Seeing that Wood Bud Crystal, Lin Fan narrowed his eyes.
Now that the Wood Bud Crystal had appeared, what came next...
"Life is a play, and acting is everything."
He had to act like an ignorant country bumpkin, dazed by a visit from Lady Luck—not like someone who knew everything.
So he changed his expression in an instant.
Lin Fan's pupils trembled violently. His breathing grew ragged, and his face was alight with the kind of ecstatic delight that screamed, "I've never seen anything like this!"
He hurried forward. Even his outstretched hands trembled slightly, as if he were so excited he was about to have a stroke.
When he picked up the Wood Bud Crystal, its rice-like fragrance rushed straight up his nostrils.
Lin Fan felt every cell in his body burst into a frenzy. They howled like starving wolves, sending him one desperate message—
Eat it!
That feeling wasn't an act. It was the instinctive craving of an Apprentice Level life-form like him.
A single Wood Bud Crystal contained enough energy to bring about a fundamental evolution in an Apprentice Level life-form. It was an extremely potent cultivation resource in the universe.
He had barely put the first one away when the corner of his eye caught a glimpse of the grass in the distance.
A white crystal peeked out from deep within the weeds, like a mischievous little sprite deliberately showing a bit of its backside to lure him closer.
Lin Fan understood perfectly well.
I passed the test. Babata's started baiting me!
"Since you're willing to give them away, I won't stand on ceremony."
Lin Fan knew exactly what was going on, but he kept up his greedy, dazed expression, as if he'd just been hit over the head by a pie.
He immediately rushed toward the second crystal, then the third...
Following the "breadcrumb trail" Babata had carefully laid out, he scooped up every Wood Bud Crystal he could find in the outer area, like a greedy scavenger.
With each one he picked up, the "red light" in his eyes grew brighter. He looked every bit like a desperate man blinded by greed.
Following the guidance of his Spiritual Force, Lin Fan began to descend deeper underground.
As he went farther in, a deep underground lake came into view.
Its waters were black as ink and radiated bone-chilling cold.
The Wood Bud Crystals, each giving off that tempting rice-like fragrance, led all the way into the lake's dark depths.
Splash!
Without the slightest hesitation, Lin Fan plunged into the water.
The icy water instantly enveloped him, but his Spiritual Force immediately formed a thin film around his body, keeping the cold firmly at bay.
After descending who knew how many meters, the water pressure around him had grown terrifying enough to crush a tank.
Suddenly.
A massive crimson spaceship appeared right in front of him.
Most of its hull was buried beneath thick layers of rock, but even the exposed portion exuded an indescribable pressure.
The Yunmo Starship...
Lin Fan silently repeated the name to himself.
Dozens of Wood Bud Crystals were scattered across the enormous hatch of the Yunmo Starship.
They glimmered alluringly, forming a trail that led down the shadowy passageway, as if silently beckoning visitors: Come in. There's more inside...
If another War God Level fighter from Earth had been here, Babata's mental interference would probably have robbed them of their reason by now, driving them to charge into the spaceship at all costs.
But Lin Fan knew exactly what was inside.
It was an opportunity, but also a shackle.
Once he went in, he could obtain the inheritance, but it would also mean that his future path had been mapped out for him, all without his realizing it.
There was a certain inevitability to fate.
If he took something that wasn't originally meant for him, he would have to pay for it later.
If he seized the Yunmo Star's inheritance, whether Luo Feng would ever make it into the universe would become anyone's guess.
That meant that as a transmigrator, he would almost certainly become the strongest person on Earth in this Reincarnation Era.
And with the system's support, his potential would grow ever more terrifying.
So what awaited him after that?
Could he take Luo Feng's place—or even bear the consequences in Luo Feng's stead?
Could he do better than Luo Feng under pressure from humanity?
Could he stop himself from learning the Nine Calamity Secret Manual and give up a technique that could bring about a fundamental transformation?
After learning it, could he keep himself from going to the Star Tower—or even from thinking about this supreme treasure?
If he went, could he guarantee that his willpower alone would be enough to let him survive and make the Star Tower acknowledge him as its master?
He couldn't exactly take it home and use it as a keepsake...
So there wasn't a single thing he could guarantee.
No—or rather, he could guarantee that he wouldn't be able to refuse any of them.
Then what was the point?
Right now, he had the system, and the beginner's gift pack it had given him was enough to lay a solid foundation.
The potential of Calamity and Sky Splitter might be no lower than that of the Star Tower. And the True Self Clone's future functions might be more than just going on autopilot.
So there was no need for him to get involved with any of this. He could forge an entirely different path—one that was even more exciting.
In that case...
"Then I'll take the benefits and leave the consequences behind."
"Getting something for free is the way to go."
Lin Fan came to an abrupt stop, hovering by the hatch. His Spiritual Force transformed into an invisible hand and swept out in an instant.
The hand of Spiritual Force passed precisely over the hatch, scooping up all the dozens of Wood Bud Crystals waiting there as "gifts for arriving guests."
"Hand them over!"
The next moment, he put every Wood Bud Crystal into his Space Ring.
When he was done, Lin Fan didn't even glance inside the spaceship.
"Retreat!"
His figure shot upward like a heavy torpedo. Sky Splitter swung at full power as he hurtled toward the surface.
Grab it and run!
Boom!
The calm surface of the lake exploded. At almost the same moment,
the X-101, which had been hovering invisibly in the sky, disengaged its stealth and dove down through the clouds. It came to a steady stop above the lake, its hatch wide open.
Lin Fan became a Flowing Light and shot straight inside.
"101, full speed ahead!"
"Understood! Anti-gravity engine at maximum output!"
A dazzling blue light erupted from the rear of the X-101, and the surrounding air warped under the intense heat.
A powerful force pressed him back into his seat. The spaceship became a streak of black lightning, tore through the sky, and rushed into the night without looking back, leaving this troublesome place far behind.
Deep underground, inside the Yunmo Starship.
A childlike illusion no bigger than a fist, with two horns and blood-red eyes, stood frozen as if struck by lightning.
He stared blankly at the shameless human who had grabbed the goods and run, moving with practiced ease.
He was... No, the entire Intelligent Life was in shambles.
Fifty thousand years!
A full fifty thousand years!!
At last, he'd found a little fellow with such an astonishing Brain Domain Width and such monstrous talent.
He'd even prepared his entrance, planned how to trick the other into becoming his disciple, and gotten the introductory gift ready.
And what happened?
The kid had only picked up the "trash" by the door, hadn't even stepped inside, and had run off?!
He'd run off???!!
"Bastard!!!!"
"How dare you deceive the great demon Babata!!"
"Sneaky Earthling!! Shameless!!!"
Ten thousand meters above the ground.
The X-101 had settled into steady cruising mode, racing toward Huaxia Country.
Soft lights bathed the cockpit.
Lin Fan slumped into the comfortable captain's chair.
"Whew..."
He let out a long breath, and the tension that had gripped his nerves finally eased completely.
The plan had worked!
He'd come away with a full forty-three Wood Bud Crystals, enough resources to create dozens of Planetary Level powerhouses.
As for the few Spirits of Vegetation and the mountains of monster materials, they were now just a bonus.
Lin Fan casually picked up a Wood Bud Crystal and examined it closely.
"Fate really is something, isn't it."
Before you continue