Chapter 123
The information about the vine instantly reached Jiang Zhi's mind.
The long and thick root system is rooted thousands of meters deep, with countless fibrous roots spreading out from the Ancheng base to the surrounding area.
Even so, the vines' root system was still too small to support the entire continent.
At present, it can only support the Ancheng base at most.
According to the dream, after the disaster, the ground was filled with bottomless abysses.
The resources encompassed by a single city were simply insufficient to sustain all of them.
If that's the case, none of them can escape death.
Jiang Zhi was extremely anxious.
I didn't expect that despite investing so many resources in the base during this period, it's still a little short.
Just as I was getting anxious, the seed's slightly aggrieved yet urgent thought suddenly popped into my mind—"Hungry, hungry, hungry..."
The voice was light and airy, yet it was like a needle, pricking Jiang Zhi's heart.
She suddenly remembered Lin Yuan saying that her mental strength was extraordinary.
A thought crossed my mind.
Jiang Zhi bit her lip, trying to calm herself down and direct her mental energy towards the vines.
The moment her mental energy touched the vines, Jiang Zhi felt the feeling of hunger in her mind lessen.
Immediately afterwards, the commotion from underground surged up through the mental link.
Jiang Zhi could clearly feel that the roots that had been stagnant were as if they had been injected with vitality, and the thin root tips began to extend outward little by little, continuing to tentatively burrow into the surrounding ground.
Jiang Zhi was overjoyed.
It actually works!!
She quickly turned to Professor Shen and said, "Professor Shen, I need a lot of Quick Essence Cakes, bring me everything that can restore my mental strength!"
Professor Shen also noticed the subtle changes in the vines.
At this point, we can't afford to be stingy anymore.
He frantically ordered his assistants, "Quickly, listen to Comrade Xiao Jiang, bring over everything that can replenish mental energy! We need to be fast! Whether we survive this ordeal depends on us! Hurry!!"
As soon as Professor Shen finished speaking, the people around him sprang into action.
Several young researchers practically jumped up and rushed into the car.
As they drove back, they shouted into their walkie-talkies to the guards at the city gate, "Quickly bring out all the Speed Yuan Cakes and High-Grade Blue Crystal Liquid from the base!"
"There are three more boxes of Concentration Grass in the West District, bring them all over! The Vine needs them!!"
Upon hearing this, the captain of the guards reacted almost instinctively, shouting to the soldiers behind him, "First squad, to the warehouse! Quick Essence Cakes and High-Grade Blue Crystal Liquid, take as much as you can!"
Then he shouted to the other side, "Class Two, come with me to the West District! Bring all three boxes of Concentration Herbs over here!"
Before the words had even finished, the soldiers had already taken off in their respective directions.
Despite the swaying ground, everyone stumbled and rushed towards their destination.
The iron gate to the warehouse was kicked open with a bang, and several people carried boxes and ran out.
The group heading west was in even greater hurry. They stumbled several times on the shaky ground, but managed to keep going thanks to their momentum.
The shouts and running sounds mingled together, and no one dared to delay for even a moment, wishing they could move faster than lightning.
Everyone could see that every minute saved now meant a greater chance of success for the entire base.
More than ten minutes later, the soldiers arrived, carrying boxes and panting heavily.
The boxes were all open, and the aroma of wheat from Suyuan cakes mixed with the clear light of blue crystal liquid poured out.
Jiang Zhi glanced at the pile of supplies, her heart relaxed, and she no longer hesitated.
The mental energy that had been contained suddenly burst forth, like water overflowing a dam and surging into the vines.
The vines, like lit fuses, visibly came to life.
The bluish-brown veins gleamed with a lustrous light, and in just a few breaths it grew a circle thicker, its momentum as it climbed into the air was fierce and rapid, the leaves unfurling with a rustling sound.
Before long, Jiang Zhi's forehead was covered in a fine sweat, and her face turned a little pale.
She could clearly feel the roots of the vines growing wildly under the influence of her spiritual power.
Then the vines needed too much energy, and in just over ten seconds, Jiangzhi's mental energy was depleted.
She had to continuously channel her mental energy with one hand and quickly grab a handful of Su Yuan cakes with the other and stuff them into her mouth!
Crumbs of the Suyuan cake dripped down her chin, but Jiangzhi didn't bother to wipe them away. She chewed a couple of times and swallowed them whole. The dry, hard crumbs stung her throat, but she only frowned slightly.
