novelraw Chapter 425: The Abandoned Planet
Chapter 425: The Abandoned Planet
They were panicking. Truly panicking.
Yu Zhao nodded perfunctorily, her movements betraying no urgency whatsoever.
Sensing something amiss, Feng Jiu Si narrowed his eyes and asked suspiciously, “Liu Yun, did you forget to give Tu Xiao the medicine?”
Yu Zhao raised an eyebrow.
Caught on so quickly? That wouldn’t do.
“I gave it to him, but the healing pills I brought… their effects just aren’t strong enough.”
Initially unsure of their intentions, Yu Zhao had refrained from accepting their offerings. Only recently, after more interactions, had she started to accept their gifts—though mostly trinkets of ornamental value.
To Feng Jiu Si and his two companions, Yu Zhao was little more than a bumpkin from some remote corner of the cultivation world, someone who didn’t even recognize Spirit Jade, much less possess anything valuable.
Her excuse, then, sounded plausible. It didn’t arouse suspicion, though it did make things more difficult.
Before Yu Zhao had regained consciousness, they’d already been grumbling that if not for her insistence on boarding the Galaxy Starship, they wouldn’t have encountered the Celestial Behemoth, nor faced such unwarranted disaster. Now they began complaining again—this time about her aloofness, her refusal to accept their help earlier, which had supposedly resulted in Tu Xiao’s plight.Feng Jiu Si paced back and forth before proposing a solution. “Liu Yun, search Tu Xiao. See if he has any pills on him.”
Taking the opportunity, Yu Zhao thoroughly rummaged through Tu Xiao’s belongings from head to toe.
To her mild surprise, she found a curious assortment of items: seven or eight pieces of fabric in various colors and patterns, each imbued with a distinct fragrance, and numerous sachets and pouches clearly handcrafted by women.
But there were no healing pills.
Her search, while not rough, was far from gentle. Tu Xiao’s brow furrowed so tightly it seemed to knot, yet he remained unconscious, a testament to the severity of his injuries.
Yu Zhao returned everything to its original place and gazed coolly at him.
What had started as a mere opportunity to sow discord between Tu Xiao and the others had now evolved into something far more intriguing.
“Liu Yun, you must take good care of Tu Xiao. Whether we can make it back safely depends on him,” Feng Jiu Si called out again.
Currently trapped in the starship’s interior, only Tu Xiao, its rightful owner, could unlock the vessel’s entrance. Without him, escape was impossible.
Even if they could leave the ship, they wouldn’t dare act rashly. Who knew if another Celestial Behemoth was lurking nearby? Or worse, they might stumble into a black hole or slip into a spatial rift. Their odds of survival seemed better aboard the starship.
“I know. I’ll take good care of him,” Yu Zhao replied, deliberately emphasizing the words “good care.”
Feng Jiu Si and his companions, oblivious to her tone, showered her with gratitude.
Yu Zhao smiled faintly, then sat cross-legged, forming hand seals. Spiritual energy surged, and moments later, a multicolored sigil coalesced in her palm. Its shimmering hues gave it an almost dreamlike quality.
Without hesitation, she pressed the sigil onto the center of Tu Xiao’s forehead. The sigil flashed briefly before seeping into his Sea of Consciousness, causing his tightly knit brows to relax.
It worked!
Yu Zhao’s eyes brightened as she glanced at Feng Jiu Si and his group.
They eagerly awaited Tu Xiao’s awakening, but she hoped that when the moment came, their joy would be short-lived.
…
Tu Xiao, a cultivator in the Divine Transformation Stage, had a robust constitution that enabled him to endure the worst of his injuries without high-grade pills. Day by day, his condition improved.
Though Yu Zhao had no way of knowing the precise timing of his recovery, she continued administering small amounts of medicinal powder, ensuring a residual healing effect in his body.
Finally, fifteen days later, after she sent yet another multicolored sigil into his Sea of Consciousness, Tu Xiao’s tightly shut eyes snapped open.
A chilling, hostile gleam flashed through them.
He surveyed his surroundings warily, only relaxing slightly when he saw Yu Zhao’s concerned expression. As his memories returned, clarity of the situation dawned on him, and though his body eased, his gaze toward Yu Zhao remained icy and distant.
“Feng Young Master, Tu Young Master is awake!” Yu Zhao called out excitedly.
Feng Jiu Si and the others were overjoyed and hurriedly inquired about Tu Xiao’s condition.
Tu Xiao’s demeanor toward Yu Zhao stayed frosty, but his tone softened, and he spoke warmly with Feng Jiu Si and the others.
Yu Zhao’s lips curved in the faintest of smirks.
It seemed Tu Xiao appreciated her “gift” after all.
…
With his storage space accessible again, Tu Xiao’s recovery accelerated rapidly. Within a day, he reestablished the connection with the starship. However, without clear coordinates nearby, he couldn’t determine their exact location. For now, he piloted the ship aimlessly through the vast expanse, searching for a suitable landing site.
Throughout this process, Tu Xiao treated Yu Zhao with cold disdain, as if blaming her entirely for his injuries. Her mere presence seemed to provoke his disgust.
Though Feng Jiu Si and the others couldn’t see the tension firsthand, they gleaned it from the tone of conversations. Initially surprised by Tu Xiao’s sudden animosity, they quickly concluded that his resentment was understandable. After all, Yu Zhao had indirectly caused the calamity that nearly cost him his life.
Thus, they tacitly accepted Tu Xiao’s withdrawal from their wager, unwittingly overlooking the subtle changes in him.
…
At long last, the starship detected an abandoned planet. Though barren, devoid of life, and severely lacking in spiritual energy, it was the only planet they had encountered thus far.
After consulting Feng Jiu Si and the others, Tu Xiao eagerly piloted the starship to land on the desolate surface, opening its exit doors in one swift motion.
The starship’s creator, Master Wu Zhi Zi, had foreseen potential emergencies, designing multiple exits to ensure no one could be trapped inside.
Tu Xiao and Feng Jiu Si led the way, leaping out first, followed by the others.
Huo Shao Yan, ever the friendly spirit, stuck close to Tu Xiao, circling him like an attentive hawk. Meanwhile, Feng Jiu Si and Shui Qiu Bai approached another exit, hands outstretched.
Yu Zhao, preparing to emerge, paused mid-step, startled by their sudden appearance.
Huo Shao Yan noticed as well, his eyes gleaming with mischief as he prepared to act.
But a cold scoff froze him in his tracks. He turned to find Tu Xiao glaring venomously at Yu Zhao, muttering under his breath, “Despicable woman!”
Huo Shao Yan scratched his head, puzzled.
Why did Tu Xiao’s expression feel so… familiar? Where had he seen it before?