Chapter 1103 – Full Support In Cultivation
s.p.a.ces.h.i.+ps had protective s.h.i.+elds, but this didn"t mean that these s.h.i.+elds were omnipotent. In outer s.p.a.ce, danger was in every corner. They may be attacked by s.p.a.ce junk, cosmic rays, or anything else at any time. There even some cosmic rays that could tear apart a s.h.i.+p"s s.h.i.+eld like paper.
Because of this, most s.h.i.+ps had emergency doors installed on its outer cabins!
These emergency doors were there to be used whenever the s.h.i.+p gets damaged. Once the hull gets breached, these emergency doors would immediately be activated, isolating the affected compartments. Even if the pressure on those compartments shred and rip apart everything inside, it still wouldn"t affect the s.h.i.+p"s overall operation.
Those three cabins had been damaged because they had been targeted by the pirates. Therefore, Kirk immediately ordered the emergency doors of those cabins to be closed. This way, it ensures that the s.h.i.+p continues to fly normally.
If the emergency doors were left open, then the pressure on the s.h.i.+p would get bigger and bigger. It might even cause the s.h.i.+p to break in two. If that happens, then they would surely be finished.
Seeing that the pirates had been shaken off, Kirk and the others began to relax. Then Margaret and Kirk looked at Zhao Hai with an unusual gaze. They didn"t think that Zhao Hai would stay calm in such a critical event.
One shouldn"t underestimate the decision to turn back. In their position, it wasn"t an easy task to calmly choose to turn around and head back. Although they were indeed closer to Tyro Planet, they weren"t that close. They had already been travelling for close to day, and were now one-third of the way back to the academy. Most people might just bite the bullet and push through.
Zhao Hai also thought about going forward. However, if the Ashley family"s enemy really did want to deal with them, then it"s possible that they would stage multiple ambushes along the way. Because of this, Zhao Hai knew that going back was the only solution that could provide them with an a.s.sured chance of survival.
And his choice was correct. As the s.h.i.+p turned around, the pursuing Warriors and Mages couldn"t catch up. This allowed Zhao Hai and the others to escape with their lives.
Zhao Hao saw Margaret and Kirk"s gaze, but he just smiled and didn"t say anything. Margaret didn"t ask Zhao Hai anything as well as she turned to Kirk and said, "I"ll send news back to the family and ask them for a.s.sistance as soon as possible. Meanwhile, let"s stay in Tyro Planet and recuperate." Kirk nodded.
Although they still haven"t arrived at Tyro Planet, Kirk knew that they were as good as safe. And as long as they reach the range of the planet"s defenses, nothing would happen to them.
Planetary defenses were quite common in the Machine Field. And on a planet with mithril ore, Tyro Planet had defenses much stronger than most.
After landing on Tyro Planet, the people on the s.h.i.+p were finally able to let out relieved sighs. Margaret took Zhao Hai back to the reception area and told Sim about the situation. Then she asked Sim to provide them with a place to stay.
Naturally, Sim immediately agreed to the request and arranged a room for them. After the rooms had been a.s.signed, Margaret went to Zhao Hai"s room.
After being invited inside by Zhao Hai and offered a cup of tea, Margaret sat opposite her student. She looked at Zhao Hai for some time before she said, "Zhao Hai, I need to thank you for your calm thinking. If it weren"t for you, we would"ve decided to proceed." Zhao Hai smiled faintly and said, "Instructor is too polite. I"m just thinking for myself. If we really continued going forward, then not everyone in the s.h.i.+p might have survived."
Margaret nodded, then she said, "I reckon you"ve already known about the Bone Symbol Camp. To be honest, the camp"s present state isn"t the same as the past. There"s nothing in the camp that could attract an expert. However, I still hope that you can join the camp. At the very least, you will be safer if you join us. And after you enter, I will tell the camp leader to concentrate the camp"s resources into cultivating you. With your talent, you will definitely be a famous expert in the region."
Zhao Hai smiled and said, "Instructor, there"s no need to go that far. I will join the Bone Symbol Camp because I want to. I definitely won"t regret this decision."
