CHAPTER 152: CHAPTER 152: THE DUST SETTLES

A late-stage Star Cloud Stage warrior chasing a weak, middle-stage Star Shine Stage rookie across an open field. Was this a distortion of human nature or a fall from morality?

What infuriated Wang Lan even more was the cold indifference of people’s hearts. So many people were watching from the sidelines, yet not a single one stepped forward to stop Xu Shiyun’s violence.

"Life is about movement. Suddenly exercising my muscles like this feels refreshing," Xu Shiyun commented with a satisfied smile on his face while sitting in the car.

"Screw off! I don’t want to talk to you," Wang Lan disdainfully retorted.

"Being tough is great, though. My hands hurt from hitting you, yet you don’t even have a scratch on you..."

"That reminds me: I’m a Medical Attribute Star Martial Warrior. I have a premonition that you’ll eventually end up in my hands."

His voice was deep and chilling, and Xu Shiyun’s face immediately changed color.

In the exhilaration of the fight, he’d almost forgotten that Wang Lan was a Medical Attribute Star Martial Warrior, and one of the top-tier ones at that. Forget premonitions, Xu Shiyun was certain he’d eventually fall into Wang Lan’s hands.

A scene flashed through Xu Shiyun’s mind.

Himself, gravely injured on a hospital bed, with Wang Lan approaching in a white coat, striding with ruthless determination.

"Dr. Wang Lan, we have a critically injured patient who urgently needs treatment."

"Oh, isn’t this Brother Xu Shiyun? Don’t worry. Your brother will take good care of you. Now, where’s the saw?"

"Dr. Wang Lan, I’ll go get the anesthetic."

"No need, warriors of the Tianjian Bureau are brave souls. Our creed is to endure without anesthesia..."

The scene shattered there, and Xu Shiyun shivered with a chill.

Wang Lan slightly lowered his head, a cold smirk playing on the corner of his mouth. Seeing that smile, Xu Shiyun knew that if he got injured again, he might be in for a rough time. Looking up, he saw Zhang Xiaoxue, who hadn’t been speaking much, staring at Wang Lan curiously.

"Sister Xiaoxue, is there something wrong with Wang Lan? You’re staring so intently, you’re making him shy," Xu Shiyun hurriedly changed the subject.

"Wang Lan’s Medical Star Martial Technique is different from what we’ve seen. His Self Healing is very fast, and his Star Energy Fluctuation isn’t noticeable. It didn’t even get disrupted when you were hitting him. Does his healing process not get interrupted?"

"Can treatment be interrupted?" Wang Lan asked, looking up.

That question was a bit pointed.

If there were another Medical Attribute Star Martial Warrior in the car, they’d probably go crazy. Isn’t it perfectly normal for any Star Martial Skill to be disrupted or countered? Asking such a question is just too much.

"Younger Brother Wang Lan... Almost all Medical Star Martial Techniques can be disrupted. The only exceptions are those that utilize Life Force. Wait a second, Wang Lan, don’t tell me you’ve mastered Life Force?" Zhang Yeqiu suddenly turned around and asked excitedly.

"Sis, can you watch the road while driving?"

"SCREECH—" A harsh braking sound interrupted them.

"Is your Medical Attribute talent related to Life Force?"

"I don’t know. My awakening talent is Self Healing. It was originally a passive skill, capable of repairing my injuries, speeding up wound healing, and tissue regeneration. As I became more proficient and my Star Martial level rose, I could extend this ability to others. However, the energy it uses to heal myself is only a third of what it takes to heal someone else. So basically, my main ability is still Self-Repair."

"Then that must be it. Your true talent is the regeneration of Life Force; Medical Star Martial Techniques are just applications of Life Force. Your ability has many potential paths for development. Using it solely as a Medical Attribute Star Martial Warrior seems like a waste," Zhang Xiaoxue said matter-of-factly.

"How so?"

"Your ability has many potential applications. Being a punching bag definitely isn’t the best one. However, your ability allows you to be fearless of injuries, so you could train with more than five times the intensity of an ordinary person. With your healing ability, five times the training intensity should allow you to become a first-rate warrior in a short time."

"Uh..." Five times the training intensity? I’d love that too, but the system doesn’t allow it.

"Another direction is the development of Star Martial Skills. Developing Star Martial Skills is extremely dangerous, and most people wouldn’t attempt it without absolute confidence. Behind every mature and perfected Star Martial Skill may be the lives of a few, or even dozens, or hundreds of Star Martial Warriors who died developing it. With your unique condition, you can develop Star Martial Skills without fear of danger. If you can develop an A-rank Star Martial Skill, you’ll make history. If you independently develop an S-rank Star Martial Skill, I guarantee you’ll be immortalized."

"Who wants to be immortalized!" Wang Lan was exasperated.

"Of course, being a Medical Attribute Star Martial Warrior is the most straightforward path for you, and you’ll probably end up going that way, right?"

"You’re wrong..." Xu Shiyun immediately refuted Zhang Xiaoxue’s speculation. "Wang Lan is destined to become a powerful warrior. If he really wanted to be a comfortable Medical Attribute Star Martial Warrior, he wouldn’t have such strong combat abilities."

"But no matter what, I’m envious of the many choices Wang Lan will have in the future. Capable of offense and defense, of scholarly pursuits and martial arts."

"With the way you guys are talking, I feel like I can safely go wild in the future."

"Go ahead and be wild. If you get yourself killed, I will definitely take care of your body. As your brother, I might not have a next life to offer, but for this one, that’s the least I can do."

「Back at the Tianjian Bureau」

Wang Qianfeng and He MingXue reported to Director Lu Zhao. With everything settled, Wang Lan could finally bring his aunt home.

