Chapter 66: Chapter 66: Arrival at the Central Star

"If it’s official business, why didn’t it stop over at the main city?"

"Are there any students who live near Xingluo Bay? Does anyone know what’s going on?" Their Xingluo Bay Middle and High Level Joint Academy had a long history and recruited from all over D618 Star, so not many students actually lived near Xingluo Bay!

They took a large Flying Car to the starship station, where they would transfer to a Starship! Ning Xuan had just passed her Advanced Alchemist certification, and the campus network was full of congratulatory posts about her, so she was recognized the moment she boarded the Flying Car!

"Hey, Ning Xuan, doesn’t she live near Xingluo Bay?"

"Ning Xuan, did you see that Starship over Xingluo Bay? Was it huge? Did you see anyone get off of it?" a bubbly, round-faced upperclassman girl asked familiarly!

"Whoa, look at the Star Network! A dragon appeared! It was over Xingluo Bay, too!" someone on the Flying Car shouted. Someone had uploaded a blurry photo to the Star Network. Amidst the thick clouds, a colossal creature was faintly visible. Even from a distance, you could feel its powerful, oppressive aura!

"A dragon? Was it someone from the Huajia of the Azure Dragon Clan? Let me see, let me see!" 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

"It’s a bit blurry, I can’t see it clearly. But it’s huge. The scales look black, but the shape doesn’t seem quite right..." a student said with a frown, his finger swiping across the screen, trying to find a clearer picture.

"Look at this one, this one’s clear—hey, where’d it go!" the person exclaimed, their face filled with disappointment.

He had just found a relatively clear picture, but just as he was about to take a closer look, the image suddenly vanished!

"Ah, I didn’t get to save it! Quick, see if anyone else can find it!"

"They’re gone. All of them are gone. The pictures have been taken down!" someone else said in disappointment, their voice full of regret.

"Could it have been a composite image? Why would someone from the Azure Dragon Clan come to a D-level Star?" The students on the Flying Car excitedly discussed the matter. Even though they hadn’t seen it with their own eyes, they were filled with a deep yearning for such immense power! They imagined the spectacular sight of a great dragon soaring through the sky, their hearts filled with awe!

"Ning Xuan, I’m asking you! Did you see anyone get off the Starship? Or did the dragon really appear?" Seeing Ning Xuan was lost in thought, the girl raised her voice and shouted!

Her shout was so loud that it instantly drew the attention of everyone on the Flying Car!

"I don’t know!" Ning Xuan didn’t know if the dragon they were talking about was Ying Yaoshi. She had been inside at the time and truly didn’t know how Ying Yaoshi had arrived. But one thing was certain: he hadn’t come with Yan Fuzhen!

"What don’t you know? That you don’t know if the dragon really appeared, or that you don’t know if anyone got off the Starship!" the girl pressed, digging for details!

Ning Xuan frowned, annoyed.

"Do you have too much time on your hands? Why all the questions?" Chen Nan stepped in front of Ning Xuan, shielding her and looking coldly at the round-faced girl!

The round-faced girl was taken aback by Chen Nan’s cold attitude. She froze for a moment, a flash of embarrassment on her face. She lowered her head and muttered under her breath, "I was just curious. No need to be so aggressive." A hint of grievance showed in her eyes, but she didn’t dare say anything more.

The others who had been watching the exchange also turned away. They had been training together for nearly a year and knew each other well. They were all curious about Ning Xuan, who had appeared so suddenly!

Principal Qi caught Chen Nan’s displeased look and stood up, walking over to restore order. "Alright students, we’re about to transfer to the Starship. In a moment, everyone will disembark in an orderly fashion. Team leaders, keep an eye on your team members. No pushing, stay with the group, and don’t fall behind!"

The Flying Car arrived at the starship station. Under the guidance of Principal Qi and several other teachers, the students began to disembark in an orderly manner.

Chen Nan stood behind Ning Xuan, one arm held slightly out, occasionally pushing away people who accidentally crowded them to ensure Ning Xuan wouldn’t get jostled!

Soon, they arrived at the starship station’s waiting hall. It was spacious and bright, with huge floor-to-ceiling windows that offered a panoramic view of the starry sky outside.

Ning Xuan looked around. The waiting hall wasn’t overly crowded, but it was very noisy. For many students, it was their first time on a Starship. They were all incredibly excited, pulling friends over to take pictures and eagerly starting video calls to show off to their families and friends.

The waiting hall was bustling with activity!

They waited for about three to five minutes when suddenly, a low, deep, and prolonged rumble echoed from the distance—the signal that the Starship was about to arrive.

"Everyone line up! Get ready to board!" Principal Qi called out!

The immense and magnificent Starship tore through the void, approaching from the far distance and gradually coming into focus. The Starship’s stop was very brief. Once the students had boarded quickly, it carried them off toward Central Star!

The journey from D618 Star to Central Star was long. It would take fourteen hours of flight, including three hyperspace jumps, to arrive!

Ning Xuan, now aboard the Starship, had no idea that just as she was boarding, Zhu Hongying and Lin Mo had coincidentally arrived on D618 Star. Lin Mo took Zhu Hongying to Ning Xuan’s house but couldn’t find her. He opened his Light Computer and tried to locate Ning Xuan’s information, only to find a single line of text: "Location query interfered. Please try again later!"

An hour later, Lin Mo learned from Dean Wang that Ning Xuan had already left for Central Star with the school’s leadership to participate in the unrestricted division of the alchemy competition!

He was just one step too late. If he had been just a little earlier, he would have caught Ning Xuan! A bitter feeling welled up in Lin Mo’s heart. Fortunately, to save time, they had used the Zhu Family’s private Starship to get here. Now, for the return trip, it was also much more convenient than taking a public Starship. He and Zhu Hongying boarded their Starship and headed for Central Star!

During the long journey, Ning Xuan flipped through the materials in her hand while playing with a cluster of dancing flames!

The secret to how Ning Xuan could prepare medicinal ingredients with a single hand lay in this cluster of flames. The fire was the innate attribute energy from her Companion Spirit, which was incredibly useful for alchemy!

Sitting beside her, Chen Nan peeled a bright yellow Fragrant Spirit Fruit, cut it into pieces, and fed one to Ning Xuan. A girl sitting behind Ning Xuan watched with a face full of envy. ’Instructor Chen is so good to Ning Xuan! If only I could find a Contractor like that!’

Fourteen hours later, the Starship slowly glided into a starship station in Central Star Main City. This station was one of Central Star’s busiest transportation hubs. Starships of all models landed and took off here, a nexus for travelers and cargo from every corner of the Federation.

The Starship’s hatch opened, and the students filed out. Although they were weary from the journey, their eyes sparkled with curiosity and anticipation for this new place.

On the platform, a middle-aged man was holding up a sign to greet them!