Before she could even finish swallowing the biscuit in her mouth, Jiang Zhi's hand reached out to the side, grabbed a bottle of blue crystal liquid, and poured it into her mouth.
The icy liquid slid down his throat, just as it transformed into a faint warmth that flowed into his mental pool, before being transported back to the vines.
After all that, Jiang Zhi's mental energy was like a leaky bucket. Just as she managed to replenish a little bit of energy with the Speed Yuan Cake and Blue Crystal Liquid, it was completely absorbed by the vines. This massive transfer of mental energy made her consciousness begin to feel heavy.
But seeing the roots of the vines below still growing wildly, she could only grit her teeth and stuff another piece of cake into her mouth.
Professor Shen, who was watching from the side, stared in disbelief, his hand trembling as he adjusted his glasses. "Comrade Xiao Jiang, your... your mental strength... it's already at level 8?!"
After Professor Shen finished speaking, he shook his head violently, indicating that now was not the time to discuss this matter.
He turned to the soldiers behind him and continued, "Go and move all the usable supplies and resources from the base! Hurry up!!"
As soon as Professor Shen finished speaking, the soldiers rushed into the base carrying empty boxes.
The ground beneath my feet was still swaying lightly and heavily, making it difficult to run without stumbling.
The scene was nothing short of chaotic and disorganized.
Things weren't much better inside the base.
Previously, there were a few people running around in the streets, but now no one dares to show their faces, and most of them have run to the prepared refuge points.
The adults held the child in their arms, huddled in a corner, staring at the swaying houses outside.
Every now and then there would be a loud "boom".
In the distance, an old house collapsed, with broken bricks scattered all over the ground. The dust kicked up by the wind drifted into the refuge, choking people and causing them to cough.
The whole earth shook, making people dizzy and lightheaded.
Someone looked out, pale-faced: "What do we do? If the shaking continues like this, all the houses will collapse! If our city walls collapse, many people will surely be crushed to death!"
The person next to him quickly said, "Didn't they say the vines could stabilize this area? Why haven't they reacted yet?"
As soon as the man finished speaking, the ground shook violently again, and a third of the roof of the refuge point was shaken off. Several people shrank back at the same time.
Many people share the same ideas as these individuals.
At this moment, everyone's heart is focused on that vine.
With each tremor of the ground, everyone's heart clenched.
Everyone is looking forward to it.
I hope that the vines will suddenly exert their strength, like the legendary Optimus Prime, to lift up this shaky world.
This thought weighed heavily on everyone's mind, yet it was also the only driving force that kept them going.
Even the guards stationed in various places unconsciously gripped their guns tightly, their eyes constantly drifting towards the direction of the vines.
The soldiers who had just delivered resources over there ran back, still catching their breath, when they were surrounded and asked, "How's it going? Have the vines grown?"
The man nodded vigorously, "It's working! Comrade Jiang Zhi is now channeling her spiritual energy into the vine, and it's continuing to grow!!"
Upon hearing this, the soldiers quickly replied, "Is it enough to just input mental energy? I'm a mutant, I can contribute too!!"
"Me too!"
"Who are you?! What are you shouting slogans for?! Get over there and help!"
The first soldier to shout out said this and then charged toward the vines.
"Wait for me!" The people behind didn't hesitate either. Whether they had just delivered resources or were guarding outside the shelter, they all ran over there.
The remaining soldiers regretted not reacting sooner and could only continue running back to the base to retrieve the mental supplements.
Several others immediately said, "Let's go and notify the mutants in the base, and tell them to come and help!"
The soldiers split into several groups and began to move about.
When the dozen or so soldiers ran to the vines, Jiang Zhi was leaning against the thick stem, her face deathly pale, clutching half a half-eaten Su Yuan cake in her hand.
The soldiers exchanged glances, said nothing more, found a place to stand, and, like Jiang Zhi, calmed down and tried to guide the mutated energy in their bodies into the vines.
But as soon as their mental energy touched the vines, it was as if they had hit an invisible wall.
Many soldiers tried several times, but still failed.
"No! These vines don't seem to accept our mental energy!"
"Mine is the same! Not a single drop can penetrate!"
Is Comrade Jiang Zhi really the only one who can do it?
