Chapter 425 - The Scum Is Admirable

Everyone watched Cheng Sheng teach Pai Lie the process while he draws the structure of the array as they stood silently on the side. 

"He's really an amazing person." Qian Lin sighed with emotions as he looked at Cheng Sheng. 

Although Jing Hei felt jealous, but he can't deny this fact. 

Although Cheng Sheng has lost a very important person to him, and almost died, but he can still remain calm despite all the hardships that he experienced, as well as the current situation that they are all facing. He's not saying that Cheng Sheng is a cold or emotionless person. On the contrary, he is very resilient and rational. 

In short, he is strong. If it was him on Cheng Sheng's situation, he might have already had a breakdown and is shutting himself up in an isolated place, even if with their current situation. But, Cheng Sheng remained standing, facing all the trials that come to him. 

Pai Lie's expression is ugly as he listened to Cheng Sheng's explanations which become more complex every second that passed by. It's not that Cheng Sheng is bad at explaining. In fact, his explanations are very comprehensive. It's just that Pai Lie learns better through experience. 

You had to make him do a demonstration himself, make him realize his mistakes and have him learn from them, and make him execute it again. This is the cycle of Pai Lie's learning. This is also one of the reasons why he became powerful only when he's already old. Learning takes time. 

"Cheng Sheng." He calmly called. 

"Yes?" Cheng Sheng paused from his explanations. 

"Why don't you do it?" Pai Lie asked as he turned to him. "I'll give you qi. How about it?" he asked. It's not that he is mocking Cheng Sheng. It's because he really can't understand it. 

Cheng Sheng didn't answer. It's not because he felt offended, nor does he look down on Pai Lie's education. It's because he is carefully considering it. 

From the least to most complicated in alchemy, Potion Decocting is the least, followed by Pill Refining, Talisman Making, then spell casting. The most complicated is Array Drawing. Of course, the more complicated it is, the bigger the amount of qi it needs. The harder it is, the more dangerous it is! 

This is why they felt it was very fortunate that potions and magic pills aren't that much complicated and not much energy-consuming because Cheng Sheng can lend You Rou a hand… or was it the other way now? 

Not to mention that alchemy requires a large amount of qi, and its complicated methods, it also needs more comprehension and, of course, courage. Sword cultivation is mostly focused on physical attacks. Of course, it also requires more physical training. On the other hand, alchemy is more focused on the spiritual attack, and spiritual training. Of course, it is also more effort and time-consuming. 

That is why being a mage is no simple matter. And that is why many admires Cheng Sheng, being a master level on each area of alchemy. Of course, before when it was a peaceful time, mages are more in demand than sword cultivators. And that is why Cheng Sheng had made lots of money. 

And that is why Pai Lie is asking Cheng Sheng now. Because alchemy is more on spiritual attacks, and also protection, it isn't very easy to learn. Even the Potion Decocting and Pill Making, which is why they had to rely on You Rou and Cheng Sheng. Even if there is a list of ingredients and a guide, but it is entirely different when you execute it. It's just like cooking. 

So, Pai Lie doesn't dare practice what Cheng Sheng had taught him. Especially not at this time. Not only there is no time to learn and practice, but they also can't afford if something goes wrong with the array and Zheng Fu Gong, Chen Jing, Xie Lan, Jing Rui and Qian Tian would be harmed and it will add to their injuries. Worse, it could take their lives!

"Okay." Cheng Sheng finally answered. 

Although he had already told Pai Lie how to lay out the foundations of the array, but he knows that it is entirely different when you execute it. Not only you have to be fully concentrated, but you also have to be precise when making it. Or else, not only you can harm others, but you might also harm yourself from the backlash. 

"I'll give him qi." Su Yuan spoke. 

Everyone turned to him. 

"Elder Pai. You help the others in the battle." Su Yuan said as he approached Pai Lie and Cheng Sheng. 

Pai Lie also knows himself that he is more of the attack-type than the support-type, so he didn't immediately understand what Cheng Sheng said. 

"Elder Su… how about I give Cheng Sheng qi?" Li Nanzi suggested. 

"You can fight. You don't need to give your qi." Su Yuan spoke as he stopped right in front of Cheng Sheng. Before any of them could speak, he spoke again. "There are no elemental spirits around so I can't communicate with them and have them assist us in the battle. I am useless now." He said. "So, I can only convert the elements around and transform it to qi to give to Cheng Sheng." He explained. 

Everyone felt enlightened. Meanwhile, Su Yuan ignored and observed Cheng Sheng's face. Compared to when he first met him in Zhongyang during the Intersect Competition, Cheng Sheng looks dispirited right now. It's understandable. It's not because of the grave situation the land is facing right now, but because he has lost his lover – the most important in his life. 

Su Yuan has seen Cheng Sheng and Fei Yin interact before. They looked like they have their own world. Not just a world of lovers, but a completely another world which only them two could understand. Yet, right now, that light in Cheng Sheng's eyes that he has seen before whenever Fei Yin is around was now gone. 

It is like Cheng Sheng became a completely different person. Or, this was the him before he met Fei Yin? He has heard that Cheng Sheng was a waste before… now, Cheng Sheng returned to zero, or not completely zero since he's in Golden Core Stage, which can be called a big improvement of him in the past. But now, it became a complete mockery to him. 

Su Yuan hid the complicated emotions in his eyes. "Let's start?" he asked. 

Cheng Sheng looked back at Su Yuan before he lowered his gaze and nodded. "En." He answered as he sat on the floor and crossed his legs. He closed his eyes and then started to meditate. 

The others saw him made his move and they immediately treated the injuries of Zheng Fu Gong, Chen Jing, Xie Lan, Jing Rui and Qian Tian before they placed them in front of Cheng Sheng. Su Yuan saw that everything is ready and he closed his eyes before he placed a hand on Cheng Sheng's back, giving him his qi. Then, everyone watched with bated breaths the sight that they have never thought that they had missed this much. 

Light appeared on the floor and started moving, surrounding Zheng Fu Gong, Chen Jing, Xie Lan, Jing Rui and Qian Tian in a circle, before the lights formed various symbols that they can't comprehend and just felt very mysterious. The atmosphere on the ship instantly turned solemn. 

This was an everyday scene to them before, yet now, they felt that this will become a rare sight in the future. 

… 

Li Tian, Feng Mo, Lei Qing, Shu Mu, Xiao Le, Kang Ce and Gong Xian saw the bright light in the deck of the Millennium Ship and immediately know that it is Cheng Sheng. 

"Cheng-shidi…" Feng Mo muttered and then his eyes reddened. 

Lei Qing didn't speak but her eyes are misty. Li Tian bitterly smiled. Meanwhile, Shu Mu, Shu Mu, Xiao Le, Kang Ce and Gong Xian, together with Xi Ming and Xi Xing who are silently sitting on the side with Xi Ling, didn't speak. 

Cheng Sheng is destined for greatness. But, with what happened now, they know that Cheng Sheng won't be able to return to that dazzling light in the future. Because – 

Millennium Ship. 

Su Yuan's lips formed into a frown and his brows knitted as he slowly opened his eyes and looked at Cheng Sheng's back. They had their backs on the others so they can't see their faces. 

He looked at his hands where the qi coming from his body is being channeled into Cheng Sheng's body, and into his meridians. Because of this, he can 'see', with the qi which came from him, that Cheng Sheng's meridians are badly damaged, especially the ones near his golden core. He guessed that Cheng Sheng's golden core would have been almost damaged. But, fortunately, it didn't. 

However, with his, Cheng Sheng will forever remain in the Golden Core Stage.