Interstellar Farming: I Make Potions and Climb to the Top

Realizing he was in deep trouble, the Star Thief desperately tried to talk his way out of it, even resorting to tempting them with riches.

’Since this man knows my name, he must also know that a veteran Star Thief like me has a hefty fortune. As long as he can be swayed by profit, I still have a glimmer of hope.’

"Nonsense! You cunning Star Thieves, when did I ever have a feud with you? You were just after my fortune! You’ve had people following me for the last six months, casing the place, haven’t you? Sir, you absolutely mustn’t be deceived by this cunning Star Thief. They rob and murder, and they never leave anyone alive. As for compensation, I will willingly give you whatever you wish. I implore you to kill him to eliminate this threat for good." The Light Rope around Feng Yilin had already been undone, yet a bloody gash remained on his neck.

His Attendant was wrapping his neck with gauze.

Feng Yilin looked at Feng Linran with desperate longing. He would rather go bankrupt than let this group of Star Thieves live.

’If Feng Linran and his people hadn’t happened to be on this Starship, I’m afraid I would have lost both my life and my entire fortune. If this band of Star Thieves escapes, I’ll never have a peaceful day again.’

"Miss Ning..." Feng Linran ignored the terrified mining magnate and bowed toward Ning Xuan.

Yu Mingche put a finger to his lips and gave Feng Linran a look. Feng Linran nodded in understanding and had all the Star Thieves taken away for separate interrogation. After repeated questioning, Feng Linran finally confirmed that the Star Thief Group’s main objective in hijacking the Starship was indeed Feng Yilin. They weren’t after Ning Xuan or Yu Mingche.

They had planned for over half a year, repeatedly investigating all sorts of information. They thought their plan was perfect, but they never expected Ning Xuan to be on this particular Starship, heading for the Spiritual Cultivation Secret Realm. It was just their bad luck.

After the interrogation, they were made to sign and provide thumbprints as a confession. With the exception of two technicians whose identities could be verified and who were confirmed to have been coerced, all the others were executed. Their bodies would be handed over to the relevant authorities at the next stop.

A crisis was averted in just five minutes. The captain had been killed by the Star Thieves, so the two first officers temporarily took his place and reported the situation to the Route Control Command Center. The hijackers were confirmed to be the "Blood Moon" Star Thief Group, and the leader was the TX Star-041 Wanted Criminal. They had intruded by using stolen passenger information to pose as passengers. Regarding casualties, Captain Chen Qiming was confirmed deceased, his remains transferred to Cryo-bay B-12. Three passengers had died, and three security personnel were critically injured, but their vital signs had stabilized after emergency treatment.

The Starship’s current status was as follows: the warp engine was cooling down and could be restarted in an estimated 2.7 hours; the Tier-3 shield function was restored, with energy reserves at 83%; all crew members had completed information checks, and passenger information was currently being verified.

The follow-up action plan was also outlined: command would be transferred in accordance with Article 47 of the Deep Space Navigation Regulations, requiring dual-verification commands jointly signed by both first officers. For security, the entire ship would enter phantom navigation mode with signal camouflage activated.

They also listed items requiring Command Center coordination: a medical frigate was needed to dock and treat the critically injured, and the physical and psychological conditions of the passengers needed evaluation.

The Starship crew followed procedure, reporting the situation to the command center and requesting support. When they reached the next stop, the originally scheduled five-minute docking time was extended to fifteen minutes before they departed again. There were still seven stops left before reaching S135 Planet.

The rest of the journey was smooth. This Star Domain was in a region with frequent Starry Sky Beast activity, so a protective barrier had been installed along the flight path to ensure safe travel.

From inside the Starship, Ning Xuan watched the Starry Sky Beasts swim past outside the barrier. The Exotic Beasts were bizarre and varied. There were massive, fish-like beasts as large as deep-sea whales, and others with stout limbs and horns on their heads. Farther away floated a translucent, jellyfish-like behemoth, its tens of thousands of glowing tentacles under its bell absorbing the starlight.

Ning Xuan felt like she was watching an Exotic Beast exhibition. It was far more vivid than any video recording.

"The Exotic Beasts roaming nearby this time happen to be quite docile," Yu Mingche, ever the knowledgeable guide, explained to Ning Xuan. "The last time I was on this Starship, I witnessed a battle between two Starry Sky Beasts. The energy shockwave was so powerful it nearly destroyed the outer barrier. We used up more than a dozen Energy Stones just to support the barrier’s energy supply."

During the three-day, two-night journey, Ning Xuan and Yu Mingche were together from morning to night, never apart for a moment. They quickly grew familiar with one another, their time together harmonious and warm.

Although the body Ning Xuan inhabited was young, her actual age was greater than Yu Mingche’s. Since Yu Mingche had been injured before, Ning Xuan naturally slipped into the role of a Doctor, caring for him as if he were her patient.

Yu Mingche didn’t find anything wrong with it; on the contrary, he quite enjoyed this way of interacting.

On the day before they were to arrive at their destination, Yu Mingche began explaining the important points regarding the Spiritual Cultivation Secret Realm to Ning Xuan.

"Contractor, you should already be familiar with the basic information about the Spiritual Cultivation Secret Realm. With your genetic bloodline Level, there generally shouldn’t be any danger. However, your Companion Spirit’s Level is extremely high. When you merge with your Companion Spirit, you must remain lucid. Don’t become too immersed in its Talent Skills. It’s best to exit the merged state every few hours. Don’t be greedy for quick progress."

"But you don’t need to worry too much. I will accompany you into the Secret Realm," Yu Mingche added, afraid that Ning Xuan’s nervousness might affect her Cultivation.

S135 Planet was rated as S-Class based on its resource Level. However, a resource-rich planet wasn’t necessarily suitable for habitation. In fact, among all the S-Class planets, the most habitable was Central Star.

S135 Planet was a world where oceans covered 90% of the surface, and it was perennially plagued by natural disasters like hurricanes and tsunamis.

The spaceport on S135 Planet was located near the Spiritual Cultivation Secret Realm. After disembarking from the Starship, Ning Xuan and the others rested briefly at the station before heading to the Secret Realm together.

Yan Fuzhen and Feng Linran watched as Ning Xuan’s group entered the Spiritual Cultivation Secret Realm, then returned to the station. The two of them would go back to the previous stop, Star A125, to wait for Ning Xuan and the others to complete their Cultivation before returning to Central Star together.

The moment Ning Xuan entered the Secret Realm, her Companion Spirit, the Vermilion Bird, flew out from between her eyebrows. With a clear cry, it transformed from its Little Red Bird form into a Vermilion Bird over three meters long.

The Secret Realm instantly began to tremble. Countless birds converged from all directions, flying toward the Vermilion Bird.

Ning Xuan lowered her head to look at her body, but she was suddenly overcome by a dizzying sensation. With a sudden WHOOSH, the world before her eyes changed. She lifted her hand and saw a sharp talon covered in brilliant feathers.