Lin Qianyi wasn't sure whether the environment was affecting him too.
But he did feel that, under these circumstances, it was indeed hard to control one's thoughts.
Even though he knew full well that the suspension bridge posed no threat to him still, it affected him.
He considered himself quite good at enduring loneliness.
But without the internet, no phone, and almost zero other entertainment, it was hard not to feel aimless and lost.
On a reef near the seaside, Lin Qianyi and Reina sat side by side.
It was the best place Lin Qianyi had found to watch the sunset.
He came here every day, rarely missing a single one. He hadn't even brought Su Mandong here before.
This was a joy he kept for himself, even if others probably wouldn't care.
After all, a sunset is a sunset, no matter where you view it from.
But today, Lin Qianyi made an exception.
Watching it with someone else… seemed to hold a different flavor.
Lin Qianyi said, "Let me show you a magic trick."
"Huh?"
Reina didn't understand.
Suddenly, Lin Qianyi reached his hand toward the setting sun in the distance. The moment he "touched" the sun's outline, he clenched his fist and pulled out a self-heating meal box.
"For you," Lin Qianyi said.
Reina accepted the beautifully packaged green pepper shredded pork rice box, still a bit dazed.
She looked at Lin Qianyi in shock and awe.
"I told you, I'd get you out of here," Lin Qianyi said with a confident smile.
Before, Reina might've thought he was just trying to comfort her. But now, she suddenly realized that his words seemed far more believable.
No. She believed Lin Qianyi could actually do it.
"Yeah...I believe you," Reina nodded through tears.
A little while later, with Lin Qianyi's help, she too began eating the green pepper pork rice from the Federation.
Noticing his craving glances, Reina shared her meal with him.
Lin Qianyi had a complicated feeling in his heart.
If he went back and told people he got two beautiful women with just two meal boxes, no one would believe it.
Still... could the Main God have even predicted this too?
Was he being paranoid?
Whatever. Blame the Main God.
Even though he thought so, Lin Qianyi didn't dare say it out loud.
This Main God had already been generous.
He was basically profiting and still complaining.
That night, Reina came to Lin Qianyi's little wooden hut.
He hesitated briefly, then chose to be a beast rather than less than one.
He really hated emotional tug-of-war.
With the moon that full if you still didn't get the hint, maybe you deserved to be ignored.
---
The next day.
Reina didn't come out of Lin Qianyi's hut at all.
Su Mandong looked amused, Zhou Hong gave Lin Qianyi a thumbs-up.
He Yanghui opened his mouth as if to say something but only sighed and went back to work.
In this kind of environment, he couldn't exactly preach or scold Lin Qianyi.
---
In the days that followed, Lin Qianyi's life became more routine.
Eat Poseidon Grass, train, build the ship, hammer things.
Sometimes, Su Mandong and Reina would take turns helping at night.
But both on the same night? That hadn't happened yet. They were still too shy.
Even if it was a bit frequent, Lin Qianyi never let it interfere with work. As long as it was safe, it was fine.
---
Day 61.
He harvested a new Poseidon Grass.
Trait: Effect Boost.
> [Effect Boost: Enhances the Poseidon Grass's natural properties.]
Though not as good as "Double Effect," it was still a solid trait.
Lin Qianyi treated it like a supplement and, as usual, trained afterward.
"Sanbao Ruyi Routine", all 48 moves flawlessly executed.
When he finished the full set, he still had energy left.
He started doing it again.
He could clearly feel his body breaking past its limits.
He completed 5 more moves from the second set.
Altogether 53 movements.
Even his real body in the Federation couldn't do that.
Back there, one full set was already the limit.
Now, he could truly feel the Poseidon Grass pushing his physical limits.
[Interference Level: 81]?
In the Federation, only those who surpassed 80 were considered to have officially entered the "Extraordinary" realm.
That meant adapting to more complex environments and evolving quickly.
In that regard, Poseidon Grass might even surpass Marrow-Cleansing Grass.
(Unless you found a mutated version, Marrow-Cleansing Grass could only help build a foundation. It did nothing once you hit your limit.)
Poseidon Grass could break past it.
That said, Lin Qianyi's current usage was crude.
No refining, no specialized training, limited research he was basically eating it like a stamina pill.
In the Land of Taiyi, the path to transcendence wasn't a trial-and-error field it was a mature discipline.
Technically, he should've studied the herb, analyzed data, conducted experiments, and then optimized human trials.
Instead, he was just chewing on divine herbs like they were cabbage.
It satisfied hunger, sure, but didn't bring out even half the potential.
But he had no better options now this was the best he could manage.
---
Day 71.
Another Poseidon Grass harvest.
Still average quality, with a new trait: Corrosion Boost.
> [Corrosion Boost: Greatly increases the corrosive power of its juice.]
