Chapter 234 - 233: Contacting the Outside World

Jian Yu wanted to go in alone, but her teammates disagreed.

Zhang Qin scratched his head. "How about I sneak in, grab it, and run?"

Wang Hu chuckled. "I’m afraid you’ll get chased out before you even touch it."

Zhao Jiangyou pricked up his ears.

Lu Yi suggested, "What if we start a fire? Use the smoke to draw it out?"

Lu Qi said, "I think it’s better if I wait out here."

The remaining two pairs of twins looked at each other.

Jiang Fei didn’t like going it alone. "Let’s all go in together. Even our spiritual power can’t probe the situation inside. There’s safety in numbers."

Teacher Hu urged them, "Let’s hurry. It’s going to be dark again soon."

A halo of fluctuating Soul Power shimmered around Sheng Yue.

Gu Qi glanced at Sheng Yue, his expression hesitant.

’After all, they’re from the Alliance.’

’Not to mention this group are all Weis Lan’s students.’

He thought about the medicine recently distributed for free in Weis Lan’s name and the several chiefs who were still conducting investigations on Emperor Source Star.

Gu Qi reluctantly suppressed his pettiness and malice.

He spoke up to warn them, "It wasn’t just Mutant Beasts chasing us that day, but also an Alien Beast of an unknown Level. My captain said that the creatures guarding a 3S-tier Beast Plant are likely to be even higher-level Alien Beasts, but I couldn’t tell its Level."

Jian Yu’s expression softened.

’I was starting to think everyone in the interstellar was crazy.’

Compared to Yan Ying and her brother, and Yan Qin, Gu Qi was actually starting to look decent.

Sheng Yue withdrew his released Soul Power. "It’s a Heavy Python."

Gu Qi didn’t understand. "A python?"

Teacher Hu glanced at everyone’s blank faces. "The Heavy Python is a 3S-Rank Alien Beast, not a Mutant Beast. It can block others’ probes unless your Level is higher than its."

Sheng Yue’s 3S threshold was higher than the Heavy Python’s; otherwise, he might not have been able to detect its presence either.

Teacher Hu advised against confronting the Heavy Python. "If you can steal the Beast Plant, do it. If not, just leave it. Its venom is extremely potent. Anyone who touches it will quickly dissolve into a pool of blood."

Zhang Qin’s fists tightened slightly. "Are 3S-Ranks a dime a dozen now? We didn’t see a single one last year, and now we’ve run into two in a row."

Sheng Yue’s brows furrowed tightly.

Yin Jiu, nestled in Jian Yu’s arms, narrowed its blue eyes. *Something’s not right, Master. We rarely saw 3S-Rank Alien Beasts before.*

Teacher Hu had thought of this as well.

He felt a sense of unease. "The frequent appearance of high-level Alien Beasts means the Level of the Soul Ghost Bodies is also constantly evolving. Of course, the same should be true for Awakeners."

But in the last decade or so, besides Sheng Yue and his group of seven, no new 3S Awakeners had been born.

Except for Jian Yu.

Teacher Hu turned his head and saw only Jian Yu’s long eyelashes trembling.

Jian Yu lowered her eyes in thought, her mind wandering.

’Just how high is my 3S Level?’

’I suspect it’s about the same as Ayue and the others.’

The existing interstellar equipment didn’t seem capable of measuring her Level’s threshold.

"Let me take a look first." Jian Yu came back to her senses and grabbed Sheng Yue, who was about to go in.

She closed her eyes and slowly released a black, ethereal smoke.

The black mist spread, seeping into every corner of the cave.

Within the hazy wisps of smoke, a mysterious purple Beast Plant gradually appeared.

A massive, long black shadow took shape in the light smoke.

It moved.

Scarlet pupils suddenly stared over.

Jian Yu opened her eyes, her heart beating a few times faster.

Her sixth sense was exceptionally sharp; it had helped her avoid disaster several times in the past.

But just now, she didn’t seem to have sensed any danger.

Jian Yu let go of Sheng Yue’s hand. "The Beast Plant is in a pool inside the cave."

Sheng Yue’s lips moved slightly, his fingers rubbing together.

Lu Yi looked at Zhang Qin: *Can you see what’s inside?*

Zhang Qin shook his head: *I can’t see anything.*

Yin Jiu staunchly supported its master. "Master is amazing! Master can protect baby! Let Master go in first."

