Chapter 56: The Rescue Mission Begins

“Challenge successful, you may proceed to the next stage.”

The scene shifted. Before Zhong Yun appeared a row of identical doors, each marked with a number. The first door on the left was numbered one, followed by others, making a total of fifteen doors.

“What are these doors for?” Zhong Yun wondered aloud.

To his surprise, the cold, mechanical voice responded, “Behind each door is a panoramic video of previous practitioners whose styles resemble yours, provided for your reference and learning.”

“Oh.” Zhong Yun considered this, then tried to push open the second door. After several attempts, it wouldn’t budge.

“Since you have only cleared the first stage, you can only open door one. The others will become accessible as you clear the corresponding stages.”

“Could’ve mentioned that earlier.” Zhong Yun rolled his eyes and pushed open the first door.

Once the door opened, a selection appeared before him: Please choose the combat level (1–9).

He casually chose level five. The selection box vanished, the scene transformed into a vast, empty arena, and two figures materialized in the center. The taller one was the burly man he had struggled so hard to defeat.

The other, of similar build to Zhong Yun, must have been the challenger.

The battle began. The burly man charged forward like a tiger unleashed. Zhong Yun’s eyes widened, eager to see how someone else would handle this.

The challenger raised his leg. Like a whip, it sliced through the air, leaving a fleeting shadow. A vertical kick—striking the burly man squarely on the chin. The burly man was sent flying, paused at the apex, then crashed down.

Bang. He hit the ground.

The entire sequence lasted less than a second. Zhong Yun stared in stunned silence. So powerful.

He returned to the selection and, more humbly, chose level one.

Watching the video at this level, he felt reassured. The challenger’s abilities were only slightly superior to his own.

Soon, he was immersed in the videos, analyzing their moves and reactions as a spectator. He often pondered: If I were in their place, faced with such a situation, what would I do?

The challengers always offered him insight. When the burly man used a masterful technique, cornering his opponent, the challenger would sometimes counter with a method Zhong Yun hadn’t anticipated.

After watching four or five videos, Zhong Yun felt he had gained a great deal.

Just as he was itching to try the next stage, the system reminded him that someone in reality was calling him. Helpless, he had to log out.

The person calling him was Yang Siqing, informing him that the food from Yunlai Restaurant had arrived.

During the meal, Yang Siqing suddenly asked, “The equipment has all been ordered. When do you plan to start treating Qingqing?”

“So soon?” Zhong Yun was surprised. He had expected it would take at least ten days; after all, his list included many devices that were rare or unavailable on the market.

“As soon as the equipment is in place, we can begin.” Zhong Yun was eager to resolve the matter quickly.

“I’ve already purchased a laboratory, and all the equipment has been delivered,” Yang Siqing said. He was truly anxious to help his daughter, even preparing the venue in advance. If not for propriety, he would have urged Zhong Yun to start immediately.

“I still need to make a few preparations,” Zhong Yun mused. “Tomorrow, I’ll take a day off.”

As he wondered how to arrange a leave of absence, Yang Siqing handed him something. “I’ve already prepared your leave slip.”

“...”

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Receiving Zhong Yun’s call, Old Huang felt a stir in his heart, a sensation he hadn’t experienced in years.

In recent days, he had used his extensive network to search for information about the “Crystal Rose.” Unfortunately, there were no cases of reviving a naturally wilted plant.

He even contacted other masters in the floral world, holding video conferences to discuss the feasibility of the plan. Each master, after hearing him out, shook their heads, declaring it impossible.

Were it not for Old Huang’s prestigious status, they might have dismissed him outright for entertaining such fanciful notions.

Reviving a dead plant was outside the bounds of science.

This remark reminded him: he had traveled extensively, not only throughout Davos but also to several countries, meeting countless remarkable individuals, each possessing extraordinary abilities.

Even he himself possessed unique talents not found in ordinary people.

Perhaps reviving the “Crystal Rose” would depend on his “abilities.”

Old Huang tossed and turned all night, unable to sleep. It was an old habit—whenever he faced an unsolvable botanical problem, insomnia followed.

Despite his age, his energy remained robust; after a sleepless night, he was still vibrant.

When dawn finally broke, he watched the time crawl by like a snail, unable to contain his impatience, pacing restlessly around his home like a child.

Ultimately, he could no longer wait and arrived at the location Zhong Yun had given him an hour early.

Seated comfortably in his shuttle, he instructed the driver to watch for arrivals and closed his eyes for a brief rest, finally able to relax a little.

He was awakened by a phone call—Zhong Yun’s. Hearing they had arrived, he became instantly alert.

Stepping out, he saw Zhong Yun and the elder surnamed Yang waiting beneath a large tree. He greeted them as he approached.

The three exchanged no unnecessary words and, guided by Yang Siqing, went upstairs. At that moment, Old Huang felt a rare surge of nervousness, reminiscent of his first time entering a laboratory under his mentor’s guidance at age twenty, eager to explore the mysteries of plants.

They entered a room where a bald, middle-aged man in black work attire stood. “Hello, I am Huang Jian, a B-level mechanical engineer.”

Zhong Yun turned to Yang Siqing, who explained, “I hired him to assist you. With so much equipment, I feared you alone couldn’t manage it.”

Zhong Yun glanced at him, realizing Yang Siqing doubted his ability to handle so many advanced devices but let it pass.

“All right, let him stay and help,” he muttered to himself.

“Is this our laboratory?”

Gazing at the massive space filled with hundreds of strange machines, Old Huang couldn’t help but ask.

As a master of botany, he was familiar with floral research equipment, but none of the devices here were recognizable.

“That’s right,” Zhong Yun affirmed.

“What are all these machines for?” Remembering he was here to learn, Old Huang asked humbly, taking out a recorder.

“These devices? They’re for dismantling.”

While Old Huang was bewildered, Zhong Yun donned a work suit and said, “You two wait on the sofa for a bit. It’ll take me an hour or two to take apart this pile.”

The two elders were baffled, unsure what he was up to, but their life experience made them far more composed than any youngsters. They said nothing, simply sat aside and watched Zhong Yun at work.

Zhong Yun opened his toolbox, took out a peculiar, compact instrument, lowered the visor, and began.