Chapter 56

In that instant, many possibilities flashed through Yuanji's mind.

He certainly recognized the giant nut; it was a top-grade exotic plant that had been dormant in the back mountain for a long time, which suddenly disappeared on the day of the accident.

Yuan Ji had considered the possibility that Nan Tingjin might bring back the alien plant, given his connection to it, but he dared not delve into such a bold idea.

So, what exactly is going on?

Don't tell him that it was Nuts who missed the old site and rushed back to help?

No... the most likely explanation is that the alien plants were also preparing to launch a surprise attack on the Black Ridge Mountain base, and accidentally chose the same day as Wen Jue.

Just as Yuan Ji was stunned, the superhumans at the edge of the wall also saw the giant nut rolling around.

Despite its large size, it is agile and can easily leap over obstacles such as ruins.

"Bang bang—"

Several loud bangs followed, and the nuts rapidly approached.

People inside and outside the wall were stunned, watching helplessly as the giant nut crushed several modified cars.

The guards on the lookout tower felt short of breath and gritted their teeth as they reported over the radio: "Special-grade exotic plant spotted..."

Taking this opportunity, the alien plants also intend to attack the Blackridge Mountain base; this was everyone's first reaction.

In the blink of an eye, the giant nut crushed several more cars and got even closer to the wall.

The incident happened so suddenly that the outer teams didn't have time to ask the commander-in-chief and immediately chose to give way.

They didn't know much about this top-tier exotic plant, but they could tell that its power was terrifying and its physical defense was extremely high, making it impossible to confront it head-on.

If this alien plant was targeting the Black Ridge Mountain base, there's even less reason for them to intervene at this point.

Furthermore, the giant nut was on the list of heteromorphs to be assigned; its arrival means that other heteromorphs have also arrived...

Amid the chaos, only the people at Sky Base remained calm.

They didn't seem too surprised. The captain sent a message and quietly led his subordinates to a safer location.

The most desperate people right now are those at the Blackridge Mountain base.

Their chances of winning were already slim; they thought that holding out until Nan Ting returned might offer a chance, but...

What they got instead was a giant nut.

Now they have to fend off both the superhuman groups on the outside and the alien plants...

Even so, the superhumans guarding the top of the wall did not give up. They did their best to reinforce the defensive shield and try to withstand the impact of the giant nut.

However--

Just as the giant nut was about to crash into the wall, it suddenly stopped, then nimbly veered to the side and rolled over.

It always maintains a certain distance from the wall, so that it will not collide with the wall and the defensive barrier, while also forcing the troops on the outside to retreat.

Everyone in the base was stunned until Yuanji shouted into the communication, "It's here to help us!"

They almost thought they had misheard. Yuanji continued to order, "Don't hurt it!"

By this time, the giant nut had rolled a full circle around the base, and the attacking team had suffered numerous injuries.

It finally stood at the gate, swayed, and split off into another identical giant nut.

The second giant nut stood beside the main body, at a distance, and then split into a third, a fourth... and a tenth nut.

Ten giant nuts completely surrounded the outside of the base, clearly forming a protective posture.

This is the nut's berserk skill, which splits into ten versions of itself, each lasting for twenty minutes.

Even with gaps between the ten nuts, twenty minutes is enough to provide a significant boost to the base.

The sudden reversal shocked the team on the outside.

What is this exceptional exotic plant doing? Is it guarding the Black Ridge Mountain base?

Before anyone could react, another strange event occurred.

High in the sky, a massive rain of orange carrots pierced the night sky and swept towards the outer edge of the base.

At the same time, a long string of objects flew over quickly and landed on the head of one of the nuts.

From the watchtower closest to the edge of the wall, a guard carefully observed the situation.

That was... a mutated plant that was clinging to each other, hanging from a single radish thorn.

There are more than ten exotic plants, including corn, peppers, potatoes, cacti, star fruit, dragon fruit, carrots, tulips, peas, etc.

They are of medium to low size, wearing "armor" of varying sizes, some of which resemble helmets, and almost all of them carry a gray mini backpack.

Among them were several plants with small, exquisite iron muzzles on their faces, making them look quite unusual.

The guard looked dazed, picked up the communicator, and remained silent for a long time.

Are these... these alien plants here to attack the base...?

Immediately afterwards, the plant team began their operation.

The carnivorous plant didn't arrive. At Carrot's command, the heavy attack team led by Durian rolled to the ground, growing to their maximum size.

The light assault team is divided into armed and unarmed units, evenly distributed across various locations, and positioned atop the nuts to provide ranged attacks.

The cabbage leads a guerrilla team whose members are a bamboo shoot and a four-leaf clover. These three plants can do whatever they want and have the highest degree of freedom.

Tulips and money trees should stay in the safest location. Tulips have a very wide skill range, which can provide an attack bonus to almost all the ability users in the base, as well as the nuts and plants on the edge.

The money tree serves as a backup support; when the sunflower is absent, if the plants are injured or need to replenish energy, they can return to its protective shield to receive healing.

