Train Survival: You're really trying to survive!

After dealing with the remaining parasites, Su Li returned to her train.

Qi Guohui and his team were still dealing with the parasite eggs. This relatively safe task had been entirely handled by Qi Guohui and his team.

Once he got home, he immediately felt a sense of relief.

Unlike her fellow passengers on the train, Su Li always felt a sense of estrangement from Qi Guohui and the others.

How should I put it? Whenever I think of Qi Guohui and his fellow members—social figures, soldiers, regimental commanders—I feel a sense of being suppressed by the bloodline of the head of the teaching department.

This has been a habit for many years. Although it doesn't affect Su Li in any way, it always makes Su Li feel a little awkward and uncomfortable.

"I miss the old days a bit. When exploring other worlds, all I had to think about was how to overcome difficulties and how to progress together with my companions."

Su Li complained to Sophia.

Sofia, head bowed, tied her scarf. "Yes, I don't like it either. Let's finish this trip quickly and then refocus on exploring the world."

The younger brother, Ivan, scratched his head and said, "I think it's alright."

Su Li and Sophia exchanged a glance and smiled at each other. It was clear that the younger brother had a slight tendency towards socializing, while Sophia and Su Li were not particularly fond of socializing.

"Whatever, I'm so hungry... Let's finish eating quickly so I can organize my notes." Song Mingyu slumped onto the dining table, the giant slime sprawled on the table, and Sophia's gaze immediately sharpened.

Su Li sat down opposite him. "Did you have a great day?"

“Yes, healing always requires practice. Without practice, you won’t understand many things.” Song Mingyu twirled the end of her slightly curly hair with her fingers. “But healing is not like magic or combat skills, which can be practiced anytime. It requires patients. I can’t expect you to injure yourselves.”

"I see... I'll see if I can find a solution when I get back." Su Li stroked her chin.

In terms of treatment, the more troublesome part is the delicate task of dispelling the foreign energy inside. This is something you can't do to yourself; you never know what hidden dangers it might leave behind.

After dinner, Su Li and the others either trained or organized their notes, and before long, it was the next day.

The next morning, Su Li left the train and met up with Zheng Hongyuan and the others.

Upon seeing Su Li and the others from afar, Zheng Hongyuan first sent a mental link and then said, "You've come at the right time."

As he spoke, he took out a prop.

Su Li took it and examined it closely. It was a crystal containing a black vortex that was constantly devouring light.

[Evacuate the Crystal]

Team consumables

[Open the portal in advance to evacuate the current world.]

[Cooldown: 5 exploration cycles]

While issuing orders through the manual, Zheng Hongyuan said, "Keep this item. If you find anything amiss, don't hesitate to use it to escape this world."

"But remember, this won't teleport you away directly. Instead, it will open a portal at the train door, just like a normal teleportation."

"Understood, I'll accept it." Su Li placed the item in her inventory and then asked, "Shall we begin the ritual now?"

"Preparations are underway. Meanwhile, our people are communicating with the Abyss Serpent."

Su Li looked into the distance. The head of the Abyss Serpent was now 3 kilometers away from them. Su Li saw several people talking to the Abyss Serpent.

Zheng Hongyuan was somewhat worried, "It all depends on whether the Abyss Serpent is willing to come with us. If it is, we can start the construction ceremony here at any time."

"You can succeed," Sofia reassured her.

“It’s hard to say,” Zheng Hongyuan retorted to Sophia. “These creatures think differently from us. If I were trapped in a fragment of a world on the verge of destruction, and someone offered to rescue me, I would most likely grab onto that lifeline.”

"But it's different for creatures like the Abyssal Serpent. They don't have much of a strong attachment to survival."

Su Li thought of a joke she'd seen online before and said, "Living is fine, dying is fine too?"

“Yes, that’s the mindset.” Zheng Hongyuan nodded. “Moreover, the entire ritual requires the cooperation of the Abyss Serpent to proceed, so we can only show goodwill first and then use dialogue to persuade it to leave.”

"Orochi cooperating?" Song Mingyu asked, somewhat puzzled. "Shouldn't we just teleport Orochi back to our world?"

"No, it's not that simple," Zheng Hongyuan explained. "What we need to do is help the Great Serpent return to its origin, and then, guided by the flame of civilization, bring the Great Serpent into our world, and finally use the flame of civilization to reshape the Great Serpent's form."

"So complicated?" Ivan exclaimed.

Zheng Hongyuan added, "It's very troublesome, but it's necessary."

"Why?" Ivan asked again.

"Let me ask you a question first. In your opinion, in this world, between the Abyss Serpent and the natives, who adapted to whom during evolution?" Zheng Hongyuan did not answer immediately, but instead asked a question.

Without hesitation, Ivan replied, "Naturally, it's the natives adapting to the giant serpent."

Because the Great Serpent is actually the pillar of the water element in this world, and can be said to be the creator of the ocean. The Great Serpent came first, then the ocean created by the Great Serpent, and only then did the native inhabitants of the ocean come into being.

“That’s right. The serpent won’t adapt to the natives; it’s the natives who adapt to the ocean created by the serpent.” Zheng Hongyuan affirmed Ivan’s words.

Ivan suddenly realized the key point and exclaimed, "Is it because the ocean created by the giant serpent is not suitable for humans?"

“You’re right.” Zheng Hongyuan nodded approvingly. “By bringing the giant serpent into our world, the end result will be that the giant serpent will continuously reshape our world and replicate its oceans into our world.”

"We have already confirmed with the Great Serpent that the ocean it created is actually alkaline and contains corrosive magical energy. Such seawater is completely unsuitable for human survival. We have conducted simulations and found that if we live in such an ocean environment for a long time, our abilities in other elements will be weakened by the corrosive magical energy, while our water element will be fully strengthened. Furthermore, snake scales will grow on our bodies, and we will gradually become snake people or mermaids."

"So we need to help the serpent reshape its body and its ocean, making it less invasive."

Su Li and the others nodded, realizing there was another way. They had previously thought they could simply take the giant snake back.

In simple terms, it involves reverting the [Sea Abyss Serpent - Local Form] to the [Sea Abyss Serpent], and then evolving it into the [Sea Abyss Serpent - Blue Star Form].

As they were talking, a message came from the other end. Zheng Hongyuan looked at the manual and then frowned.

"This is troublesome." Zheng Hongyuan closed his eyes and shut the manual.

"What's wrong?" Su Li asked.

"Because of the kindness we showed each other when we helped the giant snake get rid of the parasites, the giant snake agreed to our request and was willing to go to Earth with us. But he still has some things he wants to leave behind and hopes that we can go to a certain place to retrieve some things for him."