While it was crucial to eliminate threats and restore his abilities, Yan Junyu didn't let it cloud his judgment. He held Qi Ze's hands tightly and asked earnestly, "Will this cause any harm to you?" If it did, he would rather continue suffering day after day.
Qi Ze replied candidly, "No, if it works, it would actually be greatly beneficial for me. But I must tell you the truth; I've only heard my father mention this method once, and I've never actually tried it before." He continued, "I don't have a hundred percent guarantee, but are you willing to take this journey with me? The best-case scenario is that you return to your peak condition, or even surpass it. The worst-case scenario is that we start from scratch again, but it will take a very long time, possibly three to four years, or even a lifetime."
When he heard this, Yan Junyu smiled happily, "Your worst-case scenario is actually the best for me. Why not give it a try?"
"Cut the bullshit! You willing to suffer for a lifetime?" Ouyang Ye said habitually, pouring cold water.
"I originally wouldn't, but with little Ze by my side, for a lifetime, no pain is too great," Yan Junyu shook his head unconcerned.
Qi Ze's cheeks flushed red, and he quickly pulled his hands away from his grasp, pretending to be calm as he said, "I'll go make a plan. You two tidy up the campsite and don't bother me."
"Brother Qi Ze, I'll help you." Ming Rui, holding Xiaohei, followed eagerly behind. Once they were out of earshot, Yan Junyu turned to the frustrated Ouyang Ye and said with a smile, "Junior Brother Ouyang, thank you for helping me so much. Once we return to the base, Xiao Ze and I will treat you to a meal."
"When did I help you? Wait a minute, what do you mean by you and Young Master Qi treating me to a meal? You two aren't together yet!" Ouyang Ye was enraged.
"You're the matchmaker, so it's only right to treat you to a meal." Yan Junyu ignored him and turned to Li Ziqian, saying softly, "Senior, when I was away, thank you for looking after Xiao Ze for me."
"Are you claiming your territory so quickly?" Li Ziqian raised an eyebrow and said coolly, "Taking care of Qi Ze is my responsibility, it has nothing to do with you. Whether you have the right to stand by his side is still uncertain."
"I understand, so no matter how treacherous the road ahead, I will continue to walk it." In order to match his loved one, Yan Junyu would never let himself become mediocre. This belief sustained him through the first nine days and would continue to motivate him to climb higher.
Li Ziqian looked at him for a moment before walking away.
An hour later, the camp was finally set up, but the quartermaster rushed to Yan Junyu in a panic, saying hurriedly, "Captain, the Interspatial Button for storing supplies was smashed by a beast and can't be used anymore." If a Interspatial Button was damaged, the items inside would be sealed in a subspace, never to be retrieved, which was why the soldier was so anxious.
"Didn't I ask you to load the supplies in batches? If one Interspatial Button breaks, the others should still have reserves," Yan Junyu frowned.
"I thought you meant to load the supplies into categories, so I put the weapons together and the food and water together. Unfortunately, the one that was smashed was the one storing the food and water," the quartermaster lowered his head in shame.
"How many days can the remaining food and water sustain us?" Li Ziqian came over when he heard the commotion.
"It can only last for three days."
"Three days, we might not be able to leave here in that time," Li Ziqian called over Wolf Fang and asked, "How much of your supplies are left? Can you share some with us?"
Before Wolf Fang could speak, one of his trusted men firmly refused, "Our food and water are also running low. If we share with you, what will we eat and drink? It's your problem that you didn't manage your supplies well. Why should we compensate for your loss?"
"Master Li, as you can see, I'm not unwilling to help you, but everyone is in trouble," Wolf Fang shrugged, cunningly saying, "Here's a deal. We lack ammunition, and you lack food and water. Let's trade? Our supplies aren't much, but we can share enough for three days. If Master Qi hasn't found a way out after six days, how about we go our separate ways?"
"From what I see, your supplies are enough to last a month. Giving us only three days' worth, isn't that a bit too little?" Li Ziqian negotiated.
"No way. Since Master Qi hasn't found a way out, who knows how long we'll have to stay here? Master Li, if you were the leader, what choice would you make? Be a saint or protect your team?" Wolf Fang looked at Qi Ze not far away and continued, "Of course, if you can't hold on, I can take Master Qi away for you. I guarantee that even if I die, not a single hair of Master Qi will be harmed."
"My people, why would you have the chance to protect them?" Yan Junyu smiled, but the poisonous vines in his palm suddenly shot out, writhing menacingly.
Ouyang Ye was also provoked and said without reservation, "You're talking to us nicely, but then you pull this. Do you believe that we could destroy you first and then take over your supplies?"
