31. Rescuing the Senior

"Huff!"

After running in one breath from the seventh level to the ninth, Lin Fan leaned against the ship’s bulkhead, gasping for air. This journey had been perilous, but he had finally succeeded in rescuing his senior.

He pulled out the Ghost Camel Bell. Who could resist the greed in their hearts when faced with such an item? Holding the palm-sized object, it felt far more significant than the spiked club or the black-patterned belt. He tucked the bell away.

"Senior, Senior!"

Lin Fan looked at Qi Lingshan. Her eyes were tightly shut. This was the closest he had ever been to her, and a faint, subtle fragrance drifted into his nostrils—reminiscent of orchids, yet unique. Her flawless, delicate face was perfect from every angle.

Even in her unconscious state, there was a touch of gentleness about her that didn't match the sternness he remembered. She had only acted strict to protect herself, to appear strong. If she didn't lack a sense of security deep down, why would she bother putting on such a mask? Lin Fan called her name softly. Her long eyelashes fluttered, and as her consciousness slowly returned, she saw Lin Fan. Shock and joy washed over her, and she instinctively blurted out, "Junior, run! Huang Qiushan is trying to capture you, and the people from Laboratory 701 have already mastered extraordinary powers."

Qi Lingshan’s awareness was still trapped before she had entered the sixth level. Back then, Fan Yijun had suddenly told her that Huang Qiushan was coming for her and urged her to flee. Qi Lingshan had chosen to enter the sixth level, where legends of the Yin Soldiers kept Huang Qiushan from daring to follow.

She hadn't expected that the moment she entered, the yin energy would invade her body, causing her to lose consciousness. Seeing Lin Fan now, she was disoriented.

"Junior, did Huang Qiushan find his way to the sixth level? Let’s hide in the Stele Forest, or head back down to the fifth..." Qi Lingshan said, filled with worry. Even if she had to descend to the fifth level, she would never submit to Huang Qiushan.

"Senior, Huang Qiushan has already been killed by me. Huang Dongshan is dead, too. There is no one left on the Ghost Ship of the Underworld who can threaten us," Lin Fan said with a faint smile.

"What!"

Qi Lingshan stared at him, her beautiful eyes wide with disbelief, as if she had misheard. "Huang Qiushan and Huang Dongshan are dead?"

"How could you have killed them? Huang Dongshan possessed extraordinary powers—how did you manage to..." Her eyelashes trembled; she found it hard to believe his words.

She knew well that Huang Dongshan wielded special powers. Could Lin Fan, who had only just recovered from his own injuries, really have killed them?

"Lingshan, you heard correctly. Huang Dongshan, Wang Xingbing, and those few animals like Ma Shouyi are all dead. We threw their bodies into the Sea of Blood!" Fan Yijun walked over and added, "And the traitors from Laboratory 701 who harmed the professor—they are all dead, killed by our junior!"

Qi Lingshan looked between Fan Yijun and Lin Fan, finally realizing they weren't joking.

"They're all dead... good... the professor has finally been avenged!"

A mist of water welled up in her eyes, shimmering like morning dew, threatening to fall.

If anyone had been close to Professor Yang Jinsong, it was Qi Lingshan. Young and academically spirited, she was deeply cherished by the old man, who had taught her everything he knew as if she were his own daughter.

In front of Professor Yang, she was always as obedient as a child. When she first heard he had been imprisoned, she could only suffer in silence, unable to do anything, her heart breaking while she was forced to continue analyzing the Golden Crow blood. When Lin Fan first met her, she had been standing right by the professor's side.

In their academic circle, a teacher might not be a father or a blood relative, but due to shared interests, their bond was even purer and rarer than kinship. Moreover, the professor was a kind man who refused gifts from students and was always the first to step up when they faced trouble.

Fan Yijun had helped Qi Lingshan a great deal, and hearing that the professor had been avenged, she could no longer hold back her emotions.

"Lin Fan, how did you kill Huang Dongshan and the others? You aren't hurt, are you?" Qi Lingshan looked at him with concern.

"I consumed the Golden Crow blood, which changed my body, and combined with the breathing techniques from Zhenwu Mountain, I have become a practitioner," Lin Fan said with a smile. He didn't hide anything from her; after all, she was the only one who had truly cared for him and treated him with sincerity.

At the mention of the Golden Crow blood, Fan Yijun's eyes flickered, but fortunately, Lin Fan didn't mention that she had stolen it for him.

"That must have been dangerous, right? Tell me about it..."

"I retrieved the Pure Yang Sword..."

As Lin Fan recounted the events, Qi Lingshan listened with bated breath. When she heard how he had blood-sacrificed the Pure Yang Sword and risked his life to find her, her feelings became incredibly complex.

