Lin Yue laughed out of sheer anger.
Wan Chen continued, "Even if you destroy his projection ten thousand tis in the training room, it won't change the fact that Su Chen has already beco the Chosen One."
"There is no need to seek a sense of superiority this way. Uncle Lin is world-renowned for his wisdom. If word of this gets out, it won't reflect well on him..."
"Heh..." Lin Yue's expression grew increasingly ugly, but she finally reigned it in. Expressionless, she muttered, "Wan Chen, you are so noble, you are so amazing..."
She had originally wanted to explain herself, but after hearing Wan Chen's words, she lost the desire to do so. Instead, she realized sothing.
Unless they experienced it for themselves, no one would ever believe that Su Chen, a man who had co from the Crimson Thunder Planet, possessed such overwhelming strength.
And this secret might just bring them a certain level of advantage.
Watching Lin Yue walk away, Wan Chen sighed inwardly. Even Lin Yue was so unconvinced that she resorted to beating up a phantom projection just to vent her frustrations.
The rest of those guys in the sect were probably holding in a lot of anger as well.
He wondered if Su Chen would be able to hold onto his status.
"Even if he can't hold onto it, he has to find a way. Otherwise, only death awaits him." His eyes flickered with unknown thoughts before he closed the door.
Ti on the spaceship was incredibly dull; there was nothing to do but train.
Aside from visiting the training room every few days to try and push past the limits of his body-tempering technique, Su Chen stayed in his room. He almost never stepped outside.
He only occasionally bumped into Wan Chen and the others, and they rarely exchanged words. However, the way Lin Yue looked at him had subtly changed. Traveling through the transit orbit, it was almost impossible to perceive any changes in the outside environnt, let alone feel the passage of ti. Under these conditions, a month flashed by in the blink of an eye.
One day, inside his room, Su Chen stood within the Spirit Pressure Ring. Arcs of lightning surged around his body. They no longer crackled and sparked outward; instead, they had transford into a viscous, liquid-like energy that seeped in through the pores of his skin.
A swirling miniature thunderstorm appeared deep within his pupils. His sternum emitted a faint sound akin to clashing jade. His cells were incomparably active, and a dull ache pulsed through his muscles and bones.
His physical structure was undergoing a subtle strengthening and tamorphosis.
Only after a long ti did this transformation finally end. Su Chen took a deep breath and exhaled, breathing out fragnted sparks of electricity. His body felt incredibly light.
[Calamity Patroller developnt progress has reached 50%. Awakened Ability—Calamity Seal: Ford from the power of calamity, it can be driven directly into a target's body.]
"This ability..." Su Chen raised an eyebrow. It seed designed to be used in conjunction with his other ability, [Calamity Strike], which could detonate the power of calamity inside a target.
However, the power of calamity was normally accumulated within a target through continuous combat.
His fighting style, on the other hand, was based entirely on securing an instant kill whenever possible. He rarely engaged in prolonged brawls.
Because of this, the power of calamity rarely saw any practical use. Now that he had a way to accumulate it outside of direct combat and add it to his explosive arsenal, it wasn't half bad.
"With all these multiple overlapping effects, the developnt efficiency is insanely fast. It went up by twenty percent in just a month..." Su Chen couldn't help but marvel.
It felt just like when he was a Tier 1 Class Holder, able to feel his body changing every single day. That sense of euphoria was unmatched.
As for his Word Spirit Lawmaster class, the developnt progress was a bit slower. It was currently only at forty-five percent.
"It lacks that hundred percent boost, but since the buff is additive rather than multiplicative, the actual difference in developnt progress isn't too huge."
Stowing away the Spirit Pressure Ring, Su Chen walked over to the window. Outside, the bizarre and colorful transit channel was long gone, as was the grayish-monotone Nether Mist.
Instead, there was an empty, silent darkness, punctuated only by a few scattered pinpricks of light.
They had exited the Nether Mist region a day ago and were currently approaching the Hengdao Hub.
"I thought I would see a sky full of stars..." His gaze lost focus, unable to hide his disappointnt.
"Then again, stars are essentially just suns. In a universe where only the Sacred Flas exist, it's natural that I can't see anything like that."
The only thing that felt familiar were the occasional shooting stars streaking across the sky.
Looking down, he saw a small landmass suspended in the silent darkness not too far away. Shrouded in a translucent blue energy barrier, it was the only light source in the vicinity.
As the spaceship drew closer, the landmass gradually enlarged, and the faint outlines of buildings on its surface beca visible.
Even more eye-catching were the spaceships constantly docking and departing. Their colorful exhaust plus intertwined in absolute, eerie silence.
"An interstellar hub... Tsk tsk..." Su Chen observed it closely. He never had the chance to see anything like this in his previous life.
anwhile, inside Lan Hao's room, a blurry virtual projection was being rendered by the surrounding equipnt.
"Father..." Lan Hao stood to the side with his head bowed, feeling guilty and apprehensive.
On one hand, it was because he had been entrusted with high hopes, yet failed to beco the Chosen One of the Crimson Fla Lightning Supremacy.