"Do you believe I'll crush the Interspatial Button with the supplies, and we'll all go down together?" Wolf Fang, having roamed the Star Pirate Port for years, was certainly not a pushover. He was ruthless to his enemies and, when necessary, even more ruthless to himself. His subordinates laughed coldly as they stuffed the supply Interspatial Button into a gun barrel. With one shot to the sky, no one here would survive.
The two groups once again stood at a stalemate, each preparing for a confrontation. Qi Ze, who had made all the necessary preparations, finally sensed something was amiss. After understanding the situation, he waved his hand dismissively, "Organize a team to hunt and gather in the forest. Every beast, fruit, and water source you find, bring to me."
"But everything in this forest is poisonous, and the water sources are contaminated," Li Ziqian said worriedly.
Without asking a single question, Yan Junyu simply chose several strong soldiers and led them to gather supplies from the forest. Ouyang Ye was initially hesitant but seemed to remember something and followed eagerly behind. Reaching the edge of the forest, he turned around and said arrogantly, "Wolf Fang, don't come asking for food later. We'll eat until we're full, but we won't give you any!"
"You fucking lunatic! We'd starve to death before eating the poison you bring!" a pirate shouted back immediately.
Wolf Fang looked at the calm Master Qi, then at the somewhat hesitant but still leading Li Ziqian, and began to feel uneasy. He had witnessed Master Qi's abilities many times, and it wasn't an exaggeration to say that on ME219, there seemed to be no problem he couldn't solve. Since he dared to speak, he must have confidence, and Wolf Fang wondered if he was being too clever for his own good.
"Master Qi, do you still need supplies? For your sake, I can give you enough for half a month," he said immediately, and his subordinates didn't dare to object.
"No need," Qi Ze waved his hand indifferently and continued researching the octahedral crystal.
Wolf Fang became increasingly uneasy, holding a nutrient solution in his hand but hesitating to drink. He waited absentmindedly for Yan Junyu's return. About an hour later, the Yan family soldiers returned with many things: ugly beasts, variously colored fruits, several large jars of black water, and baskets of fish and shrimp.
Although they had a bountiful harvest, the soldiers' expressions were conflicted, as if they were worried Master Qi would force them to eat these poisonous things like he did with the worms.
"What should we do?" Only Yan Junyu showed no hesitation, taking a purple-red poisonous fruit and asking.
"Young Master Qi will handle it, and it can be eaten," Ouyang Ye couldn't hide his superiority.
"How to handle it?" Yan Junyu's eyes darkened slightly, knowing it was another secret he wasn't familiar with.
"Like this," Qi Ze took the poisonous fruit, rubbed it in his palms, and black viscous liquid seeped out of the skin, dripping through his fingers into a pre-placed large jar. "It's edible, non-toxic, but I can't guarantee the taste," he threw the fruit to Ouyang Ye, who bit into it immediately and said through gritted teeth, "So sour!" But to prove the fruit was safe, he had to force it down.
The soldiers stared at him in unison, fearing he would suddenly foam at the mouth and die from poison. Yan Junyu, however, squatted by the boy's side and, once he purified another fruit, immediately ate it.
"It's sweet," he praised.
"Really? Next time, you can pick more," Qi Ze was tired of purifying them one by one, so he put dozens of fruits in a basket, held them in his hands, and refined them together. The thick toxic liquid continuously dripped into the jar, while the originally strangely colored fruits looked fresh and appetizing. After purifying the fruits, he continued to process the meat, and before long, the jar was half full.
Li Ziqian also tasted two fruits and found them very delicious, so he immediately instructed the cooks to start cooking on the solar stove. The originally skeptical soldiers tried a few fruits with their own mouths and, finding no signs of poisoning, couldn't help but jump for joy.
"Master Qi is our savior! The food he's processed has a taste that's elevated several levels! Try this piece of roasted meat, it's fresh and tender, delicious to the extreme! If I knew Master Qi could filter out the toxins in the ingredients, why would I have drunk that nutrient solution! How can a nutrient solution compare to natural food?" the cook drooled as he cooked. He refrained from saying one thing: if he had tasted Master Qi's processed food earlier, he could have thrown away the Interspatial Button for supplies.
The quartermaster was almost moved to tears, bowing and thanking Master Qi.
The members of the Red Phantom Pirates watched this scene in shock, first disbelieving, then feeling extremely regretful. If they had known Master Qi had such a miraculous ability, they would have put on a noble and high-minded posture and shared all their food with the Yan family soldiers. This way, when their supplies ran out, they could benefit from Master Qi's skills and eat hot, natural food.
Roast meat, roast fish, roast shrimp, meat soup, fruit and vegetable soup... The aroma of various foods filled the camp, making the pirates' mouths water. Wolf Fang looked at his nutrient solution and then at the Yan family soldiers feasting, feeling a pang of jealousy.
