I had assumed Hua Qingqing was merely administering an anti-inflammatory shot to Xiao Yu'er, but who knew that after the injection, Xiao Yu'er’s body would transform, and the wound where her legs were split began to heal rapidly. It was only then that I recalled the color of the needle—it was clearly the Blood Flower Essence. Hua Qingqing truly spared no expense; that was something life-saving.

However, the effect of this miraculous, life-saving needle was undeniably potent. If a traditional division surgery had been performed, it would have taken at least several months to treat Xiao Yu'er’s feet in stages. But now, the wound was closing quickly, ensuring that even a successful single-stage division would cause minimal harm. I watched the cells on the wound divide rapidly, the process fundamentally similar to the grafting I’d undergone when I severed and reattached my own limbs.

The two of us were exhausted after toiling for over ten hours. I helped Hua Qingqing into the outer lounge to rest for a bit. Xiao Yu’er had required another dose of anesthetic during the operation and was still in the recovery phase; she wouldn’t wake up anytime soon. Since no one here, aside from Xiao Yu'er, could survive out of water, and our operating room was dry, no one came to offer condolences or thanks. We simply sat in silence.

Finally, Hua Qingqing spoke, "Let's go repair the ship. Honestly, I really miss Earth. I wonder how Xiao Rou is doing. Thinking about seeing them soon makes me incredibly excited."

I replied, "I miss it even more. But we can't rule out the possibility of accidents—what if we never get back in this lifetime?"

Hua Qingqing nodded, "That's unthinkable. Even if we can't return, Xiao Yu Di and Long Nü will surely devise a way to meet us. Don't you think? With their intellect, they'll quickly figure out the wormhole. Maybe a starship is already being prepared."

I nodded. "That’s true, but we must put in the effort too. Otherwise, they might complain that we’ve become too fond of staying here. Once the drive shaft is installed, I plan to attempt returning to space tomorrow."

Hua Qingqing said, "I tried to cross the atmosphere of Gemini before. It must have been the strange electric currents interfering with the ship’s normal function. But I suppose if we dare to risk it, forcing a breakthrough might be an option. The only necessity is to improve the ship’s power section, as the power output cuts out when interference occurs."

I replied, "We can discuss specifics after testing. After all, we are completely in the dark right now."

"Zhao, do I look pretty like this?" a faint voice asked.

Hua Qingqing and I looked up. "Xiao Yu'er, you’re awake. Why are you out of bed? Go back and lie down. Your body lost too much blood and needs time to recuperate."

The Xiao Yu'er before us seemed like a completely different person. The blue-green gown was back on her, and the garment, which only reached her knees, could not hide her two long legs. Perhaps because it was the first time she stood freely on the ground, or perhaps due to the significant blood loss from the surgery, Xiao Yu’er’s legs trembled slightly. The feet, which Hua Qingqing had painstakingly carved and shaped piece by piece, now resembled a swan transformed from an ugly duckling—pale, tender, with clearly defined toes. There was no trace of the bloody mess from before.

I pondered whether, aside from Hua Qingqing’s exquisite surgical skill, the most significant factor was that single drop of Xiao Xue's blood. I wondered if Xiao Yu’er would undergo a transformation like Xi Menyan after being injected with this mysterious substance. As it stood now, the mermaid had completely transformed into what humans would consider a real woman. But could she still be called a mermaid without her tail?

Xiao Yu’er looked down, examining her feet again. "Zhao, they are beautiful. I love them. It’s just that I’m not used to them; I can’t seem to move my legs. Will you help me learn?"

I stepped forward to support her. "You should rest first. This isn't going anywhere. You’ll get used to it over time. Walking in the air is an entirely different concept from swimming in water."

"No," Xiao Yu’er said firmly, "Precisely because it’s different, I need to learn quickly. Thank you, Sister Qingqing. When you said I could walk after the procedure, I thought you were just comforting me to ease my mind. I never realized you possessed such high medical skill. How did you achieve this? What about the incision lines? It’s as if these two legs and two feet were naturally grown for me. It’s miraculous."

Hua Qingqing rubbed her tired eyes. "It wasn't my doing. We on Earth have a miraculous flower—the Blood Flower. Its sap possesses the super ability to activate cells and rapidly heal wounds. It’s the same principle behind how Zhao Qian’s limbs could regenerate after being severed."

Xiao Yu’er nodded. "I understand. Sister Qingqing, you both must be exhausted. I’ll arrange for someone to take you to rest. I’ll manage learning to walk by myself."

Hua Qingqing said, "Let Zhao Qian help you. His stamina is much better than mine; such a minor operation won't tire him out."

Xiao Yu’er suggested, "Rest and activity are too restricted for you underwater here. Let's take the main drive shaft back to the Twin Cities."

Xiao Yu’er’s suggestion was excellent. Our stomachs were already rumbling, and the local food was utterly unsuitable for us. Returning to the Twin Cities to repair the ship and rest was the most sensible course of action.

