items on his list.

    Robert was upied each day; he always had something to do.

    As for Biggie, he originally wanted to try out some new dishes. However, after seeing how hard Gu Ding was cultivating, he gave in and began studying a new sword technique¨Cwanting to make himself stronger.

    The four days passed by very quickly, and Camilia¡¯s birthday party arrived.

    Robert was forced into a tuxedo by Lilliath, while Tagore was dressed in a ck tuxedo and a stylish hat¨Che looked very handsome.

 Chapter 179 - The Queenâ€™s Dinner Party

    <h4>Chapter 179: The Queen¡¯s Dinner Party</h4>

    Therger parties on Jiewang were mostly dinner parties as there were thirty-six hours in a day on the; there were more than nine hours between dinner and the wee hours of the morning. It was the only time an average person had free time.

    By the time Gu Ding and his crew arrived at the party, it was not yet dark and guests were only beginning to arrive.

    It was at such times where Gu Ding and his crew stood out like a sore thumb. Most of the people Camilia had invited were crews from Border River; many of them knew each other and were able to happily start conversations with one another. On the other hand, Gu Ding and his crew did not know anyone there.

    It had not been more than half a year since their debut, and they were neers in Border River; they had not been there for more than a month. None of the other crews had expected Camilia to invite them to the party.

    Evidently, Gu Ding did not know anyone, but a number of crews recognized him. Arge majority of Interster Pirates in Border River had seen the video of his battle with Yarrow. There were quite a number of crews who were not impressed with the strength of Gu Ding¡¯s crew, especially those who noticed that Yarrow was already injured during their fight and felt that Gu Ding¡¯s victory was something of a fluke.

    ¡°Looks like we¡¯re not wee.¡± Lilliath raised her ss and took a sip.

    ¡°Think of it as a free meal. We¡¯re leaving tomorrow anyway.¡± Gu Ding did not care about how other people viewed them.

    Tagore, the little cat thief had also disappeared. No one knew where he had snuck off to in an attempt to steal food.

    ¡°Gu Ding, I wasn¡¯t expecting to see you here.¡± A young man in his mid-20s approached Gu Ding, he was waving his ss from a distance.

    ¡°His name is Ike, and he¡¯s the captain of the Golden Lion Pirates. His crew is the second most powerful crew in Border River¨Csecond only to Camilia¡¯s Scorpion Pirates. Although he looks like he¡¯s only around 20 years old, his real age is over one thousand and seven hundred years old. He¡¯s also a Rank-12 Gene Body powerhouse. It is said that he chose to stay in Border River to pursue Camilia. Apparently, he got two ageless fruits from the Cosmic Sea that can be used to preserve one¡¯s youthful appearance. Aside from eating one of them himself, he gave the other one to Camilia¡±

    Gu Ding raised the milca in his hand after listening to Neptune¡¯s exnation. ¡°Pleased to meet you, Captain Ike.¡±

    Ike, who had approached them, paused for a moment to look at Gu Ding¡¯s milca before he shook his head and said, ¡°Captain Gu Ding has such a unique taste. I wonder how bossdy would react if she saw you drinking milca on such an asion.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t help it. I have a special constitution where I can¡¯t touch alcohol.¡± Gu Ding smiled but did not say why.

    ¡°I see.¡± Ike began to think that some of Gu Ding¡¯s abilities were restricted by alcohol. Once thetter was drunk, some of his abilities might be unavable. In fact, the second-inmand on Ike¡¯s spaceship had a simr ability restriction¨Che could not drink sweet drinks. Since Gu Ding had said it himself, he was not going to delve further. ¡°I really wasn¡¯t expecting Camilia to invite you. I don¡¯t mean to put you down. However, Camilia and I have known each other for more than three hundred years, longer than she¡¯s been here in Border River. She does invite neers to her parties, but they all have to have established themselves in Border River and pledged their allegiance to her for a certain period of time. You, however, don¡¯t meet any of those requirements, so I was sure she wouldn¡¯t invite you to this party. I only realized I was wrong when I saw you.¡±

    ¡°We were also surprised when we got the invitation.¡± Gu Ding smiled awkwardly. In fact, he did not even know who Camilia was until he received the invitation.

    ¡°When are you leaving this?¡± Ike asked a strange question out of the blue.

    ¡°We¡¯ll be leaving early tomorrow morning!¡± Gu Ding felt that he had done what he needed to do in the past few days; he would be ready to set out again if he solved the matter regarding the Dark Sectors that night.

    ¡°We¡¯ve been here for four days. We¡¯ve done everything we need to do. There¡¯s no need to stay any longer.¡± Gu Ding did not feel that he was rushing his journey.

    ¡°If we start here, we¡¯ll be out of Border River in less than two weeks.¡± Ike nodded. ¡°We might run into each other in Faye Cosmic Nation.¡±

    ¡°Faye Cosmic Nation?¡± Gu Ding was a little confused. ¡°You¡¯re leaving Border River?¡±

    ¡°After all these years, I think it¡¯s time to leave. A Rank-12 Gene Body only has a lifespan of eighteen hundred years. I have less than eighty years of my life left. As an Interster Pirate, I¡¯d rather die in the Cosmic Sea. It¡¯s our biggest dream, isn¡¯t it?¡± Ike seemed unperturbed. ¡°In addition to celebrating Camilia¡¯s birthday, I came to say goodbye...¡±

    Gu Ding was touched by the chat he had with Ike, not about love but about time. He had no idea who would be left with him by the time he turned seventeen hundred years old. Maybe some of his crew members would choose to leave and pursue their own passion like Ike. Additionally, maybe some of them would get married and have children; they would quit being Interster Pirates...

    Lilliath, however, felt differently. ¡°He¡¯s a good man. He¡¯s been loyal to a woman for 300 years. If I were Camilia, I would¡¯ve married him.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think he¡¯s strong enough yet. If I take him back to challenge dad, my dad would kill him.¡± Elsa looked at Ike with her hand on her chin. Her first instinct on the subject of marriage was to take him back to challenge her father.

    ¡°Gu Ding, the two men from the Dark Sectors have arrived at the port,¡± Neptune¡¯s voice suddenly rang.

    Gu Ding expression turned slightly grave. Although he had been waiting for the two to arrive, his mood did not improve. When he thought back to the old man who poisoned Lili, he became furious.

    It was getting dark, flickering mes rose up from the pce walls and lit up the whole ce in an instant.

    As the mes rose, a woman in a purple dress could be seen slowly descending the stairs. A pair of pink sky-high heels rattled toward the banquet hall.

    Many men gulped at the woman¡¯s perfect figure that was being disyed through her corset dress. Only a small part of her proud bosom was visible, but the dress did not hide her cleavage. Additionally, her neck was fair and wless like porcin; it did not have a single wrinkle despite her age. She only had a lightyer of makeup on, but she looked as delicate as a fragile piece of art, people only dared to look at her from afar.

    The corners of her lips slightly curled up to reveal a polite smile, but it did not conceal her indifference. She had held many simr parties before and no longer found any novelty in them.

    ¡°Wee to my birthday party. Today is my seventeen-hundredth birthday.¡± She paused for a moment before she continued, ¡°Yes, seventeen hundred, not seventeen, nor twenty-seven...¡±

    As Camilia made her speech, Lilliath carefully looked at her up and down. After a long while, she said with some uncertainty, ¡°Gu Ding, don¡¯t you think Camilia looks a bit like the woman with sses we saw at the free reserve the other day?¡±

    Biggie and Elsa shook their heads after taking a close look.

    ¡°They don¡¯t look exactly the same, do they? Thisdy is much prettier and even though the one with sses was not ugly, she is by no means in the same rank as this one,¡± Elsa voiced her opinion.

    ¡°Their disposition is a little simr. As for appearances, they¡¯re twopletely different people,¡± Biggie also voiced his opinion.

    Robert chose not toment on the subject. He was from the Mechanical Tribe and had different beauty standards from humans. He thought that the bespectacleddy was more beautiful.

    Gu Ding squinted his eyes slightly and looked at her up and down. He muttered, ¡°About the same height; Face shape seems a bit simr, but Camilia¡¯s features are more refined; Teeth look about the same; The way theyugh is totally different. Kayaughed loudly at times, while the Camilia in front of them only smiled with the same expression¨Cit¡¯s like someone had injected her face with curing agent... Nevertheless, judging by their disposition, they ought to be the same person.¡± Gu Ding could not really see much. All he had was a hunch that Camilia was Kaya, whom he had met in the free nature reserve.

    ¡°Your judgment is correct. Camilia and Kaya are the same person.¡± After listening to everyone¡¯s analysis, Neptune revealed the answer. ¡°I saw with my own eyes that morning you went to the nature reserve, Camilia had purposely disguised herself as Kaya to stalk all of you.¡±

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell us when we were at the nature reserve?¡± Gu Ding frowned slightly. Neptune had been aware of her identity but kept it a secret.

    ¡°That¡¯s because it didn¡¯t seem like she meant any harm. Perhaps she just wanted to get to know us. If I had told you in advance that she was Camilia, you would have felt ufortable with her. Therefore, I kept it a secret. You guys were able to have a good time despite not knowing who she was,¡± Neptune exined.

    ¡°No wonder those two vipers were so meek in front of her!¡± Lilliath had questioned Kaya¡¯s identity but never thought she was Border River¡¯sdy boss, Camilia.

    ¡°I¡¯ve said all the nonsense I need to say. We can now return to our seats and enjoy dinner.¡± Camilia raised her ss to the crowd and took a sip. She then walked over to the table where Gu Ding was at and sat down in an empty seat next to him.

    ¡°Gu Ding, this is the second time we¡¯ve met.¡± Camiliaughed.

    ¡°Yes, thank you for that time in the nature reserve. We had a good time.¡± Gu Ding meant to say that he had uncovered her disguise back then.

    Camilia paused for a while at the statement and shook her head with a smile. ¡°Looks like you knew.¡±

    Just then, the party¡¯s entrance was suddenly thrown open...

 Chapter 180 - Gu Dingâ€™s Crewâ€™s Real Strength

    <h4>Chapter 180: Gu Ding¡¯s Crew¡¯s Real Strength</h4>

    The party had been going on for a while. Someone was making an entrance and it attracted many people¡¯s attention. The crowd cast their gaze toward the entrance.

    At the entrance, two figures¨Cone tall and one short slowly stepped into the party hall. When Camilia saw what they were wearing, her face went sour. It was a ck robe, with a blood-red demon printed on the chest. It was clear as day, they were from the Dark Sectors.

    Dark Sectors was the most hated organization in the entire Cosmic Sea. That was because wherever their members appeared, there would be bloodshed. There was almost no exception.

    This was Camilia¡¯s birthday party so understandably she was unhappy to see Dark Sectors¡¯ people here. She also had some doubts about the Dark Sectors¡¯ people¡¯s purpose here. Since most of Gu Ding¡¯s previous videos on Great Divinity had been blocked by the Federal Government, including the part where he confronted Dark Sectors, outsiders did not know of his feud with Dark Sectors.

    Camilia got to her feet. ¡°People from Dark Sectors, I don¡¯t remember having anything to do with your boss. This is my birthday party, and for those who weren¡¯t invited, I am sorry but please leave.¡±

    ¡°Camilia, you can make us leave easily. Just let that kid sitting on your left hand over his little girlfriend.¡± The rickety old man¡¯s voice sounded hoarse and depressing, making people ufortable.

    ¡°You two really are inexorable.¡± Gu Ding stood up with his hands in his pockets. Liliath who was sitting next to him clenched her fists and trembled slightly¨Cnot with fear but with anger. She vividly remembered the dream where the people from Dark Sectors ughtered her parents.

    The rest of the party then learned that Gu Ding had a run-in with Dark Sectors¡¯ people, but strangely enough, Gu Ding¡¯s crew survived unharmed. Dark Sectors, as everyone here knew, was a fearsome organization that no one wanted to mess with.

    ¡°Gu Ding, you¡¯ve got some skills. You found someone to cure my poison. However, our boss was unsatisfied. His exact words were ¡®Gu Ding is an uncertain factor. If possible, kill him this time. ¡®.¡± The rickety old man spoke slowly as if he was in no hurry. ¡°We mustn¡¯t let our boss down.¡±

    ¡°I also forgot to tell you our code names when we metst time. We¡¯ll introduce ourselves again. I¡¯m Poisoner, and this one next to me is Tower. When you go to hell, I hope you remember our names.¡± After he finished, the man named Tower beside him suddenly dashed.

    Gu Ding was about to make a move, but Elsa was faster. Her moves were as fast as a cheetah and stood between Tower and Lilliath.

    ¡°You¡¯re strong...¡± There was aplete change in the way Elsa looked. There was something extremely dangerous in her eyes. A strange red force slowly poured out of her body and gathered in her right hand. It slowly took the shape of a giant ax. The huge ax was as tall as her and gave an impression of utter incongruity. When the giant ax finished coalescing, her aura became tyrannical and terrifying. Her hair, which had been tied up by a hairpin instantly burst outward, and her long dark purple hair stirred freely in the windless environment. Her body vanished in an instant.

    Almost at the same time, Tagorended on Gu Ding¡¯s shoulder and fixed his eyes warily on Poisoner. As soon as Elsa¡¯s force burst, he, who had been stealing food in the kitchen, knew that Gu Ding and his crew were in trouble.

    ¡°Wow, new member, he has some pretty goodbat effectiveness.¡± Poisoner was surprised but he did not see it as a hindrance to his mission. ¡°However, you do know for yourself that the little girl won¡¯tst long in this state, right? Besides, I am stronger than Tower. Do you have any stronger members who can stop me?¡±

    Poisoner turned to Gu Ding; whose mouth raised slightly. In a one-on-one situation, if his opponent touched any part of his body, they would instantly be sealed. He looked forward to seeing the look on their faces.

    Gu Ding stepped over the table¡¯s barrier in a sh and stood opposite Poisoner.

    No one in the room, including Camilia, had expected Gu Ding to be so bold as to challenge a Peak Rank-12 Gene Body powerhouse.

    ¡°Should I call you brave, or should I call you stupid?¡± Poisoner was also stunned. He did not expect Gu Ding to challenge him so publicly.

    At that moment, the metamorphosis regenerated. Tagore, who was on Gu Ding¡¯s shoulder, leaped off elegantly and stood between them. Sitting in front of Gu Ding, Tagore stretched out his hind legs and scratched his neck. Then he yawnedzily.

    Gu Ding raised his eyebrows. He knew Tagore was strong, or the two Rank-12 vipers would not fear him the way they did. Now that he took the initiative to ask for a fight, Gu Ding could not help throwing a punch out at Poisoner and took a step back.

    Gu Ding¡¯s behavior was confusing to the rest of the onlookers, but Camilia knew that this cat was no ordinary cat. Two vipers were scared of it, how could it be an ordinary cat?

    Poisoner paused for a moment, thenughed. ¡°Do you think this is intimidating to me? That¡¯s child¡¯s y. I¡¯ve killed at least ten thousand cats in theb. Let me tear your pet to shreds in front of you.¡±

    Just as he finished speaking, a dark shadow shed before his eyes. He felt a burning sensation in his face. He reached out to touch it¨Cit was oozing blood. In front of him, the kitten in a ck suit looked at him with his head tilted. He deliberately extended his right paw, and Poisoner saw that his paw was stained with blood.

    ¡°Damn that cat!¡± Poisoner did not expect to get scratched by a cat. He cursed as he felt another burning pain in his face. This time the cat stretched out his left paw.

    Everyone was dumbfounded at this sight. No one had seen the kitten¡¯s movements clearly, not even Camilia. In her eyes, it seemed that the cat had been standing in front of Poisoner the entire time without moving.

    Gu Ding, with his hands in his pockets, knew that Tagore would be just fine. Poisoner could not even catch his movements. He turned to look in Elsa¡¯s direction.

    Elsa, with her huge ax, looked extremely excited. Her long dark purple hair flickered in the light and cast a shadow on the walls that looked as if it were countless pythons feeding on their prey. Her attack was wild and fierce. The great ax swung, again and again, leaving ghastly cracks in the banquet hall¡¯s walls and floor. Tower could only manage to block or dodge, but after each block or dodge, Elsa¡¯s second and third wave of attacks would flood in, giving her opponent no respite.

    Their figures dashed around so quickly that Gu Ding could not see their movements at all. He could only tell where they were by the sound of them crashing into something. There was a burst of energy with each crash. The whole party was instantly a mess.

    This incident caused everyone present to reassess Gu Ding¡¯s crew¡¯s strength.

    Many people realized that Gu Ding seemed fearless because his crew members had thebat effectiveness of Rank-12s.

    In Border River, only Camilia¡¯s Scorpion Pirates could surpass crews with such strength. Even the second-best pirate crew, Golden Lion Pirates only had Ike, who was a Rank-12. Gu Ding¡¯s neer crew was full of surprises.

    Many spected that Camilia had known of the strength of Gu Ding¡¯s crew. That was why she invited him to the party and arranged for Gu Ding¡¯s entire crew to sit with her.

    Lilliath sat where she was, staring coldly at Poisoner. Without her help, Biggie could not fight. In fact, Rank-12 fights like this were somewhat beyond hisbat effectiveness. Biggie sat uneasily in his seat. He once again found that he needed betterbat effectiveness to protect his friends.

    Robert sat in silence. His eyes were fixed on Elsa¡¯s battle with Tower, and no one knew what he was thinking.

    Camilia returned to her seat. She picked up her ss and quietly sipped on wine. There was no sign of joy or sadness on her face. She seemed to be thinking of something. ¡°When Her Excellency asked me to invite Gu Ding to the party, she should have anticipated Dark Sectors¡¯ attack and wanted to help Gu Ding avoid it through me. Otherwise, she would not have sent such a precious gift¨Ca Level 3 life fruit that can increase my lifespan by three hundred years. It was considered a good deal. I didn¡¯t expect Gu Ding¡¯s neer crew to be so strong. I don¡¯t have to do much. I just need to clean up after the fight¡¯s over...¡±

    Just then, Gu Ding went over to Camilia. He saw her drinking alone and felt a little embarrassed. ¡°Camilia, I¡¯m sorry for messing up your birthday party.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s no big deal. I have birthday parties every year and I¡¯m tired of them. It nice to have something new this year. I¡¯ll just treat it as entertainment.¡± Camilia did not look angry. ¡°As for the pce, it hasn¡¯t been renovated for over a hundred years. This is a good opportunity to renovate it. I have the perfect excuse to get reimbursed by the Federal Government. Once you¡¯re done fighting, I just need to take some photos and write a few words for the report¨Cit should get approved easily. However, I guess your bounty will increase again by then. Besides, after this incident, Faye Cosmic Nation¡¯s army will probably take notice of you. Two members with Rank-12bat effectiveness are notmon, especially among Faye Cosmic Nation¡¯s neer crews.¡±

    ¡°Gu Ding, Elsa¡¯s self-reinforcement is wearing off soon!¡± Gu Ding suddenly heard Neptune¡¯s voice in his ear.

 Chapter 181 - The Angry Gu Ding

    <h4>Chapter 181: The Angry Gu Ding</h4>

    Gu Ding looked up at the battle ring Elsa was in. He could barely see either Elsa or Tower, just two shadows that quickly collided and separated. Each impact released a sharp, deafening sound¨Cit sounded like iron shing together, but with a booming sound simr to thunder. With each sh, a violent shockwave was produced.

    Gu Ding only knew that the two of them had reached a stalemate. He could not see any deeper within the battle.

    ¡°So far, Elsa has full control and there is little space of the opponent fighting back. However, that Tower guy must have defensive abilities. He¡¯s only moderately wounded from Elsa¡¯s violent attacks. Elsa¡¯s attacks barely prated his defenses, and it¡¯ll be difficult to mortally wound him. It¡¯s going to end badly for Elsa if she keeps this up. There is a time limit to her self-reinforcement. If he makes it through, she¡¯ll be defeated for sure.¡± Neptune went on to borate. ¡°Based on the current situation, it is highly likely that this Tower guy will survive Elsa¡¯s enrichment period.¡±

    Gu Ding knew Neptune would not say such a thing without reason, but he intended to reserve his seal ability for Poisoner¨Cto avenge him for poisoning Lilliathst time. He immediately turned his eyes to Tagore.

    Tagore¡¯s figure flickered, again and again, colorless energy vibrated with each wave of his ws. It tore ck holes through the void, like ck sickles gouging into a person, and went cutting in Poisoner¡¯s direction.

    Poisoner dared not let this terrible attack get close to him. He was doing everything to dodge it. He did not even dare to block the attack. The attack effect was truly horrifying, it tore a gap in the fabric of space. Even if he attacked with all his might, he could only tear a minute hole in the void¨Cit was less than one ten-thousandth of the size of the hole. He also knew that no matter how strong his defense was, it would be cut in half by attacks like this. Furthermore, he had never focused on bodybuilding and had never deliberately tried to improve his physical strength.

    ¡°Tagore has done a good job,¡± Neptune could not helpplimenting. ¡°If you want to use your seal ability on Poisoner, you can get Tagore to change opponents.¡±

    Having known Gu Ding for so long, Neptune could probably guess why Gu Ding did not take over Elsa¡¯s fight directly but instead set his eyes on the battle ring Poisoner was in.

    ¡°Tagore, let me have that guy. You can help Elsa.¡± Gu Ding nodded and shouted at Tagore after hearing this.

    Gu Ding¡¯s remark surprised a lot of people.

    Most of the people present had been invited by Camilia, and most of them were not weak. Many of them were Gene Bodies of Rank-10 and above. These people knew Dark Sectors¡¯ teamwork mode. Two people in one team¨Cone was the leader and one was the auxiliary. Usually, the person in charge of the task would be stronger than the auxiliary. Between the two people who came this time, Poisoner was clearly in charge of the mission because the other guy named Tower never even spoke.

    Gu Ding wanted to take on Dark Sectors¡¯ members alone and he wanted to challenge the stronger of the two. This got many people looking at Gu Ding in surprise. Most of the people here have seen the video of Gu Ding¡¯s battle over thest few days. His fight with Yarrow showed that hisbat effectiveness was at best equivalent to a Rank-11 newbie. His opponent from Dark Sectors was a Peak Rank-12 powerhouse. Many people were wondering whether Gu Ding had too much to drink.

    Tagore also paused in confusion when he heard Gu Ding shout these words to him. However, he still waved his paw and tore another five holes in the air¨Clike five scythes of Death¨Ccutting madly in Poisoner¡¯s direction.

    Poisoner dodged madly. The cat¡¯s attack had a strange spatial power that kept him at arm¡¯s length. He did not know whether he could stop it, but he was afraid to try, for the Space Stream¡¯s powers were so great that he would be cut in half and die if he was unwary for even just a moment.

    After he waved his w, Tagore disappeared without warning and when he reappeared, he was already in Elsa and Tower¡¯s battle ring.

    He suddenly appeared beside Tower. He seemed to brandish his w unknowingly. Tower did not dodge in time. He could only raise his right arm to block it. Five colorless ripples swung out and tore five ck holes in the void. The five holes instantly hit Tower¡¯s arm. At that moment, multiple stters of blood shot out. Tower immediately retreated¨Chis right arm had broken into several pieces. His severed handnded on a soup bowl on the table below. The bowl of soup with reddish seasoning turnedpletely blood red.

    They fought so fast that no one knew what was happening until pieces of Tower¡¯s severed arm fell everywhere.

    The few Rank-12 and Peak Rank-11 Gene Bodies at the party saw the incident. With their superior eyesight, they could capture Tower and Elsa¡¯s movements. When they saw that Tower¡¯s arm was cut off without any hindrance, it sent chills down their spine.

    Including Camilia was well aware of what would happen if the cat¡¯s attack fell on her.

    Tower was a Peak Rank-12 powerhouse, and judging by his fight with Elsa earlier, he definitely has a better defense than the average Peak Rank-12 powerhouses, but it happened in a sh. Now everyone knew how strong Tagore was.

    On the other side of the battle ring, Gu Ding stepped out slowly. Ultimate Arts Level 10 was fully activated, Level 3 Rage Attack and Advanced Iron Block were also instantly activated.

    Poisoner only nced at the battle ring where Tower was in. Although he felt some chills in his heart, he still attempted to feign a smile. ¡°It seems that the little girl¡¯sbat effectiveness enhancement time ising to an end. To be honest, you¡¯ve really surprised us, Gu Ding. Two new members with Rank-12bat effectiveness. However, it¡¯s naive of you to think that you can help them buy time...¡±

    Poisoner appeared in front of Gu Ding before even finishing. His spectral movements were fast as lightning, and he grabbed Gu Ding by the neck with one hand. Both Lilliath and Biggie furrowed their eyebrows at this scene and many others secretly sighed that Rank-12bat effectiveness was indeed too strong to resist. Even if Gu Ding could defeat the Rank-11 Yarrow, he would still be as weak as a chicken to a Rank-12 powerhouse.

    ¡°With one gentle push, your head could say goodbye to your body.¡± Poisonerughed sinisterly. ¡°Now get that cat and that little girl to stop, and hand over Lilliath.¡±

    With a slight frown, Camilia wanted to attack but she was afraid that Poisoner would wring Gu Ding¡¯s neck.

    ¡°I think you¡¯re confused.¡± Gu Ding grinned suddenly. ¡°It¡¯s not you who decides my fate now, but I who decides yours!¡±

    Gu Ding said and grabbed Poisoner¡¯s wrist with one hand. Everyone heard a sharp crack in the bones. Poisoner then held his right hand and yelled in pain, ¡°How did that happen? My powers... What have you done to me?¡±

    He then realized that he had lost all his power and had be an ordinary man. The feeling was ten thousand times worse than the loss of his arm.

    ¡°Looks like you really didn¡¯t do enough research. Didn¡¯t you know I have taboo energy before you came after me?¡± Gu Ding¡¯s statement left everyone in the roompletely dumbfounded.

    Taboo energy was the energy that enabled Rank-1 Gene Bodies to kill gods. People with taboo energy¨Cif they did not die young¨Cwould almost certainly be gods. Once they be deities, they would immediately have superiorbat effectiveness over ordinary deities.

    Camilia was stunned, too. It was at this point that she knew why the big shot was so wary of Gu Ding. Being an ultimate evildoer with taboo energy¨Cif he did not die young¨Che would definitely have the power it takes to rule over Cosmic Sea and be its overlord.

    ¡°Seals of taboo energy...¡± Poisoner gasped. This meant that he could even seal deities, let alone himself, but then he thought about the limits of that ability. ¡°There must be a time limit for these types of seals, right?¡±

    ¡°Time limit? Long enough for you to die!¡± Gu Ding said and squeezed his left arm. ¡°That was just to get back at you for trying to wring my neck. Now this one is revenge for poisoning Lilliath!¡±

    There was another crack, and Gu Ding broke Poisoner¡¯s left hand.

    The sealed Poisoner hadpletely be an ordinary man, but he was still strong-willed, the pain of his broken bones only made him let out a few grunts.

    Gu Ding did not intend to end it there. He lifted his foot and crushed Poisoner¡¯s left knee cap.

    ¡°Ah...¡± Poisoner finally could not help but cry out in pain this time. He breathed heavily.

    ¡°This is for all the people you¡¯ve killed and hurt!¡± Gu Ding¡¯s eyes were so cold it was like a pool that had been frozen over for tens of thousands of years.

    Poisoner could hardly stand at that moment, but he remained firm. ¡°Your torturing methods are still too tender, boy.¡±

    ¡°Is it?¡± With a slightly sinister smile, Gu Ding let go and he fell to the ground. ¡°Then I won¡¯t bother torturing you. Go to hell!¡±

    Gu Ding said and mmed his foot onto Poisoner¡¯s chest. A sinister force instantly crushed all the bones in his chest and shattered his heart. ¡°This one is for Dark Sectors. No matter who you send, they¡¯ll end up just like this!¡±

    No one present expected it to end this way. A Dark Sectors powerhouse was killed on the spot by Gu Ding in a matter of minutes.

 Chapter 182 - The Illegitimate Child Of A Higher-up

    <h4>Chapter 182: The Illegitimate Child Of A Higher-up</h4>

    Once Poisoner died, Camilia was the first to react. She joined Tagore and Tower¡¯s battle ring in a sh. Not only did Camilia attack, but Ike and another bald man Bode also joined the battle ring and began a frantic siege on Tower.

    Bode was also a Rank-12 Gene Body. He was captain of the Raging Bull Pirates. In Border River, his pirate crew¡¯s overall strength was ranked third, right after Ike. He was a man who believed in the supremacy of power. He had doubts about Gu Ding¡¯s power until he showed his taboo energy. In his opinion, in the fight between Gu Ding and Yarrow, Yarrow fought while he was injured, so it was unfair. However, after seeing Gu Ding use taboo energy and ruthlessly kill Poisoner, he finally acknowledged of Gu Ding¡¯s power and intended to make friends with him. Besides, having a friend who has taboo energy mighte in handyter. That was why when Camilia attacked, he attacked immediately after and took a stand.

    Ike and Camilia had been wondering from the start when it would be appropriate to step in, but once Gu Ding showed his taboo energy, and they knew they had to. Even if they could not help, being the icing on the cake was good enough.

    Camilia and Ike¡¯sbat effectiveness was truly amazing, and their grasp on the battle situation was also quite urate. They could always find their opponent¡¯s loopholes, and they pursued him after Tagore attacked.

    In the face of four Rank-12 powerhouses and a formidable cat, Tower, who was left with only one hand onlysted for less than two minutes before he was captured alive.

    The tomahawk in Elsa¡¯s hand then vanished. She left the battle ring and returned to Lilliath¡¯s side.

    Tagore was also back on Gu Ding¡¯s shoulders. Gu Ding helped him fix the slightly crooked hat on his head and gave him a piece of meat as a reward.

    ¡°What are you going to do with this fellow, Gu Ding?¡± Camilia¡¯s attitude changed once she learned that Gu Ding possessed the sinister taboo energy. Earlier, she had been polite because she had seen him as a potential neer with the potential of bing a big shot. However, now she was convinced that Gu Ding will emerge to be a fearsome overlord in Cosmic Sea in the future. She became rather courteous instead.

    ¡°Nothing wille out of interrogating Dark Sectors¡¯ people. The best way is to kill them.¡± Gu Ding did not like Dark Sectors at all. Furthermore, the fellow in question took part in the attack on Lilist time.

    ¡°He¡¯s right.¡± Tower, who was bound by the Magical Imprison Chainughed loudly. ¡°Camilia, you didn¡¯t dare kill me just now. You only took me alive for fear of revenge from Dark Sectors?¡±

    Camilia and the others looked slightly embarrassed as what he said was true.

    ¡°You and Poisoner are merely Dark Sectors¡¯ Peripheral members. Your organization doesn¡¯t care if you fail and die. You think I don¡¯t know that?¡± Gu Ding¡¯s statement stunned the crowd.

    Tower¡¯s face changed after hearing this. ¡°Who exactly are you?!¡±

    Dark Sectors had always been a mystery to the outside world and was a topic that outsiders did not want to touch on. That was because many topics that revolved around the mystery was about death and gore.

    Not that hackers had not tried finding out Dark Sectors¡¯ secrets, but after the assassination of several prominent hackers, no one dared explore this taboo again.

    Gu Ding, of course, had gathered all this information with the help of Neptune. Ever since his first encounter with Dark Sectors¡¯ members on Great Divinity, Neptune had been gathering bits of information on Dark Sectors.

    ¡°The overall structure of Dark Sectors¡¯ forces is notplicated. The ones at the bottom are called Novices¨Cthey¡¯re usually Rank-11, whose main tasks are random chores. There are, of course, some of the simplest killing missions. Novices typically train together for three years. In these three years, the only manager they see are the peripheral members. They also don¡¯t have ess to the inner core of the organization.¡±

    ¡°The second tier is called the Periphery and consists of at least Rank-12. They¡¯ll start taking on killing missions and are then evaluated on how well they¡¯ve done on the quests to proceed with points promotion. When their points reach a certain level and theirbat effectiveness reaches Rank-13, they¡¯ll get promoted and be an Insider.

    ¡°The third tier is called the Insider and who¡¯s members possess a minimumbat effectiveness of Rank-13. Dark Sectors¡¯ people will avenge those who have reached this level and were killed when their mission failed. As there are not many Insiders¨Cprobably less than two hundred? Insiders would go on secret missions with the core members sometimes, so they know a lot of secrets.¡±

    ¡°The fourth tier is called the Elders; they are the core members of the entire organization and are addressed as boss by their subordinates. There are thirteen of them in total, and all of them are demi-powerhouses. They each manage a portion of Insiders and Peripheral members.¡±

    ¡°On the top tier is the entire organization¡¯s big boss, who¡¯s said to be a very mysterious guy. Only the thirteen Elders have seen him. Even the Insiders have never seen him, no one knows whether he was a man or a woman.¡±

    ¡°Is all of this information correct?¡± Gu Ding smiled and looked at Tower, whose face took on a ghastly expression.

    Cami and the others were shocked that Gu Ding knew so much about Dark Sectors.

    ¡°Dark Sectors have at least ten thousand peripheral members like you, no one will really care if one or two dies.¡± Gu Ding then added. ¡°You don¡¯t necessarily know as much about Dark Sectors as I do. You just take menial tasks every day and carry them out as instructed, that¡¯s all.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re pretty much right. I¡¯m only a Periphery of the organization, just like Poisoner. We really don¡¯t know anything about the secrets inside the organization, but I know something you don¡¯t...¡± Tower said and looked at Poisoner¡¯s body. ¡°Poisoner was the illegitimate son of a higher-up. Though he was not a member of Dark Sectors, he¡¯s friends with our boss. You killed Poisoner, and I know that some of the videos have been posted on Sk. I wish you luck.¡±

    Only demigods could be the higher-ups by Rank-12 Gene Bodies. Tower¡¯s statement made Gu Ding realize he had offended a demigod over the incident. However, Gu Ding was not worried. He walked over to Tower. ¡°Do you have any otherst words?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s another thing I almost forgot to tell you. Taboo energy really is scary, but usually, people who have taboo energy die young.¡± Towerughed.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that,¡± Gu Ding said and turned his head to look at Tagore who was on his shoulder. ¡°Tagore, kill him!¡±

    When Tagore lifted his paw, an invisible energy once again shot out and tore a ck hole in the fabric of space, like a ck crescent that struck across Tower¡¯s body. Tower¡¯s body with sinister defense was cut in half in an instant. His face even wore the same smile, apparently because Tagore had struck too fast for him to change his expression before meeting his death.

    After killing Tower, Tagore stretched and folded himself up. He closed his eyes, it seemed he was asleep as if Tower¡¯s death had nothing to do with him.

    At close range, Camilia realized the extent of Tagore¡¯s power. She was actually d that the two vipers had not shed with the cat a few days before, or the two vipers would have been stripped of their crystals and their bodies would have been left in the wild. She beckoned to several of her men, ¡°Dispose of these two bodies and the blood here.¡±

    ¡°Wait!¡± It urred to Gu Ding that there might be something useful in their Inventory. He bent down to take off Tower¡¯s wristwatch and threw it into his Inventory. He then walked over to Poisoner¡¯s body and took off his wristwatch too.

    Cami did not question this behavior. Some people like to keep war trophies after a victory. Gu Ding¡¯s behavior seemed perfectly normal to her. She even knew a human body collector who took an organ from every person he killed, which was a little hard to understand.

    Gu Ding did not try to exin. After the two men died, Neptune took over their wristwatches. He used this trick to fool Sk. He had also pulled this the first day he met Gu Ding.

    The bodies and bloodstains were soon cleaned up, even the Tower¡¯s remnants were cleaned up by the staff.

    The broken tables and chairs were soon reced.

    The cooks in the kitchen were busier than ever, as many of the previous dishes were destroyed along with their tes in themotion of Elsa and Tower¡¯s battle.

    The dinner continued under Camilia¡¯s instructions.

    Gu Ding had no appetite and walked toward the small garden outside the hall with a ss of milca in his hand.

    Camilia followed, ss in hand.

    ¡°Milca, your taste is really different from other men.¡± Camilia, who walked to Gu Ding¡¯s side, had just noticed that it had always been milca in Gu Ding¡¯s ss.

    ¡°It¡¯s not about taste. It¡¯s because I can¡¯t drink.¡± Gu Ding smiled.

    ¡°There are very few Interster Pirates who don¡¯t drink. Even if some people can¡¯t drink it, they still drink for the sake of their pride.¡± Camilia stated a fact. ¡°You¡¯re not like them.¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t drink if you can¡¯t drink. There¡¯s no need to lie. There¡¯s no shame in that.¡± Gu Ding felt that there was nothing shameful about drinking milca. ¡°Everyone has things they are good at and things they aren¡¯t. If they wanted topare what they are not good at with others, then that would be a disgrace. I¡¯m good at fighting; and I¡¯m not good at drinking, it¡¯s as simple as that.¡±

    ¡°What else are you good at?¡± Camilia asked, putting her ss to her lips.

    ¡°I¡¯m good with women, do you believe that?¡± Gu Dingughed. Having spent so much time in Auntie Roastbeef¡¯s tavern and the women in the tavern who would asionally hook up with men, he knew what Camilia meant.

    ¡°I don¡¯t believe that. You¡¯re not an adult, are you?¡± Cami giggled. She had only been teasing Gu Ding. She dared not touch anyone connected with the higher-ups.

    ¡°Alright, you¡¯re right. I¡¯m not good at it,¡± Gu Ding answered honestly.

    ¡°What are you going to do when you leave Border River?¡± Camilia asked casually.

    ¡°We¡¯re going to Faye Cosmic Nation, and then enter Cosmic Sea through Faye Cosmic Nation.¡± Gu Ding¡¯s tone of voice seemed certain that he would make it into Cosmic Sea.

    ¡°Are you not at all worried about the demigod¡¯s revenge?¡± Camilia had thought Gu Ding did not want to stay in the hall because he was under pressure.

    ¡°No.¡± Gu Ding shook his head. ¡°Whatever happens, happens, and there will always be a solution. I really don¡¯t have the strength to deal with demigods right now. Who knows what will happen then. At least when I was on Great Divinity, I didn¡¯t expect to get my revenge on the second encounter with Dark Sectors¡¯ people.¡±

    ¡°Well, good luck!¡± Camilia raised her ss and clinked it against Gu Ding¡¯s ss, then gulped down the amber-colored liquid in it.

 Chapter 183 - Faye Cosmic Nationâ€™s Highest Bounty

    <h4>Chapter 183: Faye Cosmic Nation¡¯s Highest Bounty</h4>

    Gu Ding received a letter from Camilia on the morning the Golden Eagle left Jiewang. It was Camilia¡¯s application to the Federal Government to reimburse the damage to her castle.

    The application had med Gu Ding¡¯s crew and the Dark Sectors for the destruction of the castle and it included more than twenty ghastly pictures that Camilia had edited to expand the crevices within the pictures to make them lookrger.

    ¡°Wow, by the looks of the pictures, it seems impossible for anyone to continue staying there. If I was an officer of the Federal Government, I would definitely approve the restoration after seeing how bad it is,¡± Liliath eximed after poking her head in and reading the letter as well.

    Camilia had left a message at the end of the letter.

    ¡°This application had been sent out this morning. Besides taking care of the restoration, the Federal Government would probably revaluate you and your crew. The Sk has more than twenty different sets of videos featuring your fight yesterday, and the Federal Government will definitely request for my surveince footage. The earliest time I estimate for your new bounty information to be announced would be tomorrow morning, while thetest would be no longer than the day after tomorrow. ording to my understanding of Faye Cosmic Nation, they will set up a roadblock at the exit of the Border River for sure. There are six administratives at the Border River exit. Two of them are always bustling with people. My suggestion is this, don¡¯t pass through any administratives with a hefty poption and prepare more than a month¡¯s worth of food and material before leaving the Border River. Wait a month before appearing in any administrative in the Faye Cosmic Nation.¡±

    ¡°Gu Ding, tell me the truth. Did you sleep with Camiliast night?¡± Liliath¡¯s questioning caused Gu Ding to spit out the water he was drinking.

    ¡°She¡¯s giving you guidance on how to escape the Faye Cosmic Nation army and avoid them hunting you down in this message, but she¡¯s on the side of the Federal Government.¡±

    Elsa sneaked close to them when she heard the topic of conversation. Even Tagore, who was digging into his meat nearby, perked up his ears as he slowed the chewing of his food. This was the first time in his cat life that he had a room all to himself and he was in a cheerful mood.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything. All we did was chat for a bit,¡± Gu Ding replied honestly.

    ¡°Was it really just a bit? You disappeared for forty-six minutes with Camilia,¡± Liliath continued her interrogation.

    ¡°If you really want to know what happened, I can project the video from Neptune,¡± Gu Ding replied with a wide smile on his face.

    ¡°Forget about it. I don¡¯t want to be looking at censored material this early in the morning. I¡¯m not of age yet,¡± Liliath quickly waved no with her hands.

    Tagore¡¯s ears shook with some disappointment as he dove into his meal again quickly.

    Elsa had headed into the kitchen and was happily chatting away with Biggie.

    ¡°Neptune, what was in the inventory of those two from the Dark Sectors?¡± Gu Ding felt that the spoils of the fight would be something quite valuable.

    ¡°I found that those from the Dark Sectors are extremely rich. Those two might be peripheral members, but they have arge amount of two billion and three hundred million Universe Credits in their ounts,¡± Neptune was in a good mood over their spoils from the day before.

    ¡°Is there any other stuff? Something that we could use or sell for a good price?¡± Gu Ding continued asking.

    ¡°There¡¯s quite a lot of medical ingredients in that Poison Master¡¯s inventory. He owns lots of poisonous items as well. There are three bottles of SS grade gene enhancers and five bottles of SS grade Cell Enhancers. They¡¯re all high-quality items worth at least one billion and two hundred million Universe Credits if we auction them. It looks like he was nning to attain Rank 13 by using these medicines. However, you won¡¯t be able to use them at this time. I¡¯ll let you decide if you would like to sell or keep them.¡±

    ¡°Since they are of high-quality, let¡¯s keep them. Tagore and the others might need them,¡± Gu Ding decided to store these medicines at the thought that Tagore, Elsa, and the others might need medical help.

    ¡°There are also a few strange looking ck crystals. I¡¯ve conducted a structural analysis on them, and they look like man-made energy crystals. The one called Tower has the same thing in his inventory and it is highly possible that this is a mission bonus given out by the Dark Sectors. It¡¯s a kind of energy that seems to be able to be directly absorbed by the body and converted into primary power. I will continue researching those crystals and find out if there are any negative side effects from using them.¡±

    ¡°Besides all these, there is also a pet inventory, but he didn¡¯t keep any pets in there. Instead, he has twelve Petri dishes in there. Each petri dish contains a different form of virus. They are highly contagious and one of them is quite simr to the one we found at the Gray Star Sectors. I¡¯ve deposited these virus samples into the gene inventory. I¡¯ll conduct more research and analysis on them to find out if there is anything we can extract for our own use.¡±

    ¡°As for Tower, most of the items he possessed are the same as the Poison Master, except for the medical ingredients. There are three tubes of SS grade cell repair agents and a tube of sealed up medical ingredient that looks like powder. ording to my sample analysis, it might beva crystals. He must have been using a type of Modern Age martial arts civilization approach to strengthen his body.¡±

    ¡°Also, I¡¯ve taken a sample of both their blood and deposited them into the gene inventory. Even though our current gene inventory¡¯s restriction is limited and is not equipped to analyze both of their gene structure, we can wait until the restriction has been lifted to conduct immediate analysis.¡±

    Gu Ding was quite happy with the spoils this round. The thought of obtaining two billion and three hundred million Universe Credits out of the blue cheered him up tremendously.

    The day passed quickly. The next morning, Neptune woke up Gu Ding and the others quite early to hold an emergency meeting. The theme of the meeting was thetest bounty on them that was just announced by Faye Cosmic Nation.

    Everyone was sitting on the sofa in the main cabin, looking sleepy, while Neptune projected a video of thetest bounty announcement.

    ¡®Wanted Offender: Gu Ding¡¯

    ¡®Gender: Male¡¯

    ¡®Age: 15¡¯

    ¡®Gene Level: Unknown¡¯

    ¡®Highest Combat Strength: Rank 11¡¯

    ¡®Special Ability: Taboo Energy ¨C seal ability, able to seal away all ability of the enemy in an instant, ability limitations and conditions unknown¡¯

    ¡®Other Abilities: Possesses special Ultimate Arts that is able to enhance hisbat effectiveness by multiple times¡¯

    ¡®Bounty Price: Eight hundred million Universe Credits¡¯

    ¡®Latest Crime: Embroiled in a fight with members of the Dark Sectors on Jiewang, resulting in the death of one Dark Sectors member while his crew members caused serious destruction to Camilia¡¯s castle.¡¯

    ¡®Official Assessment: A handsome and dangerous young man who possesses Taboo Energy!!¡¯

    ...

    ¡®Wanted Offender: Tagore¡¯

    ¡®Race: Cat (Simr)¡¯

    ¡®Gender: Unknown¡¯

    ¡®Age: Unknown (Estimated at three months by its size)¡¯

    ¡®Gene Level: Unknown¡¯

    ¡®Highest Combat Strength: Rank 12 and above¡¯

    ¡®Special Ability: Unknown¡¯

    ¡®Other Abilities: Devastating attacks with his ws that are capable of tearing up space¡¯

    ¡®Bounty Price: Five hundred million Universe Credits¡¯

    ¡®Latest Crime: Gu Ding¡¯s aplice. Embroiled in a fight with members of the Dark Sectors on Jiewang, killing another member of the Dark Sectors while causing serious destruction to Camilia¡¯s castle.¡¯

    ¡®Official Assessment: It¡¯s not just an ordinary cat!!¡¯

    ...

    ¡®Wanted Offender: Elsa¡¯

    ¡®Gender: Female¡¯

    ¡®Age: 16¡¯

    ¡®Gene Level: Rank 10¡¯

    ¡®Highest Combat Strength: Rank 12¡¯

    ¡®Special Ability: Unknown self-reinforcement strength enhancement that is able to level upbat strength, time limitation is about ten minutes.¡¯

    ¡®Other Abilities: Possesses powerful closebat ability¡¯

    ¡®Bounty Price: Two hundred million Universe Credits¡¯

    ¡®Latest Crime: Gu Ding¡¯s aplice. Embroiled in a fight with members of the Dark Sectors on Jiewang. The main perpetrator of causing serious destruction to Camilia¡¯s castle.¡¯

    ¡®Official Assessment: A pretty and violent youngdy who possesses destructivebat strength!!¡¯

    ...

    ¡®Wanted Offender: Biggie¡¯

    ¡®Gender: Male¡¯

    ¡®Age: 17¡¯

    ¡®Gene Level: Rank 10¡¯

    ¡®Highest Combat Strength: Rank 10¡¯

    ¡®Special Ability: Unknown¡¯

    ¡®Other Abilities: Possesses powerful swordsmanship¡¯

    ¡®Bounty Price: One hundred million Universe Credits¡¯

    ¡®Latest Crime: None¡¯

    ¡®Official Assessment: He is actually just a chef¡¯

    ...

    ¡®Wanted Offender: Liliath¡¯

    ¡®Gender: Female¡¯

    ¡®Age: 14¡¯

    ¡®Gene Level: Unknown¡¯

    ¡®Highest Combat Strength: Unknown¡¯

    ¡®Special Ability: Unknown¡¯

    ¡®Other Abilities: Gunner¡¯

    ¡®Bounty Price: Ten million Universe Credits¡¯

    ¡®Latest Crime: None¡¯

    ¡®Official Assessment: Currently looks like she¡¯s just a pretty girl¡¯

    ...

    ¡®Wanted Offender: Robert¡¯

    ¡®Race: Suspected to be of the Mechanical Tribe¡¯

    ¡®Gender: Unknown¡¯

    ¡®Age: Unknown¡¯

    ¡®Combat Strength Level: Unknown¡¯

    ¡®Special Ability: Unknown¡¯

    ¡®Other Abilities: Able to buildbat robots¡¯

    ¡®Bounty Price: Ten million Universe Credits¡¯

    ¡®Latest Crime: None¡¯

    ¡®Official Assessment: No one is aware when he joined Gu Ding¡¯s crew...¡¯

    ¡°Who was in charge of writing the official assessment? It looks like unofficial sarcasticments,¡± Gu Ding read everyone¡¯s assessment in detail and could not help asking the question.

    ¡°Faye Cosmic Nation has always maintained this style of assessment. They¡¯ve always given everyone sarcastic assessments. No one knows who is in charge of writing them,¡± Liliath exined from the side.

    ¡°Hey, hey. Can both of you not change the topic? Every member of the crew has a bounty on them except for me. The total now is one billion six hundred and twenty million Universe Credits. This means that the next round of hunters sent after you by the Federal Government will be powerhouses who have Rank 11bat strength and above,¡± Neptune emphasized the severity of the situation.

    ¡°We will be able to take care of the enemy if there aren¡¯t many of them, but what if there are dozens of them or even hundreds of powerhouses with Rank 11bat strength with a few Rank 12 leaders thrown into the mix? I believe they have already made such an arrangement right outside of Border River, waiting for us to walk right into their trap. That is why we should have a serious discussion on the routes we will be taking.¡±

    ¡°We can follow Camilia¡¯s suggestion andy low for a while. We can avoid administratives and sneak into Faye Cosmic Nation to avoid any confrontations with them,¡± Liliath still remembered Camilia¡¯s message.

    ¡°However, Gu Ding informed me yesterday that he won¡¯t be epting Camilia¡¯s suggestion...¡± Everyone turned to look at Gu Ding when Neptune said this.

 Chapter 184 - The Amazing Effects Of The Black Crystals

    <h4>Chapter 184: The Amazing Effects Of The ck Crystals</h4>

    Leoben Prison was the prison with the highest security in the entire Faye Cosmic Nation. All the walls of the prison were built with carbide alloy and it would not leave a scratch even when under attack by a powerhouse at the peak of Rank 13.

    The entire prison was managed almost in automation. There were twenty-eight hours a day and the timing was strictly regted, down to the very second, when it came to the activity of prisoners, which was strictly upheld. This included bathroom breaks and bath times. If these activities were dyed even by a second, the prisoner will immediately be kicked out of the toilet or shower room.

    The reason for creating this prison was quite simple. It was to train criminals who did not obey thew to learn and obey the rules.

    There were more than eighty thousand prisoners locked up there, all of them vicious and unrestrained. Every one of them were highly dangerous characters who were sentenced to more than 300 years of prison time and each of them had killed at least twenty people.

    Gu Ding did not ept Camilia¡¯s suggestion because this prison, which was known as theplete penitentiary, was located right at the Border River exit on Jerr. It was the mentioned by Camilia that was had the most human traffic among the six administratives. Jerr had be a tourism because of this prison, and the reason for Gu Ding¡¯s insistence on heading there was because of someone incarcerated in the prison.

    ¡°I hung out at Rose Tavern with dad since I was young and within those ten years, Perret¡¯s name was the one that was mentioned the most often. During those times, he was the most famous Interster Pirate in Dragon Soar Cosmic Nation. There were hundreds of stories about him, and the Interster Pirates at the tavern enjoyed telling them thousands of times. No matter what the tale was, he had always been the fearless hero in the stories.¡±

    ¡°I was really small and skinny then, and constantly getting bullied at school. I had always wished that I could be someone like Perret one day, someone who was fearless and would never give in to difficulties. It was at that time that I had made the decision to be an Interster Pirate when I grew up.¡±

    ¡°When I was ten, I heard about his arrest, which resulted in him being imprisoned in Leoben, located on Jerr within the Faye Cosmic Nation. From the day I heard the news, I knew that I would make a trip to Leoben Prison one day to visit him and learn for myself what kind of person Perret truly is.¡±

    ¡°Now, I¡¯m only one step away from Jerr... If I miss this, it might be many years before I¡¯m able toe back here.¡±

    Everyone went silent over Gu Ding¡¯s words. They had not expected this to be the reason for Gu Ding to take the risk.

    ¡°I grew up listening to stories about Viking warriors. I heard about them burning, killing, and piging, and have always imagined having a life like that. That was the reason why I had immediately epted your offer to be an Interster Pirate, and also, food was provided,¡± Elsa interrupted from the side.

    ¡°Gu Ding, if these were normal times, we would never attempt to discourage you from visiting Jerr, but right now, our entire crew, except for Neptune, has high bounties on our heads. Faye Cosmic Nation has sent troops to stand guard at all six administratives. They will immediately take action the moment Golden Eagle anchors at the harbor,¡± Liliath frowned. She understood Gu Ding wanted to have closure for his past. This looked like a good thing in the long run as it would mean that Gu Ding would have a greater aim for the future, but this was not the right time.

    ¡°I know the Golden Eagle stands out like a sore thumb. Besides, Biggie and Robert will get recognized easily. That is why I¡¯ve decided to do this alone,¡± Gu Ding made an even more ambitious decision.

    ¡°Are you crazy? It might mean a trip of no return for a whole crew, much less you making the journey alone. You¡¯re cing yourself in extreme danger,¡± Liliath has always been blunt with Gu Ding. She felt Gu Ding¡¯s decision was unsound.

    ¡°I¡¯ve made ns for it. Robert can make me a few masks for disguise, and I¡¯ll change my clothes. No one will recognize me. All you need to do is to drop me off at an administrative near the exit of Border River. I¡¯ll take a tourist spaceship over to Jerr. You can hide in an uninhabited nearby Jerr and wait for me to be done with my prison visit. I¡¯ll get Neptune to contact you when I return to the harbor. All you need to do is to descend at the harbor and the first thing I¡¯ll do is get on the spaceship. We¡¯ll leave immediately after that. The whole process would take less than ten seconds and those troops from the Army won¡¯t even realize what had happened,¡± Gu Ding had given the whole process serious thought and it sounded quite doable.

    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you at least bring along a voice modtor? It would be a disaster if someone from the prison recognized Gu Ding¡¯s voice,¡± Liliath was being extra careful with this n.

    Neptune objected. ¡°We can¡¯t bring a voice modtor. Leoben Prison has a system that recognizes any voice change. The moment you bring a voice modtor and speak with it, it will trigger an rm. However, I can hoodwink them by creating a disruption between Gu Ding¡¯s voice in the prison and the electronic wave conversion, which will disguise Gu Ding¡¯s original voice. It won¡¯t work if the person facing him recognizes his voice, but the probability of that happening is not high. Only someone awfully familiar with him would be able to identify him and we don¡¯t know anyone in Faye Cosmic Nation.¡±

    ¡°Neptune, you need to alter every single detail if you want to go ahead with this n and you can¡¯t miss out anything. You¡¯ll need to pick the n with the highest sess rate,¡± Liliath did not agree with this, but Gu Ding had made his decision. Besides that, he had a valid reason for this, and the only thing left for Liliath was to support his choice.

    Everyone kept themselves upied for the next few days.

    After learning of Gu Ding¡¯s ns, Biggie, Elsa, and Liliath secluded themselves in cultivating and training.

    Robert was busy as usual, building whatever he was working on.

    Tagore was the only one who was bored and spent his days sleeping.

    As for Gu Ding, he kept himself busy by training his proficiency at using his primary power. When he was cultivating Sun Sutra on Jiewang, he had managed to get his Cell Index to increase fifty-five points by using primary power to transform his physique. His Cell Index was now at three thousand two hundred and eighty points. However, there was no sunlight in the spaceship, which made it impossible for him to cultivate the Sun Sutra, so he could only make do with practicing being proficient in it.

    It had been three days since they left Jiewang and Neptune suddenly came to him with good news.

    ¡°Gu Ding, you can make use of those ck crystals found in the inventory of the Poison Master and Tower. It has a minimal side effect of addiction, but it should not be a big problem with just a few of them. Moreover, I¡¯ve analyzed theponents of these crystals and have improved the molecr structures to a certain degree. I was able to clone simr energy crystals that do not contain the addictive side effects. As long as we have sufficient materials, we can produce a huge batch of them with Robert¡¯s help. When that timees, the primary power of all our crew members will be significantly enhanced.¡±

    ¡°How do we use it?¡± Gu Ding had a question about it.

    ¡°You can crush it and chew or swallow it whole. You can also choose to crush it and take it via other solvents as mediums by injecting it into your bloodstream or even nt it on yourself the same way you do Energy Crystals,¡± Neptune exined how this crystal type could be absorbed and consumed in so many different ways.

    ¡°Taking it orally sounds the simplest,¡± Gu Ding said as he picked the smallest one. The ck crystal was the size of a little thumb. He casually threw it into his mouth and swallowed it.

    Neptune was constantly monitoring Gu Ding¡¯s physical condition and found that the peculiar virus immediately appeared when the ck crystal got into his stomach. It had disintegrated the ck crystal speedily, but this time, the energy did not have a reaction on his DNA chain, but it created a reaction on Gu Ding¡¯s cells instead.

    The cells all over Gu Ding divided speedily. At the same time, a surge of a high tolerance unknown primary power started appearing within the primary power cirction within Gu Ding¡¯s body.

    Gu Ding immediately started activating the Sun Sutra within him over and over when he felt the additional unknown primary power within him. However, he quickly realized that the first cirction of the Sun Sutra was unable topletely absorb the unknown primary power that had appeared out of nowhere. He started following the guidance within the secret manual to build up the second round of cirction within his body.

    After more than ten days of trial and error, he finally managed to build the cirction within him as he activated both circtions. Gu Ding immediately felt that he possessed two times the strength of his previous primary power. However, the unknown primary power appearing out of thin air within did not decrease at all.

    Gu Ding tried to build the third round of cirction within him, which took more than ten attempts before he finally seeded. The unknown primary power merged quickly into the cirction process.

    It took less than a few minutes before Gu Ding felt himself bing stronger.

    The surge of this unknown primary power continued for more than three hours. Gu Ding managed to stabilize all three cirction rounds within his body in those three hours.

    When he opened his eyes, he saw Neptune already projecting his Cell Index, which was at three thousand nine hundred and ten; an enhancement of six hundred and thirty points. It had increased by two hundred points each hour. This enhancement at frightening speed was somethingpletely beyond Gu Ding¡¯s expectations.

    Gu Ding took a deep breath and could not help asking, ¡°Neptune, can this thing be used continuously?¡±

    ¡°Judging by the situation of your cell division, you can only use this type of enhancement for ten hours at a time. The cells in your body require ample rest during the downtime. Otherwise, it would cause huge damage to your body,¡± Neptune had been closely monitoring Gu Ding¡¯s physical condition. He had been worried about any side effects previously, but by the looks of Gu Ding¡¯s cell reaction, there should not any major problems as long he did not use it for more than ten hours.

    ¡°The effect of this thing is truly amazing; it¡¯s no wonder people get addicted to it. If I had more of these crystals, I¡¯d have them every day. Only ten hours of enhancement a day and I can increase my Cell Index by two thousand points,¡± Gu Ding said as he took out another crystal the size of a small thumb and tossed it into his mouth.

    This time, he did not waste a second as he quickly activated the Sun Sutra at the exact moment he swallowed the crystal.

    With the help of the unknown primary power, Gu Ding quickly built up the fourth cirction within his body and next, fifth cirction...

 Chapter 185 - Bumping Into The Armyâ€™s Hunters

    <h4>Chapter 185: Bumping Into The Army¡¯s Hunters</h4>

    Four days had passed and the remaining eight ck crystals in the inventory had been consumed by Gu Ding, who hadpletely absorbed the energy.

    There were thirty-seven energy circtions built within Gu Ding¡¯s body and his Cell Index had increased from more than three thousand points to ten thousand points. However, it was strange that his Cell Index was stuck at this point and he could no longer enhance it any further. As for his gene level, it was stuck at Rank 5 and he could not make a breakthrough to Rank 6.

    Neptune had exined this as ¡°The seal on the gene locks being overly secure. This energy was not enough for Gu Ding to ovee his gene locks.¡±

    It was a good thing that Gu Ding¡¯s primary power had been cultivated to a terrifyingly powerful level. The umtion of it was almost enough to be converted into Righteous Force. Besides getting an enhancement for his Cell Index, his body had also been enhanced enough to carry the pressure of the Ultimate Arts. He would be able to activate Ultimate Arts Level 9 under normal circumstances and conduct an increase of forty times on hisbat effectiveness withoutprising his physical health. Even the activation of Level 10 would not be much of a burden and would cause give his cells any irrevocable harm.

    On the fifteenth day of their journey, Neptune anchored the spaceship at a called Saparet.

    This was an ordinary administrative located on the outskirts of the Border River. They had chosen to anchor here to replenish provisions. The other reason being there was a sightseeing ship headed toward Jerr from Saparet.

    Liliath took the time to conduct an inspection on Gu Ding after he put on the mask as a disguise and changed his clothes. The mask made by Robert was superb. Liliath could find almost no fault even with the help of her eagle eyes.

    When the spaceship harbored, Gu Ding ran out of the cabin at high speed toward the sightseeing ship.

    ¡°This sightseeing ship heading for Jerr will leave in twenty minutes. There are three empty seats left. Tourists interested in visiting Jerr, please board the ship immediately. If you miss this ship, you will need to wait until next week,¡± a plump middle-aged man was shouting through a megaphone the size of thumb under the sightseeing ship. This type of mini megaphone would be able to enhance a person¡¯s voice by twenty times and it was easy to bring along. It was a necessary item for almost all tour guides.

    ¡°I want a ticket,¡± Gu Ding appeared in front of the middle-aged man in a few steps. He lowered his voice on purpose and spoke slowly.

    The middle-aged man was initially stunned but immediately reacted. It was rare to see martial art practitioners these days. The young man in front of him may look skinny and was not a tall person, but there was a long scar on his face. The middle-aged man took one nce and immediately averted his gaze. ¡°Sure, dear sir. Please scan your identity and make your payment. The price for a one-way ticket to Jerr is fifty-nine Universe Credits.¡±

    He scanned the smartwatch on Gu Ding¡¯s hand and the machine in the middle-aged man¡¯s hands disyed Gu Ding¡¯s information:

    ¡®Name: Phillis¡¯

    ¡®Gender: Male¡¯

    ¡®Age: 21¡¯

    ¡®Are You Wanted: No¡¯

    This was a fake identity that Neptune had created for Gu Ding in order for him to sessfully sneak into Leoben Prison.

    The fake identity was a sess as the plump middle-aged man gave Gu Ding a friendly smile once the fee was transferred. ¡°Wee to the ship, Mr. Phillis.¡±

    Gu Ding nodded slightly and did not reply. This was a signal to Neptune and the others to not intervene. They had intentionally chosen a mask with a scar on it to create a cold, unfeeling character for Gu Ding, which became a good reason for him to stay silent. Besides that, no one would stare at him with a scar on his face.

    Gu Ding looked at this seat number. It was number thirty-two, which was an aisle seat. He was taken aback when he saw the person seated at number thirty-one.

    It was a woman in a Faye Cosmic Nation Army uniform. She was a colonel general in the Army. Gu Ding sat down uneasily. Faye Cosmic Nation was a 5-star Cosmic Nation. Anyone who was a colonel general there would be a Rank 12 Gene Body powerhouse.

    However, Gu Ding thought it strange that she did not look very old. Her hairstyle was rounded like a mushroom and she had a fair and delicate face. She looked twenty at most. It was much too young for her to be a colonel general at this age.

    ¡°Hello!¡± The woman in the Army uniform greeted him when she saw Gu Ding sat down.

    ¡°Try not to say anything in front of anyone from the Army and act coldly,¡± Neptune whispered a warning in Gu Ding¡¯s ear.

    Gu Ding turned toward the woman in the Army uniform and nodded before turning back again. He projected the news channel on his intelligent wristwatch and started reading the news silently.

    Noami felt a little gloomy when he ignored her. She thought it might be because she was wearing an Army uniform. Many were not fond of the Army. She gave this some thought and turned toward Gu Ding again. ¡°I¡¯m not really from the Army. This is just a costume.¡±

    She pulled up the rank insignia on her shoulder. ¡°Look at this. This rank insignia is different from the real colonel general¡¯s rank insignia. This is fake.¡±

    Gu Ding turned to nce at it. The line located beneath the rank insignia looked like a sword. It was not noticeable unless one took a close look at it.

    ¡°Gu Ding, she¡¯s lying. That sword doesn¡¯t just mean that she¡¯s from the Army. She¡¯s also a Hunter. They are considered the cr¨¨me de cr¨¨me in the Army. All Hunters know how to use that iplete form of Ultimate Arts. Her rank of colonel-general means that she is ranked as a small team leader among the Hunters and has abat strength of a Rank 12 Gene Body,¡± Neptune immediately gave him a warning message.

    Under normal circumstances, Gu Ding¡¯s character would immediately lead him to reveal the other party¡¯s deception. However, this time, Gu Ding held back because doing so mightnd him in trouble. All he did was smile at her, indicating he believed her and turned back to continue reading the projected news.

    ¡°Well, you¡¯re a cold person...¡± Noami felt a little defeated. She had chosen to take the sightseeing ship to meet interesting people. By the looks of how things were unfolding, she was about to have a very boring trip.

    She was feeling a little gloomy as well. She had been vacationing on Jiewang, spending time with some animals in the nature reserve for many days when her superiors sent her a clip. It was a video of Gu Ding fighting members of the Dark Sectors. She had been assigned on a mission at the same time, which required her to travel to Jerr and meet with the other members and stand guard at Jerr. The orders were to capture Interster Pirates who had escaped from Border River.

    The worse thing about the situation was that she had spotted Gu Ding¡¯s crew¡¯s spaceship anchored at the harbor on the night she was leaving Jiewang, but she did not dare to make a move because she had seen what Gu Ding¡¯s crew was capable of in the video. If she had taken action on her own, the only thing waiting for her would be death.

    She had not been able to let this go, even until today. If there were enough members around to help her out, she might have been able to arrest Gu Ding and his crew.

    Gu Ding continued going through the news while sitting next to a Hunter from the Army. This forced him to be on high alert, trying his best not to reveal anything.

    The spaceship finally took flight at the designated time and the ship was filled up.

    As the spaceship ascended slowly, Noami turned to look out the window. Suddenly, a spaceship caught her attention. It was the ck and white-colored Golden Eagle. ¡°Gu Ding and his crew are here! How did this happen again?! I should have brought my team along for this vacation.¡±

    Noami had lost herself a second opportunity. However, she knew that it would be quite difficult to capture Gu Ding¡¯s crew. Gu Ding¡¯s crew must have been here to replenish their provisions in the long run. It would be difficult to track down any news of Gu Ding¡¯s crew for at least a month after today because they would definitely avoid harboring at administratives for the time being. They would probably appear at some random stop within Faye Cosmic Nation the next time they anchored at a harbor.

    Noami waved her fist around angrily.

    Gu Ding turned to nce at her and turned off the news channel. He closed his eyes to go to sleep.

    This made Noami gloomier. The person seated next to her was boring to a tipping point. She immediately put on her headphones and closed her eyes to enjoy the music.

    Soon, the spaceship left the harbor.

    Liliath and the others watched the spaceship containing Gu Ding leave before getting off the spaceship.

    ¡°Biggie, you¡¯ll be in charge of purchasing kitchen ingredients. Store as much food as possible this time and make sure it is at least a month¡¯s worth. Try purchasing food items that can be kept long-term,¡± Liliath directed this at Biggie.

    ¡°As for the others, give me a list of what you need, and I¡¯ll shop for them with Elsa. We¡¯re going to speed up our shopping this time. We must leave this before it turns dark. Now that Neptune is not around, it shouldn¡¯t be a problem if Robert pilots the ship, right?¡±

    ¡°This spaceship is nothing but a toy for a three-year-old during my generation,¡± Robert was not exaggerating at all. During the mechanical civilization, a child was capable of building this type of spaceship independently. As for piloting it, a three-year-old was more than capable of it.

    Robert gave another long list of items for purchase. Liliath epted it after ncing at it.

    Tagore had also submitted a list of his own. It said, ¡®Huge loads of ribs¡¯.

    Liliath passed the list to Biggie. ¡°Tagore wants huge loads of ribs. Biggie, just get him a month¡¯s worth of them.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll go with you to shop for them,¡± Tagore gave it a thought and jumped onto Biggie¡¯s shoulders. It would be pretty boring to stay with Robert.

    ¡°Tagore, I¡¯ve got two requests. One, you¡¯re not allowed to steal food. Second, don¡¯t speak in humannguage in front of strangers,¡± Liliath said while pointing at Tagore.

    ¡°Okay...¡± Tagore rolled his eyes. He had nned to steal something to eat while at the outing. He felt food tasted better if it was stolen.

    ¡°Biggie, keep a close eye on him and stop from creating any trouble,¡± Liliath gave a reminder to Biggie again.

    Robert stayed behind to take care of their home. He was quite happy to be left alone.

    It took them a few hours before everyone was done with their purchase. Liliath was only able to buy one-fifth of what Robert had requested on his list.

    The Golden Eagle ascended once again quickly, leaving the harbor of Saparet.

    At the same moment, Gu Ding was awoken from his sleep by a voice on the sightseeing ship. ¡°Don¡¯t move, everyone, or I¡¯ll blow up this spaceship!¡±

 Chapter 186 - The Armyâ€™s Plan

    <h4>Chapter 186: The Army¡¯s n</h4>

    Gu Ding watched speechlessly at the man who was holding a bomb in his hand. Gu Ding had never thought he would be in this situation.

    When the man shouted out those words, another three men left their seats. Two of them headed for the cockpit while the other stood guard behind the man who was holding the bomb. The spaceship had just left Saparet¡¯s ozoneyer and it was obvious that this hijacking had been nned. If the bomb exploded, no one on the spaceship would be left alive. Only a powerhouse with a ranking above a demigod would be able to survive in the vacuum of space.

    Noami, who was listening to music, might not have heard what the man had just shouted, but her eyes had opened in time to see the bomb in the man¡¯s hand. She immediately realized what was going on. She pulled off her headphones with a grim look on her face. She looked around her surroundings. Most people had a look of fear on their faces. Only Gu Ding, who was sitting next to her, was expressionless. He acted as if none of this had anything to do with him.

    At that moment, the plump middle-aged man was dragged out of the cockpit. There was a deep sh on his abdomen, and he was clutching his wound, but it was pointless as the blood continued to spill out of him, flowing through his fingers. Gu Ding frowned at this. Judging by the speed of the blood flow, the plump middle-aged man would not be able tost more than half an hour before he died of blood loss.

    It was then that the man holding the bomb voiced out again, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, everyone. It doesn¡¯t matter if you are willing to, but this one-day trip to Jerr today will be reced with a one-day trip to Coremino instead. Please cooperate with us and stay in your respective seats. Otherwise, there will be serious consequences.¡±

    As he was saying this, he gave the bomb in his hand a shake, with his thumb at only one centimeter away from the switch. Noami had wanted to take action but hesitated at this sight.

    Coremino was known as a criminal¡¯s heaven and was quite a unique star sector within the Faye Cosmic Nation.

    A deity had once appeared within this star sector and hadter joined the Federal Government. He ended up perishing during battle. The Federal Government had gifted the jurisdiction of this entire star sector to the descendants of this deity tomemorate andmend his meritorious service.

    After that, a man with an extravagant personality was born among the deity¡¯s descendants. He was a man with extraordinary abilities and was a demigod powerhouse. He conducted various illegal trades in the sector of Coremino, turning the entire star sector into a wondend for Interster Pirates. However, this sector was voluntarily relinquished by the Federal government and that demigod did not conduct those activities outside of the sector, which was why the Federal Government had chosen to turn a blind eye. A few hundred years have passed since then, and the demigod is still alive. Coremino had in turn be thergest meeting ground for criminals in Faye Cosmic Nation.

    Of course, Coremino was not situated at the exit of the Border River. It would still take at least thirty days to travel from Saparet to Coremino with the speed of a Golden Eagle. For the sightseeing spaceship, it would take double the time.

    The criminal immediately spotted Noami in her Army uniform. Everyone else on the spaceship was dressed casually and she was the only one in military garb, which made her stand out like a sore thumb.

    ¡°There¡¯s someone from the Army here,¡± the hijacker could not see Noami¡¯s rank insignia from where he was and thought that she was just a minor officer since she was making her journey on a sightseeing ship. Moreover, this was a woman who looked about twenty-years-old. She must not be a high-ranking officer.

    ¡°That guy next to her, tell me what her rank is,¡± the hijacker shouted towards Gu Ding.

    ¡°Me?¡± Gu Ding raised an eyebrow and pointed at himself, asking dubiously.

    ¡°That¡¯s right, you! Quickly!¡±

    Gu Ding turned and gave her another nce before turning back. He replied to the hijacker, ¡°Her rank insignia is fake!¡±

    ¡°Fake?¡± The hijacker not entirely convinced.

    ¡°Yes, just like the bomb in your hand.¡±

    Gu Ding nudged Noami with his elbow. ¡°You can take action!¡±

    Noami was initially stunned but quickly reacted. She appeared in front of the hijackers with the bomb in an instant and broke his arm, grabbing the remote in his hand. Next, she handcuffed him with a pair of anti-magic handcuffs. The rest of his aplices were also quickly arrested.

    She walked into the ship¡¯s cabin after putting the spaceship into autopilot and saw Gu Ding pouring a bottle of cell repair agent onto the wound of the plump middle-aged man. It was a bottle of E-grade cell repair agent of the highest quality. The plump middle-aged man was a Rank 5 Gene Body and the E-grade cell repair agent quickly healed his wound. Even though he was now quite pale because of his blood loss, his condition was not too serious.

    ¡°Take a rest. I¡¯ve already set the spaceship to autopilot and changed our final destination to Jerr. We would just need to manuallynd itter when we descend,¡± Noami said as she took out another tube of medicine from her inventory and passed it to the plump middle-aged man.

    ¡°This is a blood replenishing tonic exclusive to the Army. Inject it into your blood vessels and it will convert itself into hemoglobin.¡±

    The hijackers¡¯ n came to an end after they were handcuffed with the anti-magic handcuffs and had their intelligent wristwatches confiscated.

    Noami and Gu Ding returned to their respective seats.

    ¡°How did you know that bomb was a fake?¡± Noami suddenly asked. If it was not for Gu Ding, this situation would not have been settled so easily.

    ¡°Actually, the bomb was real. I lied to get you to take action on them,¡± Gu Ding finally admitted the truth.

    Noami was taken aback when she heard Gu Ding¡¯s answer. She roared at him, ¡°How could you do something like that? Do you know how many people would be killed if something went wrong?¡±

    ¡°The bomb may be real, but it would not explode because I did something to the remote. Don¡¯t forget that I¡¯m on the spaceship as well. I won¡¯t risk my life,¡± Gu Ding exined.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t see you have any contact with the remote throughout this ordeal,¡± Noami did not believe Gu Ding¡¯s words.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, just take out that remote and click on it twice. I guarantee you it won¡¯t explode,¡± Gu Ding remained expressionless.

    ¡°There¡¯s no way I¡¯m doing that!¡± Noami thought this would just be suicide and did not n to even try it.

    They quickly became silent again. Gu Ding was worried the more he said, the more loopholes he would reveal. As for Noami, she felt there was not much inmon for them to talk about.

    After a while, she could not help chatting him up again. ¡°Why were you so confident about me being from the Army?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re wearing the Army uniform,¡± Gu Ding gave a simple reply.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you that it was just a costume?¡± Noami did not buy into that exnation.

    ¡°You don¡¯t look like an actress,¡± Gu Ding gave another simple reason as a reply.

    Noami asked quietly, ¡°Am I not pretty enough? Or was there some other reason?¡±

    ¡°Are you sure you want to know?¡± Gu Ding finally turned toward her and asked expressionlessly.

    Noami hesitated a minute before finally nodding.

    ¡°First, your boobs aren¡¯t big enough. Second, your hairstyle looks terrible,¡± these two negative reasons given by Gu Ding were enough to make Noami want to leave in a huff.

    ¡°Hmmph, you have no taste...¡± Noami turned her head away and did not look at Gu Ding again.

    After being silent for half an hour, she could not help turning back and continued chatting. ¡°Why are you going to Jerr?¡±

    ¡°To visit someone,¡± Gu Ding replied casually.

    ¡°Is it a friend in prison?¡± Noami tried to probe him with the question.

    Gu Ding nced at Noami. ¡°I don¡¯t want to answer that question. Why are you going to Jerr?¡±

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s not anything ssified so I don¡¯t mind telling you. I¡¯ve just received a mission instructing me and my team to stand guard on Jerr. I guess you are aware of what happened to Camilia¡¯s castle, which was destroyed not too long ago, as well as what had transpired between the Dark Sectors and Gu Ding¡¯s crew,¡± Noami shared her reason for going to Jerr without holding back.

    ¡°I do. Does it have anything to do with your mission?¡± Gu Ding asked without skipping a beat.

    ¡°There has been a surge of Interster Pirates appearing from the Border River during this time. Our Army is nning to destroy the root of those threats. That is why they have sent members of the Army to stand guard at the administratives outside the Border River. We will make an immediate arrest of any Interster Pirates we spot, but our main target is Gu Ding¡¯s crew. The ability of his crew is no longer on the weaker side. If we let them into Faye Cosmic Nation, they will continue to grow in strength. When that timees, it will bring great trouble to all of us. Gu Ding¡¯s crew had always been high-profile. ording to the analysis of the Army¡¯s psychology experts, there is a high possibility he would appear on the highly popted Jerr. That is why I¡¯ve been sent there, to take part in the mission to arrest him,¡± Noami talked about her current mission openly. It was not considered a ssified mission and there was no harm in telling others about it.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t Gu Ding a hacker? He would have already found out about the Army standing guard on those administratives, wouldn¡¯t he? If that was the case, they would choose to store a month¡¯s worth of food supplied and avoid thoses at a great distance.¡±

    ¡°The psychology expert told us that a character like Gu Ding has a rebellious personality. The more defense is given to a, the more he would bepelled to visit it for the sake of standing up against authority. They even went as far as to deduce that there was a high possibility for Gu Ding to visit Leoben Prison. The guards at Leoben Prison has been increased three-fold because of this,¡± Noami revealed something that Gu Ding had been unaware of.

    ¡°Okay, even if he really did appear on Jerr, how would you even manage to capture him? I remember that he has taboo energy. Even if a demigod had personally arrived to arrest him, he would be restrained by Gu Ding,¡± Gu Ding was more concerned about this issue.

    ¡°It¡¯s not actually something too difficult to solve. We admit that taboo energy is an immensely powerful ability, but the greater this ability is, the more limitation and side effects it has. His taboo energy is the seal ability. ording to our deduction, this seal ability must have a limited seal effect or a limited number of people he could seal. That is why we are nning to ovee this by using a strategy that involves a high volume of people.¡±

    When he heard Noami¡¯s words, Gu Ding knew that his journey this time would not be as smooth sailing as he had thought.

 Chapter 187 - Identity Revealed

    <h4>Chapter 187: Identity Revealed</h4>

    The sightseeing ship arrived at Jerr¡¯s harbor three dayster.

    The first thing Gu Ding did was get off the ship. Noami waved goodbye to him through the window, while Gu Ding replied casually by lifting his hand. Then, Gu Ding rented a hovercar and left the harbor.

    ¡°Where would you like to go, sir?¡±

    ¡°To Leoben Prison,¡± Gu Ding lowered his voice and replied expressionlessly.

    Noami called her team members with hermunicator after watching Gu Ding leave in the hovercar. ¡°King Kong, I believe all of you are here? Gather at the harbor. I have two missions to hand over to you.¡±

    ¡°Bossdy, you¡¯re giving us missions now? Do they have something to do with Gu Ding¡¯s crew?¡± a rough voice was heard over themunicator.

    Noamiughed as she replied, ¡°I wish they did, but they just involve the arrest of a few dumb hijackers and a bomb that we need to get rid of.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re on our way!¡±

    ...

    On the other side of Jerr, Gu Ding could be seen arriving at Leoben Prison¡¯s front gates.

    Gu Ding took a look at his surroundings. The walls of the prison were made out of carbide alloy. They had a silver-grey color under the sunlight. No other colors adorned the walls, and they gave off a grim atmosphere. All four corners of the prison were just as Noami had described. Someone was watching each angle, and the security was tight.

    Neptune transformed itself into a single strand of hair on Gu Ding¡¯s head. Gu Ding put on a random intelligent wristwatch on his hand and walked in a straight line toward the main gate.

    The first gate Gu Ding approached was for visitor registration. The wristwatch on Gu Ding¡¯s hand was activated by Neptune, and Gu Ding¡¯s fake identity was put into the wristwatch. All it took was the intelligent wristwatch to be scanned for Gu Ding¡¯s fake identity to be recorded.

    ¡®Name: Phillis¡¯

    ¡®Gender: Male¡¯

    ¡®Age: 21¡¯

    ¡®Are You Wanted: No¡¯

    The second gate was a security check. Gu Ding removed the intelligent wristwatch on his hand. With Neptune¡¯s help, he sessfully passed the security check.

    The third gate was a body inspection carried out by the prison guards.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, you¡¯re not allowed to put on your intelligent wristwatch when you enter. Our prison has to prevent hacker attacks.¡± A prison guard reached out his hand after searching Gu Ding¡¯s body.

    Gu Ding passed his intelligent wristwatch to him and finally understood the reason why Neptune had gotten him to put on another intelligent wristwatch.

    The fourth gate was a holographic x-ray examination. Neptune tweaked it a bit to avoid being detected as a fake strand of hair. Otherwise, he would have looked differentpared to Gu Ding¡¯s real hair under the x-ray.

    After passing the fourth security examination, Gu Ding was brought to someone else by the prison guard.

    ¡°Who will you be visiting?¡± a woman in sses greeted him.

    ¡°Perrett.¡± A strange feeling began to stir within Gu Ding when he said the name. He felt somewhat nervous.

    ¡°What is your rtionship with the person you are visiting?¡± the woman in sses continued to ask.

    ¡°To be exact, we¡¯re not rted. I grew up listening to legendary stories about him, which is why I am taking the time to visit him since I¡¯m passing by Jerr,¡± Gu Ding did not lie when answering the question.

    ¡°Okay. This is the first time I¡¯m hearing such a reason for visiting. Under such circumstances whereby the visitor is not rted to him, it is up to him if he is willing to see you. If he refuses to meet you, then so be it, we can¡¯t force him to see you. So, have a seat first while I inform him about your visit,¡± the woman in sses dialed a number as she said this.

    ¡°There is a visitor here for 073925. I¡¯ve forwarded the visitor¡¯s information to you. Please check if he is willing to see the visitor.¡±

    ¡°073925, there¡¯s a visitor for you!¡± A dialog box suddenly popped up out of nowhere in apletely white room.

    A man with an eyepatch over one eye stood up. Most of his left leg had been reced with a metallic artificial limb. His right hand was the same.

    He lifted his left hand and clicked on the visitor¡¯s information.

    ¡®Name: Phillis¡¯

    ¡®Gender: Male¡¯

    ¡®Age: 21¡¯

    ¡®Reason For Visit: Grew up listening to legendary stories about Perrett and wanted to take the time to visit him since the visitor is passing by Jerr.¡¯

    There was a picture of Gu Ding in disguise on the top right-hand corner of the promp.

    ¡°I thought an old friend suddenly thought of me while passing by this ce.¡± Perrett was a little hesitant. This visitor was obviously a stranger, and he was not fond of interacting with people he did not know because they always had a hidden agenda for trying to get to know him.

    ¡°Grew up listening to stories about me? Although it might not be the real reason for his visit, it sounds like an interesting reason to visit me. I¡¯ve got free time anyway, might as well find out what that young man wants from me.¡±

    After about two minutes, the woman in sses nodded at Gu Ding. ¡°He¡¯s willing to ept your visit. I¡¯ll take you to him now.¡±

    Not long after, someone in a guard¡¯s uniform came over to Gu Ding.

    Gu Ding was stunned when he saw who it was.

    The prison guard had an antagonistic look on his face, and his body was shaped like a ball. He also had very short legs.

    ¡°Pearson?! What is he doing here? It¡¯s a good thing that he hasn¡¯t recognized you. Remember to speak in a low voice and slow down when you talk,¡± Gu Ding could hear Neptune¡¯s voice in his ears.

    ¡°Follow me!¡± Pearson lifted his head to nce at Gu Ding once before turning around, expressionless.

    Gu Ding followed him from behind and entered a room. Then, after closing the door, he stood at the entrance of the room. It did not seem like he was nning on leaving.

    ¡°I checked the prison name list once more. This guy is Pearson and not someone who merely looks like him. I¡¯ve also looked into his records. He just immigrated to Faye Cosmic Nationst week. He has a rtive in Faye Cosmic Nation who¡¯s a viscount and has some form of status here. Additionally, with his resume, it was easy for him to get hired at Leoben Prison. He just passed the interview yesterday and this is his first day of work.¡± Neptune had re-checked the list of employees in the prison and found Pearson¡¯s name on it. Thest time Neptune looked through the list was three days ago, and Pearson¡¯s name was not on it back then.

    Perret was soon brought over by another prison guard. After entering the room, that prison guard did not leave as well.

    The fully bearded Perret sat opposite Gu Ding. He narrowed his eyes and tried to size Gu Ding up.

    ¡°You¡¯re much taller, and are arger person than I thought...¡± Gu Ding¡¯s first few words sounded weird.

    ¡°Thanks for thepliment, young man. Eat more food rich in calcium and exercise often. You¡¯re only twenty-one years old, there¡¯s still room for you to grow.¡± Perret could vaguely sense that the person¡¯s reason for visiting him was true based on his first few words.

    ¡°I¡¯m really happy to be able to meet you in person. I¡¯ve always thought of it as just wishful thinking of mine.¡± Gu Ding could not help but want to smile widely. However, Neptune suddenly gave him a warning.

    ¡°Don¡¯t spread that smile on your face!¡±

    His trademark smile was easily recognizable. At the very least, Pearson was unable to detect anything unusual while Gu Ding spoke in a low and slow voice.

    ¡°Young man, tell me, what do you want from me?¡± Perret cut straight to the chase.

    ¡°Can I take a look at your eye?¡± Gu Ding pointed at Perret¡¯s eye patch.

    Perret nodded graciously and took off his eyepatch. A robotic eyeball was revealed.

    ¡°That¡¯s so cool!¡± Gu Ding could not help but exim.

    ¡°I think so too,¡± Perret felt that this person seemed to have something inmon with him.

    ¡°I grew up in a tavern, and I¡¯ve heard a lot of stories about you from others. Was your eye really poked out by a Rank 10 Gene Body Beastly Iron-feathered Crow? Or was it poked out by a Rank 11 Gene Body Exploding Bird?¡± Gu Ding could not help but ask.

    Perretughed and shook his head after hearing both versions of the story from Gu Ding. ¡°Wow, when did the rumors be so far-fetched? Who made up those stories? My eye was shot off by a Federal Government gunner not long after my debut. The bullet remained in my brain until it was safely removed after six operations. I was quite close to bing a vegetable.¡±

    ¡°So, that¡¯s the true story?¡±

    Gu Ding asked another question, ¡°What about your right hand? Was your crew being hunted by a Rank 12 Gene Body beast? Did you cut off your arm to feed that huge beast in order to save yourpanions?¡±

    ¡°That story is even more far-fetched. I did cut off my right arm but not because of the reason you just told me. It was because of gambling. There was a time when I was addicted to gambling and every time I arrived at a, the first thing I did was run toward the casino. I wasted a lot of time in casinos. There was once a time when I got too deep into the game and lost my entire spaceship to someone else. As a result, many of my crew brothers lost their faith in me and left me, among them was my second-inmand. That night, I cut off my right arm in front of all my brothers and swore that if such a thing were to happen again, I would chop off my head. I¡¯ve quit gambling ever since then.¡±

    ¡°It still sounds really admirable. What about your left leg?¡± Gu Ding thought that the story still gave him satisfaction.

    ¡°What was the story you heard?¡± This time, Perrett was the one who was interested in Gu Ding¡¯s story.

    ¡°I heard that it was bitten off by a powerful gene beast while you were attempting to save a child,¡± Gu Ding told him the version of the story he had heard at the tavern.

    Perrett once again told him the original version of the story of what had happened. ¡°It was because of a child, but it didn¡¯t get bitten off by a gene beast. A house near an Interster harbor was on fire, and I saw a child trapped by mes in a house. I ran inside to save the child. Unexpectedly, the house copsed from the high heat. I managed to save the child, but my left leg ended up being trapped by debris. By the time I was saved, I realized that my entire left leg had been burned to a crisp. There was nothing I could do but head to the local hospital and get fitted with an artificial limb.¡±

    Gu Ding smiled. ¡°I think your version of the story is much better. Don¡¯t you feel scared and despondent after experiencing all these situations?¡±

    ¡°Of course, I was scared. When I had the bullet removed all those years ago, I was worried that the surgery would fail, and I would end up dying on the operating table when there are still so many things I have not achieved. I was once depressed as well. When my left leg was amputated, I regretted saving that child for a while. It was onlyter that I finally understood that if I was met with the same situation a second time, I would still make the same choice. Don¡¯t you think that we only end up bing stronger because of all these emotions? It is because of pain and fear that we are motivated to make ourselves stronger. It is because of misery and sadness that we try our hardest to be resilient...¡±

    Gu Ding and Perrett chatted for a long time for more than half an hour. They had to end their conversation under the insistence of the two prison guards.

    When it was time to say goodbye to Perrett, Gu Ding smiled widely. ¡°Perrett, I¡¯ll definitely visit you again when I have the chance.¡±

    At that moment, upon seeing Gu Ding¡¯s smiling face, the look on Pearson¡¯s face changed instantly. ¡°You¡¯re really Gu Ding!¡±

 Chapter 188 - Reexamination Of a Prison Identity

    <h4>Chapter 188: Reexamination Of a Prison Identity</h4>

    Pearson would never forget how the young man humiliated him in front of so many people at the Federation Court a few months ago. Gu Ding had punched him until his nose could not stop bleeding. It was a terrible memory from a portion of his life that could not be erased. Ever since the incident, Pearson felt that his colleagues, subordinates, and even the criminals in the prison were always looking at him with a sarcastic notion in their eyes.

    Even after Gu Ding left Cerule, Pearson heard news about him every once in a while. It was always about Gu Ding creating trouble in some random location and how much bigger his bounty was getting. It gave Pearson a feeling that the young man was a nightmare he would never be able to get rid of. He would often dream about Gu Dinging after him to take his life, and he would always be awakened by Gu Ding¡¯s smile that frightened him to the core.

    That was why he had chosen to leave Dragon Soar Cosmic Nation and applied for immigration to Faye Cosmic Nation. He managed to sessfully be a citizen of Faye Cosmic Nation and secure a job at a prison because he had a rtively influential rtive in Faye Cosmic Nation. It has to be said that the prison he managed tond a job in was the best prison in Faye Cosmic Nation.

    Initially, he thought that he would no longer hear about any news regarding Gu Ding at Faye Cosmic Nation. Even though one had to pass by it to get to the Cosmic Sea, Faye Cosmic Nation and Dragon Soar Cosmic Nation were as different as the sea and a pond. Gu Ding was a big fish in a pond, but if he entered the sea, he would be nothing more than a baby shrimp. A big fish could attract attention by creating a huge storm in a pond. Contrarily, how could a baby shrimp create any kind of storm in the vast sea?

    Pearson was not expecting to hear news about Gu Ding causing trouble in Border River just after a few days of arriving at Faye Cosmic Nation. Pearson had not evenpleted his immigration application at the time. It was not normal for Interster Pirates to kill people from the Dark Sectors. Moreover, people like Pearson who worked in prisons were aware of what kind of organization the Dark Sectors was.

    Very soon, after Pearson had gotten himself a job at the prison, his superior informed him on his first day of work, ¡°Many Interster Pirates have beening in from Border River recently. The most well-known among them is Gu Ding. It¡¯s possible that his primary target is our prison. I need everyone to be vignt and defend this prison no matter what. Take immediate action the moment you notice anyone suspicious.¡±

    ¡°Gu Ding¡¯s target is this prison...¡± Pearson¡¯s mind was a little befuddled over it. He was still trying to digest the piece of information when he was hosting Gu Ding as a visitor. Even when Gu Ding was chatting with Perrett, Pearson¡¯s mind was filled with news about Gu Ding, and he was not really listening to their conversation.

    When Gu Ding stood up and was about to leave, that wide smile on his face merged perfectly with the memory Pearson had in his mind. He cried out madly with an almost hysterical expression, ¡°You¡¯re really Gu Ding!¡±

    The other prison guard immediately sounded the rm, and in no time, a loud ring could be heard throughout the prison.

    Gu Ding was about to do something when Neptune stopped him. ¡°Don¡¯t be rash. Pearson¡¯s mental condition does not look stable. The moment you take action, your identity will be revealedpletely.¡±

    ¡°Hey, is something wrong with him? Do I look like Gu Ding in any way?¡± Gu Ding shouted at the other prison guard.

    ¡°Stay right where you are. The entire prison is currently under high alert, and there is no way for you to leave. Even though I have no idea why my new colleague is reacting this way, we will not overlook anything suspicious. We will bring in someone else immediately and reexamine your identity. If there is nothing wrong with you, we guarantee that you¡¯ll be able to leave safely.¡± The prison guard stood by the door and watched Gu Ding warily. He looked very experienced.

    ¡°It sounds like they think you¡¯re a pretty extraordinary guy,¡± Perrett was still sitting in his chair casually. His hands and legs were restricted by anti-magic chains.

    ¡°I made thorough preparations pertaining to your persona¡¯s details. There should not be any problems with the electronic evaluation. All you need to do is answer their questions in a low voice. As for questions you find yourself unable to answer, just repeat after me. You should act like Phillis now, he¡¯s twenty-one years old this year,¡± Neptune reminded Gu Ding in his ear.

    Gu Ding calmed down his nerves and returned to sit in his chair. ¡°Gu Ding is a neer who debuted less than a year ago. He has a bounty of eight hundred million Universe Credits. That prison guard obviously has the wrong person.¡±

    ¡°Half a year and eight hundred million Universe Credits. He sounds like a pretty incredible guy. What about you?¡± There was a meaningful smile on Perrett¡¯s face.

    ¡°I¡¯m just a normal citizen from Dragon Soar Cosmic Nation,¡± Gu Ding said as he lifted his hands.

    The corners of Perrett¡¯s lips curved upward when he heard this. He narrowed his eyes as he looked at Gu Ding. After some time, he shouted at the prison guard that was at the door, ¡°Brother, can you let me take a look at Gu Ding¡¯s picture?¡±

    ¡°What are you nning, 073925?¡± The prison guard frowned.

    ¡°Nothing. I just want to see if they look alike. My eyes have always been sharp, I can help you tell if he¡¯s Gu Ding or not.¡± Perrett was obviously very familiar andfortable with the prison. He sounded quite confident and bold with his words.

    The prison guard hesitated but finally chose to project Gu Ding¡¯s wanted notice in the end.

    Gu Ding was smiling widely in the picture of the wanted notice.

    Perretughed as he turned to look at Gu Ding. ¡°That¡¯s a really bright smile. This is the first time I¡¯ve seen someone with such a wide smile on a wanted notice. Nevertheless, that guy looks nothing like you.¡±

    ¡°I told them they¡¯re mistaken.¡± Gu Ding looked at Pearson. The fatty was paralyzed on the floor and was muttering.

    ¡°That prison guard looks like he is having a mental meltdown.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what that guy named Gu Ding did to him, but he¡¯s repeating the words ¡®He is Gu Ding¡¯ over and over again.¡± Perrett could hear Pearson quite clearly as he was less than three meters away from him.

    It was not long before fully armed prison guards rushed into the room and surrounded Gu Ding. Gu Ding cooperated and raised both his hands.

    The woman in sses from before walked into the room from behind the crowd. ¡°What¡¯s going on, Kermit?¡±

    The prison guard who had brought Perrett into the room gave her a simple exnation of what had transpired.