"Boss, what ability does Master Qi have? He's a carbon-based lifeform, right? How can he have special abilities?" a pirate asked quietly, licking his lips.
"You're a fool to believe he's a carbon-based lifeform! Earlier, I was about to agree to share our food with them, but didn't you come forward to stop me? You're a failure, I'm about to be driven crazy by you!" Wolf Fang crushed the nutrient solution in his hand and scolded in a fit of rage.
"Boss, you can curse, but don't spray your saliva! Didn't we agree on this? You play the good cop, and we play the bad cop. You can't make us take the blame!" the pirate covered his face, feeling unjustly treated.
The soldiers, exhausted from a day's work, ate the hot and delicious food and experienced a hint of happiness in such a perilous environment. If Master Qi hadn't come, they could hardly imagine what they would have faced.
"When we were in the dormitory, did you and Ouyang Ye often eat like this?" Yan Junyu smeared the sweet and sour fruit juice on the roast meat and handed it to the boy.
Qi Ze felt a little guilty, feigning an intense focus on eating meat and not answering. Ouyang Ye, however, bragged, "Yes, when you weren't around, Young Master Qi would cook special meals for me. I rarely ate that smelly roasted meat; Young Master Qi said it contained too many impurities, which were bad for our health."
"No wonder no matter how much I learned to cook, you didn't like the meals I made," Yan Junyu shook his head and smiled bitterly.
"I can understand," Li Ziqian said gently. "Young Master Qi's abilities should go beyond purifying food to include metals and minerals, right? Such abilities are too heaven-defying, so the less people know about them, the better."
Qi Ze looked at him gratefully, then tugged on Yan Junyu's sleeve and whispered, "After we return, I'll also cook special meals for you."
"How long?" Yan Junyu asked smoothly.
"I'll cook special meals for you all the time," Qi Ze blinked, looking sincere.
Yan Junyu's bitter expression faded slightly as he said, "You handle the ingredients, and I'll handle the cooking. From now on, we'll cook together, and no more sneaking around to eat alone. Can you do that?"
"Yes, yes." Qi Ze couldn't bear to see the man looking vulnerable, bitter, or depressed. As long as he could cheer up, he would do anything.
Yan Junyu finally smiled and helped cut the fruit for the boy. Li Ziqian swallowed the food in his mouth and whispered to Ouyang Ye, "Great assistant, can you please not speak next time?"
"What the hell did I say?" Ouyang Ye, who was already green-faced, turned black.
After dinner, the soldiers laid down in twos and threes by the campfire, their bellies full, their expressions content. Each held a bottle of purified water, gulping it down. Wolf Fang raised a water pot, drank cautiously, shook it by his ear, and finally showed a look of defeat.
"With Master Qi here, the Yan family soldiers won't starve no matter what. It doesn't matter if they stay for two or three months, even seven or eight years wouldn't be a problem. But we might not last a month," he raised his hand and said, "Who were the ones playing the bad cop earlier? Come apologize with me!"
"It was me."
"I'll go with you." Several pirates stepped out one by one. They were finally convinced; they wouldn't dare to oppose Master Qi on ME219, and even when they returned, they would avoid him, for you never knew what other tricks he had up his sleeve.
"You must seek forgiveness from the master! The lives of your brothers depend on you!" the other members looked at them earnestly, almost shedding tears.
Wolf Fang tightened his belt and walked toward the Yan family soldiers but was blocked by several suddenly emerging poisonous vines. He didn't dare to move rashly and could only shout from a distance, "Master Qi, you're magnanimous, don't hold grudges against these bastards. You don't lack munitions and food, but you must lack manpower, right? Hunting, patrolling, clearing the way, catching poisonous creatures, we'll do it all for you. As long as Master Qi gives us a full meal every day, we'll be content!"
"Master Qi, consider it as if you're hiring us to work. We still have seven or eight S-class ability users here, with substantial skills!" a pirate said shamelessly.
As they spoke, others stood up to agree, flattering and begging for mercy, lowering their postures as much as they could. Supplies would eventually run out, but as long as Master Qi was there, the forest behind them could continuously produce food. It wasn't an exaggeration to say that everyone's lives were almost in the hands of Master Qi alone.
"Alright, stop shouting." Qi Ze put down the water pot and said, "You're lucky; I'm in urgent need of help. Starting from tomorrow, you can send the food you gather. Let me make this clear: if anyone has any ulterior motives, I can't guarantee that the food won't still contain toxins."
Wolf Fang felt a tightening in his heart but had to agree. Thus, the team made up of soldiers and pirates was truly consolidated.
