When Liu Hui awoke, he found that his severe injuries had completely healed. Now that he had reached the Foundation Establishment stage of cultivation, the energy required to repair his body was significantly greater, meaning the bio-healing tank, which previously allowed for two uses, could now only be used once.

Liu Hui lifted the glass lid of the bio-healing tank, and the surrounding seawater immediately surged in. He swam out of the tank and then retracted the water-filled vessel into his storage space.

Now uninjured and in peak physical condition, Liu Hui surfaced only to realize it was already deep into the night. He glanced up at the starry sky overhead to orient himself, then launched himself out of the water, beginning to sprint rapidly across the surface toward the north.

Master-level experts could run short distances across the water; the distance they could cover was directly tied to the amount of Ling Qi within their bodies. Liu Hui had always known he possessed this ability but had never had the chance to test its limits. Today was the perfect opportunity for a comprehensive assessment of his strength.

Liu Hui circulated the Ling Qi within him, and his body instantly became as light as a leaf, allowing him to remain suspended on the water's surface without sinking. However, maintaining this state of standing upon the water consumed his internal Ling Qi at an alarming rate. After running forward for ten kilometers, his Ling Qi was entirely depleted, and he plunged straight into the seawater.

Liu Hui instantly understood his limit. Despite the exhaustion of his internal energy, he was incredibly pleased because he possessed countless high-grade spirit stones, which could quickly replenish the consumed Ling Qi.

Floating on the sea, Liu Hui held an Upper-Grade Spirit Stone in his hand and began circulating his cultivation formula, absorbing the energy from the stone to make up for the Ling Qi just expended. With the aid of the cultivation formula and the Upper-Grade Spirit Stone, Liu Hui managed to fully restore his depleted Ling Qi in just twenty minutes.

Thus, Liu Hui once again bolted across the sea northward. When his internal Ling Qi was exhausted, he would repeat the process of replenishment. Throughout the night, Liu Hui continuously repeated the cycle of running and absorbing Ling Qi. By the time the eastern sky began to lighten, Liu Hui had already covered more than one hundred kilometers to the north.

Liu Hui quickly calculated: he had covered over one hundred kilometers in half a night. If he dedicated the entire night to movement, he could advance two hundred kilometers in a single night.

However, the long, continuous running had left his body severely fatigued, even though his Ling Qi could be immediately replenished. Furthermore, it was daytime, and he feared detection by American military satellites. Therefore, Liu Hui halted his advance. He retrieved food from his storage space, consumed it, and then submerged back into the depths.

Having already exchanged the seawater-filled bio-healing tank with the Zerg leader for a replacement filled with healing fluid, and having ordered three additional bio-healing tanks from the Zerg, Liu Hui located a secluded spot on the seabed once he submerged. He took out one of the tanks, activated its healing function, lay inside, and began using it to recover from his physical exhaustion.

When Liu Hui opened his eyes again, twelve hours had passed. After this period of rest, his body felt vigorous and energetic once more.

Liu Hui surfaced and found the sky already quite dark, estimating the time to be around seven or eight in the evening. At this hour, American military aircraft and satellites would be unable to detect any anomalies on the sea surface. Liu Hui leaped out of the water once more and resumed his rapid sprint northward. During this night, he covered another distance of over two hundred kilometers to the north.

In one and a half nights, through two exertions of surging speed across the sea, Liu Hui had closed the distance to Xiao Hei's location by another three hundred kilometers. Liu Hui was confident that if he maintained this pace without stopping, he could establish contact with Xiao Hei within ten days. Once connected, Xiao Hei's speed would allow him to return to the "City of Starlight" in half a day.

The South Pacific was calm during these days. Liu Hui had not sighted a single island, nor even a single vessel, leading him to abandon any hope of finding a ship for transport and continue relying on this method of return, which demanded immense physical and mental energy.

On the morning of the third day, while still sighting no passing vessels, he finally spotted a small island ahead, complete with some building structures.

Liu Hui’s spirits soared, and he rapidly approached the island as dawn broke. However, upon landing, he discovered it was an abandoned place. There was no one present, and the rooms were cluttered with random debris thrown about haphazardly.

Disappointed, Liu Hui nonetheless found an atlas inside one of the rooms. Opening it, he saw it was a local map. On this map, he located the island—a small isle within the Auckland Islands, less than a thousand kilometers from the New Zealand mainland.

