409: Chapter 409: Returning Newcomers

Ling Xi looked at him and was silent for a moment: "Qin Lin, do you know why I am called Ling Xi?"

Qin Lin shook his head: "I don't know."

Ling Xi looked at the starry sky outside the window: "Because the morning light is the beginning of a day, meant to welcome a new beginning."

Qin Lin looked at her: "Then what is this new beginning?"

Ling Xi turned her head to look at him: "It is you all. It is you, the women on The Ark, and the children. You are the new beginning."

Qin Lin looked at her without speaking.

He reached out and held her hand.

Ling Xi did not pull it back.

They stood on the Observation Tower, watching the starry sky outside the window. The night wind blew through her long hair, and she narrowed her eyes slightly, as if feeling the temperature of the wind, and also as if savoring the peace and tranquility of this moment.

The next day, The Ark arrived at the next planet in the star System.

It was a blue planet, its surface covered with vast bodies of water. There wasn't much land, but the concentration of Spiritual Qi was very high.

The System indicated that a third type of energy crystal might exist there.

Qin Lin decided to land on the planet to explore.

Qin Lin took Ling Xi and Shen Qingyi off the probe boat and stepped onto that blue beach.

The beach was silver-white, sparkling under the sunlight.

The seawater was deep blue and crystal clear.

There was a hint of saltiness in the air, like the ocean breeze brought by the wind.

Ling Xi walked barefoot on the beach; she could feel the energy fluctuations here.

"Qin Lin," she called to him, "the thing here is under the water."

Qin Lin walked to the seaside and looked into the water: "How deep?"

Ling Xi sensed it: "About twenty meters."

Just as Qin Lin was about to take off his jacket to go into the water, Ling Xi reached out to stop him: "No need, I can retrieve it."

She walked to the water's edge, crouched down, and reached her hand into the water.

The moment the seawater touched her fingers, it began to glow.

It was a cyan-blue light, shining up from the deep seabed, getting brighter and brighter.

It lasted for a long time before a fist-sized cyan-blue crystal rose from the bottom of the water and slowly landed in Ling Xi's palm.

The crystal emitted a soft glow, like a piece of solidified seawater.

Ling Xi stood up and looked at the crystal in her palm: "The third one; it is also very suitable for me."

Qin Lin looked at her: "How do you feel now?"

Ling Xi closed her eyes, feeling the energy in the crystal slowly merge into her body: "Very good. I feel like I am becoming more and more complete."

On The Ark, the women gathered together to look at the cyan-blue crystal in Ling Xi's palm.

Han Yurou reached out and touched it, feeling a cool breath seep into her body from her fingertips: "So comfortable."

Liu Ruyan also reached out and touched it: "Really, it's like being washed by water."

Su Yuran looked at Ling Xi: "Have you collected all three types of energy crystals now?"

Ling Xi nodded: "Three types: source crystal, purple crystal, and sea crystal. Together, they can allow me to restore a large part of my previous state."

Qin Lin looked at her: "Then what's next?"

Ling Xi looked at him: "Next, with the birth of the children, I will slowly recover and become more complete. Many Children, Many Blessings—for me, it really is Many Children, Many Blessings. The more children there are, the better I recover, and the safer The Ark becomes."

Qin Lin nodded: "Then we continue."

Ling Xi looked at him, the corners of her mouth curling up slightly: "Aren't you doing this for the task?"

Qin Lin thought for a moment: "It is for life, for the lives of everyone on The Ark."

After The Ark had been sailing in the new star System for a few days, the System scanning array made a new discovery.

Qin Lin was looking at the star map in the Bridge, while Ling Xi sat in the chair next to him, eyes closed, as if sensing something.

After a while, she opened her eyes: "There are survivors on the planet ahead, about thirty people, five of whom meet the requirements of the comprehensive rating."

Qin Lin looked at her: "How do you know?"

Ling Xi looked at him: "I can sense the fluctuations of life energy, and the System of The Ark is also bound to me. The energy distribution on that planet is uneven; there are places where it gathers, which means there are people."

Qin Lin pulled up the data from the scanning array, and sure enough, a light spot appeared on the holographic screen: "You're right, there really are."

He turned to look at Ling Xi: "Shall we go now?"

Ling Xi nodded: "Go. The sooner we go, the sooner we pick them up; the sooner we pick them up, the sooner we give birth."

Qin Lin was stunned for a moment: "The sooner we pick them up, the sooner we give birth? The way you put it..."

Ling Xi looked at him: "Am I wrong? With one more child born, The Ark becomes more stable, and my abilities can become stronger."

Qin Lin looked at her, not knowing what to say.

He always felt that Ling Xi's understanding of "giving birth to children" was different from his.

She treated it as a task, a task that could make The Ark better, without any emotional coloring.

"You're right," Qin Lin did not argue, "we'll go."

The Ark turned and flew toward that planet.

The images transmitted back by the probe showed that it was a gray-white planet, its surface covered with vast rocks and deserts. Vegetation was sparse, but the atmosphere was still present, and the temperature wasn't too low.

The survivors were hiding in an abandoned building, which looked like a small research station from before the apocalypse.

Qin Lin had The Ark land near the building and turned on the external speakers: "Those below... I am Qin Lin. I have food, water, and medical equipment. I can take you away from here. Those willing to board the ship, please step out."

The building's door opened, and a few people walked out.

They were dressed in tattered clothes, their faces weary and vigilant.

The leader was a middle-aged woman. Looking at The Ark, her eyes held suspicion: "Who are you?"

Qin Lin's voice came out of the speakers: "Good people. Come up and we'll talk."

The middle-aged woman hesitated for a moment, turned her head to discuss with the people behind her, and then nodded: "Okay, we'll come up."

Five people boarded the gangway one after another.

Qin Lin stood at the entrance, watching them walk into The Ark one by one.

The five women who met the comprehensive rating requirements were wearing tattered clothes and had dust on their faces, but it couldn't hide their delicate features.

The System prompt sounded in Qin Lin's ears.

[New passengers detected: 5]

[comprehensive rating: 91-95 points]

[Suggestion: Establish a Bond as soon as possible to complete the More Children, More Blessings Task]

Qin Lin closed the panel and looked at those five women. Some were curiously examining the interior of The Ark, some were nervously clutching their clothes, and some were whispering to each other. Their eyes held anticipation and unease, but all carried a sense of relief—the relief of "finally being saved."

Qin Lin had Shen Qingyi and Yun Shu take charge of arranging their accommodation and meals, while he returned to the Bridge to prepare to plan the next leg of the journey.

Ling Xi followed him in: "Aren't you going to talk to them?"

Qin Lin looked at her: "Go now? They just boarded the ship and haven't adapted yet."

Ling Xi sat down in the chair next to him: "Adaptation can come slowly, but the More Children, More Blessings Task cannot wait. The sooner a Bond is established, the sooner they get pregnant, and the sooner The Ark can gain new energy."