When Huo Zhijun and Lina came out after resting, it was already dark. They found Luo Xingzhou and the others gathered around a blazing campfire, with a rich aroma of grilled meat wafting through the air. Their stomachs immediately growled, and the two beauties exchanged glances and smiled as they walked over.
Both women had mentally prepared themselves for participating in the show, and with their own strong abilities, they had adjusted their mindset accordingly. Otherwise, it would have been better to withdraw earlier.
As they were about to approach, Milo had already heard the commotion behind him. He turned and waved to them, “Come over for dinner, ladies! Luo Ge’s cooking is amazing—you’re in for a treat.”
When they got closer, they saw Milo and Chen Kangning assisting Luo Xingzhou, who was busy brushing seasonings onto the meat and turning it on the grill. There was also a pot beside him, bubbling away. Lina laughed, “This is wonderful. No wonder our stomachs started growling just from the smell. I feel like I could eat a whole cow right now. Luo Ge, is there anything we can help with?”
She addressed Luo Xingzhou as “Luo Ge” to express her gratitude and respect, while Milo was completely captivated by Luo Xingzhou’s cooking and was eager to ingratiate himself.
Luo Xingzhou looked up and smiled at them, “It’s almost done. You can wash up and then we’ll start eating.”
“Chen Ge, could you help us out?” Huo Zhijun asked politely.
Without a word, Chen Kangning provided them with a bucket of water. Huo Zhijun and Lina cheerfully washed up, then gathered around the campfire to enjoy their meal. After the grilled meat, Lina even performed two songs, earning a lot of rewards from viewers in the livestream. Many thought that the atmosphere among this group was the best, noting that so far, no one seemed to harbor ill intentions.
During the meal, Huo Zhijun and Lina exchanged a mutual understanding with a glance, indicating that they, like Milo, were determined to stick with Luo Xingzhou. Both were inexperienced in cooking, and despite having prepared extensively beforehand, they realized that preparation alone didn’t translate into practical skill.
Their grilling skills were not much better than Chen Kangning’s, and tonight was the best meal they had had since arriving on Hong-ai Star. They had no desire to return to their previous situation.
To gain Luo Xingzhou’s acceptance, they had to make themselves useful. After all, both of them were rare ability users.
The first step was for them to request to take turns on night watch. Chen Kangning and the others agreed, and the five of them split into two shifts: the two women would take the first half of the night, while the other three would cover the latter half, allowing everyone to sleep more soundly.
During the latter half of the night, when Luo Xingzhou got up to take over the watch, he secretly let Jiutang out of sight of the cameras. Jiutang, unable to contain its urge to devour the strange plants in the flower sea, eagerly went out. Being indiscriminate in its diet, it was ready for anything.
Jiutang initially slithered out like a snake, and once it was beyond everyone’s perception range, it extended two root-like stems and moved swiftly using them in a manner reminiscent of walking.
Luo Xingzhou, with his eyes half-closed, could sense and see everything that Jiutang experienced because Jiutang was an extension of himself.
Thus, the small vine darted through the night. Due to its inconspicuous size, it was easily lost among the tall bushes, and even with cameras, its presence was difficult to capture in the darkness. When it finally reached the edge of the flower sea, Jiutang slithered into the flowers and vanished from sight.
Since no contestants stayed near the flower sea, there were no cameras filming there. The flower sea, normally tranquil, suddenly became a scene of bizarre activity: the sea of flowers surged violently, with vines occasionally flying into the air, flailing before plunging back into the foliage. This caused petals to scatter everywhere, and the refracted light from satellites illuminated the scene. If cameras had been there, they would have captured a sight even more breathtaking than during the day.
Unfortunately, this stunning scene went unseen. After a while, several large, variegated flowers began to move in different directions, seemingly trying to escape something terrifying. However, one of the flowers soon wilted, and something underneath quickly slid toward another large flower. Before long, that flower met the same fate.
More vines emerged to join the chaotic struggle. Viewed from above, it looked as if many snakes were writhing wildly. Anyone witnessing this would find it hair-raising.
Half an hour later, the once-beautiful and dreamy flower sea had turned into a scene of devastation—broken branches, debris, wilted flowers, scattered mud, and even the beastly skeletons previously hidden beneath the flowers were all laid bare.
Against this backdrop, a snake-like creature, swaying as if drunk, slithered out in an S-shape. This was, of course, Jiutang, the victor of the recent skirmish. Along the way, it had also ejected an unabsorbable flower bud, which it carried back to Luo Xingzhou.
Luo Xingzhou reached out to touch the flower bud. Jiutang, feeling ticklish, quivered a bit. Luo Xingzhou smiled, then allowed Jiutang to curl up on his body.