With everything arranged, the plants scattered and launched attacks on all the teams within sight from the outside.

The carrot stands on the head of the nut and splits out a second wave of carrot thorns.

It held its helmet, turned its head and looked over, its eyes meeting those of the guards on the watchtower.

Carrot stared wide-eyed: "Huh?!"

What are you standing there for?!

There were two other superhumans with the guards. They were both shocked to see the plant team descending from the sky and were unable to recover for a long time.

Over the real-time communication in their ears, Yuanji shouted, "What are you all standing there for?!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the ground shook again, but this time it wasn't because of the nuts.

Not far from the base, vast stretches of unrecovered ruins resembled boiling seawater, with broken walls rising from the ground and modified cars parked by the roadside being violently thrown into the air.

The wind and waves swept in, and every grain of sand seemed to be under control, turning into an extremely dangerous killing weapon, cutting into the invaders' bodies.

—Nan Tingjin has returned.

The dark clouds in the sky had dispersed at some point, and the brighter moonlight illuminated everything. Seeing this, everyone in the base finally recovered from the shock brought by the alien plants.

"It's the leader!"

Although they were still confused, they found those exotic plants outside in the protected area and had no idea what was going on.

But... whatever!

With Nan Tingjin's timely return and the assistance of numerous exotic plants, the current situation is far superior.

A chorus of voices erupted from the base, and a new wave of long-range attacks bypassed the giant nut, accurately striking the outer ranks.

The plant team was also very brave, especially the few equipped with new weapons. The durian exploded wherever it was thrown, the chili seeds and corn kernels were equipped with small electromagnetic bombs, and the cactus, dragon fruit, pomegranate and star fruit had their attacks increased dozens of times, creating a crater with every throw.

Corn was filled with excitement and couldn't wait to unleash its charged attack.

It grows larger and then shrinks back, and the corn jelly it spits out is broken into small pieces by the sprayer, expanding its attack range two or three times.

Corrosive jelly fragments melted the defensive shield of the opposing superhuman, creating a jelly-like spider web that forced several people to stick together with their companions.

Corn chuckled, buried its head in eating a few mana potions, and continued to throw out electromagnetic corn balls.

The combined offensive from the base and the plant squad was too fierce. The teams on the outside were completely outmatched and had to dodge the rubble and rocks coming from behind, or worry about becoming the target of manipulation and being unable to move at any moment.

The captain of the Sky Base is the overall commander, and there have been no further instructions yet. The various teams can't worry about anything else and are preparing to evacuate immediately.

They tacitly gathered in one direction and forcibly broke through to retreat.

All the modified vehicles near the base were damaged, leaving only a few usable ones. But once all the teams retreated to a certain distance, the plant team quieted down.

The base gates remained tightly shut, and those inside showed no intention of continuing the pursuit.

The meaning is clear: they only want to protect the base and will not exterminate them for the time being.

The Sky Base squad was also among the retreating crowd. It was too dark, and everyone was dressed similarly, so it was impossible to tell which base they came from.

Taking advantage of the fact that no one was paying attention, several superhumans quietly held a red device in their hands.

This device was used on Nan Tingjin in the restricted area of ​​the Blackridge Mountain base, and it had some effect.

Once triggered, the device will generate elusive sound waves within its range, affecting the condition of human superhumans.

At best, it will prevent the user from using their abilities for a short period of time; at worst, it will cause the user to become disoriented, but the abnormality will not appear immediately, but rather it will be like taking a slow-acting poison.

Sky Base has already built this thing, but has never shown it to the outside world.

After confirming that the ear protectors were in place, the group exchanged a glance and simultaneously pressed the buttons.

Several layers of sound waves erupted simultaneously, covering a wider area than before, even affecting some people at the Blackridge Mountain base.

Everyone felt a buzzing in their heads, and suddenly felt waves of indescribable dizziness and discomfort.

The protective shield that had been raised earlier disappeared, and the team's retreat came to a halt. As the discomfort subsided slightly, someone was the first to realize: "My ability doesn't work anymore..."

"Me too... What's going on?"

At this moment, someone said, "It must be a mutant plant. There's a mutated chili pepper on the assignment list that can temporarily disable superpowers."

Many people had heard of the mutant chili pepper's abilities and had no doubts about them.

But now is not the time to delve into these matters. The crisis is not over yet, and we can't use our powers for the time being. Escaping is the most important thing.

Everyone carried medicine with them, quickly took some, and continued to retreat.

Of the three modified vehicles, all were intact. The most seriously injured were taken first, and someone immediately contacted the nearest base to request assistance.

The siege lasted less than two hours before the operation was a complete failure.

After the group retreated a distance, a masked sweet pepper appeared behind a roadside rock.

It stared at the departing people, then looked at the giant nut that protected the base.

The mutant chili pepper... that's definitely not it, it doesn't have that ability.

So, when did nuts and carrots end up mixed up with humans?

They even found a new chili pepper to replace it?