    ¡°Are you telling me that Pearson suddenly pointed at him and used him of being Gu Ding? And things are now like this?¡± The woman pushed her sses higher up her nose as her gaze fell on Pearson.

    ¡°This man is obviously having a mental breakdown. Take him to the infirmary and get a psychiatrist to take a look at him.¡±

    Then, she turned to Perrett. ¡°Get another person here to take 073925 to where he belongs.¡±

    ¡°As for the rest of you, please take this visitor to the safety inspection room. Kermit,e with me,¡± the woman in sses said as she walked toward Gu Ding.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry about this, but security is somewhat tight during this period. We would like your cooperation to conduct a reexamination. If there are no problems with the results of the reexamination, we will let you go immediately.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s speed things up, shall we? How long will it take?¡± Gu Ding asked expressionlessly.

    ¡°If things go smoothly, the quickest we can finish this is in half an hour. Normally, it does notst more than an hour.¡± The woman in sses had a calm look on her face.

    She nodded toward the prison guards who were fully armed. ¡°Go ahead.¡±

    Gu Ding was quickly brought to the so-called safety inspection room.

    A young doctor scanned both his irises and the palm prints of both his hands. The security check was much more detailedpared to when Gu Ding had arrived to visit the prison.

    ¡°We will send your irises and palm prints to Dragon Soar Cosmic Nation and get their help topare the data. It normally takes about three minutes for the results of the scans toe out. On the other hand, they usually reply within five minutes. Once we get their reply, we¡¯ll be able to find out who you are,¡± the doctor exined.

    Gu Ding was not worried at all because he knew Neptune had taken care of everything.

    It was around five minutester that the doctor received a reply that confirmed Gu Ding¡¯s identity.

    ¡®Name: Phillis¡¯

    ¡®Gender: Male¡¯

    ¡®Age: 21¡¯

    ¡®Gene Level: Rank 5¡¯

    ¡®Special Ability...¡¯

    ...

    This time, the information that came attached to the reply included Phillis¡¯ record from young until the present. Among the information included was which hospitals he had visited whenever he was sick and what medication had been prescribed to him before. Every single detail was there.

    The doctor took a quick look and nodded. ¡°From the looks of it, there aren¡¯t any problems. I¡¯ll forward this information to my colleagues in the examination department. They will question you about some personal information as per normal procedure. All you need to do is answer honestly. Don¡¯t hold back your answers just because you feel embarrassed about some questions because all your information is in ck and white, and they know everything about you. If the answers you give differ from the information they have, it will raise suspicions.¡±

    The young doctor pressed a button on his intelligent wristwatch after saying this, and a door opened in the safety inspection room. A team of fully armed prison guards appeared once again and took Gu Ding to a room downstairs.

    In the room were two chairs and a table.

    A fierce-looking prison guard sat across the table from Gu Ding. He could be seen flipping through information regarding Phillis. Nevertheless, the back of the information that was being projected was tinted and all Gu Ding could see from his perspective was a squarish ck shadow. He could not see any words at all.

    The prison guard continued to read about information concerning Phillis for about ten minutes. He did not ask a single question during that time. Meanwhile, Gu Ding sat where he was with his eyes close, much like an old monk sitting still. There was not a single trace of nervousness in him.

    There was a piece of ck ss on the wall of the examination room. Gu Ding knew that it was a one-way mirror. When viewed from the outside, it was a normal piece of transparent ss that allowed anyone to see clearly what was happening in the examination room. Besides that, there were cameras inside the examination room that did not have any blind spots.

    ¡°You don¡¯t look nervous at all,¡± the fierce-looking prison guard finally said something. The first thing he brought up had nothing to do with any information on Phillis.

    ¡°Why would I be nervous? Thatdy in sses told me that I¡¯ll be released once you¡¯ve made surethat there is no problem with my identity. Is that not the case?¡± Gu Ding questioned in return.

    ¡°Name?¡± The fierce-looking man narrowed his eyes and asked suddenly.

    ¡°Phillis.¡±

    ¡°Age?¡±

    ¡°Twenty-one years old.¡±

    ¡°Date of birth?¡±

    ¡°Federation Era Year 7843387, Rangu Ephemeris November 8th.¡±

    ¡°Identity number?¡±

    ¡°LTRG7843387Y11M08D005927.¡±

    ¡°Father¡¯s name?¡±

    ¡°Conan Doyle.¡±

    ¡°Mother¡¯s name?¡±

    ¡°Audrey.¡±

    ¡°Father¡¯s upation?¡±

    ¡°Novelist, scriptwriter.¡±

    ¡°Mother¡¯s upation?¡±

    ¡°Actress.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the date of your father¡¯s death anniversary?¡±

 Chapter 189 - Warden Thorso

    <h4>Chapter 189: Warden Thorso</h4>

    ¡°There is nothing wrong with your review. You¡¯re free to leave.¡±

    Gu Ding pushed the door open after hearing this. He knew that he should leave the as soon as possible because the longer he stayed, the more likely his identity would end up being exposed.

    Gu Ding walked briskly along the corridor toward the exit.

    He was less than twenty meters away from the door when a figure suddenly stopped in front of him.

    It was a tall man who was more than two meters in height. He looked about forty years old and had a tough-looking face. He was wearing a different uniform than the other prison guards. He had a white cloak that fluttered in the wind on his back. Gu Ding could vaguely read the word on it that said, ¡°Warden¡±.

    The man had to be the superintendent of Leoben Prison, Thorso.

    Thorso was a legend in Faye Cosmic Nation. At one thousand and three hundred years old¨Cording to the lifespan of a Rank-13 Gene Body which was two thousand and five hundred years¨Che was still in the prime of his life. Nevertheless, he had already managed to make his mark in prison at the age of twenty.

    There were many stories about him. However, the most impressive one was the incident when he was first appointed Leoben¡¯s Deputy Warden. He was only a Rank-12 Gene Body at that time, and a fugitive had sessfully broken through to be a demi-powerhouse. The warden at that time was killed by the demigod. Hence, Thorso fought the fugitive in the prison alone for fifteen minutes until reinforcements arrived. Later on, when his body was examined, it was discovered that he did not have a single bone left, and all his internal organs had shifted. The only thing he had left was his heart. He had managed to hold on with his willpower until reinforcements arrived.

    The moment Neptune saw his name while looking through the prison register, he wanted Gu Ding to give up.

    Gu Ding was well aware of the horror of the man in front of him.

    Thorso held out hisrge hand to Gu Ding which contained an intelligent wristwatch. ¡°You forgot something.¡±

    Gu Ding looked at Thorso for a moment before walking over to him.

    Just as Gu Ding was about to retrieve the wristwatch from Thorso¡¯s hand, thetter suddenly closed his fist. ¡°Gu Ding, do you really think you can leave Jerr so easily?¡±

    Gu Ding stopped in his tracks. Standing less than a meter away from Thorso, Gu Ding looked up at him. ¡°You¡¯ve got the wrong person.¡±

    ¡°Your disguise is so perfect that even after we traced it back to more than one hundred and seventy generations of ancestors and rtives, we still couldn¡¯t find anything. Being able to hack data to such an extent, I¡¯m having some doubts that you¡¯re human. Nevertheless, even though data is perfect, you have a fatal w¨Cyou¡¯re not nervous enough. Throughout this whole thing, you never once showed any feelings of uneasiness; even during the interrogation. The only reason why you weren¡¯t nervous was that you knew the prison wouldn¡¯t be able to catch you.¡± Thorso deduced.

    ¡°Ack of tension can also be the result of pathological reasons, such as ack of adrenaline or mental illnesses that block such emotions. Maybe you¡¯re like me, you were born with great psychological quality. Therefore, you don¡¯t get nervous very easily. Isn¡¯t it rather presumptuous of you to infer my identity from that alone?¡± Gu Ding retorted.

    ¡°You¡¯re from Dragon Soar Cosmic Nation. If you aren¡¯t, you wouldn¡¯t have visited Perrett. You grew up hearing stories about Perrett. The only ce that tells stories about Interster Pirates is a tavern, just like Rose tavern, where you grew up in. Not to mention, you appeared at about the same time Gu Ding arrived on this. Furthermore, when Perrett saw you, he called out that you were Gu Ding. Are you going to tell me that it was all just a coincidence?¡±

    ¡°Although Dragon Soar Cosmic Nation is not as big as Faye Cosmic Nation, it¡¯s at the very least a Cosmic Nation with a poption of over one hundred trillion people. No one has ever counted the number of taverns, but surely, there are too many to count. Is my time of arrival a coincidence? I¡¯m not the only one visiting Jerr today, am I? I saw more than three hundred people on my cruise ship alone. As for your fat, ugly colleague, he¡¯s clearly having a nervous breakdown. It¡¯s possible that he would¡¯ve called anyone Gu Ding,¡± Gu Ding refuted all of Thorso¡¯s arguments.

    ¡°No matter how much you deny it, it won¡¯t change the fact that you are Gu Ding.¡± Thorso was still certain of Gu Ding¡¯s identity.

    ¡°If you¡¯re so sure,e and get me.¡± Gu Ding spread out his hands.

    ¡°I¡¯d love to, but I can¡¯t.¡± Thorso shook his head at Gu Ding¡¯s words. ¡°If you¡¯ve been to a military academy, you know very well that a prison functions differently from the Army. A prison functions to hold and manage those sentenced to imprisonment by the federal court. I am the manager of this prison, and my powers do not extend beyond that. In short, I can¡¯t attack someone who hasn¡¯t been sentenced to prison by the federal court. When Federation Law was written, it defined the roles of each department. I respect Federation Law, so I will not trespass beyond my authority.¡±

    ¡°In that case, give me back my wristwatch. I¡¯m in a hurry.¡± Gu Ding held out his hand.

    ¡°You can¡¯t escape.¡± Thorso chose to open his fist and let Gu Ding take the wristwatch from his hand and walk past him.

    ¡°Arresting you may be outside my remit, but it¡¯s within the Army¡¯s remit,¡± Thorso said and dialed a number. ¡°Woodred, this is Thorso. I¡¯ve found Gu Ding. He¡¯s walking out of our prison gates alone. Also, he¡¯s disguised as someone else. I¡¯ll send you a photo. He could disguise himself as someone else, so my advice would be to lock down the port.¡±

    Gu Ding, who had just reached the door, paused for a moment before lightly saying a word, ¡°Unlock!¡±

    At once, the sirens of the prison began to re. All the prisoners¡¯ chains in Leoben Prison were instantly unlocked, and the doors of each cell were opened.

    Thorso, who witnessed what happened, turned to look at Gu Ding coldly. ¡°Now, you¡¯ve really seeded in provoking me.¡±

    ¡°You provoked me first!¡± Gu Ding nced at Thorso over his shoulder before pushing the door open with his left hand. He darted out.

    All of a sudden, a silver chain shot out of the prison gates as it was headed toward Gu Ding.

    Gu Ding knew that the attack hade from Thorso and immediately ducked. He had seen Bart¡¯s attacks before and knew that chained weapons were very troublesome to deal with once one was entangled in them. Furthermore, the one attacking him this time was a Peak Rank-13 powerhouse that hadbat effectivenessparable to a demigod.

    However, Gu Ding soon discovered that no matter how he fled, it was in vain. The chain seemed to have eyes of its own as it matched his speed without any trouble.

    Gu Ding¡¯s tried his best and activated Ultimate Arts Level 10. He performed eight consecutive Silent Steps; slightly changing his direction with each of them. Even so, the chain still managed to wrap itself around his left ankle.

    The moment Gu Ding realized that the chain had wrapped itself around his ankles, he knew that things were bad. A force immediately came from the other end of the chain as it pulled his body back. His emaciated body struck hard against the prison gates, and he fell into the prison corridor with it.

    Gu Ding slowly got up while wiping away the blood that was spilling from his mouth with the back of his hand. His eyes rested coldly on Thorso who was nearby. ¡°Is this what you call respect for the Federation Law and not trespassing beyond your authority?¡± Gu Ding asked with a hint of sarcasm.

    ¡°Before this, you were just an ordinary visitor. Even though I knew your true identity, I didn¡¯t attack you. However, you justunched a serious attack on our prison system, causing many prisoners to escape from custody. Whether or not those prisoners escape, your behavior falls under the category of a prison break. Such a crime falls within the purview of my authority,¡± Thorso exined. ¡°You can rest assured that once I catch you, I won¡¯t throw you straight into prison. I¡¯ll turn you over to the Army, and you¡¯ll be tried in federal court. Once the trial is over, I will apply for your transfer to Leoben Prison.¡±

    ¡°You mean you¡¯ll have me for sure?¡± Gu Ding was aware that his opponent this time was unusually strong. Nevertheless, he was not a man who madepromises so easily. Hence, Gu Ding decided to give it his all.

    ¡°I covered the chain with my Righteous Force. Once entangled by it, it¡¯s impossible for you to break free...¡± As Thorso spoke, he was surprised to see the chain around Gu Ding¡¯s ankles beginning to loosen. It was Neptune¡¯s unlock function taking effect.

    Thorso was stunned by this scene. Nevertheless, the moment he came to his senses, he guessed that Gu Ding had a special ability to break free.

    Gu Ding knew that it would not be easy for him to escape. Although Neptune could unlock the chains, Gu Ding could not catch up with Thorso¡¯s speed. Even if he activated Ultimate Arts Level 11, he would only havebat effectiveness and speed close to a Rank-12 gene body. Not to mention, Thorso was a real Peak Rank-13 powerhouse. Gu Ding¡¯s only chance was to wait until the prisoners with high bounties broke free and arrived. Then, he would have a chance to slip away when those prisoners distracted the warden.

    Thorso was different from the Army, who, whenever they encountered Gu Ding, would attack him regardless of life or death. Thorso was different in the sense that he was not going to kill him. The justice of thew was more important to him than anything else. He wanted to catch Gu Ding so that he could take him to federal court.

    Gu Ding was also well aware of Thorso ideas. Since he could not escape by himself, he simply attacked. Gu Ding activated Ultimate Arts Level 10 as well as Rage Attack at the same time and charged at Thorso.

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s so busy here...¡± Someone¡¯s voice was suddenly heard from a distance and interrupted their fight.

 Chapter 190 - Prison Bully Breid

    <h4>Chapter 190: Prison Bully Breid</h4>

    ¡°Breid...¡± Recognizing the voice at once, Thorso immediately withdrew from his fight with Gu Ding. He looked warily in the direction of the man. What he saw next was all the more disturbing when he noticed Breid was not alone. There were twelve powerhouses standing behind him.

    Breid looked like he was in his early twenties; he was handsome, sickly pale, and thin. He looked like a harmless homebody who did not like going out much and was somewhat malnourished. No one would have thought that Breid, with his looks, was the real bully of Leoben Prison.

    He was already a Rank-13 powerhouse before he was arrested. He was a monster powerhouse capable of destroying demigods and had a bounty of up to 70 billion Universe Credits. Each time he appeared, he would attract the higher-ups of Faye Cosmic Nation¡¯s Army, causing them to pour out in full force. After his arrest, he was sentenced to five thousand years of prison by the federal court. Five thousand years was the limit of a demigod¡¯s age, which meant that even if he became a demigod, he would remain in prison until he died of old age.

    The twelve people behind him were bullies who ruled over the prison. Each of them was a Peak Rank-13 powerhouse. Even with the effects of the Magical Imprison Chain, they had far more sinisterbat effectiveness than others. The twelve, all of whom Breid had overpowered and made as his men were unquestionably loyal. It has to be said that even thest member who came to serve him had been with him for more than 200 years.

    ¡°Why, it¡¯s Lord Warden. Long time no see,¡± Breid said cheerfully. He did not think that anyone on the could stop him from leaving, so he was not in a hurry.

    Thorso did not respond to Breid¡¯s greeting. Instead, he looked at Gu Ding who was not far away. ¡°Do you know what you¡¯ve done? There were more than eighty-eight thousand prisoners in this prison, all of whom are powerhouses that are Rank-10 and above. More than six thousand of them are of Rank-12 and above while more than two hundred of them are Rank-13. Do you know how much damage they¡¯ll cause if they get out of prison?¡±

    Gu Ding was speechless. He only wanted to leave the but ended up making such a big fuss.

    ¡°I was wondering why there were people escaping in front of us. It turned out that thisd set us free.¡± Breid¡¯s eyes fell on Gu Ding and looked closely at him. ¡°Would thisd be interested in joining us? You look like you have a lot of talent. Our crew has a lot of fighters but weck talented people like you.¡±

    ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m not interested.¡± Gu Ding simply rejected him. He was far away from them, but he could smell great dangering from them. They must have been infused with long-term killings.

    ¡°No one can say no to our boss.¡± A scar-faced man behind Breid stepped forward. Nevertheless, Breid held out his hand to stop him.

    ¡°Cecil, we¡¯re outside the prison. We¡¯ll have to change some rules once we get out. Thisd gave us freedom, and we owe him one. What did I tell you earlier?¡± Breid nced sideways at scar-face.

    ¡°We will take vengeance and repay those who¡¯ve been kind!¡± Cecil¡¯s eyes fell on Gu Ding, and the murderous aura from before finally dissipated.

    ¡°You¡¯ve given us freedom,d. We can grant you one condition for free.¡± Breid ignored Thorso¡¯s presencepletely. ¡°Tell me, what do you want?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t need anything.¡± Gu Ding refused, and as he looked at Breid, Neptune sent him information about thetter and the members behind him. Gu Ding knew that they were people who valued human life as worthless. They were essentially the same as the Dark Sectors, and Gu Ding had no interest in working with them.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you want to get out?¡± Judging from Gu Ding¡¯s expression, Breid could tell that he was not impressed with his crew. He was probably an Interster Pirate too, but he seemed to have different ideas.

    ¡°I can get out myself,¡± Gu Ding said and looked at Thorso. If Thorso had stopped him, it would have made it very difficult for him to escape.

    Breid seemed to realize something. He leaped and appeared between Gu Ding and Thorso. ¡°You may go now,d. I have some business to settle with Lord Warden.¡±

    Gu Ding was reluctant to owe Breid anything. However, considering that he had set them free earlier, he probably did not owe them anything. Gu Ding applied some force on his legs and sprang wildly toward the door.

    The chains in Thorso¡¯s hands began to twist again, trying to intercept Gu Ding. At that moment, Breid made a move without warning. He seemingly reached out his left hand slowly, and the chain that was after Gu Ding halted abruptly. Breid seemed to have no trouble holding the chain with the index and middle finger of his left hand.

    By that time, Gu Ding had already bolted out of the prison gates and madly ran off in the distance. Hence, he did not witness the shocking scene. Gu Ding was aware of the horrors of Thorso chains, and without Neptune to unlock them, he had no powers to break free.

    Breid managed to defuse that very sinister chain with two fingers, but then, something even more horrifying happened. Breid put a little force into his two fingers, and the chain broke into pieces before it disappeared in mid-air.

    ¡°Eh? !¡± Breid was a little surprised when he saw this happen. ¡°The chain isn¡¯t real? Nor is it made with your Righteous Force, surely it doesn¡¯t...¡±

    Just as Breid was about to guess the answer, a ck chain appeared in Thorso¡¯s hand. At the end of the chain was a ball-shaped sphere that was the size of a fist.

    ¡°It seems like I was right in my conjecture that the chain from before was only a derivative of a demigod item. No wonder you were able to contend against demigods for more than ten minutes as a Rank-12. I thought you were a monster too, but now, I think I overestimated you.¡± Breid smiled with a hint of disdain.

    ¡°Breid, I know you¡¯re a 1-star monster who can fight across threerge ranks, and I admit that there are only a handful of monsters in Faye Cosmic Nation. However, in Cosmic Sea, your talent is only considered excellent and not the best. At the very least, that young man¡¯s Monster Ranking is beyond your imagination.¡± Thorso knew that Breid had always been conceited about his own strength.

    ¡°That young man? You mean thed? He doesn¡¯t look like a teenager.¡± Breid¡¯s interest in Gu Ding grew stronger. ¡°Is he the legendary 5-star monster who can fight across sevenrge ranks?¡±

    ¡°He disguised his appearance. He¡¯s really only a fifteen-year-old boy. Based on our spections, if we calcted only hisbat effectiveness, he can cross sixrge ranks inbat and can be considered a 4-star monster. However, if you include his taboo energy, he¡¯s the king of monsters¨Ca 7-star monster powerhouse!¡± Thorso¡¯s statementpletely stunned Breid. ¡°7-star monster powerhouses have unbelievably sinister luck in this world and have the secret blessings of deities. That¡¯s why I didn¡¯t go all out on him because I knew I wouldn¡¯t be able to kill him.¡±

    Breid gulped and his fingers began to tremble. Having been stimted, shback images began to surface from his memory.

    In the images, a teenager, who looked like he was sixteen or seventeen years old, was pointing between his eyebrows with one finger. At that moment, he felt his body unable to move at all. Not to mention, he could clearly feel death approaching.

    ¡°How weak! I¡¯m only a Rank-8 and he¡¯s a Rank-10. He can¡¯t even take an ordinary move or dodge.¡± The teenager eventually did not kill him.

    ¡°You¡¯re a 5-star monster king, and he¡¯s just an ordinary 1-star monster. You could at least wait for him to be fourrge ranks higher than you before expecting him to have the ability to fight you.¡± A girl holding an umbre slowly stepped forward.

    ¡°Unfortunately, there haven¡¯t been any 7-star monster kings for nearly one hundred thousand years. I really look forward to a confrontation with him. Even if I end up being defeated, it would also be some kind of glory.¡± The young man¡¯s eyes sparkled with a ming fighting spirit.

    Breid slowly closed his eyes and took several deep breaths to calm himself down. He clearly remembered the time when he encountered a 5-star monster. It was because of that incident that he left Cosmic Sea and returned to Faye Cosmic Nation.

    ¡°Breid, you¡¯re wrong about two more things,¡± Thorso continued.

    ¡°First, I did not have this demigod item when I intercepted the demigod. The distance between a Rank-13 and a demigod isparable to the difference inbat effectiveness of tworge ranks. Not to mention, I was only a Rank-12 Gene Body back then. I had no idea that there was such a thing as a Monster Ranking before the battle that spanned threerge ranks. It wasn¡¯t until after the fight that I was told by my superior that I was a 1-star monster. It was also after that fight that I was specially trained by the Federal Government to be the warden of this prison.¡±

    ¡°Second, the chain in my hands is not a demigod-item but an iplete god item. Nevertheless, even if it is iplete, its powers are nothing a demigod-item canpare to.

    ¡°Therefore, no one shall escape from this prison today! Even a true demigod can only be suppressed by me!¡± The corners of Thorso¡¯s mouth slightly curled. Then, his ck chain struck out wildly and instantly turned into a huge. It wrapped around the thirteen people at the same time.

    Outside the prison, Gu Ding had run far enough. Since Thorso had not caught up with him, it suggested that Breid had stopped him. Looking around, Gu Ding saw a bathroom and darted toward it immediately.

    After entering the cubicle and locking the door behind him, Gu Ding tore off his human-skin mask and reced it with another one that looked like a student¡¯s. He then changed his wig, clothes, socks, and shoes. He even used some color-changing eye drops to dye his iris blue.

    Gu Ding left the cubicle and looked in the mirror. Seeing nothing out of ce, he left the bathroom and headed for the port.

 Chapter 191 - Neptuneâ€™s Mistake

    <h4>Chapter 191: Neptune¡¯s Mistake</h4>

    Noami was looking at a message that the Army had just sent to the port. The message hade from Leoben Prison¡¯s Warden, Thorso.

    (A riot has broken out in Leoben Prison, there might be fugitives. Besides that, Gu Ding has arrived in Jerr and is disguised as someone else as shown in the photo. He might change his disguise. Put the port on lockdown to prevent him and other prison fugitives from escaping.)

    When Noami saw the young, scarred-face man in the photo, she was shocked. ¡°How could it be him? No wonder he didn¡¯t want to talk all the way. He was afraid that I¡¯d recognize him through his voice...¡±

    A few minutester, a dynamic youth with dark brown hair and blue eyes could be seen outside the port. The person was wearing a white T-shirt and ck jeans. His looked drew the attention of many passersby.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t this a little too handsome, Neptune? Why do I feel like men and women are looking at me?¡± Gu Ding muttered under his breath.

    ¡°I think that the dynamic youth¡¯s face is more toward keeping your character, so you can just y your part. Besides, that face could get a lot of people to ignore your voice. It¡¯s a good disguise,¡± Neptune exined.

    Just then, a luscious woman standing next to Gu Ding approached him and osted him, ¡°Are you lost, pretty boy?¡±

    ¡°What happened to the port, sister? Why are there so many people stuck here?¡± Gu Ding asked as he saw the crowd nearby.

    ¡°The Army bastards are putting the port under lockdown. All spaceships cannot enter or leave Jerr.¡± The woman grumbled.

    ¡°Why are they putting the port under lockdown? Did they say why?¡± Gu Ding asked, wondering if he was the cause for the port¡¯s lockdown.

    ¡°They said they¡¯ve just received a message from Leoben Prison that there might be fugitives from prison. The port will be put on temporary lockdown to prevent the fugitives from leaving the,¡± the woman said angrily.

    ¡°Did they say how long the lockdown willst?¡± Gu Ding asked.

    ¡°No, but port lockdowns usually don¡¯t take too long. They normally onlyst for a few hours or at most a day. If you don¡¯t have a ce to stay, pretty boy, I do...¡± The woman said and winked at Gu Ding.

    Just then, a woman in a military uniform broke through the crowd and came right up to Gu Ding. ¡°Come with us.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± Gu Ding immediately asked as the woman turned out to be Noami, the person whom he had met on the cruise ship earlier.

    ¡°We suspect that you have something to do with the prison break incident,¡± Noami said as she nced coldly at the voluptuously dressed woman.

    ¡°I have nothing to do with him. We just had a casual chat.¡± The woman waved her hands.

    Gu Ding hesitated a little but then heard Neptune¡¯s voice in his ear, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, she¡¯s just looking for an excuse to bail you out. That woman is a hooker.¡±

    ¡°All right.¡± Gu Ding nodded and followed after Noami.

    Noami led him into the crowd. ¡°You can go now. I just saw that hooker harassing you. Don¡¯t talk to strangers and don¡¯t follow strangers home, kid.¡±

    ¡°Oh, thank you.¡± Gu Ding grinned and showed his pearly whites. They made his smile seem brighter. Noami was instantly killed by Gu Ding¡¯s smile; it left her looking a little demented.

    ¡°Do you mind if I ask how long the Army ns to keep the port on lockdown?¡± Gu Ding thought that it would be better to ask Noami directly.

    ¡°Ah? You... What did you say?¡± Noami did not hear Gu Ding¡¯s question at all.

    ¡°I¡¯m asking how long you are nning to keep the port on lockdown this time.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure about that. It depends on how long it will take the prison to resolve the riot. Not to mention, we have to confirm whether Gu Ding is on this...¡± As soon as Noami finished speaking, she realized what she had leaked. ¡°These are not things I should tell people. Just ignore what I said and don¡¯t tell anyone else.¡±

    ¡°Well... Thank you, then.¡± Gu Ding once again showed her his pearly whites and Noami fell into a daze. By the time she recovered, Gu Ding was gone.

    ¡°Bossdy, pretty good. You managed to hook up with such a handsome young man.¡± A strong man approached her and gave her a thumbs-up sign.

    ¡°King Kong, you want to die, don¡¯t you?¡± Noami, who looked a little adorable at first, suddenly turned into a stone-colddy.

    ¡°Bossdy, now I know why you can¡¯t find a boyfriend.¡± Just then, another bespectacled man approached them. ¡°Your standards are too high. Even a big man like me has to admit that I was almost killed instantly by the young boy¡¯s smile. Bossdy, if you¡¯re looking for a man of such standard, you won¡¯t find more than two digits of them in the entire Cosmic Sea.¡±

    ¡°What does it have to do with you bachelors if I can¡¯t find a man?¡± Noami suddenly snapped. ¡°Get the hell out of here and get to work!¡±

    ¡°The regr army has already put the port under lockdown. Isn¡¯t it our mission to sit on the bench and wait for the fugitives or Gu Ding¡¯s crew members to show up?¡± The strong man nicknamed King Kong once again changed the subject. ¡°By the way, bossdy, did you get the boy¡¯s contact number?¡±

    ¡°Get your head, G-O! Go!¡± The mushroom-haired Noami almost went ballistic.

    ¡°I guess you didn¡¯t. If not, you wouldn¡¯t be so grumpy. From a psychological point of view, King Kong, your question just happened to touch bossdy¡¯s sore spot. That¡¯s why bossdy is now in this irritable mood. If she had gotten his number, her reaction would have been ¡®None of your damn business!¡¯ Then, she would have rolled her eyes at you.¡± The bespectacled man adjusted his sses as he analyzed the situation.

    ¡°Four eyes, I¡¯ve warned you many times not to analyze me. If not, I will dig your eyes out!¡± Noami wentpletely ballistic as she pounced on the bespectacled man.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be so impulsive, bossdy.¡± She was immediately grabbed from behind by King Kong who secured her hands.

    ¡°Alright, to calm you down, I¡¯ll get that kid¡¯s contact number for you,¡± the bespectacled man said and immediately disappeared on the spot.

    The bespectacled man searched all around the port but could not find any traces of Gu Ding. ¡°That boy disappeared so quickly. No, I can¡¯t go back like this. I have nothing to tell bossdy. Looks like the only way to find him is to get help from Port Authority. I¡¯ll get them to pull up videos and find him.¡±

    He thought for a moment and headed straight for the Port Authority¡¯s office.

    At the gate of the Port Authority¡¯s building, he projected his work ID.

    ¡°Army, Hunter, ss.¡±

    ¡°What do you need us for, my Lord?¡± A half-bald, middle-aged man obsequiously came forward.

    Hunters were known by the rest of the Federal Government as the cream of the crop, a focus camp for geniuses. In other words, even a normal member was on par with a lieutenant general, and their strength was even more formidable.

    ¡°Where is your monitoring room? I need to look up videos of someone.¡± Their ttery gave ss more authority to handle private matters.

    ¡°I¡¯ll show you.¡±

    Less than three minutester, ss followed the man into the monitoring room.

    ¡°I need to check a video from twenty minutes ago to find someone,¡± ss stated his intention. ¡°He should be standing under camera number thirty-six.¡±

    The crew immediately brought up the video from camera number thirty-six and adjusted the time to twenty minutes prior.

    Five minutes into the video, ss seemed dumbfounded as he watched the footage. ¡°How could this be? Is the camera broken?¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with the video, my Lord?¡± the middle-aged man could not help but ask.

    ¡°Let¡¯s look at camera number thirty-four, thirty minutes ago.¡± ss¡¯ face was grave. If the camera was not broken, it would mean that the identity of the extremely handsome youth was...

    The video from camera number thirty-four was quickly brought up, and ss¡¯ face turned dark very quickly. ¡°Copy these two videos for me and send them to my email.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with these two videos, it¡¯s just two women talking to themselves,¡± the middle-aged man muttered puzzledly. Nevertheless, he instructed the staff to copy the videos and send them to ss.

    ss instantly disappeared from the monitoring room after getting the videos. Then, with a few Silent Steps, he appeared in front of Noami.

    ¡°You look really pale. You probably couldn¡¯t find him and failed to get his contact number.¡± King Kong felt nervous for his colleague, he guessed that bossdy was going to freak out again.

    ¡°Bossdy, that kid¡¯s Gu Ding!¡± Upong hearing ss¡¯ words, Noemi thought that she had misheard him.

    ¡°What did you say?¡±

    ¡°I looked around the port just now, and I couldn¡¯t find him. I was a little embarrassed toe back, so I went to Port Authority to check the surveince footage to see which direction he went. It turns out that he wasn¡¯t caught by any of the cameras,¡± ss said as he projected the two videos he had just watched himself.

    The first of the two videos showed a hooker osting someone. However, instead of Gu Ding, it looked like the stripper was talking to herself. In the second video, Noami was supposed to be seen talking to Gu Ding in the crowd. However, in the video, Noami was seen talking to herself, and there was no one in front of her.

    ¡°Is he really Gu Ding? !¡± Noami found it a little hard to believe.

    ¡°Bossdy, we¡¯ve all seen Gu Ding¡¯s profile. He can indeed do things like make himself disappear from videos. Although outsiders do not know what exactly happened in the Dragon Soar Cosmic Nation¡¯s incident on Great Divinity, such information is publicly avable to us. We also know that not a single surveince tool on a can capture him. He and his crew are invisible to all surveince tools on a. If youbine this with the message Thorso sent a little over half an hour ago, Gu Ding was disguised as someone else, and he could have possibly changed his disguise. The odds of him being Gu Ding are more than 90%. There¡¯s also a 10% chance that he¡¯s another highly skilled hacker. However, to appear on the same as Gu Ding, wouldn¡¯t that be too much of a coincidence?¡± ss went straight to the point with his analysis.

    ¡°If he reappears, whether or not he¡¯s Gu Ding, go after him with all your might. We¡¯ll talk more after we catch him.¡± Noami made up her mind quickly.

 Chapter 192 - The Battle Situation In The Prison

    <h4>Chapter 192: The Battle Situation In The Prison</h4>

    Gu Ding hurried out of the port, knowing that he would not stand a chance with such a tight lockdown.

    The regr army stationed at the port was not an obstacle to Gu Ding. However, the ten-men Hunter squad led by Noami was a great threat to him.

    Eight of the ten people in the Hunter squad were Rank-11 Gene Bodies. Only Noami, the squad¡¯s captain, and King Kong, the squad¡¯s vice-captain, were an exception as they were Rank-12 Gene Bodies. Besides that, the ten people knew Ultimate Arts. Although their Ultimate Arts was iplete, it was enough to generate a certain amount of increase inbat effectiveness.

    Although it would not be difficult for Gu Ding to get rid of a Rank-11 powerhouse if he activated Ultimate Arts Level 11, it would be impossible for him to get rid of a Rank-11 powerhouse quietly. In such a scenario, as soon as there were sounds of fighting, the two Rank-12 powerhouses would immediately rush to the scene to provide support. Therefore, the chances of him sneaking into the port at night, taking out one or two Hunters, and snatching a spaceship were almost zero.

    After finding a safe location, Gu Ding dialed Lilliath¡¯s number.

    ¡°Gu Ding, are you all right?¡± Nearly half the day had gone by; Lilliath and the others were worried. If Gu Ding¡¯s visit to the prison had gone well, they would have heard from him in an hour at most. Nevertheless, it had been four to five hours since theyst heard from him.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine. For some reason, they¡¯re putting the port on lockdown. There¡¯s also a Hunter squad here. Don¡¯te. I should be able to get away on my own. We¡¯ll find another to meet upter.¡± Gu Ding seemed calm.

    ¡°The port is under lockdown? You didn¡¯t cause any trouble, did you?¡± Lilliath did not think that it was good news.

    ¡°Thorso recognized me but he had no proof, so he didn¡¯t do anything at first. However, he wouldn¡¯t let me go just like that and had the Army put the port under lockdown. In a fit of rage, I asked Neptune to unlock all the prisoners. As a result, the entire Leoben Prison is now in chaos,¡± Gu Ding gave a general ount of what had happened. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter though. I¡¯ve changed to a second mask. No one should recognize me.¡±

    ¡°What are you going to do now?¡± Lilliath thought it was better to have a n in such situations.

    ¡°I¡¯ve thought about it and there are three ways to do it. The first is to seize the opportunity and grab an Army spaceship when the guards at the port are cking. The second is to wait for the prisoners to get out of prison to create chaos and leave amidst the chaos. The third way is to wait for the Army to lift the port¡¯s lockdown and get aboard a tourist ship or cargo ship. After all, they can¡¯t keep the¡¯s port under lockdown for so long. Not to mention, this is a tourist.¡±

    ¡°Who are the people in the Hunter squad?¡± Lilliath was trying to help Gu Ding find a better way.

    ¡°Two Rank-12 Gene Bodies and eight Rank-11 Gene Bodies.¡± Gu Ding then told Lilliath about his biggest obstacle so far, ¡°The main thing is that the ten men are well guarded and I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be able to find an opportunity. If I want to grab a spaceship, I¡¯ll have to fight at least one of them. However, with my powers, I¡¯ll need to wait until my third Damage Stacking proc to kill a Rank-11 Gene Body. By the time I kill one of them, the others would have realized and found out my location. I might not lose even if I encounter a Rank-12 powerhouse, but there¡¯s certainly no chance of me winning.¡±

    ¡°Therefore, the biggest problem is the two Rank-12 captains.¡± Lilliath understood what Gu Ding was trying to say. ¡°In that case, we¡¯ll dock the spaceship in the port and get Elsa and Tagore to help you take care of it. Once those ten people have been taken care of, you can get on board immediately. In any case, the port¡¯s armor-piercing cannons as well as the other spaceships will fail under Neptune¡¯s control, posing no threat to our Golden Eagle.¡±

    ¡°That sounds feasible, but let¡¯s just wait, and I¡¯ll see if I can escape by myself. If possible, I don¡¯t want you to get involved in this affair. Although it doesn¡¯t look very serious at the moment, we don¡¯t know what will happen next. After all, this incident was caused by my own willfulness, and you should not bear the consequences.¡± Gu Ding was aware that his actions this time were unwise. Nevertheless, he did not want to leave any regrets in life, so he had insisted on seeing Perrett. He also admitted that his behavior this time was a little selfish, which was why he did not want the other members to get involved in the matter. There was a chance his own personal crisis would turn into a crisis for the entire crew.

    ¡°What are you talking about? We¡¯re partners, and what partners do is have delicious meals together and deal with challenges together. Otherwise, how could we call ourselves partners? We¡¯reing over now. We¡¯ll be there in about half an hour. We were worried that if we got too close, we¡¯d be spotted by the Army, so we docked the spaceship a little further away. Get Neptune to open the tform canopy and lock the port¡¯s armor-piercing cannons,¡± Lilliath said and hung up.

    Gu Ding ended the call and looked in the direction of Leoben Prison. His biggest worry at the moment was what might be happening there. ¡°Check what¡¯s going on in the prison, Neptune.¡±

    Neptune immediately projected surveince footage of the prison.

    The battle between Thorso and Breid was still ongoing. The twelve men behind Breid had joined the battle as well, but Thorso was still holding his own against them.

    ¡°How did Thorso get so strong?¡± Gu Ding was surprised to see such a scene. Gu Ding had fought against Thorso before. Although he knew that Thorso had not used all his strength at that time, the situation of the battle in the video showed that Thorso could kill him with one finger.

    ¡°He¡¯s capable of fighting across threerge ranks. Not to mention, with that iplete god item in his hands, no demigod can match him. It is only natural if he can defeat Breid.¡± Neptune was not surprised at all. He was aware from the start that Thorso had held back a lot of his powers when thetter fought Gu Ding.

    In the video, ck chains were spread all over the ce. They were almost everywhere, thwarting Breid and his men¡¯s movements each second. Meanwhile, each of them could be seen trying to dodge and avoid being chained. Two of the thirteen men had found themselves wrapped in cocoons after being caught by the chains. So far, nothing had been done to them. Two others were hit by the ck plumb bob at the end of the chain and had fallen to the ground with serious injuries¨Cthey were no longer a threat.

    Whenever the ck plumb bob was about to attack, it would quickly change its size from that of a fist size to that of a giant sphere which was two meters in diameter, crushing its opponent. The bones of the two men who had been hit werepletely crushed, and their internal organs were dislocated due to the shock of the blow.

    The ck chain, like a thousand twisting little snakes, densely crept all over the broken prison gates. It formed a ck wall of snakes that wriggled and closed the exit, leaving no space in between.

    On the battlefield, there were only twelve men left. Ten of Breid¡¯s men, except Breid himself, were only holding on and dodging as best they could. Nevertheless, Breid was not at ease. He moved at a speed so fast that even if the video¡¯s yback speed was slowed down by a hundred-fold, Gu Ding would only be able to see a blue outline of his body. It was as if he waspletely out of sight. In stark contrast to Breid, Thorso was basically standing where he was without any motion. His energy was all focused onmanding the chain to attack.

    ¡°Breid is also a Natural Streamer. His ability is lightning, so he has terrific speed and attack power. However, his power is being restrained by the chain whereby his lightning will be absorbed if he uses it. Hence, you can see that he¡¯s not using it,¡± Neptune exined beside Gu Ding.

    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, they won¡¯t be able to escape at all.¡± Gu Ding watched longer for not more than a minute and came out with a conclusion, ¡°The doors are sealed, and the prison walls cannot be broken. The only way is to get rid of Thorso, but Thorso has a powerful and almost near god item. His attack and defense are oneplete entity.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve only seen the surface.¡± Neptune gave a different opinion, ¡°You must take into ount the fact that all the prison guards have been killed. Even the deputy warden has been killed. Only Thorso is left, he¡¯s struggling to hold the fort.¡±

    Neptune projected more than twenty camera images as he spoke¨Cthey were all pictures of corpses that belonged to prison guards. Gu Ding frowned as he saw the images. He knew that none of it would have happened had it not been for him. He was responsible for the deaths of nearly two hundred prison staff. In the images, dozens ofbat robots that had been destroyed could also be seen. Additionally, all of the prison¡¯s equipment had been smashed to pieces. The prison had been overrun by more than eighty thousand prisoners, and Thorso was alone...

    ¡°No matter how strong Thorso is, he won¡¯tst for too long as he¡¯ll eventually use up all his strength. Besides, his greatest enemy now is not Breid who is fighting him head-on but the vultures who have been hiding for more than half an hour. Breid may be the prison¡¯s bully, but there are two other men in the prison who are just as good as him. One of them is a Dark Sectors¡¯ Insider. His name is Tulu, codenamed yer. He didn¡¯t like power, and his only hobby is killing, so he didn¡¯t have any minions in prison. Nevertheless, Breid never dared to mess with him. The other one is Ghostwalker who hails from the Abyss. People of his race are natural killers. He was ostracized by humans because he was an abyss creature, but it has to be said that no one dared to provoke him. The two men have been watching the ongoing battle from the surveince camera¡¯s blind spot for more than half an hour. The moment Thorso shows any sign of weakness, he will inevitably receive a fatal blow. It is only a matter of time before the over eighty-eight thousand prisoners get out.¡±

    Neptune projected a photo of Tulu and Ghostwalker as he spoke.

    The man on the left was about the same height as Biggie; the gnarly muscled and fierce-looking, middle-aged man was Dark Sectors¡¯ Tulu. On the other hand, the man beside him was thin and slightly rickety. His skin had a rocky tint to it, and his eyes were an inhuman bloody red¨Chis pupils and irises were invisible, and his hands had no fingers. Sharp thorns covered his arms from their elbows down, and their maroon color made it look like they were poisonous.

    Just as Gu Ding was still looking at the two pictures, the battlefield where Thorso was in changed abruptly...

 Chapter 193 - Thorsoâ€™s Persistence

    <h4>Chapter 193: Thorso¡¯s Persistence</h4>

    After more than forty minutes of intense confrontation with thirteen men of the same rank, Thorso, who was standing at the prison gates and was like a mountain in front of them, eventually let something slip.

    Instantly, several figures who had been hiding in the dark attacked at the same time.

    They had waited so long for this moment... They knew very well that the prison gates would not open as long as Thorso still stood there. Killing Thorso was the simplest way to escape this cage in which they had been imprisoned in for hundreds or even thousands of years.

    A gray figure darted out as fast as Breid and appeared out of nowhere behind Thorso. By the time Thorso managed to react, it was already toote. A sharp thorn prated the left side of his chest without the slightest hindrance. It went through his heart and out of his body. Seeing that his chest had been pierced by a thorn that was maroon in color, Thorso knew that the one behind him was Abyss¡¯ Ghostwalker.

    At the same time, a huge figure appeared in front of Thorso and reached for his belly with one hand. Under the shock of his palm¡¯s Righteous Force, the person easily broke through Thorso¡¯s defense. The palm prated Thorso¡¯s abdominal muscles as well as internal organs directly and continued going deeper until his big hand had pierced through Thorso¡¯s back. However, that was not the end... He savagely grinned at Thorso as he clenched Thorso¡¯s vertebra with the palm of his hand. After doing so, he yanked his hand away from Thorso¡¯s body, and out came a piece of Thorso¡¯s vertebrae. The gruesome technique was the Dark Sectors¡¯ Tulu¡¯s favorite killing method.

    Nevertheless, strangely enough, even with his spine broken, Thorso still stood proudly like a giant tower that would not fall. Although parts of his intestines had slipped out from the hole in his abdomen Tulu¡¯s had created, and scarlet blood ran all over the floor, Thorso still stood tall. He could be seen holding the chain in his hand while the prison gates remained locked.

    Gu Ding could not bear to watch the video anymore.

    Thorso spat a mouthful of blood and looked at Tulu coldly. ¡°None of you will be able to leave this prison unless I die.¡±

    ¡°How can that guy say such a thing with that kind of confidence after getting hit by an attack like that?¡± The crowd looked with suspicion at Thorso who was still standing in ce, as well as the gates that remained locked. There was no logical exnation for Thorso to be able to survive such an attack. Not to mention, to be able to stand up despite the absence of his spine whichpletely broke thews of physiology. Nevertheless, it was happening in front of everyone¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°How strange...¡± Even Neptune was surprised. ¡°My analysis showed that after thest two attacks, his heart stopped beating. Besides that, his cellr and brain activity had begun to decrease rapidly. They¡¯re signs of death. How can he still talk like it was nothing?¡±

    Before Neptune could understand it, Tulu struck again. This time, he went for Thorso¡¯s head with his big hand because he suspected that Thorso had a special ability simr to immortality. Chopping off a person¡¯s head was generally the best way to deal with such abilities.

    Hence, Tulu sprung to his feet. However, just as hisrge hand was about tond on Thorso¡¯s head, several dark figures appeared without warning and rapidly moved up his palm. In less than a hundredth of a second, Tulu¡¯s entire arm was covered.

    Tulu activated his Righteous Force, hoping to break free of the shackles on his arm but was unsessful.

    Ghostwalker who saw this seemed to realize something. He was now the closest to Thorso. Hence, he immediately retreated out of sight. However, at almost the same time, several dark figures appeared from thin air and wrapped around his right foot like spiritual snakes...

    Tulu and Ghostwalker¡¯s struggles were futile. In less than three seconds, they were bothpletely wrapped in chains. Two seconds passed and the two werepletely silent.

    ¡°How strong!¡± Gu Ding had not expected such a sudden turn of events. He had thought that Thorso was dead for sure, but thetter became at least a notch stronger. Thorso was on par with Tulu and Breid, but he managed to instantly kill Tulu and Ghostwalker; it was unbelievable.

    Neptune did not give anyments. He seemed unsure of what had happened to Thorso.

    Inside the prison, the ck chains that had wrapped themselves around Tulu and Ghostwalker finally broke into pieces of their own ord and dispersed into thin air. As a result, the two people fell to the ground. Although there were no injuries on their bodies, it looked like they had passed out and their breathing was very faint.

    Breid lost his nerve. Thorso¡¯s currentbat effectiveness was iparable to before. If he was so sure that he had exhausted Thorso before, then there was no certainty that he would be able to escape the prison now.

    Thorso did not move, but that did not he did not have any ideas. Once again, the ck chain moved. This time, countless chains solidified and soon merged to form a ck python. The python, as if it could see where Breid was,unched itself at him before it had fully solidified. It had its mouth wide open as it lunged at Breid.

    Breid immediately tried to dodge it. He saw what had happened to Tulu and Ghostwalker¨Cthey were only entangled for a few seconds before they were locked down. Once he was caught by the chain, he would not have a chance to turn things around. Thorso¡¯s attacks were significantly more violent than his previous ones, and Breid was not prepared to fight back when Thorso was at his strongest.

    Nevertheless, Breid¡¯s men were not so lucky. Only two of them managed to escape the python¡¯s attack in time, while the rest were swallowed up. Breid did not know what would happen if he got caught, but he did not want to know because he knew it was not going to be good.

    Momentster, the python spat out the men, and it could be seen that they were in a simr state to Tulu and Ghostwalker¨C they lied motionless on the ground, and their breathing was imperceptible.

    The python continued its pursuit to catch Breid, and atst, its body managed to fully solidify itself. The fully solidified ck python was dozens of meters long and had a diameter of more than a metre. It uncontrobly slid through everywhere in the prison, chasing after Breid. Nevertheless, Thorso remained where he was at the gate¨Cnot moving even the slightest bit.

    The others saw it as a good opportunity to attack him because it definitely took him a lot of energy and strength to control the python to pursue Breid. Hence, it was possible that Thorso was defenseless.

    A Rank-13 Gene Body initiated the first attack. He had been hiding in the dark for a long time. It was just that he was not as fast as Tulu or Ghostwalker and did not manage to grasp the opportunity to strike earlier.

    He leaped and appeared beside Thorso. However, he felt his feet be heavy before he could reach Thorso. Unconsciously, he looked down and saw that his legs had unknowingly been wrapped around by chains. Secondster, he waspletely wrapped by ck chains.

    Meanwhile, Breid had been cornered in a dead-end of the prison. The ck python had already killed his remaining two men and swallowed up everyone it had met while chasing him. It was like a monster that never had enough to eat, powerful and terrifying.

    In the video projection, Breid could be seen struggling before he was swallowed by the ck python. Gu Ding waspletely stunned as he witnessed what happened. He could not understand how Thorso had be so strong out of nowhere. After all, he had examined the prison bully, Breid¡¯s information. Although he was only a Rank-13 Gene Body, he had been able to fight a demi-powerhouse when he was only Rank-12. Now that he was a Peak Rank-13, hisbat effectiveness should only be higher than before. Nevertheless, he was unexpectedly killed by Thorso with one move. Gu Ding even began to wonder if Thorso had promoted to demigod level, but the surveince footage showed no signs of his wounds healing which disproved that theory. After all, reaching demigod level was beyond humankind. A man could suffer many mortal wounds, but they were nothing to a demigod. Moreover, a demigod¡¯s cell strength was hundreds-fold greater than that of a Rank-13. Their resilience was nothing a Rank-13 Gene Body couldpare to.

    At the prison gates, another Rank-13 was easily killed by Thorso. It made the others who were hiding in the dark more afraid of Thorso, and they dared not take any more rash action.

    In less than two minutes, the people who had been wrapped in ck chains were released. Without exception, they were in the same state as Tu Lu and the others¨Cpassed out and faintly breathing.

    After spitting out Breid and the others, the ck python suddenly split into countless little ck snakes, each of which seemed to have its own consciousness as they darted in every direction of the prison, taking over all the passageways in an instant.

    ¡°Is he trying to kill everyone in the prison with that move?¡± Gu Ding asked. He had witnessed the scene and a zed expression was on his face. He thought that people who coulde up with such ideas were extremely imaginative and had a surprising amount of courage. Killing more than eighty-eight thousand people alone was far beyond the ability of a human. ¡°That¡¯s the kind of thing I always thought only deities could do... I wasn¡¯t expecting him to do this at all but why doesn¡¯t he heal himself now that no one is attacking? Even with an ability like immortality, isn¡¯t it dangerous to lose so much blood?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s no use, this Thorso is no longer the Thorso you once knew,¡± Neptune suddenly said, his statement was somewhat difficult for one to understand. Nevertheless, he quickly followed up with an exnation. ¡°The real Thorso is dead, my detection results just revealed that all his cells have stopped working, even his brain activity hase to a stop-his brain waves have no response at all.¡±

 Chapter 194 - The Deityâ€™s Will Projection

    <h4>Chapter 194: The Deity¡¯s Will Projection</h4>

    ...

    Thorso was dead?!

    Gu Ding was a little confused at Neptune¡¯s statement. ¡°I don¡¯t quite understand. The chain is still attacking, and it can perform defensive maneuvers. How could a dead man do that?¡±

    ¡°It is the chain that attacks and defends.¡± Neptune¡¯s exnation sounded avant-garde. ¡°Real god items have their own awareness¨Cthey just have varying levels of strength. The chain in Thorso¡¯s hand was originally a god item, but for some reason, it had been deliberately broken down into something between a demigod item and a god item. That¡¯s why the chain is spiritual, but its self-consciousness was sealed because the original body is iplete. Just before Thorso died, he left behind a strong obsession, and it is this obsession that awakened the self-consciousness sealed in the chain. If I¡¯m not mistaken, this chain has fully adopted Thorso¡¯s obsession before his death, and the awakened weapon spirit hopes to help him fulfill hisst wishes. That¡¯s why the scene in the video took ce...¡±

    In the video now, the chains that turned into little ck snakes quickly found their targets and wrapped themselves around said targets.

    There were more than eighty thousand people, and within three minutes, more than half of them were wrapped in a ck ball-shaped entity.

    Ten minutester, everyone in the video fell to the ground. Thorso did it. He alone fought against more than eighty thousand powerhouses, or to be precise, his remaining obsession did it.

    However, strangely, the chain once again solidified into a python, which grew sorge that the ball at the top of the chain slowly transformed into a sharp spike that was several meters long, resembling a sharp horn on its head.

    The python, still solidifying, looked up at the sky.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Everybody in the prison got killed off, right? Why hasn¡¯t the obsession dissipated?¡± Gu Ding asked, slightly confused.

    ¡°That¡¯s because a strong opponent appeared...¡± Neptune projected the holographic image.

    In the surveince footage, the clouds in the sky above Leoben Prison were moving strangely. The clouds slowly turned into a vortex under the surge.

    Then, in the center of the vortex, a white beam of light shone down like there was a prating light on the other side of the cloud. Just when the white light hit the ground, the surveince footage suddenly disappeared, leaving static noise in the form of white snow on the screen as the signal cut off.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on? Why are there no images?¡± Gu Ding asked anxiously, curious to know what happened when the ray of light fell.

    ¡°That ray of light was the divine ray, and it only urs when a deity¡¯s original body or a deity¡¯s will projection appears. Shielding the entire¡¯s signal waves, other than Sk, this is something that only the deities can do. Moreover, the divine ray¡¯s shield is an oppressive shield of pure energy, and I have no way to break through it now. Therefore, not only will we not be able to see the battle, but before the deity leaves, we will lose all contact with Lilliath and the rest of the crew. Even if my signal got through, their signal won¡¯t be able to break through the¡¯s shield. Nheless, I¡¯ll keep trying to get in touch with them and as soon as the shield is lifted, I¡¯ll be able to contact them immediately.¡± What Neptune brought was no good news.

    ¡°Does that mean that you have no control over the port¡¯s Sky System and armor-piercing cannons system?¡± Gu Ding asked.

    ¡°Yes, in old Ceruleannguage, I am now a stand-alone machine without an inte connection. My radar is also disabled. I can only see through your eyes now, and I can¡¯t see anything that you can¡¯t.¡± Neptune¡¯s voice sounded depressed. It was the first time he felt so powerless after being impaired so thoroughly.

    ¡°In that case, it¡¯s probably safer for Lili and the rest if they can¡¯tnd on this.¡± Gu Ding came to another conclusion. ¡°As deities areing, nobody knows what will happen.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯ll be fine, it¡¯s you who¡¯s in great danger,¡± Neptune warned. ¡°The Army has verified your presence on this. The longer you put this off, the more danger you will be in.¡±

    ¡°However, I definitely can¡¯t get away until the deity leaves.¡± Gu Ding stretched out his hands helplessly. Speaking of the deity, he got a little excited. ¡°I want to see the deity¡¯s battle, Neptune.¡±

    ¡°Are you mad? If you get caught up in the fighting, you¡¯ll die a horrible death.¡± Neptune countered unceremoniously.

    ¡°We can watch from a distance. It must be easy for you to turn into a telescope. The building on the left is so tall, we can watch from the top of it, and you won¡¯t be caught up in the fighting.¡± Gu Ding¡¯s words finally swayed Neptune, deep down, he wanted to see how powerful the deities of his time really were.

    This building on the Gu Ding¡¯s was more than four hundred meters tall. There were only about more than seventy buildings that reached this height on Jerr. There were three in the city Leoben Prison was in, the tallest one was eight hundred and eighty-three meters, and the one on Gu Ding¡¯s left was the second tallest building in the city.

    It took Gu Ding less than five minutes to reach the top of the tower in a hover-elevator.

    Neptune transformed his form into a pair of intelligent sses, and Gu Ding could easily see where the beam of light had fallen. Although the beam was no longer there, the cloud change in the sky gave Gu Ding a glimpse of Leoben Prison¡¯s exact location. Gu Ding, of course, saw another sight that startled him.

    It was a ck python that stood at nearly two hundred meters in height. Itpletely broke through the shackles of the prison and was hovering above the prison. The opponent facing him was a giant that was nearly three hundred meters tall.

    Neptune quickly activated the intelligent sses. He zoomed in and Gu Ding finally got a good view of the battle.

    The giant, as Neptune mentioned before, seemed to be the deity¡¯s will projection. The projection, heavily armored in ck and covered in muscles, looked like a closebat powerhouse. What was most striking about his face were the pair of triangr eyes that gave away ferocious vibes, which was a clear indicator that the fellow was not a good man.

    ¡°Surrender to me!¡± The deity¡¯s projection sent vibrations in the surrounding air, and Gu Ding could hear it clearly through his intelligent sses.

    The ck snake chose to keep quiet. It stood still. You may not be able to see its eyes, but even Gu Ding could feel that it was staring at the opponent opposite him.

    ¡°Surrender to me, we can fight together. I can even help you find your missing parts and make you stronger...¡± The deity¡¯s projection imposed his own conditions.

    ¡°It seems that this deity descended his projection for the god item.¡± Gu Ding finally knew the deity¡¯s purpose for descending. ¡°Didn¡¯t they say deities can nurture god items themselves? Why rob other people¡¯s god items?¡±

    ¡°A demigod item needs at least a thousand years of nurturing before it can form consciousness, and it takes longer to have its own thoughts. This chain¡¯s weapon spirit has reached its mature form. If he manages to subdue it, this means that the deity can save at least three thousand years by doing this. He can spend more time on cultivation. Although the chain is iplete in form, it is not difficult for the deities to refine it all over again. What¡¯s difficult is the formation of the weapon spirit.¡± Neptune exined very clearly. ¡°Usurping it directly is actually a bargain.¡±

    ¡°How muchbat effectiveness can the deity¡¯s will projection retain?¡± Gu Ding looked at the deity¡¯s projection from afar. From the sheer size of his opponent, he deduced that he should be pretty strong.

    ¡°In general, the possibility is between ten to eighty percent. It depends on his individual strength, the distance of the projection, and other factors.¡± Neptune exined.

    ¡°Do you have to defeat the weapon spirit to subdue it?¡± Both the deity and the god item were new to Gu Ding, and he had many questions about both.

    Neptune was happy to answer questions, especially since that was all he could do. ¡°No, weapon spirits have their own consciousness. They have their own preferences like other living things. Sometimes they may find themselves drawn to someone, and they may recognize them as their master. Of course, using violence to convince them is also one of the ways to make them recognize someone as their master. There¡¯s also the one that the deity just used, which is to get it to recognize him as its master in a trade-off. He knew that the chain was iplete and that the weapon spirit instinctively wanted to rebuild its body, so he asked for a trade-off.¡±

    ¡°The weapon spirit didn¡¯t seem to buy it though.¡± Gu Ding could also see that the deity¡¯s offer did not impress the weapon spirit.

    ¡°There are generally three oues in which this trade fails. First, the weapon spirit does not like his aura; Second, the weapon spirit misses its former master; Third, the terms of the deal were not attractive enough.¡± Neptune spected. ¡°Generally speaking, it should not be the third case, because weapon spirits would instinctively want to repair their own bodies. The condition should be very attractive to him. It is unlikely for this to be the second case since he had little bond with his former master, Thorso, and when he awakened, Thorso was already dead. The first scenario is the most likely to take ce as of now¨Cthere should be something on him that will repel it.¡±

    ¡°It seems that you won¡¯t agree to a trade-off.¡± The deity waited for a long time and became angry when he did not get the response he wanted. ¡°In that case, let¡¯s fight. I¡¯ll ovee you with my powers! I¡¯ll force you to surrender!¡±

    The python seemed to understand what he said. Its crouching figure twisted rapidly, and held up its proud head, as if to say, ¡°I ept your challenge!¡±

 Chapter 195 - Gu Ding Who Got Caught In The Middle Of A Fight

    <h4>Chapter 195: Gu Ding Who Got Caught In The Middle Of A Fight</h4>

    ¡°Boom! Boom! Boom! ...¡±

    Violent, catastrophic booming vibrated from afar. It sounded like thunder as it swept in from the distant horizon.

    The giant and python shed through the air nonstop, every sh was met with a violent collision. The collision between them was also crazy. Each impact brought about a fierce roar, giving people a sense of mountains copsing. Nothing was intact wherever the two had passed under the energetic shock of the impact.

    The earth cracked, mountains copsed, trees smashed, and rivers evaporated...

    Standing at the top of the building, Gu Ding could even feel the ground shaking under his feet, where he was in fact more than two hundred kilometers away from the battlefield.

    Since this was only the projection of the deity¡¯s will, there were many abilities that he could not use. Besides, it was not hard to tell from the strength of his body that this guy was a closebat martial artist, so it did not surprise Gu Ding that he was engaged in closebat like that.

    Under the resolution of the intelligent sses, the speed of the two was slowed down by nearly ten thousand times and Gu Ding could finally capture their movements with his eyes.

    ording to Neptune¡¯s calctions, in less than five minutes ofbat, the two collided an average of more than eight hundred thousand times a second. On top of that, the time period ounts for more than just the collision. It also includes the time it took for both to move through the air, dodge, and make other movements.

    The fabled indestructible Leoben Prison waspletely destroyed in the aftermath of the battle. Carbide alloy could still only withstand forces lesser than a demigod at best. With this deity¡¯s level of strength, it was as fragile as ss under a hammer¨Cit absorbed less than three energy shocks before copsing.

    The copse of Leoben Prison gave people an idea of what other ordinary buildings would look like. Fortunately, Leoben Prison was located in the northern outskirts of the city, not a residential neighborhood. There were no casualties other than those who passed out in prison.

    As Gu Ding looked at the cracked ground, he finally got a grasp of the deity¡¯s terrifying power. Both the deity¡¯s projection and the python collided in midair¨Cnever touching the ground, but for nearly twenty kilometers, almost no piece of ground was intact. Each violent shock caused by the wave of energy caused the ground to shake violently. The ground ruptured amidst the shaking.

    ¡°How strong. I could feel a strong vibration from so far away, it was like an earthquake took ce.¡± Gu Ding could not help eximing.

    ¡°An actual deity¡¯s fight is enough to make a whole tremble. This fight is a notch lower, because one is only a projection of will, and the other one is not even aplete god item. You are standing about two hundred thirty kilometers from the center of the battle ring right now, and based on the vibrations of your current position, I¡¯ve calcted that you would still feel subtle tremors on the ground about three thousand and six hundred kilometers away.¡± Neptune revealed the results of his calctions. He was indeed very boring right now.

    A deity¡¯s will projection usuallyes with a time limit¨Cusually not very long. Weaker deities might not evenst half an hour. The deity seemed a little anxious after nearly twenty minutes of not being able to take the god item down. He finally used an ability he was reluctant to use.

    Gu Ding saw through his sses that as the snakeunched a new wave of impact, it suddenly slowed down after reaching some distance from the deity¡¯s will projection. Besides that, the will¡¯s projection attack speed was more than ten times faster.

    There was a loud crash, and the python was knocked upside down by the blow.

    ¡°What happened?¡± Gu Ding did not understand at all. The two were neck and neck before, and it was as if the deity had suddenly be stronger, with no warning.

    ¡°It¡¯s abat effectiveness field. There are many different types ofbat effectiveness fields. The one he used is the martial arts field. Within a certain distance, he can suppress the opponent¡¯s speed and strength, and enhance their own speed and strength. ¡± Neptune exined.

    ¡°Being able to suppress opponents while simultaneously improving yourself, and not just against one person... This ability is just too awesome.¡± Gu Ding could not help sighing.

    ¡°Of course, force-field abilities tend to evolve from other abilities. Very few people have an innate force field. In the entire Cosmic Sea, there are more than thirty million known special human abilities, less than three hundred of which can evolve into force fields. Of your current five special abilities, only rage ability can evolve into a rage field.¡± Neptune¡¯s exnation put into perspective the uniqueness of this ability.

    ¡°It looks like the python is going to lose.¡± Gu Ding knew that if it went on like this, there would be no doubt as to the oue of the fight. ¡°I just don¡¯t know if the deity will leave immediately after he gets it.¡±

    At the same time that Gu Ding made this judgment, the deity¡¯s projection also moved. Without giving the python any breathing space, he kept throwing devastating punches. Under the suppression of the force field, the python had no resistance. After all, it was an iplete god item. In the absence of a host, it could only fight by instinct. Relying on his instinct to fight, he could easily run over those who were weaker than him. However, when facing an opponent who was stronger than him, for example, this deity¡¯s will projection, it would be defeated once the opponent figured out its attack patterns.

    Atst, with nearly a hundred blows, the python¡¯s body finally copsed and turned into tiny ck snakes, which fled in every direction. Even in defeat, it seemed unwilling to give in and fled.

    Seeing this reaction from the chain, the deity¡¯s projection was stunned but quickly reacted. He cursed and once again attacked, crushing most of the small ck snake-like chains. Then he locked on to the direction of the remaining eight chains and went after the direction of the first chain...

    One of the chains sprang out in Gu Ding¡¯s direction.

    The chain was like a small ck snake. It leaped out extremely fast. It arrived within seconds from a distance that was more than two hundred kilometers away. Before Gu Ding could react, the ck chain rushed into his body.

    ¡°Damn it! The chain will not acknowledge the deity as its master and has chosen you instead.¡± Neptune immediately responded. ¡°That deity is going toe after you next.¡±

    ¡°Is that considered an unexpected cmity?¡± Gu Ding was speechless at the prospect of this. He was only an onlooker who was more than two hundred kilometers away, he did not expect to be involved. ¡°I just wanted to see what themotion was... How did this happen?¡±

    ¡°We cannot escape. The deity had left his mark on the eight chains just now. He can instantly know where we are. Running away would only anger him...¡± No sooner had Neptune uttered these words, a huge figure appeared in front of Gu Ding.

    Floating in midair, the deity¡¯s projection looked down at Gu Ding. ¡°You¡¯re the boy who¡¯s been watching us fight? You stole the god item?!¡±

    ¡°He came leaping in on his own.¡± Gu Ding found the word ¡°stole¡± offensive.

    ¡°Is that so? Do you mean that he would rather choose a mortal for his master than a deity like me?¡± The deity was visibly displeased.

    ¡°It was a choice he made. I don¡¯t have to exin myself.¡± Gu Ding did not like the deity¡¯s condescending attitude although he was indeed stronger than him and could easily kill him with a single pinch.

    Upon hearing this, the deity¡¯s projection pondered for a moment. ¡®A god item with aplete consciousness would not simply acknowledge anyone as its master. There must be something in this boy that attracted the god item. Let¡¯s see what this guy¡¯s secret is, and if it¡¯s right, I¡¯ll obliterate his mind and take over his body. This way, I will not only get a split-body for nothing but also get the god item.¡¯

    Thinking of this, he suddenly reached out his palm and put it over Gu Ding¡¯s head. Gu Ding instantly felt that his body could not move, and a strange energy began to infiltrate his body at the same time.

    ¡°This guy has infiltrated your body with soul energy to check out your special abilities. Once he finds out that you own taboo energy, he will definitely choose to abandon the will projection and use soul energy to possess you. He has now barred your body, and the chain¡¯s weapon spirit cannot escape from your body any time soon. Once he¡¯s done possessing, he can use your body to slowly refine the chain. For him, not only has he acquired a rare split-body, but also the god item, killing two birds with one stone.¡± Neptune immediately understood his intentions.

    Gu Ding may be able to hear Neptune, but he could not respond. He could not even move his lips. In fact, he could do nothing but blink.

    The deity¡¯s soul energy quickly explored Gu Ding¡¯s body. Gu Ding¡¯s soul space was not small, but that was rtive to someone in his rank. Compared to a deity¡¯s soul space, his soul space was miniature. In less than three seconds, the deity found what it wanted in Gu Ding¡¯s soul space.

    It was a huge execution pir, grounded in Gu Ding¡¯s soul space. It was entirely ck, and it was engraved withplex ciphertext. The deity was momentarily stunned. ¡°Taboo energy... The kid had such a horrible thing in his body. No wonder the chain chose him...¡±

    He walked toward the depths of the soul space with some reluctance because that was where Gu Ding¡¯s soul¡¯s original body was hidden. Once he killed Gu Ding¡¯s soul¡¯s original body, this body with taboo energy would be his...

 Chapter 196 - Gu Ding Who Advanced Again

    <h4>Chapter 196: Gu Ding Who Advanced Again</h4>

    Everyone had a door in the deepest part of their soul space. On the other side of the door was the hiding ce of their soul.

    Kratos soon found the door where Gu Ding¡¯s soul was hiding. No, to be exact, he saw not one door, but three.

    Standing before three very different doors, Kratos wondered. ¡°This boy has three souls? He has three personalities? Or are there two other host bodies that are symbiotic in his body?

    The three doors were quite different in appearance.

    The door on the left was a magnificent golden door. The engraving on the door was of a gigantic crouching dragon with eyes made of two emerald stones. He looked as majestic as a real living creature. On the door frames were all kinds of strange birds and beasts, which even Kratos, who had lived for more than eight thousand years could not recognize. He guessed that the design consisted of some extinct ancient creatures, which was why he had never seen them.

    The one in the middle was a simple wooden door. It was so simple it did not even have a pattern. On the edge of the door frame grew fragrant green grass and small white flowers. Kratos¡¯ mood was lifted as he smelled the fragrant scent.

    As for the door on the right, it was built entirely with ck metal and released a chill in the air. The door was carved with strange characters, big and small, square and round, that were arranged at different angles. The patterns on the door frame were like countless tiny chains, or like a strange otherworldly ciphertext, giving off a strange vibe.

    Kratos hesitated for a while. What he wanted to enter was actually the right door, because it gave him a sense of mystery, and he really wanted to know what was behind the door. However, his instinct for danger warned him not to open the door as he might die. Kratos, who had this feeling, thought it absurd that the master of this body was only an ordinary man, and that the soul, no matter how powerful, was not on the same level as his.

    As he thought of this, he reached out his hand and decided to push open the ck door. His fingers were about to touch it when a sudden thrill of terror came over him, and he knew very well that it was death approaching. He had a near-death experience once, and he got the same feeling. It was like an invisible sickle on his neck, which would cut off his head if he made one mistake.

    He hastily withdrew his hand and took a step backward. His body shuddered involuntarily, and his eyes darted warily toward the door. ¡°This feels so evil...¡±

    Withdrawing his gaze, he nced at the small wooden door next to it. ¡°Let¡¯s just see this one first.¡±

    Touching the wooden door, Kratos pushed it open with little effort and stepped in.

    Kratos squinted his eyes slightly in the re of the sun. Everywhere in the soul space had been dark, and the sudden re made him a little ufortable.

    His eyes soon adjusted to the change of light. Underneath a clear blue sky, he stood on a green meadow. The wind was blowing gently, bringing a fresh smell of earth.

    A boy with short ck hair was sitting on the grass. To his left, a little ck dog was lying there, chewing who knows what.

    ¡°That¡¯s strange, why are there two self-aware soul bodies in soul space? Moreover, there¡¯s one in non-human form. Is the dog a symbiotic?¡± Kratos was even more confused.

    Under normal circumstances, there would only be one conscious soul body in everyone¡¯s soul space, and only this soul can dominate the body. However, there were not only three doors in Gu Ding¡¯s soul space, but two conscious soul bodies in one of them, which was a little confusing.

    However, after living for so many years, Kratos also knew that there were generally only three scenarios in which a self-aware soul in non-human form could exist within a human body. One was when the soul body¡¯s original body was a god item. After the god item acknowledged a master, the weapon spirit would reside in its master¡¯s soul space. In the second case, the soul body was a soul host body, which for some reason had lost its own original body and had to reside in the human body. In the other case, the two were symbionts, and the non-human soul body was born with them.

    Sensing Kratos¡¯s arrival, the boy waved at him. ¡°Hey,e and sit!¡±

    Kratos was stunned for a moment. He thought he entered the wrong door, yet he still walked toward the boy.

    ¡°People don¡¯te to my ce very often. You¡¯re the fifth.¡± The boy greeted with great enthusiasm.

    ¡°The fifth? Have you ever seen a boy with dark brown hair and blue eyes?¡± Kratos described what Gu Ding looked like in disguise, which he had not realized was a disguise.

    ¡°No.¡± The boy stroked the little ck dog¡¯s head.

    ¡°Have you seen the men in the other two doors?¡± Kratos asked.

    ¡°Yes, ckie is the pet of the neighbor on the right.¡± The boy nodded.

    Kratos looked at the little ck dog, who was the size of his palm. He was gnawing at a ck chain. Kratos did not think too much of it as inanimate matter could be conjured up in soul space. It was not strange to throw a toy like that to a puppy.

    ¡®It¡¯s quite possible that the kid was the dominant figure of this body. He was about the same height and features. The difference in appearance was probably due to the disguise. Let¡¯s kill him first and see if I can take control of the body. If not, I¡¯ll go to the other two doors and see,¡¯ thought Kratos. Kratos soon had an idea. His eyes fell on the boy with some bad intentions, and the murderous look disappeared.

    Just then, the little ck dog picked up the chain and swallowed it. Then it stood up and gave Kratos a low growl. It seemed to sense his murderous intent.

    At this point, no one noticed that the scaffold in Gu Ding¡¯s soul space was slowly changing as ckie swallowed the chain.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter, ckie? The puppy¡¯s reaction raised questions from the boy.

    Just then, Kratos moved. With a sh of his figure, his huge fist swung directly at the boy¡¯s head. With his soul strength, an attack of this magnitude would blow the boy¡¯s soul to pieces.

    All of a sudden, Kratos saw nothing but darkness in front of his eyes¨Chis target had disappeared. There was a sh of darkness and he felt pain in his wrist. He fixed his eyes on it to find that it was a giant dog that was nearly one-meter tall biting his wrist with sharp teeth. As the giant dog pulled back with a single blow, Kratos looked down to see that it had bitten a chunk off his soul body¡¯s wrist. Looking around, he found himself in a dark, spherical enclosure, surrounded by two dozen giant dogs.

    He knew it was a bad sign when the second dog rushed toward Kratos, pinning him to the ground and biting him mercilessly in the throat. The pack of dogs then gathered around Kratos, and within ten seconds, this fragment of Kratos¡¯s soul¡¯s split-body was torn to pieces by its sharp teeth. It was not until just before he lost consciousness that he realized the chain the puppy had swallowed was the weapon spirit he was after.

    ¡°Why did the uncle suddenly disappear?¡± The boy touched ckie¡¯s head to pacify it. He then turned his head only to find that the uncle he was chatting with had suddenly disappeared.

    Outside Gu Ding¡¯s soul space, without the support of the soul energy, Kratos¡¯s will projection instantly copsed, turning into tiny energy dust particles. The energy dust seemed to be attracted by something inside Gu Ding too and rushed desperately into Gu Ding¡¯s body.

    Neptune sensed that the ck virus in Gu Ding¡¯s body was frantically absorbing the energy dust floating in the air, this time the absorptionsted more than half an hour.

    Once it finished absorbing, the ck virus once again disappeared, and Gu Ding had a new gene chain that quickly clumped together. The original double spiral structure had sessfully constructed a triple spiral structure under the change. This structure also meant that Gu Ding had be a Rank-6 Gene Body.

    His cells were rapidly undergoing mitosis and evolution, and there were also other changes in the gene chain. The one that attracted him the most was the one in ck. The ck gene chain changed color when Gu Ding gained taboo energy. Now, the change in form meant that Gu Ding¡¯s taboo energy should have evolved.

    As the ck gene chain changed, so did a tiny new gene chain.

    ¡°It¡¯s strange that in one evolution, not only did his taboo energy evolve, but he also got a new ability...¡± Neptune had always known that Gu Ding¡¯sposition was unique, but he was still a little surprised. He silently waited for Gu Ding¡¯s gene chain to finish changing.

    More than half an hourter, the gene chain finally finished changing. Gu Ding¡¯s cell strength also stabilized, and Neptune once again checked Gu Ding¡¯s body data.

    Name: Gu Ding

    Gender: Male

    Age: 15

    Gene Level: Rank-6

    Special Ability 1: Level 3 Rage Attack (Evolvable)

    Ability Description: Attack power, defense power, speed, and regeneration are all quadrupled continuously for ten minutes.

    Side Effects: Ten hours into Prostration,bat effectiveness is halved.

    Special Ability 2: Level 1 High-Speed Regeneration (Evolvable)

    Ability Description: The cells¡¯ regenerative ability was increased tenfold (Permanently).

    Special Abilities 3: Level 3 Damage Stacking (Curse Stream ability) (Evolvable)

    Ability Description: This spell could cause a curse effect on the target whereby damage has the ability to stack. The second blow will be stacked onto the first blow, while the third blow will be stacked onto the first and second blow.

    Special Ability 4: Absolute Seal (Level 2 taboo energy) (Evolvable)

    Ability Description: An absolute seal effect can be ced on any living body via the sense of touch. It can seal all energies of the opponent, including primary power, special ability, cell energy, spirit, and any other form of energy.

    Ability Limitation 1: Seal duration: twenty hours.

    Ability Limitation 2: Each use must be more than twenty days apart.

    Ability Limitation 3: Not effective for non-living entities

    Ability Limitation 4: Only can be ced on a single body.

    Special Ability 5: Level 2 Advanced Iron Block (Evolvable)

    Description: Makes the skin, muscles, internal organs, and bones of the body as solid as iron. Increases defense by twenty times and applies a 20% reverse shock effect to iing attacks.

    Ability Limitation: Use for up to an hour at a time. Defense power is reduced to a third of its original level when the effect is over.

    Special Ability 6: Rank-1 martial arts field (Evolvable)

    Ability Description: Suppress the opponent¡¯s strength and speed by 50% and doubles his own strength and speed.

    Ability Limitation 1: The force field¡¯s radius is ten meters, anything beyond the force field¡¯s radius will be unaffected.

    Ability Limitation 2: Can only use for half an hour at a time

    Ability Limitation 3: Can only use once every three days

    Cell Index: 80000

    Spirituality Index: 79000

 Chapter 197 - I Just Wanted To Have A Bout

    <h4>Chapter 197: I Just Wanted To Have A Bout</h4>

    On a more than fifteen billion light-years away from Jerr, a tall,rge man threw up a mouthful of blood. ¡°What exactly is that brat made of? He has such a powerful monster kept within his soul space. It may look like an infant on the surface, but it has consumed one-fifth of my soul in less than ten seconds...¡±

    Kratos was feeling a little upset over this. He had lost the bait along with the fish. He had lowered down his will projection for the sake of obtaining that chain god item. In the end, he did not have his hands on the god item and instead handed over one-fifth of his strength, which was in his will projection, and one-fifth of his soul energy.

    However, the fear was still lingering within him. He was secretly d for not choosing to push open that ck door. He still remembered Gu Ding¡¯s words. ¡°ckie is the pet of the neighbor on the right.¡±

    That door on the right was the big, ck door he had initially nned to push open. The master of such a pet was definitely not anyone easy to deal with. If he had pushed open that door then, it might not just be his will projection that was lost.

    At that moment, Gu Ding was within the soul space with the little ck dog, which was originally asrge as a palm of a hand but was now growing speedily right in front of his eyes. In less than half an hour, it had grown from the size of a palm to a size of more than thirty centimeters, double of what it was previously.

    ¡°ckie, you haven¡¯t grown in so many years, what made you have this growth spurt that made you grow twice asrge? Have I been feeding you the wrong kind of food?¡± Gu Ding rubbed ckie on the head and voiced out the question.

    me frolicking under the sun on the green field.

    ...

    On Jerr, Gu Ding read his physical data projected by Neptune and found it strange. He had no idea what had transpired within his soul space. It felt like he had done nothing at all and yet, that deity¡¯s projection copsed on its own and was absorbed by Gu Ding¡¯s body. After that, he suddenly realized he had a breakthrough, finally bypassing Rank 6, which he had always had difficulty achieving and now obtained a third gene chain.

    Not only that, but he had also obtained a new special ability, which was the martial arts field he had always coveted. The strangest thing about this was that his taboo energy was also enhanced. Everything had happened in such a baffling manner.

    ¡°Do you know what had just happened? Why did that deity¡¯s will projection crumble? Also, what about that chain weapon spirit? I can¡¯t feel its presence anymore, it¡¯s as if it had just vanished within my body,¡± Gu Ding had so many questions about what had just happened.

    However, Neptune was not able to give him an answer. ¡°This time, I truly have no idea what happened. I have always been monitoring our physical condition and have found nothing unusual. I¡¯m guessing there might have been a change that happened with your soul. That is an area that I am yet to be able to probe. I know you¡¯ve progressed a great deal this time, even your taboo energy has been enhanced. It¡¯s a difficult thing to enhance taboo energy...¡±

    Neptune¡¯s voice suddenly stopped as themunicator rang. The number belonged to Liliath.

    ¡°We¡¯ve been hovering above Jerr for more than an hour. Ourmunicator hasn¡¯t been able to get through to you. What¡¯s happening right now?¡± This was the first question out of Liliath.

    ¡°Nothing much. We¡¯ve run into some minor problems and Neptune had been blocked off. We¡¯re heading toward the harbor right now and I¡¯m getting Neptune to activate the harbor¡¯s canopy,¡± Gu Ding nned to exin the details of the day when he returned to the ship.

    Gu Ding was not far from the harbor at that moment. It was just a few minutes¡¯ walk. After Neptune activated the canopy and turned off the system of the armor-piercing cannon, Gu Ding made a mad rush toward the harbor.

    At the harbor, Noami and the others were also aware of the appearance of a deity¡¯s will projection. They were anxiously waiting for the signal block to end in order to confer with their superiors on the next best step. It was only half an hour after the deity¡¯s will projection had dissipated that Noami was finally able to get through to her superior¡¯s number.

    No one knew that Neptune was the one who had blocked the entire¡¯s signal during that half an hours¡¯ time. This was because Neptune knew that once the Hunters had gotten in touch with the Army, they would take immediate action and it would happen while Gu Ding was absorbing energy atop the building. Neptune deactivated the signal block only after Gu Ding had seeded in his enhancement.

    ¡°Chief Commander, this is Mushroom from Team 8,¡± Mushroom was Noami¡¯s codename. Hunters would never refer to one another with their real names and would use codenames instead.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Is the mission not going well?¡± A middle-aged man¡¯s voice could be heard but he did not sound too worried about whether Noami¡¯s mission was going well.

    ¡°It¡¯s not about the mission. It¡¯s about a deity¡¯s will projection on Jerr. We have no idea who the deity is battling. All our equipment¡¯s signals have been blocked and we aren¡¯t able to monitor a thing. The only thing we are aware of is the ground trembling,¡± Noami exined.

    It finally hit the chiefmander how serious the situation was. ¡°Are you certain that a deity has descended?! Tell me everything about it right now and don¡¯t leave out any details. I need to report this to the marshal and His Highness The Lord.¡±

    ¡°Understood!¡± Noami started reporting everything she knew to him.

    ¡°Did you say the deity¡¯s projection dissipated in less than ten kilometers away from you? Did you take any videos of it? It should be close enough at that distance,¡± the chiefmander questioned anxiously. If there was a video clip of the entire thing, it would be much easier for him to exin things to the people upstairs.

    ¡°No, we don¡¯t. When the deity¡¯s will projection descended, not only did ourmunicators fail to work, even our surveince equipment wasn¡¯t working,¡± Noami knew that her answer would not make her superior happy.

    ¡°How did you know the deity dissipated? Did the color slowly fade away or was the will projection hit by something and exploded?¡± The chiefmander could only rely on Noami¡¯s description of the situation as there was no video evidence of it.

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t either. It was more like it crumbled away. How should I describe it? It was as if the energy suddenly disappeared and the body ended up crumbling and dissipating,¡± it took Noami quite a while to think of how best to describe the situation.

    The chiefmander mumbled to himself, ¡°That sounds like it was killed by the soul energy the deity was possessing. Did you manage to see who the opponent of the deity¡¯s will projection was?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t. Although, judging by the magnitude of the sh, I presume that his opponent must be arge being. The tremors could be felt even though we are two hundred kilometers away,¡± Noami gave her analysis.

    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ve got a rough understanding of the situation. I¡¯ll report the matter to the marshal and His Highness The Lord before deploying Army backup to you. Secure the battle scene now and stop anyone from damaging it. Also, send over videos of the battle scene immediately.¡±

    ¡°Understood!¡± Noami hung up and called King Kong¡¯s number.

    ¡°King Kong, inform everyone to cease the lockdown of the harbor.¡±

    ¡°Why? Won¡¯t that allow Gu Ding and the others to escape?¡± King Kong did not understand why the decision was made.

    ¡°The chiefmander wants us to preserve the battle scene of that deity¡¯s will projection. We need lots of manpower to do this. It has been more than three hundred years since Faye Comic Nation has had any trace of a deity. This situation with the deity¡¯s will projection has been made the top priority. Everything else has to make way for it,¡± Noami gave a simple exnation.

    ¡°Okay!¡± King Kong immediately set out to make arrangements.

    Many were shocked to see most of the Army standing guard leave the harbor, but they spected that it had something to do with the ¡®earthquake¡¯ earlier.

    After making arrangements for the Army to fall back, the Hunter squad, made up of ten people, once again got together.

    ¡°The chiefmander¡¯s orders are very clear this time. He wants us to head to the battle scene immediately and preserve it. The first thing to do is to take videos of the scene and send it over to him immediately. We¡¯ll split up into two teams. The first team shall head toward the scene of the battle where the deity¡¯s will projection was. The other team will go toward where the projection had dissipated...¡± Before Noami could finish, a few of her team members looked up at the sky above the harbor.

    The sky above the harbored was open.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t get them to open up the Sky Shield,¡± King Kong had just blurted this out when everyone witnessed a ck and white Golden Eagle slowly descend from the air.

    ¡°That... That¡¯s the spaceship of Gu Ding¡¯s crew, isn¡¯t it?¡± Someone finally reacted to it.

    Noami¡¯s expression changed slightly. She found it a little strange that Gu Ding¡¯s crew would choose this moment to descend and not wait for her team to leave the harbor before making this move.

    ¡°Gu Ding should be aware we haven¡¯t left the harbor. Are they issuing a challenge to us?!¡± King Kong had a bad temper and was convinced Gu Ding was doing this on purpose.

    Gu Ding had gotten Neptune to pick this exact timing. It was at the precise time when the ordinary members of the Army had left, leaving the Hunter squad. It was not a challenge from Gu Ding to pick this moment, it was because he wanted to have one battle with the Hunter squad.

    If they waited a littleter, the Hunter squad would no longer be at the harbor. If it was a little earlier, arge amount of Army officers would be quite disruptive, and it will only end up with them getting wounded or dying.

    Just as King Kong made his exmation, Gu Ding¡¯s figure slowly walked over to them. He had taken off his mask and wig. Only his clothes remained unchanged while his eyes were still blue. ¡°I¡¯m not issuing a challenge on purpose. I just wanted to have a duel with all of you,¡±

    At that moment, the Golden Eagle had anchored, and the hatch door opened. Elsa and Tagore walked out.

    Tagore immediately appeared on Gu Ding¡¯s shoulders while Else appeared by Gu Ding¡¯s side after a while.

    ¡°Elsa, both of you shouldn¡¯t take on this fight. This battle is mine,¡± there was no hesitation in Gu Ding¡¯s voice. Elsa could tell that Gu Ding had be stronger. Tagore jumped off Gu Ding and sat down beside him.

    ¡°Four-eyes, Monkey, head to both locations now and record the videos to be sent out to the chiefmander,¡± Noami handed out new missions to them.

    ¡°But...¡± The man in sses wanted to object but was stopped by Noami.

    ¡°There¡¯s no room for ¡®buts¡¯. The chiefmander¡¯s mission needs to be carried out by two people. We¡¯ll take care of the problem here and join you soon,¡± Noami red at the man in sses.

    ¡°Yes, madam!¡± Both of the men saluted and left quickly.

    ¡°We can begin now,¡± Noami¡¯s eyes were cold. The thought of Gu Ding tricking her twice with his fake identities was really pissing her off.

    Gu Ding activated all three of his special abilities of Rage Attack, Iron Block, and martial arts field at once while pushing his Ultimate Arts to Level 11 at the same time...

 Chapter 198 - Ultimate Arts VS Ultimate Arts

    <h4>Chapter 198: Ultimate Arts VS Ultimate Arts</h4>

    Eight Hunters led by Noami and King Kong, who were both Rank 12, surrounded Gu Ding in a circle.

    Elsa, who was standing at the side, started to get worried. She could sense Gu Ding had be stronger, but she had no idea how much stronger hisbat effectiveness had improved. All she knew was based on Gu Ding¡¯s previousbat strength, that he had equivalent strength to a Rank 11 at its peak, but still had some way to go before achieving Rank 12.

    She was most worried about what Liliath had mentioned before getting off the spaceship. Hunters cultivated a method ofbat strength enhancement that was simr to Gu Ding. At the height of it, they were able to enhance their battle strength by four times.

    Tagore, on the other hand, was casually swishing his tail about, not worried about the result of this battle. Although, this guy had never expressed concern about anything besides his meals and fighting since boarding the ship.

    Gu Ding chose to remain motionless under the circumstances, nning to react only when provoked. His choice of strategy baffled Noami, who wondered if he was being confident or has not much battle experience. This was because an opponent would normally strike sporadically once outnumbered. The wisest choice would be to take out the weakest link in the opponent¡¯s group. An experienced martial art practitioner would not make the mistake Gu Ding made.

    In actuality, it was not because Gu Ding was inexperienced. It was because Gu Ding wanted to find out the difference between the Ultimate Arts the Hunters practiced and the Ultimate Arts he was using. He was aware if he had chosen to act first, the few Hunters who were Rank 11 Gene Bodies would not be able to take his punches.

    Eight thousand points of basic attack in addition to the one hundred and sixty times enhancement from his Ultimate Arts Level 11, four times enhancement of Rage Attack,bined with five times enhancement of Rage Armor, a simple attack by Gu Ding would go up to two hundred and fifty-six millionbat strength. A newly enhanced Rank 12 martial arts practitioner had only one hundred million points. Besides, Gu Ding had a terribly strong defense. His Iron Block alone had twenty times defense enhancement, bringing the total to ten billion points, which made it impossible to prate Gu Ding¡¯s defense.

    Even though being beaten up by a circle of people at the same time would still be insufficient to break his defense, their attacks would still make him feel pain. That was why Gu Ding chose to evade them.

    The attacks from all eight Hunters were continuous, not allowing Gu Ding any chance of a breather. However, Gu Ding¡¯s Silent Step was much more skillful than all eight of them.

    As the eight Hunters¡¯ Steel Fist, Phantom Kick, Lightning Elbow, ming Knee, and Terminating Finger failed tond on Gu Ding, who easily avoided their attacks, it made him realize that this was a much easier fight than he had previously.

    ¡°Your Ultimate Arts and theirs are from the same source, which is the reason why you can see the ws in their moves. That is why even though attacks using the Ultimate Arts are stronger than other martial art forms, it is easy for you to hold your own against them,¡± Neptune¡¯s exnation informed Gu Ding that the ease in this fight was not due to him bing stronger, rather, it was because his opponents had trained in Ultimate Arts as well.

    Noami noticed something unusual as she watched Gu Ding skillfully move between everyone. She realized his steps were simr to the Silent Step she had cultivated, but he was using it better than everyone else.

    Liliath and the others on the spaceship were paying close attention to the fight. Liliath had almost rushed toward him when she saw Gu Ding stood out alone to face all eight opponents, but Biggie held her back. As she watched Gu Ding move around seamlessly between his enemies, as if taking a stroll in a garden during a raging storm, Liliath knew that Gu Ding had be stronger. It was not a minor enhancement, but a huge increase in power.

    After four or five waves of attacks, Gu Ding was almost done observing this iplete version of Ultimate Arts. He felt there was no point in wasting any more time. Most of his abilities were limited by time and he had to end this before his limitations kicked in.

    Gu Ding quickly locked in on his first target, which was a golden-haired young man. He moved with Silent Step and appeared in front of the young man in a sh. He attacked with perfect form using Steel Fist, and the punchnded on the young man¡¯s chest.

    An exploding boom could be heard and a sound simr to a cannon shot burst out the moment his punch collided with the enemy¡¯s chest. The golden-haired young man¡¯s figure could be seen flying off with that burst. No one knew how bad he was wounded, but Gu Ding knew. He could clearly feel the crack heard on the young man¡¯s sternum, although the young man was notpletely incapacitated. The young man had activated Righteous Force just in time to neutralize part of the attack. However, Gu Ding also knew that the young man had lost hisbat strength after that punch because his internal organs had been disced during the impact of Gu Ding¡¯s attack. It would be a huge problem for that young man to even stand up with all that pain, much less continue fighting.

    Gu Ding turned his attention to his second target after he began his attack on the first opponent.

    It was a skinny fellow who had been using Phantom Kick to attack him. Gu Ding ced his hands in his pockets and appeared in front of the skinny man without a warning. His figure appeared high in the sky as he jumped, delivering a vicious kick with his right leg, whichnded perfectly on the enemy¡¯s left neck.

    There was a very subtle cracking sound and Gu Ding knew he had achieved what he had set out to do. The left cervical vertebra of the skinny man had fractured. It would have been lethal for a normal person to endure that kick, but for a Rank 11 Gene Body, it was just a matter of losing momentary movement.

    Gu Ding¡¯s onught of attacks did not stop. Very soon, he had taken out the third, fourth, fifth, and sixth person...

    Gu Ding had been on the attack for less than a minute when the team of eight were now left with two of their squad leaders.

    Liliath was dumbstruck by what had just happened. Even Elsa, who was watching from the sidelines, looked on with a shocked expression on her face. She still remembered what she had said about Gu Ding not being strong enough just less than a month ago. Yet now, Gu Ding was disyingbat strength that surpassed her own.

    Noami had finally realized that this Gu Ding was not the one she had analyzed in a video previously. The current Gu Ding was much more powerful.

    King Kong was never one to act passively, which was why he decided to attack.

    As a Rank 12 Gene Body, his basicbat strength was eight hundred million. In addition to that, he had four times enhancement through Ultimate Arts Level 7, which was able to increase hisbat strength significantly to three billion and two hundred million. His figure suddenly shed to the front of Gu Ding as he clenched his fist tight and delivered the Steel Fist.

    King Kong noticed something unusual the moment he threw his punch. His attack speed and strength seemed to have decreased. Just as the realization hit him, something shocked him...

    Gu Ding had no intention of avoiding this punch because someone like King Kong would back off only if he was beaten by his enemy face-to-face. That was why Gu Ding reached out with his left hand to block King Kong¡¯s confident and ferocious punch.

    Noami was dumbstruck at the scene of Gu Ding meeting the punch head-on. She knew how powerful King Kong¡¯s punch was. Even she was not confident in taking such a direct attack from him, it would be a losing battle for her. However, Gu Ding did it, and he had done so with incredible ease.

    King Kong¡¯s attack was like hitting a hammer against a veryrge bell. The sound made was not a cannon shot-like explosion, but much like the vibrating sound of nging metal, which sounded quite mesmerizing.

    However, Gu Ding was not only depending on defense, but he had attacked with Terminating Finger in three quick sessions,nding them where King Kong¡¯s heart was located while blocking King Kong¡¯s attack with his left hand. The three continuous attacks were not only based on the martial arts field, but Gu Ding had also activated his Damage Stacking ability.