Liu Hui had lost contact with Xiao Hei near New Zealand, which meant he was not far from the point where he could summon him. Another five or six days of running at this pace should allow him to reach Xiao Hei.

Having spent several consecutive days immersed in the ocean, Liu Hui’s skin had taken on a pale, bloated appearance. Now that he had finally found an island, he decided to remain there for the day to rest, avoiding submerging into the depths until nightfall when he would resume his northward journey.

Liu Hui tidied one room slightly, creating a space to sleep, and settled down to recover his fatigue. In the afternoon, he was abruptly woken by the roar of aircraft overhead. He stepped outside and spotted two armed helicopters in the distance. Judging by the insignia, they belonged to the American military helicopter corps.

The two armed helicopters flew in from the distant sea, circled above the abandoned island, and then several fully armed American soldiers rappelled down ropes from the air. They began a systematic search of the island’s structures.

Liu Hui was stunned. He knew this had to be a contingent sent by the US military to find him. The Americans must have learned about the crash of their large transport plane. While they might not know the exact circumstances, they could certainly deduce that one person was making his way north to return, and since they did not know his precise location, they were searching island by island to capture him.

In that instant, the thought of blending in with the American soldiers briefly crossed Liu Hui’s mind, but he dismissed it just as quickly. If he continued onward, he would contact Xiao Hei in five or six days and return to the "City of Starlight" quickly. Infiltrating the American contingent risked unforeseen complications that might delay his return. After weighing the pros and cons, Liu Hui decided to stick to his plan of advancing north; it was the more certain path.

With this resolve, Liu Hui quietly restored the room where he had been sleeping to its original state, then flashed like lightning to the opposite side of the structure and slipped into the sea, diving deep beneath the waves. Half an hour later, the American search team finished sweeping the derelict island. Finding no suspicious trace, they reboarded their helicopters, departed, and continued their search toward the next island.

This interruption pushed the time into the evening. Liu Hui resurfaced and continued his furious run across the water. During this night, he surged another two hundred kilometers northward, bringing him even closer to the location where he could summon Xiao Hei.

In the following days, Liu Hui began to encounter small islands more frequently. During the day, he would generally hide on these small landmasses, waiting until night to resume his journey. Occasionally, American aircraft would circle overhead during the day, but because Liu Hui concealed himself well, they never discovered his presence.

Five days passed in this manner, during which Liu Hui advanced over a thousand kilometers to the north. That night, after running hard for two hours, an image of Xiao Hei suddenly appeared in his mind. Liu Hui rejoiced; he had finally reached the maximum range for contacting Xiao Hei. However, the connection was still intermittent. It wasn't until he ran another ten or so kilometers that the link with Xiao Hei stabilized fully.

Only then did Liu Hui finally relax. He commanded Xiao Hei to rush to his location immediately, then sank into the depths and entered the bio-healing tank to restore his weary body. Xiao Hei, having remained stationary at the location of the massive gold mine in the absence of orders, immediately sped toward Liu Hui upon receiving the summons.

When Liu Hui next opened his eyes, he saw Xiao Hei’s enormous eyes peering through the glass lid of the bio-healing tank.

For a moment, Liu Hui felt tears welling up. He had finally seen Xiao Hei again; he could finally return to the "City of Starlight."

Liu Hui suppressed his intense emotion, retracted the bio-healing tank into his storage space, then climbed onto Xiao Hei’s back. He found a spot to sit and commanded Xiao Hei to begin the journey north toward the "City of Starlight."

Upon receiving the order, Xiao Hei immediately began swimming northward at twice the speed of sound. Seated on Xiao Hei’s back, Liu Hui started contemplating strategies for when he returned to the "City of Starlight."

As Xiao Hei swam rapidly beneath the waves, sudden, peculiar fluctuations rippled through its mind. Feeling something amiss, Liu Hui immediately attuned himself to Xiao Hei’s thoughts; Xiao Hei had detected a massive mineral deposit on the seabed.

A thought sparked in Liu Hui’s mind. He instantly ordered Xiao Hei to halt its movement and dive deep, radiating its sensory capabilities outward. The result was immediate: a giant copper ore deposit was located beneath the Earth's crust.

Liu Hui was overcome with ecstasy. He now profoundly understood the saying: After surviving a great disaster, great fortune follows.