The way she looked at him changed. She recalled the first time they met—she was a graduate from a top university, her academic achievements already treasures of the field. She had been shocked then by how Lin Fan had single-handedly lured away the Purple Spirit King and the Heluo Fish.

After accidentally boarding the Ghost Ship, she had chosen to care for the comatose Lin Fan, despite opposition and even secret mockery from others who believed he would never wake up. She had ignored the noise, checking his vitals and feeding him every day.

As if heaven had taken pity, he truly had awakened. When Huang Qiushan had harassed her, Lin Fan had been consumed by rage, choosing to kill rather than show mercy—stopping the killing through killing itself. He had even charged into the sixth level to fight the humanoid Yin Soldiers to the death.

It would be a lie to say she wasn't moved, but she wasn't sure if this emotion was the bond of friendship or something else. Having never experienced such things before, she couldn't distinguish the feeling.

"Junior, I have analyzed one-thousandth of the Golden Crow blood. Do you think we could take it?"

"I suppose it's possible..."

Lin Fan hesitated. After all, this was the blood of a legendary divine beast. After Tu Lixian drank it, he had grown scales all over his body, becoming a monster that was half-human and half-dragon. He didn't want the same for his senior. However, if they could successfully harness the power, their chances of survival on the ship would increase significantly. He wasn't a selfish person; if it could be done, he wouldn't stop her.

Since entering the ghost ship, Qi Lingshan had realized the benefits of strength. Who knew if there were others like Huang Qiushan out there?

"Junior, we can't let you protect us forever. Besides, once our food runs out, we will have to consume the Golden Crow blood anyway." Qi Lingshan harbored another thought: she wanted to bring back the professor's remains so he could be laid to rest.

"Chen Cunyuan is about to wake up. Go take a look," Fan Yijun said.

Cunyuan was awake? A look of joy crossed Lin Fan's face. This was indeed good news. He headed toward the medical bay, and sure enough, Chen Cunyuan was conscious.

"Lingshan, your judgment was excellent... if it weren't for Lin Fan, we would all be finished!"

Once Lin Fan left, Fan Yijun and Qi Lingshan had much to discuss; with Lin Fan present, they had felt too self-conscious to speak freely.

"Didn't you go to surrender to Huang Dongshan? Why are you standing with Lin Fan now?"

"Lingshan, are you afraid I'll steal him from you? Sigh! If only I had been the one feeding him when he was unconscious."

***

In the medical bay.

"Brother Fan..."

Chen Cunyuan’s eyes were filled with complex emotions. He was ruined; his limbs couldn't move in the slightest. He could only lie there like a cripple, the very situation he had dreaded most.

"Brother Fan, why did you have Fan Yijun save me? In this state, it would have been better to just die..." He couldn't do anything, only dragging everyone else down. It would have been easier to just end it.

"Cunyuan, we are brothers. We are going to return to Earth together. Didn't you say you wanted to see Zhenwu Mountain? Don't say such foolish things again," Lin Fan comforted him.

"But I’m just a burden to everyone..." Chen Cunyuan trailed off, his expression desolate. Fate was cruel; he feared he would never be able to smile again, finding it hard to move on.

"You really don't know what's good for you. Didn't you say the Ghost Ship of the Underworld would take us back to Earth?" Qin Fen, watching from the side, couldn't take it anymore. "When Lin Fan was injured, we all thought he wouldn't wake up, but look at him now—alive and kicking. Maybe Lin Fan has a way for you to recover."

"I can recover?"

A glimmer of hope appeared in Chen Cunyuan's eyes. Lin Fan had been even more severely injured than him and had still pulled through. Perhaps he really did have a way.

"It's not certain yet..."

Lin Fan couldn't bear to see the disappointment on his face, so he left him a shred of hope. He had already thought of a method: consuming the Golden Crow blood. But it was risky. The blood was peculiar; it had different effects on everyone, and some who drank it became monsters.

True to expectation, hope rekindled on Chen Cunyuan's face, and he was no longer as lifeless as before.

"Lin Fan, I want to recover too!"

Qin Fen was equally expectant. If Chen Cunyuan could recover, his own injuries would be nothing.

"I promise you that you will all recover as you were, and perhaps even master extraordinary powers!" Fan Yijun and Qi Lingshan walked in.

"Dr. Fan, is that true?"

Chen Cunyuan and Qin Fen were thrilled. They knew that Lin Fan’s ability to kill Huang Qiushan came from his mastery of extraordinary power. If they could master it too, wouldn't it mean they could be as powerful as him?

"Of course it's true. Would I lie to you?"

"Hahaha..."

Watching them laugh heartily, Lin Fan felt a smile tug at his own lips. Having rescued Qi Lingshan, he felt one of his smaller wishes had been fulfilled.