    Five hundred and twelve million! One billion and twenty-four million! Two billion and forty-eight million! Three powerful attacks shot out continuously with firm finger strength, hitting King Kong¡¯s chest without stopping. In a split second, the pain King Kong felt was equivalent to someone using a heavy hammer to crush his chest. His Righteous Force activated immediately as it neutralized part of the attack strength, but King Kong still ended up kneeling on the ground with heavy breathing. He tried to regte the rhythm of his heartbeat. However, King Kong did notpletely lose hisbat effectiveness, which somewhat surprised Gu Ding.

    Noami did not make an immediate attack. ¡°You always be stronger with each appearance. This time, yourbat strength has indeed exceeded our expectations, but you can¡¯t win against me.¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t youment on how my hairstyle isn¡¯t pretty? Let me tell you the reason for my hairstyle right now,¡± Noami said as she pressed her hand against her forehead. She slowly pushed her fringe upward as she revealed her forehead.

    There was a unique tattoo-like mark on her forehead, which reminded Gu Ding of its possible connection to an ancient civilization.

    Neptune exined, ¡°This is a mark known as the Spiritual Tattoo Inheritance. Converting an ability into a Spiritual Tattoo that can be transferred onto someone else is a form of heritage from the ancient civilization known as the Spiritual Tattoo Inheritance. That is the reason why powerful abilities are usually inherited this way as using Spiritual Tattoos for the transfer can be aplex process so there is no point in using this form of ability inheritance for normal abilities.

    ¡°This ability that I have inherited is very unique. It¡¯s called Mirror Avatar...¡± Noami took out a mirror from her inventory as she said. She pointed the mirror toward her face and reached out with her finger to press on the mirror¡¯s surface.

    Crack!

    The sound of the mirror breaking could be heard.

    The entire mirror was cracked into twelve pieces.

    At that moment, Gu Ding witnessed an incredible scene. Another Noami appeared out of thin air behind Noami. However, that was not the end. A second and third Noami continued to appear behind the real Noami.

    All the Noamis had on the same clothes. There was a total of thirteen of them, including the original Noami. Under such circumstances, Gu Ding had no idea which was the real Noami and which was the fake.

    ¡°This ability of mine enables me to create another copy of me, which ispletely identical, to take part in the fight. My clones¡¯bat effectiveness is the same as the original,¡± all thirteen Noamis smiled. Their expressions and mannerisms were exactly the same.

    Neptuneughed. ¡°The easiest way to expunge this ability is to find the original. As long as you take down the original, the clones will be destroyed. If someone else was facing this ability of hers, that person would be in trouble because it would be difficult to pinpoint the original. However, it¡¯s me this little wench is facing...

 Chapter 199 - End Of The Battle

    <h4>Chapter 199: End Of The Battle</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Mirror Avatar was truly a terrifying ability.

    Noami was able to create as many avatars as can be seen in the mirror. The scariest part about this was that the avatars had the same special ability andbat effectiveness as the original person.

    This ability was the main reason Noami had been able to get into the Hunter Squad from the very beginning, and was also the reason how she had been able to get promoted to the leader of her Hunter Squad.

    However, her ability was limited by level restrictions. The most avatars she was able to conjure was twelve, although for many others, this was already considered an ability that defied the norms. It was a huge advantage when facing an opponent who was simrly powerful as she was. This was thirteen against one.

    Besides that, there was no way of differentiating between the Mirror Avatars and the original, and this proved challenging for those who had to fight someone with such an ability.

    For Neptune however, it was not difficult at all to identify the original because it could easily detect the opponent¡¯s biological maic field as long the enemy was within its scanning range by analyzing their physical condition. The avatars that were created with the ability were not life forms and had no biological maic field, which was why the original Noami was like a brightmp in the dark for Neptune. All it took was one look for it to spot her.

    Noami immediately attacked once her avatars had formed.

    All Neptune did was whisper into Gu Ding¡¯s ear. ¡°The third one on the left.¡±

    Gu Ding lunged directly towards the original Noami.

    Noami had a basicbat effectiveness of close to one billion. After using Ultimate Arts to enhance it by four times, herbat effectiveness was now close to four billion. However, with the help of Advanced Iron Block¡¯s twenty times enhancement of defense and the martial arts field attack which decreases an enemy¡¯s attack by 50%, this form of basic attack was ineffective by default, which made it useless against Gu Ding¡¯s defense.

    Gu Ding used Silent Step in a speedy craze to take down the original Noami.

    Noami exchanged ces with her other avatars several times in an attempt to evade Gu Ding¡¯s attack, but Gu Ding hadpletely ignored the attack of all the avatars.

    After numerous attempts at evading Gu Ding, Noami finally realized he knew which was her original self from the very start. He had no ns of fighting with any of her avatars, choosing to block their attacks instead. His target was the original Noami. At the thought of this, Noami knew that she had no choice but to fight, because there was a time limit for her avatars. There was no benefit in continuing this.

    When Gu Ding saw Noami continuously escaping, he pushed his Ultimate Arts to his maximum at level 12, enhancing his battle effectiveness further. This was done to quickly end this fight. Gu Ding¡¯s battle effectiveness had increased to five hundred and twelve million and his speediness had been doubled.

    Noami chose to take the initiative to attack this time. She, along with her twelve avatars,nded their attack on Gu Ding from thirteen different angles.

    With her basicbat effectiveness that was close to one billion, enhanced by four times with Ultimate Arts andbined with a silver-colored Righteous Force, she did not hold back as she attacked Gu Ding at thirteen vital points like a raging storm raining upon him.

    Gu Ding stood where he was, motionless. He activated his martial arts field and when Noami¡¯s attack came within ten meters of where Gu Ding was, her power was decreased by half and her attack speed suffered the same fate. Gu Ding¡¯s gaze remained locked onto the original Noami.

    They were both using Ultimate Arts in the battle but Noami¡¯s iplete version of Ultimate Arts was seriously wed in the eyes of Gu Ding. His fingers clenched into a fist as he spotted a subtle w on Noami¡¯s waist. A vicious attack of Steel Fist shed like a bolt of golden lightning.

    Boom! Gu Ding¡¯s punchnded at a vulnerable spot on Noami¡¯s left waist in an explosion.

    His Damage Stacking activated at that moment, enhancing by twice its normal damage with the help of the martial arts field.

    One billion and twenty-four million! Two billion and forty-eight million! Four billion and ny-six million!

    Three continuous punchesnded on Noami¡¯s waist without hesitation.

    Even though Noami had activated Righteous Force and had close to four billion points of defense, Gu Ding had still ended up breaking it down with his three punches. A few rib bones near her waist were broken.

    The pain forced her to retreat in a burst.

    Gu Ding wanted to give chase but King Kong had also noticed what was happening with Noami in the battle. He forced himself to appear in front of Gu Ding in a sh, blocking Gu Ding¡¯s way.

    He threw a feeble punch at Gu Ding in an attempt to attack him.

    Gu Ding¡¯s figure moved and found he found King Kong¡¯s w in the attack. He gave three continuous punches of Steel Fist, whichnded on King Kong¡¯s chest.

    This time, King Kong totally copsed. With Ultimate Arts Level 12, Gu Ding¡¯sbat effectiveness had doubled up from thest time he had fought King Kong, giving Gu Ding the absolute upper hand in this fight.

    Noami watched as King Kong fell to the ground. She broke quite a few ribs and her internal organs were slightly disced. She knew that she hadpletely lost this battle. It was the first time she had suffered such a terrible loss since joining the Hunters.

    Even though Noami¡¯s avatars did not retreat, Gu Ding sensed that there was no longer any fight in her.

    ¡°Get someone here to treat them quickly. The wound on your bones should not be dyed for too long or there will be permanent side effects,¡± Gu Ding walked toward Elsa and Tagore after saying this.

    ¡°Our battle is not over yet!¡± Noami stood up a stubbornly. There were tears in her eyes, but they did not flow from her eyes.

    ¡°I¡¯ve said before that all I want is a bout,¡± Gu Ding did not n to continue the fight.

    ¡°You may feel that way, but to me, this is a real battle. If you want this to end, one of us has to lose! And I¡¯m not admitting defeat!¡± Noami gave Gu Ding a look of challenge.

    Gu Ding stared at her silently for a while before nodding. ¡°As you wish.¡±

    He used his Silent Step right after saying this and appeared in a sh right before Noami.

    Noami did not choose to run this time. Instead, she gave a punch with Steel Fist, hitting Gu Ding on the chest again and again with an exploding attack. Gu Ding did not stop her.

    Gu Ding raised his left hand and chose not to use the strong and powerful Steel Fist. Instead, he used the swift and fierce Terminating Finger. He gave three consecutive shots from his powerful fingers. Three bright and sharp forces shot out andnded right between Noami¡¯s eyes.

    Noami suffered the three continuous attacks and finally copsed to the ground.

    Gu Ding had attacked her at a spot described by the Ultimate Arts as ¡®the weakest point to cause another unconsciousness¡¯. Only the Terminating Finger was able to give an attack that had this effect.

    Gu Ding looked at these people lying all over the ground. Some of them were still conscious but could not really move about freely.

    He shook his head helplessly and called the emergency center via hismunicator.

    ¡°Hello, there are right people wounded at the harbor. Please send someone over quickly.¡±

    Gu Ding hung up and waved at Elsa while Tagore leaped onto Gu Ding¡¯s shoulder. They walked towards Golden Eagle, which was nearby.

    Golden Eagle quickly left Jerr and headed for the next destination.

    On Jerr, things continue to move on as they should.

    The emergency center had quickly brought Noami and the others to the hospital for treatment. They were not really wounded too badly. Most of them were only suffering from fractures and physical wounds. The most serious among them had just a slight discement of their internal organs. These people had a solid and strong physique to begin with, and they healed quickly after consuming cell repair agents.

    Noami had woken up to see her bed surrounded by people.

    ¡°Lady boss, are you okay?¡± King Kong hade to see her in a wheelchair. His wounds were the worst among them, but he had regained consciousness quite early.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine. How long have I been out?¡± Noami cared more about this.

    ¡°You¡¯ve been unconscious for three and a half hours,¡± Four-eyes and Monkey had also returned from their mission.

    ¡°I was out that long? Four-eyes, have youpleted your mission? Have you sent the video of the location scenes to the chiefmander?¡± Noami suddenly remembered this.

    ¡°We¡¯ve sent them out for quite a while. The Army backup has arrived as well. The two locations have been barricaded. Otherwise, we would never have dared to leave ande to the hospital,¡± Four-eyes nodded and replied.

    ¡°What did the chiefmander say?¡± Noami continued asking.

    ¡°He said he would forward the videos to the marshal and His Highness The Lord. It will be up to His Highness The Lord to decide how to settle this situation. Before that happens, all our team needs to do is to continue standing guard. He will contact us if the need arises. However, the chiefmander hasn¡¯t sent us any news. I guess it¡¯s because they have not made a decision yet,¡± Four-eyes exined.

    ¡°Did you find anything at the scene?¡± Noami pushed herself up with her hands and sat upright. Her wound was not as serious. It was just a normal fracture. As for Gu Ding¡¯s attack with Terminating Finger, all it did was knock her unconscious. It did not even cause any concussion to her brain.

    ¡°It¡¯s near Oedipus Tower, but there was no evidence of any battle.¡±

    Oedipus Tower was the building Gu Ding had stayed on to watch the battle.

    ¡°However, the battle at Leoben Prison basically destroyed everything. Leoben Prison haspletely caved in. No one was left alive, including the prison warden, Thorso,¡± Four-eyes said as he projected the video he had filmed.

    Everyone watched the projected screen intently, afraid of missing out on any details.

    The projected video showed Leoben Prison inplete rubble. The buildings nearby had also fully copsed. The ground was cracked, looking much like a spiderweb. The trees and flowers around the area had been pulverized into fine powder...

    ¡°This cannot be done by the power of a mere human being. Even a demigod at the peak of power would not have been able to cause such a manner of destruction! The only reason for a battle of this magnitude is two deities shing,¡± Noami confirmed.

    As some were discussing this situation on Jerr, a simr scene was happening at a virtual meeting on Sk.

    There were two women and three men attending the meeting.

    One of the men was the chiefmander of the Hunters named Caputin. He was sharing the video he had received with everyone present.

    The five of them at the meeting table finished watching both videos in silence and an elderly man with a head of white hair spoke.

    ¡°ording to Caputin¡¯s description, one of the parties involved in that battle was a deity¡¯s will projection. This scene resulted from a battle that could only be done by a deity. However, we are still missing quite a lot of information. For example, what was the objective of the deity¡¯s will projection? Why did the deity openly fight a human being? What was the identity of the person the deity fought? Why did they choose Jerr as the battleground and why was it near Leoben Prison?¡±

    A tall, slender woman in a ck dress suddenly spoke up, ¡°I¡¯ve met the Leoben Prison¡¯s warden, Thorso, before. He owns a fragmented piece of god item. I personally think that the possibility of the deitying for the god item is quite high. However, we would still need to investigate the scene of the battle before making the final decision of what exactly had transpired.¡±

    ¡°Miss Midea, when would you like to leave? Allow me to arrange a spaceship for you,¡± a middle-aged man with white hair and beard seated next to her volunteered.

    ¡°I¡¯ll leave immediately after this meeting!¡± The tall, slender woman replied resolutely.

    ¡°I¡¯ll leave with you...¡± A woman in a purple dress next to her suddenly said.

 Chapter 200 - About Deities

    <h4>Chapter 200: About Deities</h4>

    Gu Ding told the entire story in detail on the Golden Eagle while Liliath and the others listened with an astonished look on their faces.

    Liliath started analyzing the situation. ¡°Why do I feel that everything that had happened on Jerr was like a set of dominoes falling over. If Gu Ding had not visited Perrett, none of this would have happened. You were identified by the prison warden, Thorso, because you were at Leoben Prison. That had caused the chain, which was a god item, to be awakened, attracting the descent of a deity. This is exactly like that legendary story of ¡®A Murder Case Triggered By A Prison Visit¡¯.¡±

    ¡°Lili, I think you really should apply for a copywriting job at Mideon Media Company,¡± Gu Dingughed bitterly.

    Mideon Media Company was thergest information disseminationpany within the cosmic sea. They had more than 50% of information channels within the palm of their hands in the cosmic sea and had working connections with different power yers in the cosmic sea. Every bounty announcement from the Federal Government was handled by them. They had employees stationed specifically with the Federal Government who were in charge of nning and editing new bounty warrants to be disseminated every day. Mideon Mediapany yed a big part in announcing to the world every time a new bounty was announced.

    Liliath¡¯s originalughing face suddenly turned grim at the mention of Mideon.

    ¡°Gu Ding, of all the things to mention, why would you bring up Mideon... Mideon Media Company was established by the Harris family ancestors more than three hundred thousand years ago. The boss of thatpany is the current head of the Harris family, who is also Liliath¡¯s second grandfather. Even though there is no hard evidence, there is no doubt the current head of the Harris family is involved with the death of Lili¡¯s parents,¡± Neptune had discovered Liliath¡¯s true identity after meeting Liliath¡¯s grandfather.

    This had not crossed Gu Ding¡¯s mind. Ever since meeting Liliath¡¯s grandfather, all he knew was that Liliath¡¯s real name was Olivia and she was the descendent of some noble family. As for what this noble family did, it did not ur to him to inquire.

    Neptune had found out about Liliath¡¯s family name and the attack that had befallen Liliath¡¯s parents through Liliath¡¯s real name and her grandfather¡¯s name.

    ¡°Captain, you said that the deity¡¯s will projection had crumbled immediately in front of you instead of fading away slowly and disappearing quietly?¡± Elsa asked with some curiosity. Her question came just in time, turning the conversation away from Mideon.

    ¡°That¡¯s right. He crumbled. After his copse, I absorbed some fragments of his energy before itpletely dissipated and managed to break through to Rank 6,¡± Gu Ding had hidden the fact that he had absorbed all of the energy fragments because this information was too shocking.

    ¡°If he had crumbled, it would only happen if he had taken a very powerful physical blow. However, the fragments would usually explode everywhere if it was an explosive form of crumbling. Another form of crumbling would be caused by the spirit energy being annihted. Without the guidance of a spirit energy, the will projection would crumble automatically. What you had experienced should be the second situation. If that was the situation, the attack must be from someone who had a spirit energy that surpassed the existence of that deity. Otherwise, the spirit energy would not have been annihted sopletely. As long as that deity¡¯s will projection had a shred of spirit energy left, his will projection would not have crumbled. At the most, it would just result in a battle with a will projection without enough spirit energy to drive it,¡± Elsa seemed to have quite an understanding of deities to have exined things so matter-of-factly.

    ¡°Elsa, do the Vikings have deities?¡± Liliath could not help asking. She had never seen the projection of a deity before and asked enviously when she heard Elsa exin the details.

    Elsa nodded. ¡°There used to be two deities who are the same generation as my dad, but one of them has fallen. My dad is the only one left. That is why my dad is the most powerful in my tribe besides a few elders who have gone into seclusion.¡±

    ¡°If your dad is a deity, those who are more powerful than your dad should be deities as well, right?¡± Gu Ding blurted the question.

    Elsa nodded very seriously. ¡°Yup. Even though they are deities, there is still a difference between powerful and weak deities. My dad is a Lower Ranking Deity, the weakest rank among the deities.¡±

    ¡°Lower Ranking Deity? If so, there should also be Medium Ranking Deity and Upper Ranking Deity, right?¡± Gu Ding deduced out of habit.

    Elsa nodded. ¡°That right. Lower Ranking, Medium Ranking, Upper Ranking, and Ultimate Ranking. That¡¯s the sequence of a deity¡¯s power. Every rank of a deity has five Star Rankings for theirbat effectiveness, which is rated from 1-Star to 5-Stars. Every time a deity breaks through a star ranking, theirbat effectiveness will be enhanced by ten times. Every breakthrough for each major ranking, theirbat effectiveness will be enhanced by a hundred times. That is why only a monster is capable of bypassing any those ranks and ughtering a deity, simply because a Lower Ranking 5-Star Deity¡¯sbat effectiveness would be one hundred times weaker than a Medium Ranking 1-Star Deity.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it too early for everyone to start thinking about deities? Deities are known as deities because they are no longer human beings from all perspectives. Besides Taboo Energy, all of your abilities are considered useless when facing deities. That is why only a monster powerhouse possessing taboo energy has the ability to ughter a deity before they ascend to deity level,¡± Neptune suddenly said.

    ¡°All abilities are considered useless? How about Ultimate Arts?¡± Gu Ding was taken aback by this as he asked worriedly.

    ¡°It won¡¯t be of use. The maximum level of Ultimate Arts is only at Level 13. Once you have achieved demigod level, it has basically no effect,¡± this news brought by Neptune was a bolt from the blue.

    ¡°When I¡¯ve achieved god level, my Ultimate Arts and other abilities would still be useful against enemies, right?¡± Gu Ding found it a little difficult to digest this fact.

    ¡°First, it is far more difficult than anything you¡¯ve ever imagined to achieve god level. This should not be hard to figure out by looking at so many lords of 5-star Cosmic Nations stuck at only demigod level, and that is in a situation where a lord of a cosmic nation who has resources to help more than thousands of ordinary people be demigod level powerhouses.¡±

    ¡°Secondly, if you sessfully achieve god level, the first thing that will happen after that ascension is the remolding of both your physical body and soul at the same time. Your physical body will be reced by God Source and you willpletely lose all biological aspects of yourself. You would no longer have any cells, no heart, no brain, no bones, no nerves... You will turn into apletely new life form. While that change is happening, your soul and soul space will also go through a transformation. The soul will turn from a shapeless form into a physical object and your soul space will be a reality... Your taboo energy will be the only ability left while all your other abilities will cease to exist. As your body will be reced by God Source, mortal powers will be nothing but useless attacks to the physical body as there will be no effects from them.¡±

    Neptune¡¯s exnation had given everyone a new understanding of Gods and deities. Gu Ding finally understood why Neptune had imed deities to not be human beings. It was because they have left the limitation of their physical husks behind to be an energy being.

    As Gu Ding and the others were discussing Gods and deities, a wave of important guests arrived on Jerr.

    Noami had brought along a ten-person team to wee them at the harbor when they found out that not only the chiefmander will be there, but also the marshal and His Highness The Lord.

    It was not long before the spaceship descended on the. It was a purple and gold-colored Phoenix. The top of Phoenix had a golden phoenix crown mounted on it, making the spaceship look noble and elegant.

    There were only two Phoenixes in the whole of Faye Cosmic Nation. Everyone recognized this particr Phoenix, which belonged to His Highness The Lord.

    The spaceship quickly harbored and the hatch door opened. Two men and two women walked out of it.

    The two women walked at the front. The one on the right was tall and slender and wore a Navy-bluedy¡¯s suit. Her bright red lips were the most attention-grabbing feature on her. She was helping the woman on her left walk down slowly.

    The woman on the left was covered up in a long, ck robe. Even her head was covered with the hooded robe, hiding her entire face inside the hood. If someone were to pull her hood off, they would see a clean looking face. There was only some colorless lip balm spread slightly on her lips, but there was something attractive about her.

    There were many people gathered at the harbor. They did not really have a clear idea of which important people had arrived. Although, there were a few sharper eyes among the crowd who had spotted the rank insignia on the uniforms of the chiefmander and the marshal.

    ¡°One of those two is a general and the other is a marshal, but who are those two women walking at the front? Even the marshal has to give way to them...¡± Someone deduced with uncertainty.

    ¡°That¡¯s Marshal Nimitz. I saw him in a news projection a few days ago!¡± Another person had recognized Nimitz.

    ¡°That ck-robed woman¡¯s height... Could that be Her Highness The Lord [TN: Identity of the Lord had been kept secret with the use of ¡®His Highness The Lord¡¯ previously from the author by refraining mention of gender]?!¡± Someone in the crowd burst out shouting.

    He had not expected his assumption to be correct. All he did was make a bold guess.

    Elizabeth hugged herself tight within the robes, fearful of being recognized. She was the lord of a cosmic nation and would always be in the spotlight no matter where she went. This time, all she wanted to do was witness for herself any trace that was left behind by the deity¡¯s battle. It was not a political visit and she did not wish for anyone to pay any attention to this.

    The marshal and the others were highly opposed to her leaving the capital as it was not really safe, but this time, Midea was on the same page as she was.

    ¡°Missy, you shouldn¡¯t be heading over because of your safety. However, this battlefield was left behind by a deity. It could be a blessing for Missy to obtain some form of enlightenment and sessfully attain a breakthrough to god level,¡± Midea voiced out her view candidly. Bing a god sometimes requires a timely opportunity. When one is at the right time and ce, things will happen naturally for them.

    Noami was stunned when she saw Elizabeth and her gaze turned towards the front unblinkingly.

    All four passengers got off the spaceship and Elizabeth walked directly towards Noami. She stopped when she got in front of Noami. There was a slight smile on her face as she asked, ¡°You¡¯re Mushroom, aren¡¯t you? Your chiefmander has mentioned you before.¡±

    ¡°Your Highness The Lord!¡± It was the first time Noami had met the Lord in person. She started to feel nervous.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous. You can lead me directly to the battlefield,¡± Elizabeth could tell that Noami was nervous and tried to calm Noami down with her words while also proposing Noami to take her immediately to the battlefield.

 Chapter 201 - The Truth

    <h4>Chapter 201: The Truth</h4>

    Noami led Elizabeth and Midea toward a hovercar.

    When Elizabeth bent down slightly to get into the driver¡¯s seat, she noticed that Naomi had a pained expression on her face. Elizabeth could not help but ask, ¡°I noticed that a few people on your team were hurt. Were they affected by the waves caused by the deity¡¯s attack?¡±

    Elizabeth had always been an observant person. Previously, when she got off the spaceship, she immediately noticed that quite a few people were wounded. Nevertheless, they had tried to put up a strong front. Noami, who was their team leader, was not that seriously wounded. That was why Elizabeth only noticed that Naomi was hurt when thetter bent down a little.

    Noami hesitated for a while before she decided to tell the truth, ¡°It wasn¡¯t because of the deity. It was Gu Ding. We left eight of us at the harbor in an attempt to surround and capture him, but he defeated us all...¡±

    ¡°How is it possible that Gu Ding has be so powerful now?¡± Elizabeth was a little shocked. She had only watched videos of Gu Ding fighting a few days ago. In those videos, it was shown that he was only able of fighting it out with Rank 11 Gene Body powerhouses. Only a few days had passed and he was now powerful enough to take out an entire Hunter squad?

    The Hunter squadprised two Rank 12 Gene Body powerhouses and eight Rank 11 Gene Body powerhouses. Additionally, members of a Hunter squad were considered much more powerful than their counterparts because of Ultimate Arts. If such a team had been defeated by Gu Ding so easily, it meant that Gu Ding had made great progress in his abilities.

    ¡°I¡¯ve found footage of the battle,¡± Midea managed to find videos of Gu Ding fighting the Hunter squad from Sk. She proceeded to project the videos.

    With the help of Phoenix¡¯s ability to space leap, Elizabeth and the others took only a day to reach Jerr. By that time, the few videos of Gu Ding fighting had been uploaded onto Sk for a day and had umted more than a hundred million clicks within the short time frame.

    In fact, many were interested in the clip when they saw its title that mentioned the Hunters. This was because the Hunters were considered a mysterious organization for ordinary citizens. Normal videos on Sk asionally showcased clips of Hunters carrying out missions and obliterating their enemies. This time, however, they were shown being beaten by Gu Ding. That was why the videos had quickly be a hot topic of discussion.

    The videos showed Gu Ding beating Noami¡¯s team without much difficulty even though it was a one VS eight fight. Consequently, Elizabeth and Midea noticed the change in Gu Ding.

    Midea voiced out her opinion after watching the videos, ¡°It looks like he has advanced to Rank 6 and has also managed to awaken an ability simr tobat effectiveness field within him. It¡¯s very clear that the Hunter squad¡¯s Ultimate Arts is no match for his Ultimate Arts. He seems much more at ease in the battlepared to his previous fights.¡±

    ¡°I think so as well. It looks like our previous assumption was correct. He¡¯s cultivating theplete version of Ultimate Arts that was passed down from ancient civilization.¡± Elizabeth lifted her ck hood. There was a serious look on her face.

    Only after listening to the discussioning from the backseat did Noami finally realize something. She had noticed that Gu Ding¡¯s fighting techniques were simr to their Ultimate Arts. Now that the Lord had mentioned this, she came to understand that Gu Ding trained with theplete version of Ultimate Arts.

    Midea nodded. ¡°I heard that theplete version of Ultimate Arts has 12 levels and is able to enhance one¡¯sbat effectiveness by 320 times at its maximum potential. It¡¯s a very powerful increase under the circumstance that your opponent is not a deity. Judging by Gu Ding¡¯s basic effectiveness, him being able to go against Rank 12 Gene Body powerhouses definitely has something to do with Ultimate Arts.¡±

    ¡°When you challenged him in the Virtual Arena a few months ago, did you expect him to achieve such progress?¡± Elizabeth smiled as she asked.

    Midea shook her head. There was a smile on her face as she said, ¡°I had expected him to make something of himself, but I never thought that it would happen so fast. I thought it would take him at least three years or more to even make a name for himself. Nevertheless, it hasn¡¯t even been three months. Missy, you should take responsibility for him reaching such exponential growth. Who would gift a stranger Dark Iron Grade Combat Armor on the first day of their meeting?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve never met him before. All I did was watch you fight him onstage. It was only natural for me topensate him since you bullied him.¡± Elizabeth did not think that there was any problem with her gifting him the Combat Armor.

    ¡°It was not bullying. All I did was give him a kiss on the lips. You do know how little restraint I have when ites to cute boys like him.¡± Midea covered her mouth as sheughed.

    Noami listened on as the women continued chatting. Since Noami was also a woman, the two seated in the back were more open with their topic of discussion. On the other hand, this allowed Noami to learn of things she had previously been unaware of.

    A little more than half an hourter, the car finally arrived at Leoben Prison.

    The women seated at the back finally quietened when they saw the prisonpletely destroyed.

    Elizabeth lifted up her hood once again to cover her face before stepping out of the car.

    Another car arrived right after them, and Nimitz got off the vehicle along with Caputin.

    The four of them looked at the scene before them, not knowing what to say. They had seen the condition of the ce in the video but that was only through a virtual screen. Watching the video and seeing it in real life werepletely different things. Hence, they felt overwhelmed, standing in front of thepletely destroyed prison.

    Not a single part ofnd was spared in the scene right before their eyes. There were many cracks in the ground; the whole area looked like a dense spiderweb.

    As for the Leoben Prison which once had been known as indestructible, signs from its previous grandeur were evident as the building stood in shambles.

    Elizabeth and the other demigods could vaguely sense whatever had been left behind by the deity¡¯s will projection.

    ¡°There¡¯s definitely the presence of a deity¡¯s will here,¡± Midea affirmed.

    Marshal Nimitz nodded in agreement. ¡°It should be a 2 Star or 3 Star Lower Ranking Deity. There are only remnants of one deity. His opponent must have had the god item that was mentioned by Miss Midea previously.¡±

    At that moment, Elizabeth reached out her hand and pointed her palm toward the sky. A colorless, translucent screen appeared in front of her.

    Then, a picture slowly appeared on the screen. The picture was a bright light that began to descend from the sky andter coagted in the air, forming the deity¡¯s will projection...

    It was Elizabeth¡¯s special ability, Image Restoration.

    Her ability, Image Restoration, was not carried out by turning back time. Instead, it was through her deduction of what had happened; the assessment of remaining energy left on the scene and the backtracking of energy usage. That was why the deity¡¯s will projection that was being shown on the screen was blurred out, and the deity¡¯s face, as well as form, could not be seen clearly. Nevertheless, her ability was the most urate way to reveal the truth of the battle to everyone under their current circumstances.

    As the deity descended on the screen, a huge python quickly formed within the prison. It was indeed the god item that had fought the deity.

    After this, the screen continued to show the battle that happened between them.

    Everyone watched the screen closely, unable to turn their eyes away. They witnessed the copse of Leoben Prison and what had transpired that destroyed everything around it.

    At the very end, the god item was seen to have lost the fight. It attempted to escape by running in different directions while the deity gave chase.

    ¡°Let¡¯s head to the second scene of the fight.¡± Elizabeth disappeared immediately after speaking.

    Nimitz and Midea quickly followed behind her.

    ¡°Stand guard here. We¡¯ll be back after we¡¯re done,¡± Caputin instructed Noami and immediately vanished from where he was as well.

    ¡°Is that the teleportation ability of a demigod?¡± King Kong asked softly after a while.

    It took less than a minute for the four of them to appear on top of the Oedipus Tower; the ce where Gu Ding had been.

    ¡°This should be where the deity¡¯s will projection vanished,¡± Caputin confirmed the location with the coordinates Naomi had given him. It was right there.

    ¡°But... I can¡¯t sense anything from the deity.¡± Midea was a little doubtful. All four of them had been able to sense remnants of the deity clearly at the battlefield near Leoben Prison. They even had been able to feel the energy waves left over from the battle. However, there were no signs of battle at their current location, nor were there any remnants of the deity.

    ¡°Let me have a look first.¡± Elizabeth reached out her hand, and a screen appeared once again. Nevertheless, nothing appeared even after a long wait.

    Quite some time had passed when Elizabeth finally put down her hand and shook her head. ¡°There¡¯s no sign of any remaining energy waves nearby.¡±

    Midea poked two fingers out. ¡°There can only be two possibilities. This was not the location where the deity vanished. The other would be, his remaining energy was absorbed clean by someone. However, the chances that the second possibility happened are very low because we saw the deity¡¯s will projection crumble. Its energy pieces, having crumbled, would have left up to a hundred million pieces of energy dust. No one would have been able to absorb thempletely unless the deity¡¯s opponent was also a deity.¡±

    Caputin dialed Noami¡¯s number. ¡°Mushroom, are you sure that the deity¡¯s will projection crumbled near that huge building? Did you make a mistake with the location?¡±

    ¡°Chiefmander, there¡¯s no doubt that it is the right location. Our whole team witnessed it. The deity¡¯s will was projected in the air above the Oedipus Tower. That building is highly recognizable. It¡¯s more than four hundred meters tall, and it¡¯s double the height of all the other buildings around it. Not only that but the deity¡¯s will projection that was there was seen floating more than 300 meters high. With both heights added together, the totales up to 700 meters high. It was only a few kilometers away from the harbor, so it¡¯s impossible that the location is wrong,¡± Noami answered confidently.

    Caputin had put her on loudspeaker, which was why everyone could hear Noami¡¯s voice.

    Everyone looked around them and saw that the surrounding buildings were just as Naomi had described. They were all much shorter than the building they were on.

    ¡°It should be here then!¡± Caputin trusted his subordinates.

    ¡°ording to the current theory, a third person was probably involved in the battle. This third-person could have been the one who destroyed the deity¡¯s will projection and absorbed itpletely,¡± the white-bearded Nimitz frowned slightly. The situation was getting moreplicated than he thought.

    ¡°However, there¡¯s still something I don¡¯t quite understand. If that third person was able to crush the deity¡¯s will projection, that person must have been a deity too. In that case, it would have been pointless for him to absorb the other deity¡¯s will projection, right? The deity that had his will projection destroyed was but a 2-Star or 3-Star Lower Ranking Deity; his energy pieces would have limited uses even for a 1-Star Lower Ranking Deity.¡± Midea did not understand the situation.

    ¡°It is possible that the opponent was a Monster demigod. If that was the case, it would exin everything. The Monster demigod would have needed the deity¡¯s energy pieces to speed up the transformation of his body!¡± Caputin voiced his opinion.

    ¡°That would seem to be the most logical exnation at this point...¡± Midea was still doubtful, but she could not think of a better exnation.

    ¡°I¡¯ll return to the first scene and try to get some inspiration to achieve a breakthrough to be a deity. You can continue taking care of matters here,¡± Elizabeth disappeared immediately after giving her instructions.

 Chapter 202 - A Trade Request From The Lord Of A Cosmic Nation

    <h4>Chapter 202: A Trade Request From The Lord Of A Cosmic Nation</h4>

    A ck and white Golden Eagle could be seen traveling at a high speed in space.

    A group of people was discussing something in a circle within the cabin of the spaceship.

    In the middle of those people was a projection made by Neptune. The projection was a woman in a purple dress. She looked to be around twenty-years-old. Aside from the light shade of translucent lip gloss that was on her lips, there were no signs of makeup on her face. It was a picture of her without makeup, and she was so beautiful that everyone could not help but look at her in a daze. Only Robert was unfazed.

    Even Liliath and Elsa could not help but burst out at the same time, ¡°This big sister is so pretty...¡±

    ¡°Neptune, who is she? Why are you showing us her picture all of a sudden?¡± Gu Ding asked.

    Neptune finally answered after projecting a few more pictures of her, ¡°She¡¯s Elizabeth who¡¯s 170-years-old this year. She¡¯s the Lord of Faye Cosmic Nation. Today, at midnight, she managed to achieve god level. Now, the entire Faye Cosmic Nation is talking about her. It¡¯s rumored that her breakthrough made herbat effectiveness shoot up to 4-stars, and the Federal Government has openly evaluated her as a brilliant genius.¡±

    ¡°Does she have anything to do with us?¡± Gu Ding still did not understand what the matter had to do with him.

    ¡°Of course it does. Elizabeth was able to achieve her breakthrough to god level because she was enlightened on Jerr. Even though it was the deity¡¯s will projection that helped with her enlightenment, if you hadn¡¯t gone to Jerr, none of it would have happened and she would¡¯ve never been able to achieve her breakthrough to attain god level,¡± Neptune exined.

    ¡°And then what? What are you trying to say?¡± Gu Ding had no idea what Neptune was trying to say since he was going around in circles.

    ¡°After that, this beautiful woman sent you a video to say thank you...¡± When Neptune said this, his tone sounded a little coy. He proceeded to project the video at the same time.

    It was a video that was self-taken with an intelligent ring.

    ¡°Hello, Gu Ding. I¡¯m Elizabeth,¡± Elizabeth waved and greeted him in the video. Her next few words surprised Gu Ding.

    ¡°You may not know this, but we¡¯re actually old acquaintances. Do you remember the Dark Iron Grade Combat Armor I gifted you?¡±

    Now, Elizabeth called someone toe over from the other side, ¡°Midea,e over and say hi.¡±

    Right then, a tall, slender woman walked over and winked at Gu Ding. ¡°Do you still remember that kiss I gave you two months ago at the Virtual Arena?¡±

    Gu Ding would never forget that terribly powerful woman from the Virtual Arena. Nevertheless, he had never expected her to be from Faye Cosmic Nation.

    ¡°She¡¯s a good friend of mine. We went to thepetition at the Virtual Arena in Dragon Soar Cosmic Nation because we were bored at the time. We had not expected to bump into you. Nevertheless, she was looking for a fight, so she joined thepetition,¡± Elizabeth exined.

    ¡°Of course, this video I¡¯m recording today is not to reminisce about the old days but to express my gratitude and negotiate a trade with you.¡±

    ¡°I believe you¡¯ve already heard the news about me ascending to be a deity. The one I¡¯m most grateful to is the deity whose will projection descended. On the other hand, the second would be the deceased Thorso. Lastly, it would be you. I¡¯ve investigated the incident. If you hadn¡¯t shown up, the god item in Thorso¡¯s hands would not have awakened and the deity would not have descended with his will projection. In that case, I would¡¯ve never been able to attain god level.

    ¡°Needless to say, I still have to denounce you for the huge destruction you caused. If it weren¡¯t for you, Thorso would not have died, and the prison¡¯s employees would not have lost their lives. Even though most of the eighty thousand prisoners were bad people, they should not have died either. Additionally, it is an unspeakable crime for you to have wounded our Hunter squad so seriously. That¡¯s why I will allow the marshal to organize a meeting to raise your bounty because of what you¡¯ve done.

    ¡°I won¡¯t go into more detail regarding what happened on Jerr. Now, let us discuss about this deal. I hope you will be able to pass us theplete version of Ultimate Arts. In exchange, I will give you an Ultra Fire Spark from an Ultra Fire. Please give me a reply as soon as possible if you think the trade is eptable. Then, we will proceed to decide a time and ce for the trade.¡±

    The projection slowly faded off as the other party stopped recording.

    ¡°The trade can¡¯t really be worth considering. A set of abilities in exchange for an Ultra Fire Spark. Am I the only one who thinks that Elizabeth is interested in Gu Ding, or do all of you think the same?¡± Liliath scoffed.

    ¡°I think so too!¡± Elsa raised her hand high in the sky to express her agreement.

    ¡°Captain, I think if the person who taught you your abilities did not limit them to you, it would be a good trade to exchange them for an Ultra Fire Spark. If those abilities are not allowed to be taught to outsiders, then there¡¯s nothing we can do,¡± Biggie gave his input this time.

    ¡°You all look pretty happy talking about this, but I have no idea what an Ultra Fire Spark is.¡± Gu Ding looked helplessly at everyone. He had cultivated his abilities based on a few sets of skills Neptune had thrown at him; Gu Ding had found his own way of cultivating. Hence, there were many basic bits of knowledge regarding cultivation he was not aware of. As for his time in the military academy, Gu Ding was only taught the simplestbat techniques,bat effectiveness, and bodybuilding, which did not make much of a difference. As for his basic knowledge of martial arts, the academy only taught him up till Level 6. As for how to achieve god level, there was no information about it on Sk. The information was considered ssified and limited to only people of certain ranks.

    When Gu Ding blurted out that he had no idea what an Ultra Fire Spark was, everyone looked at him as if he was an idiot, including Robert and Tagore.

    ¡°Fine, allow me to exin. An Ultra Fire Spark is a necessary item one has to use to convert their human physical body into the body of a deity. Without the help of an Ultra Fire Spark, one would not be able to transform fully. Uponplete transformation, the Ultra Fire Spark would be used to limatize the body and increase the strength of the now divine body. Each Ultra Fire me could be split into ten Ultra Fire Sparks,¡± Neptune gave a simple exnation.

    ¡°Is it very difficult to obtain an Ultra Fire Spark?¡± Gu Ding was beginning to consider going through with the trade. If it was something difficult to get his hands on, it would be an essential trade.

    ¡°Very difficult. There are only three ways one can get it under normal circumstances. First, is to extract it from a deity who has just fallen. However, this can only be done by another deity. Not to mention, once a deity falls, its Ultra Fire quickly extinguishes under normal circumstances. Once the Ultra Fire is extinguished, getting an Ultra Fire Spark is out of the question. Second, is when the deity is willing to separate the Ultra Fire Sparks from the Ultra Fire within its body. This would cause the deity¡¯s abilities to decrease, which is why it¡¯s a very rare method people choose to use. Third, is to cultivate a special kind of ability to umte Ultra Fire on your own,¡± Neptune exined in detail this time. Nevertheless, it was clear that Gu Ding did not know any deities who would be able to help him through the first two methods.

    ¡°Neptune, can I pass those abilities you taught me to outsiders?¡± Gu Ding was somewhat tempted by the deal.

    Neptune replied graciously, ¡°There¡¯s nothing I¡¯m opposed to about it. The conditions for cultivating them are extremely harsh, not many would be able to seed. Those Hunters who have already begun cultivating the iplete version of Ultimate Arts won¡¯t be able to cultivate thisplete version anymore. If they are looking to nurture neers, it would be impossible for them to train someone in such a short time. By the time they are able to train new recruits with it, you¡¯d be long gone from Faye Cosmic Nation.¡±

    ¡°Does that mean I should ept the trade?¡± This was the conclusion Gu Ding came to.

    ¡°The Ultimate Fire Spark is useless to you. Cultivating the Sun Sutra to a certain level will enable you to umte Ultimate Fire, which is the reason why I got you to train the ability. Ultra Fire Sparks from the Star Fire umted through the Sun Sutra is considered to be one of the top Ultra Fire Sparks out there,¡± Neptune shared the good news with him.

    ¡°If I won¡¯t be able to use it, some of the others might be able to use it, right?¡± Gu Ding looked at Liliath and the others.

    ¡°Don¡¯t look at me. I don¡¯t need it. I am fully capable of condensing an Ultra Fire Spark from Purgatorial mes.¡± Liliath shook her head.

    Elsa waved ¡®no¡¯ with her hands. ¡°I don¡¯t need it either. I¡¯ve already got an Ultra Fire Spark in my body, given to me by my dad.¡±

    Biggie shook his head too. ¡°Darkness¡¯ inheritance has given me a method to condense Ultra Fire Sparks. I don¡¯t need another type of Fire Spark.¡±

    Robert shook his head too. ¡°The Mechanical Tribe¡¯s way of ascending to be a deity is toplete the transformation within our body.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not a human being. I don¡¯t need that sort of thing,¡± Tagore¡¯s reply was also right to the point.

    ¡°Okay. Since no one needs it, we¡¯ll reject the trade. Neptune, call her number. She wanted us to give her a reply as soon as possible. Let¡¯s just give her a reply now,¡± Gu Ding thought there was no need to go on with the trade since no one needed the Ultra Fire Spark.

    ¡°Wait, since we don¡¯t need the Ultra Fire Spark from the Ultra Fire, why don¡¯t we make the trade for something else? For example, enhancing materials that Robert may need or some cultivating resources we need for ourselves. Some of those things can¡¯t be bought with money, after all. Since Elizabeth is the Lord of a Cosmic Nation, she should have the most resources in the Faye Cosmic Nation,¡± Neptune suggested.

    Gu Ding¡¯s eyes brightened. ¡°That¡¯s a good n! Okay, everyone, let¡¯s gather and write down all the materials we need. Don¡¯t bother writing anything that can be easily bought. Jot down stuff that¡¯s rare and difficult to obtain. Also, list down whatever cultivating resources you want and pass it to me. Neptune will put everyone¡¯s list together.¡±

    Everyone started to make their own lists excitedly after hearing Gu Ding¡¯s words. Even Tagore was hard at work scratching something out with his cat ws.

    After about half an hourter, everyone passed their list to Gu Ding.

    Neptunebined the lists and the total came up to more than one hundred and thirty items. Most of the items came from Robert who had listed more than seventy items alone. Neptune refined the list and removed those that could be bought. Tagore¡¯s list of more than twenty genebeasts was cut down to five types by Neptune. In the end, the list was thinned out to ny-seven items.

    ¡°I should write her an email instead...¡± Gu Ding was too embarrassed to inform Elizabeth about the list face-to-face when he saw how long it was. Hence, he chose to write her a well-worded email.

    Next was to patiently wait for her reply.

 Chapter 203 - Done Deal

    <h4>Chapter 203: Done Deal</h4>

    When Elizabeth saw Gu Ding¡¯s email, she immediately clicked on it. She did care about Gu Ding¡¯s Ultimate Arts. If she could poprize it to the entire Hunter squad, it would be an effective blow to the Interster Pirates with high bounties.

    When she opened the email, she saw that Gu Ding had not written much, just a few sentences. They basically told her that he did not need the Ultra Fire spark and wanted to make a deal for something else. Additionally, Gu Ding also told Elizabeth that the cultivation method of Ultimate Arts was extremely difficult and that people who had already begun cultivating the iplete version of Ultimate Arts would not be able to cultivate it. Elizabeth was rather appreciative of his honesty.

    Clicking on the attachment and seeing a long list of materials, Elizabeth¡¯s smile turned into a wry one.

    ¡°Does that guy want us to do his shopping for him?¡± Midea, too, was speechless at the list. ¡°Ny-seven materials in total and five of them are Rank-13 genebeasts...¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s look at the list and see what we have. Then, we¡¯ll get a rough estimate of what it¡¯s worth.¡± Elizabeth gave the order and the rest got to work immediately.

    About half an hourter, the warehouse had it all sorted out. Out of the ny-seven materials, they had eighty-eight of them. As for the Rank-13 genebeasts, of course they did not have them. In actual fact, they were only four materials short of what Gu Ding and his crew wanted.

    Elizabeth wrote the results in an email and included the estimated cost of the list in it. Most of the materials Gu Ding¡¯s crew had put in the list were rare. Elizabeth knew at a nce why he wanted them¨Cmost of them were hard to buy.

    Gu Ding, who had received Elizabeth¡¯s reply, was pleased that most of the materials they needed were avable. Nevertheless, when one added them up, they were worth far more than an Ultra Fire spark. There were not many materials, but because they were so rare, they added up to about six Ultra Fire sparks.

    Gu Ding had Neptune reassess the price Elizabeth had given and it was actually reasonable. Elizabeth had quoted him with a price that was not too extravagant and most of the items were not valued at their highest auction price.

    Elizabeth also made it clear in her letter that his version of Ultimate Arts was not worth that much, and that if they wanted the materials, they would have to exchange them for something else.

    ¡°Exchange those materials for something else? She¡¯s the lord of a Cosmic Nation. Where are we going to find something that she doesn¡¯t have?¡± After reading Elizabeth¡¯s letter, Lilliath shook her head pessimistically.

    ¡°We have to take this opportunity to collect the materials. If we buy them one by one, we may not be able to gather all of them even after years.¡± Gu Ding was well aware that their list of rare materials was full of hard-to-get items, many of which Robert had listed before but were not avable on manys. ¡°Neptune, is there any other way?¡±

    ¡°My Databank happens to have unlocked high-level restrictions since your promotion¨CI can ess arge number of deity powers now. Even if she¡¯s the lord of a 5-star Cosmic Nation, I believe she only has a limited number of Divine Connection powers.¡± Neptune finally had good news. ¡°Tell her that we¡¯ll exchange everything on the list for one defensive 2-star Divine Connection Tome and Ultimate Arts.¡±

    The so-called Divine Connection powers were special abilities used by the deities. They could be evolved from original special abilities or directly formed through the cultivation of a Divine Connection Tome. Nevertheless, very few evolved their own special abilities and most deities obtained their Divine Connection powers through cultivating Divine Connection Tomes directly. Defensive powers were extremely rare in Divine Connection Tomes.

    Gu Ding rephrased the email and sent a reply to Elizabeth once again.

    ¡°Divine Connection Tome?! He has a Divine Connection Tome, and it¡¯s a defensive type?¡± Midea¡¯s first reaction when she saw Gu Ding¡¯s reply was utter shock.

    ¡°It seems like we still don¡¯t know much about him. We¡¯ve been paying attention to him, but we did not know that he owns a Divine Connection Tome.¡± Elizabeth was a little surprised too. She had paid close attention to Gu Ding from the very beginning and knew about almost every incident when he was in trouble. Hence, it was a little hard to understand where Gu Ding had managed to get the Divine Connection Tome from.

    ¡°It¡¯s highly likely that he stole it from the Witch Tribe during his space-time backtracking encounter,¡± Midea voiced out her spections. She could not think of any other ce because they had paid attention to everywhere Gu Dingnded and everything he did.

    ¡°A 2-star Divine Connection Tome is simr in value to these materials which also means that the Ultimate Arts is free.¡± Elizabethughed covering her mouth. ¡°We¡¯ll profit from this deal.¡±

    ¡°That boy is pretty sensible, he did not ask us for more things.¡± Midea thought that Gu Ding was right to do this.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to ask them what they¡¯re going to stop by next and when they¡¯re going to stop by there. Let¡¯s try to close the deal as quickly as possible,¡± Elizabeth said and once again sent an email as a reply.

    ¡°The nearest administrative is about three hours away. Do you want to stop there?¡± Neptune, seeing Elizabeth¡¯s email, inquired.

    ¡°Let¡¯s stop there. The sooner we close the deal, the sooner we¡¯ll feel at ease .¡± Gu Ding nodded.

    ¡°Are you not worried at all that she¡¯ll attack us after she gets hold of the Divine Connection Tome?¡± Lilliath asked.

    ¡°No.¡± Gu Ding shook his head.

    ¡°Why?¡± Lilliath did not understand.

    ¡°That¡¯s because I know that¡¯s not who she is,¡± Gu Ding answered confidently.

    After replying to Elizabeth with the time and ce, Gu Ding immediately received a reply in return. ¡°See youter!¡±

    The that Gu Ding and his crew docked on was called Fister. It was an ordinary¨Cjust as inconspicuous as Cerule in the cosmos.

    Their spaceship soon docked at the port. After getting off the spaceship, Gu Ding found it to be a peaceful.

    At the port, the pace of life everyone was seeing moving in was slow and calm.

    ¡°We¡¯re here! We¡¯ll wait for you at the port.¡± Gu Ding sent a message to Elizabeth.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be there soon!¡± Elizabeth replied quickly.

    Gu Ding and his party found a tavern at the port. They sat down at an open-air table outside, ordered drinks, and waited patiently. At that time, it was already dark and the clear stary sky was a pleasant sight.

    Before long, the nearby clouds in the sky began to change, slowly forming a vortex.

    Momentster, a white light cut through the clouds and stopped on the ground. In the middle of the night, the scene seemed very unusual and attracted the attention of almost everyone who was dozens of miles around.

    Under the white light, Gu Ding saw a woman in ck robes slowly walking toward him. The brim of her huge, long gown obscured her face. This time, it was not a projection of her will, it was her original body. It was something Gu Ding had not thought of.

    The people at the port looked dumbstruck at the woman walking out of the light. Many only reacted after a long while by saying, ¡°A deity has just descended!¡±

    Elizabeth soon found out where Gu Ding and his crew were and appeared before them in a sh.

    Looking through the brim of her hood, Gu Ding saw her face for the first time in person. It was much more beautiful than in the photograph, and her disposition was very different under her ck robes.

    ¡°There are too many people here. Let¡¯s find a quieter ce,¡± Elizabeth suggested.

    Gu Ding¡¯s original n was toplete the deal right there, and they would each return to their respective ces. However, he made no objections to Elizabeth¡¯s suggestion. It was normal. No man could say no in her face.

    However, Gu Ding agreed but not for that reason. It was because he noticed Elizabeth pulling down the brim of her hood in fear of being recognized.

    They headed for a park near the port¨Cit had fewer people and was perfect for a walk.

    Once they were inside the park, Gu Ding found a spot in the field and sat down. ¡°There¡¯s nobody here, is that all right?¡±

    ¡°Are you not worried that I might attack you after getting my hands on the Divine Connection Tome?¡± Elizabeth asked Gu Ding the same question Lilliath had asked him.

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t expecting you to ask me the same question as Lili.¡± Gu Dingughed. ¡°I¡¯ll give you the same answer¨Cno!¡±

    ¡°Why not? I¡¯m a deity. I could easily kill off your crew,¡± Elizabeth added.

    ¡°I know that you are nothing of that sort. Just as you know, I¡¯m not a heinous wretch,¡± Gu Ding spoke as if he knew Elizabeth well. ¡°Besides, you gave me the Combat Armor. If it weren¡¯t for our statuses, maybe we could be friends.¡±

    ¡°Friends...¡± The word seemed distant to Elizabeth. She looked up at the distant, starry sky. She fell silent as if recalling something.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go on with the deal,¡± Gu Ding said after a while as he felt that she should have had more than enough time to recall what she wanted to remember.

    Elizabeth handed over a wristwatch. ¡°This is a wristwatch without a password. Though I know passwords can¡¯t stop you, why don¡¯t you count the variety and quantities of the items? Other than the purple energy crystals you use for cultivation, where you wanted ten thousand pieces, everything else is the same. I put one hundred thousand pieces of purple energy crystals inside instead. ¡±

    Neptune instantly finished counting the items and immediately sent the Divine Connection Tome to Elizabeth¡¯s mailbox.

    Hearing a prompt in her mailbox for new messages, Elizabeth clicked on it and saw an attachment included within Gu Ding¡¯s email. Just by ncing at two pages, she knew that the Tome was genuine.

    ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure doing business with you! However, next time, we¡¯ll be enemies.¡± Elizabeth turned away after frankly uttering those words.

    ¡°I know, I¡¯ll try my best to escape Faye Cosmic Nation.¡± Gu Ding tossed the wristwatch into the air and caught it once more. After weighing it twice in his hand, he headed back for the tavern.

 Chapter 204 - Greetings From Monster Concentration Camp

    <h4>Chapter 204: Greetings From Monster Concentration Camp</h4>

    On Fister, Gu Ding¡¯s stayed for only one night to enjoy some local food before leaving the port early the next morning.

    Gu Ding¡¯s crew was in the kitchen eating breakfast while he was drinking a ss of milca when a projection suddenly appeared from his wristwatch.

    The projection¡¯s background was dark except for arge silver X that flipped across the screen.

    ¡°Hello, everyone, I would like to introduce myself. My name is X, and I¡¯m a member of the Monster Concentration Camp. Ie in peace. My purpose is simply to invite Mr. Gu Ding to join our concentration camp.

    ¡°Let me introduce you to the Monster Concentration Camp. The so-called monsters in martial arts are ultimate geniuses who can fight across three or more ranks. Additionally, we also bring in talented people who can surpass their limits like hackers at my level. The Monster Concentration Camp was founded with the simple idea of inviting only real monsters to join us and lead the human race to a more glorious future through the collision and cooperation of all kinds of monsters.¡±

    ¡°Listening to the introduction earlier, it sounds very impressive. However, why did thatst sentencee off like they¡¯re some evil cult recruiting people?¡± Gu Ding could not help but quip.

    ¡°I feel the same way.¡± Lilliath, who was at the side nodded in agreement.

    ¡°I admit that thest sentence has been ridiculed more than once, but it¡¯s really the reason why we were founded. In every era, the rise of each and every small tribe is inseparable from the existence of a monster within a small tribe. Hence, we thought of putting all the monsters together to fight for the establishment of a small tribe,¡± X continued to exin.

    ¡°I only wonder what good would it do me to join your organization?¡± Gu Ding did not want to beat around the bush and asked a very realistic question.

    ¡°First of all, everyone who joins gets a wee gift. I can¡¯t tell you what it is, but I can tell you that all of our members are 100% satisfied with our wee gift. It hasn¡¯t changed in the past, and it will not change now or in the future.¡±

    ¡°How many members do you have now?¡± Gu Ding could not help but ask.

    ¡°All internal information about our organization is confidential until you join because all the way until the moment you join us, we view you as a stranger.¡± X¡¯s answer made Gu Ding shrug his shoulders.

    ¡°And what is there besides the wee gift?¡± Gu Ding continued to ask.

    ¡°There are mission bonuses. At this point, it¡¯s kind of like the Mercenary Alliance but our organization has no hierarchy and everyone is free and equal. As for the difficulty of the missions, we will have detailed descriptions about them and will give you strength level suggestions on whether to ept them or not. Of course, we¡¯d only be suggesting them to you and it¡¯s not mandatory to ept missions. We will not stand in the way of those whose strength do not reach the proposed requirements because we believe that all members have the ability to judge for themselves. Speaking of freedom and equality, I would also like to add that those who join our Monster Concentration Camps are free to join any other organization. You could join the Federation Army or be an Interster Pirate. You could also join Liberty Alliance or even the Dark Sectors.¡±

    ¡°In that case, how do you resolve conflicts that ur between different forces?¡± Lilliath who was at the side could not resist but raise her question.

    ¡°If both sides must have an oue, then it¡¯s simple¨Ca fight in the ring. You could choose to fight to the death or you could choose not to fight to the death.¡± X gave a very simple solution. ¡°The loser drops out of the Monster Concentration Camp.¡±

    ¡°Mission rewards, in addition to items, members will also be awarded reward points ording to the difficulty of each mission. Reward points can be redeemed for goods, and almost more than 90% of the entire Cosmic Sea can be redeemed through our organization. Legendary Divine Connection Tomes, god items, and evenplete deity bodies... Of course, the more valuable they are, the more points they¡¯re working enquiring.¡±

    ¡°Other than missions, the other way to get points is through the Virtual Killing Ground. It is a game simr to the Virtual Arena that we developed separately from Sk. On the other hand, it¡¯s much more fun. You¡¯ll definitely get a chance to y it in the future if you join. I¡¯m one of the game creators. I think you¡¯ll like it.¡±

    ¡°Summit is also a virtual game, but it¡¯s held once a year and yed in the same way as the Virtual Arena. The higher your ranking is in thepetition, the more points you¡¯ll get.¡±

    ¡°Other thanbat, there are nonbat ways for you to earn points. Help people solve questions and get paid with points. Such questions are all over the ce. There are questions rted to martial arts cultivation, pharmaceutical refining, mechanical manufacturing... Of course, such questions are usually hard to solve because everyone is a monster. ording to my current statistics, only 17% of the total number of questions have been solved and the remaining 83% is unanswered. You could try your luck there if you¡¯re interested. Or if you have any questions, you can put them up there. Of course, you¡¯d have to pay us with points.¡±

    ¡°In addition to the wee gifts, the mission rewards, and reward points, there are also referral rewards. If you find a monster and sessfully invite them to join the Monster Concentration Camp, you will be rewarded ordingly. The higher their Monster Ranking, the more you¡¯ll get in rewards. That¡¯s pretty much about it. We do not restrict our members. You can stay off ourwork for tens of thousands of years. You won¡¯t be removed for not contacting other members or not participating in any of our activities. Of course, we will send you some mission rmendations from time to time, and you can always choose to ignore them¨Cthey won¡¯t affect you at all. You can also log into the system and set it to refuse to ept rmended missions so that you will not receive any more spam. This is because we follow the principle of respecting the choices made by all our members. You can think about it before giving me an answer. My nomination is valid for ten days. If it expires, I won¡¯t be able to make a second nomination. At that point, you can only wait for someone else to nominate you.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m in!¡± Gu Ding made his decision on the spot.

    ¡°You¡¯re the fastest person to have epted my invitation. I¡¯m so d that you can join the family. I will send you your ID card. It¡¯s a virtual card that will allow you to ess the system.¡± X then continued, ¡°As for the wee gift, since it is physical, you¡¯ll have to get it yourself. I¡¯ve taken a look at your current location. We still have about ten days to go before we reach Probrand. We have someone who can pass you the wee gift near that. I¡¯ll inform him to get there as soon as possible and have him wait for you there. You will not be disappointed with the wee gift.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to it, too.¡± Gu Ding did not really know what he wanted at that moment, but he was looking forward to it.

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll leave you to it. Goodbye, everyone! As for the other super-intelligent guy, I¡¯d love to invite you to join us, but I¡¯m sure you¡¯d turn me down anyway. Besides, it is my duty as a referrer to leave Gu Ding with a referral bonus.¡± X¡¯s words were clearly addressed to Neptune. ¡°When the opportunityes, we can have a head-to-head contest.¡±

    As soon as X finished, the projection immediately shut down.

    ¡°The damned thing!¡± Neptune cursed in rage. ¡°How dare he invade my territory and challenge me!¡±

    Gu Ding and his crew were amused. It was the first time they had seen someone humiliate Neptune. It meant that the guy called X was indeed a terrifying presence.

    ¡°I just cked a little and didn¡¯t change our original address on Cerule. He managed to track us with our original address,¡± Neptune said defiantly. Actually this method of his was equivalent to leaving a secret door behind for a few masters. The secret door would be locked, but as long as someone was able to unlock it, they could easily find them. Besides, when Neptune first locked the secret door, he still had restrictions on himself except for the lowest level. Since nobody had been able to unlock it all this while, he did not change the lock. Nevertheless, after this incident, Neptune realized that some humans were indeed strong enough to unlock his passwords.

    ¡°He needed something to prove that the men in Monster Concentration Camp are strong powerhouses. Not to mention, that he¡¯s capable. That was why he chose to unlock it that way. Since sending the invitation to a public email address would not be enough to arouse my interest in joining. It would have been very likely for me to put the invitation on the back burner.¡± Gu Ding guessed X¡¯s intentions.

    ¡°Herees the ID card!¡± Neptune suddenly said and projected the card.

    It was a ck card with not a single word on it, not even a picture. The ck card shed a white ray of light and scanned the crowd until it finally locked onto Gu Ding. The white light dissipated and two pale blue beams shone directly into Gu Ding¡¯s eyes as if they were taking down information. Momentster, the blue light dissipated, and the card projected a transparent screen in front of Gu Ding. It showed two, three-dimensional, dented palm prints. Gu Ding put his hands against them and the translucent, three-dimensional image immediately showed Gu Ding¡¯s palm prints.

    Having recorded his identity, a robotic voice said, ¡°Wee aboard! Do you need to enter Monster Paradise?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t enter it yet. I¡¯ll see if I can sneak in without the card.¡± Neptune tried for nearly twenty minutes before he eventually gave up. ¡°It seems like I can¡¯t, Monster Paradise was also made through Sk, but its security is extremely tight. If I were to break in by force, it would attract Sk¡¯s attention.¡±

    ¡°Let me go in and have a look. You can enter directly through the card¡¯s link. I should be able to use my intelligent wristwatch in there,¡± Gu Ding said and hit the confirm button.

 Chapter 205 - The Asking Tower

    <h4>Chapter 205: The Asking Tower</h4>

    ¡°Wee to Monster Paradise, I wish you a good time here!¡±

    Gu Ding found himself standing at the exit of the starport. A line of text floated past the top of the port¡¯s entrance, and he heard a sweet female voice.

    ¡°This so-called Monster Paradise is not entirely a virtual, is it? Isn¡¯t it toovish?!¡± Gu Ding could not help but exim. It was no wonder he was surprised. The Virtual Arena was merely a city, and the Hermean Alliance was merely a city as well. Building a virtual obviously required a lot more workpared to building a city.

    ¡°It really is a whole here,¡± Neptune¡¯s voice was soon heard in Gu Ding¡¯s ear. He had entered through Gu Ding¡¯s ID card.

    ¡°Are you interested in earning some points? My Databank isn¡¯t restricted so much anymore, and I should be able to answer most of your questions.¡± Neptune still sounded a little mad. Having been beaten by X once, he wanted to make some trouble.

    Gu Ding, of course, agreed. He wanted to score points in exchange for some rare materials.

    Under Neptune¡¯s guidance, Gu Ding soon arrived in front of a huge tower with unique designs.

    Two words were written on the huge tower¡¯s que: ¡°Asking Tower¡±.

    ¡°Why does it feel like an ancient building?¡± Gu Ding could not resist letting out a quip as he stepped into the tower.

    On the first floor, there was no one but a maiden at the door.

    ¡°Hello, may I help you?¡± A nice-looking girl guide came over.

    ¡°I want to know how to solve questions,¡± Gu Ding asked.

    ¡°Gu Ding, she¡¯s not a real person. She¡¯s only a virtual character here, sort of like an NPC in games.¡± With only once nce, Neptune saw through the maiden¡¯s true identity.

    ¡°That¡¯s easy. Simply connect your intelligent wristwatch¡¯swork to the Asking Tower¡¯s first floor to see the questions. If you have any questions about cultivation, you can also send them in directly,¡± the virtual girl guide exined.

    ¡°Do I have toe to this Asking Tower every time I want to solve a question?¡± Gu Ding found the setting inconvenient.

    ¡°Only new users who have not yet activated the function need to do it in person. Each time you activate a function, your intelligent wristwatch will record it. After that, you can just use it directly through your intelligent wristwatch. Not only do you have to activate the Asking Tower¡¯s function, but you¡¯ll have to activate other functions before using them. This is to familiarize everyone with Monster Paradise,¡± the girl guide exined.

    ¡°I see!¡± Gu Ding nodded. Neptune connected to Asking Tower¡¯swork which showed questions that were only below demigod level. Gu Ding could not help but ask, ¡°Can you see demigod level queries without having demigod level strength?¡±

    ¡°The Asking Tower¡¯s first floor is filled with demigod level questions, you¡¯ll have to connect to the second floor of thework to see demigod level questions. Your ess to the second level is restricted if yourbat effectiveness is below demigod level. You must answer at least three questions correctly on the first level before the restriction is automatically lifted. By then, you won¡¯t have toe to the second floor here to reactivate it. You can check the questions on the second floor directly through your intelligent wristwatch. If you are a powerhouse with demigodbat effectiveness, you must go to the Asking Tower and smash the barrier door to the second floor with yourbat effectiveness. Then, go up to the second floor and reactivate the second floor¡¯swork.¡±

    Gu Ding nodded helplessly upon hearing the exnation. In his opinion, the number of reward points was not high since the questions were below demigod level. He tapped on the screen of his wristwatch to project a question.

    At the top of the page was a list that Gu Ding could see very clearly. It was a ranking of outstanding questions in terms ofpensation. The first question had the highestpensation with up to three thousand points. Then, it went down to two thousand and eight hundred, two thousand and seven hundred, two thousand and five hundred... A total of ten questions were listed on the ranking, with the lowest pay being one thousand and eight hundred.

    ¡°Are points that worthless?¡± Gu Ding muttered under his breath.

    The girl guide overheard his remark and immediately exined, ¡°In Monster Paradise, one point is equivalent to a million Universe Credits in the real world.¡±

    Neptune also added. ¡°It¡¯s not that the points are worthless, the missions here are ranked. 1-star missions only reward one to ten points at a time, while 2-star missions reward ten to one hundred points. 3-star missions are rmended for people who are at least demigods. Their reward points range from one hundred to one thousand points. Therefore, points are very difficult to earn with people who are weaker than demigods. With your current strength, you can only do 2-star missions with less than fifty points. If you intend to umte thousands of points, you¡¯ll need to do at least twenty missions. Even if you canplete a mission every three days, it¡¯ll take you at least two months toplete twenty missions. At such a pace, you may end up doing nothing else for the rest of the year. Even if you take on more than one hundred tasks, you¡¯d only umte five thousand points, and that¡¯s if you don¡¯t use any of the points. Actually, when I look at the frequency at which people take on missions, the number of people who take on missions more than ten times a year is very low¨Cless than 3%. If you do it ten times a year, it would take you at least six years to umte three thousand points.¡±

    After listening to Neptune¡¯s calctions, Gu Ding realized how difficult it was to earn points.

    ¡°I think the people who¡¯ve ced these questions have basically taken out all their assets, which is why there are so many questions offering thousands of points,¡± Neptune went on to exin, ¡°Alright, let¡¯s stop wasting our time talking nonsense. I¡¯ll start solving the questions, while you can look around yourself.¡±

    Gu Ding looked at the projection of questions. The first question on thepensation ranking leaderboard was: ¡°Which gene chain is the special ability (Water Split-body) located in, and what is the sequence number of its location?¡±

    When the girl guide saw Gu Ding beginning to solve questions, she returned to her original position and once again looked at the doorway.

    Gu Ding watched as Neptune gave the first question his answer: Third, NM_011819932.

    Then, Gu Ding looked at the second question which was an extremelyplex mathematical equation. He had no idea what it meant.

    Neptune seemed to notice his gaze, and as he answered the question, he exined to Gu Ding, ¡°It¡¯s an equation of unstable variables used to make a specialpound metal. His equation is notplete, so I will supplement it.¡±

    In less than twenty seconds, the second question was solved.

    Then, Gu Ding turned to the third question. The third question was about refining medicine. The questioner provided aplete list of medicinal materials, and the question was: ¡°I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t tell you how the ingredients are mixed and what the medicine is. However, the failure rate in refining this medicine is extremely high. How do I solve this problem?¡±

    ¡°He did not mention the ratio of the materials and the reason for failure. Who on Earth can solve this?¡± Gu Ding was speechless at the question. After all, he studied pharmacy as well. However, in his opinion, the questioncked too much information and he had no way to judge the refining process. Not to mention, the reason for its failure. Naturally, he could not improve the refining sess rate.

    However, Neptune was able to give a clear answer directly: The reason for the high failure rate is the low degree of fusion of Red Fire Crystals with other materials. Just rece the Red Fire Crystals in the material list with genebeast energy crystals which have fire properties.

    ...

    Neptune went through each question one after another. The ten questions on the ranking list were all answered in less than ten minutes, leaving Gu Ding in awe.

    However, that was not the end of it. Neptune had no intention of stopping. He seemed addicted to the quiz game.

    Gu Ding was also interested in many of the questions, so he indulged in it with Neptune andpletely lost track of time.

    In ab, a girl suddenly looked down at the intelligent ring on her finger. She had the ring on her left hand, and all five of her fingers had different colored nails. In fact, the nails on her other hand were also in different colors. ¡°Hmm, that¡¯s interesting... Someone managed to answerst year¡¯s question?¡± She sounded like a half-grown girl.

    She stretched out her right index finger, and her fingernail suddenly lengthened. She pricked her left thumb and squeezed out a drop of blood that was purple.

    She dripped a drop of blood onto a petri dish and began to observe it with a microscope. After observing it for a while, she took out a pile of tools and began to bury herself in her work.

    About half an hourter, she suddenly looked up. ¡°How can it be? That guy is right. That¡¯s indeed the gene serial number for Water Split-body. How did he know that?¡±

    Hearing the ¡°ding¡±, Gu Ding came to his senses. On the other hand, Neptune awakened from his obsession.

    ¡°What was that noise?¡± Gu Ding looked around but saw nothing.

    ¡°A questioner just confirmed that our answer was correct.¡± Neptune looked at it. It seems like the system makes a ringing sound each time an answer is confirmed to be correct. ¡°The first question on the ranking has been confirmed to be correct by the questioner.¡±

    ¡°That means, we got three thousand points!¡± Gu Ding grinned.

    ¡°Let¡¯s call it a day. In half an hour, I¡¯ve managed to answer thirty-seven questions. The lowest reward is seven hundred points. By my reckoning, our totalpensation amounts up to 56700 points. With this many points, ording to what I just calcted for you, with your current strength, it would have taken you more than a thousand missions to save enough. Even if you do nothing and take on missions for a year, you¡¯d only be able to finish a hundred of them. It would take you eleven years to save that much.¡±

    ¡°Are we going to continue tomorrow? I¡¯m sure we can go straight to the second floor tomorrow,¡± Gu Ding asked.

    ¡°Forget tomorrow. You¡¯ve got enough points now. Besides, although we answered those questions anonymously, the organization¡¯s top management should know that it was us. It¡¯s just that by answering questions that are below demigod level, the best that they can think of is that I am highly knowledgeable. Additionally, I have an ancient civilization¡¯s Databank that even Sk would envy.¡± Neptune was still unsure of the organization¡¯s background, so he nned on remaining cautious.

    ¡°Alright, after we get our points tomorrow, we¡¯ll see what items the others mightneed. Then, we¡¯ll hang around the trade center. Only a little over half an hour has passed since breakfast. We still have a whole day left for cultivation...¡±

 Chapter 206 - Modicanâ€™s Call

    <h4>Chapter 206: Modican¡¯s Call</h4>

    When Gu Ding returned to the spaceship with his will and found the main cabin empty, he knew that Lilliath and the rest had gone back to their own cabins to cultivate.

    The purple energy crystals he had obtained from Elizabeth were of high quality. The reason why they needed the Energy Crystals were that they were the main raw material required to the Dark Sectors¡¯ ck crystals. After someposition analysis, Neptune managed toe up with a method to make the ck crystals along with some added improvements. For some of the easily procured materials, he had already asked Biggie and the others to help him get them. As for the other materials that were not easily procured, he managed to acquire them from Elizabeth. Therefore, as soon as he got the materials, Neptune contacted Robert and asked him to help him make it.

    While Gu Ding and the others rested at night, the one hundred thousand energy purple crystals were all made into ck crystals by Robert in one night. Early the next morning, before breakfast, he handed out the crystals to the crew.

    Gu Ding, too, went back to his room. He closed the door and sat down on the floor. He took out a ck crystal, swallowed it, and began to quickly work on his Sun Sutra to absorb it.

    The thirty-seven circtions in his body began to run rapidly. It took Gu Ding five hours to absorb the ck crystal. The cirction in his body changed from thirty-seven points to forty-seven points, and his Cell Index increased by five thousand points. Apparently, the ck crystals that Robert had made using Neptune¡¯s method were much better than Dark Sectors¡¯ ones.

    Gu Ding looked at the time and swallowed a second ck crystal. Five more hours passed and the cirction in his body increased to fifty-seven points. Additionally, his Cell Index increased by five thousand points.

    Within ten hours, Gu Ding was able to raise his Cell Index from eighty thousand to ny thousand.

    It was almost dinner time and Gu Ding was also beginning to feel hungry. He had only eaten breakfast and ten hours had passed since then. It was normal that he was feeling hungry.

    When Gu Ding entered the dining room, Biggie was not there. Gu Ding felt that it was a little strange for a moment. Ever since Biggie became a part of his crew, the former took care of everyone¡¯s meals. There was usually something to eat as soon as one arrived in the dining room.

    ¡°Biggie and Elsa are trying to achieve a breakthrough to Rank-11, so it¡¯s unlikely they¡¯ll be around these days,¡± Neptune exined.

    ¡°Where are the others?¡±

    ¡°Lili has just been promoted to Rank-8 and should be out for dinner soon. Robert is working on his body and stillcks a few materials, so he has to do it one step at a time. As for Tagore, he¡¯s lying in the bathtub in his room, swimming and eating Rank-12 Energy Crystals.¡± Neptune was still not sure how strong Tagore really was.

    ¡°How many did he eat in ten hours?¡± Gu Ding frowned a little. Since there were no genebeasts, Elizabeth had them reced with five hundred Rank-12 Energy Crystals.

    ¡°Ten, one for each hour.¡± Neptune, too, had been watching Tagore¡¯s movements. ¡°The intervals are regr. It doesn¡¯t seem like he¡¯s eating them at random. The energy crystals should have been absorbed, otherwise, the intervals would not have been so regr.¡±

    Shaking his head, Gu Ding stepped into the kitchen, steamed some rice, and started making egg fried rice.

    Soon after, Lilliath finally came out of her room. When Lilliath saw Gu Ding in the kitchen, she was obviously shocked. ¡°Why are you here? Where¡¯s Biggie?¡±

    ¡°He and Elsa are trying to breakthrough to Rank-11l.¡± Gu Ding was busy making the egg fried rice.

    ¡°Are we having egg fried rice today?¡± Lilliath looked at the food in the wok and felt a little relieved. If Gu Ding had decided to make anything else, she would not have eaten it.

    ¡°Not today, but for the next few days,¡± Gu Ding emphasized. ¡°Biggie and the rest will probably take at least two or three days.¡±

    ¡°Well...¡± Lilliath lowered her head somewhat feebly and then suddenly changed the subject to something she was more interested in. ¡°By the way, how was the Monster Concentration Camp?¡±

    ¡°Not bad.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean not bad? Tell me, was there anything interesting?¡± Lilliath urged.

    Only then did Gu DIng tell her about how Neptune answered questions to earn points.

    ¡°One point is equivalent to a million Universe Credits and you earned more than fifty thousand points in half an hour?! That¡¯s more than fifty billion Universe Credits, which is almost enough to buy five Ultra Fire Sparks or three to four demigod items. It would be more if you switch to other resources as well.¡± Lilliath immediately calcted the currency inparison to Universe Credits.

    ¡°Nearly 80% of what Elizabeth gave us yesterday.¡± Gu Ding nodded. After some small talk, the egg fried rice was finally done.

    They arrived in the dining room with their tes; it felt just like several months ago before they met Biggie.

    While tucking a spoonful of rice in her mouth, Lilliath mumbled, ¡°Your egg fried rice is actually pretty good if we eat it every once in a while.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not what someone told me when they were moring to stop at Derisis.¡± Gu Ding chuckled.

    ¡°Of course it¡¯s different if you eat it a few days in a row. Having egg fried rice for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, no one would be able to stand it,¡± Lilliath retorted, curling her lip.

    ¡°I heard Neptune say that you¡¯ve managed to achieve a breakthrough to Rank-8?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, the ck crystals worked really well. I only needed two pieces to hit Rank-8. However, five thousand Cell Index points per piece is too little for Elsa and Biggie.¡± Lilliath thought that the ck crystals would be of little use to Elsa and Biggie.

    ¡°The ones they have are different. Theirs carry fifty thousand Cell Index points per piece,¡± Neptune spoke up and exined, ¡°The ones refined for you that add five thousand Cell Index points are made from residual waste. It may be waste, but don¡¯t think too much about it. The difference is like fresh bread and bread that has been reheated in an oven once. You two have low Cell Index points so they¡¯re adequate. Biggie and Elsa have Cell Index points over a million, so it would have little effect on them.¡±

    ¡°Alright...¡± With Neptune¡¯s bread metaphor in mind, Lilliath reluctantly epted the exnation. ¡°My Cell Index is now thirteen thousand points. At this rate, I¡¯m sure that once we reach Probrand, I¡¯ll be a Rank-9 Gene Body. How about you, Gu Ding?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m still a Rank-6 Gene Body with a Cell Index of ny thousand points. I don¡¯t know if I can break through to Rank-7,¡± Gu Ding said as he quickly finished the egg fried rice in front of him and rubbed his tummy in satisfaction.

    After dinner, they each returned to their rooms and continued cultivating.

    Over the next two days, Gu Ding ate three ck crystals in a row. As a result, his Cell Index finally reached one hundred thousand points. The energy cirction in his body also reached the limit of eighty-one points.

    Looking at the eighty-one convoluted circtions, some new information suddenly popped up in his head¨Cthey were transmitted by Neptune.

    ¡°Connect the eighty-one small circtions to form one big cirction as described in the Sun Sutra. Then, the primary power in your body will automatically change into Righteous Force,¡± Neptune whispered in Gu Ding¡¯s ear.

    Gu Ding constructed it step by step ording to the picture in his mind. He treated the original small circtions as energy points and then connected them to other energy points one by one. The process took him a whole day. The original unrted points became a three-dimensional picture under the connection. If one looked at it from afar, they would see that it looked exactly like a starry sky.

    Once the big cirction wasplete, the primary power in Gu Ding¡¯s body began to change and convert rapidly. A few hourster, his primary power had fully transformed into Righteous Force. Only then did Gu Ding open his eyes and put out a finger¨Ca flow of golden Righteous Force came from between his fingers. He felt like it was an extension of his fingers, and it felt like an object.

    ¡°The Sun Sutra is the top primary power cultivation method. The big cirction is formed through eighty-one small circtions. Normal methods mostly utilize below thirty-six small circtions and forty-nine small circtions at most. There are nine small levels in cultivating Righteous Force. You have to make nine big circtions to reach your Righteous Force¡¯s limit and generate Star Fire¡¯s spark in your body. Your Righteous Force already has the nature of burning and smelting, so you¡¯re the one restraining most of the Righteous Force.¡± Neptune was rather pleased of himself for having chosen the Sun Sutra for Gu Ding.

    ¡°I still haven¡¯t broken through to Rank-7...¡± Gu Ding checked his health status and seemed disappointed.

    ¡°Each time you¡¯re about to get to the next level, you¡¯ll be stopped by your gene locks. You need a lot of energy impact to break through those gene locks. The ck crystals are mainly to improve your true primary power and Righteous Force¡¯s strength. The increase in your Cell Index is through the conversion of your Sun Sutra. Moreover, ck crystals don¡¯t work on gene chains and cannot help you break through your current Gene Level,¡± Neptune exined. ¡°Aside from that, while you were breaking through, Modican called your number several times. Since you were cultivating, I blocked the calls.¡±

    ¡°Damn, it¡¯s probably about the Pharmacologists Neer¡¯s Ranking Competition... I¡¯ve been so busy running for my life these few months that I forgot all about it. How many days are there left?¡± Gu Ding asked hurriedly.

    ¡°Three more days,¡± Neptune answered quickly. He answered almost as soon as Gu Ding asked the question.

    ¡°Three days... I¡¯ll practice my medicine refining skills as much as I can these few days.¡± Throughout thest few months, Gu Ding¡¯s medicine refining skills had been put on hold. He had not used it ever since the time he encountered space-time backtracking. ¡°Neptune, dial Modican¡¯s number.¡±

    Neptune dialed Moidcan¡¯s number immediately, and before the waiting sound was heard, someone picked up the call.

    ¡°Gu Ding, what¡¯s wrong with you? You didn¡¯t answer my calls the past few days. Is it because you¡¯re popr now, so you don¡¯t recognize me¨Cyour master?¡± Modican¡¯s loud voice came from themunicator and made Gu Ding feel slightly nostalgic.

 Chapter 207 - An Unexpected Interstellar Storm

    <h4>Chapter 207: An Unexpected Interster Storm</h4>

    As usual, Modican spoke to him in a loud voice with no scruples. After three months without much contact, Gu Ding was delighted to hear his voice again. ¡°Teacher, I have been busy cultivating these few days. Mymunicator was set to automatically block calls.¡±

    ¡°I know you¡¯re busy. Seeing how your bounty increases every few days, I know you¡¯re not idle. You also probably don¡¯t have much time to practice your medicine refining skills. However, seeing how you haven¡¯t appeared on the news these past few days, I figured that you¡¯d be taking a break. Hence, I thought I¡¯d give you a five days notice. That¡¯s why I dialed your number several times. Nevertheless, no one answered.¡±

    ¡°There are only three days left until this Neer¡¯s Ranking Competition. You can join it if you have time to spare. Forget about it if you don¡¯t.¡± Modican did not seem to care much about thepetition.

    ¡°No matter what resultes from it, I feel the need to participate.¡± Gu Ding¡¯s medicine refining skills were indeed pretty rusty, and it was not clear whether he could polish himself back up with just three days of practice. After all, it was not like the other participants stood by idly throughout the past three months.

    ¡°Never mind, let¡¯s not talk about it. I¡¯ve got good news for you. Your master was just promoted to be an S-grade pharmacologist a few days ago and is now conferred as National Treasure by the Lord. The first thing I wanted to do was tell you two baby apprentices, but I wasn¡¯t able to contact you nor Parma. I finally managed to get in touch with you today.¡± Modican revealed the real purpose of him calling Gu Ding, which was to deliver the good news.

    ¡°Congrattions, teacher! I knew you¡¯d seed in achieving a breakthrough.¡± Gu Ding, too, was happy for Modican who was a genius when it came to refining medicine. Gu Ding also thought that it was only a matter of time before he was promoted to S-grade.

    ¡°Don¡¯t tter me, I¡¯m still not as famous as you even though I was conferred as National Treasure. Just recently, you fought alone against eight members of Faye Cosmic Nation¡¯s Hunter squad. Those videos went viral in Dragon Soar Cosmic Nation. You¡¯re now the idol of almost every Interster Pirate in Dragon Soar Cosmic Nation. Not to mention, the Rose Tavern has be a tourist attraction because of you. The long queues extend out of the red light district each day. Moreover, many students have started to drop out of military and non-military schools to be Interster Pirates just like you...¡±

    ¡°Is it that dramatic?¡± Gu Ding felt that Modican was making fun of him.

    ¡°I¡¯m not kidding. You can search Sk for those videoster as well as other news stories,¡± Modican emphasized the authenticity of the matter.

    ¡°What is Senior Parma busy with these days?¡± Gu Ding changed the conversation topic.

    ¡°She¡¯s working on a virus antidote and has gone to the Dark Star Sector. I haven¡¯t been able to get in touch with her for the past five days, which is a bit worrying. If I still don¡¯t receive any news from her after two days, I¡¯ll ask my friend for help. However, you shouldn¡¯t worry about this. Just take care of yourself, she shouldn¡¯t have any problems...¡±

    Just then, a hiss broke out in Gu Ding¡¯s ear as if themunication signal had been cut.

    ¡°What happened? Why did I hear a hiss?¡± Modican had heard it too.

    ¡°It¡¯s a precursor to an interster storm, an electromaic disturbance,¡± Neptune said in Gu Ding¡¯s ear.

    ¡°It seems like we¡¯re encountering an interster storm...¡± The call was cut off before Modican could finish.

    Gu Ding¡¯s brows furrowed slightly. In the event of interster storms, spaceships could not perform hyperspace jumps and other operations and could only fly in normal mode. Interster storms, on the other hand, usually coveredrge areas andsted a long time. Based on the situation at hand, the Pharmacologists Neer¡¯s Ranking Competition was likely to fall through because he could not ess Medicine King Valley at all during the interster storm.

    Moreover, spaceships were often shaken and struck during interster storms; they were unsuitable to practice refining medicine.

    ¡°We¡¯re in the outer reaches of the interster storm,¡± Neptune warned.

    ¡°Can we get out of the interster storm¡¯s range first? After that, could we leave by hyperspace jumping?¡± Gu Ding proposed his idea.

    ¡°It would be a good idea to go through itterally. This interster storm is widespread. It would take more than half a month to get across the affected area by retrograding through the storm. Not to mention, retrograding is risky. Nevertheless, it¡¯ll only take five days to get through this area if we adopt ateral approach.¡± Neptune agreed with Gu Ding¡¯s idea.

    ¡°Is five days the fastest? Is there a better way?¡± At such a rate, Gu Ding would not be able to get to Medicine King Valley in time for thepetition.

    ¡°No, I¡¯ve done the math. The best way to save time is to crossterally. In fact, a cosmic storm is like a river; we have to retrograde to reach our destination. Moreover, a river is much smaller in width than in length. Hence, crossing itterally is the quickest way to get out of it.¡±

    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s turn around then. We¡¯re going to have to spend the next five days on the spaceship cultivating.¡± Gu Ding thought that he could also use the time to build a second big energy cirction in his body.

    The Golden Eagle, under Neptune¡¯s control, quickly changed directions. Except for Gu Ding and Neptune, none of the other crew members were aware of this.

    Gu Ding quickly moved on to the next stage of his cultivation in his own room.

    Throughout the past five days, there had been minor changes in his pace of life, but it quickly returned to its previous state.

    On the first day, Gu Ding and Lilliath each ate egg fried rice for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, while the others did not leave their rooms. Tagore only stole a few steaks from the refrigerator in the middle of the night.

    The next day, Elsa finally woke up from her cultivation and managed to achieve a breakthrough to Rank-11 from Rank-10. She apanied Gu Ding and Lilliath for an egg fried rice dinner and raved about Gu Ding¡¯s cooking. Biggie still had not waken up at this time. Tagore stole a few more steaks from the refrigerator again that night.

    On the third day, early in the morning, Biggie finally woke up. He seeded in reaching Rank-11. The first thing he did when he woke up was go straight to the kitchen and prepare breakfast for everyone. Everyone¡¯s life finally returned to normal. After three days of egg fried rice, Gu Ding and Lilliath breathed a sigh of relief. In the middle of that night, Tagore once again entered the kitchen and stole some steak from the refrigerator while everyone was asleep.

    On the fourth day, Gu Ding finallypleted the second big energy cirction structure in his body. His Righteous Force was now much stronger than before, while his Cell Index was still the same. Not to mention, his Gene Level still remained at Rank-6. Gu Ding had tried injecting himself with cell enhancers and gene enhancers but none of them had any effect on him. Robert was still in his room. If Neptune had not said he was busy, Gu Ding and the others would have wanted to see if something was wrong with him. As for the others, they cultivated as usual, just not as hard as before. In particr, Biggie and Elsa did so. The moment one reaches their Gene Level, they¡¯ll have a hard time breaking through without strong external support. Therefore, after achieving such a big breakthrough, they chose to consolidate their Gene Levels.

    On the fifth day, their spaceship finally left the interster storm¡¯s area.

    Gu Ding immediately dialed Hermean Alliance¡¯s Skyriver Sector Division¡¯s chairperson¨CAnthony¡¯s number. He apologized for his absence and exined why he had been absent from thepetition. Gu Ding did so because Anthony was the one who had invited himself to the neerpetition from the beginning, and he had high hopes for it.

    Anthony was slightly surprised to receive a call from Gu Ding. That was because he had already heard from Modican why Gu Ding did not show. He did not want to see such a thing happen, but there was nothing he could do about the interster storm. Besides, with Gu Ding¡¯s bounty, he really did not care about thepetition¡¯s prize. Therefore, after receiving Gu Ding¡¯s call, Anthony immediately showed empathy.

    Having ended the call with Anthony, Gu Ding dialed another number which had no numbers. It was just a set of strange unreadable codes that had been left by X.

    Neptune immediately decoded them, trying to find X¡¯s position, but failed to get his location.

    After Gu Ding dialed the number, the prompt tone rang twice before the call connected.

    ¡°You encountered an interster storm?¡± X asked in his first sentence.

    ¡°How do you know?¡± Gu Ding wanted to tell him that there was a chance he would be five dayste. Gu Ding was not expecting X to already know that he had encountered an interster storm.

    ¡°Of course I know. Just by looking at your spaceship¡¯s previous location and the Golden Eagle¡¯s steady sailing speed, I can easily calcte your position. You were right in the interster storm¡¯s area.¡± X exined easily. ¡°The fact that you¡¯re able to call me now means that you are already out of the interster storm¡¯s reach. You only took five days which means you chose to crossterally. In other words, you are now further away from Probrand than you were five days ago. Then the purpose of your call should be clear. You want to let me know that you¡¯ll arrive at Probrand at least five dayster than expected.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Gu Ding did not deny X¡¯s spections.

    ¡°Well, I have good news and bad news for you.¡± X paused as if he was expecting to receive a reply from Gu Ding. ¡°The good news is that the ship of the man who was supposed to give you your wee gift is now broken; he won¡¯t be able to get to Probrand on time. The bad news is that we¡¯re not sure when his ship will be fixed. His ship is a very collectible old model, and it¡¯s a limited edition model. Some of its materials are hard to find.¡±

    ¡°So we have to go straight to the where he ns on repairing his spaceship?¡± Gu Ding asked.

    ¡°Er... About that, I must admit that some members of our organization are not that easy to talk to. The guy refuses to reveal the location of the he has docked on and told me to go to hell with all the wee gift stuff until his precious spaceship is fixed. So...¡± X sounded a little helpless.

    ¡°Alright then, we¡¯ll reach Probrandfirst and wait a bit. If we find ourselves unable to wait any longer, we¡¯ll leave first.¡± Although Gu Ding was looking forward to the so-called wee gift, he did not want to take up everyone¡¯s time for the matter.

    After hanging up, under Neptune¡¯s control, the Golden Eagle began to head straight for Probrand...

 Chapter 208 - Carole

    <h4>Chapter 208: Carole</h4>

    After escaping from the interster storm, Gu Ding once again found time to enter Monster Paradise. He had no idea how much attention Neptune had attracted with his anonymous answers.

    Of course, no one except the top brass knew it was Gu Ding.

    However, some people could also distinguish that there was more than a 90% chance that this was done by a new member. If it was an old member, there was no need to keep the points for so long without giving a reply. However, Gu Ding joined three others at the same time. In the five days since Gu Ding¡¯s absence, only one of the three had gone into Monster Paradise and has been probed enough to confirm that his score was zero. Therefore, only he was excluded.

    As he entered Monster Paradise, Gu Ding found that 56700 points had all been credited to his ount. It was clear that Neptune¡¯s answers were all epted as correct. He was going to the trade center to help Robert see if he could redeem the few remaining materials, as well as to see if any items could help him to break through his current ranking.

    ording to Monster Paradise¡¯s rules, one must activate all new functions themselves. Gu Ding, under Neptune¡¯s guidance, used the transport function to send himself directly to the trade center¡¯s entrance.

    After entering the trade center, he rummaged through the original list for the remaining four items. Three of them could be bought with Gu Ding¡¯s existing points, but there was also something called the energy matrix, which would require over eight million points to redeem.

    ¡°What is this energy matrix? It¡¯s significantly more expensive than most god items.¡± Gu Ding muttered under his breath.

    ¡°Energy matrix is an essential item for metallic organisms to evolve into super metallic organisms because only by emitting energy from the energy matrix, can the super metallic organisms¡¯ properties be brought into full y.¡± It was not Neptune who answered, but a woman.

    The woman was very distinctive, with waist-length hair that had ten different colors. They were spaced at the same distance from left to right. It did not look messy but gave a sense of order instead. The nails on her hands were also painted ten different colors. What caught their attention was the stark whitedy suit she was wearing, which contrasted sharply with the colors of her hair and nails. However, it made people feel unusually harmonious. Due to the strange getup, Gu Ding¡¯s attention was drawn away from the perfect makeup of her delicate features.

    ¡°Are you new?¡± The woman approached Gu Ding slowly. Her pink high-heeled soles ttering against the ground, creating a crisp tapping that sounded more like musical notes than noise. When she reached Gu Ding, she stopped and held out her hand. ¡°My name is Carole. Nice to meet you.¡±

    ¡°Hello, my name is Gu Ding.¡± It was Gu Ding¡¯s first time meeting someone else in Monster Paradise. Judging by her appearance, he knew she was not a virtual character like the NPC.

    ¡°When did you join? You look unfamiliar.¡± Carole was pretty sure he was new because she could tell Gu Ding¡¯s Gene Level was not high.

    ¡°Five days ago.¡± Gu Ding was not trying to hide anything, and she seemed harmless.

    ¡°Five days ago? You¡¯re not the one who solved the problems on Asking Tower¡¯s first floor, are you?¡± Carole had been looking for the person who helped her solve her question.

    Gu Ding hesitated when he heard the question. It was not that he was afraid of getting in trouble. He had never been afraid of a challenge. The main thing was that Neptune had warned him to keep a low profile from the start.

    Seeing his hesitation, Carole basically figured it out. ¡°There are indeed some pesky people here who like to challenge neers who have just earned points to gamble said points, but that¡¯s all right, you can just tell me. I won¡¯t tell anyone else.¡±

    ¡°Admit it, this woman isn¡¯t easy. If you don¡¯t, she¡¯ll find out sooner orter. It¡¯ll be awkward when your lies are exposed.¡± Neptune just checked the woman¡¯s information; she had a very unusual background.

    Gu Ding then said, ¡°You can say that I solved those questions.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m the one who asked the question about Water Split-body that was number one on the list earlier. Thank you for your answer, I was able to learn a lot from it.¡± Carole smiled faintly. ¡°I was actually a little curious about how you knew the serial number, but then I looked at the other questions you answered and decided that there was no need to ask. It was because you obviously did note out with this conclusion through your own research. The questions are too broad, and many of the questions are asked after the research has reached a certain level. There¡¯s no way one can be proficient in so many fields. Therefore, I guess you hacked into Sk¡¯s secret Databank and got answers no one else could get.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a reasonable hypothesis.¡± Gu Ding did not admit or deny the answer.