On the other hand, it was because he had been tortured by the followers of the Treacherous God on that wretched planet, leaking the existence of the two classes, as well as a...
Few other secrets.
"Mhm." Lan Hai's reaction was completely flat. He glanced at his cowering son and demanded, "Why are you only contacting now? I summoned you using the Nether Realm Stone many tis, so why didn't you respond?"
"Uh..." Lan Hao's eyes darted around. Not daring to look up, he stamred, "There was an accident. I lost the Nether Realm Stone."
"Lost it?" Lan Hai furrowed his brows tightly. "What kind of accident? How could you possibly lose the Nether Realm Stone?"
"It's a bit complicated. Qing Cang was keeping a close eye on , and I didn't dare use it near him. Because of that, I went deep into the Nether Mist, but ended up running into a few powerful mutants and accidentally lost it," he explained.
Lan Hai narrowed his eyes. Although he sensed sothing was off, it wasn't a major issue. Skipping past the topic, he asked, "Are you approaching the Hengdao Hub?"
"Yes, we're almost there," Lan Hao hurriedly replied. "I was only able to contact you by piggybacking on the Hengdao Hub's communication network."
"And what about this Su Chen?" Lan Hai asked, getting straight to the point.
"Su Chen?" Lan Hao couldn't help but scoff. "He's just lucky. His compatibility with the Crimson Fla Lightning Supremacy was incredibly high, so he picked up a cheap advantage for nothing."
"If it was such a cheap advantage, why didn't you pick it up?" Hearing this, Lan Hai grew slightly displeased. "How many tis have I told you never to underestimate anyone?"
Lan Hao's expression shifted slightly, but he didn't dare talk back. He simply kept his head down.
Lan Hai didn't reprimand him any further. Changing the subject, he stated, "However, this man has certainly caused quite a massive uproar within the sect."
Lan Hao couldn't stop himself from looking up as he asked, "What do the higher-ups think?"
"What do they think? Qing Cang is directly calling him junior brother, so what else could they think? The higher-ups won't take a public stance." Lan Hai shook his head, speaking indifferently, "If he didn't have the protection of the Ancient King, he would probably be forced to his death within ten days of arriving at the sect."
"The Ancient King can't possibly protect him every second of the day, right?" Lan Hao suggested delicately.
"True..." Lan Hai nodded, dragging out his words. "Even with the Ancient King's protection and being accepted as half a disciple, lacking a foundation ans he is nothing but a castle in the sky. He's unstable."
"So..." A hint of joy surfaced on Lan Hao's face.
"Do you think your sister would be a good match for him?" Lan Hai suddenly pivoted.
"My... sister?" Lan Hao's face froze. A mont later, his brain finally processed the words, and he stared in total disbelief. "You want to marry my sister off to him?"
"That, that... how can that work?!"
"Why wouldn't it work?" Lan Hai countered.
"It just doesn't! What right does he have? He... he..." Lan Hao stamred, entirely unable to string together a coherent argunt.
"Do you have so sort of conflict with him?" Lan Hai had long since seen through him, asking the question at a leisurely pace.
"This..." Beads of sweat rapidly broke out across Lan Hao's forehead.
"Speak." Lan Hai spat out a single word, but to Lan Hao's ears, it rang like a peal of thunder.
Knowing there was no way to hide it, Lan Hao resigned himself to his fate and recounted the entire incident exactly as it had happened.
However, the furious explosion he expected never ca. Lan Hai looked thoughtful. "To be able to remain calm upon first eting all of you and even discern your motives... this man really is as sharp as Qing Cang claims."
Lan Hao blanked. Was his father actually praising Su Chen?
A knot of profound discomfort tightened in his chest.
"It's not a matter of life and death, so it's no big deal. Just apologize to him and clear the air," Lan Hai said casually.
"I have to apologize to him?" Lan Hao's eyes bulged.
Lan Hai stated coolly, "He is the posthumous disciple of Venerable Crimson Sun, half a disciple to the Ancient King, and Qing Cang calls him junior brother. In terms of seniority, even I have to call him martial uncle."
"Do you still think he doesn't have the right?"
"But..." Lan Hao couldn't hold it back anymore and finally voiced his true thoughts. "Who knows how long he'll even live."
"As long as he lives for a day, his status remains for a day." Noticing that Lan Hao's resistance was unusually intense, Lan Hai frowned. "Don't you get it? This Su Chen has absolutely no foundation. If he marries into our Lan family as a live-in son-in-law, he becos one of us."
"So you're just looking to adopt a son," Lan Hao muttered sulkily.
"Fool!" Lan Hai finally barked in anger. "How can you place personal grudges above the interests of the family? Once he becos a part of the Lan family and has children, if he truly advances to the Morning Star rank, he will be able to shield our family for centuries to co!"
"The sacred class he brings into the world will also remain within our Lan family, becoming part of our foundational strength. Where else are you going to find a bargain like that?"
"In other words, who else in our family do you think has the capability to compete for the position of the Chosen One?"
"Having Su Chen killed over your petty conflicts and bruised ego does us no good. It would only benefit outsiders. Why would we do sothing so stupid?"
Lan Hai laid it out as plainly as possible.
