At Wu Mai Mountain, Li Wanran watched the news on her phone, her hands trembling slightly.
Almost everywhere there are news praising Ding Huan and his disciples, but there is no name of hers in these news. Does she not count as Ding Huan's disciple?
But that is not what truly hurt her the most; the worst part was that Qu Yi, a disciple of Ding Huan, who had excelled in military achievements, was invited by the Pu Hai Security Bureau to serve as its director.
Moreover, Qu Yi became an international Star Guardian with a two-star rank for his achievements in the Human Corridor Defense.
The director of the Pu Hai Security Bureau? Don't say sitting on this position, just standing in front of the director of the Pu Hai Security Bureau, she will be anxious and nervous.
At such a high position, can you just say you can take it and do so?
Moreover, when was Qu Yi a disciple of Ding Huan's mentor?
Fang Chong and I, like Aici, had become celebrities. We had both received the Star Guardian title for our achievements in the Human Corridor Defense with a one-star rank.
Fang Chong is a disciple of Ding Huan's mentor, but when did Aici become a disciple of Ding Huan's mentor again?
Furthermore, there are news reports that Qu Yi, Fang Chong, Aici, and even Lu Zi have all become Fourth or Fifth-Level Gene Masters.
Why?
She spends almost all her time, energy, and resources on cultivation every day, yet she is only a barely Second-Level Gene Master now. Why is this?
Let's put aside these facts, Ding Huan mentor only taught them the first three layers of Qianluo Gene secret, how did Fang Chong and others cultivate to the Fourth-Level Gene Master?
No, I must find Fang Chong and Lu Zi and them.
Thinking of this, Li Wanran no longer felt like sitting still.
Without clarifying this matter, she cannot calm down to cultivate.
...
As Ding Huan held the last piece of spiritual stone shattered in his hand, he sighed.
The spiritual stone is gone, still only a fifth-level Gene Master. Let alone the seventh level, even the sixth level is far behind.
He seems to be different from others, perhaps due to the issue of merging several heavenly-defying gene elixir potions. After each level-up, the amount of Qi stored in his dantian increases by several multiples.
The meridians will also become more and more smooth, allowing him to increase his strength every time he advances.
This is good, but it also increases the consumption of earthly and heavenly Qi.
It should be time to leave here. I don't know if that giant gorilla will stay by the sea waiting for him.
Based on Ding Huan's understanding of these beasts, this giant gorilla will definitely not give up easily.
However, the giant gorilla should have suffered serious injuries and not yet recovered, so it may not be able to quickly regain its strength.
Ding Huan was about to call out to Qi Xin Yue, but found that Qi Xin Yue was in the middle of cultivation, and it seemed like she was striving to reach the level of a Second-Level Gene Master.
It's incredible how quickly she is progressing in the Qianluo Gene Scripture.
Ding Huan was puzzled in his heart. As soon as his divine consciousness fell on Qi Xin Yue, he immediately realized that Qi Xin Yue was cultivating a completely different scripture from Qianluo Gene Secret - the Luo Shi Jing.
Qi Xin Yue wasn't supposed to have spiritual roots and couldn't cultivate Luo Shi Jing, right? How is it that she can suddenly do so?
Ding Huan didn't disturb Qi Xin Yue and walked out of the coral cave.
The coral island was very peaceful. The fish and beasts near here seemed to know that Ding Huan was not to be provoked, not even approaching the edges.
By the time Qi Xin Yue finishes her cultivation, he plans to leave this coral island. No matter what, he must try to leave this ocean.
Only by leaving here and finding more spiritual stones can he have the opportunity to enter a higher level.
A fragment of a damaged ship caught Ding Huan's attention. This piece of debris had crashed onto the coral island where he was, getting stuck between the rocks, and was written in Chinese characters.
Ding Huan landed by the edge of the coral island and reached out to grab the fragment:
"I will never be able to return to the shore in my lifetime. If anyone can see the words I wrote here, please tell either the Safety Bureau or the President of the Martial Arts Alliance, Qu Minmin."
I, Zhong Chi, was betrayed. The one who betrayed me is Shi Changyi from the Gene Alliance. I have left.”
Zhong Chi? That name sounds familiar.
Ding Huan quickly remembered. Zhong Chi, the number one strongman in China, was rumored to have disappeared during a confrontation with a gene beast.
According to everyone's guess, Zhong Chi was killed by a gene beast.
Zhong Chi should have been a natural-born strongman. It's hard to explain how a natural-born strongman could have been killed by a swarm of beasts.
Even if he was only a Fourth-Level Gene Master at that time, Zhong Chi should have been able to escape from being surrounded by the beasts.
If it wasn't for that giant gorilla, he wouldn't have to flee to the sea.
Dropping the fragment, Ding Huan looked out to sea. It was all boundless, with waves crashing against the rocks, making a monotonous sound of gurgling.
However, Ding Huan was thinking about whether Zhong Chi had not died like Qiu Xinyue, and perhaps escaped to a different coral island.
There are quite a few coral islands in this area. If that's the case, he still needs to save him.
Thinking of this, Ding Huan took out his star knife from the cave, then with his foot he lifted a round log and surged out of the coral island.
Qi Xinyue's cultivation still had some time left, so he would go search for it first before deciding.
As soon as Ding Huan surged out of the coral island, more than ten arrow bolts shot from the sea, aiming directly at Ding Huan.