    ¡°You should have more than fifty thousand points by now, right? That¡¯s quite a fortune for members who are not even a demigod.¡± Carole saw that Gu Ding was unwilling to discuss the subject and did not delve into it.

    ¡°It¡¯s not enough though.¡± Gu Ding shook his head with a wry smile. The energy matrix Robert wanted would be hard toe by anytime soon. Eight million points¨Cthat was about as much as a Middle Ranking deity in Monster Paradise could own, and he was not even a demigod.

    ¡°You want the energy matrix? It¡¯s only useful for metallic organisms. It holds no value to any other organism. The reason the concentration camp set the price so high was to prevent people from buying it at a lower price and then resell it at a higher price. If you really want it, the only way is to solve a few puzzles left by the Medium Ranking deities.¡± Here, Carole secretly looked at Gu Ding to see how he would react. ¡°However, the deities have changedpletely into another entity. It¡¯s to be expected that their mentality changed greatly and that they will ask questions no one would expect. Moreover, to get to the fourth floor, you either have to wait until yourbat effectiveness reaches a Middle Ranking deity, or you have to answer three questions from a Lower Ranking deity correctly. Therefore, eight million points are hard to get, no matter how you look at it.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d better wait.¡± Gu Ding knew that Carole was right. He decided to wait and see for a while. Keeping a high profile would only attract unwanted attention. So far, the questions Neptune answered were below demigod level. If he could solve a Medium Ranking deity¡¯s question immediately, Gu Ding would surely receive a deity¡¯s attention, and the attention would not necessarily be well-intentioned.

    ¡°Alright, I have to go, and you can take your time wandering around.¡± Carole checked the time, bid Gu Ding goodbye, and left the trade center.

    Gu Ding stayed at the trade center and examined three other materials. ording to the name and quantity Robert provided, the total cost was only about twenty thousand points. Gu Ding immediately ced an order, choosing Probrand as the delivery address.

    With thirty-six thousand points left, Gu Ding was going to buy something that could improve his strength. ¡°Neptune, what could break my gene lock and get me to Rank-7?¡±

    ¡°You need to have a pretty strong energy shock, and considering how it¡¯ll fit with Sun Sutra, Earth Core Crystal is probably the most suitable one,¡± Neptune suggested. ¡°The market price of Earth Core Crystals is around one billion Universe Credits per piece. If you redeem it with points here, it will cost one thousand points per piece.¡±

    Neptune finished and entered three words¨C¡±Earth Core Crystal¡± in the inventory tab but did not expect the system to disy (This item is temporarily unavable).

    Gu Ding was stunned. ¡°Not avable?!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not considered a rare item. If it¡¯s out of stock, there are probably too many people in need of it.¡± The search results were out of Neptune¡¯s expectations, but when Neptune thought about it, it was clear why it was selling like hotcakes. In Monster Concentration Camp, most of them were monster members like Gu Ding. The stronger theirbat effectiveness, the more difficult it was to advance each time. Hence, when one needs a breakthrough, they easily thought of using Earth Core Crystals.

    Although he did not get Earth Core Crystals in Monster Paradise this time, Gu Ding had helped Robert to order the remaining three materials besides energy matrix, which still made it a worthwhile trip.

    Gu Ding, who had left Monster Paradise, continued his new cultivation in his bedroom.

    It took Gu Ding and his crew eleven days to reach Probrand.

    During the eleven-day journey, Lilliath finally managed to break through to Rank-11 Gene Body. Not only that, but her spirit had also increased to a million points, and her Cell Index had increased from thirteen thousand points to three hundred thousand points. Her Cell Index had risen so fast because after reaching Rank-9, the ck crystals she ate were switched to the ones like Elsa. Lilliath finally surpassed Gu Ding¡¯s Cell Index for the first time since leaving Co that was in Gray Star Sectors.

    Gu Ding did not seem to care that he had the lowest Cell Index on the crew. It did not disrupt his cultivation pace. He still ate ck crystals every day and cultivated Righteous Force. The Righteous Force cultivation seemed to get more and more difficult as it got toter stages. He just sessfully structured a third big cirction in his body before they reached the port.

    As soon as the Golden Eagle docked in the port, everyone could not wait to get down from the ship. It had been more than half a month since the spaceship left Fister without docking at any¡¯s port, and Gu Ding and his crew were indeed sick of staying on the spaceship.

    As he stepped out of the hatch, Gu Ding¡¯smunicator rang. He looked at the number. It was a long list of unreadable codes...

 Chapter 209 - A Dinner Party At The Barbeque Restaurant

    <h4>Chapter 209: A Dinner Party At The Barbeque Restaurant</h4>

    Looking at the long list of unreadable codes, Gu Ding knew without a second thought that it must be X. However, he also guessed that it would not be good news if X called him at this time.

    ¡°The boy timed us right.¡± ¡°Neptune could not help teasing.

    Gu Ding pressed the answer button, and X¡¯s voice came over slowly, ¡°I¡¯m guessing you must have arrived by now. Am I right?¡±

    ¡°We just arrived. What can we do for you?¡± Gu Ding turned on the speaker function.

    ¡°How do I start this time?¡± Gu Ding and his crew all heard X mutter under his breath, then they heard X say, ¡°The thing is, normally, when I break bad news to someone, I try to find good news and say both of them together. That way, people won¡¯t think I¡¯m a jinx who only brings them bad news. However, I have no good news for you today. Only bad news, but it¡¯s not that bad.¡±

    ¡°Brother, can¡¯t you just say it? We¡¯ll think you more of a jinx if you keep on dillydallying.¡± Lilliath, who preferred to deal with straightforward people, finally spoke up.

    ¡°Well, the bad news is that the guy who was supposed to hand you your present won¡¯t be here for another two days. You¡¯ll need to spend two days on Probrand.¡± X finally broke the bad news.

    ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± Gu Ding could not help asking after he waited for a while and did not hear anything else.

    ¡°What else do you want to hear?¡± X asked.

    ¡°Nothing, jinx. If there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯m going to hang up.¡± Gu Ding reached out his finger and was about to hang up when he heard X¡¯s voice.

    ¡°Wait, there¡¯s one more thing!¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t you just tell us everything in one go?¡± Lilliath teased once again.

    ¡°All I want to say is, please don¡¯t call me jinx, thank...¡± Before X could spit out another word, Gu Ding hung up the call.

    ¡°The barbeque over there looks delicious. Let¡¯s try it out!¡± Gu Ding had been staring at a shop fifty meters away since forever, and that was the main reason he was anxious to hang up X¡¯s call.

    ¡°Why, Gu Ding, you saw the same shop as I did.¡± Lilliath turned her head and made eye contact with Gu Ding, clearly a long-established understanding. Clearly, her displeasure toward X was also because of seeing the barbeque restaurant.

    ¡°Barbeque...¡± Elsa¡¯s mouth watered at the sight of the barbeque in the restaurant¡¯s window.

    ¡°The color looks good, and you can smell the aroma of the barbeque from here. Both color and aroma are perfect, so it should taste good.¡± Biggie talked just like a food critic.

    Little cat thief, Tagore immediately leaped from Gu Ding¡¯s shoulder, and the rest immediately ran after him.

    As for the remaining member, Robert, he still maintained his mad scientist attitude¨Che refused any social asions and locked himself in the cabin. In fact, he never opened the door to his room during the whole trip, except for when he got the three remaining materials from Gu Ding. However, Neptune asked everyone not to disturb him, so everyone let him be.

    The barbeque restaurant was called BBQ, as to what abbreviation it was, they did not delve into it.

    The barbeque restaurant had arge storefront and an outdoor terrace. On the terrace stood nearly a hundred canopies, under it were brightly colored tables and chairs.

    It was midday, and business was good at the barbeque restaurant. The store was almost full, but Gu Ding and his crew were lucky enough to find two or three empty seats left on the terrace.

    Gu Ding led them to a vacant spot on the terrace and sat down. The crowd gathered in a circle, and Biggie sat down on the ground as usual. With his size, there was really no stool that could withstand his weight.

    They quickly ordered what they wanted to eat, then began to chat. Such scenes had not appeared for more than half a month. During the voyage of more than half a month, they were all in a frenzy to improve their strength. Admittedly, cultivation could bring great strength, but it was also boring. Everyone else was a little stressed out, other than perhaps Robert. This stopover also felt like a holiday after half a month of hard work. That was why when X said they needed to wait on this for two days, Gu Ding felt it was good news. Not only Gu Ding thought so, but so did Lilliath and the others.

    ¡°Everyone¡¯s free to explore the town these two days. However, to be safe, at least move in pairs. It¡¯s not clear why my bounty has remained the same for so long, but surely the Army will not give up so easily.¡± Not only had Gu Ding¡¯s bounty not been renewed for more than half a month, but it seemed that none of the other Interster Pirates in the entire Faye Cosmic Nation had their bounties renewed.

    ¡°About this matter, I have just read that a half month ago, some confidential information was lost in an attack on the Databank of Mideon Media Company¡¯s Faye Cosmic Nation branch. They¡¯ve been reviewing the matter internally and the Federal Government is helping with the investigation, which has temporarily halted other projects. This morning, Mideon Media Company¡¯s headquarters issued a letter of apology.¡± Neptune said and projected the apology letter.

    The apology letter was not short, detailing everything that happened half a month ago. Then it went on to exin why the bounties had not been updated and assured everyone that it would be updated within 30 hours.

    Lilliath, who had been drinking all this while, was not keen on hearing anything about Mideon Media Company.

    ¡°What do you think my bounty will go up to?¡± Gu Ding noticed Lilliath¡¯s mood and changed the subject.

    ¡°I think it¡¯s going to be at least two billion Universe Credits.¡± Biggie was the first to speak, and he guessed conservatively.

    ¡°Five billion, I guess, because the Hunter squad¡¯s leaders all had Gene Levels of Peak Rank-12, and theirbat effectiveness has reached Rank-13. The squad¡¯s Highest Capture Reward is 4.8 billion Universe Credits. You took out their squad so it should be more than 4.8 billion.¡± Elsa analyzed.

    ¡°That¡¯s not how it works.¡± Lilliath finally spoke. ¡°There¡¯s a lot more to the bounty amount thanbat effectiveness. For example, things like the crew¡¯s strength, the level of threat to the Federal Government, various factors such as the nature of the damage caused in each event... They even analyzed everyone¡¯s personality, whether they are radical or conservative, and even dig deep into their character in terms of their upbringing.¡±

    ¡°A lot of people are offered high bounties, not because of their highbat effectiveness, but because of the amount of damage they caused, which the Federal Government considers as bad. Gu Ding¡¯s incident this time, though influential, did not actually cause much damage. He did not even damage a single building; he only somewhat damaged the port¡¯s floor. There were also no other innocent people killed or injured. If you only take hisbat effectiveness into ount, his bounty is unlikely to rise above five billion. I estimate that his bounty will not be more than three billion.¡±

    ¡°Do you think our bounties will increase?¡± Elsa was looking forward to it.

    ¡°Probably not, because we were hardly involved in this incident. Elsa and Tagore, you two just stood by and watched the fight. There could have been a cascade of increases when the bounties are low, but our bounties are already quite high so that is unlikely.¡± Lilliath shook her head.

    ¡°After we finish eating, everyone¡¯s free to move around, but then again, at least move in pairs.¡± Gu Ding emphasized once again because he was a little nervous about them going solo.

    Although Lilliath had already been promoted to a Rank-9 Gene Body, herbat effectiveness was uncertain, Gu Ding figured that she would not be able to escape a Rank-12 pursuer.

    Elsa was a confused little girl and could be kidnapped by someone with food.

    As for Biggie, without Lilliath¡¯s hypnosis, he was not a threat at all.

    If no one was watching little cat thief, Tagore, who knows what would happen on this.

    ¡°I¡¯m going with Lili!¡± Elsa and Lili were like sisters¨Cthey do everything together. The main thing was that Lili was more independent and she was less assertive. If Elsa stayed with Lili, she did not have to worry about anything.

    ¡°I want to go somewhere I can buy ingredients,¡± Biggie said, thinking Lili and the others would not want to go to the food market with him.

    ¡°Then Tagore can go with you.¡± Gu Ding looked at Tagore. ¡°Protect Biggie. If you want anything to eat, get Biggie to buy it for you.¡±

    Tagore raised his paw and patted Biggie. It seemed to mean, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I got your back.¡±

    He waszy to talk because his throat was not constructed the same way as a human¡¯s, and it took a lot of effort to produce human speech each time.

    ¡°That¡¯s it, I¡¯m with Neptune. Everyone has to hurry back to the spaceship before sundown and have dinner together. At night, we¡¯ll make arrangements regarding the situation. If anythinges up, contact everyone with themunicator.¡± As Gu Ding spoke, everyone¡¯s barbeque was served.

    After a satisfying meal, they all went their separate ways.

    Lilliath led Elsa straight to the boutique. Tagore hopped on Biggie¡¯s shoulders, and the two headed for the food market.

    Meanwhile, Gu Ding sat back and took a sip of his juice. ¡°The worst thing about this barbeque restaurant is that it doesn¡¯t serve milca.¡±

    ¡°Would you like a drink? There¡¯s a tavern about eighty meters from here, at two o¡¯clock. ¡® For Gu Ding, Neptune was an all-purpose guide.

    ¡°Yes, let¡¯s have a drink first and then we¡¯ll wander around.¡± Gu Ding paid the bill and headed straight for the tavern not far away.

 Chapter 210 - Encountering Roland

    <h4>Chapter 210: Encountering Rnd</h4>

    The tavern was called Old George. It looked old from the outside, and it gave people a nostalgic vibe.

    It was midday, the tavern had just opened, and Gu Ding was the first guest.

    The tavern owner was an old man named George, with short silver hair and silver stubble. He had a warm smile. ¡°What do you want, young man?¡±

    ¡°Milca, thank you!¡± Gu Ding grinned back as the tavern reminded him of Rose Tavern. Auntie Roastbeef¡¯s Rose Tavern also had the same nostalgic vibe.

    ¡°Good boy, minors should follow your example, drink more nutritious drinks, and take less alcohol.¡± Old George smiled as he made Gu Ding¡¯s drink.

    Before Gu Ding¡¯s milca was served, another man came in through the door. He was a middle-aged man who looked about forty years old, with short, white hair. He had a rough, unshaven face, with a long scar running down his right eye, which was all white¨Cno one knew whether he could see. He was tall, about two meters or so, and with his face, he looked quite intimidating.

    ¡°This man is a demigod. Be careful.¡± Neptune whispered in Gu Ding¡¯s ear.

    The middle-aged man walked straight to the barstool on Gu Ding¡¯s right and sat down. ¡°I¡¯ll have a limu, boss!¡±

    ¡°Coming right up.¡± Old George said and served Gu Ding his milca.

    The middle-aged man¡¯s eyes fell on Gu Ding. ¡°Milca, what a healthy drink. There aren¡¯t many young people who don¡¯t drink alcohol these days.¡±

    ¡°Uncle, the limu you want is very healthy too, isn¡¯t it just limu juice?¡± Gu Ding took a sip of milca and turned around to reply.

    ¡°Drinking more juice is good for your skin,¡± The middle-aged man said and pressed his left cheek with a finger. ¡°Look at how stic it is. Can you tell that I am over four thousand years old?¡±

    ¡°You look about forty, uncle.¡± Gu Ding took a good look and answered.

    ¡°See, I look a thousand times younger than I am, so that means the juice is working.¡± The middle-aged man gave out his bizarre theory. In fact, when one reaches demigod level, their flesh and blood would begin to shift toward the energy body, and they stop aging as a result.

    The theory was bizarre, but looking at the way the conversation was going, the man did not seem as stand-offish as he looked.

    ¡°Milca contains a lot of calcium and protein. With your petite body, you really ought to drink more.¡± The middle-aged man¡¯s limu was also done. He took his ss and gave Gu Ding a wave. ¡°However, most children your age prefer alcoholic drinks, right?¡±

    ¡°My constitution is a little unique, I can¡¯t consume alcoholic beverages.¡± Gu Ding shook his head. ¡°You can¡¯t drink alcohol too?¡±

    ¡°I used to like it very much. Then, I once drank too much and got into a fight with someone. Did you notice the scar on my face?¡± The middle-aged man turned his face, pointed to the long scar on his right face that was more than ten centimeters. ¡°I got it from that incident, and because of that, I also lost my right eye. I haven¡¯t touched alcohol since.¡±

    ¡°Sorry.¡± Gu Ding did not realize that he had identally touched a sore spot.

    ¡°Actually, I have always been grateful to the person who gave me the scar.¡± The middle-aged uncle smiled and shook his head. He did not seem to mind mentioning it. ¡°I was really young then, certainly not as young as you are now. I was in my twenties¨Cyoung and reckless. I did a lot of stupid things as I was talented. Every day, I did not cultivate properly. I would only eat, drink, and have fun. I¡¯d go berserk every time I drank. After I got this scar, I began to cultivate crazily, travel around, and challenge all kinds of powerhouses. That¡¯s how I became the person I am today. In the beginning, I kept it for revenge, but slowly, I began to see it as a warning, telling me what to do and what not to do, making me a better person.¡±

    ¡°Did you ever meet the man who scarred you, uncle?¡± Gu Ding could understand his change of heart, but he still wanted to know how it turned out.

    The middle-aged man was silent for a moment after hearing this question. He nodded after a long time. ¡°Yes, it took me years to find him. I still lost when I went to challenge him. I cultivated harder after that and challenged him again every time my strength improved. Itsted until I reached demigod level, and when I challenged him again, I won. However, by that time, my hatred of him had already dissipated.¡±

    ¡°After that, we became very good friends. It wasn¡¯t until three hundred years ago, when he died of old age, that he told me he was actually my birth father... I then understood why he epted my challenges unconditionally, over and over again. He did not even move away from the because of the inconvenience I caused him. It was also then that I remembered that sometimes when we talked, he would asionally bring up the subject of father and son. He asked me if I hated my parents as I am an orphan. He also asked me what I wanted my father to be...¡±

    The middle-aged man¡¯s words also got Gu Ding lost in thought. Speaking of fathers, he only remembered Dad who had raised him, he had no memory of his biological parents. After hearing this story, Gu Ding began to consider a question he had never considered before ¡ª who were his birth parents?

    ¡°I don¡¯t know why I can¡¯t stop talking so much. Maybe I¡¯m just old, you¡¯ll like to nag as you get older.¡± The middle-aged man downed the limu juice in one gulp. ¡°Boss, I¡¯ll have another one.¡±

    Gu Ding also finished his milca. ¡°Me too, boss!¡±

    ¡°I kept talking about my story. What about you? I don¡¯t think you¡¯re local. Probrand locals have slightly reddish skin.¡±

    ¡°My name is Gu Ding, I¡¯m an Interster Pirate, and I¡¯m just stopping by on this. My hometown is in Dragon Soar Cosmic Nation. I¡¯m just like you, an orphan since childhood.¡± The shopkeeper served them their two non-alcoholic drinks while they spoke. Gu Ding raised his ss andughed.

    ¡°Rnd, Interster Loner.¡± The middle-aged man also raised his ss. ¡°To the orphans!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re a Loner, Uncle?¡± It was not Gu Ding¡¯s first time meeting a Loner, but when he heard it, the first thing he thought about was getting him on his crew. ¡°Would you be interested in joining our pirate crew?¡±

    ¡°Join a pirate crew?¡± Rnd raised his eyebrows as if he was considering something. ¡°Actually, I look forward to the life of an Interster Pirate. It¡¯s more fun to be together than to be alone but not now. A demigods¡¯ life span is only five thousand years, and I am now more than four thousand years old. I must reach god level before my time runs out. That¡¯s why I¡¯ve been traveling, looking for a breakthrough point. I¡¯ll think about it when I¡¯ve entered god level.¡±

    Gu Ding was happy that he did not reject him directly. ¡°Leave me your contact number then. Let¡¯s keep in touch.¡±

    Rnd did not refuse the request and gave Gu Ding his contact number.

    ¡°Uncle, since you stopped by this, is it because there¡¯s a chance for you to break through here?¡± Gu Ding could not help asking.

    ¡°No. It¡¯s just because my spaceship broke down and it¡¯s an old limited edition. Some of the materials are more difficult to get and need to be customized, so I¡¯m stuck here.¡± Rnd shook his head and looked at Gu Ding¡¯s empty ss. ¡°Do you want more?¡±

    ¡°No, I came here after lunch. One ss is enough.¡± Gu Ding shook his head.

    ¡°I¡¯ll pick up the tab for two, boss.¡± Rnd tapped his finger on the table.

    ¡°Thanks, Uncle! I¡¯ll treat you tomorrow afternoon!¡± Gu Ding grinned. He and Rnd had a lot inmon. The two of them became friends over two drinks. The establishment of friendship between two men was often so simple.

    ¡°If you say so, I¡¯ll pick the most expensive one tomorrow. Tonight, I¡¯ll think about what I¡¯ll drink tomorrow.¡±

    After they left the tavern, they went their separate ways.

    Once Rnd was out of sight, Neptune asked, ¡°Gu Ding, do you know who that was?¡±

    ¡°Is he famous?¡± Gu Ding thought the name Rnd did ring a bell.

    Neptune projected Rnd¡¯s information.

    Grand Duke: Rnd

    Title: The Man Closest To God

    Gender: Male

    Age: 4243

    Gene Level: Demigod

    Strongest Combat Effectiveness: Unknown

    Special Abilities: Unknown

    Other Abilities: Possesses the fencing to kill gods

    Intro: The only demigod level powerhouse in Faye Cosmic Nation who was made Grand Duke by the Federal Government. Owns unique fencing, killed a Lower Ranking Deity in one strike with demigod powers. ording to some unofficial information, he¡¯s also a 5-star monster. In the Cosmic Sea, he¡¯s number eight on the Demigod Monster Ranking.

    ¡°The title Grand Duke is only given to one person in the entire Cosmic Nation, and that¡¯s the most powerful demigod. Before Elizabeth was promoted to god level, he was seemingly the most powerful person in Faye Cosmic Nation and the most promising one to break through to god level.¡± Neptune then added. ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for the opportunity you gave Elizabeth, he would still be the strongest powerhouse in Faye Cosmic Nation. How dare you ask him to join us...¡±

    Gu Ding grinned. ¡°I almost seeded, but that¡¯s ok, we¡¯ll get another chance.¡±

    ¡°I think he must have heard of your name because it¡¯s been so poprtely. However, he probably didn¡¯t think much of it, so he didn¡¯t seem surprised when you said you were Gu Ding and is an Interster Pirate. That¡¯s normal. Demi-powerhouses are usually so focused on getting to god level that they don¡¯t have much time to think about anything else.¡± Neptune found what had just happened a little strange. ¡°When he told us his name, I thought he just happened to have the same name, so I looked him up at once and found out that he was the legendary Grand Duke Rnd.¡±

    ¡°Is it hard to break through to god level? Can we help?¡± Gu Ding could not help asking.

    ¡°There are a lot of factors that influence whether or not you can reach god level. For example, Elizabeth who you met earlier and Rnd who you met today, are the top beings among the demigods. They¡¯ve met all the requirements to break through to god level, they merelyck an opportunity. In this case, there is no way they can rely on external help, only personal luck. Generally, once someone reaches their level, the odds of breaking through are more than 90%. It¡¯s just a matter of time. However, some who are very unlucky may not find such opportunities until they die, but such situations are very rare.¡± Neptune¡¯s exnation made Gu Ding feel a little helpless, and Neptune quickly added, ¡°Monster powerhouses like Rnd often have good luck. Personally, I don¡¯t think he¡¯ll have problems making a breakthrough.¡±

    Once out of the tavern, Gu Ding, under Neptune¡¯s guidance, headed for the medicinal materials store...

 Chapter 211 - Biggie Is Attacked

    <h4>Chapter 211: Biggie Is Attacked</h4>

    Although he did not have to take part in thepetition anymore, Gu Ding still felt that he could not afford to lose his position as a pharmacologist, as every team was required to have one. His talent in medicine refining was undisputed; it was not eptable for him to yield the position to someone else.

    While Gu Ding was busy purchasing medicinal materials, Liliath and Elsa were also happily trying out new clothes in the bazaar. As for Biggie and Tagore, they had reached the market that was a little further away.

    Looking at the eye-catching variety of ingredients, Biggie was all the more convinced that this was his field. Compared with being a swordsman, he felt he was more suited to being a chef, since he did not possess the appropriate disposition for a swordsman to the extent that if he was not under hypnosis, he was incapable of even using his weapon against another person.

    Tagore perched excitedly on Biggie¡¯s shoulder, gawking at their surroundings. Suddenly, it saw arge ss fish tank that held a fifteen-meter giant star ribbonfish. The moment it caught sight of that fish, its eyes sparkled and it bolted madly in that direction.

    Biggie was standing in front of another stall tasting some specialty local spices. All of a sudden, his vision went ck as if everything around him hadpletely vanished.

    ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± Biggie suddenly yelled in the darkness.

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to shout anymore. This is my personal domain; no one will hear you even if you yell yourself hoarse,¡± A female voice announced, seeming toe from every direction.

    ¡°Who are you? What do you want?¡± Biggie¡¯s heart sank. Of course he knew what a personal domain was¡ªa world projection that could only be created by someone who had attained the rank of a demigod. Within one¡¯s personal domain, that person¡¯s ability would be unleashed to its full potential.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous. I only want to y a game with you.¡± As the female spoke, the lights suddenly turned on all around.

    Biggie squinted to block out the strong light. Very quickly, his vision adjusted to his surroundings.

    He seemed to be trapped in a huge pagoda-shaped building that had two doors. Biggie did not make any rash moves. Instead, he scrutinized the area warily, trying to find any other useful information.

    ¡°Your mental fortitude isn¡¯t as bad as I thought it would be. You didn¡¯t make any hasty moves but observed your surroundings very calmly. If you had chosen to rush through any of those two doors, the chances of you dying would be very high. Therefore, I will now spend a bit of time exining the rules of the game,¡± the female voice intoned again.

    ¡°The game is like this. There are two doors, and only one of them is the correct one. As for the other, even I don¡¯t know what¡¯s behind it. However, I am absolutely certain that whatever lies behind that door will cause you immense pain. Therefore, please make your choice wisely. Of course, you can also choose to stay here and wait for your friends toe and save you. However, I do need to tell you that my personal domain is called the Nightmare of Hell, and I have now pulled you into the third level of a dream state. The time ratio here to that of the outside world is 1,000:1, which means if you remain here for 1,000 days, only one day will have passed in the real world.¡±

    ¡°If I manage to escape, will you guarantee that you won¡¯t attack my friends instead?¡± Biggie asked very calmly. He reckoned the other party was not lying to him. Furthermore, the crux of the matter was that a demigod powerhouse was more than enough to cause total destruction to the team. Right from the start, therefore, he did not hope for Gu Ding toe to his rescue; he knew that this time he could only rely on himself to escape from this predicament.

    ¡°As long as you can escape, I promise not to make another move,¡± the female voice answered. ¡°In the first ce, I don¡¯t hold a grudge against any of you. I am ying this game with you simply because I was tasked to do so. You may rest assured, all yourpanions are safe.¡±

    ¡°Why me?¡± Biggie asked right away. He could not escape the feeling that there was something fishy about this whole matter.

    ¡°Don¡¯t ask me this question. I am merely carrying out orders. As to what the person who set the mission was thinking about, I have no idea, and I don¡¯t care,¡± the female voice continued nonchntly.

    ¡°One more most important warning¡ªdon¡¯t think that dying in the dream state means that your body won¡¯t suffer any harm. The time ratio reduces your lifespan exponentially. This means that if you remain here in the third level of this dream state, for every year that goes by in the outside world, your lifespan will be reduced by one thousand years. You are currently at Rank 11 Gene Body, and your lifespan is 1,200 years. That is to say it will take less than 1 year and 3 months passing by in the outside world for you to exhaust your entire lifespan. Once that happens, it will signify true death for your physical body. Furthermore, this is the third level of the dream state¡ªif you die an unnatural death here, you will immediately drop into the fourth level. There, the time ratio is 10,000:1. If you die an unnatural death on the fourth level, you will drop into the fifth level, the time ratio will increase tenfold, and so on and so forth. As you can see, the further you drop, the more difficult it will be for you to return to the real world.¡±

    ¡°I have another question. If every year in the real world is equivalent to one thousand years in this ce, does this mean you¡¯re going to waste more than a year of your time in here with me, and then I die?¡± Biggie pointed out what he thought was a loophole.

    ¡°It seems that you haven¡¯t figured out how a personal domain works at all, but you can¡¯t be med for that,¡± the female voicemented before exined slowly, ¡°Only those who have created their personal domain would understand that it¡¯s a projection of a mini world. Although this projection can be controlled, it is also an individual entity operating on its own at all times. In other words, once I¡¯ve pulled you into my personal domain, I don¡¯t have to bother about anything anymore. I can do whatever I please; anything you do within my personal domain won¡¯t affect me at all. Of course, there¡¯s a caveat to this¡ªyour abilities have to be much weaker than mine. If you are almost on par with me, it¡¯s possible for you to destroy my personal domain. At your current level of ability, however, I would rmend that you not waste your time in such useless attempts.

    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ve given you all the rules of the game and some advice; I don¡¯t believe I¡¯ve missed anything out. You can make your choice now, and I¡¯ll leave you to it.¡± Once it had finished speaking, the female voice ceased.

    Biggie stood in front of the two doors and studied them for a long while. Both doors were identical to each other; even the distribution of the metal granules was identical. The female voice was not heard again.

    With no other alternative, Biggie randomly selected a door and pushed it open.

    As he crossed the threshold, he found himself in a strange room.

    ¡°Have I escaped?¡± The moment the thought crossed his mind, Biggie abruptly realized that everything around him seemed to have grownrger. He looked down at his body and discovered that he had transformed into a thin, weak little child.

    Only now did he notice that the room he was in seemed to be a prison cell.

    ¡°Biggie, it¡¯s sote but you¡¯re not asleep. What are you standing over there for?¡± A voice came from the top level of a bunk bed.

    Biggie lifted his head and looked over. He saw a youth, ck eyes gleaming in the night. Biggie felt that his appearance seemed slightly familiar, and he sat on the lower bunk bed in confusion. ¡°What the hell has happened?¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s up with you? You look so out of it. Even if Brie has threatened to beat you up tomorrow, you don¡¯t have to be so nervous about it. I¡¯ll teach you, just concentrate on protecting your head tomorrow and don¡¯t let them hit you there. I¡¯ve heard people say that if you get hit on the head you¡¯ll be stupid. If your body hurts a bit, just bear up for a while, it¡¯ll pass...¡± The youth¡¯s words jogged a segment of Biggie¡¯s memory.

    He saw himself as a youth, cowering and protecting his head while being beaten up by a bunch of kids. That time, he saw a guard standing not too far away with a de in one hand. He had snatched the de from the guard and shed at the leader of the bullies, decapitating the boy in one blow. The guards had gotten a fright and immediately tried to restrain him; instead he ended up killing them all. The rest of the kids had been struck dumb at the sight, fleeing frantically, but Biggie had gone berserk with rage and massacred every single person in the reformatory, including his cellmate Bel.

    Only after he hade to his senses again did he realize the terrible thing that he had done; he knew he would be sentenced to death. In the midst of his dismay, an old man in a long ck robe appeared before him.

    ¡°Do you wish to be stronger? To be so powerful that everyone will fall trembling at your feet?¡± The man extended a hand toward Biggie, and from that very second, the nightmare truly began....

    When this scenario resurfaced in his mind, terrible pain filled Biggie¡¯s head. He held his head tightly, his entire body trembling in agony; all he could do was to try and stop himself from crying out.

    ¡°Biggie, are you all right?¡± Bel seemed to be rather worried. Although Biggie tried his hardest to control himself, Bel heard him tossing and turning, and hung his head down the side of the bunk for a look. At the sight of Biggie in pain he immediately jumped down from the top bunk. ¡°Do you want to go to the infirmary to be looked at?¡±

    Bel and Biggie were the same type of character; both suffered the brunt of bullying in the reformatory. Because of this, they mutually took care of each other more than the rest.

    ¡°No... no need... I¡¯ll be ok after a rest.¡± Biggie waved his hand in refusal. Once the visions had stopped, the pain in his head began to subside slowly.

    ¡°Why not just go to the infirmary for a while? You¡¯ll be able to avoid the confrontation with Brie and the others tomorrow,¡± Bel advised. ¡°You look as if you¡¯re in a lot of pain so it can¡¯t be anything trivial. If you can stay a few days in the infirmary, that would be even better. Moreover, if you¡¯re really sick and they get their hands on you, the infirmary staff will intervene because they¡¯re afraid you¡¯ll be beaten to death.¡±

    ¡°That won¡¯t be of any use. Even if I can hide for a time, I can¡¯t avoid the conflict forever. You don¡¯t need to worry about me, I¡¯m fine. This headache of mine is an old ailment¡ªI suffer from it once or twice a year. Even the doctors couldn¡¯t find anything wrong with me after they examined me. The small infirmary here would only think that I was faking it. That would only make things worse,¡± Biggie spun a lie. He had already given things some thought; this time he needed to tough it out. At most he would suffer from bodily injuries; he absolutely could not follow his previous footsteps. Even though Biggie¡¯s own memory still had notpletely recovered, if he followed in his previous footsteps, he was afraid he would fall into the abyss, doomed and without any hope for redemption...

 Chapter 212 - The Altered History

    <h4>Chapter 212: The Altered History</h4>

    The prison door opened wide the next morning. It was time for the prisoners to go to work after breakfast.

    Youth reform prisoners had to serve time in prison and conduct heavybor.

    Biggie and Bel¡¯s job was to help out in cleaning the spaceships at the spaceship repair shop. This job was the easiest among all the jobs, which was the reason why they were constantly bullied.

    This job had a change of personnel every three months, and they were picked by drawing lots. No one was allowed to exchange their jobs with another person. Biggie had drawn the lot twice in a row and Bel had also drawn the lot a second time for this particr job. Some people were sure that Biggie had cheated by drawing the lot two consecutive times, and everyone became convinced of it when Bel, who shared a room with Biggie, had drawn the lot too. The most important factor was that this job was a requirement for only one spaceship repair shop and there were only two vacancies for it, giving cause for anger among the other youth reform prisoners.

    The other youth reform prisoners were always giving both of them trouble over this issue of drawing job lots. Brie was convinced that Biggie knew how to cheat it and was always trying to force the secret out of Biggie, which was why he always gave Biggie a hard time whenever they met. However, the truth of the matter was that Biggie was just lucky enough to have drawn the lot twice.

    Biggie and Bel were transported to the spaceship repair shop near the harbor very quickly after they had breakfast. The boss of this spaceship repair shop was a very calctive man who refused to give them even a sip of water. However, it came as no surprise that someone like him, who hired youth reform prisoners on the grounds of low wages, was someone of bad character. A special liquid was used to clean the spaceships in the shop, and not drinkable water. If they wanted to have a drink of water, they had to go to the washroom. There was a sink outside the washroom with a rusty tap. However, even if they wanted to drink from the tap, they had to do it in secret, out of fear they would be caught by the boss.

    They worked at the spaceship repair shop for the whole morning and were only transported back to prison during the afternoon.

    After having lunch in the afternoon, it was time to let out the prisoners. This meant allowing the prisoners free time. During this period, the gates between each prison room were opened.

    Biggie would usually hide inside his cubic space, refusing toe out. Brie and the others would normally drag him out for a beating, but this time, Biggie did not hide in his room. He walked out graciously into the open field instead.

    He was no longer that helpless child all those years ago. Besides, he has met many powerhouses during his adventures with Gu Ding and had even gotten wounded in battle. In fact, physical wounds were the least serious.

    Brie and the others stormed toward the field angrily when they could not find Biggie in his room. When they finally found him, the group immediately surrounded him.

    ¡°How dare youe onto the field? It seems you¡¯re getting braver by the day,¡± Brie said with a sarcastic expression.

    Biggie replied calmly, ¡°I¡¯ll not only be here today, but I¡¯ll take a walk here every day from now on. B*stards who bully the weak and fear the strong is exactly how you should be described.¡±

    No one had expected this weak fellow to be so cheeky. Everyone looked at Biggie with a shocked expression.

    Brie was taken aback when he heard Biggie¡¯s retort. It took quite a while for him to react. ¡°You¡¯re asking for death! Beat him, beat him up real good!¡±

    The group immediately came up to Biggie in a circle. Biggie curled up his body and hugged his head with both his hands as he quietly took the beating. Between the gap in someone¡¯s legs, Biggie saw the sword he had grabbed all those years ago for the massacre. It was hanging on the waist of one of the guards. When he spotted the sword, he frantically squeezed away from the group and snatched the sword, making a direct sh at Brie¡¯s head. This time, however, he did nothing. He quietly endured the pain brought upon him by everyone¡¯s punches and kicks, waiting for the ordeal to be over. Biggie did not even howl out in pain.

    The group surrounded him and beat him up for more than ten minutes, but not a sound was uttered. Some of them started to worry that Biggie was dead from the beating and stopped their attacks.

    However, Biggie stood up instead. ¡°If this is over, can I leave?¡±

    ¡°Continue with the beating!¡± The more Brie thought about it, the angrier he was. How could Biggie be so stubborn this time? Brie had not expected this and was determined to break Biggie down.

    Everyone surrounded Biggie again as they continued beating him up for more than half an hour. It was only when their hands and feet were starting to feel numb that they stopped.

    Biggie stood up once again and wiped the blood from his nose. ¡°Can I leave now?¡±

    ¡°He must have secretly cultivated in some defense ability. He¡¯s much sturdier than before,¡± someone whispered into Brie¡¯s ear.

    Brie¡¯s hand and feet were aching too, and he had hardly any strength left. Even though he was unhappy about this, he knew that it would be pointless to continue. Besides, they only had one hour of free time, and they had wasted more than forty minutes. So, he threatened Biggie instead. ¡°We¡¯ll continue this tomorrow. We¡¯ll beat you until we break both of you!¡±

    It was at this moment that Brie spotted Bel, who was sneaking some looks in their direction from nearby. Brie motioned everyone over with a wave of the hand and they made a beeline for Bel.

    Bel knew something was wrong and tried to evade them but was quickly surrounded by the group.

    Biggie frowned slightly. He wanted to stand up for Bel, but there was a jolt of pain from his internal organs. He realized that he was not just physically wounded. This body of his was too weak. His internal organs had suffered serious damage from the attack. If he continued to suffer from it, it would have caused his internal organs to be disced. This would be lethal for an ordinary person. He had no choice but to stand by and watch what was transpiring as Bel covered his head with his hands while being beaten savagely by the group.

    Bel¡¯s screams of pain did not deter the group in the slightest, rather, it spurred them further. They finally found the satisfaction of the beating with Bel, something that was absent when they were beating up Biggie. This had driven them to attack even more viciously. Bel clenched his head as his eyes looked helplessly at Biggie. The look was a desperate cry for help. However, Biggie could only slowly close his eyes. Bel may be small and skinny, but Biggie knew he had a better physique than Biggie had. He would not encounter severe injuries, and Bel would only end up with physical wounds. There was no need for Biggie to risk his life with this in mind.

    However, Bel did not think so. He was very sure that Biggie had secretly cultivated in some defense ability, which was why he did not fear Brie and the others. He felt a little resentful of Biggie when his call for help waspletely ignored. Biggie clearly had the ability but was not willing to help him out, even secretly training in that defense ability without sharing it with Bel. The thought of this made Bel feel deeply disappointed. The more he thought about it, the more he hated this world.

    Suddenly, Bel saw a sword hanging on a nearby guard¡¯s waist from between someone¡¯s legs. A crazy thought popped into his head. ¡®Get your hands on that sword and kill every one of them!!!¡¯

    When this thought arose in his mind, he scuttled out from the beating from between one of their legs and sprinted toward the guard, snatching the sword from him. Bel pulled out the sword and ran toward the group, right toward Brie.

    Biggie was shocked into a daze when he saw what had happened. ¡°How is this possible? I was the one who snatched the sword back then and Bel didn¡¯t even suffer any beatings... Was history altered because I made a different choice?¡±

    All control was lost on the field. Bel lifted the sword high as he went after Brie, who was always bullying him, for the kill. Brie¡¯s subordinates had made a run for it, leaving Brie to be chased to death by Bel.

    There was confusion among the guards as well. This was just a juvenile prison. No one had expected such a thing to happen. Many of the prison guards had gotten the job through unorthodox means and were not even official Army personnel. They had no experience with handling such a situation. Moreover, there were no long-range weapons equipped in this prison and the guards could only give chase behind Bel.

    Despite that, whatever that should happen, happened in the end. Brie had tripped on his shoces in the confusion and Bel had immediately chopped Brie¡¯s head in half when he managed to catch up to Brie.

    His brains fell over the floor like pink tofu as the sticky blood flowed out continuously. Soon, the blood had covered a range of about 2 meters of the surroundings.

    Biggie clenched his fists. This scene was like a bootleg version of what happened to him all those years ago, but with some different details.

    Bel did not stop at killing one person. He held on to the sword and continued giving chase toward one of the people who had beaten him. That person was still in shock and by the time he realized what was happening, it was toote. Bel thrust the sword into his stomach and a clean sword pierced his chest, exiting out the back,pletely drenched in blood.

    The juvenile prison descended into utter chaos at the second death. Screams could be heard from every direction. It was impossible to tell if those people were screaming for help. If Brie¡¯s death had shocked them, the second person¡¯s death had them in total panic mode because it meant that Bel, who still had the sword, was now in a psychotic state. There might be a third and fourth person who was about to get killed...

    This scene yed out exactly like the one in Biggie¡¯s memory, except that the main character was someone else.

    ¡°If this continues, he will kill everyone in this prison. What should I do?¡± There was a frown on Biggie¡¯s face. He knew what would happen if this continued and it was something he was not willing to see. Moreover, if this situation continues, Biggie will also end up being killed by Bel, which will only result in him falling from the third level to the fourth level of his dream.

    Once he falls to the fourth level, things would be much moreplicated. The time would be extended into a ratio of ten thousand to one. One day in the real world would be equivalent to close to thirty years in the dream. He could live to one thousand and two hundred years, which means he would probablyst forty days at most before dying of old age.

    ¡°It would be impossible to grab the sword from him. Someone must have done something to that sword back then, otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to ughter everyone like sitting ducks. This sword should be the same as well. Someone must have tweaked it. However, with my current body build, it would be impossible to fight against Bel, must less snatch that sword from his hands. What do I do now?¡± Biggie¡¯s frown tightened. When the crew had met with problems, Gu Ding and Neptune would be the ones who came up with solutions most of the time. Everyone else would give simple suggestions and Biggie would normally act as an audience. This time, he had to make his own decision and he had no idea what should be done.

 Chapter 213 - Tagoreâ€™s Powerful Transformation

    <h4>Chapter 213: Tagore¡¯s Powerful Transformation</h4>

    Tagore stared at the giant star ribbonfish in the tank, almost in a daze. He thought about sneakily eating the fish but knew it would result in a public spectacle. He turned to where Biggie was previously, nning to get him to buy the fish. It was then that he realized Biggie was missing.

    ¡°Hey, where¡¯d the big guy go?¡± Tagore jumped onto a random rooftop and looked around, but still could not spot Biggie.

    ¡°Where could he have gone in such a short time?¡±

    He lifted his cat paws and quickly dialed Biggie¡¯s number. Even though he was not too willing to speak out loud, there was nothing else he could do.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, the number you have called is not within this zone.¡±

    Tagore had never really used an intelligent wristwatch before, and this sentence stumped him. ¡°What does it mean by not within this zone?¡±

    He hung up and called the number again but had gotten the same answer both times. He had no choice but to call Gu Ding¡¯s number for help.

    Just as he keyed in the number, he sensed dangering. The scene in front of his eyes changed suddenly. The noisy marketce had transformed into a wilderness. The ground was filled with tens of thousands of different types of swords stuck into it. Most of these swords were imperfect. There were traces of cracks and breakage on them. A gigantic rock stood like a wall at a distance. There were marks of sword shes on the gigantic rock. Tagore lifted his head and realized the enormous rock was actually a gigantic rock sword. The sword was embedded deep inside the ground and clouds were floating around the rock sword from above. The handle could be vaguely seen, which was enough for anyone to differentiate it from a rock wall.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, the number you have called is not within this zone...¡± The notification voice sounded from themunicator again. Tagore figured out what had happened to Biggie and he looked around warily.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, little kitty, I can¡¯t allow you to reach out to Gu Ding and the others for help. I have no choice but to make you go through this and trap you within my personal domain,¡± a middle-aged man suddenly appeared in front of Tagore. He had arge build and look to be 2.12 meters. He had a rugged look about him and the what stood on was that scar on his right eye, which was about ten centimeters long. Gu Ding would have immediately recognized him if he was here. This was Rnd, the man who had bought Gu Ding drinks in the tavern.

    Tagore could tell that this person was not antagonistic, but he also knew that Biggie was now in danger. He had heard from Gu Ding and the others that Biggie had little to nobat effectiveness without the help of hypnosis. Gu Ding had given Tagore the responsibility of protecting Biggie, but now, not only has he lost Biggie, but he was also trapped in someone¡¯s personal domain. This was something that Tagore was not able to ept. What made the whole situation even more uneptable, was being called a little kitty by this man.

    As that strange middle-aged man got out a stick for ying with cats from his inventory and slowly moved toward Tagore, it only served to anger Tagore more.

    ¡°I love little animals. y with me a while, little kitty. I¡¯ll let you out once Biggie is done. How does that sound?¡± Rnd said as he slowly stuck the stick out in front of Tagore. He had no idea that his actions had seriously crossed the line with Tagore.

    Tagore finally flew into a rage and his body, which was supposed to be asrge as a palm, began to grow at a ridiculous speed. shes of red energy flowed out from within his body, whichter coagted...

    Rnd was a little taken aback by what has happened in front of him. He did not stop this because he wanted to know what this little kitty was made of.

    In less than a minute, this little kitty the size of a palm had grown into a huge beast of close to a hundred meters. This huge beast was blood-red with ck stripes all over him. It continued to grow and mutate physically. His tail had also quickly split into two, andter two into three... It continued until nine tails were formed, dancing behind him madly. His eyes, which had a spirited look in them, had transformed. They now looked like golden mes that shot out of from within his body. The most unique part of it all was his forehead. There was a piece of ink-ck crystal on it, almost as if it was embedded there.

    Rnd could not tell what sort of creature this was, but there was an aura about the creature that warned Rnd that it was no weaker than a demigod such him. Rnd knew it was time to be serious.

    ...

    In another personal domain, Biggie was in danger.

    Bel was going on a murderous rampage, shing everyone one with one stroke of the word. No one was able to stop him.

    ¡°If this continues, history will repeat itself,¡± Biggie was a little anxious. He knew that if everyone only cared about escaping instead of defending themselves, they will all end up massacred. This was because Biggie had gone through this many years ago, except that he was the one killing everyone then. This was a juvenile prison, after all, and the oldest prisoner was only fourteen-years-old while the youngest was only seven-years-old. Most of these children were ordinary Rank 1 Gene Body and had nobat effectiveness. Even the few of them who were Rank 2 Gene Body had only a slight advantage during fights. Now, they were all shocked into a daze and were unable to defend themselves.

    ¡°Stop running around so erratically, everyone. Run toward where there are guards, they have weapons. The guards can work together and snatch the sword from his hands!¡± Biggie shouted. He remembered what Gu Ding had said before. If there was something that cannot be done by one person, then let a team of people do it and it would not seem too difficult to settle things. That was why the more difficult the situation bes, the more important it was that everyone worked together.

    Some of them heard Biggie¡¯s voice. It no longer mattered who had shouted the instructions as it sounded reasonable. So, they ran toward the guards.

    As for those who did not hear Biggie, they ended up being part of the massacre.

    It took less than five minutes for the entire field to be covered in blood. More than eighty people were killed in this prison of more than three hundred juvenile prisoners. The field was ridden with dead bodies.

    Under Biggie¡¯s continuous shouting, most of them had hidden behind the guards.

    Bel¡¯s sword was pulled out from thest body and he turned toward where the few guards were. There was only one target left within his viewing range. He lifted his left index finger and ran it across the back of the sword and poked that now bloodied finger into his mouth. It was as if he was eating something delicious. A sinister smiled appeared on his face as he looked at everyone with a disturbing expression.

    This scene chilled all of them to the bone.

    Biggie seemed to remember himself doing the same thing before as the scene he had just witness felt vaguely familiar. At the moment when Bel ced his fingers into this mouth, it reminded Biggie clearly of how it had felt. It had been a particrly exhrating and pleasurable feeling.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. If he darese over, we¡¯ll just tie up all four of his limbs and snatch the sword from him,¡± Biggie shouted.

    Bel was not perturbed by the words as he ran toward everyone with the lifted sword.

    A few guards lunged at Bel; Biggie had also run toward him. Biggie knew he had to be the one to grab that sword. If someone else held it in their hands, something even more horrible might happen. By the looks of Bel¡¯s reaction, Biggie knew this was the same sword he had held on to all those years ago. The sword had the power to take control of man and deity. However, Biggie had experienced this once before and he should be able to ovee it.

    In the blink of an eye, the unexpected took ce and the situation was flipped on its head. Bel gave the sword a swipe and a chilling and ruthless sword energy appeared out of thin air. Biggie immediately ducked but the other four guards were not that lucky. They were immediately shed into half at the waist.

    The smell of fresh blood and the stink of bloody intestinal fluids filled the air. The stench was deeply nauseating.

    ¡°Why is this happening?¡± Biggie could not understand this. When he had the sword in his hands back then, it did not have such an effect. The sword was sharper than normal, and it did not take much strength to sh into something, but the sword energy was something that had never happen before. It was clear that Bel was much more dangerous than Biggie was back then.

    Right then, Bel had stopped right in front of where Biggie had fallen to the ground but did not attack Biggie. He grabbed Biggie¡¯s head, forcing it upwards to face him and gave him a sinister smile. He let go of Biggie and continued chasing the group of people.

    Bel¡¯s massacre continued with a hitch with the help of the powerful sword energy. Every swing of the sword took a few lives. Less than ten minutes went by and the screaming in the prison finally died down. The mad noises finally died.

    ¡°It¡¯s over...¡± Biggie stood up. He knew everyone else besides him had been killed by Bel. He was Bel¡¯s final target, just like how Bel was Biggie¡¯s final target. ¡°This must be retribution...¡±

    Bel¡¯s footsteps got louder and louder as he approached but Biggie stood calmly where he was. It had been years since he no longer feared death and pain. Besides, it was not a true death this time. He would only be sent to the fourth level of the dream world. Even though there was less chance of survival there, at least there was still hope.

    Bel walked toward Biggie, his body was drenched in blood, but it did perturb Bel. In fact, he was enjoying being bathed in fresh blood. He stood firm in front of Biggie but did not attack. They stared at each other.

    ¡°What are you waiting for?¡± Biggie¡¯s lips curved slightly in a smile.

    ¡°He¡¯s waiting for me!¡± A voice rang out from nearby.

    Biggie looked over at the direction of the voice in surprise. He had not expected someone to still be alive. The expression on Biggie¡¯s face changed when he saw who it was. It was an elderly man in a long, ck robe. He was white-bearded and had a long, white mustache. This man was an unwee person from Biggie¡¯s memory, his existence was not something he was d to be reminded of. This was because this man, was the one responsible for pushing him into the deep belly of torturous hell.

 Chapter 214 - The Beginning Of A Nightmare

    <h4>Chapter 214: The Beginning Of A Nightmare</h4>

    The ck-robed man walked toward the two young men.

    ¡°Let¡¯s y a game between you and your friend, Biggie. Only one of you is allowed to live. Of course, whoever lives will need to leave with me. Make a decision now!¡±

    The ck-robed man might have suggested this ¡®game¡¯, but in fact, it was a trap. If Bel killed Biggie, Bel would need to leave with the ck-robed man. He would be facing long, unending days in the future that would be worse than death. If Biggie killed Bel, he might be able to leave, but would once again endure being imprisoned by the ck-robed man. He would experience pain far worse than death.

    The sword had now left Bel¡¯s hands and was floating between both of them.

    ¡°You have ten seconds to make your decision. If you do nothing within that ten seconds, I¡¯ll take it that you¡¯re choosing to send your friend to me. I can guarantee you that I will do my best to educate him,¡± the ck-robed man did not bother to conceal the smile on his face.

    ¡°Ready, get set, go...¡±

    Biggie struggled with this as his body trembled slightly. Even though his memory of the ck-robed man did not entirelye back to him, but his soul trembled with terror the moment he set eyes on that man. It was a deep-rooted fear within the depths of his soul. A voice yed in his heart continuously, ¡°Don¡¯t go with him, stay as far away as possible from him...¡±

    Bel, on the other hand, was terrifying to watch. He was covered with bloodstains and his consciousness seem to be controlled by the urge to massacre. There was no sign of his previous self in his eyes, it was reced by a look of violence and torture. Biggie could not imagine what would be of him in the future if he allowed Bel to leave with the ck-robed man.

    ¡°Three, two, one...¡±

    Biggie took action immediately once the ck-robed man was done with the countdown. He reached out to snatch the sword, thrusting it into Bel¡¯s abdomen. Biggie¡¯s right hand, which was holding on to the sword, could not stop trembling.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry... I can¡¯t allow him to take you. Even though my memory has notpletely recovered, but I know he will turn you into a monster that will only know to kill. He will allow you to stay alive, but he will also make you feel pain that is worse than death,¡± Biggie exined loudly as Bel slowly regained his sense of consciousness, looking in shock at his own body that has been stabbed through by Biggie. However, Bel was not listening to him. He was wide-eyed and there was a look of despair in them. Biggie remembered the same look on Bel¡¯s face when he had killed him all those years ago. Biggie could not stomach this and closed his eyes, ¡°I¡¯m sorry...¡±

    The ck-robed man took off his hat and his face was finally revealed in front of Biggie. ¡°You made the right choice. ¡°Weaklings like him with a fragile mind would end up being a ve to the sword after the first training, which would havepletely wipe away all sense of self-consciousness. Death would be the best release for him.¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you here to take me away? You can¡¯t stop spouting these useless words,¡± Biggie¡¯s fear toward the ck-robed man seemed to have disappeared after killing Bel, and his emotions poured out freely when he spoke.

    ¡°You¡¯re not a big guy, but you do have a big temper,¡± the ck-robed man reached out a hand and Biggie began to feel dizzy.

    When Biggie woke up, he realized he was in a deep part of a primitive forest. The voice of the ck-robed man could be heard next to his ear at the same time, but Biggie could not tell where it wasing from. ¡°This is a very simple game. There are ten thousand Rank 1 Gene Body humans in this deep forest. Every one of them has been given a weapon and nine thousand nine hundred and ny-nine of them have to die before the game is over. This means that only one person can leave this ce alive. Oh, by the way, the food supply in this forest is quite limited. Good luck!¡±

    A few images appeared in Biggie¡¯s mind after that. It was of a skinny, weak young man who was alone in the forest. He was chopping off a leg from a dead body, cing it above a fire to cook and eating it. That young man was himself.

    ording to the information unintentionally revealed by the ck-robe man, Biggie deduced that this was his first training. The second and third time would follow... He found it difficult to imagine what had he gone through for so many years.

    Before Biggie could collect his thoughts, an arrow flew at him, striking the huge tree next to Biggie. The end of the arrow vibrated due to the sheer force of the strike.

    Biggie flipped over and rolled to the side, hiding behind a big tree. His right hand tightened its grip on the sword. He was still contemting what to do in order to solve the problem with the food scarcity and about how terrible the next few pieces of training would be if the first one was so perverted. Before he could think through all of his questions, a sneak attack was conducted on him. If that arrow was shot ten more centimeters to the left, Biggie¡¯s head would have exploded from it.

    However, Biggie had also noticed that the arrow was an ordinary shot. It did not contain primary power and there was no special ability attached to it. This meant that his opponent was just an ordinary Rank 1 Gene Body.

    Biggie hid behind the tree while waiting patiently for the enemy to appear. ording to the rules of the game, every single person in this forest was the enemy. Everyone would attack each other at the first opportunity.

    The person who had attacked Biggie was not about to let him off that easily. This was because Biggie was really small and weak, and he was barely even ten-years-old. It was only natural that he would not give up such easy prey in this forest.

    Biggie was also aware that he was a very easy target for the others. Unlike his usual huge self, the Biggie now was only seven-years-old and his body was still small and skinny due tock of nutrition. However, this body size was also an advantage when it came to hiding. It was easy to get the opponent¡¯s guard down this way because most adults would not think a child younger than ten-years-old would pose any threat.

    Biggie had lost all of his strength and primary powers, but he still had his swordsmanship. His opponents may be adults who were much bigger than he was, but none of them had the protection of primary power as they were Rank 1 Gene Body. No matter how strong their defense was, they could not protect themselves from a sharp sword de. Biggie personally thought that if he could solve the problem of the food scarcity, it would not be a problem to survive.

    The strong man carried a mechanical bow as he walked casually toward the big tree where Biggie had hidden. He thought this was his lucky day as he had bumped into a child right after understanding the rules of this game. ¡°This is just like having food delivered to my doorstep,¡± he thought.

    A child who was no older than ten was just like a defenseless little chick to him. All he needed to do was grab him by the cor with one hand. There was no sense of danger from a child.

    However, this man had made a grave mistake.

    When he reached the tree, he realized that the child hiding behind it was gone. He looked around in confusion. ¡°That kid had rolled toward this tree. What happened to him?¡±

    Right at the moment, Biggie had aimed and jumped off the tree from above. With both hands on the sword, he thrust it without hesitation into the enemy¡¯s body. He had climbed up the tree early on. As Biggie watched the man drop dead, there was a hesitant thought in him. He had to get enough food to keep his energy levels up. However, it was clear that the best food source in this forest was another human being. He was pretty sure of that after those images had shed in his mind.

    He frowned slightly as he started ransacking the man¡¯s body, trying to find if he had any food on him besides being a dead body. After a while of going through the man¡¯s belongings, Biggie found nothing useful.

    ¡°What should I do? Do I really have to eat a human being?¡± Biggie was a well-known chef and was not picky with ingredients. He even knew of a niche group of chefs whose specialty was preparing dishes made from humans. Biggie had reservations for these chefs, but he had yet to meet people like them in real life, so have not formed any judgment about them. However, he personally thought that it was too barbaric to be eating your own species.

    Just as he was at the end of his wits, a few Necrophagous ck Beetles scuttled over from nearby. Biggie¡¯s eyes lit up at the sight of this.

    These Necrophagous ck Beetles were a type of beetle that feasted on rotten food. Even though these beetles smelled really bad, this living organism was not poisonous and was fit for consumption.

    With a swing of his knife, Biggie pinned a Necrophagous ck Beetle the size of a fist on the ground. A green liquid immediately poured out from the beetle and it smelled truly awful. Biggie held his breath as he cut the beetle into a few pieces. He closed his eyes as he shoved it into his mouth. After chewing it for a bit, he quickly swallowed the beetle.

    It took a few minutes for Biggie to finish eating the Necrophagous ck Beetle. His mouth was filled with a vomit-inducing raw stink. His stomach could not stop rumbling but he held it in and stopped himself from throwing up. He knew that he had to learn to adapt in order to survive. He would have to resort to cannibalism if he did not eat these beetles. He did not want to return to what he had been, to that person who had no qualms about eating human flesh.

    He was finally not that hungry after swallowing that Necrophagous ck Beetle the size of a fist. Besides that, the aftertaste in his mouth had greatly decreased his appetite.

    Biggie surveyed his surroundings and decided on a direction as he quickly left the scene of his recent fight. It would only serve to attract more enemies if he continued staying at this location that was thick with the stench of blood.

    Biggie scuttled quickly deeper into the forest, constantly on high alert in regards to his surroundings. He had actually made the right judgment before. Not more than ten minutes after he had left the battle scene, a woman appeared at the location. She crouched down with a nk expression on her face as she used the sword in her hand to cut off both the man¡¯s legs and his muscled arms, throwing them into a cloth bag she was carrying on her back. It was clear that she had chosen to not only consume human flesh but also to store it.

    Not long after she had left, a young man of about twenty-years-old appeared. He had used less than three minutes to take apart the dead body with a dagger in his hand. He cut off any parts that still had flesh, not even leaving any trace of it at the crotch area. All that was left of this mangled corpse were the bones, internal organs, and the skull. The young man had even dug out the corpse¡¯s heart with his bare hands as he contemted it. A smile appeared on his face. ¡°This is the most delicious part of the human body...¡±

 Chapter 215 - A Dangerous Woman

    <h4>Chapter 215: A Dangerous Woman</h4>

    After escaping from the battlefield, Biggie quickly found a water source using an ability he still remembered from training in the past.

    He found a little stream that looked less than two meters wide at most. The stream was shallow and the depth of it was not more than 50 cm. Nevertheless, the water looked clean and clear.

    Since there was water, it meant that there was food nearby. However, it also meant that there were predators nearby as well.

    Biggie carefully observed his surroundings as he hid in a big tree. It did not seem like anyone else was around. He finally got down the tree and quickly ran toward the little stream.

    The foul taste of the Necrophagous ck Beetle was still in his mouth. He scooped some water from up the stream. He did not use the water to drink and instead used it to gargle.

    The terrible taste in his mouth was finally washed away after a few gargles. However, the taste did notpletely disappear. Biggie knew that he needed a proper mouth hygiene kit to get rid of it. He stopped the pointless gargling and began to drink the water instead. The water from the stream was cool, and it tasted sweet in his mouth. He could not help but gulp down a few mouthfuls.

    He saw his blood-stained self from the reflection of the stream and decided to take off all his clothes. Scooping up more water, he bathed himself and took the opportunity to wash his clothes as well.

    After a few minutes of bathing, he wrung his clothes dry and put them on. His clothes were still a bit wet, and they stuck to his skin. Nevertheless, all he could do was wait for the wind to dry them out.

    After his bath, Biggie found a big tree near the stream and climbed up it. The ce was dangerous, but there was a water source, vital for his survival. While the stream did not have any big fish, a few little fish that were the size of a finger inhabited it. They could be used for food and would surely taste much better than Necrophagous ck Beetles. Biggie nned to wait on the tree patiently and avoid encountering others.

    Not long after Biggie had gotten onto the tree, he saw someone walking toward the stream. At first nce, the person looked like a skinny man who was about thirty-years-old. The man surveyed his surroundings just as Biggie had done and walked toward the stream when he was sure that there was no one else near him.

    That man had crouched down and begun to drink when all of a sudden, footsteps sounded from the forest. In response, the man quickly ducked down and rolled toward a bush nearby. He crouched in it and hid in it as he stared toward the source of the sound.

    Evidently, Biggie was observing the whole situation from high above. He could clearly see a woman nearby walking toward the stream. That woman looked to be about twenty-years-old and was quite pretty. However, her expressionless poker face was off-putting. Even though the sentence ¡®Do note near¡¯ was not stamped on her face, anyone with the same feeling about her was not far off from doing so. Needless to say, every single person was an enemy under the circumstances they were in. Hence, it was normal for her to have such a look on her face.

    There was a bundle on the woman¡¯s back. The bundle was made out of a piece of clothing. It looked like the previous owner of the piece of clothing was quite a huge person. There were still bloodstains on the bundle of clothes. The ¡®bundle¡¯ had to be her spoils from victory.

    ¡°There can only be one thing in that bundle in this situation, and that would be food!¡± When the thought crossed Biggie¡¯s mind, the man in the bushes came to the same conclusion.

    ¡°Carrying a bundle on her back in such a ce. It can only mean that there must be food in there. All I need to do is kill that woman and steal her bundle. Then, I¡¯ll have food.¡±

    That woman was not aware of what was about to happen as she continued to walk straight for the little stream. She did not even bother to stop and observe her surroundings for any possible ambush.

    She headed for the stream and began to scoop up some water. Without warning, the skinny man made a move from the nearby bush just as she was gulping down her first mouthful of water.

    The sword in his hand glinted as he went straight for the woman¡¯s throat.

    However, what happened next was unexpected. The woman vanished right in front of his eyes, and the next thing he knew, he could feel a cold sensationing from his neck. Right after that, the man felt liquid spurt out from his neck. He reached his hand out to his neck only to have his palm instantly drenched with sticky, red blood. Only then did he realize that the woman had cut the veins on his neck in one swift move.

    Biggie was frightened to the core as he watched from afar. The woman¡¯s speed surpassed the limits of a Rank 1 Gene Body. He could hardly catch the woman¡¯s movements. Nevertheless, he could still tell that the weapon the woman had used was a sword, just like the skinny man.

    ¡°There are too many ws in the way you move. Number one, I felt your intent to kill the moment I walked out of the forest. Number two, you¡¯re wearing ck all over and it sticks out like a sore thumb in the middle of a green bush. Number three, you have terrible swordsmanship; there¡¯s no force and speed when there should be,¡± the woman stood in front of the skinny man as she critiqued him with an emotionless expression on her face.

    She sized him up. ¡°Too bad you¡¯re so skinny, but I guess I can make do with your pair of legs.¡±

    With that, the woman swung her sword and immediately chopped off the skinny man¡¯s legs. The man was still breathing, and he gave the woman a hateful look.

    The woman cut off both his feet and threw them into the stream. Then, she swung her sword twice to sh off the pants that were still on the man¡¯s legs. She folded up his legs and ced them in her bundle. When she saw that the skinny man was not dead, she rummaged through his bundle and found a hand. The hand belonged to the strong man Biggie had killed. ¡°Take a good look at this. This is the hand of a real man. You could give me both your hands and I wouldn¡¯t even bother eating them.¡±

    It was only then, did the skinny man realize the woman¡¯s bundle was filled with flesh from other dead people. Biggie, who was crouching at the top of the big tree, frowned slightly as well. Even though he had expected the bundle to be filled with human flesh, the sight of it still made him feel ufortable.

    The skinny man died not long after as his main arteries had been cut open.

    However, the poker-faced woman did not leave immediately. Instead, she found an empty spot and collected some dried grass along with sticks. She stacked them up and made a small fire. Then, she took out the thigh that belonged to a big man from her bundle, shaved the body part clean, and washed it with water from the stream. Next, the woman sharpened a stick and used it to hold the thigh up as she started grilling it on the fire.

    The fragrant smell of the meat wafted through the area.

    Biggie began to feel hungrier as his nose whiffed the scent of the aroma. It proved that human flesh had a simr aroma as other types of meats when grilled. Its fragrance made it appealing and appetizing.

    The fact that the woman was brazenly grilling the meat at such a ce was a telltale that she was quite confident with her abilities. For Biggie, her swordsmanship was also a reason for him to be cautious. He could only hope for her to leave after her meal.

    Nevertheless, most situations do not develop the way people want them to.

    Even after the woman was done grilling the meat, she did not immediately bite into it. Instead, she put out the fire by covering it with soil and took her bundle once again as she climbed up a big tree near the stream. It did not look like she was going to leave for quite a while.

    Biggie did not feel safe with someone so dangerous near him. Additionally, the poker-faced woman had no qualms about whatever she did and was probably going to attract others to his ce. In that scenario, there was a high chance he would be affected by her actions.

    Running through all the potential problems, Biggie was convinced to move to a safer spot. Nevertheless, now was not a good time for him to do so. The woman could not see him in his current spot. On the other hand, if he got off the tree, he would immediately be an obvious target. He had to be patient and wait for the next wave of people to arrive so that the woman would attack them. Besides that, Biggie was pretty sure that the fire she had started just now would attract the arrival of others very soon. The moment chaos ensued, he would be able to escape in the midst of it.

    The ce where the poker-faced woman had chosen to hide did not have much cover. Biggie could still spot her when he poked his head out. The woman was sitting on a branch and happily eating her grilled thigh. Even though she still had an emotionless expression on her face, Biggie could tell that she was enjoying her meal. She did not seem to care about being discovered.

    Biggie guess was spot on. Less than five minutes after the poker-faced woman had climbed up the tree, a few people could be seen running toward her direction. Biggie knew that those people who intended to strike first were not weak in their abilities. However, the poker-faced woman was the best among the ten thousand of them. As long as there were no surprises, those people would end up as her food.

    The first to arrive at the scene was a dark-bearded man. He was wearing a half-buttoned up id shirt that revealed his very hairy chest. There were three long scars on his naked chest which made him look quite vicious. A sword hung from his right waist, while his right hand rested on the sword¡¯s hilt in a very casual way. Nevertheless, he was obviously an expert in swordsmanship and seemed very vignt.

    He walked toward where the fire had been started and saw that smoke was stilling from it even though it had been put out. He reached out to touch where the fire had been lighted. It was still warm to the touch. Hence, he quickly came to the conclusion that whoever had started it was not far off.

    He looked around him and quickly discovered a corpse without legs in the bush next to the now extinguished fire. He crouched down to examine the body. ¡°It was a lethal attack with the main arteries of his neck shed. He died from losing too much blood. The cut marks on his legs are very tidy and whoever made them clearly needed only one swing to chop off both his legs. It looks like the person is no simple opponent.¡±

    As he deduced what had happened, a second and person appeared from the forest at almost the same time. One was a plump middle-aged man while the other was a young man who looked to be Gu Ding¡¯s age.

    They spotted each other and gave wary looks to the opposing party. Nevertheless, they did not attempt to attack in any way.

    Both of them also noticed the bearded man at the same time.

    ¡°Hey, you were the one who built the fire, weren¡¯t you? That¡¯s very audacious of you,¡± the plump man shouted at the bearded man.

    ¡°I just arrived here. I only reached a minute earlier than you,¡± the bearded man rebuffed. Even though he knew that there was no way he could avoid fighting, he did not like to be maligned.

    ¡°He¡¯s absolutely right. I was the one who built the fire,¡± the voice of a woman was suddenly heard from nearby as everyone turned to look at the source of the voice.

 Chapter 216 - Bury Me By The Stream Where The Green Grass Will Be My Companion

    <h4>Chapter 216: Bury Me By The Stream Where The Green Grass Will Be My Companion</h4>

    Halley slipped down from the trunk of the big tree she had been on. She was still holding the grilled thigh, which more than half had been eaten by her. She chewed on the remaining meat as she made her way toward the three men.

    Biggie had thought that the poker-faced woman would continue hiding on the tree and watch things unfold, waiting for the three of them to fight it out with one another until it was almost the end before she took them down in one go. Nevertheless, the first thing she did was reveal herself on her own ord. Biggie wondered what she was thinking.

    The three men looked at the grilled thigh in her hand. There was no question about it, the person who had built the fire was the woman in front of them; her expressionless face made it seem as if she had gone through an operation to keep the way her face looked permanent. The bearded man thought of the corpse without legs he had seen in the bushes when he saw the thigh in her hand. It was easy to guess what sort of meat she was eating.

    ¡°I initially nned to take a seat and enjoy my grilled meat while watching what would happen between the three of you. Nevertheless, I was only disappointed by your performance. No one took the initiative to start a fight, and you all even found time for idle chit-chat.¡± Halley shook her head.

    ¡°This is a waste of time. I¡¯ve decided to take things in my own hands. However, before that, there¡¯s still a spectator among us. Get out here!¡±

    Halley looked toward the big tree that Biggie was in.

    The three men were taken aback. They hade from the direction where Biggie was in but did not notice anything unusual.

    Biggie felt a little helpless about the situation. He had been discovered and had no choice but to slide down from the tree trunk. He walked toward the rest of the people. ¡°When did you realize I was there?¡±

    ¡°I heard your stomach growl when I was grilling my meat. My five senses are heightenedpared to the average person. Any sound that is not in harmony with my surroundings won¡¯t escape my ears.¡± Halley looked at Biggie, still without expression.

    ¡°I was not expecting someone with such good hiding skills to be a kid.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t look down on kids.¡± Biggie knew that the poker-faced woman was very skillful, but he still had some pride in his swordsmanship.

    ¡°I¡¯ve never looked down on an opponent,¡± Halley could vaguely feel a sense of danger from Biggie that was an intuitive thing. Not only did she have heightened senses, but she had good intuition especially when it came to danger; she was more sensitivepared to ordinary people. Biggie¡¯s warning caused her to take interest in the young boy in front of her.

    ¡°You¡¯re hungry, aren¡¯t you?¡± Halley handed the rest of the thigh to him,pletely ignoring the existence of the others.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I don¡¯t eat human flesh,¡± Biggie rejected her offer immediately.

    Halley suddenly recalled the huge man¡¯s corpse she had found when she heard Biggie¡¯s words. His corpse wasplete, but it had a stink left behind by Necrophagous ck Beetles. ¡°You can¡¯t be that person who ate those bugs, could you? Those Necrophagous ck Beetles are so disgusting to look at, and they have a strong stink about them. Compared to them, it should be much easier to consume human flesh, shouldn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m a chef, and I think that using our own species as ingredients is inappropriate. That¡¯s why I reject such food,¡± Biggie gave his reason.

    ¡°Hey, are you two done with all the chatting?¡± feeling annoyed that he had been ignored, the bearded man shouted at both of them.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t want it, I¡¯ll throw it away. I¡¯ve had my fill, anyway,¡± Halley said as she casually threw the leftover thigh to the side. Then, she finally looked at the bearded man and the others.

    She sized up the three men and shook her head. ¡°You¡¯re all too weak.¡±

    ¡°You must be joking. You¡¯re just the same as us. We¡¯re all Rank 1 Gene Bodies. What right do you have to say that we¡¯re weak?¡± The plump man sneered.

    ¡°I think you¡¯re misunderstanding something. Gene level andbat effectiveness are two different things. I may just be a Rank 1 Gene Body, but mybat effectiveness is far superiorpared to all of yours,¡± Halley exined emotionlessly.

    She unsheathed her sword without warning after she was done talking. The first swing of her sword was directed at the plump man¡¯s throat.

    However, the gleaming sword did not stop there as it went straight for the young man¡¯s throat right after. Then, like the spit of a venomous snake, the sword went for the bearded man¡¯s throat.

    The plump man immediately fell to the ground along with the young man, both of them sping their hands over the arteries on their necks. As for the bearded man, he managed to block Halley¡¯s attack with his sword. Nevertheless, he only managed to do so barely, and Halley¡¯s attack made him realize just how big of a gap was between both of them. He felt as if something massive had crashed into him with her attack. Additionally, the sword in his hands almost fell to the ground when he blocked her attack.

    ¡°It¡¯s pointless,¡± Halley¡¯s low voice reached the ears of the bearded man. Her sword was like an agile snake. After her first attack, it suddenly changed directions and once again went for the bearded man¡¯s throat.

    The bearded man swung his sword once again and a ¡®ding¡¯ was heard. It was the sound of metal shing against metal. The bearded man clearly felt feedback from his sword, and Halley¡¯s attack seemed slightly stronger than before. Her attack caused his right hand which was holding on to his sword to tremble a little.

    Nevertheless, Halley showed no signs of stopping her attack. The tip of her sword changed directions once again as it went straight for the bearded man¡¯s throat.

    There was another ¡®ding¡¯, and the bearded manpletely lost his stamina to move his right hand after the attack. Finally, his sword fell from his hands.

    The next thing he knew, Halley¡¯s sword came from a different direction and went through his throat in a single thrust.

    The bearded man fell to the ground unwillingly. On the other hand, the other two men whose arteries had been torn open at their necks were already dead.

    Only now did Halley finally turn to look at Biggie. ¡°You had the chance to escape.¡±

    ¡°I know.¡± Biggie was fully aware that he could have taken the time to escape and hide while Halley was battling the bearded man even though it was for only a few seconds. With his hiding skills, it would have been difficult for Halley to find him in a short amount of time.

    ¡°I had nned to escape while each of you fought amongst yourselves. However, you called me out. As for the reason why I didn¡¯t escape, well, it¡¯s because after watching your fight carefully. I¡¯ve realized that I don¡¯t have much of a chance of winning. Moreover, a good friend once told me that whenever faced with a challenge, the right thing to do is face it and not run away from it. That¡¯s because running away will never solve the problem. Whatever needs to happen will happen eventually.¡±

    ¡°Sounds like that person is a very good friend of yours. Unfortunately, we¡¯re enemies. Otherwise, I¡¯d really like to meet that person.¡± A slight smile appeared on Halley¡¯s poker face. Even though it was only for a brief moment, it was enough to prove that she was capable of smiling.

    ¡°You¡¯re a very special person, but I won¡¯t let you go because of that. In fact, I¡¯d like to fight you with everything I have. Out of respect for you, I won¡¯t eat you after you die. Where do you wish me to bury you?¡±

    Biggie looked around him and his eyes fell on the big tree he had hidden on top of previously. ¡°You can bury me at that big tree. What if I win? What do you wish me to do for you?¡±

    ¡°Bury me by the stream where the green grass will be mypanion,¡± Halley told him herst wish and testament.

    ¡°If we are done with ourst wishes, let¡¯s fight!¡± Biggie gripped the hilt of his sword and his body went into defense mode as he prepared to block an attack.

    Halley started moving as well. Her sword was as agile as a snake, and her attack points were habitual as she targeted Biggie¡¯s throat and arteries on his neck.

    Biggie decided not to defend himself as he lifted up his sword. His de was quick and precise as it shed with the tip of Halley¡¯s sword. He had not expected the swordsmanship knowledge in his mind to be capable of enhancing his attack even though his body was only that of a seven-year-old. It was powerful enough to go against Halley.

    Both of them were forced backward because of the sh, but they quickly went for each other once more after regaining their footing, shing with one another again. It was the de of one¡¯s sword against the tip of another¡¯s sword. Both of them refused to back down.

    The third and fourth sh quickly followed... The sound of metal shing continued to be heard as their fight surpassed the level of Rank 1 Gene Bodies. Even those who were Rank 2 or Rank 3 Gene Bodies would lose quickly in such a battle of high skill.

    Biggie slowly began to regain his muscle memory with each sh they had. He was no longer using the swordsmanship he had inherited from Darkness, rather, he was using his own method. It came naturally to him as it gave his fight an uncanny effect.

    Halley felt very pressured by this. She had initially thought that she had the upper-hand as she had a faster attack speedpared to Biggie. Nevertheless, Biggie was able to take her attacks, and his strikes always came after hers. He used the de of his sword to respond to the attacks she made with the tip of her sword. While it looked like he was attacking, it was in fact a form of defense.

    After exchanging a few attacks, Biggie¡¯s body began to limatizing to the battle¡¯s level of power. He started to gain speed until he was on par with Halley. Additionally, his moves began to be more difficult to predict. It took only a few more minutes before Halley¡¯s advantages were all exhausted. On the other hand, Biggie was now the oneing at her with full force as the advantage shifted to his side.

    ¡°How is this happening? I¡¯ve practiced my swordsmanship ever since I was three-years-old. It¡¯s been eighteen years now, and I¡¯ve never stopped training for a day. My teacher told me that I had a Monster Ranking and am gifted in Kendo. He didn¡¯t allow me to enhance my gene level because he wanted me to train my basic abilities and build a strong foundation. Why is it that this kid right in front of me has basic skills that surpass my own?¡± Halley could not understand the situation.

    Halley¡¯s swordsmanship was overpowered by Biggie¡¯s attacks that had be more fierce. Additionally, Biggie performed moves that were rather unpredictable and powerful. Each move he executed was lethal, almost capable of killing her. It waspletely different from how he had started out-with amateur swordsmanship that was easy to figure out. Halley even began to suspect that the kid in front of her had been intentionally trained to be an assassin.

    Both of them had no primary power and no Righteous Force. Their defense capabilities were at the same level as ordinary people. Normal swords were enough to wound them. It was because of these reasons that their basic skills could be disyed in their fight. There was no question that Biggie¡¯s basic skills were stronger than Halley¡¯s.

    The tides of the battle hadpletely turned. Halley had struck ferociously at the beginning, but all that was left for her now was to defend herself. She had no means of predicting where Biggie¡¯s next attack would appear. Biggie¡¯s swordsmanship had the intention to kill. There was no chance of surviving even a single sh from him. If she got hit, the only result she would face was death.

    Halley¡¯s body began to give in under such high-strung attacks. All of a sudden, there was an opening in her defense, and Biggie¡¯s sword found its way through, slicing her throat in one fluid motion.

    Biggie finally managed to release himself from his fighting trance when he saw his opponent take his attack. Halley sped her neck as she fell.

    Biggie sheathed his sword and stood at one side, quietly watching Halley fall as a pool of blood surrounded her.

    Halley looked at Biggie, and a smile appeared on her frosty face. ¡°You can finally go back and meet your friend...¡±

    It was a few minutester when that blooming smile left its permanent mark on Halley¡¯s face. Biggie carried her body with great difficulty as he walked toward the stream. He wanted to fulfill herst wish and bury her by the stream so she could be apanied by the green grass...

 Chapter 217 - Iâ€™m A Chef

    <h4>Chapter 217: I¡¯m A Chef</h4>

    Biggie stayed in the forest for a full twenty-nine days.

    After his fight with Halley, he managed to awaken hisbat effectiveness within him. He no longer hid in corners, rather, he went around searching for powerhouses to fight.

    During this time, Biggie came head to head with many people who had Monster Rankings just like Halley; they were all able to bypass several ranks in battle. Among them were assassins who hid in the dark, gunners who performed ferocious attacks, and closebat powerhouses who had outstandingbat effectiveness. Nevertheless, none of them were spared from Biggie¡¯s sword.

    Biggie finally took down hisst opponent with his sword after twenty-nine days before his surroundings changed once again.

    The ck-robed man appeared once again. ¡°Biggie, I have to admit that your performance was an eye-opener. Even though not many died under your sword, almost all of them were excellent fighters. You did not massacre them blindly and did not turn into aplete killing machine. However, you¡¯ve only managed to pass the first round of this game. The second round is only about to begin.¡±

    ¡°Do you know this? I created a thousand forests, exactly the same as the one you stayed in. That means that there are nine hundred and ny-nine victors just like you. One of them even performed outstandingly, seeding in massacring eight thousand three hundred and thirty-five people with his own hands in less than five days. Evidently, he has managed to proceed to the second round. You¡¯ve killed the least number of people and were the slowest in terms of getting to the second round. Nevertheless, it cannot be denied that you¡¯ve improved greatly.¡±

    ¡°The second round of the game is very simple. All one thousand of you will be locked up in a sealed room. However, only one of you cane out alive. There won¡¯t be any food or water in that sealed room. Additionally, under the condition that one thousand people will be breathing in that room at the same time, the oxygen in the area will onlyst for about an hour. I think all the yers involved in the game know what they have to do,¡± Biggie¡¯s surroundings started to change once again in the blink of an eye once the ck-robed man had finished talking.

    Biggie looked around him and found that he was in arge building. Besides that, he was in a huge ¡®birdcage¡¯ and was hung in mid-air just like the others around him.

    The ¡®birdcages¡¯ slowly began to descend to the ground and finally touched down after two minutes.

    Next, the door of the ¡®birdcages¡¯ sprung open without warning at almost the same time, and Biggie dashed out of his ¡®birdcage¡¯. It was impossible to move freely within the cage. Hence, if Biggie bumped into an opponent who utilized long-range attacks, he would be a living target.

    Everyone else made the same move instantly.

    It was no wonder those people were the cr¨¨me de cr¨¨me of the ten thousand people who had fought for survival in the forests. Their survival skills were iparable.

    Biggie had just run out when two people nearbyid their sights on him. That was because Biggie was the smallest in size among the one thousand people and exterminating the weak would leave more oxygen for the others. It was the main source of motivation for most of them.

    There were a few who were against bullying the weak. They felt sorry for Biggie and wondered if he had good or bad luck to have passed the fight for survival in the forest that involved ten thousand people. Judging by the size of his body, most of them had the idea that he had been lucky because all he had to do in the forest stage was hide well; his size was quite advantageous. It was not impossible for him to have sat back and collected the win when thest two powerhouses had wounded each other.

    Hence, not many were of the opinion that Biggie had managed to get through to the current round with his abilities.

    Nevertheless, what happened next made everyone change their opinion of Biggie.

    The two people proceeded to attack Biggie from different directions. However, the moment they got close to him, only the glint of a sword was seen before everything ended.

    Biggie only shed his sword once, and both of them were severed at the waist. His silver sword had shown itself like a bolt of lightning and immediately vanished right after. Biggie¡¯s sword was already in its sheath the next instant. Biggie stood quietly on the spot, and his cold gaze swept across the battlefield.

    His lightning-like attack managed to shock many people, enough to discourage most of them from targeting him. Nevertheless, a few powerhouses with strong abilities became excited upon seeing Biggie¡¯s swordsmanship and immediately went into a crazy killing frenzy.

    It only took less than an hour before the room was left with only seven people out of the initial one thousand.

    Biggie had gotten used to killing. The floor was filled with corpses, broken limbs, blood, internal organs, and the wafting stench of corpses. Nevertheless, none of those factors affected him.

    The other six people had different reactions. Two of them looked especially excited. They must have killed too many people, and their massacre had affected them psychologically.

    Biggie¡¯s gaze fell on a young man who looked to be about thirteen or fourteen-years-old. The person was the youngest there besides himself, and he was using a sword as well.

    The young man also looked over at Biggie when he noticed thetter staring at him. He had been aware of Biggie¡¯s existence from the very beginning. Biggie had only made three moves in the half an hour that had passed, and each time he moved, it was to retaliate. Biggie¡¯s moves always killed his enemy in one swing. As a Monster Ranking martial arts practitioner who was gifted in Kendo, the young man could clearly sense that Biggie¡¯s swordsmanship was of a high level. It was difficult for him to ept that someone younger than him had actually managed to attain such enlightenment in swordsmanship, even surpassing him. Hence, the young man had a will of fire to fight Biggie. That fire was ignited the moment Biggie made his first sh.

    Biggie could also tell that the young man¡¯s enlightenment in Kendo could notpete with his own. Nevertheless, it did not mean that the young man could notpare to him as there was no way for him to evaluate hisbat abilities. Biggie¡¯s sword was used to massacre people, it was domineering but simple. All it did was take human life. As for the young man¡¯s sword, there was a vague sense of nobility to it and an aura of graciousness. Anyone capable of such swordsmanship had to be of extraordinary identity.

    They unsheathed their swords immediately the moment they met each other¡¯s eyes.

    Their actions ignited a battle among the other five people as well.

    The two people whose minds had been affected psychologically by all the killing were clearly attracted by Biggie¡¯s massacre-like swordsmanship. They lunged at Biggie while the other three started to fight amongst themselves.

    Biggie did not disy any panic when faced with three enemies at the same time. He swung his sword in a domineering way and shed the throat of the young man who was right in front of him.

    The young man tried his best to block Biggie¡¯s attack, but thetter had swung his sword very powerfully. As a result, even though the young man managed to save his own life by blocking Biggie¡¯s attack, he was forced to withdraw from the battle due to the bacsh. Next, Biggie¡¯s sword movements took a different turn as he attacked like an agile snake and went for the other two people¡¯s throats. He had actually taken this move from Halley¡¯s set of sword skills. It was an attack that curved mid-way and was capable of creating various attack angles without changing his initial move

    The two who werepletely under the control of bloodshed felt no urgency to defend themselves. They were walking down the path of fighting with the goal ofplete annihtion; they did not care a single bit about Biggie¡¯s sword that wasing at their throats. Hence, they continued to go at Biggie while waving a huge ax and hammer in their hands.

    Biggie¡¯s sword speed spiked in an instant the moment he noticed their actions. Then, a silver sh was seen and both their heads were thrown high up into the sky.

    ¡°Two stupid men!¡± Biggie gave his evaluation of them. He had attacked to test the young men. Biggie wanted to see more of their swordsmanship and did not give his all in his attacks. The other two men had not taken the time to understand their opponent¡¯s abilities and decided to perform a direct attack without a care in the world of being wounded; they were obviously dumb people. Such forms of attack would end cause a difficult fight for their opponents if their abilities were of the same level. However, for those who were more powerful than themselves, it was equivalent to them weing their own deaths. In the end, they paid the price for it.

    The remaining four started to be cautious of Biggie after the two men were killed because they had witnessed thebat effectiveness of those two people. Despite that, Biggie did not even swing his sword twice. It was clear that Biggie¡¯s abilities surpassed everyone present in the room.

    Even though the young man was reluctant to let others take part in his fight, after witnessing the speed of Biggie¡¯s sword, he realized that Biggie had not given his all when fighting him. It meant that he was not on the same level as Biggie was.

    The remaining four had the same thought after witnessing the incident. They had to work together to kill Biggie.

    Biggie noticed their killing intent, but it did not bother him. He stood his ground as he waited for the others to attack.

    A woman wielding a whip took the initiative to perform the first attack. Her whip was like a ck, venomous snake as it went straight for Biggie¡¯s right hand which he held his sword in. It was clear to everyone that Biggie was well-versed in swordsmanship. If they could restrict the hand he held his sword with, hisbat effectiveness would greatly decrease.

    Biggie did not attempt to stop his opponent from doing so. Rather, he allowed her to wrap her whip around his right hand.

    No one had expected it to happen so smoothly. They were momentarily surprised but immediately rushed toward him.

    Nevertheless, none of them had expected Biggie to flick his right thumb, which resulted in his sword to fall into his left hand. Lifting the sword with his left hand, Biggie shed across with ease and two out of the three people rushing toward him were immediately cut into half at their waists. The young man had sensed danger the moment Biggie¡¯s sword changed hands. He managed to evade the lethal attack by ducking to the side.

    The expression of the woman who wielded the whip instantly turned grim.

    ¡°I¡¯m a chef. Both my hands have to be as proficient in wielding knives as the other,¡± Biggie exined.

    The young man almost broke down in tears when he heard this. ¡°You¡¯ve got such good swordsmanship and yet you choose to be a chef. What does that make of me and my swordsmanship...¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, you two. I need to quickly finish this training from that ck-robed man. My captain is waiting for me to return and prepare dinner,¡± Biggie said as he dragged his sword toward them.

    The woman with the whip ended up being ughtered by Biggie after struggling to fight back. On the other hand, the young man with the sword ended up being killed by Biggie without hesitation after the former had used every sword skill he knew.

    Having taken care of the young man with the sword and the woman with the whip, Biggie shouted into the sky, ¡°Hey, I¡¯m done with the second round. Let¡¯s get on to the third round! I¡¯m rushing for time!¡±

    ¡°Good, very good! You haven¡¯t been taken over by the urge to kill and have maintained your original self even after killing so many people.¡± The ck-robed man appeared once again out of thin air.

    ¡°Stop wasting time with useless words. I no longer fear you. Juste at me with whatever sort of training you¡¯ve got and send me back to where I belong immediately once all of this is done with,¡± Biggie stood face-to-face with the ck-robed man. He no longer had any fear in his heart.

    ¡°Is that so? The third round is a stage of life and death. In this round, everyone will revert to their original rank. I¡¯ve picked a hundred people, all of whom are people who managed to survive the training you just experienced. The highest-ranked person among them is a demigod. You¡¯re required to go through ny-nine battles and ensureplete victory before you can leave,¡± the ck-robed man exined the rules of the following round.

    ¡°Why does it need to be so troublesome? Just get all ny-nine people up here. I need to make it back in time to prepare dinner.¡± Biggie did not look like he was joking. He was serious about taking on ny-nine people at once.

    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, I¡¯ll let you have your wish!¡± The ck-robed man stared at Biggie for a while and nodded after determining he was serious.

 Chapter 218 - The Arena

    <h4>Chapter 218: The Arena</h4>

    In the strange domain where many broken swords were buried, Rnd¡¯s repeated provocations finally got to Tagore¡¯s head as thetter transformed into a one hundred meter long, blood-red, nine-tailed beast.

    An air of extreme brutality and bloodlust spread out from his body, adding to the already uncanny environment and making it even more eery.

    Rnd became a little warier. He was a peak demigod powerhouse, and as a 5-star monster, he had killed more than one deity. Nevertheless, Tagore had changed his form, and he felt slightly threatened by it. It showed how fearful Tagore¡¯s strength was.

    Tagore fixed his eyes on Rnd. Although Rnd could not see Tagore¡¯s eyes, he knew very well that Tagore was unhappy. He did not know what caused Tagore¡¯s sudden outbreak. He had a vague feeling that it had something to do with the cat teaser. ¡°Could it be... He doesn¡¯t like the cat teaser? It was advertised as a toy that no cat can refuse... Damn it, it seems like I¡¯ve been cheated by an advertisement once more. I¡¯ll find awyer and sue thepany that sells the cat teaser when I get back!¡±

    After staring at Rnd for a moment, Tagore lowered his eyes a little, and theynded on the cat teaser. Almost at the same time, he growled angrily at Rnd and attacked him.

    Rnd noticed the movement in Tagore¡¯s eyes which allowed him to determine the reason for Tagore¡¯s anger.

    ¡°It was that damned cat teaser! Whicheverpany sold it, they¡¯re dead!¡± Rnd scolded as he defended himself.

    Tagore¡¯s attack was capable of ripping space. Even in Rnd¡¯s personal domain, space still appeared to be ripped apart under Tagore¡¯s attack. With each w, he ripped a ck gash through space. The shes looked like irregr man-eating mouths as they kept growing and extending outward like ripples.

    Attacks with spatial elements were capable of causing way more damagepared to ordinary attacks. Especially since Tagore had be bigger, each blow he made was as powerful as a peak demigod powerhouse¡¯s attack.

    Nevertheless, Rnd was still able to block most of his attacks.

    Rnd only held a single sword in his hand. Before the terrifying ck, man-eating mouth, he seemed extremely small. However, whenever one of the ck fissures approached him, he would merely lift the tip of his sword and the ck man-eating mouth would vanish into the ether.

    Out of nowhere, an attack missed its mark and hit the ground in the distance. The terrible attack did not create a loud explosion but fell quietly into the ground. The ground, however, began to shake violently and the ce Tagore had hit was left with a crack that quickly widened and spread out. After a few minutes or so, everything finally came to a halt. The attack left more than just a gully. It managed to cut the ground in half and left behind a canyon hundreds of meters wide with unforeseeable depth.

    Tagore¡¯s attack had obviously impacted the nature of Rnd¡¯s domain. In other words, as long as his attack power or cumtive attack power reached a certain point, it was likely to break Rnd¡¯s domain. In a way, he was already a powerhouse like Rnd.

    Having suffered three waves of such attacks in his domain, Rnd knew that he could not let Tagore vent his anger however he wanted to. If his domain ended up being broken, it would be a problem as it would take time to repair. More importantly, he was in a downtown area with Tagore. The moment the domain was broken, the impact of the two demigods would wreak havoc over therge areas nearby, causing many casualties.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, kitty, but I have to do this for everyone¡¯s safety.¡± Rnd had been defending passively all this while, and he knew it was not going to work out if things continued the same way. After cutting through Tagore¡¯s attack with one strike, he raised his hand and pointed the tip of his sword toward Tagore.

    His actions immediately rmed Tagore as thetter was well aware of danger as well.

    In fact, it was very dangerous.

    The moment the tip of Rnd¡¯s sword locked onto Tagore, the ground beneath them began to vibrate, and strange murmurs began to be hearding from the ground. It started with just a few sounds and gradually increased as it got denser. All of a sudden, a sword broke free from the ground and shot at Tagore at lightning speed. Followed by it was a second sword, then a third... Sword after sword shot out from the ground as if they were living beings. What seemed like countless colorful lightning bolts shed through the sky as each one of them was wildly headed in Tagore¡¯s direction.

    Tagore¡¯s gigantic body was instantly swallowed up by the thousands of long swords of various shapes...

    ...

    Biggie stood in a round arena. He remembered clearly that he had fought in the arena before. Strange ciphertext and symbols were engraved in the middle of the arena. On the other hand, the surrounding circr stands were exactly how he remembered them.

    Alone in the vast arena, Biggie looked at his hands that were back to normal. The saber hanging from the right side of his waist was a familiar ck color.