Margaret nodded, then after a moment she said, "I"ll give you more freedom when we go back to the Academy. This way, you can adapt to the spiritual qi at your own pace. Once you adapt to the normal density, you can tell me and I will let you graduate in advance."
Zhao Hao nodded. To be honest, he didn"t want to stay in the academy anymore. And he also wanted to adjust to the Machine Field"s normal spiritual qi density as soon as possible so that he could strengthen himself more effectively. He wanted to advance quicker so that he could gain a footing in the World of Cultivation, as well as providing Laura and the others with an ident.i.ty This way, they would be able to boldly move about in the Machine Field and not stay inside the s.p.a.ce all the time.
Margaret added, "I"ve already informed the family. They will be sending support but they would arrive the day after tomorrow. You need to be careful in these two days. Although n.o.body would dare make a large-scale a.s.sault on Tyro Planet, this doesn"t mean that they won"t send someone to do a.s.sa.s.sination. If you have nothing to do, it would be best if you stay inside your room."
Zhao Hai nodded, "Alright. Instructor can rest a.s.sured." Margaret nodded before she stood up and left.
Through this event, Zhao Hai was able to confirm that the Bone Symbol camp had already settled on recruiting him. Otherwise, Margaret wouldn"t have told him that they would allocate all their resources in order to cultivate him.
Besides this, Zhao Hai also discovered something from Margaret"s words. First, it seems to be true that the Bone Symbol Camp lacked experts. And second, Margaret"s was certainly someone of considerable status.
After Margaret left, Zhao Hai immediately entered the s.p.a.ce. Seeing Zhao Hai return, Laura and the others quickly welcomed him. Then Laura said, "Brother Hai, that was dangerous. You need to be more careful." Zhao Hai just smiled and said, "It"s fine, you don"t need to worry. You heard Teacher Margaret, after returning to the academy, I will be able to adapt to the normal level of spiritual qi quicker. This way, I could leave the academy earlier. Once I leave, I will find a way so that you can go out. You don"t have to stay inside the s.p.a.ce every day."
When they heard Zhao Hai, Laura and the others immediately cheered. For them, this was a very important matter. They"ve already seen how colorful the Machine Field was, so they all wanted to explore the place with their own eyes. It was just a pity that they had yet to gain the opportunity to do so. So when Zhao Hai told them about this, they couldn"t help but be happy.
Seeing their happy expressions, Zhao Hai couldn"t help but be happy as well. After everyone had calmed down, Zhao Hai said, "However, we still have to stay in Tyro Planet for a couple of days. I plan to use these days to take a look at the tunnels and take normal mithril for ourselves. It would be a waste if I couldn"t get some mithril after coming here."
Laura smiled and said, "You don"t need to worry yourself about this. Since we"ve been here already, you can return at any time. I think what you need to focus on right now is to improve your combat effectiveness. Right, if you have time, you should go to the mining city and buy some gifts for Dins and the others. If Brother Hai really wants Dins and the others to follow you in the future, you need to increase their strength and provide them with formations to practice on. Take Dins for example, he"s a Fire Mage so he should be studying fire element formations. You can give him a combined formation and have him condense a formation that suits him best. Not only would he get stronger, he will also feel indebted to you. Although Margaret said that the Bone Symbol Camp would concentrate on cultivating you, there would still be people inside the camp that will feel dissatisfied with this decision. Therefore, you need to cultivate your own group."
After listening to Laura, Zhao Hai felt that her words were justified. If he joins the Bone Symbol Camp in the future, he would need to cultivate his own influence. Otherwise, he would be isolated. Although Dins and the others were older, Zhao Hai didn"t find any problems with them. The s.p.a.ce had potions that can extend life so they should be able to live a couple of hundred years more. Moreover, as their cultivation increased, their lifespan would also increase. When the time comes, they would be experts that n.o.body would dare underestimate.
As long as Zhao Hai shows them favor now, then when he joins the Bone Symbol Camp later, he wouldn"t be afraid of being surrounded on all sides. He would have his own group to rely on.
