The stirring caused by the Mental Consciousness reverberated within the treasure vault. As Hai Tang was heading out, she sensed something and immediately stopped, looking at Lu Ye with confusion. Lu Ye still looked up at the top, and shouted again, "Come out!" In the area within his line of sight, a mass of mist appeared out of thin air. It was the same mist as when the treasure vault first opened, just like before. The mist twisted, and a sinister voice came out from it, "What is it?" "Senior!" Lu Ye first bowed, then opened his mouth again, "Junior would like to confirm something with Senior, and I ask for Senior's permission." A voice came from the mist, sounding a bit impatient, "Speak!" Lu Ye said, "Senior previously said, since Junior has passed the test of the Ghost Ship, I can freely choose one thing from this ship to take away. Is that correct?" Thıs text ıs hosted at 𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹✶𝗳𝗶𝗿𝗲✶𝗻𝗲𝘁 The mist said, "Exactly so, then... have you made your choice?" Lu Ye nodded, "I have chosen." "Since you have chosen, just take it, there's no need to ask me. But you only have one chance; so... is the Treasure Bead in front of you your choice?" Lu Ye looked down at the Treasure Bead on the stone platform before him, slowly shook his head, and then raised his head. He pointed with his hand towards Hai Tang, who was looking this way with a puzzled expression, "I choose her!" Hai Tang was full of astonishment. Behind Hai Tang, the many crew members standing outside the treasure vault were momentarily stunned, then their expressions twisted, and the sound of ghostly wails and wolf howls erupted from that direction, as if they were extremely dissatisfied with Lu Ye's choice. Even the mist within the treasure vault twisted and shifted more rapidly now, no longer as calm and collected as before, and instead seemed a bit angry, "Impossible!" Lu Ye was leisurely ready, "Is Senior intending to break your word? Junior just confirmed with Senior, since the rules are , may I ask, is Senior Sister Hai Tang not a part of the ship?" A reluctant and unwilling voice came from the mist, "Yes!" "Since she is, then I can choose her, unless Senior intends to renege!" Lu Ye fixed his gaze on the direction of the mist, his expression firm. "No buts!" Lu Ye rudely interrupted the mist, as for whether this would lead to any dire consequences, the various encounters on the Ghost Ship taught him one thing: although this place is bizarre and dangerous, as long as you act within the rules, there is no problem. When the mist appeared earlier, it told him the rules for selecting treasure from the vault, so Lu Ye's decision at this moment neither broke nor stepped outside of those rules. He was quite sure the mist would most likely be unable to refuse him. Of course, whether it would work or not, he had to give it a shot! If he hadn't noticed it, that would be one thing, but since he did, his conscience wouldn't let him rest unless he tried. Having been interrupted by Lu Ye, the mist seemed to suffer a sort of difficulty, twisting and turning violently, before finally speaking again after quite a while, "Boy, do you know what kind of treasure the Treasure Bead before you is?" "I don't know!" Lu Ye truthfully shook his head. "This bead is called the Dayan Spirit Pearl, it can help you..." "I don't listen, I don't listen!" Lu Ye raised his hand to cover his ears, shaking his head repeatedly. Of course, covering his ears was just a gesture and had no real effect, so he also sealed off his Divine Sense. The mist shook with fury! Over the years, whether deliberately or unintentionally, many cultivators have drifted to the Ghost Ship. Not to mention those who didn't complete the trial, there are always some who have. Yet, among those who passed the test, which one hasn't been overwhelmed by the choices in this treasure vault? And yet, it's this boy's turn; when I am about to tell him the many marvelous uses of the Dayan Spirit Pearl, he refuses to listen? After quite a while, Lu Ye reopened his Divine Sense, and immediately the voice of the mist came to his ears, "Not to mention anything else, if you were to sell the Dayan Spirit Pearl, its value is at least a million spirit jade. Now, do you realize its tremendous value?" The mist evidently awaited this moment, having no time to explain the Dayan Spirit Pearl's uses to Lu Ye directly, it just told him its appraised value. Of course, a million spirit jade is merely a valuation standard; in stellar space, such treasures are typically priceless beyond the market value. Yet Lu Ye showed no sign of being moved, still stubbornly staring at the mist, "I choose her, just tell me if it works or not!" Outside the treasure vault, the ghostly wails and wolf howls grew increasingly louder. Qin Zong and the others all had distorted expressions, and by the looks of it, if they weren't constrained from entering the treasure vault, they'd likely rush in to tear him apart. These crew members have always been a part of the Ghost Ship, eager to see someone else end up in the same situation as they are, yet unwilling to see anyone escape from the Ghost Ship. The mist stopped trembling and its voice became much calmer, "Boy, are you sure about making this choice?" "I am sure!" Lu Ye nodded heavily. "Hehehe..." the mist began to shake, as if very happy, "What an interesting boy. In all these years, never before has anyone been like you, truly opening