Such a small piece of material has a weight of several tons, which shows that this extraordinary material has a very high density.

When Jiang Cheng saw the appearance of the Alpha Crystal, he confirmed that it was what he had been searching for all along.

The entire Alpha Crystal, under the illumination of the light, displayed a very special appearance. The crystal seemed almost illusory, with the entire structure appearing and disappearing intermittently, giving it an unreal feeling.

It is this state between illusion and reality that is the hallmark of the Alpha Crystal.

This special material inherently has both illusory and real states; these two contradictory states appear simultaneously in this crystal.

It is precisely this property between illusion and reality that makes it the perfect guiding material.

Just a small piece of Alpha Crystal can trigger enormous power.

On the way to finding the monster that killed their companion, they encountered a formidable beast. When Yanran faced this monster alone, she was in danger, but Jiang Cheng killed the monster effortlessly, which was a huge blow to Yanran who had always excelled in various sports due to her outstanding athletic talents.

While Yanran stood silently by, Jiang Cheng was not idle.

He seemed very interested in the monster he had just slain.

Jiang Cheng shaped his hand into a knife and thrust it into the monster's body, slicing open a long incision along its back. Instantly, blood gushed out, but fortunately, Jiang Cheng had a protective shield on, preventing the blood from splattering on him, leaving Yanran staring in shock at Jiang Cheng's actions, not knowing what he was doing.

Jiang Cheng's hands were searching inside the monster's body. "Got it, there really is one."

With a forceful pull, a very thin, translucent tendon appeared in his hand.

Yanran, curious, asked Jiang Cheng, who was by the river cleaning the tendon: "What is it for?"

Jiang Cheng gave her a mysterious smile: "You'll find out soon enough."

After cleaning it thoroughly, Jiang Cheng gave it a flick, and it made a "twang" sound. He nodded in satisfaction.

The clever Yanran already knew what he intended to do.

Sure enough, Jiang Cheng took her bow and replaced the bowstring with the tendon.

"Try it." He handed the bow to Yanran.

The bow in Yanran's hands was a modern one, its body made from an extremely rare metal, and the original bowstring was made from a chemical compound, which had aged over time, affecting its speed and strength.

In fact, Yanran's bow, although modern, was unique. It was specifically prepared as the championship prize by the event sponsors when she announced her last participation in the interstellar archery contest, after which she would return home and no longer compete.

Unsurprisingly, Yanran obtained it.

After replacing the bowstring, Yanran tried pulling it. Indeed, it felt more comfortable compared with the old one, allowing her to better utilize her fast speed and quick aiming skills.

Looking at the bow in her hand and then at the person before her, Yanran couldn't help but recall the scene where he killed the monster effortlessly and the fact that he could travel interstellarly alone, and a thought suddenly popped into her mind.

"Please take me as your disciple!" Yanran implored.

Jiang Cheng hesitated. It wasn't that he didn't want to take a disciple; he enjoyed the feeling of teaching. Nor was it because he didn't like Yanran as a disciple; in fact, he greatly admired her exceptional physique, sharp sensory organs, and indomitable spirit.

If an average person were to take an outstanding individual like Yanran as a disciple, they would be thrilled, if not ecstatic.

So why was Jiang Cheng hesitant?

Because he knew deeply that his abilities in certain areas had surpassed what ordinary people could comprehend. In these fields, he felt an unmatched superiority, and he had to consider whether he could perfectly pass on his knowledge to a disciple and whether the disciple could understand what he was saying.

Yanran evidently misunderstood the reason for Jiang Cheng's hesitation, thinking he was unwilling to accept her request. With a "thud," she knelt before Jiang Cheng.

"I will listen earnestly to the teacher's instructions." She looked up, her big round eyes full of hopeful expectation at Jiang Cheng.

"Get up, get up." Jiang Cheng hurriedly reached out to help Yanran up.

Although he liked teaching, he was averse to acts of kneeling and worship—it was the year 2118, after all! Even on the Water Ball, such customs were extremely rare.

Besides, he was very satisfied with Yanran becoming his disciple. Her conditions were superb, and she was smart. Under his earnest teaching, given time, she would undoubtedly achieve great things. As the saying goes in literature, she wouldn't disgrace his teachings.

Moreover, all her companions were dead, and perhaps he had to take some responsibility for their deaths, leaving her alone as a little girl on such a harsh planet. He couldn't bear to think of her plight. He could never forgive himself if he left her alone.

While helping Yanran bury her companions, he had thought about this issue.

He wouldn't be at ease leaving Yanran alone here, and if he could leave this planet, under what pretense would he take her with him? Even if the young woman didn't feel anything for him, they'd only known each other for a few days and weren't very familiar with each other—would she agree to leave with him? If she refused to leave, what should he do?

He had considered many possibilities, even thinking that if she did not want to go with him, he would knock her out and take her by force.

But now, the young girl had proactively asked to be his disciple, and all his efforts had not been in vain.

Earlier, when dealing with that monster, Jiang Cheng had a hundred ways to kill it. Still, after a few minutes of thought, he chose the simplest, most straightforward, and most impactful way. Indeed, the young girl was stunned by his extraordinary abilities.

First, when the monster's tail was about to strike Yanran, he could have easily thrown a protective shield on her. He was confident that the shield could ensure her safety. Still, he selected a method with visual impact—he grabbed the monster's tail barehanded.

Imagine, in Yanran's eyes, the strong weapon that was about to claim her life was caught by a single hand. Isn't that quite the shock?

Next, he could have easily punched the monster to death or, simply, sliced it in half with a sword. But he chose an even more visually impactful method—he swung the monster around.

The monster was several times his size; yet, like a toy, it whirled in his hands. How effective was this? One glance at the young girl's barely-attached jaw about to hit the ground would tell you everything.