With this thought in mind, Zhao Hai nodded and said, "Alright, I"ll listen to you. I"ll use these days to practice. Right Cai"er, I was thinking of using potions to break through my bottleneck. Help me look for herbs that can allow me to break through to the second layer of the Stellar Transformations art. I always felt that breaking through the second layer would bring me a huge benefit." Cai"er nodded. Then she turned around and flew away. At this point, Little Silver had become Cai"er"s a.s.sistant, following behind her all the time. As for Bubble, the fellow actually liked to hang around in the villa alongside Laura and the others. The women were already used to its existence. They even use Bubble as a pillow from time to time.
By this time, Zhao Hai had lost interest in dealing with Bubble. Although this fellow looks lazy, its strength was actually pretty good. Zhao Hai had already placed a lot of things inside Bubble"s body to undergo water refining. Among these things were two grown azure dragon snails as well as the column of ice where Bubble was originally taken from.
It needs to be said that Zhao Hai was able to learn about the azure dragon snails in the Machine Field. As long as the snails were refined to a certain degree, they could be used as a wars.h.i.+p. As for the column of ice, it was born from Bubble and was very rich in the water element. This type of material had numerous uses in the Machine Field. There would definitely be great uses for it in the future.
Chapter 1104 – Bone Symbol Camp"s Hope
Just an hour after Zhao Hai started cultivating inside the s.p.a.ce, Cai"er suddenly went to look for him. Upon seeing Cai"er, Zhao Hai knew that she was here regarding the potion that he needed to break through.
Sure enough, when Cai"er reached Zhao Hai, she said, "Young Master, we"ve found a potion for your cultivation. However, it needs some time to brew. Moreover, you also need a ma.s.sive amount of spiritual qi when you consume it. How much spiritual qi you absorb will have a great impact on your strength."
Zhao Hai nodded. Then he said, "Are you saying that the spiritual qi inside the s.p.a.ce and the Academy are not enough? So do we need the Machine Field"s spiritual qi in order for me to advance?"
Cai"er nodded, "Yes, Young Master. Also, Sister Laura and the others just checked online and discovered that there"s a spirit gathering formation in the Machine Field. It can acc.u.mulate ma.s.sive amounts of spiritual qi in a specific area. Moreover, we"ve a.n.a.lyzed that as Young Master adapts to the Machine Field"s spiritual qi, the spiritual qi in the s.p.a.ce will also increase up to the point where it will be the same as the Machine Field. Therefore, it would be better for you to get used to the Machine Field"s spiritual qi first before trying to increase your strength. This way, we can arrange the spiritual gathering formation when you can absorb the most spiritual qi."
Zhao Hao nodded and said, "Alright, then I"ll wait. However, you still need to prepare that potion. This way, we could avoid later troubles."
Cai"er nodded, then she turned around and left. Zhao Hai put the matter of his promotion to the back of his mind as he continued to practice. By dinnertime, Zhao Hai went out of the s.p.a.ce. He reckons that people would bring him supper. But he didn"t expect that not long after he came out, a knock would come from his door. Sweeping using his spiritual force, it was actually Margaret.
This caused Zhao Hai to stare. Him and Margaret weren"t too familiar with each other. Their encounters with each other were minimal. If he were to count the times they had met, it wouldn"t reach ten. Margaret looking for him at this time caused Zhao Hai to be puzzled.
However, Zhao Hai still opened the door. Upon seeing Margaret, he pretended to be surprised as he said, "Instructor Margaret, why are you here?"
After seeing Zhao Hai, Margaret smiled faintly as she answered, "What? You don"t want me to come? It"s not good to cultivate inside your room every day. Good cultivation is a balance between hard work and relaxation. Follow me to the dining hall. The crew are there. You need to mingle with them."
When he heard Margaret, Zhao Hai understood why she came to see him. Naturally, Zhao Hai wouldn"t reject the invitation, so he said, "Alright, then I"ll have to trouble Instructor."
Margaret nodded, then he led Zhao Hai towards the dining hall. Zhao Hai also discovered that since he offered his help in the recent crisis, Margaret began to have changes in her att.i.tude.
The two arrived at the dining hall. And sure enough, the s.p.a.ces.h.i.+p"s crew was already inside. Seeing Zhao Hai arrive, they immediately welcomed him enthusiastically.