one's eyes!" The voice became solemn, "Since this is the case, take her with you!" Lu Ye, who initially adopted a try-it-out attitude, did not expect to actually succeed. He immediately gave a solemn bow, "Thank you, Senior. Please forgive the earlier rudeness!" Turning around, he took bold strides towards Hai Tang, who was standing there at a loss. Since the mist reappeared, and upon hearing Lu Ye's request, Hai Tang was dumbfounded. She never thought Lu Ye would make such a request at the last moment; she never thought she still had hope of escaping the Ghost Ship! From the day she fell into this place and failed the test, she knew her life would end here. She would gradually weaken here until she vanished entirely, becoming nourishment for the Ghost Ship. She wouldn't even become a part of the Ghost Ship like Qin Zong and other crew members; the day she disappears, she would leave no trace in this world. She had already mentally prepared herself. The warnings and information she shared with Lu Ye were just out of a willingness to help where she could, without expecting anything else, accepting her fate as someone doomed to die. She hadn't expected such a turn of events at the last moment. When Lu Ye made the request, she doubted her own ears, but when he began to verbally confront the mist, she felt so grateful she almost cried. At this moment, seeing Lu Ye approaching her, Hai Tang could no longer hold back, tears slid from the corner of her eyes as she sobbed, "Junior Brother Lu..." "Let's talk outside. Let's go!" Lu Ye called to her, placing a hand on the hilt of the Boulder Mountain Saber, his figure steady, ready to spring into action. The mist had agreed to let him take Hai Tang out, but there were some troubles at the vault's exit. Qin Zong and those others looked like specters, eager to eat him alive. However, restricted by rules, they could not step into the vault; still, he had to deal with this situation to get out! Hai Tang clearly sensed something amiss as well and quickly followed behind Lu Ye, focusing her spirit force, preparing herself. Yet what surprised Lu Ye was that as he continued to approach, the state of Qin Zong and others changed. The sound of wailing and lament quickly vanished, and the sinister expressions on the faces of many crew members blocking the vault entrance turned into gentle smiles. Their gazes at Lu Ye carried strong approval and admiration, while their looks at Hai Tang transformed into envy. What are these guys up to? Lu Ye didn't relax his vigilance, stepping out of the vault door and stopping in front of Qin Zong and others, the long saber slightly unsheathed by half an inch! Qin Zong didn't say anything; he simply stepped forward and gently patted Lu Ye's shoulder before turning into a wisp of fog. Next was Xiao Jianming, then Xu Qingwei... One crew member after another stepped forward, seemingly bidding Lu Ye a final farewell. Lu Ye vaguely understood; these crew members did not want to see Hai Tang escape the Ghost Ship, so when he made the request, their malice was apparent. At the same time, their behavior blocking the vault door was likely their final test for him. Having chosen resolutely to take Hai Tang away, they couldn't stop him. Being forever integrated with the Ghost Ship, they had long since become part of it. Now, all they had was admiration for Lu Ye and envy towards Hai Tang. Not everyone can forsake the valuable treasures in the vault to take away an insignificant crew member. Deep down, they too might have hoped for such a thing, hoping that one day, someone else would take one of them away. The complexity of human nature is ever-present. The dense mist spreads, just like the scene when Lu Ye fell into the Ghost Ship, invisible to the naked eye and undetectable with Divine Sense. A sinister sound unique to the mist reached Lu Ye's ears, "Little one, over the years, you're the first to make such a choice, you're quite remarkable. As a reward for showing me an entertaining show, I'll bestow you a benefit!" As the words fell, the thick mist around rapidly surged into Lu Ye's body, causing him a slight shock. He quickly urged his spirit force to protect himself. Though the mist claimed it was a benefit, Lu Ye dared not fully believe it. Yet oddly, no matter how he urged his spirit force, he couldn't stop the mist's integration. He hastily submerged his consciousness to inspect the Talent Tree and found nothing unusual, which finally set his mind at ease. After a short while, the surrounding mist vanished, and clarity returned to his vision. Lu Ye looked around, discovering himself in some part of the stellar space, within sight, a battered battleship was moving away. It was the Ghost Ship! Lu Ye furrowed his brows and ultimately bowed respectfully in the Ghost Ship's direction, "Thank you for the previous guidance, senior!" No response was necessary. Meeting in stellar space is rare, the Ghost Ship drifts about, and Lu Ye figures he might never see this ship again in his lifetime, nor have any dealings with it. Watching the Ghost Ship disappear, Lu Ye suddenly realized that he left the Ghost Ship. But what about Hai Tang? "Junior Brother Lu!" A Mental Consciousness reached out from afar, along with Hai Tang's voice, carrying a deep sense of weakness. Lu Ye quickly rushed toward that direction and soon arrived at Hai Tang's location, looking closely, he was taken aback, "Senior Sister Hai Tang, why are you... ?"