Starting Cultivation in Wasteland

Ping’an hoped that more Supremes would come to support their backing, but Granny Jia did not think so.

She believed that showing a bit of the mining protection ability would suffice.

Calling a line of Supremes over might look impressive on the surface, but it lacks a certain grace.

That’s the style of a nouveau riche; those with real substance just send one or two Supremes.

If anyone thinks the mining owner is easy to bully, they’d have to dare to bet whether there are more Supremes behind.

Another point she was very mindful of: that star body only has an abandoned energy stone mine, not a brand-new one waiting to be mined.

If it were brand new, not to mention five Supremes coming together, inviting a few more Supremes wouldn’t hurt.

However, picking up someone else’s leftovers feels a bit awkward; calling so many Supremes then... seems pointless?

Thus, Granny Jia sent the message not to seek help from Paradise Star, just to inform that the mining procedures had been approved.

She felt that she and Qinghu were enough to hold the situation together.

But the Paranoid thought this matter needed further discussion, and this sort of thing also had to be informed to the boss.

Qu Jianlei nodded after hearing this, "You’re right; even a lion uses full force to hunt a rabbit, better to go together and hold the stage."

However, Mu Yu’s view was somewhat aligned with Granny Jia, expressing hesitantly, "An abandoned mine star... could be shameful?"

The Paranoid remained silent, clearly showing he was a bit conflicted too.

Qu Jianlei was also a bit speechless, wasn’t he someone who avoided meddling?

Thus, he had to do some ideological work with these two Supremes, patiently explaining.

"Although it’s an abandoned mine star body, the annual yield shouldn’t be low, right? At least a billion to our side."

This amount is enough to repay the loan for the large computational group, and a billion is a conservative estimate.

"Recently visiting the Sirius Star Realm, Mu Yu, you also saw how terrifyingly greedy capital can be; they dare to trample any rule."

"Our main objective is cultivation; we don’t have much time to waste there, plus Ping’an’s strength isn’t enough to deter the wicked."

"So we must dominate other forces from the start so there will be fewer issues... though it might not reduce much."

"You two think I don’t find it shameful? But... there’s really no choice, well, earning money isn’t disgraceful."

The Paranoid hesitated and nodded, "True, now Yunwu Mountain Tourism Area is the same; if there’s someone daring to risk, there’s someone daring to act."

Mu Yu, being skilled in cultivation, typically had no strong opinions on external matters, thus agreeing with Qu Jianlei’s reasoning.

As five Supremes were about to leave again, someone with substantial presence was needed to hold the fort at Yunwu Mountain Inn.

Qu Jianlei thought Bentley suited the role, with Thunder Ram Horn in hand, his combat power comparable to Supremes.

Actually, bringing Bentley to the Celestial River Star Realm could enhance the presence, but one can’t abandon their foundation, right?

Moreover, Bentley had been out for more than two years, and should settle down for some serious cultivation now.

The three then discussed who to take along, finally deciding that one Flower Scorpion was enough.

However, Celestial Sound heard about this and actively came over, hoping to contribute to the team.

Also, having cultivated on Gemini Star continuously for years, she was just shy of reaching A-level, hence didn’t have a pressing need for cultivation.

She couldn’t freely showcase her Light Attribute on Paradise Star, so might as well help run errands for the leaders.

Qu Jianlei considered this and nodded in agreement.

Before departure, he called Bentley out of the array.

Upon returning, Bentley cultivated diligently as if reclaiming lost time.

Every ten days or half month, he would exit the array for a short rest, yet had not seen Qu Jianlei.

Seeing him, Qu Jianlei was surprised, "Old Ben, you... aged this much?"

Not seeing him for three years, Bentley had visibly aged quite a bit.

"It was bound to happen at this age," Bentley chuckled indifferently, "plus the pressure was a bit much these past two years."

Piloting a starship through vast space looking for someone, besides anxiety, there is the ever-present danger to guard against; the pressure is immense.

Even with Claire accompanying him later, the extended wandering in the starry sky was not something just anyone could endure.

Other starship crew disembark to relax and ease their mood once landed, even for ordinary space travel!

"Tsk," Qu Jianlei clicked his teeth helplessly, then sighed, "How about Claire’s situation?"

"She’s doing much better," Bentley stated with a subtle smile, "She used to be rather lively, but has settled down considerably."

Qu Jianlei paused, releasing Spiritual Power to sense the aura.

Indeed, Claire’s aura steadily rested at the C-level peak, ready to break through at any moment.

There isn’t much logic to explain; the same space travel visibly aged Bentley, however transformed into a honing stone for Claire.

Qu Jianlei reached out, intending to pull out a Storage Talisman containing a Life-Extending Pill.

Bentley’s unauthorized venture to seek him wasn’t something worth encouraging.

Not only did it consume significant money and Energy Blocks, but also hindered his own cultivation, and weakened Yunwu Mountain Inn’s deterrent power.

But Qu Jianlei really couldn’t get angry. Seeing the other’s aged appearance, his heart was filled with mixed emotions.

