Chapter 21: Rise Up, Section 8

Return it? Or not?
Hei Fa was also hesitating.
To be honest, though he had never come across a Life Crystal before, its rarity and importance were self-evident given the attention it received from their mysterious master. But was its value only relevant to their Sicilian tribe, or was it important to all living beings?
Feeling the monkey’s gaze, Hei Fa shook his head slightly.
“We must give it back. If we want to analyze it, we definitely can’t do it now. At the very least, it’s enough for those madmen in the Black Prison to study for a while. So for now, it’s better to use it to gain tangible benefits.”
“But, boss, no one knows what this thing can be used for! What if it truly has irreplaceable value?” The monkey was stunned and quickly reminded him.
Hearing this, Hei Fa laughed. He waved his hand, carefully touched the Life Crystal, estimated its size, and then stood up.
“You’re right. No one knows what’s hidden within it. That’s why I don’t plan to give it all back. I estimated its volume to be about 1.5 cubic meters. Use the facilities here right away to see if you can cut off a portion—well, about 1 cubic meter. I’ll return the rest to that guy.”
Plundering? What a good idea…
The monkey immediately became happy and rushed to a corner of the room to get started. Soon, a section of the floor split open, revealing a sophisticated machine tool beneath. Countless tools of various sizes and shapes were arranged on either side of the machine, resembling fierce monsters.
Of course, these weren’t real monsters—they were small engineering machines essential on warships. Their capabilities might not be as powerful as those of large machines, but they were still quite good. Especially since Li Feng was a long-range assault ship designed with ultra-long-distance, supply-free voyages in mind, the equipment on board was naturally top-notch.
It could be said that as long as it wasn’t some extremely advanced mineral, this machine could not only cut and decompose it but also alter its molecular structure.
Without delay, Hei Fa and the monkey placed the intangible ore on the machine. They exchanged a smile. Suddenly, both felt a strange sensation—as if…
Committing theft?

The operation proceeded very quickly. In the time it took Blackhair to go outside for a cigarette, Monkey had already completed the basic analysis and started dividing the crystal. Dozens of robotic arms were busy around the invisible ore, occasionally firing bursts of blue energy. Monkey watched anxiously from the side, occasionally stepping in to make adjustments, his expression growing increasingly serious.

After what seemed like an eternity with no sign of progress, Monkey finally sighed deeply and stopped working.

“Boss, this thing is even harder than we thought. Direct cutting is impossible. With the current equipment, it’s utterly impossible to separate it—even pulse lasers or ion drills won’t work.”

“Yes. It’s really tough.” Blackhair threw away his cigarette and walked over to the machine tool. He had witnessed Monkey’s operations firsthand and was well aware of the hardness of this life crystal. It was hard to believe that in an era when diamonds could be handled carelessly, there still existed a material that retained such resilience. Any cutting method seemed like a joke in front of it.

“The energy field hasn’t changed either. It seems all our efforts were in vain. It hasn’t suffered any damage at all.” Monkey glanced at the display terminal beside the machine tool and sighed again.

“It seems we really have to give up on this method. What a shame.”

For some reason, Blackhair suddenly thought of that mysterious master and the words he had said. He repeated them softly.

“Your industrial waste is even more terrifying than the Element of Destruction…”

“What?” Monkey didn’t hear clearly and asked quickly.

“Nothing. I just suddenly thought maybe we’re looking in the wrong direction.” Blackhair touched the life crystal and then turned his head abruptly. “Monkey, stop using these advanced tools. Try corrosion-based methods—preferably those with toxins and pollutants. Of course, they must also be cleanable.”

“Huh? Okay…” Monkey was stunned but still followed Blackhair’s instructions and started operating again. This time, a joyful smile quickly appeared on his face.

“Haha. It worked! This crystal is afraid of pollution. It’s breaking down!”

Hearing this, Blackhair was overjoyed. Although he still couldn’t see the shape of the life crystal, since Monkey said so, it must mean the crystal’s energy field had changed. With that, splitting it wasn’t just a fantasy anymore.

