Chapter 00057: Dependence
# Dependence
Chapter 57
Novel: After the Myth
Chapter 57: Dependence
"If Yiyi gets hungry..."
Yan Quan said cautiously.
Ding Huan explained, "Yiyi only needs to be fed nutrient solution once every three days. She doesn't need to eat right now. All the nutrient solution is stored here, and I'll feed her when the time comes."
Seeing that Yan Quan still seemed hesitant, Qu Yonghe quickly added, "Alright, we'll listen to Teacher Ding."
After saying this, he took the initiative to pull Yan Quan away.
Ding Huan wasn't entirely at ease with Qu Yi.
By cultivating here, he could keep an eye on her and handle any emergencies promptly.
Moreover, he knew that this was the most critical time for Qu Yi's recovery.
Even if there was no noise, the constant coming and going of people wouldn't be ideal.
At this moment, Qu Yi was like a fragile piece of porcelain that could shatter at the slightest touch.
What she needed wasn't meticulous care but absolute quiet.
Looking at Qu Yi lying quietly on the hospital bed, Ding Huan silently vowed to do everything in his power to help her recover.
Having not rested properly for several days, Ding Huan felt an overwhelming exhaustion as soon as he relaxed.
Instead of resting, he began cultivating the Luo Shi Scripture.
Two days passed in the blink of an eye.
When Ding Huan woke from his meditation, he noticed that Qu Yi's aura had grown much stronger than before.
He immediately went to check on her.
"Are you the doctor who saved me?" Qu Yi's voice was almost inaudible.
As a second-level gene cultivator, Ding Huan could hear her clearly.
He nodded and said, "Don't worry. Just focus on recovering, and your injuries will heal soon."
"I can't see," Qu Yi said, her voice filled with fear and unease.
"Trust me, I'll make sure you can see the beauty of this world again," Ding Huan said softly.
"Okay," Qu Yi replied, her breathing calming down.
Ding Huan's words resonated deeply within her, touching something profound in her heart.
In a world where survival was harsh and people constantly teetered on the edge of life and death, morality became fragile.
Evil, oppression, and killing were everywhere, and trust between people was scarce...
Yet, Qu Yi always believed that there was still beauty in the world, as long as one looked for it.
The warriors who fought desperately to protect human cities, battling gene beasts and drenched in blood.
The scholars who worked day and night to research survival genes, striving to make humanity stronger.
The students who worked hard to enter the top ten academies of Blue Star, contributing their strength to protect Earth.
She had heard that the mortality rate among students in the top ten academies exceeded fifty percent, yet countless people still aspired to enter them.
Perhaps they wanted to become strong, but more likely, like her, they wanted to use that strength to protect Earth and humanity.
And then there was the blood-red sunset that could be seen every day after the environment mutated...
These were the things she considered beautiful, the beauty of the world she could see.
After giving Qu Yi a dose of nutrient solution, Ding Huan took out the Spiritual Root Gene Potion.
He took a deep breath and said, "Qu Yi, this is a very important potion for you. Keep your emotions steady and drink it."
Qu Yi obediently drank the potion from Ding Huan's hand.
If she were still at Ruiqi Hospital, she wouldn't have believed anything about what was important or not, because she knew she was dying.
But now, she could clearly feel her body slowly recovering, getting better and better.
Half an hour later, Ding Huan asked softly, "Qu Yi, how do you feel?"
"There are waves of heat flowing through my body, and I feel much lighter," Qu Yi replied.
Ding Huan clenched his fist.
This was a sign of the gene spiritual root forming, but Qu Yi's reaction seemed weak.
Could it be that she couldn't form a gene spiritual root?
Just then, he heard Qu Yi let out a painful groan, and beads of cold sweat appeared on her forehead.
"It feels like I'm being burned by fire, as if my entire body is engulfed in flames. These flames are burning inside me..."
Qu Yi's voice was intermittent, as if it might disappear at any moment.
"Don't worry, this is normal. Just endure it a little longer," Ding Huan comforted her.
He was anxious.
First, he wasn't sure if the spiritual root gene he had refined from his own blood could be used by Qu Yi.
Second, he didn't know if Qu Yi could fuse with another spiritual root gene if this one failed.
"Okay," Qu Yi said, gritting her teeth against the excruciating pain.
Her hand gripped Ding Huan's wrist tightly.
Even though Qu Yi had been on the brink of death for over half a month, her body so frail it seemed a gust of wind could blow her away, she summoned a powerful will to survive under the flames that threatened to consume her from within.
Ding Huan's wrist was scratched by her nails, and blood began to flow.
Two hours passed before Qu Yi finally fell asleep.
Ding Huan let out a sigh of relief.
The most critical moment had passed.
Whether Qu Yi had formed a gene spiritual root would have to wait until tomorrow when he cultivated the Luo Shi Scripture again.
"Are you Teacher Ding?" Qu Yi's weak voice woke Ding Huan, who had been resting by her bedside.
Ding Huan felt a pang of guilt.
He had actually fallen asleep by her bed.
"It's me. Don't worry, I'll make sure you recover," Ding Huan said gently, patting Qu Yi's hand.