There were only two Life-Extending Pills left in total. Once one was used, there would be one less, and Qu Jianlei was pondering whether to keep one for himself.

However, Bentley would rather give up the slim chance of reaching Supreme than to search for him.

Thankfully, Qu Jianlei had returned. Otherwise, Bentley would take some time to rest and probably go out again.

Isn’t he aware that he doesn’t have much time left? As soon as he comes back, he stakes his life on cultivation. For what?

He still hasn’t given up on the effort to reach Supreme, although it seems... very unlikely now.

How could I let you down when you didn’t let me down?

Still, in the end, Qu Jianlei changed his mind and handed a storage device to the other party.

"Go to the Spirit Gathering Array for cultivation in the future. There’s a modified corresponding cultivation technique on it... Keep your mindset steady, there’s a chance for you to reach Supreme!"

First, cultivating in the Spirit Gathering Array for a while can make one’s appearance look significantly younger, reducing others’ suspicion.

The Life-Extending Pill is truly too precious; even if he didn’t watch the other take it, he wouldn’t feel assured.

Damn... that damn constitution!

"Spirit Gathering Array?" Bentley’s eyes lit up at the words. How could he not know the value of the Spirit Gathering Array?

Even though he still wasn’t confident about reaching Supreme, he smiled heartily, "Alright, I’ll give it a try. Thanks, boss, for not blaming me."

"Blame you for what!" Qu Jianlei rolled his eyes, "Yeah, spent almost a billion in resources, you’ll have to earn it back later!"

Recently, he’s been testing the Teleportation Array, frequently using the Omen Ship, so of course, he’s aware of the situation of several starships.

In fact, the avatars of Little Lake documented Bentley’s encounters over the past two years.

There weren’t any particularly great dangers, but plenty of minor ones, including space phenomena and starships with ulterior motives.

Moreover, once the Omen Ship moves, other automated starships would trail it from afar; isn’t that money too?

Plus some consumed ammunition, it’s really about a billion in total. Fortunately, Qu Jianlei still has some savings set aside.

It’s a lie to say he doesn’t feel heartache when encountering such expenses when money is tight, but... it’s also very reassuring.

Bentley had no objections to the "billion" statement. It was clear he had guessed the true nature of Little Lake.

Speaking of tight money, Qu Jianlei couldn’t help but think of the debt he hadn’t collected from the Celestial Hook Star Realm.

Then he remembered the destroyed Abandoned Mine Star Body and desperately wished to drag Balrog out of the Six Paths of Reincarnation for a beating.

However, ultimately, it’s something in the past. One still needs to look forward in life.

The following morning, bright and early, two men and three women headed to the Star Port, quietly departing on the Omen Ship.

This time, their target was the Central Star of the Celestial River Star Realm—Yuanwang. Landing directly on Purple Pool could easily expose their identity.

The Omen Ship rested at Yuanwang for three days. When leaving, it became two men and two women—Celestial Sound snuck away.

Aside from cultivation level, Light Attribute Awakened are the easiest to overlook. The "Harmonize with Light and Dust" technique is truly wondrous.

The Omen Ship reached Purple Star, parking at a distance of two million kilometers from the planet.

After waiting for two days, the Big Head Butterfly began spinning in Qu Jianlei’s mind, "The ground is ready."

"Alright," Qu Jianlei stood up, "prepare yourselves, we’re going to perform a near-ground jump."

Although everyone already knew that they were going to jump directly from space to the planet, still...

Mu Yu couldn’t help but ask, "Is this... reliable?"

Qu Jianlei didn’t mock her; back on Blue Star, he knew quite a few people with a fear of flying.

The Paranoid couldn’t tolerate it and said, "For an action that’s bound to go down in history, do you have to be so embarrassing?"

Mu Yu glared at him, "The boss has tested it long ago, so why are you saying it’ll go down in history?"

The Paranoid snorted, "So you do know it’s been tested long ago?"

The Flower Scorpion, seeing this, quickly intervened, "A test is a test, this is the first time it’s used in actual action, it’s significant."

Qu Jianlei gave her a thoughtful look, "Or maybe... put you in a Life Support Pod?"

The Flower Scorpion understood his intention and shook her head decisively, "No, I want to witness it!"

The Paranoid helplessly glanced at Mu Yu: Look, even the A-level rookie girl isn’t afraid.

Mu Yu pursed her lips, a thought suddenly arising in her heart: What if... Celestial Sound couldn’t be trusted or got captured?

Then, wouldn’t the four of us be offering ourselves up?

But these words couldn’t be spoken no matter what. She could only allow her senior to hold her hand, stepping onto the central disc of the hall.

In the next moment, Qu Jianlei stepped on the switch, and immediately everyone felt the world spinning around them.

As it turned out, Celestial Sound was indeed trustworthy.

When the four of them opened their eyes, they found themselves at the base of a cliff, with fine raindrops falling from the sky.

Celestial Sound was standing not far away, looking at them with delight, "Ah, that was quick."

(Updated, summon monthly tickets, formulate and recommend votes,)