Chapter 129 Awakening Wood-type Ability
I don't know how much time passed.
"Crack".
With a barely audible sound, the crystal core completely turned into grayish-white powder, which slipped through Ruan Ning's fingers.
The pale green light on her body slowly receded. The trembling that had been caused by the energy surge subsided. Her breathing became long and deep, carrying a peculiar rhythm, like the growth of plants.
She slowly opened her eyes.
In the depths of his pupils, besides the original watery color and silvery light, there seemed to be a hint of emerald green luster, which flashed by in an instant.
It worked?!
The giant fire at the door suddenly raised its head, its golden eyes filled with surprise. It keenly sensed that Ruan Ning possessed an aura that made it feel extremely comfortable and at peace.
Ruan Ning raised her hand, looking at the warm green light at her fingertips, feeling the vibrant life force within her body slowly circulating and repairing her injuries. A faint, yet genuine, smile appeared on her pale face.
It was a success.
This newly born wood-type ability is based on the perception, communication, and manipulation of plant vitality, but its core direction has been guided by Ruan Ning's will towards the more rare and precious healing and life-giving abilities.
At the same time, because the awakening process was accompanied by the upgrade of her mental strength to the fifth level, her control over wood-type abilities was extremely exquisite from the start.
Although this newly acquired wood-type ability is still very weak, currently only at the first level, it is undoubtedly a milestone breakthrough, allowing her to take a completely new step in her ability to survive and protect in the apocalypse.
She closed her eyes, letting the new, warm life energy flow slowly through her body, repairing the wounds caused by overexertion. Exhaustion washed over her like a tide, but her heart remained clear and resolute.
A three-elemental ability user (water-based, mental-based, and healing wood-based)... If this identity were exposed, it would inevitably cause a huge uproar in the Northwest Base. But this is also her more solid foundation for facing future challenges.
The next day, Ruan Ning woke up. Her mental strength had basically recovered.
She first went to check on the people who had suffered psychological trauma in the hallucinations. They were in bad shape; some were dazed, and others were terrified.
Ruan Ning mobilized her fifth-order mental power to sort out each of them. The process was meticulous, requiring her to carefully remove any remaining chaotic fluctuations and soothe their damaged consciousness.
As she combed through their clothes, the tense expressions of the group gradually eased, their breathing became steady, and they drifted off to sleep naturally. Although they were not fully recovered, the most dangerous stage had passed.
Qin Li came looking for him. The injury on his arm had begun to heal, and his complexion was better than it had been a couple of days ago.
"How are you?" he asked, glancing at the sleeping wounded.
"It's stabilized, but it will take time to recover," Ruan Ning said.
Qin Li nodded: "The rain has lessened." He paused for a moment, then continued: "I sent people to scout ten kilometers ahead, and they found no large-scale threat. We'll set off first thing tomorrow morning."
Ruan Ning had no objection. She was well aware of her current situation.
"Your condition?" Qin Li looked at her, his gaze scrutinizing. He vaguely sensed that Ruan Ning seemed somewhat different; her aura was more composed, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.
“We can set off,” Ruan Ning replied simply.
Qin Li didn't ask any more questions: "Alright. We'll set off promptly at six o'clock tomorrow morning. My men will be responsible for clearing the way and covering the rear. You'll follow in the middle."
"OK."
Qin Li turned and left to arrange the specific details.
Ruan Ning returned to her cubicle and began tidying her things. A large fire raged at her feet.
She examined her body. The water element energy was stable, her fifth-order spiritual power was vast as the sea, and although the newly generated first-order wood element energy was weak, it flowed quietly, carrying a gentle vitality.
Their strength has increased, but the situation at the Northwest Base is unknown. The secret of the necklace and the mother's background could all bring trouble.
She needs more information, and she needs to be more cautious.
In the evening, Sun Hong came over to report the situation; the supplies had been recounted and bundled.
"Tell everyone to get some rest. We'll set off tomorrow morning," Ruan Ning said.
"Understood," Sun Hong replied, then hesitated for a moment before adding, "Captain Ruan, thank you."
She was referring to Ruan Ning's efforts to help the wounded regain their mental strength.
Ruan Ning waved her hand and said nothing.
Sun Hong has left.
As night fell, the rainless night was exceptionally quiet. Inside the warehouse, people rested early to conserve their energy for tomorrow's journey.
Ruan Ning sat against the wall, with Da Huo lying beside her.
