However, Ning Beichen appeared deaf to Chen Xingyun's words, remaining unmoved no matter how much Chen Xingyun reasoned with him.
His master could leave if he wished, and Ning Beichen, no longer a child, didn't need his master to act like a parent. But not under these circumstances.
If his master could withstand Yu Huaxue, they wouldn't have to flee. His master's reasoning was nothing more than sacrificing himself to give Ning Beichen a chance at survival.
"Master, after my analysis, the spacecraft can evade the pursuing enemies. However, once used, its energy will be depleted, leaving us to drift in the void until we find a way to replenish it."
At this moment, Ning Xiaoling's voice reached their ears.
"Ning Xiaoling, do you really have a way?"
Ning Beichen's face lit up. They were in dire straits. As long as they could escape the mad dog that was Yu Huaxue, Ning Beichen could accept any bad situation.
"Yes, Master. The spacecraft can concentrate its power to enter dimensional space and unleash a powerful blow against the enemy. However, after its release, the spacecraft will lose energy and drift in the dimension until we find more energy for it to return from dimensional space."
Ning Xiaoling explained to Ning Beichen.
"If... its energy is depleted, won't you die?"
Ning Beichen asked.
"Master, I am not a life form. If my energy is depleted, I will merely enter a state of dormancy, not truly die."
Ning Xiaoling explained.
Although Ning Beichen had experienced this situation once before, he had come to regard Ning Xiaoling as his sister rather than a mere program. Thus, he felt a pang of reluctance.
However, they were out of options. It was clear the spacecraft couldn't block Yu Huaxue, and if this continued, they would all perish.
"Master, please grant authorization."
At this moment, Ning Xiaoling addressed Ning Beichen.
Ning Beichen remained silent, unsure how to decide.
Soon, Ning Xiaoling's voice echoed a second time.
"Master, please grant authorization."
"Au...thorize."
Finally, Ning Beichen made his decision, allowing Ning Xiaoling to take control of the spacecraft. He then conveyed his thoughts to Ning Xiaoling.
"Ning Xiaoling, please forgive my selfishness. They are too important to me. I swear to you, I will never abandon you."
"Master, there's no need. I am just a program..."
Ning Xiaoling's voice trembled slightly, a rare occurrence for an artificial intelligence. This program had not been originally designed but had emerged naturally.
"No, you must. The reason I named you Ning Xiaoling is because I consider you my sister. Can you call me brother? And next time we meet, will you be my sister?"
Ning Beichen's voice also trembled.
"Brother."
With Ning Xiaoling's utterance of "brother," the spacecraft suddenly erupted in blazing white flames and vanished from Yu Huaxue's sight.
In the next second, Yu Huaxue let out a pained cry as if struck by a heavy blow. A hole the size of a bucket appeared on his body, revealing his flesh and bones.
"Ah!!!"
Yu Huaxue roared and began attacking the surroundings frantically.
However, the spacecraft was gone, and so was Chen Xingyun, as if they had never existed. Enraged, Yu Huaxue went mad, killing several onlookers who were hiding nearby.
Meanwhile, the spacecraft tumbled through the dark dimensional space like a discarded rag.
From this moment on, Ning Beichen and the others' fate was in the hands of the unknown, as they had no idea of the dangers lurking within the dimensional space.
Deprived of energy, the spacecraft drifted randomly in the dimensional space like a rootless duckweed, its destination uncertain and beyond control.
And until they landed in a safe location, they could not leave the spacecraft, lest their bodies be torn apart by the dimensional space.
In other words, if they were cleaved by the dimensional space, their body parts would appear in different dimensional worlds – an ear in one world, limbs in another, or all vanishing into nothingness.
This was what Ning Xiaoling had told Ning Beichen before executing the command, leaving them with no choice but to wait.
With everyone idle, Ning Beichen finally had the opportunity to introduce the women to his master.
"Greetings, Master."
The women stepped forward in unison to greet Chen Xingyun. Except for Ye Lanxin and Luo Yue, the other women blushed intensely.
"Good, good, good. You have good fortune, lad."
Chen Xingyun was delighted and greeted everyone.
"Um... Master, shouldn't you give them some gifts?"
Ning Beichen said, rubbing his hands.
"Oh, right, right, gifts are necessary."
Chen Xingyun shot a look at the rascal Ning Beichen. Despite being Ning Beichen's master, he was penniless. However, he eventually produced some of his prized possessions and gave them to Liu Yilin, Luo Yingying, and Haitang. Ye Lanxin and Luo Yue also received gifts.
"Master, what about me?"
Ning Beichen, seeing that everyone else had received something while he had not, shamelessly asked.
"You? Nothing."
Chen Xingyun gave him a dismissive look.
In reality, Ning Beichen lacked nothing. He merely wanted to experience the feeling of childhood and did not genuinely desire his master's possessions.
However, Chen Xingyun eventually produced a withered branch and gave it to him.
"This is another piece of the Yu Jian branch. It's a pity it has withered, but it contains some of my insights and experiences with the Yu Jian."
"Thank you, Master."
Ning Beichen happily accepted it. Although Ning Beichen did not understand the Yu Jian, he had witnessed his master use a mere branch of it to make Tianzun bite the dust, indicating its extraordinary origin.
"By the way, Master, do you know about Starry Sky Stones?"
After putting away the withered Yu Jian branch, Ning Beichen asked Chen Xingyun, as he had a large quantity of Starry Sky Stones and wanted to know if his master needed any.
However, Chen Xingyun misunderstood, thinking Ning Beichen was asking for Starry Sky Stones. Reluctantly, he produced a storage artifact and poured out over a thousand Starry Sky Stones, gritting his teeth as he said to Ning Beichen:
"This is all I could find. Take it and use it with them."
After saying this, Chen Xingyun felt his heart bleeding. He had painstakingly found these, and he was usually reluctant to use them himself.
"No, Master, I meant do *you* need Starry Sky Stones?"
Ning Beichen took out his own storage artifact and with a wave, poured out two mountains of Starry Sky Stones, numbering at least hundreds of thousands.