"I'm sorry, Teacher Ding..."
Qu Yi's voice trembled.
She hadn't wanted Qu Fei to call Ding Huan, but they had done so anyway.
Ding Huan was in danger.
The Gene Alliance was still hunting him, and if they found out he was here, he wouldn't be able to escape.
She also remembered that she might have scratched Ding Huan's wrist yesterday.
Carefully, she took his hand and gently touched his wrist, relieved when she didn't feel any wounds.
"No, it's my fault. I didn't take good care of you."
Ding Huan truly felt guilty.
He had thought that by dealing with the two people collecting information on Qu Yi and destroying the notebook, she would be safe.
In reality, Qu Yi had almost died in Puhai.
Qu Yi's nose tingled, and she stared blankly at Ding Huan.
Even though her eyes were empty and she couldn't see, she wanted to ask Ding Huan why he was being so kind to her.
She wasn't the kind of girl whose beauty would stop people in their tracks, nor did she have any particularly outstanding qualities.
"Qu Yi, follow me in cultivating now. The technique I'm teaching you is called the Luo Shi Scripture..."
Ding Huan didn't give Qu Yi much time to think.
He was eager to find out if Qu Yi had formed a gene spiritual root.
Qu Yi nodded vigorously.
Ding Huan began teaching Qu Yi about acupoints, meridians, and the concept of the Zhou Tian cycle.
Fortunately, Qu Yi was a student at Qinghe University and had already studied the human body's acupoints and meridians systematically.
With just a few reminders from Ding Huan, she quickly understood, avoiding many awkward questions.
To Ding Huan, Qu Yi was the most important person in his life, but she wasn't his lover.
Some actions had to be avoided to maintain propriety.
When Qu Yi began her first Zhou Tian cycle, a faint warmth rose from her dantian.
Excitedly, she said, "Teacher Ding, I feel a warm energy staying in my dantian..."
"And then?" Ding Huan asked, his voice rising with excitement.
"After the second Zhou Tian cycle, that energy seems to have grown a bit stronger," Qu Yi replied.
"Good. Stop cultivating for now. I'll teach you the rest of the Luo Shi Scripture," Ding Huan said, letting out a long breath.
The most important thing was that Qu Yi had formed a gene spiritual root.
Qu Yi had an excellent memory.
It only took Ding Huan an hour to teach her the entire Luo Shi Scripture, including explanations.
"Qu Yi, advancing in the Luo Shi Scripture might be difficult later on. I've only just started cultivating it myself. This technique is extremely valuable, so don't teach it to anyone else," Ding Huan instructed.
He knew that even if Qu Yi did teach it to someone, no one else would be able to cultivate it.
The Luo Shi Scripture was too significant, and he didn't want Qu Yi to cause unnecessary trouble by sharing it.
"Okay, I won't tell anyone, no matter who asks," Qu Yi agreed.
She believed that since this was Ding Huan's possession, she should respect his wishes.
"If someone insists on asking, teach them another technique called the Thousand Meridians Gene Formula. It's what I taught to three students at Yujiang University. I also taught them a basic boxing technique called the Foundation Long Fist. If you ever get the chance, you can go to the Great Han Yi Academy and find Fang Chong. He can teach you the Foundation Long Fist."
Ding Huan planned to teach Qu Yi the Thousand Meridians Gene Formula as well.
The Foundation Long Fist required practice and instruction, which Qu Yi wasn't ready for at the moment.
Hearing Ding Huan's words, Qu Yi was stunned.
She had thought that the technique Ding Huan had taught her earlier was the same one he had taught the three students at Yujiang University.
Now she realized that what he had given her was far more precious.
"Teacher Ding, why are you..."
Qu Yi couldn't help but ask.
She truly didn't know Ding Huan, yet he had done more for her than a lover would.
This made her feel as if Ding Huan was a long-lost lover who had finally returned.
"Don't speak. Focus on memorizing the Thousand Meridians Gene Formula," Ding Huan's voice interrupted her thoughts, stopping her from asking further.
Qu Yi pushed aside her tangled emotions and began memorizing the Thousand Meridians Gene Formula.
Another hour passed before Qu Yi said, "Brother Ding, I've memorized it all."
She felt that calling Ding Huan "Teacher" created an invisible distance between them.
"Good. Next, I'll teach you some minor spells. These include Wind Blade, Fireball, Wind Control, and Dust Removal... You just need to memorize these spells for now. They involve the use of internal energy, incantations, and hand seals. You won't be able to use them yet, but once you reach the first level of gene cultivation, you can start practicing them," Ding Huan continued.
Spells? Qu Yi was momentarily stunned.
She understood and accepted cultivation, as gene cultivation wasn't a secret on Earth.
But spells seemed to carry a mythical quality.
She had never heard of anyone using spells before.
As Ding Huan began explaining, she focused her mind and tried to memorize everything.
She had a premonition that Ding Huan was preparing to teach her everything he knew before leaving her.
This thought filled her with fear and unease.
In just a few days, she had developed a deep dependence on Ding Huan.
She didn't want him to leave, but she couldn't bring herself to say it.
(End of Chapter)