Qi Ze dismissed them and then took out the octahedral crystal. He said slowly, "Li Ziqian, do you have any R-type ores?"
"I have a five-gram ore."
"Five grams? Give it to me."
Li Ziqian handed over a box made of black crystal. Qi Ze nodded and indicated, "Except for Master Li and Xiaohei, everyone should move away and put on protective suits."
Yan Junyu immediately led the soldiers away and instructed the members of the Red Phantom Pirates to put on their protective suits. This time, the radioactive source was R-type ore. Even a speck could be lethal. Wolf Fang couldn't hold back his curiosity and asked, "I won't ask why that doll came to life, but what's the deal with Li Ziqian? Why isn't he afraid of radiation?"
Yan Junyu remained silent. Even if he had guessed some truths, he wouldn't tell anyone about the boy's affairs.
Wolf Fang continued, "Master Qi isn't afraid of radiation either. Is he human?"
Yan Junyu looked at him through his heavy helmet, his expression cold. Wolf Fang spat out in frustration and didn't bother to speak anymore. Meeting these freaks, he didn't know if he was lucky or unlucky.
Qi Ze held the R-type ore in his left hand and the octahedral crystal in his right. He slowly rubbed them together. With the power of fusion, the two completely different materials gradually merged and finally became one, still octahedral in shape, but now a dark green color. Under the illumination of the campfire, it emitted a faint, cold glow.
"Your abilities are unusual, Young Master Qi," Li Ziqian admired.
"Mmm." Qi Ze put the crystal in the box and pondered, "We shouldn't delay. Let's conduct an experiment now. You and Xiaohei aren't afraid of radiation, so please protect the safety of the camp later." As if remembering something, he also took out a small mech from his Qiankun Bag and placed it on the ground.
The small mech knelt in salute, its eyes bright.
Wolf Fang couldn't hold back again, pointing at the small mech and asking, "Young Master Yan, what is that? A model mech? Impossible, right? Earlier, I saw it fire an impulse cannon and blow a beast into the sky. Where would a model mech have such firepower? What level of mech constructor is Master Qi? If even a model mech is this powerful, how impressive would a mech constructed by Master Qi be?"
Yan Junyu stared at the boy, silent. He was once again reminded: without power, he would never have the right to stand by Qi Ze's side.
"I fucking asked you a question!" Wolf Fang was about to jump in frustration when he saw Master Qi walk over with Li Ziqian, Xiaohei, and that strange mech model. He immediately shut up, bowing with a smile.
"You should stand farther back and not cross this line," Qi Ze waved his arm, using his spiritual energy to leave a warning line in the sand. Yan Junyu nodded in agreement, grabbed Wolf Fang's neck, and dragged him outside the warning line. He really wanted to follow, but he knew that the beast in his stomach couldn't withstand radiation. If he died, everything Qi Ze did for him would be in vain.
"Dig a hole five meters in diameter and five meters deep," Qi Ze chose a sandy area.
Li Ziqian turned his left hand into a beast claw and gently tapped the ground, creating a suitable sandy pit. Xiaohei was splashed with sand and angrily shook it off. The small mech loyally guarded the warning line, being teased nonstop by the group of pirates and soldiers.
"Come down and let big brother take a good look at you!" This was the shameless quartermaster.
"Little darling, come down! I have energy stones for you!" This was the even more shameless Wolf Fang.
"Shut up!" Yan Junyu couldn't stand it anymore and scolded.
Everyone finally quieted down but continued to stare at the flying small mech with hot gazes.
On the other side, Qi Ze set up three layers of formations around the sandy pit and explained in detail, "The first layer is a restraining formation, allowing entry but not exit; the second layer is an attack formation, which can destroy anything in the sandy pit once I activate it if something goes wrong; the third layer is an isolation formation, which can prevent the leakage of radioactive substances." As he spoke, he took out fist-sized white crystals and pressed them into the spiritual acupoints.
"I've already set up a defensive formation around the camp. As long as you don't step out of the designated area, you won't be attacked. Let's go back," he threw the box made of black crystal into the sandy pit and spoke calmly.
Li Ziqian didn't ask any more questions and protected him as they slowly walked back.
Wolf Fang couldn't wait to ask, "Master Qi, did you make this small mech? How much? I'll buy it!" He was head over heels in love with this little thing. It had great firepower, a small size, a unique design, and was full of spirit. It was leagues better than that doll. It was the perfect companion for home, travel, killing, and arson!
"Not for sale." Qi Ze activated his thoughts and detonated the divine sense attached to the black crystal box. There was a crisp "clang," and a dark green octahedral crystal was exposed at the bottom of the sandy pit. There was a faint aroma in the air.