    He remembered the arena very well. Every once in a while, he was forced to participate in solobat. Each time, he faced only one person, but his opponents were always extremely strong. Either one of them had to kill the other in order to leave the arena. He would be fed with countless body strengthening agents before each battle and then fed with countless body repair agents right after. The constant stimtion of various medicines caused his body to mutate into a state different from normal people.

    Biggie stood opposite a gate made of unknown metal. The gate was a hundred meters wide and thirty meters high. Behind the heavy gates was a battle cage.

    The battle cage was where each challenger appeared, and the one being challenged had to arrive in advance and wait in the arena. Biggie was undoubtedly the one being challenged now, which was why he had appeared in the center of the arena.

    As he watched on, the heavy gates slowly began to rise while the sound of chains being dragged were heard.

    Biggie knew that his opponent was about to appear.

    This time, it would be an unprecedented challenge for him. He was only a Rank-11 Gene Body and there seemed to be more than one demigod amongst the challengers. There fourteen gene levels if one included bing a demigod as one of them. After bing a demigod, one¡¯sbat effectiveness would increase by a hundredfold from when they were a Rank-13 Gene Body. In other terms, it was the equivalent to two big ranks. Hence, in order to fight a demigod, Biggie¡¯sbat effectiveness had to at least exceed four big ranks his own Gene Level.

    Biggie was not too worried about it. He had chosen to fight because he was confident. After his battle with Halley, his memories of wielding a saber had been awakened. The battles that followed also yed a part in helping him get back his familiarity with the de. In fact, his current attacks had increased in strength by about ten thousand fold his originalbat effectiveness. Otherwise, it would not have been that easy for him to overwhelm those people in the room who were capable of fighting across three big ranks.

    Even before the gates were fully open, people could be seen moving around in the battle cage.

    Several figures were heading toward Biggie. On the other hand, two gunners had begununching attacks in the distance. Terrifying and dense gunfire, wrapped in Righteous Force, streaked through the sky like meteors falling from space.

    Biggie knew that standing still would make him a target for the gunners. Hence, he moved from side to side, dodging their shots. His primary target was the two gunners. The two gunsmiths were both Peak Rank-13 Gene Body powerhouses, only one step away from bing demigods.

    Sensing Biggie¡¯s intentions, the two gunners ran in separate directions. Additionally, others immediately stepped forward to stop him.

    Nevertheless, the current Biggie was different. Holding his saber in one hand, he swung and shot ck energy out of his de. Then, an ink-colored crescent moon flew forward and sliced the three Rank-13 Gene Bodies who were trying to intercept him in half.

    Seeing his own attack, Biggie realized that what hade out of the de was notpletely Righteous Force¨CDarkness had added another strange form of energy. The energy clearly ranked higher than Righteous Force as it easily tore apart the three Rank-13 Gene Bodies who had Righteous Force protecting them. It managed to cut them in half like tofu.

    Biggie, who had initially attacked with the intention of forcing the enemy to retreat was surprised to see the effectiveness of his attack. He had expected his attack to wound them lightly at the very most.

    Nevertheless, Biggie did not change targets as gunners were often very tricky to deal with. If the average martial arts practitioner was ever attacked by a team of people, killing the gunner was the first thing they should do. That was because the moment one met a team assistant gunner, one would be hampered in battle. Nevertheless, the main point was that although Biggie¡¯sbat effectiveness had increased by arge margin, his defense had not changed. Facing a Rank-13 gunner, it was likely that he would suffer a fatal injury the moment he showed any signs of weakness.

    The two gunners were hunted down by Biggie and killed. As for those who tried to stop him, other than three demigod powerhouses, they were all killed by Biggie.

    Biggie managed to kill twenty-three out of the ny-nine enemies he had to face in less than 10 minutes. Additionally, the number of kills he had was still increasing.

    While Biggie was able to kill Rank-13 Gene Bodies with his attacks, his attacks seemed to do very limited damage to demigods.

    Therefore, what he did was very simple¨Che did not fight the demigods directly. Each time a demigod caught up with him, he would dish out a single blow and focus his attack on the rest.

    After half an hour, only four men were left in the vast arena¨CBiggie and three other demigods.

 Chapter 219 - An Unexpected Opponent

    <h4>Chapter 219: An Unexpected Opponent</h4>

    Demigods are demigods for the simple reason that the Gene Level evolution from rank-13 to rank-14 was not just a simple step up.

    A Rank-14 Gene Body contains tenrge gene chains, whose spiral structures are the final state of a gene chain¡¯s linear structure. Another step forward would change the linear structure of said chains dramatically and by then, humans would no longer be humans. Instead, they would be deities.

    Due to the extreme stability and perfection of a demigod¡¯s gene chain, those who attain that level would attain a level ofbat effectiveness a hundred times over one who was on Rank-13.

    That aside, one would also be able to ignite Ultra Fire within your body and begin modifying your cells if you had a spark at this stage. However, this process would usually require a long time beforepletion.

    As for parts of the human physique that were unable toplete such a transformation, they would remain as a form of weakness for that particr human body.

    To achieve victory, Biggie had to find parts in his opponent that had yet to be converted to maximize the impact of his attacks. If his opponent had aplete energy body, Biggie would stand no chance at winning despite wielding a demigod item.

    A demigod item was not a true god item. Only a true god item can destroy a deity¡¯s body while a demigod item would barely scratch a deity, inflicting little to no harm. It would be simr to throwing a pillow at someone.

    Finding unconverted parts were not difficult. Different tissues and organs within the human physique had different cellpositions. Brain cells were the hardest to convert, followed by cardiac muscle cells, liver cells, and bone tissue. Armed with this knowledge, attacking a few of these organs or directly targeting the bones should not be a problem.

    The first few parts of the body a demigod could energize were the skin and muscles. Regr weapons would not even break the surface of energized skin. Instead, one would require at least a demigod item to break through and that was why the Darkness in Biggie¡¯s hand fits the bill.

    The three demigodsunched a two-pronged attack against Biggie and looked at him warily, recognizing that the ck saber in Biggie¡¯s hand was a demigod item that afforded him a fair chance at killing the trio.

    Despite having a ten-thousand-fold increase inbat effectiveness, Biggie still had a weak defense. It would be extremely unlikely for him to even survive a single blow from any of the three demigods, so he was not exactly out of harm¡¯s way.

    While under a three-man siege, making the first move was not such a good idea as the opponent could easily overturn the tide by targeting your weakness. That alone was reason enough for Biggie to stand calm as he waited patiently and steadily, ready for an attack.

    However, the three demigods were a little depressed. Their opponent only had a Rank-11 Gene Body and was now surrounded by the three of them. What was unexpected, however, was that nobody dared to take the first step and attack.

    It was then that the demigod behind Biggie suddenly moved. Feeling the battle was too boring, he wanted to blow off some steam and as a bodybuilder, he was unafraid of engaging in closebat. With that in mind, he leaped and stretched his hand to target the back of Biggie¡¯s head.

    However, Biggie moved so quickly that nobody saw him turning, and yet, his saber was already out-a dark force aimed directly at his enemy¡¯s head.

    Almost at the same instant, the two other demigods made their move as well. However, they did not expect Biggie to pick another saber up from the ground with one foot, catch it firmly in his left hand before backhanding it into the left chest of the demigod that stood behind him. He cared little for the sess of his attack as he pulled it away and instantly turned his body tounch a horizontal strike with both hands to stop the attack from the other two demigods.

    As for the demigod who previously stood behind Biggie andunched a surprise attack ¡ª his heart was the one part that had yet toplete the conversion, and Biggie¡¯s blow killed him instantly.

    ¡°I¡¯m standing here waiting for the three of you toplete the siege because I saw a demigod saber lying on the ground here. Here I was, thinking it mighte in handy and it did!¡± Biggie exined what had just happened once he saw the disbelief on the faces of the other two men. ¡°It¡¯s actually a kitchen thing, to be honest. I actually feel morefortable with a saber in each hand.¡±

    After killing the first demigod, it dawned on Biggie that demigods were not that difficult to kill at all and it was at this point that the other two began to show a little more fear toward him.

    ¡°Can¡¯t you hurry up a little? I¡¯m in a hurry...¡± Biggie was still thinking about cooking dinner for Gu Ding and the others. As a cook, it would not be appropriate for him to go home sote.

    As soon as Biggie uttered these words, he saw an incredible sight ¡ª the heads of two demigods suddenly falling to the ground. The headless bodies fell to the ground soon after, apparently as dead as doornails.

    ¡°What happened?¡± There was a sh of fear in Biggie¡¯s eyes as he did not manage to see the events that just transpired.

    Soon, he saw another man that looked like him leaving the battle cage. As the man drew nearer, the only difference Biggie could notice was that his eyes were bloodshot red, and it was clear that they had been stained red from an excessive amount of killing over a long time. It was obvious ¡ª his soul had been demonized.

    ¡°Who the hell are you? Did you kill those two men?¡± Biggie frowned slightly. The ck-robed man told him that he only needed to defeat ny-nine people before he could leave. Based on the events that had just transpired, something seems to have changed.

    ¡°Those two cowards, they¡¯re useless,¡± the red-eyed man greeted him with the corners of his mouth slightly raised. ¡°Who am I? Why do you ask such a question? I am you.¡±

    Biggie stared at him in dead silence. He did not quite understand the meaning of the ck-robed man.

    ¡°To be more exact, I¡¯m you from the past ¨C the part of you that you forgot,¡± the red eyed man replied as he held out his right hand that held a saber.

    The saber was stained a dark red. Its de was ck, with a series of strange ciphertext carved on the back.

    ¡°Massacre God?!¡± The moment he saw the saber, Biggie called out its name but the rest of his memory of the saber vanished.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d recognize it,¡± the red-eyed man said and handed the saber to Biggie.

    After a moment¡¯s hesitation, Biggie held out his hand to take it.

    The moment he grasped the handle, he knew it was a god item. He had read about the saber¡¯s history but still had no memory of himself. However, the feeling that he had done something with the sabersted a long time. The memory of the saber was full of bloodshed.

    ¡°The old man was right. Only one person will get out of here alive today,¡± The red-eyed man suddenly said. ¡°If you win, you¡¯ll regain all your forgotten memories. If you lose, I¡¯ll rece you as one of Gu Ding¡¯s crew.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯ll know you¡¯re not me.¡± Biggie was very sure.

    ¡°That¡¯s not true. Don¡¯t you know? We¡¯re just two sides of the same consciousnesses right now? As soon as you die, I¡¯ll gain full control of your body. Mybat effectiveness is superior to yours and I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll more than wee me back than a cook. Besides, all they¡¯ll have to do is hire another cook once I be their mainbatant.¡± The red-eyed man also had a Massacre God in his hands.

    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, let¡¯s fight!¡± Biggie was finally pissed off. Not only was he trying to rece him as one of Gu Ding¡¯s crew, but he was also trying to change his dream of bing a chef. He could not tolerate these any longer.

    ¡°Then show me how much you¡¯ve improved after these few days of special training!¡± The red-eyed man swung his saber, causing a blood-red force to pour out like a pir of light that gave off a terrible wailing sound in the void.

    Biggie¡¯s moves were simr to his. He swung his saber as well and a simr blood-red force shot out like a beam of light, colliding with the red-eyed man¡¯s strike.

    With a god item under their control, their energy had been raised to an unprecedented level.

    As the forces collided, the arena seemed as if it was about to crumble. Not only was the stand destroyed, but the ground on which the two men were standing seemed to be sinking as well. Even the battle cage¡¯s heavy metal gates were bent from the fight.

    The first collision created such a terrible impact that Biggie did not expect. The blow he had just delivered would have killed the three demigods without any difficulties. This was the difference between a god item and a demigod item.

    Then again, it was only the first blow.

    Looking at Biggie¡¯s body flicker up and down like his own, the red-eyed man stabilized himself and lifted his saber once more, aiming it where Biggie wouldnd with a diagonal strike.

    Another burst of dark-red force shot out like the roar of a cannon thundering toward Biggie with the killing intent.

    Biggie held the saber in both hands and stopped the blow despite not being on his feet just yet.

    Since he was sessful with that one attack, the red-eyed man would naturally not let his opponent go so easily. He would take advantage of this weakness! A series of blows were thrown as the third, fourth, and fifth attacks wereunched.

    Biggie turned his body and managed to swing his saber to meet the onught of attacks from his opponent.

    At this moment, the red-eyed man had managed to close the gap. He once again swung his saber when he was less than a meter away from Biggie. Another dark-red force shot out at close range. Despite struggling to hold it back with his saber, Biggie¡¯s huge frame was still immediately flung back like a sandbag.

    Biggie suffered some damage to his internal organs from the onught despite using his Massacre God to deflect most of the damage.

    As he got up from the ruins, he gasped for breath. He could feel searing pain all over his body but he knew he could not fall. No matter how hard the battle would be, he had to win!

 Chapter 220 - Getting Out

    <h4>Chapter 220: Getting Out</h4>

    Biggie struggled as he got up amidst the debris. The red-eyed man grinned. ¡°You might as well just lie there. I¡¯m quick. I won¡¯t make you feel any pain. Why struggle pointlessly? You can hardly move now, let alone fight.¡±

    Biggie regained his footing but only barely. ¡°I won¡¯t let you take over my body. Your existence is a great threat to my friends. I will not let anyone threaten them. Also, cooking is a great profession. Bing a good cook has always been my lifelong dream. I won¡¯t let anyone sully it!¡±

    ¡°Sounds boring, so... You should just go to hell!¡± The red-eyed man suddenly appeared in front of Biggie while blood-colored rays of light once again erupted from his dark red saber.

    With his internal organs badly damaged, Biggie felt extreme pain with each move he made. It took a lot of effort for him to stand up, let alone swing a saber.

    Biggie held the saber with both his hands and tried to stop it. The two Massacre Gods once again collided with each other, and blood-colored light enveloped Biggie in an instant.

    Although most of the attack was borne by the Massacre God, Biggie¡¯s body had to bear the strong impact of it. His hands trembled as he strained his muscles to the limit. Additionally, his bones began to crack under the impact. Once again, his body was also thrown backward. At some point, he realized that his body could only take one more attack of such magnitude, and it would probably copsepletely at that time. Then, he would face death.

    ¡°Very good, you didn¡¯t lose consciousness,¡± a voice rang in Biggie¡¯s ear, making him worry. This time, the red-eyed man did not leave any breathing room in between his attacks. Instead, he immediately rushed toward Biggie.

    ¡°Your body is mine!¡± The red-eyed man smirked as a harsh beam of red light came crashing down on Biggie¡¯s chest. The light hade from the man¡¯s saber that was being held with his two hands.

    Biggie had barely enough time toy the de across his chest to avoid being cut in half by the blow. Nevertheless, it was as if Biggie had been bombarded as he was seen hurtling toward the ground shortly after.

    The whole ring finally copsed in ruins, and the red-eyed man lightlynded on a huge piece of rubble. His eyes were fixed on the ruins as if trying to confirm whether his opponent was now dead.

    The instance Biggie suffered the attack, his sternum was crushed into powder and all of his internal organs were destroyed by the violent shock. Even his heart had stopped beating from then on altogether.

    Deep within the ruins, without blood pumping from his heart, Biggie¡¯s body temperature began to drop rapidly along with the activity of his brain cells. Had he been sent to the hospital in such a state, he would have been pronounced a dead man¨Cjust that he had not yet diedpletely.

    His brain activity began to lessen bit by bit...

    Behind a door in Biggie¡¯s soul space, Biggie¡¯s soul could be seen looking up at the sky. The distant sky was beginning to copse along with the ground. ¡°Is everythinging to an end?¡±

    Just then, a ck force pierced Biggie¡¯s soul gate and prated the world behind it. A saber that was entirely ck in color suspended itself less than half a meter in front of Biggie.

    ¡°Why are you here, old chap?¡± Biggie quickly recognized that it was Darkness¡¯ saber spirit. He reached out and grasped it to read its thoughts. ¡°You want me to absorb your life force? No, you¡¯ll die.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re the only one who understands me, and I don¡¯t want to be handed over to someone else once you¡¯re dead. I want my existence to be more than just a killing tool. I want it to be more valuable. Now is the only time for me to express my other values, so I hope you won¡¯t refuse.¡± The saber spirit stated its message clearly and firmly. Then, without waiting for a reply from Biggie, the saber spirit began transmitting a wave of warm energy from its handle into Biggie¡¯s body.

    No one knew how long it took the sky and the ground to recover, but Biggie¡¯s body began to heal quickly. His heart began to beat again, and the activity of his brain cells returned to normal. His muscles, internal organs, and bones underwent a rapid repair process.

    However, the ck saber Biggie was gripping began to grow more and more transparent until it finally cracked and vanished into thin air. By this time, Biggie¡¯s body had been restored to its peak condition, or even stronger.

    As Biggie climbed out of the ruins, the look in his eyes became sharper.

    In the center of the ruins, a blood-red column rose to the sky. It was Biggie, proiming his rebirth.

    Nevertheless, the red-eyed man only taunted him, ¡°What a stubborn fellow. Haven¡¯t you realized that there is arge gap in terms of strength between you and me?¡±

    ¡°I now realize the mistake I¡¯ve made. I¡¯ve been thinking about how to stop you because I subconsciously thought of you as the most violent, strongest, and invincible part of me. Now, I¡¯m going to prove that this is not the case because I¡¯m going to kill you!¡± Biggie¡¯s voice was firm and fearless.

    He picked up his saber and approached the red-eyed man. There were no fancy moves, no long-range red force bombardments. With each step he took, his speed increased.

    The red-eyed man looked at Biggie in surprise. He felt as if Biggie was now a different person. Put in an analogy, if Biggie was a good swordsman before, he was now the emperor of life and death.

    As Biggie began to fasten his pace, the red-eyed man began to tremble internally. He could feel Biggie¡¯s horrifying and suffocating aura. He looked up and vaguely spotted the phantom of a person. What he caught a glimpse of was an emperor in ck armor, sitting silently on a throne made of countless sabers. The emperor was holding a blood-colored saber and traces of blood could be vaguely seen on his de...

    Only when Biggie came to face to face with the red-eyed man did thettere to his senses. Additionally, thetter¡¯s forehead was beaded with sweat while his knees were trembling in weakness. Although he was the most powerful Sura, in the face of the emperor, he was forced to lower his proud head.

    ¡°It¡¯s over.¡± Biggie paused for a brief moment in front of the red-eyed man before walking past him. Biggie¡¯s deep voice rippled through the air.

    The red-eyed man was confused. In the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of Biggie¡¯s saber; it was still in its sheath. ¡°He drew his saber already?¡±

    With that question, the red-eyed man¡¯s head was thrown into the air, and his body fell to the ground.

    ¡®What a horrifying saber...¡¯ That was the red-eyed man¡¯sst thought.

    Biggie stood where he was and calmly watched the red-eyed man¡¯s body crumble to pieces. Then, he watched as the whole arena crumbled to pieces...

    All of a sudden, lost memories began to flood Biggie¡¯s mind like crazy. Most of the memories were bloody and ugly, but Biggie no longer cared about them. All he did was store those memories in a quiet corner of his mind.

    As he came back to his senses, Biggie once again found himself in an enclosed tower that now had only one door left.

    Biggie smirked. ¡°Whoever you are, thanks for this! It untied the knot in my heart.¡±

    Biggie said so while pushing open the door to leave.

    Outside the door was the same noisy food market from earlier. Nevertheless, the current Biggie was no longer the Biggie from the past...

    While Biggie was still fighting his battle, Tagore who was not far from Biggie was caught in a bitter fight as well.

    The strength of his opponentpletely exceeded Tagore¡¯s expectations. Tens of thousands of swords poured from the sky like rain as they frantically wrapped around him. Fortunately, Tagore managed to shrink his body by a few hundred-fold in time to avoid most of the swords. Nevertheless, he was left with severalcerations from the intense attack.

    Tagore knew very well that his opponent was showing him mercy for there were two attacks that could have prated his own body directly. However, they had changed directions at thest minute and only left him with scratches.

    ¡°Wow, you can shrink in size.¡± As the first wave of attacks fell, Rnd looked at where Tagore was standing with his head cocked. ¡°How about you leave Gu Ding¡¯s crew and join me?¡±

    Tagore did not bother answering Rnd and instead jumped on him again.

    Rnd only wiggled two of his fingers and a broken sword that was stuck in the ground shot out of the ground; it was aimed for Tagore, and it managed to stop him in his tracks.

    With the twist of his waist, Tagore dodged the sword and continued to leap at Rnd. Once more, Rnd moved his fingers and the same sword swerved and took a detour as it headed right for Tagore¡¯s buttocks.

    After several attempts, Tagore began to feel a little anxious. His opponent was obviously too strong for him, and thetter hadplete control over the rhythm of the battle. Tagore was being led by the nose. Hence, Tagore finally stopped attacking and began to consider whether or not he should use a more aggressive but forbidden move.

    Just then, Rnd said, ¡°Biggie¡¯s done. I can let you go. However, until then, you¡¯d better return to your old self.¡±

    ¡°You killed Biggie? !¡± Tagore¡¯s heart dropped.

    ¡°Biggie¡¯s not dead. You¡¯ll see him once you¡¯re out.¡± His job was done, and Rnd did not want to waste any more time.

    Tagore doubtfully returned to his original cat form. He was not afraid that Rnd would attack him because even in his specialbat state, he was no match for him at all. He did not need to tell such a lie to get himself out ofbat.

    After Tagore had reverted to his cat form, Rnd¡¯s personal domain finally dispersed. On the roof, Tagore saw Biggie who was easily recognizable amidst the crowd. Hended on Biggie¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Where have you been? I¡¯ve been searching for you for a very long time. I wasn¡¯t able to get through to yourmunicator.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I took some time in the washroom. Let¡¯s continue shopping!¡± Biggie touched Tagore¡¯s head andughed.

    ¡°¡®Don¡¯t touch my head!¡± Tagore protested. Since Biggie did not want to talk about what had happened, Tagore did not ask any more questions.

 Chapter 221 - Monster Concentration Campâ€™s Welcome Gift

    <h4>Chapter 221: Monster Concentration Camp¡¯s Wee Gift</h4>

    Biggie and Tagore continued to browse the food market.

    At the top of a building not far away, a tall young woman could be seen standing next to a tall, middle-aged man that had a scarred face. The woman had waist-length hair that was dyed in ten different colors at equal intervals.

    ¡°What do you think of that big guy, Carole?¡± Rnd asked as he looked at the man and cat in the food market in the distance.

    ¡°Rank-11 Gene Body, with demigodbat effectiveness, at least a 2-star monster,¡± Carole quickly gave her verdict. ¡°What about the cat?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think he¡¯s a cat. His exact Gene Level is unknown, but he certainly hasn¡¯t reach demigod level. Nevertheless, he has the ability to fight 2-star Lower Ranking deities. At least a 2-star monster, I guess,¡± Rnd gave his assessment. ¡°Is this your first mission as a demigod? Knowing you, why didn¡¯t you choose something more challenging?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s because I¡¯m interested in Gu Ding.¡± Caroleughed tantly.

    ¡°You¡¯re so honest.¡± Rnd had nned on teasing her, but Carole had openly spoken about her intentions.

    ¡°I can¡¯t help it. My master is a burly foot picker. I grew up under such influence. You know, uncle...¡± Carole felt helpless as she spoke of her master.

    ¡°You mean you like to pick your feet too?¡± Rnd stepped back a little warily.

    Carole gave Rnd a dirty look. ¡°Anyway, there are some really great characters in Gu Ding¡¯s crew. There¡¯s also a Viking girl. Although thebat effectiveness she disyed did not get her a Monster Ranking, she proved that she¡¯s able to challenge people across two ranks. She¡¯s pretty malleable. Personally, I don¡¯t think Viking moves work well for women. If you get her a good teacher, it would be easy to make her a 1-star monster.¡±

    Rnd did notment on this. ¡°The mission isplete, and we¡¯re free now. What are you going to do? Are you going to leave today?¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you leaving today, uncle?¡± Carole asked in reply.

    ¡°Gu Ding is going to meet me over tea tomorrow.¡± Rnd touched his nose.

    ¡°Tea? You guys aren¡¯t going to drink alcohol?¡± Carole thought it was rather strange. She wondered what it would be like to see two men sitting together, not drinking alcohol.

    ¡°I¡¯ve quit drinking and Gu Ding can¡¯t drink. That¡¯s why I¡¯m going to drink juice and he¡¯s going to drink milca.¡± Rnd did not see anything wrong with it.

    ¡°Uncle, I think you should join their crew,¡± Carole suggested with a smile.

    ¡°Gu Ding invited me to join him yesterday. I said I¡¯d think about it after bing a deity,¡± Rnd once again told Carole something she could not believe.

    ¡°Alright... By the way, could I join you guys tomorrow?¡± Carole was interested in meeting Gu Ding in person even though she had already met Gu Ding in Monster Paradise.

    ¡°Yes, but on one condition.¡± Rnd held out a finger. ¡°No alcoholic drinks!¡±

    Carole was stunned for a while. ¡°Then, I can only drink coffee. Is coffee ok?¡±

    ¡°Coffee is fine.¡± Rnd nodded.

    ...

    Once they were done shopping, both Biggie and Tagore returned to the ship as if nothing had happened.

    Lilliath and Elsa were still out shopping for clothes, while Gu Ding had already bought his medicinal materials. Gu Ding returned to his room and began to learn how to make D-grade medicine.

    ¡°Biggie and Tagore are back,¡± Neptune said in Gu Ding¡¯s ear. ¡°Their intelligent wristwatches were disconnected for about forty-three minutes. The food market is less than ten kilometers from here, and during the time they disconnected, I scanned a radius of hundreds of kilometers but found no sign of them. It wasn¡¯t until their signal popped up again half an hour ago that I realized they never left the food market in the first ce. I suspect that they were attacked by powerhouses who have personal domains.¡±

    ¡°Were they hurt?¡± Gu Ding stopped refining his medicine and asked.

    ¡°Not at all.¡± Neptune briefly checked and found no injuries on them.

    In fact, what Biggie encountered was a nightmare attack. Each battle he fought in took ce in his dreams. Naturally, he did not suffer any injuries. As for Tagore, what he suffered was only ordinary wounds. With his regenerative abilities, he managed to recoverpletely by the time he left Rnd¡¯s personal domain.

    ¡°That¡¯s all right then.¡± Gu Ding continued to refine his medicine. ¡°They can tell us whenever they want to. They must have their own reasons if they choose not to bring it up. I trust their judgment and so should you, Neptune.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m just a little concerned about everyone¡¯s safety. If they were attacked, there¡¯s a good chance that the others will be attacked as well,¡± Neptune voiced out his own reasoning.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think so. Biggie may look goofy, but he wouldn¡¯t let such things go. If he was attacked, he would¡¯ve contacted us to be careful as soon as he escaped. However, he didn¡¯t do that, so there can only be two reasons: First, he was not attacked; Second, it was likely that the attack was directed at him personally, and he judged that the matter would not involve the other members. Either way, I think we should trust his judgment.¡± Gu Ding asked, ¡°Are Lili and the rest all right?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s having a good time with Elsa. They don¡¯t have any problems.¡± Neptune had been watching over them all this while.

    Gu Ding finally finished refining a bottle of D-grade Cell Enhancer. It was orange in color and was of perfect quality. However, the D-grade drug could only be consumed by Rank-6 and Rank-7 Gene Bodies. Hence, it was of little use to Gu Ding¡¯s crew members. Gu Ding might have been a Rank-6 Gene Body, but his constitution was so special that D-grade medicine had little effect on him.

    Once he was done refining the Cell Enhancer, Gu Ding began refining other D-grade medicine. It had always been a habit of his to refine all conventional medicine of the same rank until each one of them was of perfect quality before moving on to the next level. That way, he would have a strong foundation.

    Gu Ding felt that time moved very fast whenever he was refining medicine. Throughout the span of one whole afternoon, he managed to produce more than twenty different types of D-grade medicine. He only faced a small problem when it came to refining the face-changing agent. He had tried to modify the prescription slightly to increase the duration of the face-changing agent. However, the results of his modification were not ideal and small explosions urred along with fires. Fortunately, Lilliath was not around, otherwise, Gu Ding would have been told off.

    Lilliath and Elsa returned dressed in distinctly different outfitspared to when they had gone out before dinner. Other than clothes, the two girls also bought a lot of snacks and kept them in a cupboard in the living room.

    On the other hand, Biggie had prepared a feast and they were to be seated in a circle in the small living room next to the kitchen.

    At that moment, Gu Ding¡¯smunicator rang. The number of the caller was still a string of unreadable codes, indicating that it was X who was calling.

    ¡°How are you, Gu Ding? Do you like the wee gift we gave you?¡± X¡¯s voice sounded cheerful, and it felt a bit like he was the one who had received the wee gift.

    ¡°What wee gift?¡± Gu Ding was puzzled. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that the man who was supposed to pass me the wee gift won¡¯t arrive for another two days because his ship broke down earlier?¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t Biggie tell you? We already delivered our wee gift to him.¡± X¡¯s statement made Gu Ding look at Biggie.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been busy in my room and only came out for dinner. He hasn¡¯t had time to say anything,¡± Gu Ding exined.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m sure you and your crew will be pleased with the gift,¡± X said confidently. ¡°As for what it is, you¡¯ll have to ask Biggie yourself. I won¡¯t reveal it. Moreover, once you¡¯ve made sure that you¡¯re satisfied with the gift, don¡¯t forget to give us a thumbs up in the system. If it¡¯s convenient, leave us a goodment.¡±

    After the call disconnected, Lilliath guessed, ¡°That¡¯s X, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes, he told me that they¡¯ve already sent us our wee gift and it was received by Biggie.¡± Gu Ding looked at Biggie. He was curious about what the so-called meeting gift was.

    ¡°A gift? No.¡± Biggie shook his head. There was a puzzled expression on his face.

    ¡°Did you receive anything from someone strange?¡± Gu Ding thought that X was less likely trying to fool him and it was Biggie that had not noticed.

    Biggie searched his pockets. They were empty. ¡°No one gave me anything, but I dide across a strange man.¡±

    Only then did Biggie give a brief ount of his inexplicable attack.

    ¡°If there was a gift, it was the attack that allowed me to ovee my fear. I don¡¯t need to be hypnotized to fight anymore.¡± Biggie thought about it carefully and realized that there was a chance it was the wee gift X had mentioned.

    ¡°That¡¯s probably what X was talking about.¡± Gu Ding¡¯s eyes lit up when he heard it. Gu Ding had never doubted Biggie¡¯sbat effectiveness. In fact, whenever Biggie was hypnotized, hisbat strength was restrained by arge amount. Now that he no longer had to be hypnotized to fight, he was a stronger fighter. Additionally, Lilliath, who was a gunner, could finally serve her real purpose.

    In fact, it was essential for every strong crew to have a gunner that could perform ranged attacks, provide cover fire, and offer support from afar.

    ¡°Looks like X wasn¡¯t joking. I¡¯m indeed satisfied with the wee gift.¡± Gu Ding grinned with pleasure.

    ¡°We¡¯ve received the wee gift. Shall we leave tomorrow morning or stay another day?¡± Lilliath asked because she had been cramped up for more than ten days and was hoping that their vacation wouldst a little longer.

    ¡°We¡¯ll stay another day. I still owe an uncle a drink. If I don¡¯t return the favor tomorrow, I don¡¯t know when I¡¯ll be able to return it. Let¡¯s go together tomorrow after lunch,¡± Gu Ding decided happily.

 Chapter 222 - A New Wanted Notice

    <h4>Chapter 222: A New Wanted Notice</h4>

    The next morning, Gu Ding had just woken up and was about to go back to sleep when Neptune teased in his ear, ¡°Hey, don¡¯t sleep. There¡¯s good news.¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡± Gu Ding sat up, well aware that once Neptune started talking, he would not be able to sleep in because he would keep nagging until he got up.

    ¡°Thetest bounty just came out this morning. Guess how much your bounty is.¡± Neptune knew that Gu Ding, as an Interster Pirate, would be happy to hear that his bounty had increased.

    ¡°I¡¯m toozy to guess. Am I the only one with an increased bounty? What about the rest?¡± Gu Ding went into the bathroom barefoot and began to wash up.

    ¡°No, only your bounty has gone up. Lili and the rest remain unchanged. They haven¡¯t been involved in anything for a while, andst time on Jerr they were onlookers at best. Elsa and Tagore stood there and did nothing. Lili and the rest didn¡¯t even get off the spaceship. Their faces weren¡¯t visible on the surveince cameras.¡± Neptune exined.

    ¡°Alright, is there any news besides me?¡± Gu Ding asked.

    ¡°Yes, Kohld Blood attacked Scarlet Universe¡¯s realm lord the other day, causing him to die of his injuries. The realm lord was a Peak Rank-13 Gene Body powerhouse and is a 1-star monster with demigodbat effectiveness. Because of this, his bounty has skyrocketed to seven billion Universe Credits. He also has three other people on board with bounties of more than billion Universe Credits. Two of them are Peak Rank-13 powerhouses, and the other one is a demigod. This time, the bounty directly exceeds ten billion Universe Credits.

    Gu Ding paused for a while before asking, ¡°Did he mention why he attacked the realm lord?¡±

    ¡°It was revealed on Sk that the realm lord was a womanizer and had built a castle on an isted to hold the women he fancied. Pictures of the castle have all been dug up, but by the time they were found the castle was empty,¡± Neptune said and projected several photos.

    It was a lonely castle with no other buildings surrounding it. From a distance, there seemed to be only one building on the, with no port at all.

    Gu Ding looked up but made noment.

    ¡°This Kohld Blood guy really sees himself as aw enforcer. I took a look at some of his behavior from his debut until now. He¡¯s been fighting crime for most of his life. asionally, he¡¯ll get into a fight with the Army, but only when they initiated the fight. However, he did go a little too far this time. Realm lords are usually appointed directly by the Federal Government. If there is evidence that they havemitted a crime, you can report it, and basically, if there is a report, the realm lord will be suspended and investigated immediately. Through killing a realm lord, and you will be ssified as terrorists by the Federal Government. You will be seen as a member of the Dark Sectors¡¯.¡± Neptune brought up his opinions.

    ¡°He was a stubborn man, and it was clear that when he retired from the Army, he felt that the Army couldn¡¯t give him the justice he wanted. That¡¯s why he formed his own pirate crew and called them The Punishers because pirates do as they please with no regard for any rules. Besides, he¡¯s the captain, so he makes the rules.¡± Gu Ding could somehow understand Kohld Blood¡¯s psychological journey. He did notment further because, in his opinion, everyone¡¯s experience and life were bound to be different. Kohld Blood chose justice whereas he chose protection. There was no right or wrong in nature.

    After he finished washing up, Gu Ding was the first to reach the small living room. Biggie was busy in the kitchen.

    Not long after, everyone came out except Robert, and Biggie had just made breakfast.

    ¡°I will now announce the good news.¡± Neptune¡¯s voice rang and at the same time projected the bounty.

    ¡®Wanted Offender: Gu Ding¡¯

    ¡®Gender: Male¡¯

    ¡®Age: 15¡¯

    ¡®Gene Level: Unknown¡¯

    ¡®Highest Combat Strength: Rank-12¡¯

    ¡®Special Ability: Taboo Energy ¨C seal ability, able to seal away all ability of the enemy in an instant, ability limitations and conditions unknown¡¯

    ¡®Other Abilities: Possesses special Ultimate Arts that can enhance hisbat effectiveness by multiple times¡¯

    ¡®Bounty Price: 2.8 billion Universe Credits¡¯

    ¡®Latest Crime: Confronted a Hunter squad on Jerr, severely wounding eight people, including two captains.¡¯

    ¡®Official Assessment: A handsome and dangerous young man who possesses Taboo Energy!!!¡¯

    ¡°Wow, that¡¯s two billion!¡± Elsa yelled in admiration.

    ¡°I said no more than three billion, right?¡± Lilliath shrugged her shoulders.

    After breakfast, Gu Ding went back to his room and practiced refining medicine, while the others went about their own business.

    At noon, Neptune interrupted Gu Ding¡¯s medicine refining because he had an appointment with Rnd to go to the Old George tavern.

    They were about to go out for lunch when Neptune shouted, ¡°Let¡¯s wait for Robert, he has finished his initial modification.¡±

    While Neptune was speaking, a giant robot that was nearly five meters in height appeared in front of the crew.

    ¡°Robert?¡± They watched in disbelief as that small robot that was originally less than half a meter tall transformed into a giant suddenly.

    ¡°Hi, everybody, this is the best I can do. Any higher and I¡¯m going to hit the spaceship¡¯s ceiling.¡± Robert seemed to think it was still too small.

    ¡°I think it¡¯s cool!¡± Gu Ding had always been interested in mechanical things.

    ¡°I still think your previous look was cute.¡± Lilliath gave a different opinion.

    ¡°I feel strange...¡± Biggie, who was used to lowering his head to look at others, suddenly needed to look up.

    ¡°I finally see a guy bigger than my dad. Too bad he¡¯s not human, or I could have brought him back to show my dad.¡± Elsa¡¯s first reaction was different from everyone else.

    After getting off the spaceship and having lunch, they all went into the Old George tavern.

    The tavern had just opened for business. Old George was looking very cheerful, and he recognized Gu Ding. ¡°You¡¯re the boy who drank milca yesterday. Do you still want milca today?¡±

    ¡°Yes, old man!¡± Gu Ding grinned. He thought the owner might not recognize him, because business might be slow now, but at night the tavern was full, and it was hard to remember who ordered what.

    ¡°How about the others?¡± Old George looked at the bulky Biggie.

    ¡°Just give me a ss of absinthe.¡± Biggie rubbed the back of his head, hesitated a little, and ordered it.

    ¡°What a peculiar taste. This alcohol is not very popr among young people.¡± Old George smiled and looked at the others.

    Absinthe was a bitter alcoholic beverage that was usually ordered by people of a certain age to prevent them from overdrinking. As a matter of fact, after the bitter taste, it would gradually turn sweet. Some people experience life just like the wine, as their life was a process from bitter to sweet¨CYou will get what you want if you soldier through the tough times.

    Everyone except Robert ordered their own drinks, even Tagore, but he chose the same milca as Gu Ding.

    Soon after they started drinking, two people walked through the door. One of whom was a tall man with a scar on his face¨CIt was Rnd that Gu Ding had made an appointment to meet. Next to him was a woman with colorful hair, whom Gu Ding also recognized¨CShe was Carole whom he had met in Monster Paradise.

    ¡°What a crowd...¡± Rnd did not expect Gu Ding to invite the entire crew.

    Hearing this familiar voice, Tagore, who was bending over the counter and drinking milca, raised his head. When he saw Rnd with the scarred face, he jumped down and stood in front of Gu Ding. He arched his back, his fur stood up in a spike, and he growled at Rnd.

    ¡°Hello, talking kitten. We just met yesterday; don¡¯t you remember me?¡± Rnd said and pulled out the cat teaser.

    Gu Ding grabbed his cat teaser immediately and whispered in his ear, ¡°Don¡¯t provoke him with that. He hates all the things cats like, including cat teasers, string balls, and paper rolls...¡±

    ¡°No wonder... I wondered why he was so mad yesterday.¡± Rnd finally learned the reasoning behind the reaction. It was not the cat teaser¡¯s brand, but the fact that he did not like cat teasers at all.

    ¡°Gu Ding, do you know them?¡± Tagore asked, somewhat morosely.

    ¡°It was the uncle who bought me a drink yesterday,¡± Gu Ding exined. ¡°As for the beautifuldy, we met in Monster Paradise.¡±

    ¡°That guy with the scar on his face ambushed me yesterday,¡± Tagoreined to Gu Ding.

    ¡°Ambushed you?!¡± Gu Ding looked at Rnd in confusion.

    ¡°Don¡¯t make it sound so serious. I just kept you in my personal domain and forbid you from leaving.¡± Rnd¡¯s exnation did not make the matter clear at all. It only made Gu Ding more confused.

    ¡°Biggie, you remember my voice, right?¡± Carole walked over to Big.

    ¡°You¡¯re... the one who dragged me into the dream!¡± Biggie was stunned for a moment before quickly realizing.

    ¡°Yes, we were the delivery men for the wee gift. I was in charge of the gift, and uncle was in charge of security. That¡¯s why he trapped the kitten to prevent him from rming the rest of you and causing panic.¡± Carole exined.

    ¡°Can¡¯t you juste to us like normal and use that move on Biggie directly?¡± Gu Ding was also speechless.

    ¡°First of all, you wouldn¡¯t necessarily agree with us, because I think his mortality rate is extremely high, almost 99.9% after I use it. Secondly, if hees to you directly to exin the situation, he will not have enough psychological pressure, and he may feel the urge of quitting halfway if he encountered great difficulties. An attack puts enough pressure on him because he has a will to live.¡± Carole gave a more superficial exnation.

    Gu Ding finally understood what was going on.

    ¡®Who¡¯s Gu Ding?!¡± Just as everyone was enjoying their happy drinking party, a discordant sound rang at the door of the tavern.

 Chapter 223 - Biggieâ€™s Horrifying Combat Effectiveness

    <h4>Chapter 223: Biggie¡¯s Horrifying Combat Effectiveness</h4>

    A young man in his early twenties, dressed in fancy clothes, entered the tavern and shouted arrogantly, ¡°Who¡¯s Gu Ding?!¡±

    Gu Ding looked at the man, whose Gene Level did not seem very high.

    Gu Ding leaped off his barstool. ¡°I¡¯m Gu Ding. How can I help you?¡±

    ¡°I heard your bounty is set at 2.8 billion Universe Credits?¡± As the young man studied Gu Ding, he could not help thinking that the young man in front of him did not look like someone with a high bounty price.

    ¡°Hey, can¡¯t you go and see the bounty yourself?¡± Lilliath retorted.

    ¡°Who are you? I¡¯m talking to your captain; can you just butt in like that?¡± The young man seemed to look down on Lilliath and gave her a sideways nce.

    Lilliath dashed and appeared beside him in a sh. The muzzle of her sniper cannon was aimed at his head. ¡°The bullet in this gun is an armor-piercing bullet made of a special material, and with my special primary power, a Rank-12 Gene Body¡¯s head can burst instantly at such close range. Am I allowed to interrupt now?¡±

    ¡°You... You...¡± The young man was petrified. He had not expected the little girl, who looked the youngest, to be so fierce. However, he still seemed pretty confident. ¡°Do you know who I am?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. Status still matters even when you be a corpse¡± Lilliath smirked¨Cshe was clearly being sarcastic. In terms of status, few second-generation rich kids in the Cosmic Sea could match her.

    ¡°I... I... I¡¯m telling you, you... Your behavior is... is a death threat. I... I can sue you.¡± The man stopped ying the status card, he shifted over to thew.

    ¡°Are you still asleep or have you drunk too much? Come on, we¡¯re Interster Pirates and we¡¯re wanted offenders. If Federation Law had any power over us, we¡¯d be locked up for thousands of years already,¡± Lilliath lectured and patted his face.

    ¡°Alright, Lili, let him talk.¡± Gu Ding saw his arrogance subdued and wondered what he was here for.

    Lilliath withdrew her gun and sat down in her seat.

    ¡°Well, everybody...¡± The young man sounded distinctly polite. ¡°I¡¯m from the Childe family. Our young master admires Mr...Gu Ding very much. So, I¡¯d like to invite Mr. Gu Ding to his rites of passage and challenge him while he¡¯s there. Of course, he¡¯s still young, so he¡¯s verypetitive. He wants Mr. Gu Ding to challenge and let him win. He will pay Mr. Gu Ding handsomely afterward.¡±

    ¡°How handsome is thispensation?¡± Gu Ding asked with a smile rather than an immediate refusal.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know about that. I think you will be pleased, Mr. Gu Ding.¡± The young man replied with a smile.

    ¡°Why me? There must be a lot more people with bounties higher than me who¡¯re willing to do this, right?¡± Gu Ding asked a question that confused him slightly.

    ¡°All I know is that there are two main reasons. First, your age is the closest to our young master¡¯s age. The second reason is that the young master has an older sister who is very close to him and has just turned sixteen. She thinks highly of you and adores you.¡±

    ¡°An older sister that just turned sixteen? Then he¡¯s holding a sixteen-year old¡¯s rites of passage?¡± Gu Ding asked, somewhat incredulously.

    ¡°Master has twenty-three wives, so...¡± The young man exined in embarrassment.

    ¡°Oh, I see.¡± Gu Ding only understood when he heard this exnation.

    ¡°What do you think, Mr. Gu Ding?¡± The young man asked.

    ¡°Tell your young master that if he intends to fight fairly with me, I am very willing to ept the challenge. As for this situation, I can only say: Sorry, I¡¯m not interested!¡± Gu Ding rejected.

    ¡°In that case, I shall have to take Mr. Gu Ding away by force.¡± The young man said and whistled.

    Through the door came four men dressed as bodyguards¨Cthey were d in professional-looking ck suits and wore frightening shades. They stood behind the young man.

    ¡°It¡¯s the young master¡¯s orders. I can¡¯t help it. I¡¯m sorry!¡± The young man said and pointed his finger at Gu Ding. ¡°Take him away.¡±

    The four bodyguards immediately approached Gu Ding.

    Biggie picked up his saber, leaving a shallow mark on the ground. ¡°Whoever crosses that line, dies!¡±

    It was a simple statement, but there was something distinctive in his voice. The four bodyguards were stunned by Biggie¡¯s authoritative stance. Then they noticed that Biggie¡¯s Gene Level had not reached demigod level and that all four of them were Peak Rank-13 Gene Body powerhouses. Even if the guy who just spoke was a Rank-13 Gene Body, they had nothing to fear. Therefore, they chose to ignore Biggie¡¯s warning.

    They stomped past the line, and one of them stared at Biggie in defiance.

    However, the next moment, two of the men¡¯s necks began to spew a lot of blood, and their headspletely separated from their bodies.

    The scene stiffened the two men who were behind them, they had just raised their feet in mid-air. For a split second their heads went nk. Fortunately, however, neither of them stepped down but withdrew it immediately once they recovered.

    Biggie did this in a rather frightening way, and he deliberately used his saber this fast to intimidate his opponent. Only Rnd and Carole could see what Biggie had done just now. Even Lilliath, who was gifted at Pupiry Abilities, only saw a figure sh by. Elsa, who was of the same rank as Biggie, did not see Biggie¡¯s move. Gu Ding, of course, failed to capture Biggie¡¯s attack speed that outpaced demigods.

    However, it was not just Biggie¡¯s move that intimidated his opponents. Even his people looked a little stunned.

    ¡°Do you still want to take me away?¡± Gu Ding could not help but grin at his opponents¡¯ goofy expression.

    The fancily dressed young man gulped in fear. He had no idea that there was such a terrifying character in Gu Ding¡¯s crew. Of course, he had not researched Gu Ding¡¯s crew before he came. He had only nced at Gu Ding¡¯s bounty with an unending trail of zeros beneath it. Other than that, he knew nothing about Gu Ding and had not even seen a single video of their fights.

    He was used to being arrogant because in Faye Cosmic Nation, not many people dared oppose the Childe family. Every time he mentioned the Childe family name on his mission, things will go smoothly.

    However, this time as soon as he walked in the door, he was met with a pushy little girl with a gun. She aimed the gun at his head and did not give him a chance to speak. Then Gu Ding rejected the deal outright. He tried to take Gu Ding away by force, but the two men he borrowed were stealthily taken out by another big guy. It was also his first encounter with Interster Pirates, and, unbeknownst to Gu Ding, it dealt the young man a huge emotional wound for the days toe.

    ¡°No... Not anymore...¡± The fancily dressed young man waved his hand, and now he did not doubt that Gu Ding¡¯s crew would dare to touch him.

    ¡°You may go once the ground is clean.¡± Gu Ding pointed to the ground where the two bodies were at.

    ¡°I... I understand.¡± The fancily dressed young man quickly nodded, beckoning the other two bodyguards to drag the bodies out.

    ¡°Give him the mop, old man!¡± Gu Ding turned and smiled apologetically at old George.

    Old George went to the bathroom to fetch the mop and handed it to the young man.

    Although the young man was somewhat embarrassed, he still took the mop to clean the blood on the ground. He cleaned it with great care, for he did not want to be killed as a result of not doing a good job.

    After more than ten minutes, the young man finally cleaned the ground thoroughly. He even washed the mop clean.

    ¡°You may go.¡± Gu Ding finally granted them a pardon.

    The three men breathed a sigh of relief at this and left the Old George tavern quickly.

    ¡°The Childe family is a first-ss conglomerate in the Cosmic Sea. You killed their men, Gu Ding. I¡¯m afraid they won¡¯t let you off the hook so easily,¡± Rnd reminded.

    ¡°Well, what¡¯s done is done. You could have just kept your mouth shut so that no one could inform them. By the time the Childe family finds out, no one will know where you¡¯ve gone. Now, that pretty boy must have reported it to the Childe family.¡± Carole chimed in with her opinion.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s necessary.¡± Gu Ding shook his head.

    Outside the tavern, Tricke, who had just escaped, dialed a number.

    ¡°How are things going with what I asked you to do?¡± A young teenager¡¯s voice rang across themunicator.

    ¡°Young master, the man around Gu Ding was so ruthless that he killed two of our Rank-13 powerhouses in one move.¡± Tricke was still trembling slightly, apparently still recovering from the shock.

    ¡°Send me the footage!¡± There was something unmistakable in his boyish tone.

    Tricke immediately sent the video he had taken secretly to the teenager.

    The other end of themunicator was momentarily silent. After a while, the boy finally spoke again, ¡°It looks like they have a pretty powerful crew. Nevertheless, whoever kills our people must pay the price. If they can fight like this, spread word about their presence on Probrand. I¡¯m sure the Army, Dark Sectors, and other Interster Pirates will be interested.¡±

    ¡°That won¡¯t do much good, will it? They won¡¯t stay very long on Probrand. Aren¡¯t they going to end up empty-handed?¡± Tricke raised his concerns.

    ¡°Someone will find Gu Ding¡¯s crew¡¯s route. Just do as I say.¡± The teenager finished and hung up the call.

 Chapter 224 - Grand Duke Roland Joins Gu Dingâ€™s Crew!?â€

    <h4>Chapter 224: ¡°Grand Duke Rnd Joins Gu Ding¡¯s Crew!?¡±</h4>

    Although Tricke was proud, defiant, and incredibly weak, one thing people had to admit was that he was a capable man. He did most of the tasks assigned to him by the Childe family very well. In many cases, he even exceeded the expectations of his superiors. That was why he was promoted to head of the Childe family¡¯s Probrand Division in his early twenties.

    After all, the Probrand Division was not only in charge of business on this but was also in charge of the entire Matte Sector and over twenty star sectors surrounding Matte Sector.

    This was also one of Childe family¡¯s management approaches. Only one division was set up for about ten to twenty star sectors, which undoubtedly saved a lot of costspared with other families who had set up one division for each star sector.

    Because of this, Tricke also had his own socialwork. Through his status at Childe family, he had close contacts with many of the elites and even leaders of various local industries. There were also a fewpanies that processedwork information, and a few that worked in media.

    After getting the young master¡¯s instructions, he first dialed the contact numbers of several friends who worked in the media.

    ¡°Anderson, I haven¡¯t heard from you for a long time. How have you been?¡± Tricke greeted. Anderson was the most famous news writer in the neighboring star sectors.

    ¡°How can you, a busy man, have time to contact me, Tricke? Could it be that something has gone wrong and you want me to help you?¡± Anderson and Tricke were not really friends. They just had a deal that profited them both in the past.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s just that I had some news to sell, and I thought of you immediately,¡± Tricke said with great persuasion.

    ¡°News of what? Is it some inside news regarding the Childe family?¡± Anderson heard and was immediately interested.

    ¡°Did you see thetest bounty updates this morning?¡± Tricke said, hanging his appetite.

    ¡°Yes, but apart from the neer Gu Ding and Kohld Blood, the others don¡¯t have enough buzz surrounding them for me to write about.¡± Anderson, as a media professional, naturally followed news about these Interster Pirates daily, but in this new batch of bounties, only Gu Ding and Kohld Blood were much more popr and worth writing about.

    ¡°Well, I must say, you¡¯re in luck because the information I¡¯m going to sell is rted to Gu Ding.¡± Trickeughed.

    ¡°Gu Ding¡¯s crew is on Probrand now?¡± Anderson reacted immediately after hearing Tricke¡¯s statement.

    ¡°Yes, and I have much more to tell. For example, one of Gu Ding¡¯s crew members hasbat effectivenessparable to a demigod... and I have the footage.¡± Tricke drawled.

    ¡°We want exclusivity on this news. Don¡¯t upload your video to Sk yet. Don¡¯t contact any other media or newspany. Two hundred thousand Universe Credits. I don¡¯t think any otherpany will pay more than this.¡± Anderson made the offer on the spot. He was not only a writer, but also a shareholder of thepany, so in a way, he had the right to make a bid.

    ¡°Two hundred thousand...¡± Tricke was a little hesitant. Although he was a manager in the Childe family and made just over three hundred thousand Universe Credits a year, he thought the information would sell for about one hundred thousand, but Anderson¡¯s offer far exceeded his expectations. The businessman instinct made him aware that he could earn more because he immediately quoted a price of two hundred thousand, which suggested that two hundred thousand was not the lowest price they could offer and that he still had room to raise the price.

    Anderson was not a businessman. He made his fortune as a media professional. He became a shareholder in thepany afterward but did not participate in operations because he was not qualified enough. Therefore, he chose to continue working as a media professional, and he preferred his identity as a media professional. Therefore, instead of waiting for Tricke to offer, he proposed what he thought was the right price.

    ¡°To be honest, two hundred thousand was not the price I expected...¡± Tricke drawled again.

    ¡°Two hundred thousand is quite a lot, Tricke. Your annual sry, not including bonuses, is probably around three hundred and sixty thousand. This piece of news can¡¯t be worth more than half a year¡¯s sry.¡± Anderson knew a lot about Tricke too.

    ¡°The value of this information has little to do with my sry. If someone is making one hundred million a year, would your offer go up to fifty million?¡± Trickeughed.

    ¡°How about this? You encrypt the video and project it remotely. I¡¯ll take a look at the video first and re-offer.¡± Anderson had a better idea.

    Remote projection allowed Anderson to see the video projection in front of Tricke, but the projection was encrypted and could not be recorded. Therefore, Tricke did not have to worry about Anderson secretly recording and not paying for the video.

    ¡°Alright.¡± Tricke agreed and immediately invited Anderson to watch the remote encrypted projection.

    The video projection was yed in front of Anderson.

    Gu Ding¡¯s crew was in a tavern, and everyone seemed to be there. What concerned Anderson was that other than Gu Ding and the tavern owner, there was also a man, a woman and a robot in the video. The three unfamiliar figures did not belong to Gu Ding¡¯s pirate crew.

    What took Anderson by surprise the most was that the man with the scarred face was the person closest to being a god, Rnd. Rnd sat next to Gu Ding. He rested his elbow on Gu Ding¡¯s shoulder several times. It was clear that the two were close.

    Tricke was not a media person, and Rnd had kept a low profile in recent years. He had heard of his name but did not know that the man with a scarred face was Rnd. Otherwise, he would have asked for a higher price.

    Soon, the video showed Biggie cutting off the heads of the two Rank-13 martial art practitioners with one strike. Anderson was stunned to see this scene.

    As the video was recorded on Tricke¡¯s wristwatch, it was recorded from his point of view, and he was not shown in the video. Moreover, he deliberately blocked out the sound to avoid the video being linked to the Childe family and himself.

    However, the media did not matter whether the video had sound or not, having images were enough. The scene in the image was indeed horrifying¨CTwo Peak Rank-13 powerhouses were killed in seconds. More importantly, Rnd, who had been given the title Grand Duke by the Federal Government, was in the same tavern as Gu Ding, and they seemed to be on good terms.

    ¡°Well? Three hundred thousand is not that expensive, is it?¡± When Tricke heard nothing for some time, he guessed that he was horrified by the scene.

    ¡°Alright, three hundred thousand then. Send me this video and delete your copy. I don¡¯t want you to post it anywhere.¡± Anderson agreed to the price because the video revealed so much information he could exploit.

    ¡°I know,¡± Tricke said, smirking. To his surprise, Gu Ding had helped him earn nearly a year¡¯s sry. ¡°I¡¯ll send you the video as soon as I receive the money. How you choose to write the story is up to you, but don¡¯t involve me or the Childe family. The source of the video must be kept secret.¡±

    ¡°I understand!¡± Anderson agreed immediately. ¡°I¡¯ll ask finance to arrange the transfer immediately. You can send the video directly to my work email. You know the email address.¡±

    In less than ten minutes, the two men had closed the deal.

    As he looked at the money he just received, Tricke smirked. ¡°Today¡¯s not all bad, I suppose. Young master gave such a good idea.¡±

    Gu Ding¡¯s presence on Probrand was reported half an hourter by a media outlet, which, instead of the usual rumors, it had a real video. The editors of that media outlet even analyzed and exined the entire video.

    The identity of the robot and the color-haired woman was yed down in thementary. Even the incident where Biggie killed Rank-13 Gene Bodies was yed down. Instead, it was the fact that Rnd and Gu Ding were drinking together that was widely publicized.

    This was indeed a good stunt; Grand Duke Rnd was like a god in the heart of countless swordsmen in Faye Cosmic Nation. He was also a powerhouse respected by numerous martial arts practitioners.

    The headline read: ¡°Grand Duke Rnd joins Gu Ding¡¯s crew!?¡±

    In less than twenty minutes, the article garnered hundreds of millions of views. Its content and video were also forwarded by countless people, and the number of people who gave thumbs up was endless.

    Of course, some of Rnd¡¯s diehard fans saw this as an insult to his reputation, but when they saw the video of Rnd and Gu Ding getting along, they did not turn their anger on Gu Ding. Instead, theyshed out at the writer.

    For Gu Ding¡¯s fans, they had been hitting the like button all along. One even supported by saying, ¡°Good Gu Ding, get the Grand Duke first! Then, take the Lord!¡± In less than an hour, his supportivemented was liked by millions of people.

    Tricke, who read the article, got a little morose, ¡°That scar-face turned out to be Lord Rnd... Why didn¡¯t I recognize him? I could have gotten millions of Universe Credits for this video!¡±

    Inside a pce, a tall woman in a ck dress and another woman in a purple dress were also watching the video.

    ¡°When did Rnd get on so well with Gu Ding?¡± Midea, who was dressed in ck, had a puzzled expression on her face. ¡°ording to the information we have, he and Gu Ding did not know each other before they met on Probrand.¡±

    ¡°They probably shared the same behavior. ¡± Elizabeth was not surprised at all. ¡°It¡¯s not like you¡¯ve never met Rnd, two headstrong fellows getting together, it¡¯ll be strange if they didn¡¯t get along.¡±

    ¡°Miss, do you think Rnd will join Gu Ding¡¯s crew?¡± Midea frowned slightly¨CThe article made her a little worried.

    ¡°No, to Rnd, bing a god is his priority. No matter how close he is to Gu Ding, he wouldn¡¯t let abandon his journey. Then again, it¡¯s hard to say after he became a god...¡± Elizabeth had her own take on the situation.

 Chapter 225 - The Kidnapped Lilliath

    <h4>Chapter 225: The Kidnapped Lilliath</h4>

    Probrand, Old George tavern.

    Even after what just happened, their drinking party went on. It did not end because of the interruption.

    Neptune was aware of the article once the media posted it.

    ¡°Gu Ding, the guy you just let go recorded us in secret and sent it to the media. Now that the media has published it and the video has revealed our location, should I block it?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. Exposing ourselves isn¡¯t that bad. Biggie¡¯s bounty price is seriously underwhelming for his level ofbat effectiveness. Not only Biggie but the rest of the crew. A few small battles will help them raise their bounty price.¡± Gu Ding actually enjoyed being hunted because the pressure made the journey feel more real. Entering the Cosmic Sea without encountering any enemies was not what he wanted.

    News of Gu Ding¡¯s crew¡¯s appearance on Probrand soon spread because of the media¡¯s article and video.

    Although Tricke told Anderson that the two people Biggie beheaded were Peak Rank-13 Gene Body powerhouses, Anderson mentioned nothing about their strength in the article. Outsiders could not make the correct judgment from the video because the two of them did not even attack.

    Therefore, anyone who saw the video was more concerned about Rnd¡¯s presence in the video. Some even set their eyes on Carole and Robert to figure out how they rte to Gu Ding¡¯s crew.

    In the tavern, the party went on and more people started to join.

    Some were locals who hade out to have fun this afternoon, others deliberately turned up after seeing the news about Gu Ding¡¯s crew. This included the media, Interster Hunters, Army officers in in clothes, and other Interster Pirates. Old George tavern was as lively as it had ever been.

    Elsa had already drunk herself out and fell asleep on the bar. She maintained the Viking¡¯s habit of drinking alcohol that was on the slightly stronger side. Biggie drank absinthe, but the alcohol was not strong enough to have any effect on him. As for the two milca drinkers¨CGu Ding and Tagore, they were perfectly sane. Robert just sat there analyzing the chemicals in the drinks. Lilliath¡¯s drink was not very strong either, but she had drunk a lot, so she was tipsy, staggering toward the washroom.

    Gu Ding took a look at Elsa who was asleep but did not wake her up to follow Lilliath.

    As soon as she pushed open the door to the washroom, Lilliath saw a tall man standing in the doorway, his eyes fixed on her.

    ¡°Sorry, I must¡¯ve gone into the wrong room.¡± Lilliath thought she had strayed into the men¡¯s room and was turning to leave when she heard the man say.

    ¡°No, you didn¡¯t. I¡¯ve been waiting for you.¡±

    Lilliath, who was still drunk, turned and stared at him for some time. His face seemed familiar; she could not remember where she had seen him before. ¡°Do I know you?¡±

    ¡°Of course you don¡¯t.¡± The man said, and with a strike of his hand on the back of Lilliath¡¯s neck, Lilliath copsed instantly. The man lifted her onto his shoulders, and immediately after, there was a ck tear in space that appeared in front of him. As he stepped into it, the gap closed itself immediately, leaving no trace.

    Lilliath woke up to find herself chained with magic dampening chains to a chair in a dark warehouse. She immediately woke up although she was previously a little dazed.

    ¡°You¡¯re awake.¡± A man¡¯s voice came from a short distance away.

    Lilliath looked up, vaguely remembering that it was the man she had just met in the washroom. ¡°It turns out that you¡¯re from Dark Sectors. You even dared wear Dark Sectors¡¯ clothes to carry out your mission. Are you afraid of being chased and killed?¡±

    ¡°Sorry, you guessed wrong.¡± The man took a few steps forward, and because of the lighting in the warehouse, Lilliath finally saw his face clearly. He was an ordinary-looking, middle-aged man with ck-rimmed sses. He was tall, his body was slightly incongruous and looked in every way an honest man.

    ¡°I¡¯m not from Dark Sectors. Dark Sectors works in teams of at least two, don¡¯t you know? Besides, with the arrogance of their organization, they would never take their costumey robes off. Their members are so eager to be recognized wherever they go that they don¡¯t even know the word ¡®low-key¡¯. This is theplete opposite of my character. How am I from Dark Sectors?¡± The middle-aged man shook his head.

    ¡°If you¡¯re not from Dark Sectors and still kidnapped and brought me here. The only exnation is that you are a sex maniac. I warn you though, if you do anything to me, you will die a miserable death.¡± Lilliath¡¯s eyes shed a ruthless look.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not interested in a t-chested person like you, who¡¯s not even 1.4 meters tall.¡± The middle-aged man¡¯s statement made Lilliath¡¯s mouth twitched a little. She hated it when peoplemented on her chest, and the guy not onlymented on her chest but also on her height, which was a little hard for her to tolerate.

    However, she forbore it for the time being. ¡°Then stop talking nonsense. What exactly is your purpose? Just say it.¡±

    ¡°Hold on, I need to make a call to know what I must do next,¡± The middle-aged man said and dialed a number. ¡°I got her. Will you send someone over to pick her up now, or shall I deliver her to you? I told you earlier that the price will not be the same.¡±

    ¡°Let me see a picture of her first.¡± A teenager¡¯s voice came across themunicator.

    The middle-aged man pointed his wristwatch at Lilliath. ¡°Here, smile!¡±

    Lilliath turned her face away.

    The middle-aged man turned to the left to get a profile shot, but Lilliath turned her face to the right again.

    Then, the middle-aged man turned back to the right, but Lilliath once again turned her head back to the left, leaving him with a view of the back of her head.

    ¡°Hey, give me some face. I just want a profile shot of your face.¡± The middle-aged man said somewhat helplessly as he did not want to force her.

    Lilliath rolled her eyes at him, which he caught on camera and sent to the teenager on the other side of themunicator.

    ¡°Why does she look a little different?¡± The teenager on the other side of themunicator asked uncertainly. ¡°You did not kidnap the wrong person, did you?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s her. She just kept twisting around to prevent me from taking a profile shot. She just happened to roll her eyes at me when I finally caught it.¡± The middle-aged man was also a little speechless. ¡°I did not get it wrong; you can rest assured.¡±

    ¡°Alright then, is your ce safe? Gu Ding and his crew won¡¯t find her earlier than expected, right?¡± The teenager asked.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s not the first time I¡¯ve done something like this. I¡¯ve seen Gu Ding and his crew¡¯s profile. Other than Gu Ding himself being a hacker, the rest don¡¯t have detection abilities, at least none of them have demonstrated them so far. My ability is teleportation, and now we¡¯re more than twenty kilometers away from the tavern. They can¡¯t possibly find this location. Besides, the warehouse I chose has an electromaic shielding effect and there is no monitoring equipment nearby.¡± The middle-aged man seemed to be well prepared.

    ¡°Alright then, I¡¯ll send someone over to take over this matter. Send me the address. I¡¯ll give him your number too. He¡¯ll call you once he arrives. He should be there in half an hour. Just wait a little longer.¡± ¡°The teenager said and hung up the call.

    On the other side, Tricke¡¯smunicator rang suddenly. He looked at the number and immediately answered, ¡°What¡¯s up, young master?¡±

    ¡°Go to unloading warehouse number three at the port and find warehouse number 009527. Pick up Lilliath from someone and arrange a ship to bring her to me as soon as possible.¡± There was something unmistakable in the teenager¡¯s voice. ¡°Take a few more men with you and get rid of that delivery-man.¡±

    ¡°Alright!¡± Tricke did not ask too many questions, such as how and why Lilliath from Gu Ding¡¯s crew was caught. He knew he just needed to carry out the mission. That was why some of the Childe family¡¯s top management preferred to deal with him after working with him before.

    At Old George tavern, the party was still ongoing.

    ¡°Gu Ding, Lili¡¯s been in the washroom for half an hour. I¡¯ll see what¡¯s going on,¡± Neptune said. The washroom, which was excluded previously, was included in his detection range, and he spotted the problem instantly. ¡°Lili¡¯s gone!¡±

    ¡°What?!¡± Gu Ding frowned.

    ¡°As the washroom is a private area, I purposely avoided these two areas in my detection range. However, I had ess to all areas other than the washroom. I could tell if someone was going in or out of the washroom, let alone if they jumped out of the window, but I still can¡¯t find Lili.¡±

    ¡°Maybe she had too much to drink and went into the wrong washroom? Look in the men¡¯s room,¡± Gu Ding reminded.

    Neptune checked again. ¡°Still no.¡±

    ¡°Check the video from half an hour ago to see if any suspicious people appeared.¡± Gu Ding spected that there was a more than 90% chance that Lilliath had been abducted. How they managed to avoid Neptune¡¯s detection was a little weird.

    Neptune immediately rummaged through any surrounding surveince records he could get his hands on.

    ¡°Seven people left the pub after Lili went into the washroom. Six of them were seen walking out the entrance and leaving alone. There was one who, like Lili, disappeared without warning.¡± He said and projected a photo of a tall, ordinary-looking middle-aged man with ck-rimmed sses, who looked like an honest man.

    ¡®Find him!¡± Gu Ding¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly, and his instructions were brief and firm.

 Chapter 226 - The Rescue Plan

    <h4>Chapter 226: The Rescue n</h4>

    It took less than a few minutes for Neptune to collect vast amounts of information on that middle-aged man.

    ¡°This man is called Bregen. He¡¯s a well-known thief whoserceny skills are rated top-three within Faye Cosmic Nation. He was arrested once more than three hundred years ago and was given a sentence of three hundred years in prison. He was first imprisoned at Leoben Prison andter Nebiro Prison for a total of two hundred and thirty years; he was released early for good behavior.¡±

    ¡°After getting out of prison, he stopped stealing and selling valuables for money. Instead, he started to steal for others and earn his keep throughmissions. He steals a variety of items, including precious stones, art, scientific discoveries, and even people. Moreover, he has a special ability, which is space leap.¡±

    ¡°No wonder he was able to kidnap Liliath without you knowing,¡± Gu Ding suddenly realized this when informed about this ability.

    ¡°His spaceship is still docked at the harbor. I¡¯ve already shut down all systems within his spaceship. Even if he was able to space leap through the hatch door on which I¡¯ve changed the password and get into the cabin, he won¡¯t be able to start the spaceship,¡± This was the first form of action taken by Neptune upon finding Bregen¡¯s ship.

    ¡°Did you manage to locate him?¡± This was the question Gu Ding was most concerned about.

    ¡°Lili¡¯s intelligent wristwatch has been blocked off, so I can¡¯t detect her location through the wristwatch. I¡¯ve also checked every location on the with surveince. There¡¯s no sign of Bregen and Lili at all. I¡¯ve also done immediate troubleshooting within the radius of one hundred kilometers for my probing and found that there are three spots with unique shielding which disturbs my efforts at direct probing. We can take a look at those three spots, but we should not eliminate the fact that he might have used his space leap to take Lili somewhere further,¡± Neptune was still unable to pinpoint Bregen¡¯s location.

    Gu Ding quickly made his decision. ¡°Send the map to us and we¡¯ll head to those three spots first. Neptune, can you next try to get all surveince of Bregen from the moment he stepped foot on this. It would be best if there were videos of him, so we can find out who he has been in contact with and the contents of his conversations.¡±

    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll conduct a search now and get back to you with the results,¡± Neptune immediately started to look into all surveince records.

    Gu Ding lifted his drinking ss to give Rnd a toast. ¡°Uncle, I have ast-minute emergency to sort out and need to leave. Let¡¯s keep in touch.

    ¡°Okay. You should go ahead with your business. It¡¯s about time we left as well,¡± Rnd looked at Carole, who was next to him.

    ¡°Won¡¯t you be giving me yourmunicator¡¯s number?¡± Carole said with an unhappy expression on her face.

    ¡°I¡¯ve sent it to your email,¡± Neptune had sent her themunicator¡¯s number the moment Gu Ding said this.

    ¡°Let¡¯s get together again the next time we are free.¡±

    After saying goodbye to Rnd and Carole, Gu Ding finished the milca in his ss with a gulp and turned toward Biggie and the others.

    ¡°Someone took Liliath,¡± Biggie and the others immediately turned to him when Gu Ding said this.

    ¡°There are three suspicious locations within the radius of a hundred kilometers. We¡¯ll split up into three teams to investigate them. I just emailed the map to all of you. Biggie, you¡¯re the fastest. You¡¯ll head in the direction of that 7-star hotel. Robert, you head to the unfinished building that¡¯s fifteen kilometers from here. I¡¯ll check out the warehouse at the harbor. As for Tagore, stay here and look after Elsa.¡±

    The three of them left the tavern immediately after the instructions were given out, and they split up into different directions, each heading to their assigned destination.

    Not long after leaving the tavern, Neptune provided some information that was of some use. ¡°Bregen had in factnded on this only earlier today and was around for less than a few hours. The first thing he did was head to the information counter of harbor services after getting off his spaceship. I read his lips and he was asking about where to rent a warehouse for a short period. He next headed to the warehouse storage and got someone to take him for a tour of the inside. However, he did not use his real name when renting the warehouse. He used the pseudonym Frank. The warehouse rental number is the same warehouse number as the one I gave you. Although, for some reason, there¡¯s an effect of a natural shield over that warehouse. There is a 90% chance that Lili might be locked up in there.¡±

    ¡°Does that Bregen have any creepy habits?¡± Gu Ding was a little worried as Liliath had been missing for close to half an hour.

    ¡°Besides being addicted to stealing, there are no weird habits that stand out,¡± Neptune was slightly taken aback by Gu Ding¡¯s question, which prompted it to recheck Bregen¡¯s information before answering.

    ¡°Does he have a fetish for young girls?¡± This was the question Gu Ding really wanted to ask and, in the end, decided to voice it out.

    ¡°Nope. He was hitting on mature women with voluptuous bosoms back in the tavern. His gaze was hardly on any woman under the age of thirty, besides Lili. Moreover, photos of him with other women consist only of mature women. Judging by the information I¡¯ve collected and his actions in the tavern, he does not seem interested in someone like Lili. That is why I deduce that he must have taken Lili as part of a job assigned to him by someone,¡± Neptune understood why Gu Ding asked the question.

    However, the words did not stop Gu Ding from worrying. Gu Ding frowned slightly. ¡°Could it be those guys from the Dark Sectors again?¡±

    ¡°Bregen is not a member of the Dark Sectors,¡± Neptune reassured.

    ¡°Could it be possible that the Dark Sectors had hired him to help out?¡± Gu Ding suggested the possibility.

    Neptune went silent for a while before giving a definite reply, ¡°The possibility of this isn¡¯t high. Those from the Dark Sectors are people who prefer to do things their way. They are also an extremely arrogant bunch, which makes it impossible for them to hire someone to help out with a mission. The most important factor is that if they hired someone and ended up being found out by the other members, they would be a joke.¡±

    ¡°Who else could it be if it isn¡¯t the Dark Sectors? Does Lili have other enemies?¡± Gu Ding frowned further. This was not an unlikely possibility. Lili¡¯s family was one of the richest families within the Cosmic Sea, which was the Harris family. Such an influential family as hers would naturally make many enemies.

    Tricke and his men had reached the warehouse in their vehicles while Gu Ding was still on his way. They found their way to the correct warehouse number very quickly.

    Tricke called Bregen¡¯s number from outside the warehouse. The number was sent to him via a short message from the little young master of the Childe family.

    Bregen had also heard the noisy footsteps outside. He immediately picked up the phone when he saw a strange number calling.

    ¡°Is this Bregen? I¡¯m Tricke from the Childe family. I¡¯ve been sent here by the little young master to make the exchange. We¡¯re outside the warehouse right now. Open the door!¡± Tricke hung up immediately after.

    He turned toward the two Rank 13 Gene Body behind him and said, ¡°Let me confirm that he has the person we want. Once I confirm this, I¡¯ll wink at both of you to take immediate action.¡±

    ¡°Understood!¡± Both men nodded.

    Bregen walked to the door and unlocked it. He pushed it open halfway to survey the surroundings. When he saw there was only Tricke and two others with nothing that seemed out of the blue, he nodded and let three of them into the warehouse.

    When Tricke walked into the warehouse, Liliath immediately recognized him. ¡°It¡¯s you?! How shameless of you to do this.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re finally in my hands, you little wench,¡± Tricke had also immediately recognized Liliath the moment he set eyes on her. He could never forget that violent little Lolita who had pointed a gun to his head. He still felt some fear when he saw Liliath because any member of Gu Ding¡¯s crew would remind him of how Biggie had ughtered two Rank 13 Gene Body powerhouses with one sh of the sword. He forced himself to calm down, but it was obvious that the smile on his face was forced.

    ¡°Is that so? It looks like Biggie hasn¡¯t given you enough lessons,¡± Liliath saw through his tough exterior. It was clear that the two Rank 13 Gene Body powerhouses behind him looked ufortable with her sarcasm as well.

    ¡°He may have strong abilities, but it would be impossible for him to find his way here in such a short time. They might not even have realized you went missing,¡± Bregen had watched the video previously. Even though he was unable to tell the true power of the two people killed by Biggie, but from the speed of his sword, he knew that Biggie was at least at the demigod level in terms ofbat effectiveness. He was not willing to face such a strong opponent and was aware that if he were to go face-to-face with Biggie, there would be no chance of victory for him at all. However, Tricke was never one to choose the path of battle. His gene level may be that of a Rank 13 Gene Body, but his truebat effectiveness was considered subpar.

    What Tricke did not know, was that Gu Ding was now outside the warehouse.

    ¡°Warehouse number 009527, it¡¯s this one!¡± Neptune immediately shouted.

    Gu Ding did not act brashly. Instead, he hid behind another warehouse and took out two mechanical insects from his inventory, releasing them into the air.

    Under the control of Neptune, the two mechanical insects flew into the warehouse house via the half-opened window. Soon, Gu Ding was able to view the situation within the warehouse through video projection.

    In the video, he could see Liliath tied to the chair with anti-magic chains. Besides Liliath, her kidnapper, Bregen was also there. There was also Tricke and two other bodyguards from the Childe family, whom he had met previously in the tavern.

    ¡°Neptune, get Biggie and Robert toe here as soon as possible,¡± Gu Ding knew he needed backup when he saw the few people in the video. There were three Rank 13 Gene Body powerhouses made up of the two bodyguards and Bregen, who had the ability to space leap. Gu Ding¡¯s currentbat effectiveness could barely hold back one Rank 13 Gene Body. With three of them, there was hardly any chance of him winning. However, he was not worried about losing. Rather, he was more worried about Bregen grabbing Liliath and heading to somewhere further at the first sign of trouble. This was why the first thing everyone needed to do was take down Bregen. With his crew members¡¯ currentbat effectiveness, Biggie seemed to be the only one capable enough to do so.

    Just as Neptune was informing Biggie and Robert about this, the situation within the warehouse suddenly changed...

 Chapter 227 - A Troublesome And Formidable Enemy

    <h4>Chapter 227: A Troublesome And Formidable Enemy</h4>

    Everything that had happened in the warehouse was projected onto the screen in front of Gu Ding with the help of the spying mechanical insects.

    ¡°Bregen, release her from the chair and give me the keys to the anti-magic chains, and this would mark thepletion of our trade. It will also mean the end of the deal between you and our little young master,¡± Tricke walked behind Liliath and looked at the anti-magic chains locking her up at the back.

    Bregen suddenly shouted out for things to give pause. ¡°Wait a minute. I¡¯ve only received 20% of the deposit for this job so far. How is your little young master nning to make full payment for the remaining fees? Don¡¯t you need to inform him that the trade is done, and he needs to pay up?¡±

    Tricke sneered. ¡°What is this? Do you think the Childe family can¡¯t afford to pay you?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t say that. I just want you to hurry up and pay me in full. Besides, having money and willingness to pay are two different things,¡± Bregen was not happy about Tricke¡¯s attitude.

    ¡°Are you saying that the Childe family is not willing to pay you?¡± Tricke continued sneering.

    ¡°This is a deal made between me and your little young master. There is no need for me to waste any time talking to you. If you aren¡¯t willing to give him a call, I¡¯ll do it,¡± Bregen said as he lowered his head to search for the number of that little young master from the Childe family.

    It was at this moment that Tricke gave a look to the two men behind him.

    They moved quickly after receiving the signal from Tricke and made an immediate assault. They came in from the left and the right, forming an attack that would lethally wound Bregen at the throat and heart.

    Both attacks came at Bregen akin to that of an arrow leaving the quiver, fast and furious. They were clearly looking to kill.

    Bregen might not be well-versed atbat, but he was quite an expert at escaping, and it helped that he had a heightened sense when it came to detecting intent to kill. At the exact moment, those bodyguards went for the kill. Bregen had immediately noticed it and burst away backward at amazing speed without even lifting his head.

    ¡°It looks like you have made a clear stand on this. That little young master from the Childe family had never nned to pay in full,¡± Bregen continued looking calm and collected.

    ¡°That¡¯s right because dead people do not need payment,¡± Tricke nodded arrogantly.

    ¡°Do you think you can stop me with just these two? Mybat effectiveness may be so-so, but don¡¯t you forget this: If I can kidnap thisdy for you, I can steal and send her back the same way,¡± Bregen might be saying this out loud, but he knew things were taking a downturn because his space leap ability can only be used three times a day. He had used his ability to space leap into the female washroom in order to capture Liliath. Next, he used the ability again to get them to the warehouse. This meant that he had onest chance to space leap, however, he was not willing to leave just like that.

    ¡°Our young master has taken precautionary measures for your ability to space leap. I believe you should recognize this?¡± Tricke said as he took out a translucent ball the size of a palm from his inventory.

    ¡°A Space Restricting Ball?!¡± Bregen shouted out in shock. He had never expected them to prepare this just to stop him.

    A Space Restricting Ball was a special product manufactured with advanced technology. It was used to create a disturbance in the connective stability between space and other dimensions. This product was first invented to better research the instability of space, but it waster used as a weapon against those with space ability.

    ¡°That¡¯s right. We used the Space Restrictive Ball to lock down the space within a radius of five kilometers when we stepped out of the car. Even if you manage to escape from the warehouse, you won¡¯t be able to use your space leap ability,¡± Tricke said this with a cold smile on his face. He had clearly nned everything well.

    Bregen frowned. It was not that he was unable to use his ability after the Space Restrictive Ball had locked down nearby space. Rather, it would create serious disturbances when he used his ability. It would make it difficult for him to pinpoint the space he wanted to be and there was a high chance that he would be entwined within the space current.

    ¡°Kill him!¡± Tricke did not n to continue wasting his breath and waved at both the bodyguards to take action.

    At that moment, one of the mechanical insectsnded on Liliath¡¯s anti-magic chains. Under Neptune¡¯s control, the chains were quietly unlocked. When Liliath realized her hands were free, she immediately knew that Gu Ding had found her. A faint smile appeared on her face as she sat patiently where she was and waited.

    No one had noticed what happened.

    Gu Ding felt slightly less worried after seeing Lili released from the chains. He prepared to make a move.

    The three men were having a furious battle in the warehouse. The fight had proven that Bregen was not only equipped with the ability to space leap, but his skills and speed were pretty up to par.

    He evaded attacks continuously as both men¡¯s attacksnded on the walls, floors, and ceiling of the warehouse. The building suffered the full brunt of the hits with none of them even scathing him.

    This was but an ordinary warehouse. After a few rounds of attacks, the warehouse ended up being destroyed beyond its original look.

    The walls of the warehouse were made of solidpound metal, but it was as fragile as paper when it came under the attack of Rank 13 Gene Body powerhouses.

    Not far from Liliath, a huge hole appeared after an explosion. It was big enough for an adult to go through. She was delighted about it as she waited patiently for an opportunity to escape.

    The opportunity came to her soon because after evading the attacks for quite a while, Bregen had realized that running about avoiding attacks was not a long-term n. He set his sights on Tricke and in a sh, appeared behind Tricke, grasping Tricke¡¯s neck in a hold. ¡°Continue with the attacks, you two, and I will kill him.¡±

    ¡°Hey, both of you, stop your attacks,¡± Tricke started to regret not grabbing Liliath and getting out of there while three of them were busy fighting.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Tricke, our mission is not to protect you, but to get Gu Ding to attend the young master¡¯s rites of passage. Taking Liliath with us is part of the mission and killing Bregen is part of it as well. We don¡¯t need you anymore at this stage...¡±

    Liliath suddenly bounced up when she saw the four men stuck in a Mexican stand-off. With a burst of energy from her legs, she quickly shot out of the hole in the wall on her left and got out.

    ¡°Liliath is escaping!¡± Tricke was facing Liliath¡¯s direction and quickly shouted when he saw Liliath escaping.

    The two bodyguards turned back at the same time to see Liliath crawling out of the hole. One of them quickly gave chase while the other stayed back to finish the job of killing Bregen.

    Gu Ding spotted Liliath the moment she crawled out of the hole. He was about to go get her when he saw the ck-clothed bodyguard trailing closely behind her.

    Gu Ding immediately activated his Ultimate Arts Level 12, rage ability Level 3, and Bronze Grade Combat Armor, which gave quick additional enhancement. Even his Advanced Iron Block Level 2 and martial arts field were immediately activated. He made a mad dash forward, so quick that he was running in a nt. A vicious punch of Steel Fistbined with a solid-looking golden re of Righteous Force mmed like lightning into the enemy¡¯s waist.

    One hundred thousand points of basicbat effectiveness, in addition to the enhancement of Ultimate Arts Level 12 three hundred and twenty times the effect, with four times enhancement from rage ability Level 3 and five times enhancement from the Bronze Grade Combat Armor, as well as twice the effect from thebat effectiveness of the martial arts field. The strength of Gu Ding¡¯s punch had reached one billion two hundred and eighty million points of battle effectiveness. An amateur Rank 13 Gene Body martial arts practitioner¡¯sbat effectiveness would only be at one billion points. Gu Ding¡¯s attack had fit the standard of a Rank 13 Gene Body.

    However, this was not enough because his opponent was also a Rank 13 Gene Body. Moreover, he was a powerhouse at the peak of Rank 13 Gene Body. When it came tobat effectiveness, this guy had already achieved more than eighty billion points and was only a mere hundred billion points away from achieving a beginner¡¯s level of demigod level. A demigod¡¯sbat effectiveness was one hundred times of a Rank 13 Gene Body, which was why the basicbat effectiveness of a Rank 13 Gene Body can vary inrge amounts. The lowest of them would have a billion points ofbat effectiveness while the highest can go more than a hundred billion points.

    There was a huge gap between Gu Ding and his opponent. Even with the help of the martial arts field suppressing the enemy, Gu Ding¡¯s strength was unable to break through to his opponent¡¯s defense. With the help of Advanced Iron Block, Gu Ding could only achieve twenty-five billion and six hundred million points of defense at most. Even if his opponent¡¯sbat effectiveness was suppressed by 50% with the martial arts field, the enemy would still have more than forty billion points left, which was enough to wound Gu Ding.

    Gu Ding¡¯s sudden attack had shocked the ck-clothed bodyguard. He quickly used his arm to block Gu Ding¡¯s attack but had not expected Gu Ding¡¯s Ultimate Arts to be so effective, sessfully bypassing the block andnding the punch on his waist. However, it was also that punch that made him realize that Gu Ding¡¯s attack felt just like a tickle. It was not even strong enough to scratch the surface of his skin. It did not hurt at all.

    When Gu Dingnded the punch, he immediately noticed the huge gap between himself and the bodyguard. His punch felt like itnded on a piece of Indestructible alloy. It had no effect and Gu Ding had nearly suffered damage just from the impact.

    Indestructible alloy was currently the strongest alloy artificially created with technology. It could not be easily destroyed even when under the attack of a deity. This sort of alloy was also known as the indestructible Alloy of Gods.

    One could only imagine how powerful the enemy¡¯s defense was byparing it to this metal. Gu Ding immediately retreated after his attack and ced himself between Liliath and the ck-clothes bodyguard. He watched the ck-clothed bodyguard cautiously and did not attempt another attack.

    Liliath noticed Gu Ding¡¯s awkward situation. She was aware that Gu Ding was very powerful, but she also knew that Gu Ding¡¯s basicbat effectiveness was only at a hundred thousand points. The highest he could achieve was barely the strength of a Rank 13 Gene Body, and there was a huge difference with this Rank 13 Gene Body powerhouse at his peak who was right in front of them.

    ¡°Where are the others?¡± Liliath lowered her voice to ask.

    ¡°They¡¯re on the way here...¡± Gu Ding frowned slightly as well. No matter what happened, he had to hold his ground until Biggie and the others arrived. Otherwise, Lili would be taken.

    Liliath did not continue her questioning on why Gu Ding hade to this ce alone. The Bronze Grade Combat Armor in her hand had immediately transformed into a two-meter-long nuclear sniper. There was a determined look in her eyes. ¡°Gu Ding, your attack won¡¯t be able to get past his defense. Let me take the lead. You can be in charge of covering me.¡±

 Chapter 228 - Liliathâ€™s Terrifyingly Powerful Ability

    <h4>Chapter 228: Liliath¡¯s Terrifyingly Powerful Ability</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Gu Ding was slightly taken aback when Liliath volunteered to be the main attacker.

    Ever since Biggie had joined their crew, Liliath had always taken a backseat when it came to battles, rarely participating in fights. Gu Ding knew she had advanced to Rank 9 Gene Body and had a higherbat effectiveness than he did, but no matter how high herbat effectiveness enhancement was, it would never surpass Gu Ding¡¯s. That was why Gu Ding thought he had heard her wrong when she made the suggestion.

    However, Gu Ding quickly recovered from his thoughts and nodded in the end. Even though he had no idea what was up Liliath¡¯s sleeves, since she had voiced her decision, she should have a certain level of confidence.

    A gunner¡¯s job was quite different from otherbat professions. Mostbat professions¡¯bat effectiveness was closely tied to their gene level. However, a gunner¡¯s true ability does not have much to do with their gene level. There were only a few factors a gunner would need to take note of in order to deal the most damage to their enemies:

    First, a gunner would need to have the ability to predict the movement of their opponent. This could be done by sight, sound, and even smell. It could even be guided by an intuitive sixth sense, but the most important point, was that a gunner must urately predict the uing movements of the opponent. If they were not able to capture those movements, the possibility of victory would not be high.

    Second, the power of a gunner¡¯s bullet must be strong enough to break through the enemy¡¯s defense. There are two requirements for that. Requirement one was for a gunner¡¯s Righteous Force to be able to break through the enemy¡¯s Righteous Force defense. The second requirement was that the bullet must be able to wound the enemy physically. Once these two requirements are met, only will the enemy be heavily wounded.

    Third, the uracy of the shot. Being able to predict the movements of the enemy and having the best equipment does not necessarily make one a good gunner. A good gunner must be able to shoot their enemy. If a gunner was able to not only shoot the enemy, but have the ability to shoot any part of the body of the opponent, that person would be an exceptionally brilliant gunner.

    Of course, there were other factors that made a good gunner. For example, the gunner¡¯s technique, gun, and type of bullets used.

    For Liliath, none of these was a problem. She was an outstanding gunner. All she needed was a gun powerful enough and bullets strong enough to hurt a Rank 13 Gene Body enemy.

    Right then, Liliath had both those items at hand.

    Even though Robert did not have enough materials to upgrade Liliath¡¯s Bronze Grade Combat Armor to Silver Grade, he had a good understanding of guns. Robert had especially designed a few different types of gun structures for Liliath¡¯s Firearm Combat Armor. Some were able to upgrade shooting speed to unthinkable speeds while some were able to amplify attack effectiveness to its max potential. Lili was now changing her weapon into a long barrel sniper, which was designed for enhancing attack effectiveness.

    In addition to that, Robert had used the shells from the shrieking scallops to create a unique structure of a screw drill.

    No one knew how powerful it would be when the gun and bulletsbined forces.

    The sniper¡¯s muzzle locked onto the ck-clothed bodyguard¡¯s head, yet he ignored the threat of her gun. To the ck-clothed bodyguard, gun-like attacks would never bypass the defense of his Righteous Force without adequate strength from their primary power.

    He immediately decided to ignore Liliath and turned to go after Gu Ding.

    His ns were simple because the little young master¡¯s main aim from the mission was to get Gu Ding to attend his rites of passage. Capturing Liliath was just a way of ckmailing Gu Ding into attending the event. It would make better sense to capture Gu Ding than Liliath.

    Even though Gu Ding was not as quick as he was, but thanks to the Silent Step in Ultimate Arts being an intricate move, every step made by Gu Ding was unpredictable to anyone else but Gu Ding. That was why Gu Ding had always managed to escape all predicaments by avoiding the enemy¡¯s attack.

    As for Liliath, she stood her ground as her sniper¡¯s muzzle locked down on the ck-clothed bodyguard, waiting for the right moment to take her shot.

    Gu Ding suddenly stopped moving about in his disorderly way when he realized Liliath was ready. He crossed his arms in front of his chest in protection, blocking the heavy punch from the ck-clothed bodyguard thatnded on him like a hammer.

    Gu Ding might have flown backward from the blow and his body had suffered a concussion, but his opponent had also been affected by the strong impact, which made him pause a second.

    Liliath did not waste this opportunity created by Gu Ding and fixed her crosshair on the enemy¡¯s head, pressing down hard on the trigger. Just as the bullet was shot, a ck me appeared on the surface of the bullet, and the original silver-colored bullet vanished in its stead. Even the fluctuation of the airwaves created by the high-speed spinning bullet had beenpletely covered by it.

    That ck me was an ability Liliath had inherited from her father, which was Purgatorial me. This was a me that meant death. Once it touches someone, the person¡¯s cells will age vigorously in an instant, culminating in death. This was the first time she was using this ability inbat after her abilities were awakened.

    When she had released the first shot, Liliath did not stop in hopes that this would be a lucky shot. Instead, she adjusted the direction of the muzzle and gave another three continuous shots,pletely deadlocking any possible evasion from the enemy.

    The ck-clothed bodyguard frowned slightly. He had noticed Gu Ding stopping on purpose in order to create an opening for Liliath to take the shot. His years of battle experience had warned him that Liliath¡¯s attack might not be as simple as he had thought. He tried to evade the bullet but realized that his line of movement had all been closed up. The only thing left to do was for him to hold up his hand in an attempt to block the bullet headed for his head.

    The bullet, which was engulfed by the ck mes tore through his Righteous Force protection with ease as it shot through his palm. A chill fueled with cold sweat spread across his back as he witnessed the bullet go right through his palm with no signs of stopping as it continued forward, going straight for his head. He immediately put up his other palm to stop the bullet from moving forward. However, his Righteous Force this time was easily torn apart as well. The bullet was lodged to his palm and it did not shoot through it.

    He lifted his head to look toward where Liliath was. He was still in shock over what just happened. If he had not stopped the bullet in time, he would have been a corpse by now.

    Just as he was thinking about this, he suddenly saw ck mes starting to spread from his wound all over both his palms. The mes continued moving upwards of his arms. The most terrifying part about this, was that he could not feel any pain from it.

    He went berserk as he shoved his palms into the ground, trying to put out the mes, but the ck mes showed no sign of being extinguished. Instead, it burned rapidly and became even more fiery.

    It took less than two minutes before the ck-clothed bodyguard stopped struggling. His body was now carbonized and looked like a ck statue. He stood still where he was, not moving at all.

    Right then, Bregen had managed to escape from the warehouse, running out in disarray. The other ck-clothed bodyguard was giving chase.

    A gentle gust of wind could be felt and the carbonized bodyguard immediately disintegrated, turning into a pile of dark, ck carbonized powder. Not even his bones were left.

    This was witnessed by the two who had been in a chasing spree. They stopped in their tracks as they looked cautiously toward Gu Ding and Liliath.

    Possessing the ability to turn a man into powder was a terrifying one that was shocking to anyone.

    Gu Ding was also slightly stunned by what he had seen. Even though he knew that Liliath had gained a strange ability after her recovery, he had not expected it to be something so terrifying.

    Even Liliath did not seem to be aware of it. She had not expected her ability to work so well as she had never tried it on anything alive. This was the first time.

    ¡°This has nothing to do with me. This was all masterminded by their young master! I¡¯m just trying to earn a living. I¡¯m a victim as much as all of you are in this situation. Just look at what¡¯s happening. Not only are they refusing to pay me in full, they¡¯re also trying to kill me,¡± Bregen immediately pointed his fingers at the ck-clothed bodyguard.

    He turned to make his escape as he said this.

    Gu Ding and Liliath were not quick enough to capture him. They had no choice but to leave him be.

    The remaining ck-clothed bodyguard knew that the tables have been turned against him. He was about to make his escape in another direction when he heard Liliath¡¯s voice from behind him.

    ¡°If you try to escape, you will end up just like yourpanion,¡± Liliath had gone into high alert after Bregen slipped away. The first thing she did was point her gun at the ck-clothed bodyguard.

    He stopped in his tracks when he heard this. He raised his hands and turned around. The ck-clothed bodyguard suspected that the gun in Liliath¡¯s hands was a demigod item when he saw her pointing it at him. Otherwise, it would not have that terrifying effect of burning someone into crisp. However, it did not matter whether that was a correct assumption. He was not brave enough to try his luck by doing something stupid.