When we arrived back at the Twin Cities, we realized it was already the middle of the night. I worked through the night installing the ship’s main drive shaft, finally finishing after breakfast. Then I disconnected the extra drive equipment we had added, took the few women up, and flew around for a few laps. Everything felt completely normal, and everyone became eager to test the limits.

Yun Yao exclaimed, "Let's just attempt the atmospheric crossing straight away. We don't need any special preparation. I wish we could return to Earth right now."

I said, "Then you all need to stay down here. I will conduct this experiment alone. I worry that if something unexpected happens, I won't be able to look after everyone."

Yun Yao, Zhou Ni, and Linglong said in unison, "We have faith in you. Perhaps having us by your side will increase our chances of success. If there’s any danger, we’ll return immediately, we promise not to push it, okay?"

Unable to refuse their pleas, and having made up my mind, I finally agreed. The ship accelerated to full power and shot straight upward. When the altitude exceeded ten thousand meters, the data displayed on all monitoring instruments became chaotic, as if every piece of equipment had failed. The main computer also crashed. It seemed the atmosphere of Gemini was indeed strange. Hua Qingqing suggested I shield the engine room, but I was careless and took the risk of experimenting prematurely. Fortunately, the power output remained relatively stable for the moment. I hoped for success in the end.

Noise began to emanate from the cockpit, accompanied by a flurry of alarms. Linglong asked anxiously, "Master, is everything alright? If not, perhaps we should abort the experiment."

Yun Yao chimed in, "Yes, it feels like the ship can’t take it anymore. Let’s go back. It was our fault for being so reckless just now."

After a brief consideration, I said firmly, "No. As long as the power system is functioning, we keep climbing. I trust this ship's durability. If the wormhole couldn't damage it, how could we fail to ascend through this atmosphere? Let’s hold on a bit longer and see."

The ship climbed a few thousand more meters, and the situation seemed even worse. The hull vibrated violently, and the power output fluctuated wildly before beginning a sharp decline. I struggled to stabilize the altimeter and determined the ship’s approximate position—it should be close to outer space. Turning back now would be a terrible waste, but the power system seemed to be shutting down, and the ship began to fall. I had to find a way to push the ship higher.

I remembered my superhuman abilities; perhaps this was the exact moment to use them. The ship had a micro-decompression chamber that would allow me to safely exit. I told Zhou Ni, "You stabilize the ship; I’ll go outside to lend a hand."

Zhou Ni grabbed me. "You’re going out? Absolutely not, that’s too dangerous! Once our altitude drops, the ship should return to normal. Give up, Brother Zhao."

I insisted, "We're so close! It’s fine; I can form a protective shield with my own energy. Nothing can harm me. This experiment must be done sooner or later; we can't stop halfway."

Without waiting for the three women to protest, I left the cockpit and entered the small decompression chamber in the rear hold. After securely closing the hatch leading into the ship, I opened the door to the outside. A violent gust of air immediately ripped me out. Thankfully, I had already activated my protective energy sphere, or my clothes would have been shredded. Even so, I tumbled over a dozen times in the air before managing to stabilize myself.

By this time, the ship’s descent was accelerating; the power section must have completely failed. I quickly channeled my energy sphere to catch up with the rapidly falling ship, wedged myself under its belly, and braced my palms upward, pushing against it. I couldn't help but admire my own power. My evolution since coming to Gemini hadn't been superior in every aspect—some functions weren't as good as before. For instance, my body was no longer impervious to needles. However, my overall strength had greatly increased. The powerful regenerative ability compensated for this shortcoming, and furthermore, it made my body evolve to possess more 'humanity.'

As I propelled the ship upward, accelerating faster and faster, we finally broke through the atmosphere of Gemini. The hull's trembling stopped, and the power system likely began to recover. I re-entered the ship through the decompression chamber. Yun Yao and Linglong rushed over, exclaiming happily, "We succeeded! But we’re going to get scolded by everyone else for taking such a reckless approach."

I smiled and ignored them. The screen now displayed the vast expanse of the starry sky. Of course, we were unfamiliar with this galaxy, but that asteroid belt was unforgettable to me. I took the pilot’s seat from Zhou Ni. "Let me take over. This terrain is too complex. The ship's original main drive shaft was shattered by an asteroid right around here."

After checking the ship’s main computer, everything was back to normal. I concluded that there was no need to modify the power system; next time, I would just brace the ship out of the atmosphere myself. Since we were already in outer space, the next step was to search for the wormhole and prepare for our next journey back to Earth.

I navigated carefully through the asteroid belt, dodging massive rocks that flashed past, causing the three women to huddle together trembling. "M-Master, what is that? It doesn't look like a rock," Linglong, who had the sharpest eyes, pointed to a corner of the screen and asked me.

I glanced over, and a wave of tension washed over me. "That’s a ship. And it doesn't look like it was made on Earth. The Creator God... aliens... everyone hide!"