Chapter 332: Chapter 332: Black Iron Tree
General Lin knew just how dangerous this region was, which was why he refused to let Ning Xuan brave it alone. After all, they were escorting her and had a duty to ensure her safety.
"Don’t worry, I’m strong enough. I just need to go another fifty meters or so to use my Thunder Power Ability and purify the edge of this area first. There’s no danger. Once I’ve cleansed this section, you can move up. We’ll advance bit by bit." Ning Xuan knew that the cloying, sweet scent capable of penetrating their protective suits was a spiritual power toxin. As a woman, her resistance to spiritual power contamination was far higher than theirs, which was why she stopped General Lin and his men.
"Major General Ning, we can maintain a certain distance, but to guarantee your safety, we must keep you in our line of sight in case anything unexpected happens," General Lin insisted.
"Alright." Ning Xuan nodded. She had been observing her surroundings and had already found the optimal position from which to unleash her power.
Ning Xuan walked forward about 50 meters until she reached a large tree. It stood several dozen meters tall with a diameter of about one meter. Devoid of branches or leaves, it was completely bare, resembling a telephone pole from a distance.
When Ning Xuan first saw this type of tree, she had assumed it was artificial. She never would have guessed it was a common species on this planet called the Black Iron Tree.
The tree earned its name because its wood was incredibly hard and dense—even a small section was extremely heavy. It had a very long growth cycle, reaching just over two meters in ten years. A tree several dozen meters tall like this one had to be at least a century old.
In this interstellar era, buildings were mostly constructed from various synthetic metals. The natural materials used for large machinery like spaceships, Flying Cars, and Starships needed to be lightweight yet tough, with high ductility and conductivity. The wood of the Black Iron Tree was far too heavy. So, even though its conductivity was decent, it was rarely used in any large-scale machinery.
As a result, the Black Iron Tree’s full potential had never been realized.
Ning Xuan stood beneath the Black Iron Tree, which had also been eroded by the poisonous miasma. A black, viscous liquid dripped from the great tree’s rough bark.
Ning Xuan reached out to touch the Black Iron Tree. Behind her, Lin Ye had been watching her every move. His heart leaped into his throat at the sight. Contact with an eroded tree would corrode her protective suit.
Lin Ye was too far from Ning Xuan; he could only watch, helpless.
The very instant Lin Ye picked up speed to rush to Ning Xuan’s side, thunder cracked and rolled above the Black Iron Tree. Brilliant white lightning erupted from the tree, instantly filling the entire area. In a flash, it was as if the sky and earth were being torn asunder. Wind howled and thunder roared. A furious tide of energy swept outward, cleaving through the dense, purplish-black miasma and making the space around them instantly clearer.
Lin Ye’s pupils constricted, and he skidded to an abrupt halt. The soldier behind him failed to stop in time and slammed into his back.
In the blinding white light, Lin Ye vaguely saw the black liquid on the Black Iron Tree’s bark peel away under the lightning, revealing gleaming, smooth wood underneath. There were dark red veins on the trunk that seemed to light up as the Thunder coursed through them, forming glowing patterns. These patterns extended up the trunk toward the sky, intertwining with the descending bolts to form a vast web of electricity.
The lightning arced, spreading rapidly through the surrounding space.
"Fall back! Fall back!" Feeling the Thunder Energy expand, Lin Ye immediately led his men in retreat.
He finally understood why Ning Xuan had wanted them to stay at least fifty meters away. ’Her Thunder Power is this strong? Is she really only SS-level?’
"That’s incredible, General Lin! Look, the poisonous miasma around us is fading!" a soldier exclaimed.
"Yeah, I didn’t even see how General Ning attacked. But unleashing a Thunder Power Ability on this scale must be a huge drain on her, right? I heard she’s been fighting nonstop for more than ten days." The speaker was one of Lin Ye’s trusted aides, who had overheard Liu Linfeng mentioning this earlier.
Watching the poisonous miasma visibly recede, General Lin felt a surge of excitement. Of course, he was also deeply concerned about Ning Xuan’s condition. ’With her ability,’ he thought, ’the threat of the spreading miasma is no longer an unsolvable problem.’ However, what Ning Xuan needed most right now was rest. The base could provide the highest-Level Recovery Potions to help her recuperate. It wouldn’t be too late to clear the miasma once she was fully rested.
About ten minutes later, Lin Ye saw the Thunder Energy gradually dissipate and led his men over to Ning Xuan. She was intently studying the Black Iron Tree, having discovered that the tree, which she had just inscribed with runes to use as an energy amplifier, had already taken on some properties of Thunderstruck Wood. It could now be used as such.
"Major General Ning, that was incredible!" Lin Ye said, his voice filled with enthusiasm. "The poisonous miasma within a fifty-meter radius of here has been completely cleared! Let’s return to the temporary base to report the situation to the commander-in-chief. It’s the perfect chance for you to go back and get some proper rest."
In Lin Ye’s mind, if Ning Xuan could unleash such power while physically and mentally exhausted from continuous battle, she would be even more formidable once she was fully rested.
"There’s no need, General Lin," Ning Xuan declined. "You can send someone back to report the situation. I intend to continue clearing the poisonous miasma ahead. It spreads quickly, so the sooner we deal with it, the better."
While it was true she had been fighting for over ten days straight, she could absorb energy from the Thunder Beasts she killed. This energy helped solidify and stabilize her second Companion Spirit, which meant her internal reserves of Thunder Energy were always full.
"Absolutely not," Lin Ye immediately argued, his tone serious. "The area our Sound Wave Weapons can cover is limited. Major General Ning, the deeper we go, the more dangerous it becomes. You must go back and get some rest. Clearing the poisonous miasma can wait until you’ve recovered."
He had witnessed Ning Xuan’s power and knew she was irreplaceable in solving the poisonous miasma problem. Therefore, they had to ensure her safety, no matter the cost.
"I know my own condition perfectly well, General Lin," Ning Xuan said with confidence. "If you’re still worried, you can continue to follow me from fifty meters away. Just don’t come any closer than that."
Without another word, Ning Xuan strode forward. She had already spotted her next conduit.