    Right at that moment, Biggie and Robert had also arrived at the location.

    Robert was carrying someone on his shoulders. Surprisingly, it was Bregen who had attempted to escape before.

    ¡°We bumped into this guy on the way, so we took the opportunity to apprehend him. This must be the man who abducted Lili, right?¡± Biggie asked. Even though he had previously seen Bregen¡¯s picture, he was still worried he might have caught the wrong person.

    ¡°You¡¯re right, that is him. We weren¡¯t quick enough to go after him when he escaped. Luckily you made it in time,¡± the thought of Bregen mentioning her t chest and criticizing her height still made Liliath a little angry.

    ¡°Tie them all up and we¡¯ll take them back to interrogate them. Even though I sort of figured out the reason for them wanting to abduct Lili, I still need to confirm some details. There¡¯s still another guy in there whom I¡¯m not sure is dead or alive. Take him with us as well!¡± Gu Ding pointed at the warehouse as he said.

    Robert immediately took out his self-made anti-magic chains and locked up both men. After that, he went into the warehouse. Not long after, Tricke was led out by Robert with a deted look on his face.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go back to the spaceship!¡± Gu Ding looked at all three prisoners, but he did not feel happy at all.

 Chapter 229 - The Little Young Master Of The Childe Family

    <h4>Chapter 229: The Little Young Master Of The Childe Family</h4>

    In a room that had been emptied within the Golden Eagle, Gu Ding and Lilliath sat opposite Tricke.

    ¡°Tell us, why did you hire Bregen to abduct Lili?¡± Gu Ding asked with a grim expression on his face. Even though Gu Ding usually had a sunny demeanor about him on normal days, he looked pretty scary when he was serious. His expression alone was enough to get Lilliath to sit quietly at the side. She did not dare say a word.

    ¡°It really wasn¡¯t my idea. It was our little young master¡¯s idea... No, I mean, it was the idea of the Childe family¡¯s little young master.¡± After what Tricke experienced at the Old George tavern, he was not willing to step on Gu Ding¡¯s tail. That was because each and every member of Gu Ding¡¯s crew was scarier than thest. Being in their midst, Tricke felt that he could lose his life at any time. That was why he did not dare to lie.

    ¡°It¡¯s said that the Childe family¡¯s little young master was pronounced a genius from a very young age. He is extremely intelligent and very good at devising schemes. Each time he hands out missions to his subordinates, he prepares at least two sets of ns. This time, he wanted to invite you to his rites of passage, but all he told me was to think of a n myself. I had no idea what other ns he had in mind until I got in touch with Bregen. That was when I found out that his second n was to kidnap Lilliath. However, it had been carried out already. He wanted me to make the trade with Bregen and prepare a spaceship to take Lilliath away as soon as possible. He also instructed me to kill Bregen,¡± Tricke exined as he revealed the little young master of the Childe family to be quite the schemer.

    ¡°What you mean to say is that there is no other reason as to why you abducted Lilliath except to invite me to his rites of passage? That was why he wanted to take Lilliath hostage?¡± Gu Ding continued to ask.

    ¡°I have no idea if he has other reasons, I was only tasked to invite you to attend his rites of passage. As far as I know, it¡¯s the only reason why we kidnapped Lilliath. From the information we¡¯ve gathered, she¡¯s the weakest in your team and the easiest to get our hands on. Moreover, gunners are fairly easy to capture in close proximity.¡± To be honest, Tricke had no idea why Lilliath had been kidnapped. He was only making a deduction based on the missions he had conducted before.

    ¡°Gu Ding, I have a few questions as well.¡± Lilliath poked Gu Ding on the arm with her finger.

    Gu Ding nodded. ¡°Go ahead.¡±

    ¡°Is the Childe family involved with any industry that has to do with media? In other words, are they nning to step foot into the media industry?¡± Lilliath had her own family¡¯s influence in mind.

    ¡°The Childe family started out in the banking industry. However, they¡¯re now involved in almost every industry. They have the most influence in the finance and energy industry. They do y a part in the media industry but aren¡¯t profiting from it. It has to be said that they aren¡¯t losing money in it though. That¡¯s because the Harris family has the entire information industry of every 3-star and above Cosmic Nation within Cosmic Sea under them. That includes the industries that deal with news and media. Faye Cosmic Nation is a 5-star Cosmic Nation, which means it ispletely under them as well.¡± Tricke had an understanding of the different industry markets.

    ¡°The Childe family started their business in Faye Cosmic Nation, am I right? What is their family conglomerate¡¯s current ranking in regards to wealth?¡± Lilliath¡¯s question was straight to the point.

    ¡°Yes, the Childe family¡¯s business dates back to more than ten thousand years ago. Their business was started by one of their ancient ancestors who was a demigod; every generation of their family was born and bred in Faye Cosmic Nation. The family conglomerate¡¯s wealth ranking in Faye Cosmic Nation is currently second, and they are not far from number one.¡± Tricke was quite knowledgeable about Childe family¡¯s background.

    Lilliath raised an eyebrow as she continued to question, ¡°It should mean that they really want to be number one. The Childe family is a huge financial group. They should have many new projects each year, right? Do you have a list of those projects?¡±

    ¡°The projects are decided on by our superiors in the headquarters. I¡¯m just a minor supervisor of a division and don¡¯t have much decision-making power. I only receive instructions after such projects have been confirmed. Most of them differ ording to the division they¡¯re under. Each sector has different focuses, which is why the final ns of a project are not the same for all of us. Moreover, ns concerning projects of the following year are only distributed to us at the end of each year. Any additional ns never make their way to us. If you¡¯d like to have a look at this year¡¯s projects, I can only show you the ones that were given to me at the end ofst year.¡± Tricke had no idea why Lilliath was asking about such things.

    ¡°Give me all the files concerning yourpany¡¯s ns throughout thest ten years,¡± Lilliath made a strange request. Nevertheless, Trickeplied.

    Tricke was locked up within the Golden Eagle. Even though signals from the outside world were blocked, signals could be transmitted to and fro within the spaceship.

    Lilliath immediately started looking through the projects after receiving their files from Tricke. She did not ask any more questions.

    Biggie took Tricke away once Gu Ding was done interrogating him and then brought in the other two one after the other.

    After putting together information from interrogating all three of them, Gu Ding realized that they were still in the dark.

    The bodyguard d in ck, for example, worked as a bodyguard for the Childe family. He knew almost nothing about the Childe family¡¯s business. All he did was simplyplete missions given to him without any question. When he had no missions to work on, he would resume his position as a bodyguard for the Childe family.

    As for Bregen, he had received his job at thest minute and had never dealt with the Childe family before this. It was the little young master of the Childe family that had gotten in touch with him, and the little young master was the one who had taken the initiative in their deal. All Bregen knew was that his job was to kidnap Lilliath. As for the reason behind that, the little young master had never told him.

    Lilliath could not find even a single clue despite having gone through the Childe family¡¯s list of projects over thest ten years. However, after getting Neptune to hack into the Childe family¡¯s headquarterwork, Lilliath found that someone had suggested them to expand their influence into the media industry three years ago. Nevertheless, the person that had made the suggestion could not be identified. Additionally, the project was put aside without any execution. As for the reason why it was being stalled, only the four words ¡®Project To be Decided!¡¯ were written. The halted n had been ced in a highly ssified file which only those of the highest clearance could ess.

    Lilliath smelled something fishy as it hinted to a conspiracy of some sort. Lilliath began to think that the little young master of the Childe family was not as he seemed. She even went as far as to guess that inviting Gu Ding to his rites of passage was just a cover-up. His true target had to be her.

    The sky had darkened by the time the interrogation was done.

    Elsa finally woke up from her drunken stupor. Biggie had carried her back from the tavern. Hence, when she exited her room, she was surprised to see Tricke and the others. ¡°What are they doing here? And who¡¯s that man with the sses?¡±

    Lilliath gave her a summary of what had happened.

    Elsa immediately gave the three of them an unfriendly look. ¡°So, that means these people here are enemies? Gu Ding, since you¡¯re done interrogating them, it would be pointless to keep them here, right? Do you need me to finish them off?¡±

    Else was angered by the fact that they had attempted to kidnap Lilliath.

    ¡°I think it¡¯d be better for me to do that.¡± Biggie wanted to take up the responsibility of killing them. After all, it would not be nice for such a young girl to do such a thing.

    The hearts of the three men immediately sunk to their stomachs. It looked like all three of them would not be able to escape from the evil clutches of Gu Ding¡¯s crew.

    ¡°Lili, what do you think we should do with them?¡± Gu Ding looked at Lilliath. Lilliath was the victim after all. She had the right to make the decision.

    ¡°Forget about it. Just let them go. They were only doing their jobs. If we¡¯re going to take revenge, we should look for that little young master.¡± Lilliath had no intention of taking it out on them.

    ¡°Lili, there¡¯s no reason to be kind toward them. If they managed to kidnap you today, they would¡¯ve probably ended up kidnapping others in the future.¡± Elsa stared at three of them angrily.

    Lilliath looked at Gu Ding. ¡°Gu Ding, let them go...¡±

    Gu Ding fell silent for a moment before he nodded. ¡°Since Lili wants to let this matter go, I¡¯ll let you all off. However, there is still one thing I need before you leave...¡±

    Gu Ding¡¯s gaze fell on Tricke. ¡°I want to talk to your little young master.¡±

    ¡°That...¡± There was an uneasy look on Tricke¡¯s face. It was bad enough that he had failed his mission. It would have been bearable if he managed to quietlyy low for a while. However, now, Gu Ding wanted to talk to his little young master through hismunicator. It would be the equivalent of pping his little young master in the face, with he himself ying a part in it.

    ¡°You can choose to reject my request, but think about the consequences.¡± Gu Ding¡¯s words were clearly threatening him.

    Tricke naturally understood his situation. He took a deep breath and nodded vigorously. ¡°Fine!¡±

    Tricke quickly found the little young master¡¯s number in hismunicator¡¯s call history and dialed it.

    The call rang less than two times before a young man¡¯s voice was heard over the speaker. ¡°Tricke, is the deal done?¡±

    ¡°Hello, little young master of the Childe family.¡± Gu Ding smiled as he greeted the young man.

    ¡°You are... Gu Ding?¡± Unexpectedly, the voice on the other end immediately recognized Gu Ding¡¯s voice.

    ¡°That¡¯s right, I¡¯m Gu Ding!¡± Gu Ding said his name out loud, slowly but clearly.

    ¡°I guess this isn¡¯t a simple greeting since you¡¯re calling my number,¡± the young man¡¯s voice was quite calm and collected.

    Gu Ding smiled widely. ¡°Of course it isn¡¯t. Aren¡¯t you trying to get me to attend your rites of passage? I¡¯m here to tell you a piece of good news. It so happens that I have the time to pay you a visit.¡±

    The other side of themunicator fell silent. The young man seemed to havee to an understanding after a while when he said, ¡°That does sound like good news. In that case, I¡¯ll await your arrival!¡±

    Everyone was stunned when they heard the conversation that took ce between the two.

 Chapter 230 - Ross Childeâ€™s Scheme

    <h4>Chapter 230: Ross Childe¡¯s Scheme</h4>

    ¡®Name: Ross Childe¡¯

    ¡®Gender: Male¡¯

    ¡®Age: 15¡¯

    ¡®Family: Childe Family¡¯

    ¡®Gene Level: Unknown¡¯

    ¡®Special Ability: Unknown (Suspected to be a yer)¡¯

    ¡®Other Abilities: Possess high intelligence and terrifying deduction skills¡¯

    ¡®Wanted: No¡¯

    ¡®Criminal Record: None¡¯

    ¡®Special Cases: Rejected invitation to take part in Monster Concentration Camp¡¯

    ¡°The little young master of the Childe family disyed that he was a genius when he was two-years-old. He managed to learn how to speak twenty-threenguages, as well as read and write eight of them, at the age of one. That year, he was exposed to four-dimensional chess which is yed using space and time dimensions. In less than three months, he went into a frenzy, challenging chess masters via Sk. Even national yers of Faye Cosmic Nation lost to him. After that, he went on to study physics and earned himself a Ph.D. in Space Physics as well as Strategic Studies in Faye Cosmic Nation¡¯s Royal Academy. He became a guest lecturer in the Royal Academy for Strategic Studies at the age of ten andter turned to study Gics. It took him only two years to receive a Ph.D. in Gics. His research was mainly on Orthogenesis. At the age of 13, he resigned from his position as a guest lecturer and rarely appeared in public from then on.¡±

    Neptune quickly found information on the little young master from the Childe family but most of it was not that useful.

    The Childe family had taken great lengths to protect the young man. There were not many pictures of him avable on Sk. Even the most recent picture that featured him was when he was thirteen-years-old.

    ¡°That guy does not seem like someone easy to handle. He has high intelligence, and his special ability seems to be yer,¡± Neptune said as he projected a description of a yer¡¯s ability.

    ¡®Special Ability: yer¡¯

    ¡®Ability Description: The ability to fight a battle like a chess game. Every enemy in the person¡¯s eyes is like an opposing chess piece. Able to urately predict the enemy¡¯s next move after obtaining information from the enemy themselves.¡¯

    ¡®Ability w: Judgement is sometimes wed because of unknown information.¡¯

    ¡°We¡¯ve met a simr opponent before. It was that guy named Walter from Great Divinity of Dragon Soar Cosmic Nation. He was the one who hade up with the n to nab us all in one ago. However, something unpredictable happened, which resulted in an ending that was neither here nor there.¡± Neptune¡¯s tone was not rxed at all. Gu Ding¡¯s crew would be on the losing end if they fought an enemy who was not only extremely focused on the big picture but also very detailed with their strategy.

    When it came to intelligence and strategizing, there was almost no one better than Neptune. However, Neptune was not human, and his logic was different from human beings as it could not includetent factors such as human growth and character change in its calctions. Moreover, there were limitations to obtaining personal information of a person from Sk. Hence, in such cases, Neptune could only evaluate a person¡¯s true capabilities by being in direct contact with them or their friends.

    ¡°If his power to deduce things is really equivalent to that of a yer, he should have already predicted the possibility of the missions failing. That would mean he probably expected Gu Ding to show up and get back at him after having been challenged twice. This could very well be his third n, which is to get you to attend his rites of passage on your own ord. Even though it might look like we are the ones in control, in truth, he has attained his aim. If that¡¯s true, he¡¯s a terrifying enemy...¡± Lilliath began to frown.

    Neptune shared his opinion, ¡°If he really is as described in those rumors and was invited to the Monster Concentration Camp, it would mean that even if his intelligence level has not reached X¡¯s, it is still not far from it. People like him normally do not give up halfway on whatever they intend to do. When his first and second n failed, he would not have made up for them bying up with a third n that would fail. Hence, there is only one exnation, which is his third n has already been executed. That would also mean that we have been tricked by him.¡±

    ¡°What if we don¡¯t show up? Didn¡¯t Gu Ding say we will pay him a visit? We can very well lie to him and not go. That would rile him up,¡± Elsa thought that the situation was too much of a headache and gave a simple suggestion.

    ¡°It¡¯s no use. We¡¯re already under his radar. If we wander even slightly from the current route, he¡¯ll be sure toe up with something to force us to change routes. I believe he has already set the stage for everything.¡± Neptune was forced to think of the worst-case scenario when it came to such enemies.

    Gu Ding nodded as well. ¡°There is no need for us to get involved with the minorckeys he will send toe after us. We will just end up wasting our time and exposing our true abilities. It would only give him more time toe up with an even more intricate n. Heading straight for him would be the best n.¡±

    ¡°When is his rites of passage?¡± Lilliath suddenly asked.

    Neptune answered, ¡°In eighteen days. The location is Red Shield. The Childe family¡¯s headquarters is also located there. Rumor has it that a demigod watches over the ce. The¡¯s security level is considered to be one of the top five in Faye Cosmic Nation.¡±

    ¡°That must be the reason why he¡¯s able to invite me in such a carefree manner.¡± Gu Ding nodded when he heard the information Neptune had.

    ¡°That¡¯s right. The¡¯s security system is made up of half-automated machines. It is said that the machines are the work of a survivor of the Mechanical Tribe who used to be a master. They might cause me some trouble, but with Robert around, they should not be much of an issue,¡± Neptune continued to recite information about Red Shield.

    ¡°How long would it take for us to get there?¡± Gu Ding asked.

    ¡°At normal speed, it would take around fifteen days.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s take the time to cultivate properly during this time and upgrade our abilities. We¡¯ll leave first thing tomorrow morning.¡±

    At that moment, on Red Shield, a handsome young man was sitting upright in front of his study table. The man was watching a projection of a video clip and was wearing a nice, tidy, blue suit. The white shirt the man was wearing on the inside was clean and crisp. Additionally, there was a ck-striped tie straightened tightly around the cor of his shirt. He was not dressed like a young man at all.

    The projection in front of him was a clip of Gu Ding¡¯s crew in battle.

    A strange light shed in his eyes as he stared at the footage.

    ¡°Ross, why are you still watching videos of Gu Ding and his crew sote at night?¡± A beautiful young woman suddenly appeared behind the young man. She looked very alike the young man.

    ¡°Lucia? I should be asking you why you¡¯re in my room sote at night.¡± Ross turned to re at her.

    Lucia pouted. ¡°Is that the way to talk to your older sister? I sleep just opposite you. I saw your lights still on sote at night, so I came in here to give you a polite greeting. Do you have a problem with that?¡±

    ¡°Well, I... Didn¡¯t you want to meet Gu Ding? I¡¯ve invited him to attend my rites of passage. He¡¯ll be here on that day. It¡¯ste now and I¡¯m about to turn in. You should go and do the same,¡± Ross said as he turned off the projection.

    ¡°How did you do it? He doesn¡¯t seem like someone who would easily ept any invitation.¡± Lucia was clearly surprised and curious at the same time.

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to know,¡± Ross said as he turned to leave.

    ¡°Did you set a trap for them?¡± Lucia knew her little brother well and could guess what he had done.

    ¡°All you need to know is that they will be here. Anything else is unimportant.¡± Ross picked up his toothbrush and started to brush his teeth, sounding unclear with his reply.

    ¡°Hey, you aren¡¯t trying to get Gu Ding and his crew here on purpose to create chaos and take the opportunity to leave Red Shield, are you?¡± Lucia suddenly realized something.

    Ross pulled the toothbrush out of his mouth and turned around to look at his older sister who was only a few months older than him. ¡°Stop spouting such nonsense when you have no proof.¡±

    Lucia ced her hands on her hips and replied indignantly, ¡°Don¡¯t think I don¡¯t know you well. If you don¡¯t tell me the truth, I¡¯ll go to father and tell him about this.¡±

    Ross gargled and walked out of the bathroom. ¡°Fine, I give up. You¡¯re right, I¡¯m trying to get Gu Ding and his crew here for the very reason you guessed. I want them to create chaos so I can leave the amongst the confusion.¡±

    ¡°Haven¡¯t you considered the consequences of doing so?¡± Lucia was getting angry.

    ¡°Did the old man think about the consequences when Aunt Lan died?¡± Ross¡¯ face turned grim upon mentioning the topic.

    ¡°So, you still haven¡¯t let it go even though it¡¯s been almost three years.¡± Lucia¡¯s expression changed as well.

    ¡°I was brought up by Aunt Lan. That is something I will remember for the rest of my life.¡± a sharp look shed across Ross¡¯ eyes.

    ¡°Do you know how many deaths you¡¯ll cause if Gu Ding¡¯s crew shes with our family?¡± Lucia hoped that she would be able to change her brother¡¯s mind.

    ¡°Gu Ding does not have a demigod in his crew. Biggie may be strong, but his weapon is an ordinary one which cannot kill a demigod. They might cause some damage to the Childe family to a certain extent, but they won¡¯t be able to exterminate the entire n. As for me, I¡¯ll be able to take the opportunity to leave this ce which has had me locked up for close to sixteen years. If I really wanted the entire family to be destroyed, I wouldn¡¯t have lured Gu Ding¡¯s crew here but Kohld Blood¡¯s The Punishers,¡± Ross raised his head to look at Lucia as he exined with a calm look on his face.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter what is it you say. I have to tell father about this.¡± Lucia knew it was not child¡¯s y. Even though Ross normally did not make any mistakes in his strategies, she knew that Gu Ding¡¯s crew would not be easy to manipte.

    Ross did not stop Lucia when she turned around to leave. Instead, he watched quietly as Lucia jumped out of the window.

    ¡°You¡¯re a man who schemes very well, even making use of your own sister.¡± A shadow slowly took the shape of a human in the dark. It was the voice of a woman, but her body waspletely wrapped up in a long, ck robe. Even with her being in the shadows, one could vaguely see the blood-red pattern of a demon on the chest of her ck robe.

    ¡°I¡¯m not making use of her. It¡¯s been years since I spoke to the old man. I¡¯m just getting Lucia to help me pass a message to the old man for him to be on high alert and prevent the family business that has been going on for thest ten thousand years from being destroyed in one night,¡± Ross red at the woman and said calmly.

 Chapter 231 - Ross Childeâ€™s Scheme

    <h4>Chapter 231: Ross Childe¡¯s Scheme</h4>

    ¡®Name: Ross Childe¡¯

    ¡®Gender: Male¡¯

    ¡®Age: 15¡¯

    ¡®Family: Childe Family¡¯

    ¡®Gene Level: Unknown¡¯

    ¡®Special Ability: Unknown (Suspected to be a yer)¡¯

    ¡®Other Abilities: Possess high intelligence and terrifying deduction skills¡¯

    ¡®Wanted: No¡¯

    ¡®Criminal Record: None¡¯

    ¡®Special Cases: Rejected invitation to take part in Monster Concentration Camp¡¯

    ¡°The little young master of the Childe family disyed that he was a genius when he was two-years-old. He managed to learn how to speak twenty-threenguages, as well as read and write eight of them, at the age of one. That year, he was exposed to four-dimensional chess which is yed using space and time dimensions. In less than three months, he went into a frenzy, challenging chess masters via Sk. Even national yers of Faye Cosmic Nation lost to him. After that, he went on to study physics and earned himself a Ph.D. in Space Physics as well as Strategic Studies in Faye Cosmic Nation¡¯s Royal Academy. He became a guest lecturer in the Royal Academy for Strategic Studies at the age of ten andter turned to study Gics. It took him only two years to receive a Ph.D. in Gics. His research was mainly on Orthogenesis. At the age of 13, he resigned from his position as a guest lecturer and rarely appeared in public from then on.¡±

    Neptune quickly found information on the little young master from the Childe family but most of it was not that useful.

    The Childe family had taken great lengths to protect the young man. There were not many pictures of him avable on Sk. Even the most recent picture that featured him was when he was thirteen-years-old.

    ¡°That guy does not seem like someone easy to handle. He has high intelligence, and his special ability seems to be yer,¡± Neptune said as he projected a description of a yer¡¯s ability.

    ¡®Special Ability: yer¡¯

    ¡®Ability Description: The ability to fight a battle like a chess game. Every enemy in the person¡¯s eyes is like an opposing chess piece. Able to urately predict the enemy¡¯s next move after obtaining information from the enemy themselves.¡¯

    ¡®Ability w: Judgement is sometimes wed because of unknown information.¡¯

    ¡°We¡¯ve met a simr opponent before. It was that guy named Walter from Great Divinity of Dragon Soar Cosmic Nation. He was the one who hade up with the n to nab us all in one ago. However, something unpredictable happened, which resulted in an ending that was neither here nor there.¡± Neptune¡¯s tone was not rxed at all. Gu Ding¡¯s crew would be on the losing end if they fought an enemy who was not only extremely focused on the big picture but also very detailed with their strategy.

    When it came to intelligence and strategizing, there was almost no one better than Neptune. However, Neptune was not human, and his logic was different from human beings as it could not includetent factors such as human growth and character change in its calctions. Moreover, there were limitations to obtaining personal information of a person from Sk. Hence, in such cases, Neptune could only evaluate a person¡¯s true capabilities by being in direct contact with them or their friends.

    ¡°If his power to deduce things is really equivalent to that of a yer, he should have already predicted the possibility of the missions failing. That would mean he probably expected Gu Ding to show up and get back at him after having been challenged twice. This could very well be his third n, which is to get you to attend his rites of passage on your own ord. Even though it might look like we are the ones in control, in truth, he has attained his aim. If that¡¯s true, he¡¯s a terrifying enemy...¡± Lilliath began to frown.

    Neptune shared his opinion, ¡°If he really is as described in those rumors and was invited to the Monster Concentration Camp, it would mean that even if his intelligence level has not reached X¡¯s, it is still not far from it. People like him normally do not give up halfway on whatever they intend to do. When his first and second n failed, he would not have made up for them bying up with a third n that would fail. Hence, there is only one exnation, which is his third n has already been executed. That would also mean that we have been tricked by him.¡±

    ¡°What if we don¡¯t show up? Didn¡¯t Gu Ding say we will pay him a visit? We can very well lie to him and not go. That would rile him up,¡± Elsa thought that the situation was too much of a headache and gave a simple suggestion.

    ¡°It¡¯s no use. We¡¯re already under his radar. If we wander even slightly from the current route, he¡¯ll be sure toe up with something to force us to change routes. I believe he has already set the stage for everything.¡± Neptune was forced to think of the worst-case scenario when it came to such enemies.

    Gu Ding nodded as well. ¡°There is no need for us to get involved with the minorckeys he will send toe after us. We will just end up wasting our time and exposing our true abilities. It would only give him more time toe up with an even more intricate n. Heading straight for him would be the best n.¡±

    ¡°When is his rites of passage?¡± Lilliath suddenly asked.

    Neptune answered, ¡°In eighteen days. The location is Red Shield. The Childe family¡¯s headquarters is also located there. Rumor has it that a demigod watches over the ce. The¡¯s security level is considered to be one of the top five in Faye Cosmic Nation.¡±

    ¡°That must be the reason why he¡¯s able to invite me in such a carefree manner.¡± Gu Ding nodded when he heard the information Neptune had.

    ¡°That¡¯s right. The¡¯s security system is made up of half-automated machines. It is said that the machines are the work of a survivor of the Mechanical Tribe who used to be a master. They might cause me some trouble, but with Robert around, they should not be much of an issue,¡± Neptune continued to recite information about Red Shield.

    ¡°How long would it take for us to get there?¡± Gu Ding asked.

    ¡°At normal speed, it would take around fifteen days.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s take the time to cultivate properly during this time and upgrade our abilities. We¡¯ll leave first thing tomorrow morning.¡±

    At that moment, on Red Shield, a handsome young man was sitting upright in front of his study table. The man was watching a projection of a video clip and was wearing a nice, tidy, blue suit. The white shirt the man was wearing on the inside was clean and crisp. Additionally, there was a ck-striped tie straightened tightly around the cor of his shirt. He was not dressed like a young man at all.

    The projection in front of him was a clip of Gu Ding¡¯s crew in battle.

    A strange light shed in his eyes as he stared at the footage.

    ¡°Ross, why are you still watching videos of Gu Ding and his crew sote at night?¡± A beautiful young woman suddenly appeared behind the young man. She looked very alike the young man.

    ¡°Lucia? I should be asking you why you¡¯re in my room sote at night.¡± Ross turned to re at her.

    Lucia pouted. ¡°Is that the way to talk to your older sister? I sleep just opposite you. I saw your lights still on sote at night, so I came in here to give you a polite greeting. Do you have a problem with that?¡±

    ¡°Well, I... Didn¡¯t you want to meet Gu Ding? I¡¯ve invited him to attend my rites of passage. He¡¯ll be here on that day. It¡¯ste now and I¡¯m about to turn in. You should go and do the same,¡± Ross said as he turned off the projection.

    ¡°How did you do it? He doesn¡¯t seem like someone who would easily ept any invitation.¡± Lucia was clearly surprised and curious at the same time.

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to know,¡± Ross said as he turned to leave.

    ¡°Did you set a trap for them?¡± Lucia knew her little brother well and could guess what he had done.

    ¡°All you need to know is that they will be here. Anything else is unimportant.¡± Ross picked up his toothbrush and started to brush his teeth, sounding unclear with his reply.

    ¡°Hey, you aren¡¯t trying to get Gu Ding and his crew here on purpose to create chaos and take the opportunity to leave Red Shield, are you?¡± Lucia suddenly realized something.

    Ross pulled the toothbrush out of his mouth and turned around to look at his older sister who was only a few months older than him. ¡°Stop spouting such nonsense when you have no proof.¡±

    Lucia ced her hands on her hips and replied indignantly, ¡°Don¡¯t think I don¡¯t know you well. If you don¡¯t tell me the truth, I¡¯ll go to father and tell him about this.¡±

    Ross gargled and walked out of the bathroom. ¡°Fine, I give up. You¡¯re right, I¡¯m trying to get Gu Ding and his crew here for the very reason you guessed. I want them to create chaos so I can leave the amongst the confusion.¡±

    ¡°Haven¡¯t you considered the consequences of doing so?¡± Lucia was getting angry.

    ¡°Did the old man think about the consequences when Aunt Lan died?¡± Ross¡¯ face turned grim upon mentioning the topic.

    ¡°So, you still haven¡¯t let it go even though it¡¯s been almost three years.¡± Lucia¡¯s expression changed as well.

    ¡°I was brought up by Aunt Lan. That is something I will remember for the rest of my life.¡± a sharp look shed across Ross¡¯ eyes.

    ¡°Do you know how many deaths you¡¯ll cause if Gu Ding¡¯s crew shes with our family?¡± Lucia hoped that she would be able to change her brother¡¯s mind.

    ¡°Gu Ding does not have a demigod in his crew. Biggie may be strong, but his weapon is an ordinary one which cannot kill a demigod. They might cause some damage to the Childe family to a certain extent, but they won¡¯t be able to exterminate the entire n. As for me, I¡¯ll be able to take the opportunity to leave this ce which has had me locked up for close to sixteen years. If I really wanted the entire family to be destroyed, I wouldn¡¯t have lured Gu Ding¡¯s crew here but Kohld Blood¡¯s The Punishers,¡± Ross raised his head to look at Lucia as he exined with a calm look on his face.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter what is it you say. I have to tell father about this.¡± Lucia knew it was not child¡¯s y. Even though Ross normally did not make any mistakes in his strategies, she knew that Gu Ding¡¯s crew would not be easy to manipte.

    Ross did not stop Lucia when she turned around to leave. Instead, he watched quietly as Lucia jumped out of the window.

    ¡°You¡¯re a man who schemes very well, even making use of your own sister.¡± A shadow slowly took the shape of a human in the dark. It was the voice of a woman, but her body waspletely wrapped up in a long, ck robe. Even with her being in the shadows, one could vaguely see the blood-red pattern of a demon on the chest of her ck robe.

    ¡°I¡¯m not making use of her. It¡¯s been years since I spoke to the old man. I¡¯m just getting Lucia to help me pass a message to the old man for him to be on high alert and prevent the family business that has been going on for thest ten thousand years from being destroyed in one night,¡± Ross red at the woman and said calmly.

 Chapter 232 - Upgrade To Rank 7

    <h4>Chapter 232: Upgrade To Rank 7</h4>

    Gu Ding was not bothered at all by Ross Childe¡¯s aim. To Gu Ding, Ross Childe had crossed the line when he kidnapped Lilliath.

    Even though three of the four ck-clothed bodyguards had been taken care of, and Lilliath had expressed that it was needless to pursue the matter, Gu Ding was not about to let it pass. That was the reason why he had called Ross Childe¡¯s number to announce his visit. Ross Childe was the mastermind behind everything while the others had only followed his orders, which was why when Lilliath suggested to let Tricke and the others go, Gu Ding did not object.

    Their spaceship left Probrand early the next morning.

    Everyone began to cultivate to prepare for the uing battle. No one had any idea what kind of trap Ross Childe had set for them. All they could do was enhance their abilities and take down the schemer with pure brute force.

    Gu Ding had not managed to achieve a breakthrough in his gene level. He could only cultivate his Righteous Force and await the restocking of Earth Core Crystals from Monster Paradise.

    Neptune brought good news on the third day after the ship had left Probrand; thetest stock of Earth Core Crystals had finally arrived. However, there was also a piece of bad news. Each person was only allowed to purchase one crystal at a time, and they were allowed to make a bulk purchase only once a month. Each bulk purchase was limited to 100 pieces. If one missed the purchase period, they could only wait until the next month to buy them.

    Nevertheless, there was no need to worry about missing out on the crystals with Neptune around. The moment it was restocked, Neptune could help Gu Ding ce an order and leave an address for where the crystals should be sent to.

    ¡°We¡¯ll make a stop at Borz in three days. It¡¯ll take around three days for them to send the crystals there. It will be morning when we arrive at Borz, so we won¡¯t miss out on the delivery nor wait too long for it.¡± Neptune had deducted the best ce to collect the crystals and made the necessary arrangements.

    Three dayster, the Golden Eagle was seen docking at the harbor of Borz. They had made it to the before sunrise, just in time to watch it.

    The Earth Core Crystal finally fell into Gu Ding¡¯s hands after lunch.

    After signing the package, the Golden Eagle left Borz.

    When Gu Ding returned to his room, he took out the Earth Core Crystal which was encased in an exquisite box.

    The Earth Core Crystal was fiery red. It was the size of a thumb and was shaped like a prism.

    Gu Ding held the crystal between his fingers as he carefully examined it. ¡°How do I use this thing? Do I swallow it?¡±

    ¡°Swallowing it would be the simplest way.¡±

    Gu Ding did not hesitate after hearing Neptune¡¯s confident reply. He immediately threw the rock into his mouth and gulped it down with force.

    When the piece of Earth Core Crystalnded in his stomach, Gu Ding felt a hot current begin to rush from within his abdomen to each and every corner of his body.

    Neptune, on the other hand, saw numerous ck virus strains appear in every part of Gu Ding¡¯s body. They went into a frenzy as they consumed the Earth Core Crystal.

    The entire crystal was devoured in less than ten minutes. Under normal circumstances, a person would need at least three days to absorb an Earth Core Crystal. Those who consumed crystals a little slower sometimes needed up to five days to absorb it.

    After the Earth Core Crystal had been absorbed, another gene shackle appeared in Gu Ding¡¯s body. It was a shackle that waspletely ck in color with numerous ciphertext written in gold carved all over it. An unknown power tore at it and a fissure soon appeared on the shackle. The fissure, which could be seen clearly, continued to spread quickly. It was not long before the entire shackle broke apart. The color of the pieces that broke off gradually faded, and they eventually vanished.

    At the same time, a minor portion of the third gene chain within Gu Ding experienced some change which took about five minutes for it to stabilize.

    During this time, the cells in Gu Ding experienced raging mitosis as they evolved continuously. Gu Ding¡¯s original Cell Index of a hundred and thousand points quickly enhanced to eight hundred thousand points.

    Gu Ding slowly opened his eyes. He felt the huge change within his body this time. It was clearly the result of a breakthrough from his original gene level.

    Neptune analyzed thetest stats of Gu Ding¡¯s body and projected it.

    ¡®Name: Gu Ding¡¯

    ¡®Gender: Male¡¯

    ¡®Age: 15¡¯

    ¡®Gene Level: Rank 7¡¯

    ¡®Cell Index: 800000¡¯

    ¡®Spirituality Index: 790000¡¯

    ¡®Special Ability 1: Level 3 Rage Ability (Able to Evolve)¡¯

    ¡®Special Ability 2: Level 1 High-Speed Regeneration (Able to Evolve)¡¯

    ¡®Special Ability 3: Level 3 Damage Stacking (cursing ability) (Able to Evolve)¡¯

    ¡®Special Ability 4: Absolute Seal (Level 2 taboo energy) (Able to Evolve)¡¯

    ¡®Special Ability 5: Level 2 Advanced Iron Block (Able to Evolve)¡¯

    ¡®Special Ability 6: Rank 1 Martial Arts Field (Able to Evolve)¡¯

    ¡®Special Ability 7: Level 1 Advanced repulsive effect¡¯

    ¡®Ability Description: Able to control items and make them go in any direction in any form of push and pull; the limit of the push and pull force is ten times the effect.¡¯

    ¡®Ability Limitation 1: When using the ability, a part of the body must be in physical contact with the item.¡¯

    ¡®Ability Limitation 2: Any item can only be controlled by pushing and pulling. (Controlled items with repulsive effects are not included)¡¯

    ¡®Ability Limitation 3: If the ability is used numerous times on the same item, the ability can only be executed once.¡¯

    ¡®Ability Limitation 4: If the size of the controlled item is huge, the ability can only be used within a range of 1000 meters.¡¯

    Neptune was a little envious of Gu Ding¡¯s luck when he saw that Gu Ding had gained a new ability. Advanced abilities were not something easily acquired, and the ability Gu Ding had freshly developed was a rare and powerful ability. It was considered quite the achievement if someone managed to obtain ability that could control gravity. To gain the ability to control an object in any form of push or pull naturally included the ability to control gravity.

    Gu Ding was delighted when he saw the ability. He started to think about ways to develop the ability.

    Gu Ding did not waste any time as there was still room for him to expand his Cell Index. He started to swallow ck crystals, the ones that allowed an individual to add on fifty thousand index points with each one consumed.

    Days passed and Gu Ding only used two days to enhance his Cell Index to a million points. Unfortunately, there were no more Earth Core Crystals for him to use, and it was impossible for him to achieve a breakthrough to Rank 8.

    Gu Ding started cultivating his Righteous Force with the remaining time. He wanted toplete the fourth cycle before arriving at Red Shield. His Righteous Force was now powerful to a terrifying extent, probably even surpassing Biggie¡¯s, the strongest person in his crew.

    When Gu Ding¡¯s Cell Index hit a million points, he was finally able to use Ultimate Arts Level 12 without causing any stress to his body. He was also no longer restricted to a time frame when using it. Ultimate Arts Level 12 was thest level in Ultimate Arts; enhancing one¡¯sbat effectiveness by three hundred and twenty times, it had reached its limit.

    Basicbat effectiveness of a million points was also the maximum enhancement effect produced by Bronze Grade Combat Armor. The enhancement effects of Bronze Grade Armor had a limit of a million points, and it could not exceed that limit even if Gu Ding had more than a million points.

    The other members of Gu Ding¡¯s crew also achieved certain progresses aside from Gu Ding himself. Among them, Lilliath had achieved the most improvement. She had advanced from a Rank 9 Gene Body to a Rank 10. As for her Cell Index, she had gotten it to one million, five hundred, and one thousand points, steadily beating Gu Ding.

    Elsa and Biggie already had quite high basicbat effectiveness as they were both Rank 11 Gene Bodies. It was difficult for them to achieve great progress in terms of enhancement. Nevertheless, they managed to improve slightly in terms of ability.

    As for what had be of Robert, he had locked himself in his room. On the other hand, as for Tagore who had always been busy stealing food, Gu Ding had no idea what had happened to him at all.

    On Red Shield, the Childe family had been extremely busy for the past few days, preparing forbat against Gu Ding.

    Ross sat cross-legged on the floor quietly. There was nothing around him, not even a table or chair, which was why he could only sit on the floor.

    He was not in his room but in a ce used for internal punishment within his tribe called the Repentance Tower.

    The body of the tower was made up of bluestone blocks. The bluestone contained material simr to that found in anti-magic chains but had much higher radiation. Anti-magic chains only took effect once a person was chained up. On the other hand, bluestones did not require physical contact to function as an anti-magic medium. As long as the person was within range, their abilities would be sealed.

    Any normal person locked within the tower would have their primary power and special ability sealed. All they could do was panic as they looked at the bluestone blocks and prayed to be released each day. Nevertheless, Ross was not anxious at all. Heposed himself by closing his eyes, appearing to be asleep.

    Surveince cameras were hidden in every corner of the tower; they were ced with the aim of making sure that the punished repented. Ross had been imprisoned for more than half a month, yet he did not disy any sign of anxiousness. He treated the ce as his own room, waking up every day to wash up on time. He would go for a morning jog, have breakfast, cultivate, eat lunch, read, eat dinner, read again, and sleep. He kept his daily schedule without fail, and that impressed everyone.

    His family had even confiscated his intelligent wristwatch in order to punish him, but it did not seem to have any effect on him.

    Lucia was the one who had brought him his dinner today.

    ¡°Why are you the one here today?¡± The family¡¯s servants were normally the ones who took turns to bring him his meals. Ross thought it was a little strange when he saw Lucia serving him personally.

    ¡°I saw a servant bringing your food this way and thought it would be convenient since I have something to say to you.¡± Lucia crouched down as she ced the tray on the floor.

    ¡°Gu Ding and his crew should be here by now, am I right? Even if they aren¡¯t, they should be arriving soon.¡± Ross¡¯ lips curved up slightly as if his current environment did not affect him.

    ¡°They should arrive in our star sector tomorrow morning, but no one knows if they will make a direct stop at Red Shield. Your rites of passage is in another two days, and there is a possibility they will choose to stop at nearbys in order to avoid a sh,¡± Lucia guessed.

    ¡°Gu Ding will definitely dock at Red Shield immediately.¡± Ross smiled confidently.

 Chapter 233 - Arriving In Red Shield

    <h4>Chapter 233: Arriving In Red Shield</h4>

    A ck and white chequered Golden Eagle could be seen descending in Red Shield¡¯s port.

    As soon as the spaceshipnded, a young man dialed a contact number. ¡°Boss, Gu Ding¡¯s spaceship has arrived at the port.¡±

    On the other end of themunicator was another young man in shades. He was sitting on the terrace of a breakfast shop, enjoying coffee and bread. ¡°I see, send me a picture of them. Keep an eye on them, and if they split up, tell the others to follow them. Don¡¯t leave any of them out.¡±

    ¡°Alright!¡± After hanging up, the man immediately took a picture of Gu Ding¡¯s Golden Eagle and sent it to his boss.

    After receiving the picture, the man in shades took off his eyewear. Then, he confirmed that the spaceship in the picture of the projection was indeed Gu Ding¡¯s spaceship before he dialed another number.

    ¡°Hello, is this the Army¡¯s General Mance?¡± The man in shades was rubbing his temples, and there was not much respect in his voice.

    ¡°Who are you? Where did you get this number?¡± The deep voice of a middle-aged man was heard from across themunicator.

    ¡°I would like to anonymously report the arrival of Gu Ding¡¯s spaceship at Red Shield¡¯s port. I just witnessed it myself. Isn¡¯t Red Shield under your jurisdiction, general? You should send someone to take him away immediately. If not, Red Shield will be really unsafe. The Interster Pirate Gu Ding has a bounty of more than two billion Universe Credits. Additionally, each time he visits a, he stirs up something big. Ordinary citizens like me are a little afraid to go out with him around...¡±

    The man in shades had not even finished when he was interrupted by the voice across themunicator, ¡°Alright, we will investigate the matter and take care of it.¡±

    ¡°When will that...¡± The man in shades wanted to pressure him more, but the person on the other end had already hung up.

    ...

    On Red Shield, in a luxurious hotel suite, a stocky middle-aged man sat up in his bed, half-naked.

    ¡°Who is it? Spoiling our mood this early,¡± anguid female voice came from the bed. Her hand touched the man¡¯s broad back, and her fingers gently wandered on it as if she was a fairy.

    ¡°Get out, and you needn¡¯te anymore starting tonight.¡± Mance turned to look at the curvy, dark-haired beauty whose body fascinated him. He had wanted to enjoy his time with her for a few more days, but now it seemed merciful of him not to kill her.

    ¡°I... Did I do something wrong?¡± The young woman looked a little puzzled.

    ¡°You¡¯ve done nothing wrong. Get dressed and out you go.¡± Mance managed to avert his eyes. ¡°If anyone from the Childe family asks you, tell them that I¡¯m not in the mood these few days. Tell them not to send any more women as well.¡±

    With that, Mance turned around and sat on the edge of the bed, lighting a cigarette for himself.

    The woman got dressed with a somber expression. However, she did not leave immediately. She went around the wide goose down feather bed and stopped in front of the man. ¡°I don¡¯t know what happened, but I know what you¡¯re thinking. To you, I¡¯m just a high-ss whore the Childes sent to sleep with you. Therefore, you can just sleep with me a couple of times, get bored, and turn your back on me. I can leave, but before I leave, I want to make a few things clear: I didn¡¯t sleep with you for money, I slept with you because I liked you! I¡¯ll return this ne you bought the day before yesterday along with three hundred thousand Universe Credits. Do you know how much the one I was wearing was worth? Eight million!¡±

    The woman yanked off her ne and threw it at Mance before picking up her heels and striding barefoot out of the hotel room.

    ¡°Euanna, I¡¯m sorry...¡± Mance took the ne and lowered his head in silence. ¡°I had to keep my guard up since it involved the Childe family.¡±

    ¡°General.¡± Shortly afterward, a knock was heard from the door.

    ¡°Come in,¡± Mance stowed the ne in his Inventory and shouted in response.

    A young man dressed in military uniform pushed the door open and stepped near the bedside.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Mance went straight to the washroom.

    ¡°General, we have just received word that Gu Ding¡¯s crew has arrived at the port. ording to the chief of staff¡¯s deductions, his crew is after the Childe family this time.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m already aware of this. Someone called mymunicator directly and tipped me off.¡± Mance spoke of the matter with some irritation. Ordinary people did not have his contact number. Except for a few subordinates that were directly under him, the only other person who knew his number was Euanna. Hence, that was why he was so annoyed earlier. Euanna might have leaked his number to the Childe family because she was the ¡°escort¡± they had arranged for him from the start. He had been smitten with that woman for thest few days.

    ¡°Then what shall we do? The young master of the Childe family is going to have his rite of passage soon. They¡¯ve invited many of us to the function. It wouldn¡¯t be very nice if we leave it be, right?¡± the young man asked anxiously.

    ¡°Gu Ding¡¯s crew may not be here to cause trouble. Perhaps they are just here to watch? Just have someone watch over them and see what happens.¡± Even though Mance said as such, he did not think it was the case.

    He knew that Gu Ding¡¯s crew must have had something to the with the Childes. If not, the Childes would not have brought in so many talented people for the rites of passage. He hade across fifteen to sixteen Rank-13 powerhouses in thest few days. One of the guests was even a demigod. It was a little excessive considering it was a kid¡¯s rites of passage.

    Additionally, the main point was that Red Shield was under his own jurisdiction. In theory, a rite of passage like such only required them to invite him¨Cthe Army¡¯s suprememander. However, the Childes had sent out invitations with not just his name on it, but with the names of all the members on his team who had thebat effectiveness of a Rank-12 Gene Body and above. At the time, Rance had noticed something strange but did not give it much thought.

    When he arrived at Red Shield, he could only sense a storm brewing when he saw a lot of powerhouses. It was only then that he realized the Childe family had invited all the powerhouses of his team to serve as cannon fodder. Only after receiving the tip-off did he learn that Gu Ding¡¯s crew was the root of everything.

    As an Army general, he was considered a prominent figure in Faye Cosmic Nation. He had always been a man of his word in the Army. However, he had been tricked by the Childe family this time. First, they found a woman to bewitch him. Then, they got the woman to lure him into serving as cannon fodder against Gu Ding¡¯s crew. It greatly displeased him, so he decided to sit tight and watch.

    Gu Ding and his crew had no idea that such kind of politics was still ongoing on Red Shield.

    As soon as the spaceship docked, everyone gathered in the living room.

    ¡°Gu Ding, shall we go straight to the Childes to find the young master after getting off the spaceship?¡± Elsa was fueled with the urge to fight as she raised her fist. After all, it had been a long time since she had fought anyone, and her hands were itching. Furthermore, the main point was, when she felt that herbat effectiveness was improving a little too slowly, Neptune taught her abat method called Stack Boxing. Using it with the special energy in her body, it worked much betterpared to her using Righteous Force.

    ¡°No hurry, the rites of passage won¡¯t begin until another two days. Do it now and we might have to leave before the rites of passage. We only have to eat and y for the next two days. We¡¯ve been cooped up in the spaceship for more than half a month, so let¡¯s call these two days a holiday.¡± Gu Ding had no intention of settling the score with the Childe family¡¯s young master so soon.

    ¡°That sounds good, but is it safe?¡± Lilliath did not think it was a good idea to show up at the enemy¡¯s door like that.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, they won¡¯t make any big moves until the rites of passage. They¡¯ll just send a few people to test us,¡± Gu Ding said adamantly, ¡°As long as we don¡¯t cause any trouble, they won¡¯t dare do anything. If they did, it would be the equivalent to them announcing to all Interster Pirates that they don¡¯t wee them here. Nearly a third of their business clients are Interster Pirates. Besides, they would want to be more prepared. Two more days is exactly what they want.¡±

    ¡°Humans are reallyplex creatures. If I were you, I would take care of the danger immediately no matter the cost.¡± Neptune had some difficulty in understanding what Gu Ding was thinking. ¡°ording to my calctions, there¡¯s only a 12.88% chance that the Childes will trigger the other Interster Pirates if our crew is killed before the rites of passage. A lot of the businesses they run have a certain advantage in the market, so it¡¯s very unlikely that someone would give up their products, probably less than 5%.¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t calcte these things in terms of probability. All they know is that killing us before the rites of passage would be frowned upon by Interster Pirates, so they wouldn¡¯t dare risk such a thing.¡± Gu Ding shook his head. He was aware that calctions were not always reliable, which was why Neptune was not suited to be the military advisor of their crew.

    ¡°I think Gu Ding has a point. Neptune can calcte the probability of an oue in a split second. However, if it were the Childe family, it would take them a lot more time to gather all sorts of information and data to make such calctions. It would take days or even months for them to work out the probability of an oue.¡± Lilliath nodded. ¡°Therefore, they wouldn¡¯t waste time doing things like that and just use a rough estimate.¡±

    ¡°Then we can get off and have breakfast now.¡± Gu Ding grinned. He was rarely supported by others whenever he disagreed with Neptune who was generally faultless. He was ttered by the support he got for his judgment which did note easy.

 Chapter 234 - An Incomplete Deity Position

    <h4>Chapter 234: An Iplete Deity Position</h4>

    Many powerhouses hade to Ross Childe¡¯s rites of passage. The Childes were reputable. Two demigods were invited. Including the demigod who was already in the family, one could say that they had three demigods guarding them. Additionally, there were twenty-three Rank-13 powerhouses and a few hundred Rank-12 Gene Bodies.

    Condensed into a single force, theirbat strength was only second to the Lord¡¯s bodyguards in the entire Faye Cosmic Nation.

    Nevertheless, they were not a single cohesive force but a collection of dozens of small circles. In other words, everyone had their own agenda and it was not that simple.

    News of Gu Ding¡¯s arrival on Red Shield soon spread. The powerhouses who had been invited to the rites of passage finally figured out who the Childes was facing. They were facing one of the most famous neers in Faye Cosmic Nation¨CGu Ding.

    Most of them had heard Gu Ding¡¯s name because he had been under the media¡¯s spotlight a lottely. In particr, the video in which he and Grand Duke Rnd appeared in the tavern more than half a month ago had been viewed more than ten billion times; it was one of the top one hundred most viewed videos of the year in Faye Cosmic Nation. Hence, it was hard for Gu Ding to keep a low profile.

    Most of the people who hade for the rites of passage had seen that video. Unlike ordinary people who read about thetest gossip, the powerhouses were more concerned about Biggie¡¯s swordsmanship. The two men whom he had beheaded had not managed to attack, so it was impossible to determine his Gene Level. Furthermore, the media did not offer anyments on him. Nevertheless, judging by the speed of his strike, many of them hade to the conclusion that Biggie hadbat effectiveness simr to that of a demigod.

    As for the rest of Gu Ding¡¯s crew, the opponents they had encountered in the videos were at most Rank-12 Gene Bodies. However, the videos were from more than a month ago, and no one could tell how much Gu Ding¡¯s crew members had changed in terms of strength.

    ...

    In the Repentance Tower in the Childe family mansion, Ross was motionless. He kept his back straight, and the upper part of his suit did not have a single wrinkle.

    The heavy tower door was pushed open amid a dull roar. Ross, who had his back to it, heard the sound of footsteps and slowly opened his eyes. ¡°You again?¡± He asked without looking back.

    ¡°How did you know it was me?¡± Lucia asked, somewhat confused.

    ¡°Footsteps are discernible. Servants take small, frequent steps and try to keep themselves as quiet as possible,¡± Ross turned around and exined, ¡°You must be here for another reason aside from bringing me my food? Has Gu Ding and his crew arrived?¡±

    ¡°You guessed right,¡± Lucia said angrily. ¡°They¡¯ve arrived, but instead ofing straight to the door, they casually had breakfast in a shop near the port and then went shopping. It¡¯s like they¡¯re not here for trouble at all.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re waiting for the rites of passage,¡± Ross replied without thinking.

    ¡°In that case, shall we get rid of them before your rites of passage? Lest they make trouble.¡± Lucia thought simply.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you want to see Gu Ding?¡± Ross teased whileughing.

    ¡°I admire him, but not to the point where I¡¯m a mindless fan. For people like us, familyes first, and when necessary, we can sacrifice ourselves, not to mention the rest.¡± Lucia shook her head.

    Her statement made Ross fall silent for a moment before he spoke up again, ¡°It isn¡¯t that easy to make Gu Ding and his crew leave. The family powerhouses cannot attack unless they stir up some trouble. Otherwise, outsiders will take it as we Childes don¡¯t wee Interster Pirates and are hostile to them. There¡¯s a part of our family business that¡¯s tied with Interster Pirates, so we can¡¯t give our clients such an impression.¡±

    ¡°Then, should we let somebody else do it?¡± Lucia pursed her mouth disapprovingly.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure the old man has thought of everything you could possibly think of. You don¡¯t have to worry about this sort of thing. They should have their ns.¡± Ross pointed to the te Lucia was carrying. ¡°Aren¡¯t you tired carrying that for such a long time?¡±

    ...

    Gu Ding and his crew leisurely strolled through the marketce near Red Shield¡¯s port. Just as Gu Ding had expected, the Childes did nothing more than send men to spy on their movements. Hence, Gu Ding¡¯s crew did not even try to shake off their pursuers since there was no need to do so.

    Not to mention, they were aware that there was more than one force stalking them. Gu Ding reckoned that at least one other force was keeping an eye on them and that was the Army. Nevertheless, he did not care, for the Army had made it clear that they did not want to get involved in his feud with the Childe family.

    Gu Ding also knew that just because the Army and the Childes had not done anything, it did not mean they could not get others to intervene.

    They were also stopped on the road by a young man.

    ¡°Well, isn¡¯t this Gu Ding¡¯s crew? It¡¯s quite a coincidence for us to havee across each other at such a ce.¡± The young man appeared to be about twenty years old, around two meters tall, muscr, unarmed, and was clearly a closebat martial arts practitioner like Gu Ding.

    ¡°Is it? You began following us ever since we got off the spaceship,¡± Elsa tantly exposed his lie.

    Elsa was not the only one who had noticed him, the others had noticed him because he was really bad at hiding his tracks. The other stalkers were stealthy, like stars on a rainy night, hardly visible to the naked eye. However, he was like the moon on a clear night, easily visible to the eye.

    The muscr man turned red and coughed awkwardly. He then looked at Gu Ding and shouted, ¡°Gu Ding, do you dare ept my challenge?¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s in it for me if I ept your challenge?¡± Gu Ding did not agree immediately and instead asked.

    ¡°If you lose, you and your crew must leave Red Shield and never set foot on it again,¡± the muscr man recited the lines he had been told to say.

    Hearing this, Gu Ding knew without a second thought that the muscr man had been prompted by the Childe family to challenge him. It was something no ordinary person would have asked for. ¡°Hey, I¡¯m asking for my personal gain, not yours.¡±

    ¡°Your personal gain? No one told me to give you anything,¡± the muscr man muttered, scratching his head.

    ¡°Since there¡¯s no benefit on my end, I refuse your challenge,¡± Gu Ding said boldly.

    ¡°That won¡¯t work. Would you still be a man if you don¡¯t ept my challenge?¡± the muscr man shouted hurriedly.

    ¡°Is there a causal link between epting the challenge and whether or not I am a man? If so, please exin it. Besides, I don¡¯t ept challenges that won¡¯t benefit me. Not epting it doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m afraid to ept it. One more thing, I think I need to remind you that if anyone takes a shot at me without my consent, my crew will collectively take them down.¡± Gu Ding¡¯s words rang in the ears of the surrounding audience. For a brief moment, many of them heard the solemnity in Gu Ding¡¯s tone.

    The muscr man gulped; Gu Ding¡¯sst words had made his back sweat. He had seen the video of Biggie in the tavern, and at that speed, he thought there was no chance of him surviving. Hence, he had jumped out and challenged Gu Ding instead of the whole crew because Biggie was someone who could kill him instantly.

    ¡°What can I do to make you ept my challenge?¡± The muscr man did not step out of the way immediately but asked after a moment of silence.

    ¡°What¡¯s the most valuable thing in your Inventory?¡± Gu Ding asked without beating around the bush.

    ¡°Well...¡± The muscr man hesitated after hearing his question.

    ¡°If you¡¯re not serious about challenging me, just go away and let us shop peacefully.¡± Gu Ding reckoned that there was something of value judging by how hesitant the Rank-13 Gene Body powerhouse was.

    ¡°All right, I¡¯ll talk.¡± Having been pressured by Gu Ding, the muscr man said, ¡°It¡¯s an iplete Deity Position.¡±

    ¡°What? !¡± Not only was Gu Ding stunned, but everyone present was shocked as well.

    The so-called Deity Position was something a demigod coalesced in their soul space after being promoted to a deity. The coalescence of the Deity Position was usually done in the blink of an eye and only deities possessed Deity Positions. Of course, a demigod could be a deity by taking away someone else¡¯s Deity Position, but a Deity Position that had been usurped could not be promoted.

    ¡°I stumbled into a secret border three months ago and found it on the floor,¡± the muscr man exined, ¡°As soon as I picked it up, I was teleported out.¡±

    ¡°Very well, I¡¯ll take it!¡± Gu Ding agreed at once.

    It has to be said that Neptune had blocked allmunication systems on the the moment the muscr man said he was in possession of a Deity Position. He had done so to prevent anyone from informing other demigods.

    A Deity Position was something that attracted demigods who found themselves unable to be deities even after a long time. Even if the Deity Position was iplete, it was sure to be contested by many people.

    Elizabeth was the only one in Faye Cosmic Nation to have be a deity over the years. Hence, one could imagine how difficult it was to ascend from being a demigod to bing a deity. If demigods became aware of the Deity Position, they woulde to like moths drawn to a me, swooping madly around it regardless of the consequences.

    Nevertheless, Neptune also began to worry about their future. He could stop the information from spreading for a while but not forever. News of Gu Ding acquiring a Deity Position would be spread sooner orter. Then, the entire crew would be hunted down by demigods.

    ¡°Gu Ding, we cannot take the Deity Position.¡± Lilliath knew how serious it was. She grabbed Gu Ding by the arm and shook her head at him.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. We¡¯ll take it first. I know how to deal with it.¡± Gu Ding nodded, well aware of the potential disaster it would cause him and his crew if not handled properly.

 Chapter 235 - Crushing With Skill

    <h4>Chapter 235: Crushing With Skill</h4>

    At the end of it, Gu Ding agreed to the muscr man¡¯s challenge.

    A Deity Position, even if broken, was enough to cause demigods to scramble over it wildly. Having a Deity Position meant that one could be a deity right away as a demigod. It was not a random guess without any reason but a fact that had been proven by many humans in history.

    It had been well documented in history that, ever since the Ancient Age, people had be deities by engulfing Deity Positions. From the Ancient Age to Modern Age, there were more than twenty stories that had been recorded regarding a person bing a deity by engulfing a Deity Position.

    In addition to those historical stories, in the current era, there was a man named Raj in Cosmic Sea who had be a deity by engulfing a Deity Position. Therefore, no one doubted the feasibility of promoting bing a deity through that way.

    The Deity Position was of little use to Gu Ding because all of the members in his crew were still a long way from bing deities. Moreover, if one engulfed a Deity Position, one could not ascend unless they stripped it off and reintegrated it with their Deity Position. Otherwise, their cultivation would be restrained by the Deity Position they had engulfed, and they would not be able to achieve a breakthrough. Engulfing a Deity Position was a choice made by demigods who had decided that it was very unlikely they would be promoted to be a deity before the end of their lives. Gu Ding agreed to the man¡¯s challenge because he had other ns for the Deity Position.

    The muscr man was called Marceau, and he was an Interster Hunter. He was a Rank-13 Gene Body. He was not weak and was well known in the Interster Huntermunity. Nevertheless, he had debuted more than eight hundred years ago and rarely caught famous Interster Pirates. Of course, not all the pirates he caught were weak. In fact, he had captured Interster Pirates with bounties of more than eight billion Universe Credits before. Nevertheless, being famous and having a high bounty was not the same thing.

    Kohld Blood had a higher bounty than Gu Ding, but he was not as famous as Gu Ding. Evidently, he was one of the hotter Interster Pirates-it was just that he did not get as much attention as Gu Ding. Marceau had never caught anyone on the A-list and had never seen a guy like Gu Ding who was extremely popr.

    Of course, with the rest of Gu Ding¡¯s crew around, he also knew that his chances of catching Gu Ding were basically nil. Hence, he challenged him. As long as he won, his reputation would increase considerably even if he did not catch Gu Ding. Additionally, the Childe family had secretly gathered sixteen Interster Hunters, including himself. The Childe family had told them that they would receive double the amount of Gu Ding¡¯s bounty if they managed to drive him out of Red Shield. Additionally, they would be entitled to enjoy top VIP treatment in the Childe family as well as 20% off all the Childe family¡¯s goods¨CIt was treatment only demigods could enjoy.

    That was why he had made the conditions of the challenge clear from the very beginning by setting it so that if Gu Ding lost, he had to leave Red Shield immediately and never set foot on it again. In fact, the moment he said that, Gu Ding knew that he had been sent by the Childe family.

    Marceau had felt a bit worried when Gu Ding refused to ept his challenge. However, he was also a little confused, he could have lied or something. However, he unconsciously blurted out the truth instead. He had intended to keep the Deity Position for himself as he was not far away from bing a deity. As soon as he blurted out the secret, he knew that even if he managed to beat Gu Ding in the challenge, he would still lose the Deity Position.

    Gu Ding took a step forward and the crowd scattered around him; they nned on watching from afar.

    Lilliath and the others stepped back one hundred meters away to avoid getting caught up in the fight.

    If Gu Ding had not achieved a breakthrough and became a Rank-7 Gene Body, he would not have a shot at winning the battle. Thankfully, he had already promoted to a Rank-7 Gene Body and had thebat effectiveness of a Rank-13 Gene Body. His opponent this time was a closebat bodybuilder who was a Peak Rank-13 Gene Body. It was going to be a head-to-head fight.

    Gu Ding¡¯s Ultimate Arts Level 12 was now fully activated along with thebat enhancement effects of his Bronze Grade Combat Armor and Level 3 Rage Attack. Instantly, one million points of basicbat effectiveness were increased to be 6.4 billion points. With the special effects of his martial arts field, one could say that hisbat effectiveness surpassed the ten billion point mark. Combined with his Damage Stacking effect, he could achieve a maximumbat effectiveness of over fifty billion points.

    Looking at Gu Ding¡¯s emaciated body, he looked much firmer with the support of his muscles.

    Nevertheless, Marceau only smirked, and his knotted muscles propped up in an instant. His entire figure became muchrger than before. At the same time, other than his muscles and bones, his height skyrocketed from a little over two meters to more than two and a half meters.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t look so good. That guy has an ability called maximum conversion, which is an ability simr to berserker conversion. His strength and defense have tripled in an instant. His basicbat effectiveness is around 95 billion. Now, hisbat effectiveness has been increased to over 280 billion...¡± Neptune was a little worried about Gu Ding. ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want to use that move?¡±

    ¡°At a time like this, there is no need to show all your strength. If you can¡¯t crush him with strength, crush him with skill.¡± Gu Ding clearly intended to hold back.

    A light golden colored Righteous Force flew out from Gu Ding¡¯s body and enveloped it in an instant. Then, just as it was about to finish wrapping itself around it, Gu Ding¡¯s figure suddenly disappeared.

    Gu Ding relied not on speed but on the ultimate skill of Level 12 Silent Step. His movement speed was alreadyparable to the special ability of teleportation, even Biggie could not catch up with him.

    The position where Gu Ding appeared next was the left side of his opponent¡¯s head. Gu Ding leaped high, his body upside down. With his Terminating Finger that carried his horrifying golden Righteous Force, he struck his opponent¡¯s left temple directly just like a meteor. It was as beautiful as could be. The beauty of closebat was applied to perfection in his moves.

    ¡°That move was so beautiful, I want to learn too!¡± Elsa could not help but shout.

    Lilliath noticed that from the moment she met Gu Ding, his moves had been sleek and fluid. However, with Gu Ding¡¯s golden Righteous Force, his moves that were graceful had be more beautiful. The corner of her lips as she quipped, ¡°That move was indeed beautiful, but he¡¯s not performing right now. He¡¯s in actualbat.¡±

    ¡°His moves are very practical,¡± Biggie exined, ¡°Don¡¯t think of his handstand as a useless stunt. In fact, he managed to avoid being counterattacked by his opponent because of it. Gu Ding is shorter from shoulder to head because of his opponent¡¯s size. Gu Ding¡¯s attack was aimed at his opponent¡¯s temple, and anyone¡¯s first instinct would be to duck and then strike back straight out with their left arm. Nevertheless, a straight swing would not hit Gu Ding because of his handstand. If the opponent wishes to hit him, he cannot rely on his instinct to act. He must use his brain to lift the angle of his left arm. Nevertheless, having to do so would mean his response time is dyed, and Gu Ding would be out of his range by then.¡±

    Gu Ding¡¯s would not miss cursing his opponents with his Damage Stacking ability on his first hit. Nevertheless, an attack of more than ten billion points was only like a tickle to Marceau who had nearly three hundred billion points in terms ofbat effectiveness. However, for Gu Ding, he was still warming up.

    After the first blow, without a pause in between, he vanished once again before he reappeared on his opponent¡¯s right. This time, Gu Ding smashed his elbow into his opponent¡¯s right lower rib cage before he disappeared again.

    Before Marceau knew it, Gu Ding had appeared quietly behind him. Gu Ding¡¯s fist waspletely encased in blinding golden force and looked just like a small star. His fierce Steel Fist carried a burning star as it punched the back of his opponent¡¯s head.

    The blow made Marceau feel dizzy, and his vision blurry.

    Gu Ding seemed to have expected it as he suddenly appeared in front of Marceau. His hands supported him as his body twisted violently. In the blink of an eye, the tip of his toes, covered with Righteous Force, violently struck Marceau¡¯s throat three times.

    At thest blow, the distinct sound of a hyoid bone snapping was heard.

    Marceau¡¯s body instantly fell back after he had been hit. The pain was so intense that he clutched his throat as he struggled to control his falling body.

    Nevertheless, Gu Ding knew that it was not enough to make him losebat effectiveness and admit defeat. Hence, he appeared once again. This time, he reappeared behind Marceau, poked out two fingers, and continuously hit the back of Marceau¡¯s neck with a thunderous force three times.

    Marceau felt a sharp paine from the back of his neck and his eyes suddenly darkened before he passed out.

    Gu Ding managed to suppress him almost perfectly without fighting as violently as he had before in the past. It made Gu Ding even more terrifying. All the positions which he had struck were the most vulnerable parts of the human body.

    Those positions were tens or even a hundred times more vulnerable than the rest of the body. Not to mention, when they were hit, they helped Gu Ding achieve special effects that made his fight much easier.

    Marceau had passed out, and the oue of the battle was evident.

    The fight had been recorded by many people. Neptune had blocked theirmunication signals but not their other functions.

    Besides, Gu Ding¡¯s moves in this fight were so beautiful, they were far more beautiful than the ones he had used in his previous battle. Most of the time, he crushed his opponents with force, so there was no need for fancy moves. However, in this battle, Gu Ding did not take more than a blow from his opponent.

    Looking at Marceau, who had passed out and had returned to his original size, Gu Ding walked over to him.

    ¡°His body is fine except for the fact that he¡¯s in aa because you attacked the back of his neck. The worst injury he has is a broken throat. He only has to drink some cell repair agents and rest for a few days.¡± Neptune scanned Marceau¡¯s body and came to a conclusion.

    Gu Ding took the anti-magic handcuffs Robert had made from his Inventory, locked Marceau¡¯s hands, and sat down, waiting for him to wake up.

 Chapter 236 - Gu Dings Plot

    <h4>Chapter 236: Gu Ding¡¯s Plot</h4>

    It took five or six minutes for Marceau to wake up. With the constitution of his Rank-13 Gene Body, it was just as Gu Ding had expected.

    As Marceau opened his eyes, he saw Gu Ding grin and show his white and even teeth. ¡°You lost. It¡¯s about time you handed that thing over, right?¡±

    Marceau looked down at his hands. He was bound by anti-magic chains and was no longer in a position to negotiate. He knew that he had been defeatedpletely this time. Gu Ding was far more inferior to himself in terms ofbat effectiveness, but when it came tobat skills, he was in any means not as good as Gu Ding. Shaking his head helplessly, he opened his Inventory, took out the Deity Position, and handed it to Gu Ding.

    Gu Ding took the Deity Position in his hand and yed with it. The Deity Position looked like a token that was the size of his palm and was entirely ck. He did not know what it was made of but it felt heavy in his hands.

    Nevertheless, several strange symbols and ciphertexts were carved on the token, and Gu Ding could not understand them at all. The most striking thing about it was that it was clearly missing a corner, and along with that missing corner, there was a crack in it visible to the naked eye that was about two centimeters long.

    Gu Ding quickly noticed that many eyes were fixed on the Deity Position in his hands and some of them even had greed in their looks. Gu Ding quietly stowed the token in his Inventory. Then, he took out a key and unlocked the anti-magic chains on Marceau¡¯s hands. ¡°Our deal is done, you are free to go. You¡¯d better go to the hospital. A broken hyoid bone should require a few days of rest.¡±

    Marceau shook his head, clutched his neck, and left in disappointment.

    ¡°Neptune, unlock themunication shield,¡± Gu Ding suddenly made a strange request.

    Neptune was stunned for a while. ¡°In that case, news that we¡¯ve gotten hold of the Deity Position will get out immediately. That would lead to endless trouble.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why I asked you to unlock it. I never intended to keep it for myself from the beginning.¡± Gu Ding grinned. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Do as I say.¡±

    Neptune did not know what Gu Ding was up to. Nevertheless, seeing Gu Ding¡¯s determination, he chose to trust Gu Ding¡¯s decision and unlocked the entire¡¯smunication shield.

    Gu Ding, on the other hand, moved toward the crowd. ¡°Listen, everybody. You can tell any of your demigod friends or elders about me getting the Deity Position. I will auction the Deity Position off to the highest bidder in two days. This kind of auction onlyes once in a lifetime. So, if you miss this one, you may never get a second chance...¡±

    Gu Ding¡¯s statement quickly went viral. Nevertheless, he stayed put as if he was waiting for something.

    Just as he had expected, three figures soon shot in his direction in no particr order.

    The Childe family¡¯s demigod, with an untamed look, looked at Gu Ding fiercely. ¡°Hand that Deity Position over!¡±

    ¡°Why?!¡± Gu Ding asked without flinching.

    ¡°This is the Childe family¡¯s territory. That Deity Position was stolen from us! Do I need any other reason to take it back now?¡± Meyer Childe lied with a straight face.

    ¡°How many people do you think you can fool with a lie like that?¡± Gu Ding raised his eyebrow. ¡°You really should think of how many people are recording this incident here before you speak, old man. I¡¯ve taken a look and estimate that at least eight hundred people recorded my fight with that muscr man. At least six hundred people are recording this conversation. How many people do you think will believe what you said when the videos are uploaded to Sk?¡±

    ¡°Believe it or not, that Deity Position is a family heirloom. We just lost it today,¡± Meyer Childe said with a straight face. He had been a demigod for many years, and he knew that with his talent, bing a deity waspletely out of the question. How could he let go of a Deity Position that had appeared right in front of his very eyes?

    ¡°In that case, describe the Deity Position.¡± Gu Ding clearly wanted to make a fool of him.

    Neptune immediately disabled the projection function of everyone¡¯s intelligent wristwatches because quite a few people had filmed it on video just now. He was afraid that someone would inadvertently project it to Meyer Childe.

    ¡°ck, the shape of a token, about the size of a palm,¡± Meyer Childe replied fluently.

    The answer surprised Gu Ding a little.

    ¡°All Deity Positions that are of lower ranks are basically like that,¡± Neptune said in Gu Ding¡¯s ear. ¡°Keep asking him if it has any other features.¡±

    ¡°Those three points are correct, but that does not make the Deity Position yours. What a lot of people probably don¡¯t know is that Deity Positions of lower ranks are basically ck tokens the size of one¡¯s palm,¡± Gu Ding gave the people a little bit of information before he went on to ask, ¡°Are there any other distinct features of the Deity Position, please describe them.¡±

    ¡°There are some carvings of symbols and ciphertexts on it,¡± Meyer Childe continued to answer Gu Ding¡¯s questions based on what he knew about Deity Positions.

    ¡°The carvings on a Deity Position are actually a projection of the deity¡¯s ability. In other words, basically all Deity Positions have carvings of symbols and ciphertexts on them.¡± Neptune had told Gu Ding to say this. ¡°Are there no other features?¡±

    ¡°I haven¡¯t seen the Deity Position for a long time. I can¡¯t quite remember some of its details. I think that the features I just gave are enough to prove that the Deity Position belongs to my family,¡± Mayer Childe continued cheekily.

    ¡°Is that so? Let me remind you for the sake of uracy, there is a scar on this Deity Position, may I ask whether the scar was made by a saber, a sword, or some other weapon?¡± Gu Ding could not help but smirk when he asked the question.

    Meyer Childe seemed aware that it was a trap. He pretended to recall for a moment when in actual fact, he was thinking about how to answer the question. A momentter, he said, ¡°There are no scars.¡±

    He gave this answer because he remembered clearly that his men had sent him a message saying that Gu Ding had a Deity Position in his hands. However, there was no mention of a scar being on the Deity Position. Hence, he was quite sure that Gu Ding was trying to fool him.

    ¡°Are you sure that it has no scars?¡± Gu Ding continued to ask.

    ¡°I¡¯m very sure. There are absolutely no scars.¡± Mayer Childe¡¯s confident answer left the stalker who had sent him the news tongue-tied.

    ¡°Then I have to tell you with great certainty that the Deity Position I hold in my hand is not the one your family has lost. That¡¯s because there is a conspicuous notch on the Deity Position in my hand,¡± Gu Ding said as he projected a picture of the Deity Position. The notch in its upper-right corner was very visible and could be spotted from almost ten meters away. Such an obvious feature like that was impossible to forget.

    Meyer Childe had nned on ming Gu Ding and Marceau for the damage on the Deity Position. However, only a real deity could damage a Deity Position. If he did that, it would be like pping his own face. Hence, he pretended to look at it carefully and then shake his head in mock regret. ¡°It¡¯s really not the Deity Position of our family. We just lost ours today, so I thought the one you just acquired is ours. It¡¯s all a misunderstanding out of sheer desperation, a misunderstanding...¡±

    The other two demigods next to him despised him from the bottom of their hearts. Evidently, they knew what Meyer Childe was up to. Nevertheless, they were in someone else¡¯s territory, and as guests, they could not simply interpose. They could only wait until the show was over.

    ¡°Since it is only a misunderstanding, this Deity Position is mine. Are there any other objections?¡± Gu Ding nced around and his eyesnded on the other two demigods. ¡°Once again, I¡¯ll have a small auction in two days. The highest bidder will get the Deity Position.¡±

    ¡°Gu Ding, why in two days? Can¡¯t it be auctioned now?¡± A demigod asked a little anxiously. If they were topete for it at the time, only threepetitors would stand. Hence, the odds of them winning the bid were high. No one knew how many people woulde in two days after hearing the news. What would happen then was uncertain.

    ¡°I n on having it in two days for my own safety,¡± Gu Ding said as he shifted his gaze from the demigod to Meyer Childe. ¡°I¡¯m sure a lot of people already know why I¡¯vee to Red Shield. Therefore, there is also one condition to participate in this auction. Before my crew leaves Red Shield, the bidder is not allowed to attack me or my crew members. To anyone who attacks, you can force your way into the auction, but I will ignore your bid.¡±

    Meyer Childe¡¯s face suddenly turned a little sour, and he could not have been clearer about the purpose of Gu Ding¡¯s visit to Red Shield.

    The opponent had set the condition against himself. The two demigods he had invited would certainly choose to join the auction rather than attack Gu Ding. However, he would be put in an awkward position if Gu Ding¡¯s crew directly came into conflict with his family members. If none of his family members managed to suppress Gu Ding, there was no way he could not intervene. However, the moment he attacked Gu Ding, he would lose his ce to bid for the Deity Position. He had lived for more than three thousand years and had never expected himself to be outgunned by a little boy less than sixteen years old. Once his opponent struck, he was almost a hopeless cause. Losing the qualification to be a deity had almost be a foregone conclusion...

 Chapter 237 - The Witch Potie

    <h4>Chapter 237: The Witch Potie</h4>

    Even before he had secured the Deity Position, Gu Ding had thought about what to do with it.

    He thought of Uncle Rnd immediately, but he shot the idea down instantly. For Rnd, the 5-star monster would not engulf someone else¡¯s Deity Position to be promoted to deity level. He would rather run out of his demigod longevity than throw away his pride by doing so. Gu Ding and he were the same in that respect, so he knew that was definitely not an option.

    Then Gu Ding thought about selling it because the rest of his crew did not have much use for it either. First, it was still too early for them to be promoted to deity level. Second, being a deity was not the end in terms of cultivation. Once one took another¡¯s Deity Position, one would lose the possibility of further advancement for the rest of their lives. Though the Deity Position was useless to him, it was invaluable to those who basically had little hope of reaching deity level through other means.

    When the auction was scheduled in the presence of the three demigods, all three demigods, including the Childe family¡¯s demigod, quickly disappeared from the port.

    From Gu Ding¡¯s fight with Marceau to his conversation with the three demigods, all of it was recorded by many and published on Sk.

    All of a sudden, the topic of Deity Position went viral on Sk.

    A Deity Position was a rare auction item. Coupled with video evidence, everyone knew that this Deity Position auction was not a stunt, but a real one.

    As the holder of the Deity Position, Gu Ding¡¯s name once again circted Sk.

    ¡°The boy was so lucky to get a Deity Position. It shouldn¡¯t be difficult to get a good price for it.¡± On a, Rnd was enjoying a roast while watching a video projection of the day¡¯s top trending topic. Gu Ding¡¯s video obviously topped the list. ¡°Goodbat skills, but his basebat effectiveness is a bit poor.¡±

    Alongside Rnd, Elizabeth, who was the Lord, was also watching the video. She was very free during this period. She had other people to help handle everything except for consolidating her cultivation. When she became a deity, she was actually abdicating her ce as Lord. Much of her duties were handed over to the Federal Government staff, so she was relieved. As she watched Gu Ding stop fighting with brute force and fight elegantly, she smirked. ¡°He got stronger again.¡±

    Gu Ding naturally had no idea about the amount of attention he was receiving. He and the rest of the crew had been wandering around after breakfast.

    Although none of Gu Ding¡¯s crew liked the Childes much, after a brief visit to the port and a few stops around it, they had to admit that the was well-run¨CWhether its the standard of living, technology, or its people¡¯s level of education, everything seemed to be perfect.

    Along the pedestrian streets they strolled on, there were various markets on either side. Unlike the incessantly noisy markets on most others, the markets here were orderly and spotless.

    ¡°It looks like the Childe family really took care of the.¡± Gu Ding had been to many others, but only Camilia¡¯s Jiewang was like Red Shield. Red Shield, however, was more orderly than Jiewang. Of course, Jiewang was in Border River, and many Interster Pirates pass through it all year round, so it was normal for it to be less orderly.

    Correspondingly, the also had a disadvantage which was high prices. The average price of the same fruit on others was about half a Universe Credit per kilogram, but here it was at least three Universe Credits a kilogram. Nothing else was cheap either. Neptune briefly estimated that the price of goods here was about five times the average price of goods in Faye Cosmic Nation, but the average ie of residents here was also about five times the average ie in Faye Cosmic Nation.

    For the next two days, everyone was basically on vacation mode. They visited the¡¯s many tourist attractions and some of its specialty snack bars.

    In the eyes of many, Gu Ding¡¯s crew was here for leisure. Even the stalkers of several different forces did not feel the need to continue stalking them.

    Early this morning, in the Childe family, Repentance Tower¡¯s gates finally opened.

    The re of the sunpelled Ross to open his eyes. A tall, middle-aged man stood at the tower¡¯s entrance. He stepped in, and the door closed itself behind him.

    ¡°Tell me, what are you thinking?¡± The man asked in a hushed voice as he approached Ross.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t Lucia tell you?¡± Ross still did not get up. He looked up at the man, his eyes unmoved.

    ¡°You want to run away from the Childe family, why?¡± James wondered why his son was so obstinate.

    ¡°There is a saying in the Modern Age that people who walk different paths cannot make ns together.¡± Ross smirked. ¡°There are a lot of things the Childes do that I despise. In particr, the slogan ¡®family first¡¯ detests me the most.¡±

    ¡°How dare you say that?!¡± James felt the urge to p the ungrateful boy. ¡°The Childes is the legacy of our forefathers. Had it not been for the creed of ¡®family first¡¯, the Childes would have been destroyed countless times by now. Do you think you would be as smart without our family¡¯s fostering? If it hadn¡¯t been for the family wealth and fame that hired you the best teachers and gave you ess to the best textbooks, you think you could have gotten to where you are today?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why I said, people who walk different paths cannot make ns together. All of you havepletely different philosophies and ideas than I do. The first thing I¡¯ll do after my rites of passage is to leave this. I will make an announcement that I am leaving the Childe family.¡± Ross had made up his mind. ¡°I¡¯m going to build a business empire bigger than the Childes on my own. You¡¯ll see who has the right idea.¡±

    James was silent for a moment after hearing this. ¡°You didn¡¯t bring Gu Ding¡¯s crew here just to escape the in the middle of chaos, did you?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no harm in telling you. There¡¯s nothing you can do to stop what¡¯s going to happen tonight anyway.¡± Ross slowly stood up and patted the dust on his pants. ¡°There are two people in Gu Ding¡¯s crew that are my targets. There¡¯s Gu Ding, and there¡¯s the little girl who goes by the name Lilliath.¡±

    ¡°The two of them have something to do with your ns on building a business empire?¡± James frowned slightly.

    ¡°Yes, do you know about the hacking incident that happened at Mideon Media some time ago? The one that caused a dy in the release of the wanted notice for the entire Faye Cosmic Nation.¡± Ross asked with a smile. ¡°Well, it wasn¡¯t a hack. Someone broke into their headquarters and stole a mainframe. The mainframe contains the ultimate confidential information of hundreds of Cosmic Nations, including the Faye Cosmic Nation. Additionally, through that mainframe, as long as they have Harris family gic DNA, they can get through the verification and ess the back end. That little girl, Lilliath, is the key to essing the back end.¡±

    ¡°As for Gu Ding, if I¡¯m not mistaken, he¡¯s not a hacker at all. He must have some type of artificial super-intelligence simr to Sk on him. That¡¯s why he can do most of the things Sk can. We¡¯ve brought their crew here to snatch Gu Ding¡¯s artificial super-intelligence and Lilliath¡¯s gic DNA. Given enough time, I have no problem recing the Harris family as the first information media group in the Cosmic Sea.¡±

    ¡°You? There¡¯s someone else besides you? You have the mainframe?¡± James frowned more than ever, for he had not expected his son to be such an ambitious man.

    ¡°Of course, I have allies that are strong enough, otherwise how would I dare to make such a n?¡± Ross said and snapped her fingers.

    A figure slowly emerged from the darkness. It was a tall woman, wrapped in a ck robe with an image of a blood-red demon emzoned across her chest.

    James also noticed that the robe had three thumb-sized digits¨C002 stamped across the cor. The moment he saw that number, his pupil constricted sharply. He was a little shocked that she was a member of Dark Sectors. However, what struck him the most was the seemingly understated number on her cor. That number represented not only a member of Dark Sectors but also a member of Dark Sectors¡¯ elders group. 002 represented the second elder of Dark Sectors, Potie, who was titled The Witch.

    The thirteen elders of Dark Sectors were ranked ording to their strength from low to high, among which the weakest, the thirteenth elder, was ranked 98th on the Demigod Monster Ranking in the Cosmic Sea. Other than that, the twelfth and eleventh elders were ranked 76th and 55th on the ranking, respectively. The top ten elders were all in the top fifty. Among the strongest three, the third elder was ranked 12th, the second elder was ranked 7th while the senior elder was ranked 3rd.

    This woman was the second elder of Dark Sectors, which meant that so far, she had demonstrated even greaterbat effectiveness than Rnd the sword god, who was ranked 8th. The presence of this woman here spoke volumes about Dark Sectors¡¯ strong interest in aplishing this mission.

    ¡°Hello, Patriarch James, I¡¯m sure you won¡¯t stand in Dark Sectors¡¯ way, will you?¡± Potie lifted her hood to reveal her stunning face. She slightly smirked, and her voice, like a magical sound, vibrated several times in James¡¯s ear. At that moment, James¡¯s eyes began to ze over as he nodded stupidly. Potie reached out a finger and ran the back of it over his clearly defined face. ¡°What a fine man...¡±

    ¡°Potie, he¡¯s my father. Don¡¯t do that to him.¡± Ross frowned slightly.

    ¡°Why? You don¡¯t want me as your stepmother?¡± Potie chuckled over her mouth.

    ¡°I¡¯ll owe you one if you don¡¯t touch him,¡± Ross said with a seriousness about him.

    ¡°Alright, whatever you say.¡± Potie then took a step back and kept her distance from James.

    James slowly regained consciousness, and Ross was already at the door. ¡°My detention is due to end today, right? Guess I¡¯ll be going then...¡±

 Chapter 238 - The Restaurant Encounter

    <h4>Chapter 238: The Restaurant Encounter</h4>

    Ross sat in his room, watching Gu Ding¡¯stestbat video and news about the Deity Position while listening to his subordinate¡¯s debriefing.

    ¡°You mean you¡¯ve been observing them for two days. Everyone in the crew did not cultivate but spent two days eating, drinking, and having fun?¡± Ross frowned slightly after hearing the briefing.

    ¡°He has the Deity Position, and word of the auction is out. The terms of the auction are clear¨CAny demigod who attacks will be disqualified. There are no demigods, and with Biggie¡¯s strength, they have nothing to fear.¡± Lucia did not think it was strange.

    ¡°That guy, Biggie, is really strong, but that should not be a reason not to prepare for a fight.¡± Ross shook his head. ¡°Gu Ding isn¡¯t stupid. He should easily be able to find out that we have more than twenty Rank-13 Gene Body powerhouses and hundreds more that are Rank-12 and above. He knew very well that no matter how strong was Biggie, he couldn¡¯t handle all of them.¡±

    ¡°You mean, they still have something up their sleeves? What makes them so confident this time?¡± The more Lucia thought about it, the more certain she was of it.

    ¡°Before they came, they had no idea that Marceau was going to provoke him, much less that he was going to get the Deity Position. However, the fact that they chose toe anyway suggests that they are well prepared. It¡¯s won¡¯t be difficult to find out that our family has a demigod guard from Sk. Their operations will certainly not overlook our demigod¡¯sbat effectiveness. In other words, they must have a way to deal with demigods. For them, the Deity Position just made things easier. It is also clear from the video that Gu Ding is not afraid of demigods at all.¡± Ross said and paused the video projection on the scene where Gu Ding and Meyer were talking. There was not an ounce of fear in Gu Ding¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°How many demigods did Gu Ding¡¯s auction attract?¡± ¡®Ross asked again after staring at the frozen video projection for a moment.

    ¡°Young master, if you don¡¯t count the old man, there are eleven of them. It¡¯s only noon and we expect more people to arrive before the auction begins.¡±

    ¡°All right, keep your eyes on Gu Ding and let me know if there¡¯s anything¡± Ross nodded, then looked at Lucia. ¡°Let¡¯s get something to eat. There usually isn¡¯t enough at these dinners. Eat more at noon and you won¡¯t be hungry at night.¡±

    ¡°I know of a new store that just opened. It has been doing very well and is highly rated. A friend of mine, who was there yesterday, said it was wonderful. Let¡¯s go there today.¡± Lucia was not a foodie, but she liked to try new things. Whenever there was a new restaurant or a new clothing or jewelry store, she was always eager to visit. ¡°It¡¯s my treat. Think of it aspensation for your detention. After all, you only have detention because I told on you.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no need to feel sorry. I happened to use that time to think, and understood a lot of things these days.¡± Ross was not overly concerned about his detention. ¡°Since you¡¯re going to treat me, I won¡¯t say no.¡±

    ...

    Gu Ding¡¯s crew were gathered at a snack bar at the moment. They sat in a circle and ate with great enthusiasm.

    The reason for not going to a fancy restaurant was simple. The most authentic snacks were usually found along the streets in food stalls. The food at high-end restaurants was usually ted beautifully, but they were not necessarily delicious.

    Besides, Neptune could search for local food ratings in the blink of an eye. Neptune did not have to look far to find various acimed specials. Therefore, every time Gu Ding and his crew visited a, what they ate were usually of the highest ratings.

    However, Neptune was somewhat uneasy for the past two days. He had a vague feeling that something was going to happen. Therefore, his detection system ran over and over again but it never found anything. Ever since Gu Ding was promoted to a Rank-7 Gene Body, his detection radius had expanded to one thousand kilometers, in addition to his gene inventory being enabled for intermediate level restrictions.

    A radius of one thousand kilometers included everything the Childe family-owned but Neptune still could not see what was causing his anxiety, because there was nothing unusual about the Childes.

    He even wondered if the Childes were hiding a deity guard because only deities could escape his detection. However, based on the Childe family¡¯s history and their development over the years, the probability of that was close to zero.

    Just as everyone was enjoying their meal, a ck Predator pulled up outside the restaurant.

    The Predator was a high-end sports car brand owned by the Childe family. Even the lowest configuration costs tens of millions of Universe Credits. The car parked outside was thetest model that just went on sale two weeks ago. It was silver-colored. It was called the tinum Beauty and has a market price of eight hundred million Universe Credits. Only people who had been granted a certain title by the Federal Government were eligible to buy, and they were only allowed to have one.

    This humble restaurant was small and was newly opened. The price of food was also pretty affordable, so most of the people who came here to eat were of ordinary working-ss, and few can afford to drive Predators. Therefore, the car soon attracted a lot of people¡¯s attention.

    However, what was even more remarkable was that the other two ck Giant Armors also came to a stop.

    Car models like Giant Armors were exclusively used by bodyguards. Sure enough, six people, including the driver, stepped out of the two cars. All of them wererge and somewhat intimidating.

    The door of the Predator opened and out came a young man anddy. The man was dressed in a suit and tie, with his hair neatlybed, making him look incredibly smart. His face was extremely handsome, but with just a nce, one could tell that he was young¨Cprobably around sixteen years old. As for the youngdy, her purple dress was elegant, but her doll-like face gave away her age¨Cshe was at most sixteen or seventeen years old.

    The couple¡¯s appearance attracted a lot of attention, and Gu Ding and his crew looked in their direction.

    ¡°It¡¯s Ross!¡± Gu Ding recognized him immediately. Neptune had shown him Ross¡¯s profile, which also included a photo of him.

    ¡°He¡¯s Ross Childe?¡± Lilliath looked him over carefully and concluded. ¡°He looks better in person.¡±

    Elsa chimed in. ¡°He¡¯s indeed handsome.¡±

    ¡°Are we doing it?¡± Ever since Biggie regained hisbat effectiveness, he seems to be open to any kind ofbat.

    ¡°There¡¯s no hurry. We¡¯ll wait for dinner.¡± Gu Ding took his eyes off Ross and continued eating, seemingly unfazed by his presence.

    Seeing that Gu Ding had no intention of doing anything, Lili and the others withdrew their eyes and continued eating their food.

    ¡°Why wait until tonight? He doesn¡¯t have a lot of bodyguards right now. Wouldn¡¯t it be good to take this opportunity?¡± Elsa asked in confusion.

    ¡°I said I would attend his rites of passage. If I do anything before the rites of passage, his rites of passage would be ruined and I wouldn¡¯t have kept my word.¡± Gu Ding¡¯s reason was simple. He said he would attend his rites of passage, so he would be there.

    Hearing this exnation, the others did not ask any more questions about it.

    Surrounded by several bodyguards, Ross and Lucia entered the small restaurant.

    The moment Ross walked in the door, he saw Gu Ding and his crew, because Biggie and Robert¡¯s body size stood out. When he saw Gu Ding¡¯s crew, he was shocked because he did not expect to run into them in a ce like this. Ross remembered that the Modern Age had a saying; ¡°enemies are bound to meet on a narrow road¡±. It was the most appropriate way to describe this situation.

    Noticing something wrong with Ross, Lucia looked in the direction of his gaze. Her heart throbbed when she saw Gu Ding¡¯s crew. She nudged Ross, who was ahead of her, and said in a low voice, ¡°Get into the private room quickly, before they see you.¡±

    Just then, Gu Ding appeared to turn casually toward them and smirked. Lucia had a bad feeling. Gu Ding¡¯s smile clearly telegraphed that he had noticed their presence. Strangely though, he did not respond in any other way. Instead, he watched them go upstairs to a private room.

    Once inside, Lucia breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°Get the family to send more people. Six bodyguards are too few.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous, Gu Ding won¡¯t make a move.¡± Ross was very sure.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be so sure. We only have six bodyguards now, and two of them are only Rank-12 Gene Bodies. Now is the best time to do it. If I were you, I would do it now.¡± Lucia said anxiously.

    ¡°Gu Ding said he was attending my rites of passage. The rites of passage haven¡¯t even started, he won¡¯t do anything.¡± Ross judged confidently. ¡°Besides, they would have attacked the moment we came in if they wanted to. Don¡¯t be so nervous. Let¡¯s order and get something to eat.¡±

    After about ten minutes, Gu Ding¡¯s crew finally finished their meal.

    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go and say hello to the Childes¡¯ young master.¡± Gu Ding paid their bill at the front desk and beckoned to the others.

    The group walked up to the second floor. The Childe family¡¯s bodyguards knew who Gu Ding and the others were, but they still stopped them.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be so nervous, I just have a matter to consult your young master about.¡± Gu Ding did not force his way through.

    ¡°Let them in!¡± Ross¡¯s voice came from the private room.

    The leading bodyguard reluctantly pushed the private room¡¯s door open, and Gu Ding and his crew filed in, followed by the six bodyguards.

    The private room that could have held twelve people now seemed a little crowded.

    Ross sat where he was with his eyes fixed on Gu Ding. ¡°Just get straight to the point.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s your rites of passage tonight. As long as you apologize to Lili in front of everyone, we can leave it at that. If you refuse, and you¡¯ll suffer the consequences.¡± Gu Ding dropped a remark. ¡°You have the afternoon to consider my offer.¡±

    Ross smirked a little and shook his head at Gu Ding¡¯s suggestion. ¡°I don¡¯t need the afternoon. I¡¯ll give you my answer now¨CI won¡¯t apologize. If you have nothing else to say, I haven¡¯t finished my lunch...¡±

    ¡°Good, we¡¯ll see you tonight!¡± Gu Ding dropped the remark, turned around, and walked out of the private room.

 Chapter 239 - Battle Of The Monsters

    <h4>Chapter 239: Battle Of The Monsters</h4>

    At night, under a clear starry sky, Ross Childe¡¯s rites of passage started as scheduled.