Zhao Hai also knew that these people were happy because they were able to preserve their lives. Even if they were paid highly, the risk they had to go through was also equally as high. Moreover, their strengths aren"t that great, they were just average people.
Regarding these people, finding a stable and high-paying job was something that brought them great joy and satisfaction. After all, in the Machine Field, they simply held little to no status.
Just like ordinary people, the crew also had families to feed. If they died, even if the Ashley Family provided their families with pension, their family"s living conditions would still drastically decline. Because of this, these people were very grateful to survive the recent ordeal.
Zhao Hai didn"t put too much air as he politely returned the crew"s greetings. Seeing Zhao Hai"s conduct, the crew were immediately won over. It didn"t take long before the Zhao Hai became one with whole group.
Margaret and Kirk sat on another table. This table was smaller, and those who were sitting with them were the s.h.i.+p"s first and second mates. In other words, sat on this table were people who had status.
Kirk looked at Zhao Hai"s conduct and couldn"t help but smile as he turned to Margaret and said, "Miss Margaret, it seems like an extraordinary fellow would be joining our Bone Symbol Camp. He also looks like someone who had killed other G.o.d-rank experts. Otherwise, he wouldn"t have been this calm."
Kirk as well as his two mates were also from the Bone Symbol Camp. Just as stated before, this camp was structured differently compared to the other camps. Other camps would just recruit talented individuals and wouldn"t care about other people. The Bone Symbol Camp, on the other hand, would accept anyone as long as they show skill.
Margaret smiled and said, "Zhao Hai is truly special. You might not know, but he already has his own group in the academy. Moreover, these people are unlike those blind followers of young geniuses. Also, you"re right. It seems like this guy has slaughtered at least a million people in the lower realms."
Kirk and the other two people from the Bone Symbol camp knew what killing a million people meant. So when they heard Margaret, their expression couldn"t help but change. The first mate commented, "Killing a million people? He doesn"t look like it."
Margaret replied, "From what I saw, it"s possible that he had killed a million people. Before he entered the exam"s mining tunnel, he asked me if there would be problems if the Adam Academy"s six students die. But as he asked me, I couldn"t feel a sliver of killing intent. Additionally, his calm manner in the earlier crisis only appears on two types of people. The first type are those who are very confident in their strength. They don"t believe that the destruction of the s.h.i.+p would have any effects on them. The second type are those who don"t think seriously about human lives. I think Zhao Hai is the latter. Because of this, I believe that Zhao Hai had killed more than a million people."
Kirk turned towards Zhao Hai who was currently chatting with the crew. No matter how he looked at it, Kirk couldn"t see Zhao Hai as someone who had killed a million people.
However, Kirk also knew that people had all sorts of mysterious means and secrets. He was just curious so he didn"t say anything.
On the other hand, Kirk"s second mate was more curious. He turned to Margaret and said, "Miss Margaret, how long has it been since Zhao Hai came to the academy? Why haven"t I heard of his name before?"
Margaret turned towards them and then lowered her voice as she said, "Zhao Hai just ascended a month ago. Also, you didn"t hear any of this. If others know that Zhao Hai became a level 1 Mage a month after ascending, then he will be in certain danger."
Although Kirk and the others didn"t cultivate, after serving the ascender academy, they knew what being a level 1 Mage just a month after ascending represented. In all of their time serving the academy, this was the first time that they heard an achievement as great as this.
Margaret looked at Kirk and said, "You know our camp"s current situation. And you should be aware that Zhao Hai"s strength isn"t normal. His talent is very great. Not only was he able to become a level 1 mage before the exam, he also achieved skill in utilizing Magic Theory properly. His future development should be limitless. Because of this, we cannot reveal that he had only ascended for one month. We should tell everybody that he had ascended 5 months ago. If we don"t, not only do we need to be on guard against outside powers, we also need to be wary about the family"s other camps. Those fellows don"t want the Bone Symbol Camp to rise again."
As a member of the Bone Symbol Camp, Kirk was aware of the infighting amongst the family"s camps. What Margaret said was correct. If other camps discover Zhao Hai"s special talent, they would certainly deal with him. Because of this, the three nodded, then Kirk said, "Miss Margaret, rest a.s.sured. We know how to keep a secret. The other camps have stepped on the Bone Symbol Camp all these years. Now that Zhao Hai is here, it"s natural that we would take care of him."