A negative boost, in some ways.
A single drop could blacken wood instantly way worse than before.
Even Lin Qianyi wouldn't dare eat it straight.
He decided to keep it for possible future use.
---
Day 81.
Yet another regular Poseidon Grass.
Trait: Delicious.
Just made it taste better.
Minor benefit. Lin Qianyi always swallowed it without chewing anyway.
By now, their raft was almost complete.
But Lin Qianyi was still refining the details.
Truthfully, he was stalling.
If they left now and something went wrong, his mission wouldn't be considered complete.
So he planned to set off on the final day.
The others weren't busy anymore either. They just made ropes, Poseidon Pills, and small crafts.
The big raft looked like a square, open box with railing all around.
One end was shaped like a ship's bow.
Their lifeboat had been repurposed as a sail, now rolled up on a simple mast.
No one knew how long they'd drift at sea.
Food, freshwater, cold currents there were many risks.
That's why no one opposed Lin Qianyi's delay.
They truly did need more preparation.
But when the time came they'd have to go.
---
Day 90. Morning.
Smoke rose. The wind was strong.
Under the raft, logs were already arranged.
Lin Qianyi, Zhou Hong, and He Yanghui stood at the front, thick ropes on their shoulders.
Reina and Su Mandong pushed from behind.
"One, two, three go!"
Creak !
Muscles bulged on Lin Qianyi's body as power flowed through the ropes. Logs rolled, and the massive raft began to move.
"One, two, three go!"
His shoes already repaired twice were falling apart.
"One, two, three go!"
Rumble~!
Down the slope it went, rolling rapidly toward the sea.
Lin Qianyi jumped aside, pulled the rope, climbed aboard, then leapt to the shore post to tie the raft down so it wouldn't drift away.
"All right everyone aboard," Lin Qianyi said.
He Yanghui, missing his family, was first on board. Zhou Hong followed.
Reina and Su Mandong looked back at the smoke and huts, exchanged a glance with Lin Qianyi, then boarded.
After they were all up, Lin Qianyi ran aboard too, and with a slash, cut the rope.
The wind filled their sail, and the raft began to speed across the sea.
Looking back at the island, Lin Qianyi felt a strange melancholy.
His soul felt like it had been purified.
He couldn't help but shout:
"I came, I saw, I conquered!!"
Conquer nature?
Yes, but more than that
Lin Qianyi felt a change in mindset.
After this long period, he now believed that no matter the difficulty ahead, he could face it and solve it.
No more fear of hardship. No more dread of the unknown.
Because he knew he'd overcome it.
The others, infected by his energy, shouted too.
"We finally made it out..." Zhou Hong said.
He was anxious uncertain what awaited them after they left.
Even though Su Mandong promised help via her company he still worried.
But leaving this desolate place was worth celebrating.
"We're going home!" He Yanghui said.
"Home..."
Reina looked at the sea, then at Lin Qianyi and Su Mandong wondering how their relationship would evolve.
"We'll come back," Su Mandong said not looking at the sea, but at the island.
Her eyes were full of ambition.
She'd remember this place and return to claim it.
As the island's silhouette faded, everyone calmed down.
Lin Qianyi tracked time.
He had arrived just before noon on Day 1.
According to the Main God's clock, he had only a few hours left.
At first, everyone chatted, dreaming of the future.
Then, only monotony.
The sea was endless and unchanging.
He Yanghui navigated based on the stars, time, and latitude even without a compass.
Lin Qianyi suddenly felt the Main God's setup was tightly interconnected.
If he hadn't ensured the team's survival, the difficulty would've skyrocketed.
He Yanghui provided navigation, Zhou Hong was dependable labor, Reina offered medical support.
Even Su Mandong played an irreplaceable role.
Three months and no one got sick.
Poseidon Grass probably played a part.
Time passed. The sun blazed overhead.
Then a distant ship horn.
A short, then a long blast.
He Yanghui had explained: it meant "stay as you are" to nearby vessels.
Lin Qianyi stood up and in the distance saw a massive cargo ship approaching.
"There's a ship!" He Yanghui exclaimed.
He waved his shirt to signal but it was obvious they'd already been spotted.
"Wooooo~!!"
The ship responded.
"We're saved! We're really saved!!" Reina cried, holding Lin Qianyi's hand.
Su Mandong, equally excited, squeezed his hand tightly.
Lin Qianyi smiled and returned the grip holding both their hands.
Suddenly, time froze.
---
> [Trial Challenger has completed the mission "Survival Expert" survive three months on the island: +100 points.]
[Trial Challenger has completed the mission "All Members Survive" keep all four companions alive: +300 points.]
[Initial Trial Mission Complete. Preparing to transfer to the Trial Space…]