Sure enough, in less than thirty minutes, a crisp sound suddenly came from the engineering workshop. Visibly, a ball of white light flashed on the machine tool before vanishing into nothingness. Monkey then reached out, picked up an intangible substance from the machine tool, and handed it to the black-haired man.
“Take it, boss. This is a 0.5 cubic meter crystal. It should be enough to fool that old guy. I’ve cleaned it up so he won’t notice anything unusual.”
“Not bad…” A faint smile finally appeared on the black-haired man’s face as he glanced at Monkey before turning and leaving the room.
It was already the next day when they returned to the mysterious planet. But this time, the black-haired man was well-prepared. Not only were all the mechs of elite grade, but there were also several times as many people as before. Besides the pirates who had always followed him, five major families also made up a large portion of the group. The little girl from the Beth family and the young boy from the Richard family were fully armed, their serious expressions looking quite amusing.
However, they didn’t encounter much trouble this time. The journey was almost like a leisurely outing. Soon, they arrived at the entrance of that cave again. Leaving two teams to guard the entrance, the black-haired man entered without looking back with the rest of his people.
A green light flashed, causing everything around them to darken and brighten. When visibility returned, they were once again in the middle of that vast square. The mysterious old man on the altar stepped down the stairs with a smile.
“Clang!” With a sharp sound, rows of gun muzzles were raised, aiming at this mysterious master. Many of those who came in with the black-haired man were visiting this place for the first time and were clearly overly nervous. It wasn’t until the black-haired man gave a signal that they slightly lowered their guns. Yet distrust and wariness still lingered in everyone’s eyes.
Seeing their expressions, the mysterious master’s face stiffened, and soon anger appeared on it.
“Humans are still humans—ignorant and rude no matter where they are. Young man, you’ve returned here so quickly and brought so many people. Have you really found the life crystal for me, or do you intend to use force?”
His words were rude, and even some experienced pirates could sense the hostility of this mysterious master. But since the black-haired man showed no reaction, they could only endure it. Still, everyone’s right hand unconsciously went to their backs, where their hidden weapons were.

Unlike the sons of the five great families, these pirates may not have received any formal training, but each of them was an old hand who had fought countless battles—extremely experienced. Their seemingly unorthodox tactics were often the most suitable for them, making them highly efficient. If that old man dared to strike, Hei Fa was sure it would be reduced to pieces in the blink of an eye.
Of course… as for whether it would die or not, that depended on its own strength.
Startled by his own thoughts, Hei Fa suddenly realized that, at some point, he had become so violent and cruel—willing to kill just for a little gain. Such behavior was no different from that of the Moors!?
For a moment, his mind was in turmoil like a tsunami, and he couldn’t even hear the calls of the monkeys around him. After a long while, his gaze cleared again. He waved his hand slightly to show he was fine.
“Elder. As per our agreement, I’ve brought back the Life Crystal,” Hei Fa said, causing the mysterious master across from him to cheer.
But when he saw what the two pirates had brought, his face twisted in disappointment.
“How!! How can there be so little!!! Life Crystal!! It can’t be a Life Crystal!!!”
His voice rose sharply, and the mysterious master’s face contorted in extreme frustration. The crushing disappointment after hope made him nearly lose his sanity. He stared intently at the intangible substance in the pirates’ hands, muttering to himself, “Impossible… absolutely impossible…”
“What’s impossible!?” Hei Fa was puzzled and pretended to be unaware, pressing for an explanation.
“Nonsense!! You know why! Humans!! There can’t be only this much Life Crystal. Did you hide some!!” The mysterious master was furious, his rage almost tangible. The ground within hundreds of meters around him trembled violently. His terrifying presence spread like a tsunami.
What a terrifying ability… The pirates around him immediately paled, stumbled backward, and were all pushed half a step away. Yet they didn’t hesitate—crackling sounds filled the air as guns appeared in their hands.
Hei Fa quickly raised his hand to stop their aggressive reaction. When he turned his head again, his confusion deepened.

“What do you mean by ‘hidden’? Father-in-law, I don’t understand what you’re talking about. In fact, I’m not even sure if this thing is a life crystal or not. But it was something we managed to get back after going through great danger. And to obtain it, we even encountered energy tides! Why didn’t you tell us about this from the start!?”
As he spoke, the black-haired man’s tone grew sharper, turning into an accusation.
The mysterious master’s expression froze instantly, as if he had swallowed a fly; his face showed extreme distress…