She closed her eyes, and her fifth-level mental power naturally spread outwards, like an invisible radar, covering the area around the camp.
The convoy set off on time at six o'clock the next morning.
The rain was still falling, but it had turned into a fine drizzle. The road was still muddy, and cars were moving slowly.
Ruan Ning, Zhou Min, and Lin Yan were in one car, with Da Huo following beside it. The golden fur was quickly soaked by the rain and clung to their bodies.
With a slight thought, Ruan Ning unleashed her fifth-order spiritual power, forming an invisible barrier above the fire's body that perfectly conformed to its shape. Rain fell onto the barrier, sliding along its arc, leaving its fur completely dry.
The fire throbbed comfortably, purring softly, and its steps quickened. Maintaining this barrier wasn't too taxing for Ruan Ning at the moment, and it could last for a long time.
Zhou Min looked in the rearview mirror and was somewhat surprised: "Your mental strength..."
"We've made a breakthrough," Ruan Ning explained simply.
Lin Yan, sitting in the passenger seat, glanced back at Ruan Ning upon hearing this, saying nothing, but her eyes revealed understanding. They were already used to Ruan Ning's occasional promotions.
The convoy struggled through the mud. Qin Li's armored vehicle led the way, followed by military trucks, with Ruan Ning's convoy trailing in the middle. The wheels kicked up clumps of yellowish-brown mud.
The road conditions were worse than expected. Some sections were flooded, requiring scouts to proceed. Occasionally, a few zombies would leap out from the roadside, but they were quickly dealt with by the soldiers clearing the way.
Ruan Ning's fifth-tier mental power continued to expand, like an invisible detection network covering an area of nearly one kilometer in front of and to the sides of the convoy. No energy fluctuations or large-scale movements could escape her perception.
This saved the convoy from several potential troubles: once they discovered in advance that the road ahead was partially blocked by fallen trees, and the convoy detoured in time; another time, they sensed a small group of corpses gathering in the woods to the side, and Qin Li sent people to clear them in advance, avoiding a surprise attack.
Qin Li briefly thanked her via radio. Ruan Ning's warning had indeed saved a lot of trouble.
At noon, the convoy stopped for a rest in a relatively open wasteland. People got out of the vehicles to stretch their stiff bodies and quickly ate some dry food.
The barrier around the fire remained in place as it lay on a rock, munching on the jerky Ruan Ning had given it.
Qin Li walked over and handed Ruan Ning a pack of military-grade energy bars. "Replenish your energy. The journey this afternoon might be even more difficult. The map shows we'll be passing through a river valley, where there's a risk of flash floods or landslides after the rain."
Ruan Ning took it, unwrapped one, and ate it slowly. "Your injury?"
"It's almost healed." Qin Li moved his bandaged arm. "But you, with your mental energy constantly being released, can you hold on?"
“No problem,” Ruan Ning said.
After a short rest, the convoy set off again.
The afternoon journey was indeed more difficult. They entered a hilly valley area. Rainwater continuously washed soil down from the mountains, making the road muddy and slippery, with some sections littered with loose rocks that had rolled down from the mountains.
The convoy had to slow down repeatedly and proceed with extreme caution.
Ruan Ning focused his mental energy even more, not only to investigate the road conditions and potential threats ahead, but also to sense the stability of the slopes on both sides and whether there were any signs of flooding upstream in the valley.
The advantages of her fifth-tier mental strength became apparent. She could process multiple information streams simultaneously and accurately assess risk levels.
"There's a slight loosening on the left slope ahead. I suggest you pass through quickly," she said through the simple communicator Qin Li had given her.
"Roger that." Qin Li immediately ordered, "Everyone accelerate and get through the bend ahead as quickly as possible!"
The convoy roared through that section of road. A few minutes later, a dull thud came from behind, and a sizable mudslide buried the section of road they had just passed.
It was a close call, but no real danger.
As evening fell, they finally drove out of the most dangerous river valley and set up camp on a higher, flat area.
People were busy starting fires, settling the wounded, and preparing for the night. Everyone was exhausted, but at least they had made it through the day safely.
Qin Li walked over and looked at the distant, desolate, and continuous outline of the Northwest Mountains.
"At this rate, we should be able to see the outer outposts of the Northwest Base in three days at most."
Ruan Ning also looked in that direction without saying a word.
Three days.
We're getting closer and closer to the answer.
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