Sheng Yue gave a cool nod, and his figure flashed forward.

Yin Jiu vanished on the spot.

Jian Yu’s arms suddenly held nothing, feeling empty.

She opened her wristband to check it.

[Scan complete————

Cyan. Remaining Soul Power: 110, Soul Domain Value: 115.

Pink. Remaining Soul Power: 110, Soul Domain Value: 115+5.

Purple. Remaining Soul Power: 100, Soul Domain Value: 126.

Black. Remaining Soul Power: 110, Soul Domain Value: 110+7.

Red. Remaining Soul Power: 100, Soul Domain Value: 100.]

’I didn’t even fight personally, just helped Zhang Qin kill an S-Class Mutant Beast, and I still got +7?’

Jian Yu was a little surprised.

"Hey, Junior!" Wang Hu’s eyes widened.

Jian Yu looked up.

A purple python with red eyes slithered out of the cave entrance.

It held a Beast Plant in its mouth, its scales shimmering with a cold, mysterious luster in the dim light, like a string of delicate, flowing amethysts.

Everyone held their breath.

The purple python slowly arched its body, its cold tongue flickering in and out with a "HISS HISS" sound.

Lu Qi’s voice trembled. "Wh-where’s the chief?"

Zhang Qin raised his fists. "Don’t tell me it swallowed our chief!"

Wang Hu: "..."

A white afterimage flickered past.

Sheng Yue came to a stop beside Jian Yu.

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief and quickly raised their defensive shields.

But the python’s movements suddenly stopped.

Its will-o’-wisp-like red eyes met Jian Yu’s for a moment before it silently lowered its head.

Then it opened its mouth and carefully spat out the Beast Plant.

It had a faint purple glow, diamond-shaped leaves, and gold-and-purple patterns entwined around its stem.

The purple python smashed its tail into a corner of the cave entrance.

The ground caved in.

It swept its tail.

Countless Mutated Beast Crystals glittered in the setting sun.

It gave Jian Yu one last look, then swished its tail and returned to the dark cave.

Zhang Qin was stunned. "What was that about?"

Lu Yi, equally baffled, asked, "A gift for our junior, maybe?"

Wang Hu, also bewildered, wondered, "Could it be that our junior’s Soul Beast’s soothing Skill subdued it?"

All eyes fell on Jian Yu.

Gu Qi stepped aside, feeling that his previous behavior had been somewhat ridiculous.

He stared at Jian Yu.

’No matter how you look at her, she seems so well-behaved. Her cheeks are rosy pink, and she looks so delicate.’

’She seems like she’d be easy to trick with some sweet talk.’

Gu Qi’s mouth twitched. He was speechless with himself.

He looked down, then up, then down again, repeatedly stealing glances at her.

’Might as well look while I can. She’s the real deal, right here in the flesh, not some image on a virtual screen.’

Jian Yu felt her skin crawl under their stares.

She picked up the Beast Plant from the ground and stored it in her Space Ring.

Zhao Jiangyou, who hadn’t seen much of the world, exclaimed, "So many Beast Crystals."

Wang Hu went over to dig up the Beast Crystals, growing more and more excited. "All five elements are here! Our mission is complete!"

The others hurriedly joined in.

There were three hundred in total. Most were low-level, but there were also a dozen or so A and S-level ones.

Gu Qi watched, his eyes red with envy and jealousy.

Teacher Hu, smiling, took out ten Low-level Beast Crystals.

He thought for a moment, then gave Gu Qi an A-level Beast Crystal as well.

The rest were still left in Jian Yu’s keeping.

Gu Qi hadn’t expected to get a share. "Thank you, thank you! You guys are really good people."

Yin Jiu’s body grew larger.

It snatched up Gu Qi with its mouth and threw him onto its back.

Sheng Yue seemed eager to send the man away. "I’ll see him out. Teacher Hu, I’m leaving them in your care."

Teacher Hu’s smile didn’t waver. "Of course, President."

Jian Yu followed the group closely, but the image of the purple python’s black, slitted pupils couldn’t help but flash through her mind.

’I almost forgot.’

’I can contact the outside world!’

Jian Yu toyed with her hair. "Red Snake, can you hear me?"