The thought had barely crossed everyone's minds when the middle-aged soldier in the lead suddenly roared in a gruff voice, "Damn it! I still want to live to see tomorrow's sun! If you don't want to die, then try a few more times!"
Upon hearing this, the young soldiers, who had just been discouraged, gritted their teeth and tried again.
That's right!
They all want to live!
We've worked so hard for so long, we can't just give up now!
I don't know which sentence had the effect.
When the soldiers tried again, the vines actually accepted them!
The previous layer of resistance has disappeared.
A faint suction force emanated from the vines, and although it was very weak, it effectively "received" their spiritual energy.
"It's done! It's been sent!" A young soldier's eyes lit up.
The others also sensed the vine's condition.
The massive stems seemed to tremble slightly. Although their spiritual power was very weak for the growth of the vines, it was truly useful!
Although they can't compare to Jiangzhi's delivery capacity, they have more people!
Before long, all the mutants that the base could mobilize arrived.
The area around the vines was quickly surrounded by a dense crowd of people.
Hundreds and thousands of mutants and warriors formed a circle around the vines.
The people in the front row were practically pressed against the thick stems of the vines, while those in the back row tiptoed forward, stretching their arms over the shoulders of the people in front.
The moment most people's palms touched the vines, a faint halo appeared on their fingertips.
Light gold, translucent white, pale blue—various glimmers of spiritual energy flowed like streams into rivers, surging upwards along the veins of the vines.
Then, several urgent voices were heard from the crowd.
"What's going on? I...I can't input it!"
The speaker was a young soldier, sweating profusely. He pressed his palms firmly against the vines, but there was no response.
The two people next to him also frowned, repeatedly adjusting the position of their hands, pressing their palms together and then moving them back and forth, but the vines seemed to be blocking their mental energy.
The soldiers who were able to input the information were all stunned.
They did the same thing just now...
Is there some other request?
Seeing this, Jiang Zhi was so anxious that bubbles appeared at the corners of her mouth.
The current state of the vines is still insufficient to support the entire continent.
If we don't hurry, that tsunami on the horizon will come crashing down on us.
What did those soldiers do to make it effective...?
Before she could figure it out, the middle-aged soldier who had been leading the group said, "We did the same thing just now, try a few more times!"
Everyone tried several times, but it still didn't work.
"Lieutenant Colonel Qian! No way, how did you manage that?"
The middle-aged soldier gritted his teeth and decided to go all out, "Then you all shout after me—"
"Damn it! I still want to live to see tomorrow's sun! If you don't want to die, try a few more times!"
Everyone was stunned.
What kind of spell is this?
Lieutenant Colonel Qian's face flushed red. "That's exactly how I shouted it! Never mind that! Just shout it like me!"
Upon hearing this, Jiang Zhi suddenly had a flash of inspiration.
"It's the will to survive!!" she shouted, her voice trembling with excitement. "Only when the vines sense the will to survive can they receive your spiritual power!!"
Everyone was taken aback.
Will to survive?
These two words lingered in everyone's minds, leaving them momentarily stunned, yet also faintly stirring a hopeful disbelief.
"I want to live—"
Someone uttered the words aloud first, and then, like sparks, they ignited in the crowd.
The mutants almost immediately focused their minds, enveloping their will to survive in their mental energy.
When it was sent to the vine again, the previous barrier really disappeared, and the spiritual energy smoothly seeped into the veins of the leaf.
No one spoke anymore.
One stream, two streams... more and more energy surged upwards along the vines, and under the pressure of hundreds of streams of energy, the pressure on Jiangzhi was immediately relieved.
She looked up.
The vines, which had been growing slowly, suddenly shuddered.
The next instant, the entire main stem grew wildly as if urged on, and the vines extending outward from the ground thickened at a visible speed, extending outward from the base at an astonishing pace.
In a short while, the coverage of the underground vines extended from the Ancheng base to other provinces.
The light in everyone's eyes collided, and the previous panic vanished completely, leaving only a united force.
At this moment, everyone had only one thought screaming wildly in their minds—
Hurry up!
Faster!
Outside of Ancheng Base.
The tremors deep underground suddenly intensified.
A huge crack suddenly appeared in the center of the mountain range.
The crack looked as if it had been cleaved out by a giant axe. The rocks at the edge were crumbling, raising clouds of dust. The bottomless blackness spread along the crack and in an instant pierced through the entire mineral vein hidden in the mountain.