Margaret nodded, then her eyes began to light up as she said, "Zhao Hai will certainly become a pillar of the Bone Symbol Camp. With his help, the camp would rise again."
Kirk and the others agreed. If the Bone Symbol Camp wanted to rise, then they would need an expert at its head. But at this time, the camp had no experts that can a.s.sume command. The Bone Symbol Camp didn"t lack funds. The External Hall would certainly allocate funds to make the camps function. Moreover, they can also generate income on their own.
Although the Bone Symbol Camp didn"t have powerful experts, their ability to make money was second to none in the Ashley Family. However, the Bone Symbol camp also knew that increasing their ability to make money would only bring them trouble.
Because of this, the Bone Symbol Camp had always hoped for a powerful expert to join their ranks. But because of its deteriorating reputation, talented students didn"t choose the camp. This caused the camp to lack powerful experts. This was the Bone Symbol Camp"s weakest point.
After the meal, Zhao Hai returned to his room. It was already late into the night, therefore, Zhao Hai didn"t head out and instead he just entered the s.p.a.ce. And after practicing for a while, he took a rest.
The next morning, Zhao Hai went out of the s.p.a.ce and had his breakfast at the dining hall. Just as he was about to head out, Margaret and the crew arrived. Seeing that Zhao Hai was leaving, Margaret wrinkled her brow as she asked, "Zhao Hai, are you planning to head out?"
Zhao Hai stared for a moment before he answered, "Instructor, I haven"t explored Tyro planet before so I want to head out and see it for myself. I also want to give Dins and the others some gifts. I heard that mithril here is much cheaper compared to other places. Since mithril is very helpful for Mages, I want to buy some before I head back."
Margaret frowned, "It"s dangerous outside. I suggest that you don"t go. Pirates may be watching and waiting for us to head out."
Zhao Hai smiled faintly and said, "Instructor, it will be fine. I still have strength to fight back. You can rest a.s.sured that nothing will happen to me."
Margaret shook her head. But after thinking that Zhao Hai had been inside his room all this time, she couldn"t help but feel embarra.s.sed. So after a while, she said, "Alright, you can go. But I will come with you."
Zhao Hai stared, then with a shy expression, he looked at Margaret and said, "Instructor, there"s no need. I can go by myself."
Margaret coldly snorted and said, "No. Either I go with you or you"re not leaving."
Zhao Hai looked awkwardly at Margaret. But in the end, he gave a helpless nod and agreed, "Alright. Right, since Instructor is going, why don"t the others come as well? If you see anything you like, just tell me and I"ll buy it for you as a gift."
Zhao Hai"s offer made the crew cheer. Then all of them grouped up and walked out. Margaret looked at the crowd around Zhao Hai and couldn"t help but helplessly shake her head. She didn"t know if she should praise Zhao Hai for being generous or scold him for spending too much money.
Although it was true that mithril and mithril products were much cheaper in Tyro Planet, besides those, other items were much more expensive in comparison. Besides being a mining planet, Tyro Planet was also a tourism spot. And one major characteristic of a tourist spot was its inflated price on goods. It seems like Zhao Hai was going to bleed today.
Margaret quickly followed behind Zhao Hai and the others. Actually, Tyro Planet"s mining city wasn"t any different compared to other cities. Besides its houses being caves and not seeing the sun, the other facilities weren"t that different from other planets. And also, compared to other planets, the amount of mithril products here were indeed a lot more.
Along with the jolly crew of the s.h.i.+p, Zhao Hai walked on the city streets. They didn"t ride a vehicle and instead opted to walk on foot. There were a lot of shops in this street. Besides shops, there were also stalls selling wares. But since these stalls didn"t have any high-quality goods, Zhao Hai didn"t bother looking.
Then suddenly, Zhao Hai felt a few hostile gazes directed at them. Zhao Hai swept the area using his spiritual force and found out that the gazes came from a couple of Mages sitting in a small teahouse. Although they seem to be laid-back, their eyes wandered murderously towards Zhao Hai"s group from time to time.