「In the Tianjian Bureau dormitory」

Wang Qi watched the images copied from Dr. Ma Bo’s mind.

"Throughout the vast history of the human race, we have never lacked great scientists. Even if I die today, the door to human biotechnology won’t be closed. Soon, someone will rediscover the treasures I’ve opened up. As long as the human race still draws breath, we shall strive to keep improving."

These were Song Zifeng’s last words. The moment the Soul Bead shattered, Wang Qi was already in tears.

In his final moments, he was still desperately trying to protect her safety. Song Zifeng didn’t know that even if the Demon Clan knew that Wang Qi also possessed that formula, they wouldn’t dare lay a finger on her.

"Auntie!" Wang Lan knocked on the door.

"Hmm! Lan Lan, you’re back? How did it go? I heard you had another operation?"

"The issue is resolved. I’m here to take you home."

"Great!"

Wang Qi had been eager to go home; she hadn’t seen Jiajia for three days and missed her terribly.

「On the eighth day of the new year」

This day was a special one for the whole world.

Just seven days after the release of Life Number One on the first day of the new year, Jiayi Biotech Company announced its Blue Sky Life Potion. It repaired the human genome through gene encoding, fundamentally curing diseases within the body’s own systems.

A single dose costing only fifty thousand could take effect in a week, curing hundreds of diseases, including cancer.

This news was a true blessing for humanity. The treatment course for Life Number One took three years, but the Blue Sky Life Potion only needed seven days.

With the country’s strong promotion, Jade Country’s entire network was abuzz. Through word of mouth, the Blue Sky Life Potion was hailed like a miracle drug—it was as if one dose could turn back the years and another could grant immortality.

Almost overnight, Wang Qi, who had always been unknown, shot to the top of global trending searches, with an unreachable lead over the second-ranked name.

On every street corner, discussions about the Blue Sky Life Potion abounded. Online and offline, debates about Dr. Wang Qi were everywhere. And at this time, whether deliberately or not, no one remembered Dr. Ma Bo, who had made headlines all over the world on the first day of the new year. Not even comparisons were made between Dr. Ma Bo and Dr. Wang Qi.

What was there to compare? From its inception, Life Number One was mired in controversy.

Despite its ability to treat cancer, most people couldn’t even fathom the cost of 3.6 million for a three-year treatment. Opinions were polarized then: its supporters praised it exuberantly, while its detractors criticized it vehemently.

Now, with the advent of the Blue Sky Life Potion, it trounced Life Number One with absolute strength.

The treatment cost: only fifty thousand.

The course: merely seven days.

Seven days was practically an instantaneous result.

Moreover, the clear disparity in reception was obvious to any discerning eye. When Life Number One was released, it was just a commercial launch. But the release of the Blue Sky Life Potion—

Imperial Capital TV, Imperial Capital media... One might have thought Jiayi Biotech Company was some secret state research facility.

After the country publicly announced Dr. Ma Bo’s crimes on the fifth day of the new year, Dr. Ma Bo fell from a national hero and great scientist to a traitor of humanity overnight.

Though there were some who questioned Dr. Ma Bo’s crimes online, the evidence presented by the Tianjian Bureau was solid, and no one could find the slightest flaw.

Faced with the evidence and their inherent trust in the government, aside from a few contrarians who jumped out to defend Dr. Ma Bo, the public universally condemned him.

While turmoil stirred outside, Wang Lan was snuggled in bed playing with his phone.

Yesterday, Xu Xiangwen and the gang had dragged him out, and along with Xie Sisi, they had a wild day of fun. Perhaps owing to Xu Xiangwen’s resentment as a single guy, he had secretly spiked Wang Lan’s drink with a cocktail.

That drink... was potent. It tasted light when sipped, more like a flavored beverage. But once it kicked in, it was like an earthquake.

In any case, less than thirty minutes after drinking that cocktail, Wang Lan had no memory of the events that followed. When he woke up, it was three in the afternoon, and he was in his own bed.

With a slight headache, Wang Lan decided to just lie in bed and play with his phone.

Every headline was pushing news about his aunt.

The online praise was quite entertaining to read, and before he knew it, another hour had passed. But as with anything, too much became boring—even a song played on loop all day would be unbearable.

Wang Lan delved into his mind and opened the system.

Player Level: Star Shine Seven, with a balance of one thousand eight hundred skill points left. He originally had over three thousand, but after storing one thousand five hundred into the Phoenix Form, this much remained. So many skill points, what a pain, he mused.

All of Wang Lan’s skills were at Silver Nine, and they had even been pushed to (99/100).

Once he could break through to the Star Cloud Stage, Wang Lan could upgrade his skills to Gold in minutes. Gold skills, by comparison, would all be S-rank if measured against conventional Star Martial Skills.

Of course, this didn’t refer to S-rank power. Even if the Basic Skills were upgraded to Gold, they could not possibly match the power of an S-rank Star Martial Skill. It merely meant that skills reaching the Gold level had a training difficulty equivalent to S-rank.

Maybe Basic Skills can only be cultivated to S-rank at their limit. After all, upgrading from Gold to Platinum requires ten thousand skill points. Ten thousand points—how long would it take me to accumulate that? At most, I could only upgrade Inch Strength Fist to Platinum. Raising other Basic Skills that high wouldn’t be cost-effective. With those skill points, it would be better to learn an S-rank Star Martial Skill.

"DING-DONG—"

His phone chimed.

Wang Lan lazily picked up his phone, unlocked it, and opened it.

Suddenly, Wang Lan sprang up as if he had been shot from a trampoline. Looking at the notification on his phone, his face lit up with sheer ecstasy.