Ding Changhuan finished speaking, wiped away his tears, and turned to run, hoping that the star beast would be full and stop chasing him. His words left the three onlookers—Luo Xingzhou and the others—in shock; they couldn’t believe such a high-maintenance [1]“High-maintenance” refers to a person who requires a lot of attention, effort, or resources to maintain their comfort, happiness, or standards. This term can describe someone who is … Continue reading jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_3567756_1_1').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_3567756_1_1', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top center', relative: true, offset: [-7, 0], }); person had appeared. Fang Yang must have run into serious bad luck dealing with someone like this.
If there had been any hesitation before, seeing Fang Yang being pushed toward the star beast, clearly on the verge of being swallowed, made Luo Xingzhou and the others act without delay. Luo Xingzhou called out and dashed forward: “Find a way to attack the star beast from a distance, create some wounds on it, and I’ll go save him.”
“Be careful!”
The sudden voice stunned Ding Changhuan. How could someone be here? Didn’t that mean they had all seen it? As for the livestream, he thought such heavy rain would obscure the view of him pushing Fang Yang. And what about Fang Yang? If he ended up dead, there wouldn’t be any room for conversation!
What he didn’t know was that there was a camera positioned very close to where he and Fang Yang were, capturing every detail of him pushing Fang Yang out, and everyone in the livestream saw it clearly.
At the moment of despair, Fang Yang suddenly heard a voice coming toward him. In that moment of hopelessness, he seemed to see light breaking through the clouds and mist, illuminating his heart.
The feelings of unwillingness and defiance surged up within him; even at the last moment, he should not simply surrender. There are still people rushing out to try to save him.
With that courage and determination, he too would fight the star beast to the end and expose Ding Changhuan’s true nature.
“Hold on tight, and run with my strength!”
A voice exploded in Fang Yang’s ear, and he saw a shadow fly past him. Instinctively, he grabbed onto the shadow as instructed, and a force pulled him forward.
Fang Yang quickly activated his abilities, hearing the star beast behind him let out an even louder roar. The unicorn lion was enraged, but at the same time, the foul smell that had surrounded him began to dissipate, washed away by the rain.
Once he was away from the unicorn lion, Fang Yang shouted, “You all go! I’ll hold off the star beast!”
He couldn’t let others save him for nothing, especially since they were strangers with whom he had only shared a flight. The fact that they were willing to help, especially in contrast to Ding Changhuan, made their assistance all the more precious.
“Enough with the nonsense! Attack the star beast together and find a way to inflict wounds on it!” Luo Xingzhou shouted loudly, then pushed Fang Yang in one direction while quickly pulling Jiutang toward a nearby tree, lifting him off the ground as they flew away.
At that moment, Fang Yang realized what the shadow he had grabbed earlier was—it seemed he had encountered a wood-based ability user. He could only follow what the other person said, hoping they had some way to subdue the star beast. Gritting his teeth, he gathered his ability again to launch an attack on the star beast.
Ding Changhuan was extremely shocked. How could someone be foolish enough to actively run out and attack a B-level star beast? Isn’t that like seeking death?
He didn’t want to stay and wait for death to come; having these fools charge in was just right. They could help him hold off the star beast, giving him more time to escape.
Thinking of this, a mocking smile curled at the corner of Ding Changhuan’s mouth as he turned and charged forward, his figure quickly swallowed by the heavy rain.
Fang Yang could no longer care about the betrayal of Ding Changhuan. He had to give it his all; he couldn’t let these people help him in vain. At a critical moment, he could even sacrifice himself to allow them to escape. This was completely different from being pushed out by Ding Changhuan to face death. The former was his own choice; the latter filled him with anger and despair.
Jiutang was also determined, actively drawing the star beast’s attention, fully aware that it was a B-level creature with rich energy and flesh. It pulled the hatred towards it, while Fang Yang and Chen Kangning seized the opportunity to attack, trying to create more wounds on the star beast.
The smell of blood wafted through the air but was quickly washed away by the rain, causing Jiutang to become even more eager.
“Huo Zhijun, take me away!”
Huo Zhijun, leveraging her speed advantage, dashed over to grab Luo Xingzhou before turning to run again. Chen Kangning shouted to Fang Yang, “Run!” Having teamed up with Luo Xingzhou for a few days, he was very familiar with the attack patterns of Luo Xingzhou and Jiutang. He didn’t need to explain that Jiutang had already burrowed inside the star beast through the wounds, but they would need to wait patiently for a while to see results. For now, they just needed to avoid the star beast.
Fang Yang instinctively followed their instructions, even though he wasn’t entirely sure what they were trying to do.
After running for a while, he heard the star beast behind them let out a pained roar.
With a loud crash, the star beast fell to the ground, splashing water everywhere as it hit. The sound was incredibly vivid in the ears of the four, prompting them to quickly stop and look back. Through the cascading sheets of rain, they could see the star beast struggling on the ground, but it seemed to be growing weaker.
Fang Yang wiped the sweat, rain, and blood from his face, panting heavily as he joined Chen Kangning and the others. “What’s going on?”
Chen Kangning was also breathing hard. A B-level star beast wasn’t easy to deal with, and if it weren’t for Luo Xingzhou being there, he wouldn’t have dared to confront the beast directly. “You’ll find out soon enough. This star beast is done for.”
