185: Survival in ruins and "oxygen mushrooms"

Starry Sky Debris, "Starting Platform".

Wen Youyi and the others lay sprawled like refugees on the cold metal ground; the aftereffects of the teleportation left them dizzy and in great pain.

Even worse was the environment—no air, no water source, only the cold vacuum and the omnipresent Star Power carrying an aura of decay.

"Cough, cough... Boss, I... I can't catch my breath..." Zhao Iron Pillar said with difficulty, his face turning blue as he clutched his neck.

The situation for the others was no better; Cultivators at the Qi Refinement Stage could not yet fully escape their dependence on air.

Wen Youyi himself felt chest tightness and shortness of breath, but he forced himself to remain calm. As the backbone of the team, he could not be the first to lose his composure.

"Circulate your basic internal breathing techniques! Try to minimize consumption! Senior Brother Wang, check the supplies we brought!" Wen Youyi ordered in a hoarse voice.

Wang Wu struggled to open the simple storage box he carried with him, which was crafted from scraps of star iron. Inside were only a few meager items: a few bottles of low-grade Medicinal Pill, some compressed spiritual food, a few Low-Grade Spirit Stone, and... several packets of Seed wrapped in special oil paper.

"The food and Medicinal Pill will last at most three days... there's almost no water..." Wang Wu's face turned even paler.

An atmosphere of despair began to spread. They had finally escaped, only to be suffocated or starved to death in these ruins?

Wen Youyi's gaze, however, fell upon those few packets of Seed. These were experimental products that Senior Brother Zhang had previously hybridized using "star moss" and several tenacious spiritual plants. It was said they could sprout in extreme environments, and he had originally intended to test them in the "back garden."

Better to try than to give up!

He picked up a packet of spore labeled "stubborn stone fungus" and walked to the edge of the "Starting Platform". There was a tiny crack here, and one could vaguely feel a trace of extremely faint water vapor (possibly condensed water brought in when the channel was opened previously).

Wen Youyi carefully sprinkled the spore at the crack, then circulated the little remaining spiritual power in his body, mixing it with the dense Star Power surrounding him, and slowly injected it into the spore.

He did not know if it would work; this was just an attempt based on biological common sense.

Time passed second by second, and everyone's breathing became increasingly difficult.

Just as Zhao Iron Pillar was about to faint, Wang Wu suddenly pointed at the crack and shouted in surprise: "Look! It's growing!"

Everyone looked in the direction he pointed, and saw that at the crack, several gray-white, inconspicuous little mushrooms like stones had actually sprouted! Even more miraculously, the caps of these mushrooms were releasing a faint, grass-scented... oxygen, at a speed visible to the naked eye!

"It's 'stubborn stone fungus'! It really lived! And it's producing air!" Wen Youyi was wild with joy! Senior Brother Zhang was truly a Genius!

Although the oxygen produced by these few little mushrooms was limited, it at least proved the possibility of planting crops and creating survival resources here!

"Quick! Plant all the Seed! Find every place that might have water vapor or residual energy!" Wen Youyi immediately ordered.

The instinct to survive drove everyone to take action. Enduring their discomfort, they searched the "Starting Platform" for any place where plants might survive. Cracks, depressions, and even rusted spots on metal surfaces became their experimental fields.

"star moss" was planted, and under the nourishment of Star Power, it soon began to glow with blue-purple starlight. Not only did it stably release oxygen, but it also seemed to be able to slightly purify the decaying energy in the surroundings.

Another type of spiritual plant Seed called "Iron Wire Vine" was planted in an area rich in metal debris; it actually began to absorb metal elements and grow tough vines, which might be used in the future to secure items or even build simple structures.

Hope, like these few fragile plants, tenaciously poked its head out in these dead, silent ruins.

Wen Youyi watched the busy crowd and the expanding green (and blue, and gray) areas, and let out a long sigh of relief. Although it was just a drop in the bucket, at least they saw the possibility of surviving.

He walked to the edge of the platform and looked at the huge debris and broken stars in the distance, a surge of heroic spirit rising in his heart.

"There is no 'spirit net' here to drain our power, no 'Scavenger' to hunt us down, and no petty scheming like that of Black Sha."

"What we have is just these ruins waiting for us to reclaim, and infinite possibilities!"

"We will establish a new order here with our own hands!"

He turned around and said loudly to the busy companions: "From today on, we are no longer any Mutual Aid Society, nor are we Qingxuan Sect Disciple!"

"We are—Starfire! In these Starry Sky Debris, a Starfire that vows to start a prairie fire!"

Zhao Iron Pillar waved his fist, and although his face was still a bit blue, he roared the loudest: "A single spark can start a prairie fire!"

Wang Wu and the others also felt hot blood surging in their chests, and they responded in unison: "A single spark can start a prairie fire!"

The weak but firm voices echoed for a long time in these silent Starry Sky Debris. (End of Chapter)