Although when we first arrived here, the plants in the courtyard didn't seem to have any intention of growing together; they each went their own way and lived freely.

But the bell pepper remained indignant and snorted coldly.

It slowly retreated to its previous position and continued to scout the situation.

Meanwhile, just as the device's sound waves erupted, the little mushroom popped out of Qianhui's pocket.

It looked around in confusion and then sneezed slightly.

Qianhui touched the little mushroom's cap and looked out at the dark night sky through the gaps in the man-eating flower's open teeth.

The plant team went to assist, and Nan Tingjin also temporarily left. The carnivorous plant stayed behind to protect Qian Hui and the remaining plants.

Little Cabbage clung to Qian Hui's clothes, with soft vines and morning glories entwined around his hands.

The large cherry perched on the edge of the carnivorous plant's sharp teeth, with the mango beside it: "Huh?"

Mango quietly asked Cherry when they could be sent out to fight and participate in "missions".

Big Cherry scratched her head and thought for a moment before replying, "Ugh!"

I should be fine once I'm full!

Mango seemed to understand but not quite, as if deep in thought.

Qianhui was constantly checking the status in the encyclopedia when she suddenly received a game notification.

[The twelfth faction conflict has ended. Congratulations to our side for the victory! Reward: 500 Prestige Points]

so much!

Qian Hui looked up in surprise and saw the giant nuts protecting the base in the distance disappear one by one, leaving only the original nuts.

This was agreed upon beforehand, signifying that the problem has been resolved and the area is completely safe.

The carnivorous plant saw it too and immediately got up and rushed over.

Midway through, the carnivorous plant first found Nan Tingjin, who was acting alone.

He waited deliberately on the only road they could pass. The carnivorous plant stopped and opened its mouth. Qian Hui peeked out half of her face: "Xiao Jin!"

The faction conflict was won much faster than expected. Nan Tingjin appeared to be unharmed, but when he entered the mouth of the man-eating flower, Qian Hui discovered that his body temperature was very high.

Qian Hui immediately tensed up and leaned closer to touch Nan Tingjin's cheek: "Are you feeling unwell?"

Nan Tingjin took his slightly cool hand in hers and whispered, "It's alright."

Not long ago, he noticed some discomfort, but it was forcibly suppressed.

Presumably because it was far from the center of the sound wave, it was only slightly affected, and its superpowers could still be used normally.

These symptoms are similar to those I experienced in the mountains behind the restricted area.

If it were a sky base... the various teams hadn't left yet, and they didn't care at all.

Nan Tingjin took out his communicator and sent a message to Yuan Ji.

The man-eating flower continued its rapid movement. Seeing that Nan Tingjin's complexion was still not good, Qian Hui bought a panacea.

He sat next to Nan Tingjin and saw the contents of the message, and roughly guessed what it meant.

"What should we do?" Qianhui asked worriedly. "Should we take some other medicine?"

“Don’t worry,” Nan Tingjin took the pills from his hand, “You’ll be fine after a few days of rest.”

Yuanji's reply came almost immediately, stating that only the superhumans should be affected, while the mutated plants remained unharmed.

The teams that came to besiege the enemy likely had the most severe symptoms.

Those were also Wen Jue's targets in this attack on the base.

Regardless, the Blackridge Mountain base suffered the least damage.

Nan Tingjin reached out and pulled Qian Hui into his arms, closed his eyes and exhaled deeply, suppressing the restlessness in his heart.

Shortly after, the carnivorous plant arrived at the base entrance.

The base gates were already wide open, and Nut shrunk its size just in case, becoming a medium-sized Nut that was two meters tall.

The other plants that participated in the battle waited by its side. When they saw the carnivorous plant arrive, they all went forward to greet it and entered the base with it.

Inside the base, Yuanji also rushed over with his subordinates.

After the besieging force left, he received a message from Nan Tingjin, instructing him to open the outer gate in advance, but not yet to open the inner gate.

Through a thick iron gate, he saw a group of exotic plants enter the base and gradually approach along the road.

Several other ability users stayed far away, while most others, like Yuanji, remained inside the inner sect.

Upon reaching the inner gate, the carnivorous plant lowered its head, opened its mouth wide, and several more unfamiliar plants jumped out from inside.

Immediately afterwards, a familiar figure appeared.

Everyone unconsciously held their breath as they watched Nan Tingjin turn around, supporting a silver-haired boy, and step out of the man-eating flower's mouth.

The boy had silver hair and red eyes, outstanding looks, and a slightly familiar figure. He was holding a sunflower that was glowing faintly in his arms.

...Wait, silver hair? Red eyes?

Yuan Ji's pupils contracted sharply as he stared intently at the scene.

As the two emerged, the carnivorous plant raised its head, its massive form casting a large shadow, making it even more imposing than the previous nut.

It was on high alert, its eyes sharp, as if ready to launch an attack at any moment.

Nan Tingjin shielded Qian Hui beside him and glanced at her, saying, "Open the door."