The iron frames that were originally in the mine tunnel, the piled-up mine carts, and the picks and crowbars that the miners hadn't had time to put away, instantly lost their support and rolled down the sloping rock wall. The sound of the collision echoed long in the abyss, but it didn't even cause a ripple before being completely swallowed up by the thick darkness.
Meanwhile, in the direction of Haishi, another catastrophe is currently engulfing the area.
On the horizon, where there should have been clear skies, a tsunami-like, gray-white wall rose up.
It is pressing towards Ancheng with overwhelming force.
The waves, churning with white foam, darkened the sky, and the roar of the waves sounded like a thousand thunderclaps at once, making even the ground beneath our feet tremble.
In just a few breaths.
The massive gray-white wall crashed onto the coastline of the mirage.
Millions of tons of seawater were thrown up by the impact, then turned into a torrential curtain of water that crashed onto the land.
In the blink of an eye, the frozen coastline was swallowed by the turbid seawater. The water surged inland like a madman, uprooting trees wherever it passed, and swirling mud and wood fragments in the waves, unstoppable all the way.
After the mirage was submerged, the next tsunami followed almost seamlessly, with even steeper waves crashing down on the newly submerged land.
One wave subsides only for another to arrive, with each surge more turbulent and frighteningly high than the last.
The once relatively intact mirage, under such repeated impacts, is like a crumpled piece of paper.
Even the sturdy dikes were gnawed and pitted, collapsing into pieces with the waves.
In just a few waves, the original mirage was replaced by a turbid expanse of churning ocean.
The surface not far from Ancheng Base was instantly submerged by the gray seawater, as if it wanted to sweep everything in its path into that murky expanse, surging forward with unstoppable force.
These waves made the whole earth tremble.
Unlike the shaking caused by an earthquake, the ground tremors caused by a tsunami are much smaller in frequency and amplitude.
But this only makes people more uneasy.
Some people have experienced this and shouted, "It's a tsunami!! A tsunami is coming!"
The shouts echoed through the refuge, striking like a whip into the hearts of everyone in the base.
The panic that everyone had been holding on for just moments before collapsed instantly, and despair washed over them like a tidal wave. Many people's legs gave way and they collapsed to the ground.
Sure enough, within moments, staff members were running around notifying everyone: "Quick! Run to higher ground!! Take refuge in evacuation points 8 and 9!!"
Everyone was running for their lives.
However, in the next second, a tsunami taller than the city wall swept towards the Ancheng base.
Before the wave arrived, a shadow that blotted out the sky fell first.
Everyone's breath seemed to be choked by that overwhelming pressure, leaving only a bone-chilling cold and shock.
How high must this tsunami have been?
"A tsunami...it really was a tsunami..." someone murmured, the light in their eyes gradually fading.
Suddenly, someone raised their voice sharply, looking towards the direction of the vines with a sob in their voice, shouting in a hoarse voice, "Where are the vines?!"
These words acted like a fuse, instantly igniting the tension throughout the room.
"Yes! Didn't they say the vines could save us?!" A woman holding a child lunged forward, only to be pulled back by those around her. Tears mixed with dust streamed down her face. "Why isn't it moving? Why isn't it responding?!"
"Hurry up and do something!" someone shouted, pounding on the earthen wall beside them until their fists were red and swollen. Their voices were filled with a desperate, resigned tone. "If we don't move, we'll all be flooded! It's a lie... it's all a lie..."
Cries and shouts mingled with the ever-approaching roar of the waves, suffocating everyone. As they stared at the vine that had yet to begin moving, the hope in their eyes was gradually replaced by despair.
At that moment, most people didn't move.
They didn't want to escape anymore!
What's the point of running away during a tsunami like this?
Just when everyone was resigned to their fate.
A muffled hum suddenly came from the earth.
It wasn't a tremor caused by a tsunami, nor an earthquake caused by the tearing apart of the continental map.
It was a powerful tremor that surged up from the depths of the earth!
Everyone looked down sharply and saw that the tendrils that were originally hidden deep underground suddenly shot up wildly. The thick tendrils, like giant dragons that had been gathering strength for a long time, intertwined and wrapped around the ground, tightly gripping the rock and soil, weaving an unbreakable giant net that firmly held the entire land!
"It moved! The vines moved!" someone shouted in disbelief.
Before the words were even finished, an even more astonishing scene unfolded!