After a moment, Luo Xingzhou could clearly sense from Jiutang that the unicorn lion had completely lost its breath. He walked over and said, “It’s done, it’s dead.”
Fang Yang exclaimed in surprise, “Really? Just like that?”
Chen Kangning looked around, then asked, “What about your companion? Not only did he push you out, but he also abandoned you and ran off? Sounds like a plastic companion to me.”
Fang Yang forced a bitter smile, then shook his body in front of Chen Kangning before collapsing into the rainwater with a splash, blood spreading out beneath him, though it was quickly washed away.
Huo Zhijun jumped in shock and rushed over to check. “Don’t scare us like that! What’s going on with you?”
Fang Yang managed a weak smile. “I’m not dead yet, just a bit injured and drained of energy. I appreciate your help.”
The reason he entrusted himself to them was that they had come out in the heavy rain to save him, fully aware of the danger posed by the B-level unicorn lion, yet they hadn’t hesitated to act. People like them wouldn’t abandon him. Thinking of Ding Changhuan, Fang Yang could only smile wryly.
Luo Xingzhou shouted beside the unicorn lion, “You all take Fang Yang back first. I’ll return later.”
“Okay, be careful. If anything seems off, call for us.”
“Got it.”
After assessing Fang Yang’s wounds, Chen Kangning picked him up and called Huo Zhijun to help carry him back. The position was uncomfortable, but Fang Yang’s attention was focused on Luo Xingzhou, and he had the leisure to ask, “Are we really going back like this?”
Huo Zhijun kindly explained, “Don’t worry, Luo Ge is capable. The unicorn lion was dealt with thanks to him; otherwise, we wouldn’t have been able to rescue you even if we came out here.”
Fang Yang’s curiosity about Luo Xingzhou grew. As he thought back to the spaceship trip to Hong-ai Star, he remembered being surrounded by competitors who wanted to team up with him. He couldn’t recall meeting anyone named Luo Xingzhou.
Fang Yang felt embarrassed. “Luo Xingzhou… is he really that strong? Why don’t I have much of an impression of him?”
Huo Zhijun let out a laugh, and Chen Kangning joined in, explaining, “It’s strange for you to have an impression of Luo Ge, but you should remember the ordinary people on the spaceship, right? That’s Luo Ge. He was lucky and awakened his ability on the first day, and it’s quite an impressive ability too.”
Fang Yang gasped. He only just awakened a few days ago and is already so capable? He’s more than impressive.
After bringing Fang Yang back to the cave, Milo and Lina hurriedly took over, cleaning his wounds and administering medicine. They had basic first aid supplies, including both internal and external medications, so he wouldn’t suffer any major issues. As for his drained abilities, they would gradually recover with enough rest.
Once they finished, Luo Xingzhou returned, bringing back the remaining skin, bones, and beast core of the unicorn lion. He nodded at Fang Yang, who was resting against the rock wall. “Jiutang used the flesh, so you all can divide the rest. Everyone contributed.”
Fang Yang coughed and said, “I don’t need a share. If it weren’t for you all, I wouldn’t have survived tonight. I’ll repay this life-saving grace after we leave Hong-ai Star.”
Milo and Lina then realized how dangerous it had been to encounter a B-level unicorn lion, which made Fang Yang’s response understandable.
Seeing him say this, Chen Kangning and Huo Zhijun didn’t refuse any longer but still accounted for Luo Xingzhou’s portion. They agreed that once they left the planet, they would exchange the skin, bones, and beast core for star coins and then divide it among themselves, as they had all risked their lives to deal with it.
The rest of the night passed without incident, and the group managed to rest with their eyes closed for a while. Although the rain lessened somewhat by morning, it continued to fall, providing ample time for Fang Yang to recover.
To take care of the injured, Luo Xingzhou and the others took turns going out to hunt and gather ingredients throughout the day. With enough time, Luo Xingzhou not only prepared the usual roasted meat and soup but also made two stir-fried dishes.
As the delicious smell filled the cave, Fang Yang, who had been surviving on meager rations for days, opened his eyes and looked over at Luo Xingzhou. Milo was practically drooling as he stared at the pot, looking like a puppy begging for food. The rest of the group wasn’t much better.
Fang Yang figured he finally understood why this five-person group worked so well together and had such a harmonious atmosphere. Clearly, the group revolved around Luo Xingzhou, and it was his cooking skills that kept everyone united.
“Wow, we can finally eat! Fang Yang, you’re in for a treat this time. It’s the first time Luo Ge has made stir-fried dishes.”
Fang Yang smiled and said, “After days of chewing on tasteless dried meat, it finally feels like I’ve returned to the land of the living. Meeting you all has been such a stroke of luck.”
“No need to be so polite. Come and eat with us,” Luo Xingzhou invited.
“Thank you.”
Sitting together for a meal was one of the best ways to build rapport, and with the life-saving kindness from the previous day, Fang Yang gradually relaxed and started chatting with everyone. It was only then that they learned Fang Yang and Ding Changhuan had known each other as friends for quite some time.
Milo immediately looked at Fang Yang with sympathy. He hadn’t been there at the scene, but Chen Kangning had filled him in on everything. The fact that Fang Yang had been pushed towards death by someone he considered a friend—despite being a B-level ability user—was truly unfortunate.
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