Lan Hao felt a vague sense of clarity. He sort of understood, yet didn't entirely. Unable to hold back, he asked, "So, are we going to protect Su Chen now?"
"We want to bring him into the fold, but not right now." Lan Hai shook his head, offering a different perspective. "Currently, undercurrents are surging within the sect. Everyone believes he is unworthy of his position. Sticking our necks out for him now will only make us a target as well."
"He needs to survive the initial phase on his own, or at least until the conflict isn't quite as intense. Only then does he have value, and only then will we step in."
Lan Hao fell deep into thought. His internal resistance lessened considerably, primarily because he realized that, in his father's eyes, Su Chen was still essentially just a pawn.
"But for now, there's no harm in building a good relationship with him. Temporary gains and losses an nothing," he advised earnestly.
Lan Hao nodded solemnly. For so reason, scenes from his ti on the Crimson Thunder Planet flashed before his eyes. Only now did he realize just how much he had experienced.
It was just that his vision had previously been clouded by resentnt and indignation, which had piled up in his heart. Now, after his father's guidance, he felt as though he had matured quite a bit.
Thinking about it carefully, his little conflict with Su Chen really wasn't a big deal.
"It's good that you understand. You still have so ti before you return to the sect. Once you get there, however, you need to distance yourself from him." Seeing that his son had finally co to his senses, Lan Hai nodded in satisfaction. Going out to gain experience truly tempered a person's character.
Upon receiving a notification from Qing Cang, they were instructed to gather for a briefing before entering the Hengdao Hub.
Su Chen tidied himself up briefly before heading out the door, only to bump straight into Lan Hao at the corner of the stairs.
Su Chen didn't pay it any mind. They had run into each other a few tis before, and the other party always treated him like thin air. He was perfectly happy to enjoy the peace and quiet.
...
But this ti was different. The instant Lan Hao saw him, a smile blood on his face, and he greeted naturally, "Su Chen..."
Saying this, he walked over and offered a bitter smile. "According to seniority, I should be calling you grandmaster, but honestly, I just can't bring myself to say it. Please don't mind."
By opening the conversation like this, he actually appeared sowhat sincere.
Su Chen was inwardly surprised but shook his head. "We can just stick to our own respective generations."
Lan Hao nodded, and the two headed up the stairs together. He then let out a sigh and said earnestly, "I still owe you an apology for trying to goad you into fighting Wan Chen earlier."
'Has this guy... seen the light?'
Su Chen shot Lan Hao an astonished look, not believing for a second that the other party had truly repented.
It was just that, given Lan Hao's original personality, saying such words out loud would have been incredibly difficult, even if he was just pretending to be polite.
Lan Hao continued, "I simply placed far too much importance on the Crimson Fla Lightning Supremacy earlier, which led to resort to such underhanded tactics."
"It wasn't a big deal to begin with." Su Chen shook his head, sticking to his old strategy: since he didn't know what the other party was planning, he might as well stroke their ego for now.
"Besides, you even gave the Spirit Pressure Ring. That was a huge help."
"I'm just glad you haven't taken it to heart." Lan Hao breathed a sigh of relief before adding, "We still have a ways to go before we reach the sect. If you need anything on the journey, or if there's anything you don't understand, don't hesitate to ask."
"Oh..." Su Chen's heart stirred. 'Offering more benefits? Who cares what he's scheming; I'll swallow the bait first and ask questions later.'
"Off the top of my head, I can't really think of anything I need."
Su Chen chuckled. The two chatted as they walked, soon arriving outside the cockpit.
Wan Chen was standing right in front of them. Hearing the commotion, he glanced back. Seeing Su Chen and Lan Hao seemingly enjoying a pleasant conversation, a flash of surprise flitted across his eyes.
"Wan Chen," Lan Hao greeted.
Wan Chen replied flatly, faintly sensing that there was sothing different about this guy.
"You're all here..." Lin Yue walked up from behind and greeted the group. Catching sight of Lan Hao and Su Chen standing side by side, a contemplative look crossed her eyes.
Whoosh— The cockpit door slid open. Wan Chen walked in first, followed closely by Lan Hao. Su Chen, however, was held back when Lin Yue tugged at the corner of his shirt. She whispered a warning, "This Lan Hao has a thick skull and a thick neck. If he's treating you well, he's definitely scheming sothing wicked. Be careful."
Lan Hao, who was only half a step ahead of them, stiffened. He snorted coldly in his heart, deciding he couldn't be bothered to argue with this woman.
Imdiately after, a sense of suspicion bubbled up inside him. Why was this woman suddenly so close to Su Chen?
Could the Lin family be harboring the exact sa intentions as his father?
'This Lin Yue...' Su Chen tugged his shirt free, secretly speechless, and proceeded into the cockpit.
Qing Cang's brows were slightly furrowed. A small projection of the Hengdao Hub was slowly rotating above the tal table in front of him.
Xia Jie stood to the side and spoke with a grave expression. "Half a month ago, the Hengdao Hub began a one-month channel adjustnt process, aning the Stargate is temporarily closed. We will have to stay here for at least ten days."
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