Chapter 446: Chapter 216: Destroying the Mother Tree (Part 1)
Xiao Meng? Gu Ningzhi felt a new sense of doubt. That really is an affectionate term. It’s clear that he can’t convince himself that these two people didn’t know each other. He thought for a bit and then straightforwardly said, "So you and she indeed know each other, and have a pretty good relationship?"
Gong Yulu glanced at the other person coldly, and after a long while, finally said, "We knew each other before, had a good relationship... but that’s all in the past tense."
"Oh, past tense... So you mean the relationship isn’t good anymore?" Gu Ningzhi gossiped as he moved forward, "I’m curious, when did you two meet? Why did the relationship fall to this point? Even if it’s not good now, you were once good friends, right? No matter how big the conflicts, it shouldn’t lead to deliberate deceit..."
"You really are a gossip!" Gong Yulu’s attitude was indifferent, their gaze calm, yet not angered by the other’s intrusive question.
"How could a child like you understand some matters? There is no deep-seated hatred between her and me. On the contrary, we used to cooperate as seamlessly as now. But with differing positions and beliefs, plus some obstacles from back then, we slowly took separate paths and have long since severed all ties. If she found out who I am, she would probably take a knife to kill me."
"Haha..." Gu Ningzhi laughed awkwardly, asking, "Would she really kill you? Is it that serious?"
"It’s not like she hasn’t done it before." Gong Yulu seemed to touch on something they didn’t want to recall, their already gloomy expression darkening even further. "In a certain sense, I am already someone who has died once..."
"Uh... if that’s the case, even if you don’t hate her, your current state wouldn’t be like this, right? This doesn’t look like a state of enmity." Gu Ningzhi naturally didn’t believe it. Died once? How many lives can a person have?
"Regarding that matter... I thought my persistence was right, but in the end, it proved that I was the one who was wrong." Gong Yulu slightly furrowed their brows, the blue-white tint in their eyes growing more pronounced. "And who said I didn’t hate her? However, this hatred was settled long, long ago... perhaps in a past life."
Gu Ningzhi muttered "weirdo" once more as the two of them reached a higher ground, and then, as Su Jiameng instructed, activated the Nascent Stone. Watching the small, faintly glowing object in his hand, Gu Ningzhi exclaimed, "I used to think that having roamed so many planets, I had quite the experience. But the things witnessed over the past few days keep shattering that thought."
Even though he didn’t discover the wonders of the Nascent Stone as early as Gong Yulu, he wasn’t far off. This diamond-like thing can actually absorb energy! And the source of this energy is precisely the Ximolai Ore!
"Without Su Jiameng here, just be honest... You’re the one behind the turmoil in these mines, correct?" Gu Ningzhi looked at the Nascent Stone, forming an almost small energy vortex, and quickly moved with Gong Yulu to get out of the way. The destructive power of the energy vortex was too strong; getting too close would mean being torn to shreds.
"Mm, I originally intended to use this to perish together with the Mother Tree..." Gong Yulu said somewhat regretfully, "In order to make the energy of these Ximolai Ores active, I’ve spent quite a bit of time and effort researching... It seemed about to succeed..."
"At least you can survive now... what’s there to regret..." Gu Ningzhi muttered, then asked, "I’ve seen the Ximolai Ore before and remember them being pretty ordinary. How did you make them so... powerful? The energy level is terrifying."
Gong Yulu let out a sigh, saying, "There’s a lot you don’t know. The Ximolai Ore has always been an energy ore, the best material for Mecha energy cores. Even a small piece can power an S-Class Mecha for a long time."
Gu Ningzhi suddenly felt like a new world was slowly opening... Ximolai Ore? Sounds very useful!
The speed at which the Nascent Stone absorbed energy kept increasing, and the turbulent intensity of the formed energy vortex was rising. All branches of sub-trees that tried to approach were turned into fragments, with pus shooting everywhere. Due to the growing influence zone of the energy vortex, Gu Ningzhi and Gong Yulu had to retreat, but the wild wind raged, with flying gravel and stones setting up quite an apocalyptic scene.
The Expeditionary Fleet warships in the high skies were also increasingly affected, and for safety, Li You could only order an increase in altitude.
"Still no movement yet?" Gong Yulu looked anxiously in the direction of the previous cave entrance. If the plan fails and the Mother Tree doesn’t take the bait, the consequences could be severe. At least they can’t accept Su Jiameng being buried there...
"I think... soon, the ground is trembling..." Gu Ningzhi answered intermittently, the ground indeed quivering lightly, with the frequency and intensity continuously rising... Damn, could it be tectonic movement, an earthquake?
As they spoke, something suddenly broke out of the ground from the vein’s location, shooting up to the sky! Blood-red branches clawed wildly in the air, extending and twisting everywhere, with the ground constantly trembling. A massive entity, seeming large enough to cover the sky and block out the sun, was slowly creeping from the ground, a nauseating stench spreading, the monstrous sight deeply etched in many witnesses’ hearts, becoming a long-lasting terrifying memory.
The thing looked like a massive piece of flesh, resembling a heart, pulsing forcefully with a dull, loud sound. Surrounding it were branches spreading outward, and with careful observation, it could be noticed that many branches never seemed to grow any longer...
Roar——
The thing let out a beast-like, grim roar, the sound waves transmitting rapidly, with Gu Ningzhi even seeing ripples in the air.
Is this... the Mother Tree and its true trunk? (To be continued. If you like this work, please come to Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendations and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)