After sunrise, the five continued their journey. They didn’t head toward the swamp or the flower sea but took the path between the two. As a result, the other four were unaware that the flower sea had been ravaged during the night, leaving only broken branches and debris, no longer posing any threat.
On the road, Huo Zhijun and Lina were very proactive. They never hesitated when encountering star beasts but also didn’t overreach. Since they were part of a team, cooperation and adjustment among team members were essential.
In a survival show, there was no notion of needing to protect the women. When facing dangerous star beasts on the planet, they didn’t consider giving special treatment. One was a wind-based ability user, the other a fire-based ability user. Although both were C-level, one could fly and control star beasts from the air, while the other could attack from below with fireballs. Visually, their teamwork was impressive, and the other three men also performed well. Soon, a star beast fell to their combined attacks.
By noon, when it was time to eat, the four eagerly assisted Luo Xingzhou. Luo Xingzhou himself just needed to sit there while they cleaned the prey and ingredients. He then cooked or roasted them over the fire.
As the day ended, no one suggested splitting up, effectively confirming their team arrangement. Milo enthusiastically discussed with Huo Zhijun and Lina how to best coordinate their abilities for maximum efficiency, and Luo Xingzhou occasionally contributed his rich experience.
On the starship heading to Hong-ai Star, new information arrived on the second young master’s personal terminal. He opened it and said in surprise, “Luo Han developed genetic collapse syndrome after leaving the Wu family?”
“Yes, recently, Madam Luo Han’s condition worsened significantly. Luo Xingzhou took her to seek medical treatment, paying 200,000 star coins and arranging for care. After that, he disappeared. Currently, Madam Luo is stable after emergency treatment at the hospital, but further treatment still requires substantial financial support.”
The second young master drummed his fingers on the table. “So, the 200,000 star coins he paid earlier were from the survival show registration fees? It seems he’s truly out of options.”
The second young master never imagined that Luo Xingzhou would be pushed into such dire straits by 200,000 star coins, almost losing his life over it. He was unaware that Luo Xingzhou had nearly died once due to that sum, and had there been any other options, he wouldn’t have been driven to such an extreme. However, he couldn’t bear to watch his mother die before his eyes and, unable to raise the money in time, had to take risks.
“It seems so, otherwise there would be no need,” his subordinate sympathized with Luo Xingzhou and his mother’s plight. Fortunately, Luo Xingzhou had awakened his ability during the dangerous survival show, a powerful wood-type attack ability that could greatly improve their situation.
Unfortunately, everyone in the Interstellar Empire knew that genetic collapse syndrome was incurable. It could only be managed with continuous medication and treatment to prevent further deterioration, requiring constant investment of both drugs and star coins. For ordinary people, contracting this disease was essentially a death sentence.
The second young master stroked his chin and said, “Here’s what you do: arrange for a private donation of gene collapse treatment drugs to be sent to the hospital where Madam Luo is being treated. Ensure that every patient with this condition in the hospital receives it.”
“Understood, second young master. I will arrange it immediately.”
The second young master, whose surname was Huo, was the second son of the Huo family, and also the older brother of Huo Zhijun, who was participating in the survival show. Seeing his younger sister staying behind and teaming up with Luo Xingzhou and the others, Second Young Master Huo felt more at ease.
Because of his sister, he had specifically reviewed the earlier broadcasts of Luo Xingzhou. He saw how Luo Xingzhou, when he first awakened, used the peculiar vine to kill a B-level star beast. Second Young Master Huo realized that Luo Xingzhou’s awakened ability had great potential. With this five-person team, they could indeed fight a B-level star beast. As for A-level or above star beasts, Second Young Master Huo thought they were unlikely to appear, as the strongest contestants were at most B-level.
Second Young Master Huo made a call, and after a short while, the call was answered. He leaned back in his chair, watching the handsome man on the holographic screen. Though the man looked a bit pale, his presence was still commanding, and just his gaze was imposing.
“Huo Junting, speak up,” the man’s voice was calm but carried an authoritative tone.
Huo Junting quickly surrendered, “Alright, I’ll tell you. Do you know who I’ve discovered?”
The man on the other end responded coldly, “What does it have to do with me?”
Fearing the call might be cut off, Huo Junting hurriedly said, “I’ve found Luo Xingzhou, the grandson of the great pharmacist Luo. He’s the son of Luo Han and Wu Zhenqiu of the Wu family. Feng Zhan, I ask you, is the great pharmacist really gone, with no chance of survival in the starry void? If the great pharmacist has no chance of survival, then what about your body?”
Author’s Note:
The final reveal will happen later, and it will still be a while before Luo Xingzhou and the others truly meet again, at least until they leave their current planet.