    The Childes reserved thergest Squire Square on the. The lights around the square lit up the whole area, making it seem as if it were day.

    Although one needed an invitation to enter the party, Gu Ding¡¯s crew did not receive an invitation and were not prevented from entering. The guards simply red at them and moved aside.

    Looking at the huge square and all its borate decorations, Lilliath could not help praising, ¡°It¡¯s really quite impressive, but the more powerful the family is, the less extravagant the rites of passage will be.¡±

    Indeed,pared with the Harris family, the Childe family was at best a countryside nouveau riche with no history.

    ¡°Gu Ding, when are we going to attack?¡± Elsa seemed eager to start fighting. Since learning Stack Force from Neptune, she never got a chance to show off her newly learned skills.

    ¡°At the height of the party, of course.¡± Gu Ding did not see Ross Childe, who was the star of the party, but there were plenty of powerful guys.

    ¡°There are sixteen demigods, twenty-eight Rank-13 Gene Bodies, and more than a hundred that are Rank-12 and above.¡± Neptune quickly gave them the statistics. ¡°However, with the Deity Position in hand, it is unlikely that any but the demigod of the Childe family will attack us. Don¡¯t look down on your opponent though, no one knows what Ross Childe has up his sleeves. He¡¯s an expert in strategy, I¡¯m sure there¡¯s something we don¡¯t know about.¡±

    ¡°Unless he can get the deities toe, he is doomed to fail.¡± Gu Ding admitted that Ross was a smart guy, but the sheer difference in strength between them was not something that could be solved with brains alone.

    About half an hourter, almost everyone had reached. James, the patriarch, stepped onto the makeshift stage in the middle of the square.

    ¡°Today, I am very happy that all of you can attend my son¡¯s rites of passage, I hereby toast you...¡±

    After some pleasantries, James began to tell funny stories about Ross¡¯s childhood on stage, while Ross stood under the stage, smiling faintly without a word.

    Most of James¡¯s stories were not about the famous genius¡¯s achievements on any given day, but about the little details in life¨Csome embarrassing things that ordinary kids do. There was a lot ofughter, and now and then he looked at Ross as if hoping he woulde around and stop pursuing his ambitions. However, Ross did not respond at all. It was as if the person in the stories was not him at all.

    It was more than half an hourter when James finally brought Ross on stage. He sighed and walked off the stage, knowing that it was all toote.

    Ross strode onto the stage, his ck suit as sleek as ever, without a wrinkle in sight. A brown striped tie with a white shirt made him look energetic.

    After taking the stage, he went straight to the point. ¡°In Ancient Times, the primal rites of passage was not really a feast, it was a hunt. Only young men who hunt prey strong enough can be truly recognized by the other members and be a real adult. Therefore, today, I¡¯m going to use that ritual to prove to the world that I¡¯m an adult. My hunting target is here today. He is¨C4-star monster Gu Ding!¡±

    The crowd was shocked, and most did not expect things to turn out this way. This was because Gu Ding had just proved two days ago that he was strong enough to defeat Peak Rank-13 Gene Body martial art practitioners while Ross Childe, who had never shown his strength dared to challenge Gu Ding.

    The scene was immediately captured on video.

    Gu Ding walked slowly onto the stage and looked Ross in the eye. He did not seem surprised that Ross would challenge him. ¡°Onest chance for you, apologize! Otherwise, I won¡¯t have any reservations about killing you.¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t I give you my answer at noon?¡± Ross smirked. ¡°If you didn¡¯t understand, I¡¯ll repeat it¨CI¡¯m not apologizing.¡±

    ¡°In that case, go to hell to reflect on it!¡± As Gu Ding spoke, Bronze Grade Combat Armor was summoned. Ultimate Arts Level 12, Rage Attack, Advanced Iron Block, and martial arts field were all opened at the same time, and hisbat effectiveness was instantly driven to its peak.

    Gu Ding immediately appeared in front of Ross, the five fingers on his right hand clenched into a fist. Strong Steel Fist carried the golden Righteous Force and punched out crazily, like aet across the night sky, toward Ross¡¯s face.

    ¡°Gu Ding, actually I¡¯m a Rank-7 just like you. Do you know why I challenged you?¡± Ross showed no signs of nervousness. Instead, he smirked and continued, ¡°I¡¯m a monster just like you, but I¡¯m a stronger 5-star monster than you! You can go toe to toe with a Rank-13 Gene Body, right? However, a Rank-13 Gene Body is nothing to me! I¡¯ve challenged you as my first battle. Once I suppress you, countless people will know my name...¡±

    Ross said and held out his left hand, which turned into a huge blood-red palm and intercepted Gu Ding¡¯s deadly punch. His other hand turned blood-red as he pressed it onto Gu Ding¡¯s chest. Gu Ding was hit by a force that sent him flying upside down.

    Then Ross¡¯s whole body began to change dramatically. He transformed from a handsome young man into a tall red giant. The giant was even taller than Biggie and Robert. His forearms alone were much bigger than Biggie¡¯s thighs. Ross¡¯s clothes burst apart to expose his naked body. Everyone could see that he was entirely red, giving the impression that he had been stripped of his skin, exposing his crimson muscle fibers. His eyes were dark, no one could see the whites of his eyes nor his pupils. Some even noticed that Ross, who was in this state, had lost his gender identity. All the organs that determined a person¡¯s sex hadpletely disappeared from his body.

    ¡°Gu Ding, do you see this? This is my real strength...¡± Ross¡¯s voice sounded like three or four voicesing together, and there was something eerie and uncanny about the sound as it came out.

    Lilliath looked in the direction where Gu Ding was falling, a little worried. Based on her current pupiry power, she was able to pick up their fighting movements, but she was not really sure how hurt Gu Ding was.

    There was little change in Biggie¡¯s expression, which relieved Lilliath a little. Tagore stared at Ross with a strange look in his eyes. Robert, too, saw how the battle was going, yet he did not move.

    ¡°He got a lot stronger after he transformed!¡± Elsa was more interested in Ross¡¯s transformation. ¡°However, why do I feel like there¡¯s something sinister about this power?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right. It¡¯s a purgatorial brute beast.¡± Tagore hopped on Elsa¡¯s shoulder and whispered in her ear, ¡°He probably took a brute beast¡¯s genes and modified it into his own. In a base ne like this, it can only be recognized by those who have dealt with purgatorial creatures.¡±

    ¡°Is a brute beast that horrifying?¡± Elsa could not help asking.

    ¡°A real brute beast may only be cannon fodder in Purgatory, but it is almost impossible to rival it in the Base ne. Since brute beasts are born with demigodbat effectiveness, when they reach adulthood, they immediately have the equivalentbat effectiveness of a Lower Ranking deity.¡± Tagore exined.

    ¡°I¡¯ve heard Dad mention Purgatorial ne before. It¡¯s scarier than Abyss ne and is extremely dangerous. He once went to the third level and was attacked by a very powerful insect before he escaped.¡± Elsa longed for a ce like this, and it was hard for her to imagine that her Dad would lose a battle.

    ¡°Your Dad is already so strong that Lower Ranking deities have little chance of surviving that guy,¡± Tagore said and remained silent, turning his eyes to the battlefield.

    Gu Ding rose from underneath the debris, and with the blow, he had just barely managed to exert the repulsive effect upon himself. It increased his defense by tenfold.

    Under the twenty-fold aid of the Advanced Iron Block, his defense had already reached 128 billion points. With a tenfold increase, his defense went directly over one trillion, easily stopping Ross¡¯s attack.

    Although Ross was only a Peak Rank-7 Gene Body, a Peak Rank-7 usually had the basic attack effectiveness of ten thousand points. However, Ross was a 5-stars ranking monster, his basicbat effectiveness was ten thousand times more than an ordinary person, bringing it to a total of one hundred million points. Add in an eight thousand-fold increase inbat effectiveness after the transformation, and he had eight hundred billion. This level ofbat effectiveness was extremely scary, as new demigod martial arts practitioners usually only had one hundred billion points.

    Gu Ding heard Neptune¡¯s voice in his ear.

    ¡°Gu Ding, this guy imnted himself with the brute beast¡¯s gene and acquired their ability to transform. Not only does the brute beast¡¯s attack effectiveness increase significantly after transformation, but so does its defense. Even if you exert a repulsive effect on yourself, with your current attack effectiveness, it¡¯s almost impossible to defeat him by force. The only way is to attack his weakness.¡±

    ¡°Brute beasts¡¯ weakness is usually at the nape of their neck, but I¡¯ve just scanned his body and found that it has been moved up to the back of his head. This vulnerable position is harder to spot because of hair covering it. The weakness of brute force is very obvious, and the nape¡¯s defense is less than one percent as strong as the skin. Even if this guy modified it, it¡¯s not going to help much, because the gene temte he¡¯s using is from a brute beast. He can only alter some of its details. There¡¯s no way he could eliminate the w.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, Neptune. I¡¯ll get rid of him in no time.¡± Gu Ding slowly stood up as he emerged from the ruins.

 Chapter 240 - The Witch Attacks

    <h4>Chapter 240: The Witch Attacks</h4>

    Gu Ding stepped out of the ruins, but a powerhouse could tell by the sound of his feet that he was not harmed at all by the attack. A tenfold repulsion gave Gu Ding a tenfold increase in defense which allowed him to withstand the blow.

    Ross was slightly puzzled to see Gu Dinge out of it unscathed. He clearly remembered that the blow he had just delivered went straight to Gu Ding¡¯s chest, without any resistance from him. By right, even a Peak Rank-13 Gene Body powerhouse¡¯s sternum would have been crushed by his blow. Even if he survived, it should be hard for him to get back up. However, Gu Ding looked as if the blow did not faze him at all.

    Ross remembered the tactile sensation from the palm of his hand being solid, meaning that he had hit something solid and that everyone had seen Gu Ding¡¯s body flying upside down. It made him wonder if Gu Ding had just used something like Body Double Arts to deflect the damage elsewhere. He did not think Gu Ding¡¯s defense would be strong enough that he could receive such a blow without taking damage.

    He was most convinced of this when he studied the video of Gu Ding¡¯s battle with Marceau the day before yesterday, and Gu Ding simply won due to his skill. If Gu Ding had been able to defend himself, he would not have to be so cautious in the battle with Marceau. However, Gu Ding¡¯sbat skills were all used to avoid his counterattack in the first ce, meaning he did not want to be hit. Marceau, though much stronger than half of the Rank-13 martial arts practitioners, was not half as strong as him, so the argument that Gu Ding¡¯s defense was stronger than hisbat effectiveness was simply not tenable.

    Not only did Ross have this question, but the other onlookers were also surprised. They could clearly sense Ross¡¯s strength through his vibe. With the power of that blow earlier, they could probably guess how much there was. However, when Gu Ding emerged out of the rubble unscathed, he did indeed drop a few jaws.

    Lilliath, however, was relieved to see Gu Ding was alright.

    ¡°Is this what you call power?¡± Gu Ding said with a hint of sarcasm. ¡°Gically engineer yourself from some strange beast?¡±

    Ross turned a little pale at this. ¡°What do you know?¡±

    ¡°I know what you know.¡± Gu Ding regained his footing slowly and fixed his eyes on Ross Childe.

    ¡°¡®Then you can die with this secret!¡± Ross suddenly broke out into a frenzy. He did not want Gu Ding to spread the word about his use of purgatory creatures in modifying his gene. This was because purgatory creatures were extremely evil creatures, essentially mortal enemies of the human race. Someone who used other beasts for gic modification would at best be called a mad scientist, but using purgatory creatures¡¯ genes would be nothing short of anti-human.

    This was because gic modification was almost irreversible and inheritable. Integrating purgatory creatures¡¯ genes into human genes, and if this gic trait was passed onto future generations, it was likely that tens of thousands of yearster, there would be an enormous number of people infected with this gene.

    One by one, Gu Ding¡¯s body glinted, dodging Ross, again and again, looking for an opportunity to strike. Although he would not suffer any real damage if he was hit, the force of each shock still affected his movements.

    Ross, on the other hand, was extremely vignt. Since his opponent knew he was using brute beast¡¯s genes, he would also know where the brute beast¡¯s weaknesses were. Although he transferred it, he was still afraid to take risks. Therefore, at the same time as the attack, he had been maintaining a highly defensive posture.

    Ross threw everything he had into each blow. As he maintained the brute beast¡¯s transformation, each blow was like a nuclear explosive grenade from a destructive armored vehicle. Had it not been for the dozen of demigods working together to form a primary power barrier, he would have destroyed the entire city.

    Gu Ding, however, seemed at ease under this kind of attack. He was no slower than his opponent and had the advantage of martial arts. Ross¡¯s efforts werepletely futile. Even the asional shock could do no harm to Gu Ding¡¯s strong defense.

    After a series of hundreds of punches, not an inch of Squire Square was intact. The belligerent onught also led Ross to finally expose one small window of opportunity.

    If it were ordinary people, such windows of opportunity would be pointless, they would certainly have no chance to attack.

    However, Gu Ding¡¯s Ultimate Arts could do things no human could. He took a Silent Step and appeared behind Ross.

    Three Terminating Fingers carried three golden force, that fell like meteors drew three different arcs across the sky, all of which hit exactly the same spot on the back of Ross¡¯s head.

    Gu Ding¡¯s counterattack happened in the blink of an eye.

    While everyone was still wondering why Gu Ding chose to attack the back of his head, Ross¡¯s body copsed and began to shrink rapidly.

    At that moment, dozens of Rank-13 Gene Bodies and hundreds of Rank-12 Gene Body powerhouses pounced at Gu Ding at the same time, and one of them quickly saved Ross from the battlefield.

    ¡°Mind your own business!¡± Gu Ding pulled his foot out and directly struck a man on the side of his head. The man¡¯s neck fractured, causing him to die on the spot.

    After imposing a tenfold increase on his repulsive effect, Gu Ding was not only tenfold stronger in defense, but also tenfold stronger in attack effectiveness. He now had hundreds of billions of points inbat effectiveness with any ordinary strike. Those Rank-13 Gene Bodies at most had eighty billion or ny hundred billion ofbat effectiveness, they naturally had no way of surviving Gu Ding¡¯s attack.

    Seeing some helpers joining his opponent¡¯s battle crew, Biggie and the others finally made a move.

    Biggie shed with his saber, and two of the Rank-13 Gene Bodies that were blocking him were cut in half in an instant.

    Wherever Elsa¡¯s axnded, the shock from it was so great that everyone else was disarmed of their weapons and killed on the spot, causing the ground to flow with blood.

    As for Lilliath, with her sniper attacks, her victims turned into ashes directly, and no one could avoid this fate.

    Tagore stretched his paw and tore multiple space cracks in the void with a force no less powerful than Biggie¡¯s saber.

    Robert finally had his first personal battle. All his fingers turned into cannon barrels at the same time, and dense white beam balls shot out continuously. They were particle beam cannons, a weapon he had modified to destroy the cellr structure of the human body through heat. Any ce the white beam balls hit would produce a horrible burning effect. If one¡¯s defense was not strong enough, it would directly puncture them and they would die on the spot due to the damage of internal organs.

    Gu Ding¡¯s crew truebat effectiveness was finally fully demonstrated at this moment.

    Strong Rank-12 and Rank-13 Gene Bodies were likembs ready to be ughtered in front of the six of them and were ughtered in less than three minutes.

    This scene was undoubtedly shocking.

    Only then everyone understood why Gu Ding dared toe to Red Shield. It was because his crew was strong enough. They were now showingbat effectiveness that even the Childe family¡¯s demigod would not have dared to contest. He was still hesitant to attack after those Rank-13 martial arts artists had struck because he really wanted the Deity Position. However, he immediately chose to stay put when he saw Gu Ding¡¯s crew¡¯s performance.

    Although he knew that Gu Ding¡¯s crew did not have any demigod items in their hands, and were incapable of killing him, after seeing the strength they showed, it was not difficult for them to join forces and beat him to a pulp. Judging from what Gu Ding had just done, he knew he could not kill Gu Ding. His hair was disheveled, and he was now not as neat as usual.

    Just then, Ross woke up, someone wrapped his naked body in arge robe, making him look rather odd.

    He looked at Gu Ding with slight astonishment, mostly puzzlement and anger, after seeing the bodies strewn across the floor. ¡°How do you know where my life-gate is? I had already modified that gene and moved the life-gate.¡±

    ¡°I told you. I know what you know.¡± Gu Ding looked at him coolly. ¡°You now have two choices: die or apologize! Don¡¯t think your old ancestor can save you.¡±

    ¡°I have a few corrections to make. First of all, I don¡¯t need the Childes to save me. Second, it will only be you, not me, who dies here today. Third, we¡¯re going to get Lilliath. No one here today is going to stop me from going ahead with my n.¡± Ross pulled a sinister smile as he said this.

    ¡°Hey, are you out of your mind?¡± As Gu Ding finished, a ghostly figure coalesced silently in front of him.

    Biggie, Elsa, and the others immediately raised their guard and attacked, but their attacks were strangely unsessful, and they could only watch helplessly as the dark shape coalesced.

    It was a tall woman wearing a ck robe¨Ca blood-red devil logo on the chest. This robe in particr also had three inconspicuous digits¨C002 on its upturned cor.

    ¡°Dark Sectors!¡± Everyone reacted immediately.

    Not only did Gu Ding¡¯s crew, but everyone else recognized the woman¡¯s identity right away. Besides that, some of the demigods also judged from the number on the woman¡¯s cor that this person from Dark Sectors was the witch Potie. Many demigods¡¯ faces took on a ghastly expression. She was the seventh most powerful being on the Demigod Monster Ranking, with the power to kill deities. She was not someone they couldpete against.

    ¡°Handsome, you¡¯re mine.¡± Potie lifted her hood and yfully smiled at Gu Ding. She grabbed his cor and Gu Ding disappeared in the blink of an eye.

 Chapter 241 - Roberts Ultimate Kill

    <h4>Chapter 241: Robert¡¯s Ultimate Kill</h4>

    Gu Ding disappeared, but the woman from the Dark Sectors remained where she was.

    Biggie, Robert, and Tagore¡¯s attacks arrived almost at the same time, but Potie held out her hand that seemed slow but was in fact swift, and easily stopped them all. Then her eyes fell on Lilliath, who was clearly her second target.

    Robert clenched his fist immediately, his whole wrist rapidly transformed into a thick cannon barrel. He targeted the cannon barrel on the woman, and then, without warning, a sh of ck energy shot out of the cannon barrel at a speed beyond the perception of the naked eye, instantly drowning her figure in it.

    ¡°Damn it! What is this?¡± After the ck energy disappeared, Potie¡¯s figure once again appeared, and her left hand, which she used to block the attack, appearedpletely disintegrated.

    ¡°This is an oriented antimatter annihtion cannon, which can produce annihtion effects even if your body is made of pure energy particles,¡± Robert exined in a very serious tone. ¡°In other words, even if you are a real deity, the attack would be capable of harming you.¡±

    Potie did not realize that the toughest guy in their crew would be the most unassuming robot. Her left hand began to slowly take form again. In fact, her body, just like Rnd, had alreadypleted the entire materialization, and she was only one opportunity away from bing a deity. The deities were called deities because they were no longer flesh and blood. Therefore, the only way to die was for the energy that made up the body to be destroyed. Just like the one that just lost one hand, they could grow it back in the blink of an eye. Although the robot¡¯s antimatter annihtion cannon could cause her some damage, it was almost impossible for it to kill her.

    Robert also knew that Potie would not give up so easily. He took a weapon from the Inventory and handed it to Biggie. ¡°The intelligent optical ion shock saber may not be a god item, but it can cause damage to demigods and deities at an atomic level. As it carried primary intelligence, the saber could simte some features of a metal saber, such as the impact of the metal, the toughness of the metal...¡±

    ¡°Thanks, that¡¯s exactly what I needed.¡± What Biggie needed was a weapon that could cause damage to the opponent. With the ion saber in his hand, Biggie took a step forward and held Lilliath behind him.

    ¡°I¡¯ll get that little girl!¡± Potie¡¯s left hand was now wholly reformed. It was no different than it was before. She might say so but she did not act immediately. Instead, she pulled three coffins out of the Inventory.

    ¡°Looks like this woman¡¯s gonna do it...¡± Many demigods have heard of Potie¡¯s forbidden arts.

    No one dared to deny Potie¡¯s strength, because she did not only have formidable closebat effectiveness, her spirit strength was also extremely terrifying. However, these two were not the most feared factors. It was because she knew a very special forbidden art. This forbidden art was also the main reason why she was ranked so high on the Demigod Monster Ranking.

    Corpse dummy arts was the name of this forbidden art. It was handed down from the Middle Ages by the Witch Tribe. Potie had inadvertently inherited and acquired a few tricks, but just a few were already enough to increase herbat effectiveness to a terrifying level.

    The three coffins rose slowly. Their lids opened automatically, and three whole bodies were revealed to everyone.

    This scene made the surrounding audiences tremble with fear.

    All the lights around the square had been broken because of the battle between Gu Ding and Ross. Despite most of them having extraordinary eyesight, the light and strange energy disturbance from the bodies left most people with only a vague outline of the face in the coffin, unable to identify who they were.

    Potie quickly pinched her hands, and momentster, the three bodies in the coffin finally opened their eyes.

    Biggie and the others immediately felt a tremendous amount of pressure from those three coffins.

    Finally, the three bodies slowly moved. They stepped out of their coffins almost simultaneously.

    Only then could everyone see their faces clearly.

    There was much whispering in the air.

    ¡°Is that Dunn, who was number three on the Demigod Monster Ranking two hundred years ago?¡± One pointed to the one-eyed man in the middle.

    ¡°The one on the left seems to be Scrogg, who was ranked fourth on the Demigod Monster Ranking three hundred years ago?¡± Someone also identified the slender man on the left.

    ¡°The big guy on the right looks like Maguk, who was ranked seventh on the Demigod Monster Ranking eighty years ago. I heard he was killed by Potie and reced.¡±

    ¡°Scrogg, who was number four, and Dunn, who was number three seem to have been killed by Olmor, the senior elder of the Dark Sectors... Now that their bodies are here. They should be given to Potie by Olmor. Since Potie can control all three, her actualbat effectiveness would make her qualified to rank number four on the Demigod Monster Ranking.¡±

    Robert was the first to react when he saw the trio step out. He pulled four white energy spheres out of his Inventory. The four spheres were about thirty centimeters in diameter each. They were all white, emitting blinding rays of light.

    Robert stuffed the four spheres into his body, one after the other, and his body began to transform acutely. In the blink of an eye, the original humanoid transformed into a huge ice blue and silver cannon.

    The structure of the cannon barrel was simr to that of the Deicide Lilliath had seen before, but the cannon Robert had transformed wasrger and more sophisticated.

    ¡°Biggie and Tagore, take care of Elsa and Lili. Although I can aim the attack, the aftermath of the attack will also affect those around me. Besides, close your eyes and open them after ten seconds.¡± Robert¡¯s voice reached their ears, and almost at the same moment, four terrible white shes of light, as violent as a ster explosion, lit half the dark into daylight. The intense roar even reverberated through the¡¯s atmosphere, rapidly spreading to every corner of the administrative, three hundred times the size of Cerule. The sound traveled beyond the bounds of physics and reached the speed of light.

    In that instance, everyone on the thought it was the end of the world and looked in horror at the white sky.

    The four shes did notst long.

    Ten secondster, Biggie and the others opened their eyes and looked at the white sky where the light had not dissipated. Their eyes somewhat bewildered. However, he soon saw that Robert¡¯s huge body began to melt after the wave of attacks.

    ¡°This is by far my strongest attack, the super nuclear annihtor cannon. If I hit them head-on, those four guys should also be dead. However, in order to have controlled an attack of this magnitude, my energy has been entirely exhausted, and that¡¯s all I can do. The rest is up to you. Protect Lili and save Gu Ding...¡±

    Robert¡¯s body slowly turned into a ball of liquid metal, and Biggie immediately stowed the metal ball Robert had turned into away in his Inventory.

    The sky was now dark again, and the night was clearer than ever.

    ¡°Damn the Mechanical Tribe!¡± A woman¡¯s curse rose from the distant ruins.

    Biggie took a step forward and held Lilliath behind him. Even Tagore, who had never taken his opponents seriously, had a grave look in his eyes.

    ¡°What a surprise. Gu Ding¡¯s crew is harboring the human race¡¯s arch-enemy¨Cthe Mechanical Tribe.¡± Potie slowly walked out, the left side of her body had been blown up. Everything from the left waist up to the shoulder was gone. Even the left side of her neck was blown off. However, she was still alive after suffering such injuries, and her body was undergoing rapid and visible healing.

    ¡°Not all of the Mechanical Tribe is bad. Not all of humanity is good too. Are there not scumbag organisations such as the Dark Sectors in the human race?¡± Lilliath said sharply.

    ¡°The little girl has a pretty sharp tongue. I can¡¯t wait to see you kneel and beg for mercy after I kill all yourpanions,¡± Potie sneered.

    ¡°Do you really think you can win when all three of your paramours arepletely dead? Old woman that no man wants, you¡¯d better go home and y with corpses!¡± Lilliath continued taunting.

    ¡°You...¡± Poti was fuming. It was the first time she had ever been called an old woman. She did not know how to retort all of a sudden. A momentter though, a look of pleasant surprise appeared on her face. ¡°Are you really so naive to think that Mechanical Tribe guy can take out Dunn and Scrogg so easily?¡±

    Potie was not sure whether the three corpse dummies were destroyed. She went into an alert state when Robert transformed, so she dodged the instant Robert attacked. However, half of her body was still hit badly and she almost died. Under the great impact of that energy, she momentarily lost her sense of the three corpse dummies, which she thought were all destroyed. However, just now she sensed that Dunn and Scrogg were reacting again, which meant they had not been killed.

    Just as Potie spoke, the sound of rubble shifting about could be heard. The two remaining corpse dummies slowly emerged from the rubble.

    Dunn¡¯s body, from his upper abdomen down, was gone, but his body was still rapidly repairing itself.

    Scrogg¡¯s entire upper body was gone, even his head was gone, but he still had not died. His body was rapidly repairing itself.

    Biggie¡¯s brow furrowed as he saw what he knew was bound to be a tough fight...

 Chapter 242 - The Heavily Wounded Tagore

    <h4>Chapter 242: The Heavily Wounded Tagore</h4>

    Robert¡¯s madness eventually failed to win the result he wanted. The Mechanical Tribe¡¯s kill, which was strong enough to kill deities, was still slightly inferior to the demigods who had the power to kill deities.

    Out of the four demigods, only one had fallen and that was the weakest Maguk. Although the other three, including Potie, were also severely injured, it was not difficult for them to restore their bodies, which had materializedpletely. Of course, It was not as if Robert¡¯sst catasphrophic blow did not affect the trio. The horrific attack not only destroyed their bodies but also consumed more than 90% of their energy in an instant.

    Even with less than 10% of energy left, demigods with the power to kill deities were without a doubt terrifying.

    Lilliath and the others were in crisis again.

    ¡°Protect Lili and save Gu Ding.¡± That was Robert¡¯sstmission.

    Biggie took a deep breath. Holding the knife in both hands, he started to gain a strong momentum uncontrobly. He did not know how far he could go, but he knew that he could not let his teammates down, so he had to push himself to the limit.

    As the momentum continued to climb, the sky, which was clear earlier due to the energy impact before, actually created a ck cloud, above which lightning shed. A sh of lightning shed in the blink of an eye, and in the electric light, the crowd saw a cloud of ck gas slowly form above Biggie¡¯s head. Then, lightning kept shing, lighting up the entire space, and the crowd could see the ck gas above Biggie¡¯s head gradually coalesce.

    It was a ck-armored giant, sitting on a throne made of countless sabers. In his hand, he held a bloody saber, with traces of blood faintly visible on the de...

    ¡°This...This is the imperial projection...¡± A demigod let out a cry of surprise.

    Many were shocked at the demigod¡¯s cry.

    Imperial projection¨Cthis kind of situation was rare, but it was already recorded in the ancient documents. When such projections appeared, it meant that this person had gone beyond their cultivation¡¯s constraints in a certain field and reached an extreme state. They had a certain chance to be an extreme powerhouse in the field, so they could generate the imperial image. A true extreme powerhouse was a strong being who could lead the entire human race to a glorious era. Biggie¡¯s imperial projection also caused a terrible change and deafening noise in the sky.

    As Biggie tried to push himself, Tagore leaped off Elsa¡¯s shoulder. His figure began to transform rapidly under everyone¡¯s watchful eye. In a matter of seconds, the seemingly docile kitten transformed into a blood-red super beast that was hundreds of meters long. Its nine tails dancing randomly in the void. His pair of golden eyes fixed on the root of this incident, Potie. A killing force gushed from his body uncontrobly.

    He showed his transformation to Lilliath and his otherpanions for the first time.

    The gesture was certainly shocking.

    The terrible, enormous figure vanished suddenly, and by the time he appeared, three men had pounced toward it. His deadly w-strike carried a murderous intent and tore an enormous hole that was dozens of meters long into the void. Then he rushed toward Potie and the rest who had not fully recovered.

    The blow was ten times more terrifying than it had been when he was fighting Rnd. While they were practicing, he had been busy eating up all the Energy Crystals he had gotten from Elizabeth. That was five hundred Rank-12 Energy Crystals and he had finished digesting them¨Cbing a part of his energy, it would be strange if his strength did not improve.

    Tagore¡¯s sudden outburst was also something Potie did not expect. The attack that contained spatial energy was also enough to cause damage to their fully materialized bodies.

    While they were still injured, the three chose to dodge. Biggie also finally made a move.

    His figure did not move, but he stood guard in front of Lilliath and Elsa. An invisible ck thread, ten thousand times thinner than hair, silently struck out.

    This trick, which he also named ¡°Massacre God¡±, was the one he used to kill his bewitched self in the dream.

    Most of Scrogg¡¯s body had coalesced, but his head had not yet taken form. Naturally, there was no way to see Biggie¡¯s movements through his sses. By the time he sensed dangering, it was toote.

    The sword energy, which was like hair, suddenly changed in quality and wound his whole body into a ck cocoon.

    A momentter, the ck cocoon broke into pieces and Scrogg who was inside disappeared, leaving only white specks floating in the air.

    All the onlookers were shocked to see Scrogg getting killed directly.

    Scrogg was a true 5-stars ranking monster. He had killed three Lower Ranking deities in the Cosmic Sea. Biggie had easily killed a powerhouse like this. Imagine what a terrifying being Biggie was. Bypassing rankings to kill a 5-stars demigod monster was something only a legendary unmatched 7-stars monster could do.

    Of course, it was also considered that Scrogg, now a corpse, should be weaker than he had been when he was alive. Robert¡¯s recent terrorist attack should have done him substantial damage, so what Biggie killed was not Scrogg at his best. Only by thinking in this way, could everyone be less scared of Biggie.

    However, Biggie¡¯s Massacre God move was not without cost. He could only use such a terrifying attack once every few days. The reason why he did not choose to attack Potie, who was the leader of the enemy, was because Potie had hid herself so well no one could trace her in the slightest, and it was before he could lift his saber and release his sword energy. Therefore, Biggie opted for the weaker Scrogg, who did not see his attack.

    Once Scrogg died, the imperial projection above Biggie¡¯s head finally fanned out, as did the ck clouds in the sky.

    Tagore¡¯s attack was dodged. The attack sank far into the ground far away, and the surrounding tens of thousands of kilometers began to shake violently. A huge crack caused a shift in the earth¡¯s crust, and a hundred-meter wide, bottomless grand canyon took shape in less than half an hour.

    In the meantime, Tagore¡¯s attacks were not over, and each of his ws carried a terrifying space-tearing effect. After several times of embarrassing dodges, Potie and Dunn¡¯s injuries finally recovered.

    Dunn struck first, and with a thunderous blow, he blocked Tagore¡¯s w attack.

    However, the beast¡¯s attack was not that simple. A beast with an intention to kill was a lot more dangerous. One of Tagore¡¯s tails suddenly flew out, and what had seemed to be the tail of an ordinary beast turned into a strange ck chain that wound around Dunn.

    Potie¡¯s pupils constricted as she watched the scene. ¡°It can simte Order Chains... I¡¯m afraid once we¡¯re entangled with it, it will have Order Chain¡¯s sealing effect. What are these monsters in Gu Ding¡¯s crew?¡±

    When Potie saw that Dunn did not dodge, but had scampered onto the beast¡¯s belly, she quickly pointed out with one finger and stopped the chain from winding.

    The moment she showed herself, Biggie once again struck with his saber. This time, it was different from the attack before, it was a huge ck saber force that was extremely fierce.

    Potie moved all ten fingers and several finger force struck, tearing the saber force into pieces.

    At that moment, Dunn¡¯s fist energy strengthened andnded on Tagore¡¯s abdomen. A terrifying silver fist energy shot out of his body and into the sky.

    However, almost at the same time, the ck chains once again twisted around Dunn¡¯s body.

    Dunn¡¯s body froze instantly and Tagore was shrinking fast, but Tagore was not about to give up. The ck chain lifted Dunn¡¯s body to his mouth. He bit it off and swallowed Dunn straight into his stomach.

    Seeing this scene, Potie did not have time to stop him, but she struck her finger force, sessively bombarding Tagore¡¯s belly, trying to rescue Dunn.

    After this blow, Tagore¡¯s figure shrank even faster. His tail, which had turned into a ck chain, quickly returned to its original shape. However, Potie soon felt that she had lost all contact with Dunn, which meant that Dunn had fallen.

    Watching Tagore¡¯s rapidly shrinking body, Potie shed a gleam in her eyes and rushed towards Tagore, trying to kill him.

    Biggie finally moved, he just took a step out and stopped in front of Tagore. With a calm face, he shed his saber, and the ck saber force shed momentarily. It was like a huge ck crescent, making a strange curve in the air, and aimed straight at Potie.

    Potie moved her five fingers and immediately smashed the saber force to pieces before reaching up towards him.

    Biggie, of course, was not afraid of closebat. He lifted his saber, and it felt as if the action slowed down suddenly. For a moment, his hand disappeared, so did his saber.

    In less than 0.01 seconds, he shed his saber millions of times, and Potie¡¯s body waspletely submerged in the sea of sabers.

    Meanwhile, Biggie¡¯s other hand reached out to catch Tagore, who hadpletely restored to his original condition and put him on his shoulder. Tagore¡¯s mouth spilled purple blood andid half-dead on Biggie¡¯s shoulder. He too was clearly out of action.

    Seeing Tagore in such a state, Biggie left and returned to Lilliath and Elsa. He handed Tagore over. ¡°Give him some cell repair agent first, whether it works or not.¡±

    The sea of sabers attack was also broken by then. Potie, who was wearing ragged clothes, appeared in her original spot. A small part of her body had been minced by Biggie¡¯s sea of sabers, but it also repaired itself rapidly.

    Biggie¡¯s face was grave, and he knew that the battle was far from over...

 Chapter 243 - Poties Personal Domain

    <h4>Chapter 243: Potie¡¯s Personal Domain</h4>

    Potie was genuinely furious, for it was the first time she had been embarrassed since she joined the Dark Sectors more than two thousand and three hundred years ago.

    As the third most respectable person in the Dark Sectors, other than the domain lord and the senior elder, who dared not look at her face to do things, and who dared not bow down to her? After all, even the most peripheral members who were invited into the Dark Sectors were geniuses.

    This time, she was beaten by Gu Ding¡¯s crew members several times. Three of her most powerful corpse dummies were destroyed, one after another, until nothing was left behind. None of her opponents were killed, only two were out of action. Most infuriating of all, she was wounded by a Rank-11 Gene Body. A Rank-11 Gene Body would usually be the most peripheral member in the Dark Sectors. Their daily work consisted of simple misceneous chores.

    The shabbily dressed Potie¡¯s face was somewhat hideous. ¡°Biggie, are you really that naive to think that with you over there, I can¡¯t do anything about that little girl? Don¡¯t forget, I¡¯m a demigod. I have a personal domain. If I can put Gu Ding in it, then I can put all of you in it too.¡±

    As soon as Potie finished, her figure instantly appeared within two meters of Lilliath and the rest. She grinned at the trio and their figures vanished immediately.

    The demigods in the audience were a little disappointed. Potie¡¯s capture of Gu Ding¡¯s crew meant they had alle for nothing, and that Deity Position waspletely out of the question.

    In theory, Potie was a member of the Dark Sectors, basically the enemy of all mankind. Even now with Potie injured, the demigods did not n to do anything about it. There was a saying in Modern Ages that a lean camel was still bigger than a horse. Since the woman was ranked seventh on the Demigod Monsters, even when she was injured, she was definitely not someone to be pushed around.

    ¡°Ross, get me a room. I may need to stay for a while. At least I won¡¯t be able to leave tonight.¡± Potie lowered her voice as she walked up to Ross.

    ¡°I see.¡± The arrogance hadpletely disappeared from Ross¡¯s face and he had no idea that Gu Ding¡¯s crew could push the mighty Potie to such an extent.

    Robert, Tagore, and Biggie all whipped out extraordinary powers to protect their partners. Together, they ughtered three corpse dummies withbat effectivenessparable to deities and these three were not even Rank-13 Gene Body. He was a little scared thinking about it¨Chow strong Gu Ding¡¯s crew would be if they survived this.

    Biggie, in particr, was absolutely stunning. Everyone knew he was one of the best in Gu Ding¡¯s crew, but no one could have predicted that his toughness would go beyond thebat explosion now. After killing Scrogg off so ruthlessly, Biggie still had the strength to face Potie and prove to everyone that he was strong. The weirdest thing was that he was only a Rank-11 Gene Body... Moreover, the imperial projection concerned him more, which was the mark of bing an extreme powerhouse. As long as Biggie survived, there was a good chance that he would be a true extreme powerhouse in the future and be a pioneer that would lead the entire human race.

    The human race was but one among thousands in this world. It was barely a first-ss race, but nowhere near those that were truly at the top. If an extreme powerhouse appeared, it would be a great help in making the entire race stronger.

    Shaking his head to get rid of these distracting thoughts, Ross led Potie away. Although he was only a Rank-7 Gene Body, he was familiar with the demigods¡¯ personal domain, so he knew why Potie did not leave.

    Personal domain was not an Inventory, but a world in another dimension. The portal to this world could only be opened by the domain owner, so there could be an infinite number of portals. The owner of the domain could open his domain from any location on any and take their opponents into it. However, whichever way the opponent exited the domain, he could only leave from the position which he had entered. In other words, Potie pulled Gu Ding and his crew into her domain from Red Shield. Whether Potie released them voluntarily, or Gu Ding and his crew broke through Potie¡¯s personal domain and escaped, they could only appear in Red Shield or even Squire Square where they were pulled into. That was because the portal they entered and the portal that they exited had to be the same. That was the personal domain¡¯s rule.

    That was also why Potie would not leave. A personal domain could not move things around, and she could not take Gu Ding and his crew with her. Only when Gu Ding and his crew were beaten unconscious in her personal domain could she use the anti-magic chains to lock up Gu Ding¡¯s crew and take them away in her spaceship.

    Gu Ding knew what was going on the instant she caught him into her personal domain.

    Potie¡¯s personal domain was very special. It was a dark world, with only a crescent moon in the sky. In the soft moonlight, Gu Ding saw tombs all over the ce, giving a chilling sense of gloom.

    ¡°This woman is so hardcore that she set up her domain like this.¡± Gu Ding could not help but quip.

    ¡°The domain is set up in such a way that the means of attack are obvious. It must be where the bodies in the tombse out one by one to attack.¡± Neptune also saw nothing new in this attack. ¡°I did a quick scan at the beginning, and there are 321 tombs. Three of them are empty, and the others are ¡®inhabited¡¯. Moreover, out of these 321 tombs, three hundred and twenty contain demi-powerhouses, while one contains a Lower Ranking deity.¡±

    ¡°How can there be a Lower Ranking deity¡¯s body? A deity is already aplete energy body. Won¡¯t the energy disperse automatically after death?¡± Gu Ding did not think about how to deal with his opponent at first, instead, he asked a question.

    ¡°The body of a deity whose soul died directly does not copse,¡± Neptune exined. ¡°Don¡¯t ask such silly questions at this time. What you should be thinking about now is how to break out of her domain and get out.¡±

    Gu Ding frowned as Neptune mentioned the topic. ¡°More than three hundred demigods and one deity. I can¡¯t even defeat a demigod... The Absolute Seal ability only works on organisms, and can only be used once every twenty days. I could have done something if the woman hade in by herself, but there¡¯s nothing I can do now. Do you have any good ideas?¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t help it. It¡¯s already a dead-end for you to be trapped here.¡± Neptune gave a pessimisticment. ¡°There are only two ways to escape. One is to tear her personal domain apart by violence, and the other is to kill all the demigods and deities buried under the tombs here. However, you don¡¯t have the strength to do either. Therefore, my advice is not to waste any effort and just sit tight.¡±

    ¡°This woman is from the Dark Sectors. Her target must still be Lili. I can¡¯t just sit there and wait.¡± As Gu Ding finished, he activated Ultimate Arts Level 12 and Rage Attack at full force, he also summoned Bronze Grade Combat Armor.

    Steel Fist began to m the ground, one punch after another, hitting the same spot wild and sporadically.

    The ground slowly crumbled under Gu Ding¡¯s frenzied attack. There was no other sound in the dark world except the roar of Gu Ding¡¯s fists hitting the ground. Not even the bodies buried in the tombs came out.

    ¡°The woman didn¡¯t even activate the domain¡¯s attack mode?¡± After Gu Ding bombarded it for a few minutes, Neptune felt odd. ¡°The only exnation is that she must have encountered an extremely powerful enemy.¡±

    The domain was a world that operates autonomously, but there were also two modes of operation in this world. One was the conventional mode in which the energy expenditure of the domain owner was maintained at a very low level. The other one was attack mode, which, once activated, automatically attacks outsiders in the domain. It would not return to normal until the target was dead or the domain owner turned off attack mode automatically. In this case, the domain owner¡¯s energy expenditure would be very high.

    Potie did not activate the domain¡¯s attack mode, the only possibility was that she was in a very intense battle, and her own energy expenditure was so high that she could not maintain the domain¡¯s attack mode.

    The fact was that, after Gu Ding¡¯s capture, Potie had been inbat state with Biggie and the rest. She had no extra energy and no extra vigor to pay attention to her own domain. She was also not worried about Gu Ding escaping, so she ignored him.

    Gu Ding had been hitting the ground for about half an hour. No piece of the ground was intact and it had copsed into a deep pit. Many bodies buried under the tombs were revealed.

    Gu Ding had no way to deal with these pure energy body opponents.

    Half an hourter, the sudden appearance of Biggie and the rest stunned Gu Ding. ¡°You¡¯re caught too?¡±

    ¡°Gu Ding, are you all right?¡± Biggie looked at Gu Ding, who seemed unhurt.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with Tagore?¡± Gu Ding frowned when he saw Tagore lying half-dead on Lilliath¡¯s shoulder.

    ¡°He was wounded by the corpse dummies the old woman summoned,¡± Lilliath said indignantly. ¡°However, she didn¡¯t get anything good out of it either. Three of her strongest corpse dummies had been destroyed by Biggie and the rest, and she was heavily wounded.¡±

    ¡°Where¡¯s Robert?¡± Gu Ding did not see Robert and was a little worried.

    ¡°Robert ran out of energy and returned to his original metal ball state,¡± Biggie said and pulled the metal sphere Robert had turned into from the Inventory. ¡°Robert shouldn¡¯t be too much of a problem. We¡¯ll have no problem if we can relocate the energy source. However, Tagore¡¯s injuries are serious and he needs medical attention as soon as possible.¡±

    Gu Ding picked Tagore up and briefly checked on him. Although Gu Ding was not a doctor, he was still a pharmacologist and knew aboutmon medicine. After the examination, he injected a tube of golden potion into Tagore¡¯s body. ¡°I have several tubes of S-grade cell repair agents, they¡¯re spoils of war from the Dark Sector¡¯ members, which I did not expect to be of use today. However, his injury is more than a simple flesh wound. Cell repair agents can only keep his cells active and make a slow repair. To make a full recovery, we must find a doctor as soon as possible.¡±

    As Gu Ding finished, everyone heard a strange rustling sound not far away.

    Lilliath saw a hand reaching out from the earth more than ten meters away...

 Chapter 244 - Dragon Slaughtering Ax

    <h4>Chapter 244: Dragon ughtering Ax</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Of the 321 tombs in Potie¡¯s personal domain, all but three of them were empty. Additionally, the demigods who had been buried there had begun emerging from the earth. Those Gu Ding had ejected skipped the process of rising up from the dirt and instead picked themselves up from the ground. They scanned their surroundings and then zeroed in on Gu Ding and his crew.

    Although there were still no signs of movement from thergest deity tomb, the difference was little for Gu Ding¡¯s crew that was trapped in the domain.

    Neptune had long anticipated Potie¡¯s domain attack, and he had told Gu Ding how to break out of the domain before. However, it could not be done with Gu Ding¡¯s strength.

    Gu Ding, Biggie, and Elsa moved in a pincer-like formation while they kept Lilliath and Tagore protected in the middle.

    Several demigod corpse dummies sprung up immediately. Biggie brandished his saber, and a ck crescent sword energy shot out. The three demigod corpse dummies were instantly cut off at the waist, disintegrating into energy fragments.

    Biggie could not kill Potie with sword energy. That was because Potie was only one step away from bing a deity¨Cshe was only a Deity Position away from bing a true deity. Given the right opportunity, she could instantly coalesce the Deity Position and be a deity. Additionally, Potie herself was a 5-star monster and had hundreds of times more energy than ordinary demigods in her body. Naturally, she could not be killed easily. The demigods buried there were mostly ordinary demigods. They would have been able to take down people who were less than demigods, but in Biggie¡¯s presence, they could only face death.

    There was nothing wrong with Biggie, but Elsa and Gu Ding were still uneasy.

    Elsa waspletely flushed with red energy as she clutched a huge ax about her height. The huge ax was made of some unknown material that was capable of inflicting damage to demigods. Nevertheless, she was only a Rank-11 Gene Body. Factoring in her increasedbat effectiveness, she could defeat a Peak Rank-13 Gene Body, but it would still be a little too difficult for her to kill demigods.

    Two demigods pounced on her out of nowhere, and she could only swing the huge ax, barely able to defend herself from both sides.

    Biggie noticed Elsa¡¯s situation after he had killed his three opponents. Without hesitation, he stepped in and helped Elsa kill the two demigods.

    On Gu Ding¡¯s side, he had activated all abilities but his Absolute Seal. As a result, hisbat effectiveness had risen to hundreds of billions of points. With Damage Stacking, he was capable of reaching a maximum of over five hundred billion points in terms ofbat effectiveness. The two demigods who lunged at Gu Ding were new demigods with less than two hundred billion points inbat effectiveness.

    Nevertheless, even though Gu Ding was not weak, he could not inflict any damage to a demigod with bare hands. Therefore, Gu Ding used the ax that he had bought at Great Divnity. The ax was known for having ughtered a dragon in the past. Since Neptune¡¯s unlocking ability was not high enough to break the ax¡¯s seal, Gu Ding had to make do with it without knowing if it would have any effect.

    As a strong closebat martial arts practitioner, one of the qualities one had to have was the ability to adapt and use various weapons easily. Gu Ding did not feel ufortable when he wielded the ax.

    Gu Ding took the ax and swung it masterfully. Unexpectedly, the seemingly inconspicuous rusty ax cut managed to cut through one of the demigod¡¯s necks like tofu. The demigod¡¯s head flew off in an instant, and his body shattered into pieces.

    Additionally, the ax strangely began to absorb the energy pieces of the demigod that had been beheaded.

    Gu Ding turned around and the ax slid effortlessly through the waist of the second demigod. Just like the previous demigod, the demigod¡¯s body copsed and he was absorbed by the ax.

    Gu Ding looked at his ax with some incredulity. ¡°This thing works really well, and it can absorb energy fragments.¡±

    However, right after Gu Ding finished speaking, another wave of attacks began, and another group of demigods sprang up to fight him.

    With the ax in his hand, Gu Ding killed another three demigods instantly. The ax seemed to be bing stronger as it absorbed more and more energy. When Gu Ding swung the ax, a golden re shed through the void and instantly cut through the three demigods. His killing speed was enough to match Biggie¡¯s.

    Elsa, on the other hand, did not have much pressure on her.

    All she needed to do was obstruct their enemies a little and keep them away from Lilliath. Biggie and Gu Ding would kill them in the next instance.

    After several attacks, Gu Ding found that with the ax, hisbat effectiveness was no longer important. That was because the ax only increased in power and did not stop.

    With the ax, Gu Ding managed to kill a demigod who was ranked eighty-seven on the Demigod Monster Ranking.

    It has to be said that the demigods on the Demigod Monster Ranking could not bepared to ordinary people. Eighty-seventh ce might not seem like a high ranking, but there were many demigods in the Cosmic Sea. To have managed to rank in the top hundred, they were without a doubt very strong. Only the top ten demigods on the Demigod Monster Ranking would have been able to kill the eighty-seventh ranked demigod in an instant. Had it not been for Gu Ding¡¯s ax, with hisbat effectiveness, he would not have been able to break through his enemy¡¯s defenses.

    Over a hundred of the three hundred corpse dummies were destroyed by Gu Ding and Biggie in less than ten minutes. Biggie was a little breathless from exhaustion because of his previous battle with Potie. On the other hand, Gu Ding, under the ax¡¯s guidance, became more and more aggressive as he fought.

    At that time, Potie had arrived at the Childe family¡¯s residence where Ross had arranged for her to stay temporarily. Ross showed her to a guest room and then left.

    As soon as she entered the guest room, Potie checked on her domain. She had expected Gu Ding and his crew to crumble under the repeated attacks of the three hundred corpse dummies. She had seen Gu Ding¡¯s strength in his first battle with Ross. He was not at all capable of damaging her demigod corpse dummies. On the other hand, Elsa had not attacked during their fight with her, and it was obviously due to herck of strength. Then, there was Lilliath, who had barely been able to help. Moreover, Tagore was battered. Potie acknowledged Biggie¡¯s personal strength, but it was clear that he expended a lot of energy during their fight with her. Hence, with so many people dragging him down, he would notst long.

    Nevertheless, as soon as Potie stepped into her domain, she sensed that she was short by more than one hundred and twenty corpse dummies. She was greatly surprised. ¡°How could it be? How is this possible?¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s impossible? You locked us in your domain, you should have been prepared for us to turn your domain upside down.¡± Gu Ding smiled somewhat sarcastically. ¡°Besides, I wonder what will happen once we ughter all the corpse dummies here.¡±

    Potie took a deep breath and looked at Gu Ding. ¡°You really shouldn¡¯t have challenged me, but now that it hase to this, I¡¯ll show you the real horrors of my domain...¡±

 Chapter 245 - The Arrival of A Deity

    <h4>Chapter 245: The Arrival of A Deity</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Potie moved all ten of her fingers and made strange markings. All of a sudden, the remaining corpse dummies that were over two hundred in number sprang up and lunged wildly at Gu Ding and his crew.

    Gu Ding and Biggie were incapable of stopping Potie¡¯s hand movements because she was standing just outside of their attack range.

    More than two hundred corpse dummies were put in a state of revolt. Gu Ding and Biggie were ced in a dire situation.

    On the other hand, rather than looking on, Potie walked toward the only tomb that was still standing.

    The tomb was green in color and had several loops of ck energy on its surface which seemed to be suppressing a corpse dummy beneath it. That was why the corpse dummy underneath that tomb had not risen even after Gu Ding and his crew had entered Potie¡¯s domain.

    A perfect personal domain had to have a guardian item. For example, in Rnd¡¯s case, there was a sky-reaching giant sword. The Lower Ranking deity¡¯s body was the guardian item of Potie¡¯s personal domain, as well as the strongest being in the entire domain.

    The deity¡¯s body had been found among the remnants of an ancient civilization by the Dark Sectors¡¯ lord and senior elder. Even the body¡¯s Deity Position was intact. After taking possession of the deity¡¯s body, the senior elder gave it to Potie to be the guardian item of her domain.

    Potie would not have gotten to where she was currently without the help of the senior elder.

    From the first day she joined the Dark Sectors, the senior elder cared for her whether it was consciously or unconsciously. It allowed her to sail smoothly through the rank of the Dark Sectors. She easily became a demigod in less than two hundred years and managed to climb to the position of an elder.

    After bing an elder, the senior elder began to show his fondness of her even more. This made other elders shy away from her. The senior elder presented her with the bodies of Dunn and Scrogg, whom he had killed in front of everyone. It was because of the two corpse dummies that Potie was able to kill Maguk who was ranked seventh on the Demigod Monster Ranking, taking over his ce.

    The senior elder¡¯s behavior led many people to think that he and Potie had an illicit rtionship going on. Hence, when Potie was promoted to be the second elder, no one raised any objections. Even the domain lord kept a tacit attitude.

    In fact, Potie did not know why the senior elder was so kind to her. She had thought that the senior elder was interested in her. However, over the past two thousand years, she had been on hundreds of missions with the senior elder, and yet he never touched her even once.

    In the eyes of others, she was the senior elder¡¯s exclusive property¨Cpeople did not know how many times she had slept with him. However, the truth was she had not slept with him even once. The senior elder had never even held her hand. She was, of course, an intelligent woman and never challenged that. That was because she did not know what the senior elder actually wanted. She did not know if the senior elder would still remain partial to her after they picked apart the matter. Hence, she chose to remain silent. Although she heard many rumors of people secretly using her of being a whore, she chose to ignore them. Not to say that she avoided intimacy, but it was a matter concerning both the man and woman-mutual consent was involved. Hence, even if the rumors were true, there was nothing for her to be ashamed of as other¡¯s opinions did not matter.

    Potie also remembered the senior elder¡¯s words when he secretly handed the deity¡¯s body to her. ¡°This deity may only be a 5-star Lower Ranking deity, but he¡¯s from a special race from Ancient Times and has very strongbat effectiveness that isparable to that of a 3-star Medium Ranking deity. Don¡¯t mention your possession of the body to anyone, not even those you trust the most. You can use him as the guardian item for your domain. With him in hand, you will be able to suppress a true Lower Ranking deity if you meet one.¡±

    Potie had held the body in her possession for more than a hundred years but never used it once. It was ironic that she was going to use it on Gu Ding who was only a Rank-7 Gene Body.

    Nevertheless, she had noticed that the ax in Gu Ding¡¯s hand was not a demigod item at all. It was a real god item and a very powerful one at that. If she allowed Gu Ding to go on like that, perhaps it would be possible for him to break out of her domain. Then, she would fail her mission. Therefore, she had to resort to using the most powerful means in order to suppress Gu Ding and his crew.

    Before reaching the tomb, Potie bit her finger and dripped some blood onto it. At once, the green tombstone began to shake. The shaking started out lightly but grew more violent as time passed.

    Not long after, the first loop of ck energy seemed to have been cut by something as it suddenly broke and then dissipated.

    Then the second loop, the third... It was not until the seventh loop that all the ck energy vanishedpletely and the ground of the whole domain began to shake violently. It was as if a horrible being was trying to break through the earth.

    Gu Ding and his crew were still surrounded by corpse dummies. Fifty to sixty of them had been killed by Gu Ding and Biggie under a few minutes. Nevertheless, the rest of them were still standing bravely.

    When the ground began to shake violently, Biggie, the strongest of them all, felt a great sense of danger. Biggie¡¯s body felt an uncontroble thrill at the sense of it. It was his body reacting naturally to the situation.

    The corpse dummies that had lunged at Gu Ding stopped moving and looked toward the direction of where Potie was standing. Their expressions were zed. It was if they were pilgrims looking at their own venerating presence.

    Gu Ding and the rest also noticed that Potie was standing in the same spot where thest tomb was; it was the very spot where Neptune had said the deity was buried at.

    ¡°That woman has released thest deity...¡± Neptune was speechless. There was still some hope when Gu Ding became able to wield the god item, but now, their escape waspletely out of the question.

    Neptunepared the energy fluctuations of the deity with those that had been recorded during ancient civilization. He found that the energy fluctuations of the deity were strong enough to match the intensity of a 2-star or even 2-star Medium Ranking deity from ancient civilization. If it only had thebat effectiveness of a Lower Ranking deity, they still would have had a chance to win with Gu Ding¡¯s god item. However, the current creature in front of them hadbat effectiveness equivalent to that of a Medium Ranking deity. Even If Rnd joined the crew, they might not be able to escape their fate of being suppressed.

    Lilliath looked anxiously at where Potie was standing, her eyes were wide and tears were streaming down her face non-stop. She shouted, ¡°Stop! I¡¯ll go with you as long as you stop right now!!!¡±

    Seeing Lilliath¡¯s desperate expression, Potie smirked andughed mockingly. ¡°Now you¡¯re begging me? Too bad it¡¯s toote. Besides, you¡¯re not the only one we want. I want Gu Ding too. However, I wouldn¡¯t let the rest of you go even if you and Gu Ding were to beg me to stop. That¡¯s because you made my domain what it is now. Only by turning all of you into corpse dummies can I eliminate my hatred.¡±

    ¡°Of course, before that, I¡¯ll capture you and Gu Ding alive. I¡¯ll take control of Gu Ding¡¯s artificial super-intelligence and use it to gain ess to the Harris family¡¯s Databank. The two of you won¡¯t escape the fate of being turned into corpse dummies. As for the others, I¡¯ll just kill you on the spot.¡±

    It did not ur to Gu Ding that the members of the Dark Sectors knew about Neptune. Nevertheless, it was not the time to think about it. Gu Ding was more concerned with what he could do to save himself and his crew.

    Not far from Potie¡¯s feet, a huge hand popped out. The hand which was twenty to thirty meters long was aquamarine in color, and it reflected the glint of a golden stone in the moonlight. The mere sight of the hand gave everyone the impression that the corpse dummy was a colossal being.

    Under everyone¡¯s gaze, the huge corpse dummy slowly rose up from the ground. When it¡¯s full form was disyed, it shocked Gu Ding and his crew even more.

    The corpse dummy, more than three hundred meters tall, looked like a living being as it stood on two feet. Nevertheless, it was clearly inhuman. The corpse dummy¡¯s body was aquamarine in color and it had six arms along with three heads. It had three eyes on each of its heads. Its mouths had no lips at all and only showed rows of silver-like teeth that were razor-sharp.

    After rising from the earth, the creature raised all three of its heads and opened each one of its mouths at the same time before it let out a roar. Its roar was like a piercing sound wave, and three of them were produced at the same time. Gu Ding and his crew struggled to maintain theirposure. Nevertheless, when the three-headed monster opened its mouths, they noticed that it did not have a single tongue. All it had was sharp teeth that were arranged very densely. Its mouths were like boards of wood that had hundreds of silver nails attached to it. Looking at the number of teeth it had, there were at least three to four hundred of them in each head. It made them get goosebumps.

    At the first sight of the colossal monster, Gu Ding and his crew were aware of its mightiness. The mere sound of its roar from nearly a kilometer away was enough to send them reeling. The demigod corpse dummies, who were standing motionless not far away from Gu Ding and his crew, were trembling. Most of them had been blown away by the impact of the sound wave.

    Gu Ding and Biggie both looked up and stared at the three-headed monster with furrowed brows.

    On the other hand, Lilliaith looked dazed, visibly shaken by it.

    Elsa clutched her ax with a helpless look on her face. ¡°That guy feels almost as strong as Dad. There¡¯s no way we can beat it.¡±

    Potie, who was standing on the monster¡¯s shoulder, smiled proudly and pointed a finger at where Gu Ding and his crew were. She shouted at the three-headed monster, ¡°Teach them a lesson!¡±

 Chapter 246 - Giant Golden Dragon

    <h4>Chapter 246: Giant Golden Dragon</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Having received Potie¡¯s orders, the three-headed monster trotted out and closed in on Gu Ding¡¯s crew.

    ¡°Roar...¡± It looked down at Gu Ding and his crew before letting out a menacing roar. All its three heads sounded at different frequencies. It produced a sound that was like the product of three harsh, incongruous chords, and it made one cover their ears. After roaring, it stomped on the spot where Gu Ding and his crew were standing.

    It struck with its foot so fast that its big green foot was like a giant falling from the sky. Gu Ding and Biggie dodged the attack and pulled Elsa and Lilliath out of the way.

    The three-headed monster did not stop making fun of them as its second and third foot came down one after the other. Each step it took made the ground throughout the domain shake wildly. It created a sense of fear that the ground would copsepletely, causing everyone to fall.

    Gu Ding and the others dodged with great luck. On the other hand, the demigods who stood in their ces motionless were not so lucky. The three-headed monster trampled most of them to death.

    Potie did not care too much about it. She knew that no matter how many demigod bodies she lost in the battle, the senior elder wouldpensate her. Even for corpse dummies on the level of Dunn and Scrogg, the senior elder had a way of getting hold of them. She no longer cared about losing anything and only enjoyed the pleasure of chasing Gu Ding and his crew. As she watched Gu Ding and Biggie scamper off with difficultly as they were forced to take care of Elsa and Lilliath, she felt a wonderful pleasure swell in her heart. It made her burst into a shrillugh. ¡°Hahaha...¡±

    At the sound of herugh, the three-headed monster seemed to experience its master¡¯s joy. Its attacks on Gu Ding and his crew intensified. It jumped up high and stomped its feet on the ground where Gu Ding and the others were at.

    As a result, not only did it kill dozens of demigod corpse dummies, but it nearly destroyed Potie¡¯s domain, giving her a heart attack. Hence, Potie stopped the three-headed monster at once. ¡°Alright, stop fooling around. Get rid of them.¡±

    When the three-headed monster heard hermand, it let out another roar as if it was a response to Potie¡¯s orders. Finally, it stopped stomping around. Instead, it brandished its six fists at Gu Ding and his crew. Its fists were so fast that Gu Ding was unable to catch them. The creature¡¯s greyish-green fists hurled energy like a thousand greyish-gres at Gu Ding and his crew.

    Gu Ding frantically dragged Elsa and Lilliath out of the way but was a step too slow as he was slowed down by them.

    Biggie, who had already dodged its attacks, appeared in front of Gu Ding. He brandished his saber, trying to buy time for them.

    Nevertheless, his ck sword energy was as fragile as ss in front of the creature¡¯s greyish-green fist energy. Just one touch from it and Biggie¡¯s energy shattered apart. As a result, the fist energy hit Biggie¡¯s body without reserve, and Biggie spat out a mouthful of blood as he flew upside down into the far ground.

    Biggie, however, managed to buy Gu Ding a little time to escape with Lilliath and Elsa.

    ¡°How¡¯s Biggie, Neptune?¡± Gu Ding asked anxiously as he ducked out of sight. He had seen the intensity of the attack. Several demigods who had taken the same hit were smashed to smithereens. It was without a doubt that there was a chance for Biggie, who had been hit, to be in danger.

    ¡°All his bones have been shattered and many of his internal organs have been destroyed. However, he¡¯s not dead, and he¡¯s breathing faintly. He must be treated as soon as possible.¡± Neptune analyzed Biggie¡¯s condition. Fortunately, Biggie was still alive and had not died on the spot.

    ¡°It¡¯s all my fault. If it weren¡¯t for me, Biggie wouldn¡¯t have...¡± Tears were streaming down Lilliath¡¯s face non-stop, she knew that Biggie had taken the blow to protect the three of them. Gu Ding could have easily avoided it and Elsa would not have been hit if she did not have to take care of her. She herself was the only one who could not defend and dodge such attacks.

    ¡°Biggie is not dead.¡± Gu Ding knew that it was not the time tofort Lilliath, and he could only utter crucial words that affirmed her.

    Lilliath felt a little better when she heard that Biggie was not dead.

    Gu Ding turned around and looked at the woman sitting on the shoulder of the three-headed monster. She wasughing happily and saying nasty things about Biggie. The monster did not attack immediately.

    ¡°Neptune, I remember that when we bought the ax, you said you could not unlock its seal. However, you mentioned that there¡¯s an ancient technique that can awaken the weapon spirit in the ax. With your unlocking ability, there is a good chance that we can unlock the ax, right?¡± Gu Ding asked suddenly. ¡°I think we have to use a lot of blood.¡±

    ¡°Gu Ding, it¡¯s no use. Even if we summon the weapon spirit, it won¡¯t be a match for it. The creature¡¯s strength isparable to that of a 3-star Medium Ranking deity. There¡¯s no way we can beat it.¡± Neptune quickly exined that the Art of Blood Sacrifice was different from that of an ordinary blood sacrifice. It required a person to sacrifice two-thirds of their blood.

    ¡°We don¡¯t have to defeat that three-headed monster. We just have to destroy this woman¡¯s domain.¡± Gu Ding had it all figured out. ¡°Tell me what to do.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll die!¡± Neptune knew exactly what the consequences of it would be.

    ¡°It¡¯s better than being turned into a corpse dummy. At least the others will survive.¡± Gu Ding clenched his fists and turned to look at Elsa. ¡°Elsa, if I fail, take this ax, destroy the domain, and get everyone out of here quickly.¡±

    Gu Ding finished his sentence, and without listening to Neptune, he cut his own wrist with the ax and forcefully shut off his advanced regenerative ability. Bright red blood poured out from his hand and dripped onto the ax. ¡°Neptune, tell me what¡¯s the next step.¡±

    Knowing that Gu Ding would drain all of his blood if he said nothing, Neptune reluctantly sent details about the forbidden blood sacrifice to Gu Ding¡¯s brain.

    Gu Ding followed the information in his head and began drawing weird patterns on the ax.

    ¡°Hmph. They¡¯re still trying to resist. It¡¯s only a simple Art of Blood Sacrifice. So what if you manage to awaken the weapon spirit of that god item? Can that god item kill a real deity?¡± Potie mocked loudly. ¡°I¡¯ll let you summon it today and let this big guy kill the weapon spirit right in front of you so you¡¯ll give uppletely.¡±

    After the drawing was finished, the ax slowly began to levitate in the air. Additionally, Gu Ding¡¯s blood began to flow over the surface of the ax, seeping into it as fast as one¡¯s eye could see.

    The scene made Potie feel a little ufortable. Nevertheless, she did notmand the three-headed monster to attack. Gu Ding¡¯s blood began to flow more and more into the ex. It was as if the ax was feeding on Gu Ding like an underfed baby¨Cmadly sucking at his blood. As Gu Ding began to lose too much blood, his vision started to be blurry, and he felt his body be heavier. He felt very drowsy as his consciousness gradually drifted away. Nevertheless, his strong will kept him standing still.

    By the time more than a third of his blood had left Gu Ding¡¯s body, he waspletely unconscious, and his body was in a state of near-death. His heart had stopped working and his brain waves had be weaker...

    However, after the two-thirds of his blood had been sucked out of his body, Gu Ding¡¯s advanced regenerative ability resumed its functionality. As a result, his wounds healed in an instant and his blood stopped flowing. He stood where he was,pletely unconscious.

    Neptune had not noticed that while the ax was absorbing Gu Ding¡¯s blood, the dragon blood which had looked like rust on it previously, had also been absorbed by it.

    After the forbidden blood sacrifice waspleted, with Neptune¡¯s help, the weapon spirit of the ax tore apart the shackles of its seal. At that time, everyone near could faintly hear the faint sound of something being torn. The shape of the ax began to change dramatically as it turned into a giant golden dragon.

    The giant golden dragon rose into the sky and, after hovering over Gu Ding¡¯s head several times, seemed to feel Gu Ding¡¯s will. It pped its giant tail wildly against the ground, and for a moment, the ground all over the domain shook.

    With that, Potie immediately understood what her opponent was trying to do. She pointed at the giant golden dragon and shouted at the three-headed monster, ¡°Kill that thing!¡±

    However, before the three-headed monster could dash toward it, the dragon mmed its tail downward once again and Potie spat out a mouthful of blood. The dragon¡¯s blow managed to tear a hole in the domain, and without a doubt, another attack from it would shatter her domainpletely. If that were to happen, Gu Ding would certainly take the others and flee like crazy. The three-headed monster would also be stuck with the dragon and would not be able to escape. She was severely wounded. If she rushed to catch up with them, she would probably be killed by Gu Ding.

    Having seen Gu Ding conjure up something like that with her own eyes, she no longer knew how much Gu Ding had up his sleeve and was afraid to try him further. What she did not know was that Gu Ding, though still standing there with his eyes open, was in fact no different from a dead person.

    Her greatest hope was that the three-headed monster would kill the dragon in their domain. As long as her domain was not destroyed, Gu Ding was a sitting duck. No matter what they did, they would not be able to get out. She would be able toplete her mission that way.

    Then, Elsa heard Neptune¡¯s voice in her ear, ¡°Don¡¯t touch Gu Ding for now. He may be unconscious, but he can still deter the woman. Go over to Biggie and carry him here. If the domain copsester, take him and Gu Ding with you and head for the port.¡±

    Neptune¡¯s words were not only heard by Elsa but also Lilliath.

    Elsa nodded at Lilliath. ¡°Keep an eye on Gu Ding. I¡¯ll be back in a minute.¡±

    Elsa disappeared as she finished speaking. A momentter, she was seen carrying the huge Biggie. Biggie¡¯s heartbeat was weak, but he was not dead.

    ¡°Elsa, inject him with some S-grade cell repair agent. I¡¯ve just transferred two bottles from Gu Ding¡¯s Inventory to yours,¡± Neptune¡¯s voice was heard once again.

    Elsa quickly took out the medicine and injected Biggie with it. Its effects were limited, but it was better than nothing.

    On the other side, the battle between the dragon and the three-headed monster had begun...

 Chapter 247 - Demon Face

    <h4>Chapter 247: Demon Face</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    The three-headed monster was indeed a powerhouse that was as strong as a Medium Ranking deity. It had the upper hand in its battle with the dragon from the very start.

    The giant golden dragon had intended to follow Gu Ding¡¯s will and was going to pound the ground until the whole domain copsed. However, before it could deliver a third blow, the three-headed monster leaped up to it and struck it with an enormous force. It had struck wildly with its six greyish-green fists. Strange magic energy could be found in the three-headed monster¡¯s fist energy.

    The dragon had no choice but to take up the fight. It was no smaller than the giant. Hence, instead of mming its huge tail on the ground, it directed it straight at the three-headed monster¡¯s fists. As the dragon struck with its giant tail, sharp de energy shot out from it. It was simr to that of the de of the giant ax. Additionally, it had magic power since it had be a dragon.

    The three-headed monster¡¯s fist energy collided with the dragon¡¯s de energy. The impact of the two energies of different colors tore the space in Potie¡¯s domain apart. A space gap tens of meters long was left, and it looked very frightening. Not only that, but the impact created a ripple of energy that flowed throughout the domain like a gust of wind. The gust of wind blew the remaining 50 or so demigod dummies away.

    Lilliath and the rest were also affected by the impact of the collision as they struggled to hold on to their footing; Elsa even held on to Gu Ding. As for Potie, who was far away, she was relying on Gu Ding to keep her safe from being blown away.

    After the blow, the two monsters were unfazed by the space gap and instead went for each other wildly once again.

    Nevertheless, the three-headed monster had six hands and three heads, while the dragon had only one tail and one head. Added to the fact that the three-headed monster was already powerful from the start. In less than twenty seconds, it gained the upper hand over the dragon while thetter could only hold out against him. The battle between the two monsters caused the ground to tremble.

    However, the battle did notst long. The three-headed monster deliberately showed a w. When the dragon extended its tail to attack him, it struck with all six of his hands and stopped the dragon¡¯s tail. Then, it clung to the dragon¡¯s tail and madly bit at it with its three giant mouths.

    The dragon howled in pain and wrapped itself tightly around the three-headed monster¡¯s neck before biting one of its heads off.

    By then, Potie had already fled the scene of their battle and was hiding in a shadowy position. She had chosen to watch the battle from a distance.

    The three-headed monster¡¯s bites were so fast that in less than three minutes, the dragon¡¯s entire tail was shattered into pieces. On the other hand, the dragon had bitten off one of the monster¡¯s heads.

    The two remaining heads of the three-headed monster suddenly became violent as they turned around to bite at the dragon¡¯s head. At the same time, it clenched its six hands into fists and began to pound at the dragon frantically.

    His method of attack was proven extremely effective. Within five minutes, the dragon that had been summoned by Gu Ding was broken into two by the three-headed monster¡¯s barrage of powerful punches. Additionally, its head had been thoroughly chewed up by the three-headed monster. As a result, its entire body finally disintegrated into energy fragments before it returned to its original ax form.

    The dragon did not manage to fulfill its mission after all...

    Gu Ding¡¯s body underwent changes while the dragon battled with the three-headed monster. However, the only one who noticed this was Neptune...

    The dragon¡¯s defeat left Lilliath and Elsa almost in despair. The three-headed monster might have suffered serious injuries, but it was still not something the both of them could handle.

    Elsa could barely deal with demigods and could only defend against them. On the other hand, Lilliath was just a gunner and was only a Rank-10 Gene Body. Her defense capabilities were even weaker than Elsa. Even a single blow from a demigod would be fatal to her. Neither of them could take a single blow from a real deity, let alone one that nearly killed Biggie in one shot.

    When Gu Ding¡¯s brain stopped functioningpletely, a ck energy slowly dispersed out of his body. Its color was so faint that it was hard to see under the cover of the night. However, the ck energy, like twisted tentacles, kepting out of Gu Ding as it sucked the residue of energy fragments in the air.

    Elsa and Lilliath did not notice this because their attention had been drawn to the battle between the dragon and the three-headed monster. They were so preupied with the dragon¡¯s defeat that they did not notice the change in Gu Ding.

    The myriads of tentacles that appeared grew in strength and began to form a shape above Gu Ding¡¯s head.

    The shape it formed was the face of a ck demon. Neptune shuddered at the sight of it. He had always suspected something like the ck virus to be lurking inside Gu Ding. Evidently, the ck virus appeared each time without warning and always devoured any kind of energy presented in front of it before it gave Gu Ding¡¯s body some of its energy back.

    At the sight of the demon face, Neptune looked up all data rted to it in his Databank, wanting to figure out what it was exactly. Nevertheless, he failed to find any relevant data. There were only two possibilities. One was that no such thing had ever existed since the Ancient Age; Another possibility was that information rted to it was not avable due to his ess restrictions. Neptune¡¯s Databank had unlocked all the way until the advanced level, and he could ess most information about extreme deities. Hence, since that was the case, it meant that there was a chance the thing hiding within Gu Ding was something beyond the deities... Neptune was afraid to think any further.

    In the void, the huge demon face that was nearly a thousand meters high silently coalesced into shape quickly.

    When the battle between the three-headed giant and the dragon had ended, the huge demon face, which had been in a state of semi-nothingness, quickly solidified.

    Lilliath caught a glimpse of the face above Gu Ding¡¯s head. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± she eximed in surprise.

    Elsa immediately looked up and saw the terrifying demon face. She could not help but pull Lilliath behind her as she stood in front of her.

    ¡°Don¡¯t panic, something¡¯s changing within Gu Ding. However, it doesn¡¯t seem to be a bad thing at the moment.¡± Neptune was not quite sure whether the matter was a good or bad thing. Nevertheless, he had to say such words tofort Lilliath and Elsa.

    The three-headed monster and Potie, who were in the distance, finally noticed the existence of the demon face.

    A vague feeling of uneasiness crept into Potie¡¯s heart. She leaped onto the shoulder of the three-headed monster, pointed toward Gu Ding¡¯s position, and said, ¡°Kill that ck shadow!¡±

    However, the three-headed monster only stared at the demon face and did not move. Instead, its body began to tremble violently.

    It was clear to Potie that the three-headed monster was beginning to resist her orders. That was the force of the contract. She could feel the three-headed monster¡¯s emotions because of the contract. It was an extreme sense of fear which exceeded even the restraints of her contract with it. He would obviously rather be wiped out than strike the demon face that was above Gu Ding¡¯s head.

    This rmed Potie. ¡°What the hell is that demon face?¡±

    Just as she began to have an idea of what it was, she saw the ck demon face finally finish solidifying and breathe a ck breath out of its mouth in front of her.

    The breath condensed into a ck ball in the void, and then, without warning, stretched out toward the remaining demigod corpse dummies and the three-headed monster with tentacles.

    Seeing this, Potie quickly jumped off the shoulder of the three-headed monster and instantly opened the exit of her domain, trying to escape. However, she was a step toote. Half her foot was outside her domain while her other foot had been caught by a ck silk thread. She was yanked backward.

    Then, the ck silk thread wrapped around her and turned her into a ck cocoon.

    Just then, the corpse dummies were also wrapped around by the ck tentacles, turning into ck cocoons.

    The three-headed monster, who had been extremely arrogant, simply stood still as its body trembled violently. It let the ck tentacles wrap around its body and eventually lock itself in a huge ck cocoon. It did not resist from the start.

    The scene made Lilliath and the others¡¯ hearts race. Originally, Neptune had been worried that the current Gu Ding would attack Lilliath and the rest indiscriminately. In that case, he would have no choice but to watch Gu Ding kill his crew members without being able to do anything about it. That was because the ck demon face was so powerful that it exceeded his own recognition. Evidently, Neptune was now relieved.

    Lilliath and the rest clearly saw the ck cocoons shrink at a visible speed. After several cocoons had shrunk to the size of peas, they flew back into the ck ball in the void.

    Slowly, all the cocoons began flying back to the void after each of them had shrunk to a certain extent.

    The smallest of them was about the size of a pea, while thergest of them was the one wrapped around Potie which was about the size of a thumb.

    After the ck energy ball that belonged to Potie had returned to the ck ball in the void, the whole domain began to copse slowly.

    As for the three-headed monster¡¯s cocoon, it had shrunk to the size of an adult¡¯s fist in under three minutes and had itself returned to the ck sphere in the void. That was when Lilliath and the rest noticed that the ck sphere seemed to have grown considerably.

    Nevertheless, the ck sphere seemed to have a life of its own. After fusing with thest cocoon, it quickly shot itself back into the mouth of the demon face.

    At the same time, Potie¡¯s personal domain copsed.

    The huge demon face opened its mouth wide and sucked fragments from the domain into it before it slowly faded away.

    Right when the demon face was about to disappearpletely, on a distant, an old man in a ck robe suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood. There was a red demon logo on his chest. ¡°The three-headed monster is dead... Potie, no matter who the murderer is, dad will avenge you!!!¡±

 Chapter 248 - Bombarding The Childe Family

    <h4>Chapter 248: Bombarding The Childe Family</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    On Red Shield, at the utterly ruined and disfigured Squire Square. The surrounding area had lost its usual light from itsmps and waspletely dark. Not to mention, the stars in the sky were being blocked by thick clouds and it was hard to see what was happening under the darkness of night.

    After Potie¡¯s domain copsed, the figures of Lilliath and the rest began to show. Watching on as the huge demon face above Gu Ding¡¯s head faded away, Lilliath and Elsa slowly came to their senses. However, they could not help but wonder if everything they had witnessed earlier was real.

    When the demon face disappeared, Gu Ding¡¯s heartbeat and brain activity resumed almost at the same time. Though they did not know what exactly had happened, they were relieved.

    Their battle with the Dark Sectors, though a victory, was a tragic victory. Robert had lost his energy source and had returned to his metal ball state. Both Biggie and Tagore were so severely injured that they had lost theirbat effectiveness. Although Gu Ding¡¯s life was no longer in danger, there were no signs of him waking up. The only people left unharmed were Lilliath, Elsa, and Neptune, who had taken the form of a wristwatch.

    ¡°Lili, Elsa, don¡¯t just stand there. Take Gu Ding, Biggie, and Tagore back to the spaceship. We must leave this as soon as possible. This is the Childe family¡¯s territory. If Ross Childe finds out that we¡¯ve lost most of our crew¡¯sbatants, he won¡¯t let us go.¡±

    The two women had been standing still, not knowing what to do. When they heard Neptune¡¯s voice, they were reassured little, and they did as they were told.

    Elsa and Lilliath each carried Biggie and Gu Ding. However, there were no extra hands to hold Tagore. The two girls looked at each other and Lilliath¡¯s eyes eventuallynded on Elsa¡¯s chest. Following Lilliath¡¯s eyes, Elsa looked down at her chest as well and then back up at Tagore. She nodded at Lilliath, put Biggie aside, picked up Tagore from the floor, and shoved him in between her chests. When she looked down and was sure that Tagore was firmly stuck in ce, she nodded with satisfaction and picked up Biggie once more. Lilliath looked at her enviously from behind.

    The two women ran all the way and were soon back on their spaceship in the port.

    After the two of them had ced the cat on thebination sofa in the living room, they no longer knew what to do.

    ¡°Biggie and Tagore are both in serious condition and we must find doctors to treat them as soon as possible. Biggie, in particr, has had his bones shattered and his internal organs damaged in more ways than a few bottles of cell repair agents can solve. The S-grade cell repair agent that we injected into him was only to prevent his injuries from worsening. Tagore¡¯s injuries are no worse nor better than Biggie¡¯s. Additionally, I examined him and found that his body structure and cellposition are different from humans as well as genebeasts. The cell repair agent we gave him had no effect on his body. Therefore, we also need to find a doctor to treat him immediately to prevent his condition from worsening.¡±

    ¡°How about Gu Ding? Is he all right?¡± Lilliath asked, a little worried. Elsa also looked at Gu Ding worriedly.

    Hearing this, Neptune hesitated for a moment as he had no idea what was happening to Gu Ding. Humans who lost more than a third of their blood was supposed to die. Gu Ding did lose two-thirds of his blood back then and had died when his heart and brain activity stopped. Nevertheless, after the demon face disappeared, his vital signs stabilized and reverted back to normal. The only thing was, he did not wake up.

    The most special thing about it was that Neptune had noticed the huge energy source in Gu Ding¡¯s body but was unable to probe any further because that same energy source seemed to emit radiation that prevented him from doing so. Hence, Neptune had no choice but to wait and keep watch. He felt that even if Gu Ding were to be sent to a hospital, no one would be able to find out what was wrong with him. Nevertheless, to avoid causing a panic between the two girls, Neptune chose to tell a white lie, ¡°Gu Ding only suffered a slightly serious energy loss because of the battle earlier. He¡¯s not injured. His body is in a state of self-dormancy, in which his body is using to recover more quickly. Once he has recovered fully, he¡¯ll wake up.¡±

    ¡°How long will it take?¡± Lilliath asked.

    ¡°I can¡¯t say for sure because there is a huge energy source in his body that is blocking my analysis. I can¡¯t detect the exact recovery status of his body yet, so I can¡¯t predict when he will wake up.¡± Neptune really could not answer Lilliath¡¯s question because he had no idea what was going on in Gu Ding¡¯s body.

    Although their hearts still had some doubts, the two women chose to trust Neptune. Neptune and Gu Ding had known each other longer than anyone else, and Neptune had always been Gu Ding¡¯s most trustedpanion. Therefore if he said Gu Ding would be fine, then Gu Ding would be fine.

    For the first time, Neptune lied to hispanions. Although he meant well, he still felt a little bad. If it was before, he would have to tell the truth and not hide it. However, in this case, he chose to think like Gu Ding¨Ctaking care of both Lilliath¡¯s and Elsa¡¯s feelings by lying. He knew he had done the right thing when he saw them be a little more motivatedpared to before.

    ¡°Then let¡¯s get off this and find a doctor as soon as possible!¡± Gu Ding was fine, but both Biggie and Tagore needed medical attention. Lilliath knew that she and Elsa had to toughen up. She managed a smile and raised her fist to encourage Elsa.

    ¡°Yes!¡± Elsa nodded vigorously.

    ¡°We¡¯re leaving Red Shield for sure, but before that, we have one more thing to do,¡± Neptune¡¯s voice suddenly sounded a little mischievous.

    ¡°What is it?¡± The two girls asked at the same time.

    ¡°We came to Red Shield to avenge you, Lili, but we haven¡¯t done that yet. If Gu Ding wakes up and finds out we didn¡¯t do things right, he won¡¯t be too happy.¡± Neptune knew Gu Ding¡¯s temper very well.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that woman from the Dark Sectors already dead?¡± Lilliath asked, somewhat confused.

    ¡°She¡¯s dead, but our revenge is only half done. That kid from the Childe family, he¡¯s the one who started all of this. If it weren¡¯t for him, we wouldn¡¯t be here. Not to mention, Biggie and the rest wouldn¡¯t be hurt.¡± Neptune med Ross Childe for Biggie¡¯s injuries as it was true that he had yed a part in it.

    ¡°Neptune, you don¡¯t mean to bombard their house, do you?¡± Hearing this, Lilliath guessed Neptune¡¯s n immediately. She had been there with Gu Ding during the Fengyuan bombard and remembered their attack on the Onassis family.

    ¡°What do you think of the idea?¡± Neptune asked with a smile.

    ¡®Very nice!¡±

    ¡°I agree!¡±

    Both women gave their assent to the n.

    The Golden Eagle rose slowly from Red Shield¡¯s port. Then, after rising to a certain height, it suddenly stopped in mid-air and hovered on the spot. The scene immediately attracted the attention of the Port Authority¡¯s staff. Although it was veryte at night, there were still people on duty.

    Watching the scene through the surveince cameras, the port officer on his first day immediately followed the emergency instructions he had been given. He pressed the sound transmission button and shouted at the Golden Eagle, ¡°That Golden Eagle right there, the port does not allow that kind of flying. Your behavior is extremely dangerous. You have only two options. One, dock your ship right now or leave Red Shield immediately. Nevertheless, we will record your dangerous behavior and hand it over to Port Authority. They will punish you when yound on the next...¡±

    The young man¡¯s eyes were not on the monitor but on the projection of his intelligent wristwatch as he read aloud the rules and regtions that were being disyed in front of him.

    Of course, Neptune would not answer his threat. Robert had already tampered with the armor-piercing cannons of the Port on the first day of their arrival. Hence, they could not be manually operated anymore. Additionally, thework controls had been cut off by Neptune himself. Hence, Neptune detected the position of Ross Childe who was ying chess on Sk, locked in on his position and then directed the muzzle of the cannon to the room where Ross Childe was in.

    ¡°Boom! Boom! Boom!¡± Three shots rang out consecutively.

    Then, three oval white balls of light pulled tails through the air like extremely fastets before they crashed into the Childes¡¯ residence.

    Neptune projected a video of the Childe¡¯s residence; Lilliath and Elsa could watch the three white balls of lightnd unerringly on Ross Childe¡¯s room. All at once, white mes rose from the middle of the night and illuminated the Childe¡¯s home as if it were day. Ross Childe¡¯s room was blown to smithereens in an instant.

    Neptune had used the particle annihtion cannon where everything the canon hit would be annihted into elementary particles. However, Neptune¡¯s attack was not spread throughout the rest of the house because the whole thing had been nned by Ross Childe alone and no one else in the Childe family had anything to do with it. As for the Rank-12 and Rank-13 Gene Bodies that Gu Ding had previously fought with, they had only done so to keep Ross Childe safe. Besides, those who were shot were almost killed.

    The young man stopped talking about regtions the moment he heard the cannon go off. At that moment, he turned to the surveince screen and was stunned to see the muzzle of a cannon protruding from a Golden Eagle. Nevertheless, he quickly responded and pressed the button for the armor-piercing cannon¡¯s firing system, only to find the systemwork disconnected. Reluctantly, he reached out and pressed a big red skull button¨Can emergency button that enabled the manual activation of the armor-piercing cannons. Nevertheless, none of them fired. He pressed the button again several times but it was in vain. That was when he realized that the armor-piercing cannons had to have been tampered with.

    ¡°It¡¯s time we leave!¡± Neptune said as he piloted the Golden Eagle. A few secondster, the Golden Eagle was out of Red Shield¡¯s atmosphere. It quickly disappeared from everyone¡¯s sight.

 Chapter 249 - Dr. House

    <h4>Chapter 249: Dr. House</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    After the Golden Eagle left Red Shield, Neptune informed Liliath and Elsa about his n.

    ¡°Lili, Elsa, this is my n. We will use the spaceship¡¯s space leap function and travel from Aegus Cosmos to Rado Cosmos. The space leap will take about five hours, which is the distance of one hundred and sixty billion light-years. The two cosmoses are considered to be advanced civilizations within Faye Cosmic Nation. They are neighbors, which is why there is a direct space passage between them and there is no need to use the unstable Border River territory.

    ¡°Besides that, I have already made calctions. By performing a space leap, the spaceship will use 87% of its energy. I¡¯ve also determined the bestnding coordinate after the space leap. It will take about 5% of the spaceship¡¯s energy. We will only need less than twenty minutes of flight before we arrive at our real destination, Medicinal Stone. There is a doctor named House on Medicinal Stone. He is ranked number one in the entire Rado Cosmos for his medical abilities. He is also ranked within the top ten in Faye Cosmic Nation.¡±

    Liliath voiced a question after listening to Neptune¡¯s arrangements, ¡°Neptune, I have no objections to your n. However, there¡¯s something I¡¯m curious about. Why do we need to travel such a distance? Can¡¯t we find the nearest hospital after one or two space leaps to help care for Biggie and Tagore? Shouldn¡¯t they be treated as soon as possible since they are wounded so badly?¡±

    ¡°There are three reasons for this. One, Aegus Cosmos is filled with spies from the Childe family. After destroying their mansion, they won¡¯t let us off so easily. Biggie and Tagore¡¯s wounds can¡¯t be healed in a short amount of time. If we are discovered, it would affect their healing process and we would be at a great disadvantage if their recuperation is cut short. By directly leaping to the Rado Cosmos, they won¡¯t be able to find us in such a short amount of time as long as we keep a low profile. We can fight for more time to get Biggie and Tagore treated there.

    ¡°Second, Biggie and Tagore¡¯s wounds are much more serious than they seem to be. They can¡¯t be treated by an ordinary doctor. We need to get the best doctor for them. I¡¯m not even entirely sure if the doctor called House will be able to help them healpletely. Another reason we¡¯re doing this is that Gu Ding had previously promised a friend to visit someone in this cosmos. That person is also a doctor and has a very special ability.¡±

    ¡°I understand. We¡¯ll go with your n. Let us know if there is anything you need us to do.¡± Liliath became even more worried about Biggie and Tagore¡¯s conditions after hearing Neptune¡¯s exnation. Nevertheless, she did not continue asking about their wounds because she would not be able to help them even if she did. All she could do was feel anxious for them. In that case, it would be more helpful to lighten Neptune¡¯s burden wherever she could.

    ¡°I¡¯m preparing to activate the space leap. Both of you can help secure Gu Ding and the others properly. After that, make sure you have secured yourselves. The space leap process will cause the spaceship to experience turbulence. Don¡¯t panic when that happens,¡± Neptune instructed without holding back. Neptune had no physical body and there were many things he could not do, hence, he needed their help with such things.

    Liliath and Elsa immediately set out to help secure Gu Ding, Biggie, and Tagore to the sofa by using intelligent sleeping bags.

    Intelligent sleeping bags were a type of technologically advanced item. They were convenient to bring along for outdoor trips because of their size that looked to be that of a peanut. Once the button on an intelligent sleeping bag was pressed, it would activate it, and the peanut would start producing threads that would weave into a sleeping bags around the person, wrapping the person up within it while securing it in a suitable location. Once one was done using it, all one had to do was deactivate it through voice control, ¡®deactivate sleeping bag¡¯, and it would revert to its original peanut size.

    After securing the others, Liliath and Elsa proceeded to tie themselves down securely to two recliners near the sofa. Liliath had bought them on a free day. All it took was the press of a button and the recliners would release a maic force that would secure them tightly to the surface of the spaceship.

    Neptune checked on them and found that even though the two girls sometimes acted quite carelessly, when it came to crucial times, they were very thorough. His worries were eased slightly. ¡°Is everything ready? I¡¯m about to activate the space leap.¡±

    The spaceship elerated in speed the moment Neptune said this. Just as Neptune had said previously, the spaceship began to experience slight turbulence. It was the first time everyone was experiencing the effects of a space leap. Only spaceships of Golden Eagle grade and above had the space leap function.

    Neptune reminded them, ¡°Get some rest, you two. I¡¯ll wake you up when we arrive at Medicinal Stone. When that timees, there¡¯ll be a lot for you to do. I¡¯ve tweaked House¡¯s appointment system to ce us as second in his appointments. The first person is someone who is in urgent need of a heart transnt. His heart will arrive at around 7.30 am over there. The operation should be done by 11 am. On the other hand, we¡¯ll arrive at roughly 10.30 am in their time zone. I¡¯ve also checked to make sure that none of the patients behind us are in any life-threatening dangers even though some of those people made appointments more than ten days ago...¡±

    The two girls were exhausted after a full night of action. Hence, they took Neptune¡¯s suggestion and quickly fell deep asleep.

    Neptune navigated the spaceship¡¯s space leap closely while also paying attention to any changes that may ur in Gu Ding. Even though he was hindered by ayer of radiation whenever he checked on Gu Dingm he was still able to conduct a few simple diagnoses regarding changes to Gu Ding¡¯s physical body. Neptune quickly noticed Gu Ding¡¯s rapid breathing.

    In fact, Gu Ding¡¯s body was changing tremendously internally.

    The ck energy had appeared out of thin air within Gu Ding¡¯s body after the demon face had disappeared. It was reaching out with numerous tentacles as it swept through every corner of Gu Ding¡¯s body. The major cirction of the Sun Sutra within Gu Ding¡¯s body was quickly discovered by the ck tentacles.

    When it found the Sun Sutra¡¯s major cirction in Gu Ding¡¯s body, the ck energy started to go into a frenzy as it entangled itself around the cirction. The four major circtions of Righteous Force within Gu Ding¡¯s body were immediately dyed ck as if they were contaminated. However, that was just the start. After contaminating the four major circtions, the ck energy started to imitate the activation of the Sun Sutra from Gu Ding¡¯s memory. It moved as if it had the support of unlimited energy, and in less than an hour, managed toplete the fifth major cirction. Gu Ding had always taken at least a week before he managed toplete one major cirction, and even then, he could only do it with the help of a sufficient energy source.

    The ck energy did not stop afterpleting the fifth major cirction and instead continued with its activity. For the next few hours, Gu Ding achieved consecutive breakthroughs at a crazy speed of one major cirction for each hour that passed. By the time the Golden Eagle had finished space leaping, Gu Ding¡¯s body hadpleted a total of nine major circtions. The nine ck-colored major circtions had also connected with each other in a strange way, creating a three-dimensional structure of an even bigger energy cirction system.

    Thepletion of this huge energy cirction system ignited a quick change in the essence of the Righteous Force within Gu Ding¡¯s body. The Righteous Force was original golden, but it was now slowly turning ck-adapting a consistency which was sticky and heavy. If Neptune had noticed the changes in Gu Ding¡¯s body, he would have shouted in surprise as what was happening in Gu Ding¡¯s body was something that only happened to a demigod who was in the midst of producing a God Source. The creation of a God Source normally only happened through the repeated fusing of Righteous Force with Ultra Fire that resulted in a change of essence of one¡¯s Righteous Force. A situation such as Gu Ding¡¯s was unheard of-where the process happened so easily without the help of an Ultra Fire to help with the transformation.

    Every part of a real deity¡¯s body was made of God Source particles. Gu Ding¡¯s transformation, however, involved only the Righteous Force within his veins. His body was still human, and it was different from a deity¡¯s. Nevertheless, to possess God Source meant that Gu Ding would be able to directly attack a deity lethally without the use of a god or demigod item.

    When the spaceship arrived on Medicinal Stone, the Righteous Force within Gu Ding had not yet finished its transformation. His body was still undergoing changes.

    Neptune woke up Liliath and Elsa, sent House¡¯s address along with a map to both their intelligent wristwatches, and asked them to put on masks as disguises ording to his instructions. He instructed them to help Biggie put on one as well.