This time, Ding Huan didn't even increase his speed. The star knife in his hand left a dozen shadows, almost tearing through the dozen arrow bolts in the blink of an eye.
Following Ding Huan, he raised his hand and several wind blades shot out.
Just as if they had agreed, five or sixty arrow bolts shot towards Ding Huan as he slashed out ten or more wind blades.
Ding Huan knew that the fifty or sixty arrow bolts behind the first ten or so were not fired by the same group of swordback fish.
After launching one arrow, these swordback fish need several seconds to prepare for the next launch.
Ding Huan's slash of ten or more wind blades seemed to have eyes, accurately killing the dozen swordback fish launching arrows.
After the star knife once again sliced through the fifty or sixty arrows, Ding Huan launched another fifty or sixty wind blades.
At the same time, several more arrow bolts shot from the sea.
Blood flowers scattered on the sea surface as Ding Huan's fifty or sixty wind blade techniques still missed not a single swordback fish, slicing through all of them.
Although the arrow bolts of these swordback fish were formidable, there was a fatal flaw - in order to launch an arrow, the swordback fish had to extend their heads above the water. This allowed Ding Huan to kill them one by one.
Ding Huan didn't even bother using the star knife for the third time. He easily avoided them and threw out several more wind blade techniques.
The sea surface became completely quiet.
Ding Huan did not increase his speed. He hates these swordback fish that can launch arrow bolts and now he is eager for them to come and die.
These swordback fish are not without brains. Upon realizing that going against Ding Huan means certain death, they have mostly retreated far away.
There are many swordback fish, but those capable of launching arrow bolts are extremely rare.
These swordback fish need to evolve again and again, after undergoing countless hardships, they can evolve the ability to launch arrow bolts.
They were easily slashed to death by Ding Huan. Even the dumbest swordback fish wouldn't dare to come and die anymore.
Without the threat of the swordback fish, Ding Huan carefully searched this area of the sea.
There are many coral islands in this area of the sea, and Ding Huan will always go check them out when there are coral islands.
...
Qi Xin Yue stood up excitedly. She had reached the level of a Second-Level Gene Master.
She heard Ding Huan say that it takes a month or two to cultivate to the level of a Second-Level Gene Master, but she seems to have only taken a few days. Is it because of her better cultivation aptitude?
Well, where's Ding Huan?
Only then did Qi Xin Yue realize that Ding Huan was not in the cave.
Qi Xin Yue's heart tightened and she quickly rushed out.
Soon, she felt a sense of emptiness in her heart, as Ding Huan was also not outside. The coral island was not large, and after living here for so long, she was well aware of its size.
With Ding Huan's strength, it was naturally impossible for him to be ambushed by the fish. The only possibility was that Ding Huan had left.
Qi Xin Yue looked out at the endless ocean with a sense of confusion. When she first escaped here, she didn't feel lonely, only afraid that those people would come to kill her.
Now, she felt a sense of loneliness instead. Although Ding Huan didn't talk much with her here, in just a few days, she had gotten used to his presence.
Now, with Ding Huan suddenly disappearing, she doesn't feel as comfortable as before.
She didn't blame Ding Huan. It was difficult for one person to leave this place, and it was even harder for Ding Huan to leave with her.
Moreover, on Earth, aside from Ding Huan, no one would let her go, would they?
On the contrary, she felt that Ding Huan was too kind. She was sure it was because he was afraid to say it directly in front of her, making him feel uncomfortable, so he left secretly.
"May you have good luck and return to the place you want to go." Qi Xin Yue murmured a few words, looking completely devoid of energy.
Perhaps it would be best to return to cultivation now, but she had lost the will to practice.
...
Ding Huan stopped again at another coral island, this time he did not go up to look for it directly. He was sure that someone had lived here before.
There were signs of survival at the edge of the coral island.
Ding Huan's divine consciousness penetrated into the island. He quickly found a man holding a short knife, watching him warily in the direction he was facing.
His arrival also drew the man's attention.
Is that Zhong Chi?
This man looks to be in his mid-30s. He doesn't seem to be a martial artist, and he has a scholarly aura, making him more like a scientist.
From his aura, it's clear that he is indeed a strongman.
Ding Huan straightforwardly climbed onto the coral island.
"Who are you?" Zhong Chi didn't continue to hide behind the rocks and stepped out, looking at Ding Huan.
There was a long scar on his neck, stretching straight from his neck downwards.
Although the scar had healed, Ding Huan could still see how terrible it was.
"You are Zhong Chi?" Ding Huan asked.
"That's right. Who are you?" Zhong Chi sensed Ding Huan's age, seeming only in his twenties, how could he have come here alone?
"My name is Ding Huan. I saw the message you left not long ago and came to take a look, didn't expect to find you here." Ding Huan smiled.
Zhong Chi widened his eyes, his gaze falling on the piece of wood behind Ding Huan, before he said after a while, "You're able to come and go in the sea just by relying on a piece of wood?"
"Yes." Ding Huan nodded.
"You're how old? How did you cultivate to the level of a natural-born?"
Zhong Chi was even more shocked. A natural-born can indeed achieve that. It's because of his severe injuries and deep poisoning that he couldn't leave this place.
"I'm not a natural-born. If the senior doesn't mind and believes me, can we leave here together first? I'm about to go to the shore." Ding Huan said bluntly.
(End of this chapter)