    ¡°Both of you will need to put up with these in order to try and fight for more treatment time for Biggie and Tagore. I¡¯ve sent fake identifications to all three of your intelligent wristwatches, do take a look at them. I¡¯ve also made the necessary changes to the clinic¡¯s system. Remember, from now on, Biggie is Mr. Corbic. Lili, you¡¯re Olive, and Elsa is Abby. You are both Mr. Corbic¡¯s daughters and you¡¯re here traveling in the nearby Star Sector. If they ask you anything, don¡¯t reply immediately. Just wait for my instructions and follow my answers.¡± Neptune had thought of everything. He had already made up stories that were believable in order to avoid any suspicion that they were Gu Ding¡¯s crew. He had even masked the Golden Eagle with a fake color by using a holographic projection before descending to the port. The toy had been previously made by Robert. It was capable of projecting a holographic image to disguise the ship¡¯s original color.

    After disguising themselves properly, Elsa carried Biggie on her shoulders while Lili carried Tagore. They went straight to the address Neptune had given them.

    They managed to arrive right on time for their appointment.

    The girls followed a nurse into a consultation room and Elsa ced Biggie on to a bed the nurse had pointed to. Biggie was a little too big for the bed.

    The doctor named House walked into the consultation room and lifted his head to look at Liliath and the others as he frowned tightly. ¡°Hey, you guys must have hacked into our system to arrange yourselves as second in the appointment list, am I right?!¡±

    Liliath and Elsa jumped when they heard this usation...

 Chapter 250 - Spiritual Healer Ormâ€™s Junior

    <h4>Chapter 250: Spiritual Healer Orm¡¯s Junior</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Gu Ding was shocked upon seeing an empty cabin. He had no memory of what had transpired. Thest picture he had in his mind was him slitting his wrists to let blood out, using the taboo Art of Blood Sacrifice to call upon the weapon spirit within the god item. He did not even know if he had sessfully summoned the weapon spirit, nor was he aware of the results of the battle.

    ¡°What happened?¡± His question was pointed at his lone appearance in the spaceship¡¯s cabin while the rest had disappeared.

    ¡°Lili and Elsa brought Biggie and Tagore away to get treated,¡± Neptune finally exined. His words carried a grim undertone.

    Gu Ding quickly noticed the emotions in Neptune¡¯s words. Neptune never attempted to conceal its feelings. Gu Ding quickly continued asking, ¡°What happened after that?¡±

    ¡°The doctor conducted seventeen hours of operation on Biggie and helped repair the wounds he suffered, but the remaining God Source within Biggie¡¯s body is still doing damage to him. The doctor said even with the support of the cell repair, he won¡¯t be able tost more than a month...¡± Neptune finally revealed the truth. ¡°We¡¯ll just get him a better doctor!¡± Gu Ding thought that this was because of the doctor¡¯s inability.

    ¡°It¡¯s pointless. This isn¡¯t because of the doctor¡¯s ability. It¡¯s because Biggie is still made of blood and flesh. His body is unable to sustain the corrosion caused by the God Source. A real deity is of God status. The God Source in their body and the God Source in a demigod¡¯s body has a slight difference in theirposition. There is a mark of Deity Position within their God Source. Under normal circumstances, only a deity would be able to extract it from a body. Some stronger demigods would be able to exterminate the mark and mould the God Source, but it would require a few years, even decades, for that to work.¡±

    ¡°I knew from the very start that this doctor wouldn¡¯t be able to treat Biggie. I got Lili and the others to bring him there mainly for the doctor to put together Biggie¡¯s bones, making sure he lives. The severity of Biggie¡¯s bone fractures can only be put together by this one person in the entire Faye Cosmic Nation. I didn¡¯t tell Lilliath and Elsa the entire truth because I was afraid it would make them too depressed, ultimately affecting Biggie¡¯s treatment.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s something else that I had not expected. Tagore¡¯s physique is quite unique and it is impossible for him to get treatment here as well. I originally nned for him to go into operation with Biggie to try to fix the terrible situation happening in his body. Turns out, the defense automatically generated from his body made it impossible to operate on him. However, we¡¯re lucky that his body is not in a critical state. We still have time to figure something out.¡±

    Gu Ding frowned slightly after listening to Neptune¡¯s exnation. ¡°Where are they now? I¡¯ll go look for them!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve given them disguises and new identities. You shouldn¡¯t create moreplications at this time. If you there¡¯s anything you need to say, do it through themunicator. The entire crew is at its weakest now and we need to do our best to cover our tracks while getting Biggie and Tagore treated. The most important thing is that your ability may seem to be stronger now, but it¡¯s not to the extent that you think because your Righteous Force has beenpletely converted into God Source. The Ultimate Arts is not suited to be fueled by an energy system such as the God Source. Your enhancement effect of three hundred and twenty times is no longer in effect. Besides that, your Bronze Grade Combat Armor¡¯s five times enhancement is also no longer usable as yourbat effectiveness is beyond its limit. Your current basicbat effectiveness is at a hundred million points. You need a Combat Armor of Silver Grade or above,¡± Neptune gave its opinion.

    Gu Ding went silent for a while after listening to Neptune. ¡°Let¡¯s call Lili and the others first. Let me ask them about thetest updates. We¡¯ll discuss the other matterster.¡±

    Neptune immediately dialed Lilliath¡¯s number.

    Lilliath was taken aback when she saw Gu Ding¡¯s number, but she quicklyposed herself as the caller might not be Gu Ding, but Neptune. She picked up the call immediately.

    ¡°Lili, what¡¯s happening over there right now?¡± Gu Ding asked a little anxiously.

    Lilliath almost cried when she heard Gu Ding¡¯s voice. ¡°Gu Ding, you¡¯re okay?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine. I just woke up. Neptune told me about what happened to Biggie and Tagore. How are they doing?¡±

    ¡°The doctor said... There¡¯s no way to treat Tagore and Biggie. As for Biggie... He won¡¯t be able to live past a month...¡± Lilliath sobbed as she said. She finally let it all out when she heard Gu Ding¡¯s voice, unable to hold anything in.

    When Elsa heard her crying, the tears started to well up in her eyes as well. She ced her hand over Lilliath¡¯s hand and quietlyforted her.

    Gu Ding had never thought Biggie would be so seriously hurt. He paused awhile before he finally asked, refusing to give up, ¡°Did the doctor say if there was anything else we can do to help with Biggie¡¯s wound?¡±

    When Elsa heard Gu Ding¡¯s question, she thought back to the doctor¡¯s words before answering, ¡°I remember something. He said only Her Highness The Lord, who is now a deity, might be the only person in the entire Faye Cosmic Nation who is able to heal Biggie. This is because the God Source in Biggie¡¯s body has been continuously destroying his body. Someone would need to expel the God Source from him.¡±

    ¡°Elizabeth...¡± Gu Ding frowned slightly when he heard this answer. He might have had some dealings with Elizabeth but they were not friends. In fact, they were enemies from different camps. Thest time he dealt with Elizabeth, she had clearly stated that the next time they met, they would be enemies.

    ¡°Gu Ding, there is no need to even consider this. It would be equivalent to sending yourself to your death. The Royal Capital Sector Elizabeth is in, is the star sector with the most powerhouses in the entire Faye Cosmic Nation. There are close to a hundred demigods there. Besides Elizabeth, it is also guarded by another deity. Moreover, the Royal Capital Sector and the Faye Cosmic Nation Army headquarters are neighboring star sectors. It would take less than half an hour for the army to gather there. The most important thing to pay attention to, is that one would need to go through very strict and thorough checks in order to get into the Royal Capital Sector. You won¡¯t be able to slither your way through. Even if you managed to get in somehow, you would end up getting killed by a group of demigods before even seeing Elizabeth,¡± Neptune immediately tried to talk him out of it, not wanting Gu Ding to take this risk.

    ¡°Lili, I¡¯ll put on a mask as a disguise and go over to you. I¡¯ll bring some food for you too. Is there anything you¡¯d like to eat?¡± Gu Ding said as he put on the mask of a young man.

    ¡°Nothing. Elsa and I don¡¯t really have an appetite. Elsa only had a piece of bread in the afternoon,¡± Gu Ding realized both girls must be feeling really down during this time when he heard Lilliath¡¯s reply.

    ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll bring over something light,¡± Gu Ding put on his mask and checked his reflection by projecting his image. He hung up after making sure everything was in ce. He returned to his room and found himself a set of clothes he had not worn before. Lilliath had bought it for him. After changing his clothes and putting on a wig, Gu Ding looked at himself in the mirror. He finally left the spaceship after seeing that he could no longer recognize himself.

    It was twenty minutester when Gu Ding found the private clinic from the map.

    The clinic was notrge and Gu Ding found operating room No.1 very quickly. He waved the pack of dinner in his hands at Lilliath and Elsa, who had on their disguises and looked totally different. With that, the two girls knew that the blue-haired young man was Gu Ding.

    ¡°They are nning to move Biggie into the cell repair berth. Only by staying in the cell repair berth will Biggie be able tost a month. Tagore is immune to all medication, so he won¡¯t be able to be operated on,¡± Lilliath took over a small piece of cake from Gu Ding¡¯s hands as she forced a little smile.

    Gu Ding nodded. ¡°I¡¯ve heard. Don¡¯t worry. They¡¯ll be fine.¡±

    After passing the food over to the girls, he walked toward House, who was in the operating room. House had on a big, white robe, and he looked quite mature. Gu Ding guessed this must be the person who had operated on Biggie. ¡°Thank you! I¡¯d like to ask if we can buy this extrarge cell repair berth from you.¡±

    ¡°It would be much cheaper to rent. Are you sure you want to buy this?¡± They rarely used a cell repair berth of this size and it came in a set when they first purchased it. Biggie was basically the first person to use it.

    ¡°Yes. We don¡¯t want to waste too much time. I¡¯ll try to find another way to help him with the treatment, but we would need your cell repair berth to sustain his life for as long as possible. Moreover, the chance of us returning to Medicinal Stone is not high, so...¡± Gu Ding raised an eyebrow at this point.

    ¡°I have no idea what sort of trouble you have gotten yourselves into that forced a deity¡¯s hand, and I¡¯m not concerned over it. However, as a doctor, there¡¯s a need for me to rify some things. If he sustains another attack in his current condition, it will be fatal. Even if he recuperates in peace, he would be left with less than a month to live,¡± House could tell easily that the God Source left in Biggie did not belong to a demigod, but a real deity. He had some questions in his mind, but he did not try to find out the identity of Gu Ding and the others, nor did he want to find out what had happened to them.

    ¡°I understand, thank you!¡± Gu Ding nodded.

    Gu Ding waved the two girls over after he was done with the hospital discharge procedures. They ced Biggie and Tagore into the cell repair berth and Gu Ding carried the extrarge cell repair berth out of the private clinic.

    It took less than half an hour for three of them to return to the spaceship. Gu Ding ced the cell repair berth in the living room, making it easier for anyone to ess if there were any changes.

    ¡°Gu Ding, spiritual healer Orm¡¯s junior, Dockett is also in this cosmos, and he¡¯s a doctor too. Let¡¯s pay him a visit!¡± Neptune suddenly suggested.

    ¡°He has a special ability, doesn¡¯t he?¡± Gu Ding vaguely remembered someone like that.

    ¡°That¡¯s right. He has the ability of negative state transfer, but I¡¯m not sure how effective it is when dealing with God Source,¡± Neptune was not entirely sure, but giving this a try was a much better n than Gu Ding barging into the Royal Capital Sector.

    ¡°However, I will need you to purchase a new energy source for the spaceship before we do this...¡±

 Chapter 251 - Duke Malcolm

    <h4>Chapter 251: Duke Malcolm</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Normans was a very scenic tourist.

    This had a sea as blue as sapphire and a golden beach. There were dancing snow and icynds which were extremely exotic, rich foliage of flora and fauna and even famous, adventurous mountains and rivers.

    That was why many of those within the Rado Cosmos who were about to get married would pick this ce. Besides being a wedding destination, it was also a great ce for honeymoons. This was also the reason Normans was a favorite travel spot for young, single women looking for romance. Some were lucky enough to fall in love here, and the stories were shared and told everywhere. As a result, the had earned itself a pretty nickname, the Romantic Star.

    There was a high volume of tourists on Normans. ording to the Cosmic Calendar¡¯s calctions, the number of annual tourists on this was ranked in the top 50 in the Faye Cosmic Nation. In fact, its average ranking for the past ten years would put it at No.41.

    Naturally, romance was not Gu Ding¡¯s reason for visiting the. He was here for spiritual healer Orm¡¯s junior.

    Neptune locked onto the coordinates on his intelligent wristwatch and confirmed he was on this. When they had met with spiritual healer Orm in the Border River, Neptune had checked that the coordinates led to this. Spiritual Healer Orm¡¯s junior had never left this location.

    When he got off the ship, Gu Ding noticed that the harbor did not have many spaceships such as the Golden Eagle, which was grouped under the Raptor Series. Most of the spaceships were of the colorful and vibrant Starry Sky Series. This sort of spaceship was usually purchased by women, and they did not possess great attack effectiveness. This series was designed with a more civil approach.

    Lilliath and Elsa followed behind Gu Ding, dazzled by the scene in front of their eyes. There were too many spaceships of the Starry Sky series docked at the harbor and the two girls were captivated by the sight. It helped them feel less depressed than before.

    ¡°Neptune, what are Dockett¡¯s exact coordinates?¡± Gu Ding did not n to stay long on this because of Biggie¡¯s current condition.

    Neptune immediately projected the map. Gu Ding raised an eyebrow at the district disyed on the map. ¡°It looks like he has been living quite a good life!¡±

    The projection clearly showed that Dockett was located in a pce. Gu Ding might have no idea who the pce belonged to, but he had heard the booming tourism industry of Normans. Any location swarmed with tourists was just like a gold mine. Common housing properties would note cheap, not to mention a pce. Although, Gu Ding did not think Dockett could afford this pce. He thought that it was a good enough life Dockett was enjoying, even if it was nothing more than having a close connection with the owner of this pce.

    However, Neptune next projected a map of the pce to be matched with the coordinates of the intelligent wristwatch, which made Gu Ding frown. ording to the information, it showed Dockett¡¯s location to be in the basement of the pce, and this coordinate had never shown any sign of movement.

    ¡°If I¡¯m not wrong, this guy must be imprisoned,¡± Neptune¡¯s tone had a tinge of ridicule.

    ¡°Who is the owner of the pce?¡± Gu Ding rubbed his nose as he asked.

    Neptune immediately projected the information.

    ¡®Duke: Malcolm¡¯

    ¡®Gender: Male¡¯

    ¡®Age: 3323¡¯

    ¡®Gene Level: Demigod¡¯

    ¡®Strongest Combat Effectiveness: Unknown¡¯

    ¡®Special Ability: Unknown¡¯

    ¡®Other Abilities: Martial Arts Powerhouse¡¯

    ¡®Personality Introduction: A demigod powerhouse appointed as Duke by the Federal Government. Upright and friendly, popr among others, and has many good friends within the inner circle. Ranked at No.33 on the Demigod Ranking but rarely fights. His good friend Grand Duke Rnd once said that No.33 was an understatement to his old friend¡¯s ability.¡¯

    Gu Ding eased a little when he read the personality introduction that was projected. He was Rnd¡¯s friend, so it would make sense for Gu Ding to visit him since Gu Ding also knew Rnd. However, he had some doubts as well. Why would Duke Malcolm imprison Dockett in his home? Malcolm seemed like a good person from the official description. Moreover, he was friends with Rnd.

    ¡°I¡¯vepiled other information from the Sk on Malcolm. He seems to be of good character. Every person who hase in contact with him has given him high praise. He has also made anonymous donations to various charities. His donations are not the type of pretentious anonymity, but the kind that is very hard to be tracked. The amounts are generous with every donation as high as hundreds of millions of Universe Credits. If I did not go through his bank ounts, it would be impossible to find out that the huge amounts missing in them match the exact values of several anonymous donations. The timings match as well.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s pay him a visit. He has strong abilities, which probably makes it difficult for us to save Dockett secretly. We¡¯ll just have to negotiate with him about letting Dockett go,¡± Gu Ding brought along the girls and rented a small aircraft. All three of them arrived outside the pce after half an hour.

    There was something strange about this ce. There were no guards at the entrance of the courtyard in this gigantic pce. Even the door was left wide open as if to signal to visitors that it was okay to walk in just like that.

    Gu Ding did not see a doorbell, so he walked in with the two girls.

    The nts in the courtyard had been kept tidy. Someone must often take care of the garden. All three of them walked through the courtyard and straight on toward the entrance of the pce. Gu Ding knocked on the door knocker after looking at the huge, ck door in front of him.

    The door opened by itself after a while. Gu Ding walked in without hesitation and the two girls quickly followed behind.

    ¡°What would you like to drink?¡± A deep, maic voice of a man was hearding from somewhere nearby.

    Gu Ding was taken aback by the voice. He had not detected the presence of anyone there when he came in.

    ¡°This is a very powerful man! He¡¯s not any less powerful than Rnd!¡± Neptune immediately whispered into Gu Ding¡¯s ear.

    ¡°I¡¯ll just have a ss of milca, thank you!¡± Gu Ding did not hold back on his request as he started sizing up the man in front of him.

    This man looked to be around twenty-five or six. He was skinny and tall with fine-looking features and a small face. He was a handsome man with a smallish face. There was a certain quality to him, which made it seem like he was a born nobleman. The word ¡®elegance¡¯ was usually suited to describe a woman, but it felt just as natural to use it to describe him. This did not mean that he acted in a feminine way, rather, it was because he was brimming with the essence of a nobleman.

    ¡°What about the two lovelydies?¡± The corners of the man¡¯s lips were lifted at the right point, disying a sincerity that did not look at all like a fake smile nor an exaggerated one.

    ¡°We¡¯ll just have fruit juice,¡± Lilliath was still wary of him. She was not nning on ordering any alcoholic drinks at this time.

    ¡°How about some lime juice? It¡¯s sweet and sour, a favorite with thedies,¡± the man looked at Lilliath when he said this, all the while concocting Gu Ding¡¯s milca.

    ¡°That¡¯s fine. Lime juice sounds good,¡± Lilliath nodded.

    ¡°Feel free to sit anywhere. It will be done in just a moment,¡± the man said as he busied himself.

    Gu Ding and the others sat on the sofa near the bar counter without hesitation.

    ¡°Mr. Malcolm, we noticed that your courtyard door is wide open. Do you always leave it open this way?¡± Lilliath was the first to ask what was on her mind.

    ¡°That¡¯s correct. The courtyard door is always wide open whenever I¡¯m home. If the courtyard door is closed, it means I¡¯m away. Those who visit are my friends, and there¡¯s no need to lock the courtyard doors. All they need to do ise in,¡± Malcolm¡¯s logic sounded a little strange, but Gu Ding liked his style. He could tell why Malcolm and Rnd were friends.

    ¡°Won¡¯t you get robbed this way?¡± Lilliath still could not understand this.

    ¡°No, I won¡¯t. The security here is better than Utfer. If someone were toe in here to steal, that would mean that the person is desperate and is in dire need of help. It would be okay for him to take a few things. I only have daily necessities here. Losing a few of my things is better than someone dying of hunger,¡± Malcolm did not seem too bothered about material items.

    ¡°Your drinks are ready. Have a taste,¡± Malcolm served the drinks to all three of them while he poured a ss of binks for himself and sat down on Gu Ding¡¯s right.

    ¡°Wow, this tastes really good. How did you make it? Did you add any special ingredients?¡± Gu Ding could not help crying out when he took a sip.

    ¡°I used a special technique whereby I crush the creamer to make it finer, this elevates the taste,¡± Malcolm did not keep the method a secret.

    ¡°This tastes really good too!¡± Elsa had taken a sip of the lime juice, andter immediately gulped it down.

    Lilliath only took a small sip before cing the ss back on the table.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you like the taste? Why don¡¯t I make something else? What do you like? I have most ingredients avable,¡± Malcolm noticed Lilliath did not drink much of it.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m not really thirsty,¡± Lilliath was secretly worried that this man had done something to the drinks.

    Malcolm seemed to be aware of Lilliath¡¯s thoughts and did not force her, nor did he say much about it. All he did was smile lightly. ¡°Okay.¡±

    Gu Ding was also done with his milca. Just as Malcolm was about to pass him some tissue, Gu Ding wiped his mouth with his fingers.

    Malcolm was taken aback butughed. ¡°You are exactly as Rnd described.¡±

    ¡°How did you know who we were?¡± Gu Ding had thought no one would recognize them as they had all put on masks as disguises.

    Malcolmughed. ¡°Who else but Gu Ding would drink milca wherever he goes? Not only that, but you also have two littledies trailing after you as well. Tell me, what do you three kids want from me?¡±

    ¡°Uncle, we¡¯re actually not here to see you. We¡¯re here to see Dockett,¡± Malcolm looked slightly confused when Gu Ding said this.

    ¡°Dockett? I don¡¯t know this person. Who informed you that I know him?¡± Malcolm did not look like he was pretending.

    Lilliath hesitated when she heard this. She tried to signal Gu Ding with a look to stop him from continuing to ask about this, but Gu Ding did not notice her signal. Instead, he asked directly, ¡°Dockett is the guy you have imprisoned in the dungeon...¡±

 Chapter 252 - Dockett, The Battling Maniac

    <h4>Chapter 252: Dockett, The Battling Maniac</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Lilliath had tried to signal Gu Ding because Malcolm was obviously denying that he knows such a person. This could only mean that he did not want someone else to know that he had imprisoned this person. However, Gu Ding did not hesitate to ask the question, which slightly worried her about Malcolm taking action against them out of anger.

    However, Malcolm looked stunned as he asked, ¡°Do you know this person?¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t, but he is a junior of a friend. Uncle, why did you imprison him?¡± Gu Ding asked next.

    Lilliath was dripping cold sweat over his questioning.

    Malcolm looked a little exasperated as he exined this, ¡°That man is a battling maniac. He came looking for me a few months ago when he was Rank 9 Gene Body and issued me a challenge. I agreed since I did not have much to do. I thought it would be no harm to give a junior some pointers. I arranged a guest room for him here after he had lost the fight as an offer of constion. I had thought he would leave after one night. I never expected him to continue staying herefortably and issuing me a challenge every few days. I had to chase him out of here since there was nothing else I could do. I never thought he would end up settling down in the dungeon. I¡¯ve had this house for close to a hundred years and if it wasn¡¯t for him, I would have never known there was a dungeon below.¡±

    ¡°I tried chasing him away but that kid must have realized I was not willing to kill him. Every time I took action, he made no attempts to defend himself. I have no choice but to let this go and allow him to stay on. If you have a way to get him out of here, I¡¯ll be willing to give each of you a Golden Combat Armor!¡±

    ¡°Uncle, do you have a lot of Golden Combat Armor? There are four of us who need it,¡± Combat Armors can only be used by humans. Robert and Tagore would not be able to utilize them, but Gu Ding did not forget about Biggie, who was still lying in the cell repair berth.

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have enough if you wanted forty of them, but four is no problem at all,¡± Malcolm had already thought about a meeting gift for Gu Ding when he visited because he was good friends with Rnd as Gu Ding had a good rtionship with Rnd. Moreover, the Golden Combat Armor was only useful to those below demigod level. He would need to give the Golden Combat Armors to someone sooner orter. It just so happened that he gave Gu Ding a mission to get rid of that person.

    To be honest, the Golden Combat Armor was quite a generous gift. The market price of a Golden Combat Armor was worth at least eight hundred million Universe Credits, but there was no supply for it. Every time Golden Combat Armor appeared at an auction, it would be auctioned off for no less than one billion and two hundred million Universe Credits because of the level of enhancement ofbat effectiveness it provides for those below demigod level, typically around a fifty-time increase. For those who were not demigods, this was an item that was more useful than a demigod item. Gu Ding had been an Interster Pirate for around half a year but has yet to hear from Neptune about any Golden Combat Armor being put up for auction. He would have made a mad dash to purchase if there was one avable.

    ¡°How is Dockett¡¯sbat effectiveness?¡± Gu Ding quickly thought up a n on how to get rid of the troublesome Dockett.

    ¡°He has the ability of psychokinesis. He was a Rank 9 Gene Body a few months ago, but now he has achieved Rank 12. Hisbat effectiveness is slightly more powerful than a normal demigod, but his power is limited. He owns a demigod item in the form of a scalpel and has a very special ability. He can transfer his wounds to his enemy, but it would first require him to touch his opponent physically,¡± Malcolm quickly shared some information about Dockett.

    ¡°Uncle, take me to him,¡± Gu Ding made a rough estimation of his ownbat effectiveness. Even though he no longer had the enhancement effects of Ultimate Arts and the Bronze Grade Combat Armor, his basicbat effectiveness had reached one hundred million points. Even without the use of Damage Stacking, with the help of the enhancement effects of his other abilities, he would be able to reach two hundred billion points. If he included the use of Advanced Damage Stacking, his highestbat effectiveness would go up to more than two hundred trillion points. A 1-Star Lower Ranking Deity¡¯s basicbat effectiveness was only at one hundred trillion. Gu Ding also had the martial arts domain, which could suppress his opponent¡¯sbat effectiveness by 90%. Add that on to his current battle effectiveness, he could take down nearly any demigod.

    Gu Ding¡¯s n was quite simple. As long as he was able to suppress Dockett, Dockett would be sure to change targets and go after Gu Ding instead of Malcolm. The only downside about this was the possibility of this guy harassing Gu Ding, but for the sake of the Golden Combat Armors, Gu Ding decided to temporarily sacrifice himself.

    ¡°Hisbat effectiveness is not that low. It would be better for your crew member, Biggie, to take him on,¡± Malcolm guessed Gu Ding¡¯s thoughts when he heard Gu Ding¡¯s question about Dockett¡¯sbat effectiveness. He had just watched the video of Gu Ding¡¯s huge battle on Red Shield. Although those videos ended after Robert had released his powerful annihtion cannon, the contents at the beginning of the video were enough for many to see thebat effectiveness of Gu Ding¡¯s crew. Malcolm was slightly surprised when Gu Ding appeared in front of him because he had never expected Gu Ding¡¯s crew to be able to escape from the hands of Porti. From the videos, he could tell that Gu Ding¡¯s battle effectiveness was not good enough for him to be going against Dockett.

    ¡°Biggie was badly wounded. I¡¯m strong enough to handle this fight,¡± Gu Ding did not think that Dockett was a threat to him.

    ¡°Wounded?¡± Malcolm frowned slightly. He had seen Porti summon three corpse dummies in the video. It was highly unlikely for Gu Ding¡¯s crew to make a safe retreat from the fight with such a powerful enemy. It was quite impressive for them to be able to escape and only normal that Biggie was wounded.

    However, Malcolm did not think Gu Ding could win. ¡°How about this, what if I let you borrow the Golden Combat Armor? You would have a higher chance of winning with it.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I would never overestimate my abilities, and I know I can definitely win,¡± Gu Ding shook his head in disagreement. He knew Malcolm would not believe in hisbat effectiveness. The only thing left to do was to prove his ability.

    ¡°If you say so. Follow me!¡± Malcolm did not argue when Gu Ding said that to him.

    All three of them followed behind Malcolm and soon came to an entrance at the courtyard, which led them to the dungeon below the pce.

    The dungeon space under the pce was surprisinglyrger than the surface area of the pce. The dungeon was kept very clean and did not smell at all. Duke Malcolm must have cleaned it up during his free time.

    The four of them walked into the deepest part of the dungeon and saw a young man sleeping with his feet up on the stone bed. It looked like he was sleeping and it would seem so if he was not shaking his legs. It was obvious that he was not asleep.

    The young man immediately sat up when he heard footstepsing nearer, and it sounded like there was more than one person. There were several scalpels hidden in the sleeve of his robe, all prepared to spring into action.

    He rxed slightly when he saw Malcolm in the front, although he was still cautious. He asked, ¡°Who are all these people?¡±

    ¡°Hi Dockett, I¡¯m Gu Ding,¡± Gu Ding took off his mask as he greeted him.

    Even though he stayed in the dungeon, Dockett did not forget to update himself on thetest news. ¡°I know who you are. You¡¯re the Interster Pirate who made a mess on Red Shield. You even had a drink with Grand Duke Rnd before. I have a question, how did you make your escape? Thatdy from the Dark Sectors was quite something. She didn¡¯t die instantly at the hands of that robot from your crew, did she? The Sk¡¯s video only showed the robot making his move, and all surveince videos after that were blinded. However, most of the locals said that you were transported into her domain. If that was the case, there wouldn¡¯t be a high chance of all of you escaping, would there?¡±

    ¡°We did get pulled into her domain, but we killed her and made our escape,¡± Gu Ding was not nning on delving into the finer details.

    Dockett did not believe Gu Ding¡¯s answer at all. However, Malcolm was surprised. There were only three people left on Gu Ding¡¯s crew. This was enough to inform him that it had been a horrible battle. He quickly stopped Dockett from continuing his questioning. ¡°Gu Ding, you should tell him what you are here for.¡±

    ¡°We met your senior Orm in the Border River and he informed us of your ability. We have two crew members who are heavily wounded and we hope that you would be able to treat them using your ability,¡± Gu Ding informed him of their reason here.

    ¡°You met my senior? How is he doing now?¡± Dockett quickly asked when he heard Gu Ding mention Orm.

    ¡°He is now a spiritual healer at a temple in Tampa and helps treat illnesses. Didn¡¯t he call you on yourmunicator? We found your number and passed it to him. He asked us to ry some news but we thought it would be inappropriate for us to do and requested that he tell you personally through yourmunicators.¡±

    ¡°We haven¡¯t seen each other for six years and I have never received any message nor calls from him. What news could he have for me?¡± Dockett was curious.

    ¡°He said your master has fallen,¡± even though Gu Ding felt that news of this nature should not be told from an outsider such as himself, he also thought that the truth should not be dyed.

    ¡°The old man is dead?¡± Dockett did not look sad at all, but he did look surprised, and at the same time, it looked like he had expected this news.

    ¡°My condolences,¡± Even though Gu Ding did not really understand why Dockett did not react emotionally to the news, he proceeded to console Dockett.

    ¡°Actually, my senior and I have expected this. His life had longe near the end and it was about time he would have fallen. It is considered a release for him and not necessarily a bad thing. Where are your wounded crew members? Take me to them,¡± Dockett provided a reason for hisck of emotion.

    ¡°They are at the harbor. I didn¡¯t bring them along. We would like you toe with us,¡± Gu Ding did not n to waste any more time.

    ¡°I¡¯ll tag along with you,¡± Malcolm offered as he had free time and wanted to see how badly Biggie and the others were wounded.

 Chapter 253 - The Failed Treatment

    <h4>Chapter 253: The Failed Treatment</h4>

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Five of them quickly arrived at the harbor and Dockett could not help admiring Golden Eagle when he saw it. ¡°What an impressive spaceship!¡±

    He had always been a solo traveler and owned only a Grey-faced Buzzard. It was a remarkable thing to see a Golden Eagle.

    Dockett kept looking around when they got into the spaceship and had a look that said this was a whole new world to him.

    ¡°Dockett, why don¡¯t you join our crew. We need a doctor,¡± Gu Ding suggested when he saw the look on Dockett¡¯s face.

    ¡°I can¡¯t. I¡¯m not going anywhere without winning Malcolm!¡± Dockett immediately rejected Gu Ding¡¯s invite.

    ¡°That¡¯s fine, we¡¯ll discuss thister,¡± Gu Ding did not immediately mention his n to challenge Dockett. He was worried that Dockett would refuse to treat Biggie and the others if Gu Ding beat him. That would spell trouble.

    Biggie¡¯s mask had already been taken off in the cell repair berth. He only had on a huge pair of pants on his body.

    ¡°Open the cell repair berth and let me check his wound,¡± Dockett stood next to the cell repair berth as he frowned slightly. He was not just a doctor, he was also psychokic. The power of his soul energy was nearly at the level of a demigod. He was able to detect that Biggie¡¯s soul was currently in deep sleep. When someone showed this symptom, it meant that the owner of the soul had suffered a terrible wound.

    Gu Ding opened the berth and Dockett reached into the cell repair berth, pressing directly on the veins on Biggie¡¯s neck. He next opened Biggie¡¯s eyelids and raised his head to look at Gu Ding. ¡°He is halfway to hell. I can try to extract the negative effect within his body, but I would need you to get me a substitute to bear the burden of the negative effect. This substitute must be powerful enough to take on the effects. At the very least, it cannot die within ten minutes after the full transfer isplete. Otherwise, both me and Biggie will suffer the counter-effect of my abilities. If that happens, I¡¯ll be wounded at most, but for Biggie who is in such a weak condition, it is highly possible that he might die.¡±

    Gu Ding immediately replied, ¡°I¡¯ll be the substitute. My body has ten times the recovery rate of Biggie. This wound should not give my body too much trouble.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure? My rmendation is to capture a strong and powerful genebeast, and transfer the body¡¯s damage onto the genebeast¡¯s body,¡± Dockett had not expected Gu Ding to make this decision.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, you can just transfer it to me,¡± Gu Ding shook his head.

    ¡°Very well. Let¡¯s see if I am able to extract it,¡± Dockett did not try to change Gu Ding¡¯s mind when he saw Gu Ding¡¯s determination. He activated his special ability and started to detect the special circumstance happening in Biggie¡¯s body.

    Dockett could tell that there had been surgery done on Biggie using his special ability. There were also minor cracks on Biggie¡¯s bones that had notpletely healed. Dockett continued digging for more information and very soon, he saw a special energy that was greyish-green. There was a vague mark that looked like a shadow on it. It was an energy that was continuously creating damage to Biggie¡¯s body.

    ¡°Is this God Source?! It¡¯s a God Source with the mark of a deity. Whoever wounded Biggie was not a demigod... It was a true deity!!!¡± Dockett was finally able to diagnose the reason for Biggie¡¯s wound, but he also quickly collected his thoughts as he tried to extract these negative effects from Biggie¡¯s body.

    Within Biggie¡¯s body, the marks of unhealed wounds after his surgery quickly vanished. Next, the cracks on his bones disappeared quickly as well, but the greyish-green God Source did not react to Dockett¡¯s attempts at extraction. He had no choice but to retreat from Biggie¡¯s body.

    ¡°Biggie was wounded by a real deity. I am able to extract his wound, but I can¡¯t do anything about that greyish-green God Source. That thing seems to have been nailed down into his body by the mark of a deity. Only a true deity will be able to expel it,¡± it was the first time Dockett had met a patient wounded by a deity. Even though he was not willing to admit this, but it was a fact that he was unable to do anything about the energy remnants created by a true deity.

    ¡°Porti had upgraded to be a deity?¡± This was Malcolm¡¯s immediate reaction to Dockett¡¯s statement.

    ¡°No, it was a corpse dummy within her domain,¡± all Gu Ding did was correct Malcolm¡¯s guess, but did not n to continue with an exnation.

    Malcolm knew Gu Ding was in a bad mood and did not continue with any questions.

    ¡°If that is the case, help us take a look at Tagore!¡± Gu Ding said as he passed Tagore to Dockett.

    Dockett activated his ability again as he checked for any anomalies within the little cat¡¯s body carefully. After looking over Tagore a few times, nothing was found. Dockett came to a conclusion in the end. ¡°There is nothing wrong with this cat. His body is justcking energy.¡±

    ¡°How is that possible?¡± Gu Ding could hardly believe it.

    Neptune quickly scanned Tagore and surprisingly came to the same conclusion as Dockett. ¡°That¡¯s strange. The wounds in his body have all vanished! If he possesses Advanced High-Speed Regeneration, it would not be impossible for him topletely heal within a day.¡±

    ¡°Do you know when would Tagore be able to wake up?¡± Gu Ding could not help asking.

    Dockett thought Gu Ding was directing the question at him. ¡°It would be difficult to tell. However, judging by his current condition, thea might be caused by evolution. If that is the case, it would require a huge amount of energy.¡±

    ¡°His deduction makes sense. We can find some time to purchase more energy crystals and feed them to Tagore. It might have an effect on him,¡± Neptune¡¯s databank did not contain any information on Tagore or simr species to him. It did not dare to provide a definite conclusion without support from the databank and could only give a suggestion.

    Dockett was a little disappointed as he had always been confident of his ability. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I was not much of a help. Biggie¡¯s wound would continue to spread because of the God Source. Even though I have removed all the damage caused to his body, the God Source will continue to damage it. Judging by the speed of the damage, he will only live for a month at most, unless you are able to find a deity willing to help him. However, there are currently only two deities in the entire Faye Cosmic Nation. One would be Her Highness The Lord, and the other would be the guardian of Faye Cosmic Nation.¡±

    ¡°The possibility of Her Highness The Lord helping you out is not very high, especially since you are an Interster Pirate, which ces you both on opposing sides. As for that guardian, all we know is that he stands guard at the Royal Capital Sector all year round, but no one knows which he is on. We don¡¯t even know what does he look like or what his name is. He could be a man or a woman. The chances are even slimmer to try and get his help.¡±

    ¡°Looks like we can only approach Elizabeth...¡± Gu Ding clenched his fist. It looked like they had to make a trip to the Royal Capital Sector in order to save Biggie.

 Chapter 254 - Dockettâ€™s Crushing Defeat

    <h4>Chapter 254: Dockett¡¯s Crushing Defeat</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Dockett¡¯s ability was a truly unique one. He was able to extract a person¡¯s negative state and transfer it onto the body of another person.

    At that point, Biggie¡¯s wound was transferred onto Gu Ding. Gu Ding frowned slightly when he took over the damages, but did not make a sound.

    Biggie¡¯s wound was not too serious. He had only bone cracks and his internal organs had suffered a concussion. Other than that, there were some traces left by his surgery. As Gu Ding¡¯s body did not have a source of damage, it took less than a few minutes for him topletely restore himself at high speed after those wounds were transferred into him.

    After Dockett was done with this, Gu Ding walked Malcolm and Dockett out of the spaceship, butter pulled Dockett to the side.

    ¡°It¡¯s not realistic for you to view Malcolm as your target. Malcolm¡¯s real ability isparable to that of Rnd. Both of them are demigod powerhouses at their peaks. They are fully capable of ughtering deities. Even though he is ranked 33 on the Demigod Ranking, he has never taken the initiative to challenge anyone. However, if we were to look at his true capabilities, he is absolutely qualified to be in the top 10. Judging from your current situation, you would need to achieve at least demigod level to be able to truly be on par to fight him. When I say on par to fight with him, it does not mean that you achieve the ability to be good enough to go up against him, rather, I mean that you would actually be powerful enough to force him into disying his true abilities.¡±

    ¡°Does he truly have the power to ughter deities?¡± Dockett knew that Malcolm had never really showcased his true powers whenever Dockett challenged him, but he had no idea of the extent of how powerful Malcolm was.

    ¡°Yes, it is absolutely true!¡± Gu Ding had no doubts about Neptune¡¯s conclusion.

    ¡°Looks like it would be difficult for me to defeat him before achieving demigod level. If that is the case, I¡¯ll be stuck on this forever...¡± Dockett frowned. He had thought he would have a slight chance of victory when he had achieved Rank 13 Gene Body. If Malcolm was as powerful as Gu Ding described, he would not be able to leave Utfer anytime soon.

    ¡°Actually, you can choose another opponent,¡± Gu Ding took the opportunity to mention this when he saw Dockett¡¯s hesitation.

    ¡°Who should I pick? Your crew member, Robert, may have powerful attack effectiveness, but it cannot bepared to a human. It does not mean much for me to battle him, regardless if I win or lose. I don¡¯t think anyone else on your crew can go up against me other than Biggie, but he has only a month left to live in his current condition,¡± Dockett shook his head.

    Gu Ding replied with conviction, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, nothing will happen to Biggie. The opponent you should challenge, is me.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve seen the video of your battlest night. You do have the ability to suppress all Rank 13 Gene Body, but what you are unaware of is that I may have Rank 12 Gene Body, but my soul energy is close to that of a demigod level. Not only that, but I am also a psychokic with a demigod item in my hands. I¡¯m able to kill any ordinary demigod level powerhouse. The most important point, is that a psychokic such me has the professional ability to suppress closebat martial artists such as yourselves. Even if you possess the samebat effectiveness as I do, it would be impossible for you to win,¡± Dockett was not underestimating Gu Ding. He acknowledged Gu Ding¡¯s strength. To be able to beat a group of Rank 13 Gene Body with only the power of Rank 7 Gene Body was something that Dockett would never be able to do. Dockett had too much of an upper handpared to Gu Ding, which made winning Gu Ding not much of a victory. Dockett instead wished that the fight with Gu Ding could be postponed. Gu Ding might very well turn into a worthy opponent if he became stronger.

    ¡°How would you know without trying? My abilities have achieved a breakthrough again tonight and I want to test myself by fighting you,¡± Gu Ding knew that Dockett was unwilling to fight him because of the video he had previously watched. Dockett must have thought that Gu Ding¡¯sbat effectiveness was not as powerful and was not interested in the challenge because of this.

    Dockett was doubtful about his. Every time Dockett had a breakthrough with his gene level, it would take him at least one day and one night. Of course, he was open to the possibility that someone would be able to achieve breakthrough speedily if they possessed unique physical qualities. ¡°You¡¯ve achieved a breakthrough in one night? Well then, let¡¯s have one fight. Although, let¡¯s be clear that whoever loses is not allowed to harass the other and request for best two out of three. We¡¯ll decide the oue in one round.¡±

    Malcolm was quite speechless when Dockett made the deration. He was thinking about how thick-skinned Dockett was. Requests such as best two out of three were always made by Dockett to Malcolm, which were always extended to best three out of five and best four out of seven...

    However, they have fought each other N times and Dockett had never once won, except for the one time when Malcolm let him have one victory out of exasperation. Malcolm had thought that if he lost on purpose, this young man would finally leave. He did not expect for Dockett to reject the victory, insisting that it was not counted because Malcolm had lost on purpose.

    ¡°Remember your words,¡± Gu Ding felt that Dockett was not doing himself any favors.

    ¡°Do you need me to create an energy barrier for you?¡± Malcolm was in a pleasant mood. He had seen Gu Ding¡¯s previous video. If Gu Ding had achieved a breakthrough, he would have some chances at winning. Moreover, Gu Ding looked pretty confident. If Gu Ding won, Malcolm would finally be able to get rid of this man, who was as sticky as chewy candy.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± a wide smile appeared on Gu Ding¡¯s face as he shook his head at Malcolm.

    He turned toward Dockett. ¡°Are you ready?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m a psychokic. Once I make my move, you¡¯ll have absolutely no chance,¡± Dockett replied with confidence.

    ¡°I won¡¯t stand on ceremony then!¡± Gu Ding said as he fully activated all enhancement abilities, increasing hisbat effectiveness to 2000 times in an instant. He had also activated his martial arts domain at the same time, pulling Dockett into it.

    Malcolm was stunned as he watched both of them disappear from the scene. ¡°How is this possible? Gu Ding is only Rank 7 Gene Body. Even if he had achieved a breakthrough, he would only be at Rank 8 Gene Body. Moreover, I cannot detect any sense of demigod in him. Why is he able to use this domain? This domain requires God Source to be activated, which would mean that his body currently possesses God Source...¡±

    Dockett knew he had been pulled into a domain when he saw the scene in front of him suddenly change. As he was thinking that this was done by Malcolm in order to prevent the harbor from being destroyed when he noticed there was nothing in this domain, much like a barrennd yet to be developed. He immediately turned to look at Gu Ding, asking uncertainly, ¡°This is your domain?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. I haven¡¯t had time to develop it, which is why it looks pretty barren,¡± Gu Ding scratched his head, feeling slightly embarrassed. There was nothing in this domain, and the ground beneath was filled with bumps and hollows. It looked really pitiful.

    ¡°How did you do this? Even if you have cultivated the domain of another demigod or deity, you would not be able to activate it without God Source, would you?¡± Dockett was getting quite curious about this.

    Gu Ding was not bothered with providing an exnation. A ck energy flowed out freely from his body as it quickly wrapped around both his hands.

    Dockett could easily tell that the energy Gu Ding was using was not Righteous Force, but was truly a God Source. Much like Malcolm¡¯s, the energy flowing out of Gu Ding looked like it was alive. Only a God Source could create such an effect.

    ¡°You¡¯ve upgraded to demigod? That¡¯s impossible, no one is capable of upgrading from Rank 7 Gene Body to demigod level in one night!¡± This was Dockett¡¯s first reaction, but he had also quickly thought it impossible.

    ¡°There¡¯s no need to guess further. If one cultivates Righteous Force to its extreme, it would naturally be transformed in God Source. It¡¯s not thatplicated,¡± Gu Ding immediately answered Dockett.

    ¡°I know this, but it¡¯s rare for someone to be able to truly cultivate Righteous Force in God Source. Most people would elevate to demigod level and only start cultivating Divine Connection Tome to temper and assimte their Righteous Force before slowly transforming it into God Source. This is a very slow transformation process. Normal 1-Star Divine Connection Tome that possesses the capacity to temper and assimte would require around three hundred years forplete transformation. Even a 2-Star Divine Connection tome would require at least fifty years and above,¡± Dockett had been making preparations to upgrade to demigod level and had done a lot of research on the subject. He had a very clear understanding of the transformation from Righteous Force to God Source.

    ¡°You had actually managed to transform all your Righteous Force into God Source in one night. Why not let me have a look at the power of your God Source!¡±

    Dockett quickly shot out close to a hundred of little silver des from his sleeves in quick session as he said this. His two special abilities of increased speed and razor-sharpness were enchanted onto these hundreds of des. His Righteous Force was bright white, which was why when those little silver des flew out from him, they looked like a meteor shower flying across the empty sky, but they were targeted at Gu Ding. However, Dockett soon realized that his attack speed and attack effectiveness had been greatly diminished in this space. He knew the moment he let fly those des from his hands that this would be a difficult fight.

    All Gu Ding did was smile widely. Dockett¡¯s attack looked vicious, but only the one demigod item among those hundreds of little des would be capable of causing him harm. The other little des were all blocked by his Gu Ding¡¯s God Source and were far from being able to hurt him.

    However, he had to make Dockett ept the defeat wholeheartedly, which was why he did not avoid the des, nor did he choose to defend himself from them. Gu Ding chose to attack instead.

    Hundreds of finger force were shot out from all then of Gu Ding¡¯s fingers, going head to head with all the des sent out by Dockett.

    The ck light formed from the God Source shot out quickly, colliding speedily into the ¡®meteor shower¡¯ created by Dockett. Almost all of those hundreds of flying des were destroyed in one move. Only the demigod item had managed to break through the obstacle of the finger force. However, its speed slowed down from more than twice its normal speed because of the finger force attack.

    Gu Ding released more finger force in session. shes of ck light continuously crashed into thest force of silver light until it eventually dimmed and bounced back to where it hade from.

    ¡°You lost!¡± Gu Ding said as a bunch of ck energy threads formed under Dockett¡¯s feet before he had realized it. The threads wrapped themselves around both of Dockett¡¯s feet as they moved upwards onto his body while the energy within Dockett quickly drained. It took less than a few seconds before Dockett was wrapped up like a dumpling from the ck energy with only his head showing. Gu Ding¡¯s move was inspired by tentacle cocooning.

    ¡°Fine, I admit defeat...¡± It was only now that Dockett finally realized that his ability waspletely not on par with Gu Ding.

    Both of them appeared at Ufter¡¯s harbor the next minute after Gu Ding released him from the restraints and activated the exit of the domain.

    Malcolm knew the result of the right when he saw the grim-faced Dockett, but could not help ridiculing, ¡°Who won?¡±

 Chapter 255 - Divine Forbidden Tome

    <h4>Chapter 255: Divine Forbidden Tome</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Dockett had never expected to be crushed so badly in defeat. He had thought Gu Ding¡¯s overnight enhancement in abilities would end up with both of them being on the same level at most. It did not cross his mind that Gu Ding¡¯s domain was able to suppress his ability to only 10%, which ended up in the fightsting for less than ten seconds before he waspletely defeated. It was somehow lucky that both Gu Ding and Dockett had a short conversation before the fight started, which gave outsiders the impression that they had gone through a brutal battle. It was only now that he realized that there is always someone better out there. Dockett had truly overestimated himself when he immediately decided to challenge Malcolm.

    ¡°I¡¯ve lost...¡± Dockett hadpletely epted his defeat when faced with Malcolm¡¯s question.

    He turned towards Gu Ding, ¡°Gu Ding, I¡¯d like to join your crew.¡±

    ¡°Wee. We do need a doctor right now,¡± Gu Ding had been thinking up of various ways to invite Dockett because of Dockett¡¯s unique ability to transfer negative states. It would not have mattered if Dockett had no medical expertise as the ability alone would have been good enough to solve most problems. Moreover, Dockett had pretty powerful abilities. If it was not for Gu Ding¡¯s domain suppressing Dockett, Gu Ding would not have won that easily.

    ¡°I have two requests I hope the captain will be able to fulfill. First, if I were to be your ship¡¯s doctor, I need a pharmacologist who is able to refine medicine of high quality and above in order to help me refine medicine that I need. Second, I would need opponents strong enough to challenge me whenever I need to upgrade my abilities.¡±

    Gu Ding nodded. ¡°I can fulfill both these requests. I¡¯m a pharmacologist that is capable of refining medicine of high quality and above. Even though I¡¯m currently able to refine D-grade medicine at most, but I will find time to enhance my pharmacologist grade. As for opponents, you would not beck of them. You can challenge me or Biggie, or even any enemies you meet. You should be aware that our crew tends to create a lot of trouble. There will be no shortage of enemies.¡±

    Malcolm walked over at this moment as he gave Gu Ding a thumbs up. He took out five golden bottles from his inventory and passed them to Gu Ding. ¡°Here are five Golden Combat Armors since you now have Dockett joining your team. It¡¯s no issue to gift you an extra one. It¡¯s all thanks to you, Gu Ding, that I¡¯m finally able to rid myself of this sticky melted candy.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll return to challenge you once I¡¯ve defeated Gu Ding and Biggie,¡± Dockett was still brimming for a good fight.

    ¡°Let¡¯s see what happens then. The Cosmic Sea is wide and there are many more powerful than I am. If there aren¡¯t any special alterations, the Demigod Monster Ranking would be updated every hundred years. Normally, only the names of the fallen will disappear from it and the ranking would be moved upwards. Our ranking was announced a hundred years ago and no one knows how many new powerhouses have appeared within these hundred years. Besides the powerhouses that have fallen, powerhouses who are missing without any news would also be moved out of the ranking by members of the Star Chambers. That is why there are many unknown powerhouses out there.¡±

    ¡°Besides the Demigod Monster Ranking, there is also a Power Ranking in the Cosmic Sea. The Power Ranking consists of powerhouses with gene levels that have not attained demigod level. There are one hundred and eight people on the ranking. Twenty-six of them have the capability of killing a 1-Star Lower Ranking Deity. This ranking is updated every three years with one person staying at the top spot for ny-nine times because he had ughtered two 5-Star Lower Ranking Deity. He has a very strange sounding name called Stupa. No one knows if that is his nickname or something else.¡±

    ¡°Stupa...¡± Gu Ding immediately memorized the name. Currently, Neptune had limited ess to only Faye Cosmic Nation and a few other Cosmic Nations sharing the Sk with Faye Cosmic Nation. Besides these Cosmic Nations, the Sk ess of other Cosmic Nations was sealed off and could only be essed when they arrive at that Cosmic Nation. That is why Neptune was unable to find out more information about the Cosmic Sea, much less know about the Power Ranking. Neptune had found out about the Demigod Ranking because someone from Faye Cosmic Nation had shared the Demigod Ranking on Sk. It must have been from someone who had previously visited the Cosmic Sea.

    ¡°I¡¯ll give you a copy of the list from three years ago. There is also the personal information of twenty-six of those powerhouses who are able to ughter deities,¡± Malcolm sent the list and information to Gu Ding as he said this.

    ¡°Many thanks!¡± Even though Gu Ding would be able to obtain information on these people after entering the Cosmic Sea, but it would be good motivation to learn about them earlier.

    Dockett returned to his Grey-faced Buzzard to pack up after saying goodbye to Malcolm. He was preparing to move into Golden Eagle and selling off his Grey-faced Buzzard for some extra money.

    However, Gu Ding disagreed with the idea. ¡°Keep it with you. This spaceship is not worth much and we might be able to make use of it sometime.¡±

    ¡°My inventory does not have enough room...¡± Dockett pointed at his intelligent wristwatch. His wristwatch was amonmercial grade. It was evident that he did not live afortable life after bing an Interster Pirate.

    ¡°I have ample space in my inventory,¡± every time Gu Ding obtained an intelligent wristwatch or intelligent ring, the inventory space would be immediately absorbed by Neptune, including the intelligent ring he got from Potie.

    Speaking about Potie¡¯s intelligent ring, Gu Ding had scanned it roughly. It already contained more than thirty billion with just only Universe Credits, which more six or seven times more than what Gu Ding ad. There were also more than a hundred Energy Stones, three demigod weapons, and a bunch of other extra stuff.

    Gu Ding immediately kept Dockett¡¯s spaceship into his inventory ring after Dockett was done packing. After that, they returned to the Golden Eagle.

    ¡°Lili, Elsa, we have a new member joining us,¡± Gu Ding introduced him to the two girls when they returned to the spaceship.

    Lilliath and Elsa had been staying guard by Biggie all these while and did not know about Gu Ding¡¯s battle with Dockett. They greeted him politely when they found out Gu Ding had recruited a doctor, which was what the crew needed.

    ¡°Dockett, is it true that Biggie can only live for a month? Are there any other doctors out there who are able to treat him?¡± Lilliath did not want to give up.

    ¡°Biggie¡¯s wound is not an ordinary one. Maybe you haven¡¯t fought with a demigod before, but God Source is a truly strange and special energy. The God Source of a true deity has a marking that is difficult to eradicate. However, with my ability, I can continue transferring the wound from Biggie¡¯s body to somece else and help him continue surviving, but that is all I can do. He would never wake up if the God Source is not eradicated from within his body and the damage within him would continue to worsen every day. Only a deity with a true Deity Position would be able to erase the marking on the God Source and eradicate the God Source from Biggie¡¯s body,¡± Dockett gave another detailed exnation of Biggie¡¯s wound condition.

    ¡°Neptune, let¡¯s head directly to the Royal Capital Star Sector and get Elizabeth¡¯s help,¡± Gu Ding decided.

    ¡°Although, will she help us? She¡¯s the lord of Faye Cosmic Nation and we¡¯re Interster Pirates,¡± Lilliath did not think that this would be a simple task. Their opposing identities had decided there was no chance they would be friends with Elizabeth.

    Gu Ding was well-aware of Lilliath¡¯s concern. ¡°She¡¯s the only deity we know in the entire Faye Cosmic Nation. We don¡¯t have any other choice. Neptune, you can dock the spaceship somewhere two or three star sectors away from Royal Capital Star Sector. I¡¯ll take Dockett¡¯s Grey-faced Buzzard and sneak in then.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure you want to do this? Even though you will be able to shield Lili and Elsa from danger, but the chances of you getting caught is quite high, and Biggie might very well fall into the hands of the Federation Army. Biggie is very fragile now and if he falls into their hands, he might be brainwashed by the people in the Federal Government using illusions and reawakened. By then, it would be impossible to hide from the Federal Government regarding him having an imperial projection. The Federal Government will do everything they can to snare a potential future extreme powerhouse such as him. As for you, there would be a high possibility that you would be sentenced to a few hundred years of imprisonment,¡± Neptune informed him of the result of its prediction.

    ¡°What you are telling me is the worst-case scenario. Biggie won¡¯t be controlled so easily and I won¡¯t be captured that easily as well. We need to give it a try, even if there is a very small chance it would work. Besides, mybat effectiveness will be further enhanced with the Golden Combat Armor. My highestbat effectiveness was the power of a 1-Star Deity, but after enhancing it by fifty times, I can reach the strength of a 3-Star. If I use the effects of my domain, I can suppress those demigods except for Elizabeth,¡± Gu Ding was quite confident of himself.

    ¡°Don¡¯t forget there is another deity keeping watch over Faye Cosmic Nation besides Elizabeth. That guy lives on a long-term basis at the Royal Capital Star Sector,¡± Neptune reminded him.

    ¡°That is why I would need your help in guiding me on God Abilities and God Power to make me stronger. We would need quite a while to get to the Royal Capital Star Sector, won¡¯t we?¡± Gu Ding said with a wide smile.

    ¡°We would need to conduct at least neen space leaps. The spaceship¡¯s usual auto energy recharge is not enough after a space leap and it would need to replenish energy. If the spaceship repair shops conduct high-speed recharge, it would normally take around one day to be fully charged. However, after every high-speed recharge, the ship would need to go through two sessions of normal charging before the next high-speed recharge can be conducted. A normal recharge would require two days. That is why we would need around thirty days to reach our destination.¡±

    ¡°Thirty days would be enough!¡± Gu Ding believed he would be able to pick up at least one God Ability or God Power in thirty days.

    ¡°I¡¯m actually quite hesitant about this because you¡¯re still made out of flesh and blood. Most of the God Ability and God Power used by deities won¡¯t apply to you. However, abilities that are of non-deity based won¡¯t be able to help yourbat effectiveness create any enhancements,¡± Neptune had not expected Gu Ding to form a God Source. This had actually messed up the original cultivating ns he had made for Gu Ding.

    ¡°I do have a set of Divine Forbidden Tome that would be able to help you enhancebat effectiveness greatly in your current status, but it does have one side effect. Your body would forever be unable to go through materialization...

 Chapter 256 - Cultivating God Power

    <h4>Chapter 256: Cultivating God Power</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Under normal circumstances, higher life forms were energy life forms. For example, the ming Beast, which exists among the stars, was a pure fire energy life form. There was also the Devouring Bug, which lives in deep tunnels as well as other life forms such as the Radium Bird, which lives in quasars and absorb energy through radiation. If these animals were made out of flesh and blood, it would be impossible for them to survive in such extreme environments.

    This was because physiques made out of flesh and blood were too fragile and had too many ws. It was also the same reason why most life forms would be energy life forms when evolving into a higher form of being. This was not only limited to humans, the same could be said of other creatures.

    However, this does not mean that a body made out of flesh and blood did not have its advantages. A flesh and blood life form would be able to evolve further than an energy life form because of the high potentiality and growth of the gene chain, which also had a higher durability than pure energy particles.

    An energy life force was able to be strong because of the simple logic of energy pile up, which wouldter result in the energy undergoing qualitative change. This would make it more difficult for an energy life force to advance further as time passes. For a flesh and blood life form, the cells would not only be able to bear energy load, but could also sustain a lot of material passed down through genes. The evolvement of cells had infinite possibilities.

    That was why a minor group of energy life form powerhouses would not be able to achieve breakthrough once they have cultivated to their ultimate peak. They would then try to transform back to flesh and blood life form to attain the next breakthrough. At this point, they would need to pay a high price. Once the powerhouse transformed themselves into flesh and blood life form, some might achieve sess, while some would fall. There were even some who were still stuck cultivating.

    Neptune had originally nned for Gu Ding to transform into an energy life form once he achieved demigod level. There was enough information in his Databank to help Gu Ding sessfully attain the status of extreme deity, which included a huge amount of usable information on God Ability and God Power. However, Gu Ding¡¯s current situation would only allow him to remain in flesh and blood life form if he started cultivating the Divine Forbidden Tome.

    ¡°Unable to be energy form? Does that mean I can¡¯t upgrade to be a deity?¡± Gu Ding wondered if this was what Neptune had meant. If so, he would need to seriously consider if he wanted to cultivate this.

    ¡°It¡¯s not that you won¡¯t be able to be a deity, but you won¡¯t be able to transform into an energy life form. You will lose a lot of unique characteristics found in powerhouses with energy life forms. For example, you would still die from serious physical wounds, but for an energy life form, the wounds will conduct self-healing as long as there is still energy within you. Also, deities can transform their bodies into particles and use light to transport their bodies through the void, achieving short-distance Interster Transmission. For you, this would not work at all.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t there any other way to ovee this? Isn¡¯t there anyone who has attained god level with a body of flesh and blood?¡± Gu Ding did not believe he was the only one in this situation.

    ¡°There were many who attained god level in flesh and blood form during the Ancient Times and Ancient Ages, but it¡¯s very rare now in the Modern Ages. Even though those who be god level with flesh and blood bodies would be very powerful at ater time and sustain longer, they would still be basically tortured at the beginning. Energy life forms upgrade very quickly. As long as one¡¯s soul is powerful enough, 1-Star to 5-Stars Lower Ranking Deities would be able to absorb energy without limit to enhance themselves. Flesh and blood life form is not the same. Every level of upgrade would require a strong and stable foundation. When the timees for you to upgrade your deity level, you would only reach 2-Stars while others would have attained 4 or 5-Stars. By the time you manage to attain 4 or 5-Stars, others would have upgraded to Medium Ranking,¡± Neptune exined.

    Gu Ding was not bothered by this exnation. All he did was smile widely and replied, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if I¡¯m slow as long as I can still upgrade. Neptune, teach me that set of God Power!¡±

    ¡°Okay, since you¡¯re insistent on cultivating it, I¡¯ll teach it to you,¡± Neptune said as it inserted the skill named Imperial Phenomenon into Gu Ding¡¯s mind.

    ¡°This set of skills is named Imperial Phenomenon. It was created by an extreme powerhouse from the Ancient Ages who had observed the Ancient Demons for eighty thousand years and came up with this cultivation for flesh and blood life form.¡±

    Gu Ding immediately flipped through it when he received the God Power skills in his mind. It was difficult for him to put it down once he started going through it. This was a truly incredible set of God Power. It had the ability to allow flesh and blood physique and God Source to support and sustain each other by pushing oneself to the extreme. Gu Ding had finished the first chapter without realizing it.

    It might only be one chapter, but it was good enough to provide ten times enhancement forbat effectiveness. This motivated Gu Ding to continue turning the pages. However, he realized he was unable to flip to the second chapter.

    ¡°Based on your current Cell Index, cultivating the first chapter had pushed your body to its very limit. You shouldn¡¯t push yourself further,¡± Neptune had sealed the subsequent contents on purpose as it was worried Gu Ding would not be able to stop himself from continuing reading and cultivating, which might result in his body being overloaded.

    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll just cultivate the first chapter. You should start to pilot the ship on the nned route too,¡± Gu Ding said as he stood up.

    He turned towards Dockett. ¡°I¡¯ll take you to choose your room. I need to return to mine and cultivate anyway.¡±

    ¡°Who does that child¡¯s voice belong to?¡± Dockett asked his question in his mind as he followed behind Gu Ding.

    Gu Ding had no ns to hide anything from him. ¡°It¡¯s one of our crew members named Neptune, who is in charge ofpiling information and analyzing them.¡±

    Dockett did not ask any further questions. Getting to know the other members would require time and there was no need to ask more as the days were still long ahead. ¡°Gu Ding, why don¡¯t I apany you to the Royal Capital Star Sector? It¡¯s too dangerous for you to head there alone and I can be of help when I¡¯m with you. Currently, no one else knows I¡¯ve joined your crew besides you guys and Malcolm. I can help you in situations where it won¡¯t be convenient to show your face.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure you want to go with me? I¡¯m sending myself in for the ughter in this situation. It would depend on luck for any chance of escape,¡± Gu Ding felt that Dockett would be a great help in this, but he was also worried that bringing Dockett along might result in his fall. The enemy this time was a huge group of demigods and two deities, after all. There was also the possibility of being taken out by the Army¡¯s technological weapons.

    ¡°I¡¯ve always had good luck,¡± Dockett was not scared off as he gave a definite answer.

    ¡°In that case, you should start preparing yourself. I¡¯ll be in retreat for a month to upgrade my abilities.

    Gu Ding reached an empty room in the cabin. ¡°Pick your room and just head down once you¡¯ve chosen it.¡±

    Gu Ding said as he walked towards his own toom.

    Gu Ding put out a ¡®In Retreat¡¯ sign on his room door when he returned to his room. He closed the door and sat crossed-legged on the floor. He took out a Power Stone from his inventory and popped it into his mouth as he swallowed it, and immediately started cultivating.

    The Power Stone was a unique Energy Crystal Rock that contained source energy. Only those with God Source in them were able to absorb it, otherwise, one¡¯s body would explode once consumed. As Powerhouses who were demigod level and above would always bring this along with them, the Power Stone was also slowly recognized as a type of currency. One Power Stone was equivalent to a hundred million Universe Credits. Gu Ding hade into a huge fortune when he obtained more than one hundred of them from Potie.

    Once the Power Stone was consumed, Gu Ding started to madly activate Imperial Phenomenon for cultivating.

    Waves of energy continued circting within Imperial Phenomenon as it spread to every corner of his body and his cells subtly umted the energy. As time passed, the Power Stone became smaller while Gu Ding¡¯s cells umted more energy. The first Power Stone had beenpletely absorbed within half a day.

    Gu Ding took out the second one from inventory and popped it into his mouth.

    Everyone busied themselves as well while Gu Ding had been cultivating.

    Lilliath and Elsa had closed themselves in their rooms as well to cultivate. They hoped they could be of help the next time and Neptune had also given them a lot of guidance during their cultivation.

    As for Dockett, he had gone deep into training in his room after making preparations for the uing battle.

    Thirty days passed by quickly. During this period, Gu Ding had finally mastered the first level of Imperial Phenomenon and Dockett once again transferred the wounds away from Biggie¡¯s body. Neptune docked the spaceship at a which was three star sectors away from the Royal Capital Star Sector, and both Gu Ding and Dockett took the Grey-faced Buzzard as they headed towards the Royal Capital Star Sector territory with Biggie in it.

 Chapter 257 - Meeting Elizabeth Again

    <h4>Chapter 257: Meeting Elizabeth Again</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    During this time of more than thirty days, news of the battle Gu Ding¡¯s crew had with Second Elder Potie from the Dark Sectors spread to every corner of Faye Cosmic Nation as well as more than ten Cosmic Nations through Sk. Evidently, this included Dragon Soar Cosmic Nation.

    No one had witnessed the results of the battle. Even the public that had seen the fight on Red Shield only witnessed a portion of the entire battle. Nevertheless, the oue of the battle was not hard to guess as Gu Ding¡¯s spaceship had ended up blowing up the Childe family¡¯s house. Additionally, Potie¡¯s name vanished from the Demigod Ranking. The sword god, Rnd, had moved up from Number Eight to Number Seven.

    Many had seen Gu Ding¡¯s crew get pulled into Potie¡¯s personal domain. It was safe to assume that she ended up dead as Gu Ding¡¯s Golden Eagle set fire to the Childe family. The sequence of events made it quite easy for others to piece things together. Potie¡¯s death had to have been caused by Gu Ding¡¯s crew. Nevertheless, no one knew what happened that night in Potie¡¯s domain. Whatever Gu Ding¡¯s crew did to take out Potie remained a mystery.

    The strange thing about it was Gu Ding¡¯s crew seemed to have vanished after the incident at Red Shield. No news of them was heard for the next thirty-one days.

    A heated discussion broke out on Sk in an instant.

    Some spected that the battle had caused the death of Gu Ding and a few crew members, which resulted in the crew being disbanded.

    Some guessed that someone on Gu Ding¡¯s crew ended up suffering a serious hit and was currently recuperating.

    Some even went as far as to say that Gu Ding¡¯s crew must have found a new civilization ruin after leaving Red Shield and were in the middle of treasure hunting...

    Some guesses made by the people were quite close to the truth of the condition of Gu Ding¡¯s crew. Nevertheless, none of them would have expected Gu Ding¡¯s crew to be in the Royal Capital Star Sector.

    Furthermore, none of them would have expected Gu Ding¡¯s abilities to have already upgraded themselves.

    Gu Ding only took two days to seed in cultivating the first chapter of the Imperial Phenomenon. Hisbat effectiveness increased by ten fold upon activation, but he could only sustain it for one minute. Throughout the following twenty-seven days, Gu Ding took the time to strengthen the God Power of Imperial Phenomenon and finally became able to extend its usage time from one minute to forty minutes. He used a total of fifty-eight Power Stones in the process of doing so.

    On the day the Grey-faced Buzzard arrived in the Royal Capital Star Sector, Gu Ding took the time to inject Golden Combat Armor into his body. It enhanced hisbat effectiveness by another fifty times. Factoring in the enhancements, his basicbat effectiveness of one hundred million points could reach one hundred trillion points. It was equivalent to thebat effectiveness of a Lower Ranking 1-Star Deity who had just achieved a breakthrough. With the help of Damage Stacking, the maximumbat effectiveness Gu Ding could reach was equivalent to that of a 4-Star Lower Ranking Deity.

    The Grey-faced Buzzard slowly docked at the Interster harbor of the Royal Capital Star Sector¡¯s Forget-Me-Not.

    With Neptune¡¯s help, the crew passed the identity verification with ease. The spaceship¡¯s scan did not reveal any anomalies during the verification and Biggie, who was hidden in the spaceship with the cell repair berth, was not detected.

    The Cosmic Nation Lord¡¯s pce was located on a called Dragon Cove which was filled with many powerhouses. Elizabeth basically never left her pce and the only way to see her was to sneak in. However, the risk of doing that was too high, which was why Neptune had picked Forget-Me-Not for Gu Ding. If Dragon Cove was Elizabeth¡¯s home, Forget-Me-Not was Elizabeth¡¯s garden.

    Forget-Me-Not was a tourist with incredible scenery. It waspletely differentpared to Dragon Cove when it came to security measures. The most important factor that determined their sess was that Elizabeth would visit the at least once a month and stay for a few days during more leisurely times. Of course, she would bring many powerhouses secretly with her to protect herself. Nevertheless, the security was slightly less tightpared to Dragon Cove, and the probability of Gu Ding meeting her was higher.

    ¡°Elizabeth has been visiting Forget-Me-Not quite frequently for the past few months. She must be slowly delegating her work to others, but no one knows when the next Faye Cosmic Nation Lord will be chosen.¡± Neptune knew that the role of a Cosmic Nation Lord was not an easy one.

    ¡°She¡¯s passing the baton to someone else? Why?¡± It was the first time Gu Ding had heard of it.

    ¡°Elizabeth is still quite young. Now that she has be a deity, it means that she has a long road ahead of her. Her role as a Cosmic Nation Lord will not help her advancement in any way. Besides, the congress of Faye Cosmic Nation and the Federal Government have nurtured many candidates for the role of Cosmic Nation Lord. Her position can be easily reced at any time without the operation of the congress and Federal Government being affected. Compared to a Cosmic Nation Lord who is a Lower Ranking Deity, the congress and Federal Government hope to get a Medium Ranking Deity for the role, even if that Medium Ranking Deity is a member of themon public.¡±

    ¡°Why would that be?¡± It made Gu Ding even more confused. Why did it matter to the congress and Federal Government that the candidate was a deity?

    ¡°The more powerhouses that appear in a Cosmic Nation, the more resources its Federal Government will receive. That is, the congress would want powerhouses to appear in their respective territories even if the powerhouses aremon people or Interster Pirates.¡±

    ¡°As for why the Federal Government needs those powerhouses, it¡¯s because the entire human race is a race that is close to falling out of position in the vast Cosmic Sea. That is the same reason why the Federal Government has cut down on capturing and killing Interster Pirates. Any Interster Pirate that is not against the human race is to be captured alive. Besides that, the Federal Government is also willing to share its profit and benefits with different powerful organizations within the Cosmic Sea by giving up some territory and allowing Interster Pirates to grow.

    ¡°No matter your identity, where you¡¯re a member of the Army, an Interster Pirate, a mercenary, or anything else, you belong to the human race. If the entire human race was faced with apocalyptic extinction, Gu Ding, would you stand up for your race?¡± Neptune suddenly asked.

    Gu Ding nodded heavily. If the entire human race was wiped off, it would mean his friends, even Cerule, would bepletely annihted. It would be impossible for him to stand by and do nothing even if he was just an Interster Pirate.

    ¡°The Federal Government thinks the same way too. On some level, if the Interster Pirates be more powerful, it would motivate the Federal Government to increase in strength as well. That would in short push the entire human race to be more powerful. Under dire circumstances, even an Interster Pirate would stand up for the human race if need be. Nevertheless, it goes without saying that this does not apply to organizations such as the Dark Sectors which are against the human race.¡±

    Neptune¡¯s exnation helped Gu Ding understand that he had been born in a great era.

    ¡°If this was the previous era, the Federal Government would give everything they have to capture and kill every single Interster Pirate. In the past, Interster Pirates were like rats. Many of them were killed on the spot. It was because of the extreme killings in thest era that some Interster Pirates who had the potential to do great things were killed. As a result, the Army lost powerful rivals topete against, and it indirectly lowered the ability of the entire Army. The number of powerhouses who were of the human race dropped to a historical all-time low during that era. It made the Federal Government realize their grave mistake.

    ¡°If the human race was forcefully demoted from first-ss to second-ss, they would be forced to depend on another race. Otherwise, they would be picked clean by the other race. Additionally, if things ended up deteriorating further, the entire human race would be exterminated by the first-ss race.

    ¡°Moreover, even if they chose to depend on the first-ss race, their powers would be limited to less than 10% of their condition. Most of their resources would be forcefully taken by the first-ss race. Falling into the category of the second-ss race would almost mean that they could be sold legally and traded as ves.¡±

    ¡°If the human race falls under such conditions, it would be impossible for them to rise up once again.¡±

    Neptune¡¯s exnation made Gu Ding frown. He shook his head to clear his mind of those thoughts. ¡°Let¡¯s hear Elizabeth¡¯s schedule.¡±

    ¡°Elizabeth will arrive at Forget-Me-Not within the next few days. Ady named Midea will be apanying her along with at least four demigod powerhouses who are at their peak. They¡¯re all tasked with protecting her in secret. There is the possibility that an extreme demigod powerhouse will be with them.¡± Neptune¡¯s ess to the Cosmic Nation Lord¡¯s secret files may have been limited, but he was still able to provide some information by collecting data from different locations.

    ¡°That woman Midea is very powerful! Although, I¡¯ve never seen her name appear on the Demigod Monster Ranking.¡± Gu Ding felt that it was quite strange.

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing strange about that. The Star Chambers would never reveal information of people who are closely rted to the Federal Government. That is a deal made between the Star Chambers and the Federal Government. There has never been a Cosmic Nation Lord who has been on the Demigod Monster Ranking. With that being said, the same restrictions must go for the bodyguards of those Cosmic Nation Lords. That woman¡¯sbat effectiveness is not too far off from Rnd¡¯s. I estimate herbat effectiveness to rank among the top twenty powerhouses of the Demigod Monster Ranking. She has enoughbat effectiveness to at least kill a 1-Star Deity. However, she is not an obstacle for you right now. Your greatest obstacle is Elizabeth. She may only be a 1-Star Deity, but she has thebat effectiveness of a 4-Star Deity. Factoring in thest few months in which she continued cultivating, she must be as powerful as a 5-Star powerhouse now.¡±

    ¡°Hey, that spaceship looks really grand!¡± Dockett cried out in admiration.

    Gu Ding turned toward where the man was looking, it was a gold and purple Phoenix. The Phoenix had the crown of a golden phoenix encrusted on top of it. The spaceship clearly belonged to Elizabeth. Gu Ding had not expected her to arrive so soon.

    The Phoenix slowly descended, attracting a crowd toward it.

    The employees of the nearby harbor and some local merchants knew who the owner of the spaceship was. Nevertheless on the tourist called Forget-Me-Not, many tourists were unaware of who the owner of the spaceship was. The crowd was pushed to the side by a few members of the Army but no move was made to evacuate them. Many people started taking pictures of the spaceship.

    Then, the hatch of the Phoenix quickly opened and a beautiful woman in a purple dress exited it with a light smile on her face.

    It was only then that the crowd realized the owner of the spaceship was Her Highness, The Lord, Elizabeth.

 Chapter 258 - Disturbance At The Hotel

    <h4>Chapter 258: Disturbance At The Hotel</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Elizabeth smiled lightly, she looked dignified and elegant.

    The first thing she did after bing a deity was hand over most of her work. After that, she retreated for more than a month to cultivate continuously. Gu Ding and Potie¡¯s fight was the first thing she learned of aftering out of her retreat. She admired the young man who always had a confident smile on his face because he was someone who lived true to himself and had a carefree life. His life was unlike hers as she was nothing but a bird trapped in a cage. Even though her cage was luxuriously decorated, she still did not have any freedom.

    Her mood was affected slightly at the thought of it, especially since there was no news about the young man after his fight with Potie. That was why she wanted to rx and go on a trip. As the Lord of a Cosmic Nation, she could not leave the Royal Capital Star Sector unless something special happened. Hence, Forget-Me-Not was the only ce she could go to if she wanted to rx.

    The scenery was very beautiful on Forget-Me-Not, but it could only distract her slightly. It may have been a with scenery that could make others forget their misery, but it could not make her forget hers.

    When she stepped out of the hatch and saw the citizens of Faye Cosmic Nation, her sadness disappeared a little. She knew that she had done something right in her position throughout the years when she saw the blissful smiles on their faces. She had exchanged her freedom for something worthy.

    Elizabeth lifted her gaze as her sight followed the row of people that was lined up, looking farther away. She caught sight of two people afar who were not amidst the crowd. Instead, they were looking at her from a distance. Being a deity, she had great eyesight. Her gaze stopped momentarily at the two when she realized the young man¡¯s eyes looked a little familiar. They emanated a pure and clean feeling; they had a touch of friendliness.

    A strange memory came to her mind. Where had she seen that look before? It was not long before she recalled that night when she was sitting on the grass, making a trade with a young man who had the same look. However, by the time she broke out of that reverie and looked toward the same direction, the two people had disappeared.

    ¡°Neptune, why did you make us leave?¡± Gu Ding asked after they had turned a corner in the street.

    ¡°She would definitely reject you if you made a dash for her. There are so many citizens watching, and she is the Lord of a Cosmic Nation. It would be impossible for her to agree to help you treat Biggie with so many people watching.¡± Neptune was worried that Gu Ding would act rashly and ruin the n, so it got Dockett to pull Gu Ding away.

    ¡°I think Neptune is right. We should find an opportunity to make the request when she is alone,¡± Dockett tried to talk sense into Gu Ding as well.

    ¡°Besides, both of you will have to keep watch over her exact location. I¡¯m still unable to lock down the location of deities. If they want to, they can use their energy life form to cause maic disturbance to surveince equipment and disrupt many other forms of detection. I¡¯m afraid I might lose her,¡± Neptune exined.

    ¡°Leave the tracking to me. I¡¯ll update you on any news I find.¡± Dockett seemed experienced with this sort of thing. As he said this, he weakened the aura around him.

    ¡°This skill is known as Aura Restraint, it¡¯s capable of allowing one to lower their aura and be less of an existence around people.¡±

    Gu Ding chose to trust Dockett when he saw the skille into effect. Gu Ding headed to the auction site, nning to get some Energy Crystals for Tagore. ording to Dockett, Tagore¡¯s body was not in any harm at all. Tagore was onlycking energy. The Energy Crystals he had gotten for Tagore had been used up and Gu Ding had to replenish the supply.

    Elizabeth and Midea got off the spaceship along with four bodyguards that protected them from the adoring crowd. They headed to the hotel they had made reservations at. The location of the hotel was not far, and the twodies did not board any means of transportation. They vanished into the distance after a few leaps and the four bodyguards followed suit.

    Dockett quickly took chase and was clearly good at it as no one was able to sense him. He used intelligent binocrs and followed the twodies from far behind without being discovered.

    Having followed them to their hotel, Dockett stopped at a street not far away from it, lighting a cigarette for himself. He acted very naturally. He lifted his head to look at the name of the hotel but did not enter it as he knew he would be discovered if he got any closer.

    ¡°That man is not stupid. He didn¡¯t follow us in here.¡± Midea and Elizabeth sat on a sofa in the hotel while their four bodyguards stood behind it. They were facing the entrance of the hotel, but no one came in after them. The two women had noticed someone following them and wanted to bait the person out. They had not expected the man to be so careful.

    Dockett entered an alleyway in a sh and called Gu Ding¡¯s number as his eyes stayed glued on the entrance of the hotel.

    ¡°How is everything? Did you get caught?¡± Gu Ding immediately asked when he picked up the call.

    ¡°I¡¯ve caught up to them. They¡¯re staying at the Queen Empress Hotel. I don¡¯t dare follow them too closely, so I didn¡¯t enter the ce. What do we do now?¡± Dockett had no idea what to do next.

    ¡°I¡¯ll get Neptune to check for their room numbers. You can just spend some time walking around. There¡¯s no need to continue watching them. Wait for us to check-in at the hotel. We¡¯ll stay next to them.¡± Neptune immediately found their room numbers while Gu Ding was still speaking.

    ¡°They booked three rooms in total. Elizabeth and Midea are sharing one while the four bodyguards are sharing the other two rooms. The three rooms are connected, and Elizabeth will definitely choose to stay in the middle room that¡¯s numbered 002013.¡±

    ¡°In that case, we¡¯ll take 002014,¡± Gu Ding said with a smile on his face.

    ¡°They¡¯ve already made reservations...¡± Neptune had no idea what Gu Ding was nning.

    ¡°If we booked the ce first, won¡¯t they be unable to stay in that room?¡± Gu Ding said with a cheeky smile.

    Neptune was taken aback but immediately responded, ¡°You mean for me to shuffle the hotel system around and make the system disy the room as previously reserved?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. An even better thing you could do would be to tweak the deposit a little and let the system disy the room as ¡®has been paid in advance¡¯. That way, the hotel would be in the wrong and there¡¯s a higher chance they won¡¯t change our rooms,¡± Gu Ding added.

    Neptune quickly made the necessary changes while Gu Ding walked around the trading market leisurely. By the time he had circled the market, an hour had passed and Gu Ding had spent one hundred million Universe Credits on five Rank 13 Energy Crystals. There was very limited stock for Energy Crystals of such grade in the trading market. It was not easy for Gu Ding to find all five of them.

    Gu Ding finally left the trading market and waved down a hovercar to rent. He arrived at the entrance of the Queen Empress Hotel after another ten minutes. He made a beeline for the hotel¡¯s front desk. ¡°Hello, I previously booked room 002014 for two nights.¡±

    The front desk employee checked the system and saw that the room was being upied by the bodyguards of Her Highness The Lord. The employee looked at Gu Ding. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry, sir. The room is being upied right now. We¡¯ll change your room number.¡±

    ¡°upied by someone else? I made the booking a month ago and even paid for it. How could you allow someone else to check-in when I booked the room in advance?¡± Gu Ding continued to hassle the employee.

    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry about it, sir... There¡¯s nothing else I can do. I¡¯m willing to refund your money and arrange another room exactly like that one for you. The room number may be different but its interior will be exactly the same. The view will be quite simr as well.¡± The hotel manager had arrived to sort out the issue.

    ¡°This is uneptable, I couldn¡¯t care less about getting a refund. I want the room that I reserved! Figure out how to make those people move out of the room!¡± Gu Ding waved his hand to reject continuing the discussion.

    ¡°Sir, the guests upying the room have special status. We really cannot get them to change rooms...¡± the hotel manager said with a grim look on his face.

    ¡°Do you need to be of status to be able to stay in this hotel? I¡¯m a guest who spent the same amount of money as guests who pay for your amodation. It¡¯s only natural that the service I¡¯m provided is equal to theirs. I don¡¯t care about their status. I booked that room first and it should be me staying there, not them!¡± Gu Ding acted the part of a spoiled, rich brat quite well. He could only use this unttering method to fight for a room to stay next to Elizabeth.

    ¡°Okay, let me discuss the matter with them. However, I¡¯m not sure if I¡¯ll be able to convince them.¡± The hotel manager took the maically powered elevator to the twentieth floor with a helpless look on his face.

    He hesitated momentarily as he knocked on the door to room 002014.

    The two bodyguards in the room quickly opened the door and blocked it. They looked coldly at the young hotel manager. ¡°Is anything the matter?¡±

    He quickly exined the situation to them.

    The taller bodyguard, who was a bald man, said with a stoic look, ¡°Get him to change to another room. We¡¯ll take care of the expenses.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve told him that we can conduct a refund and get him another room that¡¯s just as nice. However, the young man is very stubborn about it. He says he wants the room he reserved and doesn¡¯t care for a refund.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll go downstairs with you. Let¡¯s see how glib he can be,¡± the bald man said with an angry look on his face.

    At this moment, Elizabeth pushed open her door and saw the hotel manager standing outside. She asked him about the matter.

    The hotel manager told her the story again.

    Elizabeth nodded after listening to it. ¡°Jody, you should change rooms and let him have this one.¡±

    ¡°Your Highness The Lord, it won¡¯t be safe!¡± Jody quickly shook his head.

    ¡°If someone really wanted to do something to me, would there be any difference with me being separated from you by a room or two? For the same reason, if someone is not nning on killing me, it wouldn¡¯t make any difference if they were in the same room with me, much less next door, would it?¡± Elizabeth replied with a question.

    The bald man nodded unwillingly. ¡°We¡¯ll let that ignorant spoiled brat have this room then. We¡¯ll move to 002015 next door!¡±

    The hotel manager immediately helped them with the necessary arrangements before taking the elevator back down. He walked toward Gu Ding and forced a smile. ¡°Sir, I managed to convince the two guests to move to the room next door. Do you want to proceed with checking in now?¡±

 Chapter 259 - The Plan To Get Close To Elizabeth

    <h4>Chapter 259: The n To Get Close To Elizabeth</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    After checking in with his fake identity, Gu Ding called Dockett¡¯s number.

    ¡°I¡¯m done checking in. We¡¯re staying next to their room. Where are you right now?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m at a tavern on the same street. You¡¯ll be able to see it after turning right from the hotel and walking another two hundred meters. The tavern is called Lover¡¯s Tears, I¡¯ll head back after this drink.¡± Dockett had not expected Gu Ding to be able to find a way to book the room right next to Elizabeth¡¯s.

    ¡°Our room number is 002014 on the twentieth floor. I¡¯ve informed the front desk of your wristwatch serial number and they¡¯ve already registered you. All you need to do is scan your wristwatch to get in. There¡¯s no need to go through the front desk,¡± Gu Ding provided instructions to Dockett. He was worried Dockett would reveal too much if he said anything.

    ¡°Okay, got it!¡±

    Dockett knocked on the bar table after hanging up. ¡°Get me another ss!¡±

    Dockett arrived at the hotel room after more than ten minutes.

    ¡°Were there any regrities with Elizabeth¡¯s schedule previously?¡± Gu Ding asked Neptune.

    ¡°Elizabeth has stayed in a total of fifteen hotels on this. She has stayed more than twice in eight of them. Currently, the Queen Empress Hotel is the one she has stayed at the most frequently because it is very near a division of the Hermean Alliance. She is a pharmacologist master who is able to refine demigod medicine and she loves teaching children who dream of being pharmacologists in the art of medicine refining. Many newbie pharmacologists from Faye Cosmic Nation attend her lectures here every year.¡±

    ¡°Medicine refining...¡± Gu Ding¡¯s eyes brightened. He knew how to get close to Elizabeth.

    ¡°That reminds me, you¡¯re a pharmacologist too. Do you have any confidence in getting her attention?¡± Dockett had never seen Gu Ding refine medicine before and was not sure of his medicine refining standard.

    ¡°I should be ok even though I haven¡¯t been practicing for quite a while and am quite rusty.¡± Gu Ding was quite confident with himself.

    ¡°There¡¯s a free zone for public practice at every Hermean Alliance division. You can practice your medicine refining skills there for the next few days. Elizabeth will definitely see you if she visits the Hermean Alliance. There¡¯s no doubt she will approach you with appreciation if she sees the quality of your medicine,¡± Neptune said with conviction.

    ¡°I¡¯ll stand by in the hotel to keep watch over her.¡± Dockett knew his mission was important as well.

    ¡°Get in touch with us the moment you find out anything,¡± Gu Ding said as he left the hotel and headed toward the Hermean Alliance.

    The Hermean Alliance division was not that far from the hotel. Gu Ding arrived after turning three corners, and it took him less than fifteen minutes to reach the ce after leaving the hotel.

    Gu Ding scanned his wristwatch at the entrance of the Hermean Alliance and walked in.

    The fake identity Neptune had created for him was that of a D-grade pharmacologist.

    ¡°Let¡¯s get some ingredients from the ingredient hall and collect a year¡¯s worth of free ingredients,¡± Neptune whispered in Gu Ding¡¯s ear.

    ¡°You¡¯re trying to convince me into doing bad again...¡± Gu Ding said with exasperation.

    ¡°If you are willing to pay for them, there¡¯s nothing I can say. D-grade medical ingredients are not worth much. A portion of D-grade ingredients for a gene enhancer costs less than a hundred thousand Dragon Soar Star Credits. It¡¯s just a little more than ten thousand Universe Credits after conversion. If you wouldn¡¯t be bothered by ten thousand Universe Credits, what more a vastly rich organization like the Hermean Alliance.¡± Neptune felt that since Gu Ding¡¯s fake identity had been created, it would not be too much to take advantage of a rich organization like the Hermean Alliance. The pill business the Hermean Alliance was involved in easily earned them ten times the profit, after all. It was considered a highly profitable industry.

    ¡°Practicing a hundred times with those ingredients would allow me to refine leftover mainstream D-grade medicine twice. When that timees, I can start refining C-grade medicine.¡± Gu Ding followed Neptune¡¯s suggestion in the end and headed to the ingredient hall.

    ¡°Hello, I¡¯d like to request for a year¡¯s worth of free ingredients,¡± Gu Ding said to an employee.

    ¡°Requesting for a year¡¯s worth in one go?¡± The employee was an elderly man. He raised an eye to look clearly at Gu Ding.

    ¡°Yes.¡± Gu Ding nodded as he reached out with his wristwatch for it to be scanned in front of the machine.

    ¡®Name: Jack¡¯

    ¡®Age: 17¡å

    ¡®Pharmacologist Grade: D¡¯

    ¡®Mentor: None¡¯

    ¡®Record of Free Ingredient Requests for the Year: 0 Times¡¯

    The old man nodded afterparing the picture in the system with Gu Ding¡¯s face. ¡°You can collect one hundred portions of D-grade medical ingredients. You can make your choice on which medical ingredients you need from the system. After that, just click ¡®send¡¯ and you can immediately collect the ingredients from the warehouse.¡±

    There were only a few types of medicine that Gu Ding frequently used, and he had already practiced refining them all. Nevertheless, Gu Ding aimed to refine all types of medicine in the same grade before moving on to the next level. There was a huge variety of D-grade medicine; its total was more than one hundred and twenty of them. Gu Ding had only refined more than thirty previously and had close to ny medicines to refine. However, there was a limit to the quota of free ingredients, which was why Gu Ding got Neptune to pick fifty types of medicine that were more difficult to refine. After requesting two portions of each type of medicine and confirming his selection, Gu Ding clicked the ¡®send¡¯ button.

    Gu Ding¡¯s list was not only viewable by the people in the warehouse but also the elderly man. His face turned grim immediately when he saw the list, and he lifted his head to berate Gu Ding. ¡°Young man, these medicines are very rarely used on a daily basis. If you truly want to be better at refining medicine, I would suggest you refine moremon medicines for practice. Don¡¯t be overambitious.¡±

    Gu Ding could only give him an awkward smile. The old man was not just lecturing him. In fact, it was a very helpful suggestion if pointed at other pharmacologists. However, for Gu Ding, the old man¡¯s suggestion did not mean much to him. There were less than ten types of D-grade medicine. Under normal circumstances, Gu Ding was capable of refining more than thirty types of medicine perfectly. All those medicines includedmonly used medicines.

    The elderly man lost his temper over another reason as well. The workload of the warehouse employees was quite high. One bottle of D-grade medicine required ten to fifteen types of ingredients. It meant that fifty portions of various types of medicine would require more than five hundred medical ingredients. In other words, the employees would suffer a very heavy workload. If only everyone was as free as Gu Ding who could take the time to refine some new and exciting medicine for fun. Then, the employees at the warehouse would not have to work themselves to death.

    When the warehouse employees received the list of ingredients, they immediately began to curse about it. There were fifty types of medicine listed on it and each medicine required two portions of ingredients. An employee even began to wonder if he had offended anyone recently as heter mumbled quietly to himself, ¡°Is this the doing of Coleman who lost money to me yesterday while ying cards? That b*stard is out to get me today, isn¡¯t he? That¡¯s not right, only a real pharmacologist would be able to collect ingredients. It can¡¯t be Coleman...¡±

    Nevertheless, no matter how much the employeeined about it, he did not dare slow down his work. It was his job topile ingredients for pharmacologists and the job paid him well. He was not willing to lose it.

    It took more than half an hour. With the help of ten smart robots, the warehouse employee finally managed to put together all the ingredients and itemize them in separate packages before sending them out.

    The elderly man passed the ingredients one by one to Gu Ding with an unhappy look on his face.

    ¡°Thanks, old man!¡± Gu Ding thanked him awkwardly after keeping everything in his inventory. Before the elderly man could lecture him again, Gu Ding made his escape.

    ¡°Sigh, young people nowadays...¡± The elderly man looked at Gu Ding¡¯s disappearing figure with an angry expression on his face.

    Gu Ding headed to the public practice hall after obtaining the free ingredients.

    The tools for medicine refining in the public practice hall were all E-grade. Nevertheless, they were better than the F-grade ones in Dragon Soar Cosmic Nation. They could not bepared, after all, Faye Cosmic Nation was a 5-Star Cosmic Nation, unlike Dragon Soar Cosmic Nation which was a 2-Star Cosmic Nation. In fact, most people who practiced in public practice halls were those who had only started to learn medicine refining. The medicine they refined was mostly F-grade or E-grade. By the time someone was a D-grade pharmacologist, they would have enough savings to afford their own equipment for medicine refining and there would be no need to visit the ce. They could also rent private refining rooms to practice. Gu Ding was there with a mission. Hence, it was necessary for him to use the public practice hall for refining. Otherwise, there would be no way for him to get in touch with Elizabeth.

    The Hermean Alliance on Forget-Me-Not seemed to have gotten a lot of help from Elizabeth. The public practice hall was quite vast, filled with more than eight hundred refining stations. The atmosphere there was very pleasant as well. More than half of the eight hundred over refining stations were upied. Only more than three hundred of them were empty.

    Gu Ding found a refining station without many people around it and took out a portion of D-grade medicinal ingredients.

    The medicine he was nning to refine was called a manic agent. The difficulty for refining it was higher than gene enhancing medicine of the same grade, which was why low-grade pharmacologists often chose not to challenge this type of medicine. A quality assured D-grade manic agent would be able to increase one¡¯sbat effectiveness by 50% after injection, but its effect would not be obvious. D-grade medicine was suitable for those with three gene chains. Additionally, even if a Rank 7 Gene Body possessed three gene chains, their maximumbat effectiveness would only be ten thousand points. After an enhancement of 50%, they would only have fifteen thousand points inbat effectiveness. They would end up losing very badly when up against an opponent who was a Rank 8 Gene Body.

    The higher one¡¯sbat effectiveness was, the better this type of medicine would perform. If it was of A-grade and the user was a Rank 10 Gene body, a maximum of ten million pointsbat effectiveness would be enhanced to fifteen million points. Powerhouses of such levels would be willing to pay to enhance their abilities. It was not difficult for those who were Rank 6 or 7 Gene Bodies to enhance their gene levels. If they had extra money to purchase such medicine, it would be better for them to spend their money on Energy Crystal Rocks to upgrade their gene levels instead.

    Gu Ding¡¯s appearance did not attract the attention of others. He looked like an ordinary young man who was a little good-looking. There were middle-aged men and women who were about thirty to forty years old in the public practice hall. No one looked at them, much less the normal-looking Gu Ding.

    However, theck of attention was temporary. After Gu Ding had prepared all his ingredients and started practicing his refining, he quickly attracted the gaze of several pharmacologists not far from him...

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