As the rumbling from underground grew louder and louder, the entire land actually began to rise!
At first, there were only slight undulations, but then the amplitude became larger and larger. It was as if the ground beneath our feet was being held up by a pair of giant hands, steadily and with an undeniable momentum, rising upwards!
"It's rising! It's really rising!"
It's unclear who started crying first, but then the sobs throughout the hall turned into tearful cheers.
The person who had been standing frozen fell to the ground, tears streaming down their face as they laughed.
The woman holding her child buried her face in the baby's hair, her shoulders shaking, but she stared intently at the vines rooted in the soil, her eyes shining brightly.
Even the most composed old man tremblingly wiped his eyes, his cloudy eyes filled with the relief of surviving a disaster.
But before the joy could even warm up in my throat, the tremors under my feet suddenly stopped.
The earth was rising steadily, half of its body already protruding from the turbid waves, and the tsunami in the distance was still surging, but the huge vines that were supporting them seemed to have lost their strength, and were abruptly suspended in mid-air.
"W-Why isn't it moving?" Someone's smile froze on their face, and their voice trembled.
All the mutants and warriors surrounding the vines tensed up.
"What's going on? Why is Dawn not moving?"
Jiang Zhi's heart sank suddenly, and she abruptly turned to look at the mutants who were transmitting their spiritual power.
Each of them had a deathly pale face, bloodless lips, and their hands trembling as they pressed against the vines. The spiritual energy that had been flowing continuously into the vines had now become extremely weak.
“Energy…” Lieutenant Colonel Qian, standing next to Jiang Zhi, staggered back half a step, his rough, hoarse voice filled with bitterness, “Our mental energy… is depleted!”
The tall, thin soldier next to him frantically searched the cardboard box beside him, only to find that even the last mental energy replenishment was gone. "Gone...everything's gone!"
"what to do?!"
Panic surged back like a tidal wave, and the heartbeat, which had slowed slightly due to the earth's rise, was gripped tightly once more.
Jiang Zhi felt a burning sensation in her chest, and her already exhausted body began to tremble even more violently.
Don't shake, stay calm!
But the more this happened, the less Jiang Zhi could calm down.
Excessive overexertion caused her vision to blur.
She stared intently at the roots of the vines, her consciousness sinking into her mental pool, her voice trembling without her even realizing it: "Seed! Seed, can you hear me?"
"What do we do now?! Why did it stop?"
"We need you to keep growing! The earth must rise again! What do you need? What else can we give you?!"
She asked again and again, her consciousness torn apart like a tangled mess, each sound filled with anxiety.
Beneath our feet lies the earth suspended in mid-air, while in the distance looms a menacing tsunami.
Large raindrops pelted down, blinding people and plunging the world into a hazy darkness, with only the distant, turbid waves of the tsunami relentlessly closing in.
Just then, a blinding white light suddenly pierced the rain curtain without warning, enveloping the ginger branch.
The white light wasn't hot, but it carried a strange warmth. Jiang Zhi felt a blur before her eyes, and when she opened them again, the wind and rain and the panicked crowd around her had disappeared.
She was surrounded by a chaotic white light, and before her lay a pure white seed, which was exactly what the vine had originally looked like.
Jiangzhi asked anxiously, "Seeds, how can we survive?! Tell me quickly!!"
The tsunami outside will hit in about ten minutes; if we don't hurry—
At that moment, a gentle yet clear thought entered her mental pool:
"Do you... want to live?"
Jiang Zhi nodded emphatically. "I want to!"
However, she was met with the same response.
Like a repeat button being pressed, the words kept falling into her heart: "Do you... want to live?"
These words echoed repeatedly in her mind.
Each time it rings out, it's like gently questioning her, or through her, questioning everyone on that land outside.
Jiang Zhi gradually understood the meaning in that thought; it wasn't a question, but more like a hint.
Jiang Zhi's eyes widened!
She found out!
The next moment, she was jolted awake from the white light, her whole body shivering in the cold rain.
Exhaustion beyond her physical limits made her tremble uncontrollably.
The raindrops were so big that she couldn't even open her eyes.
no!
She can't afford to mess things up at this crucial moment!
must--
We must inform everyone of the seed demand immediately!
Jiang Zhi was extremely anxious. At this moment, she had no idea how to control her body, which was almost out of control.
My nerves were stretched to the limit, as if they were about to snap at any moment.
Just then, a large hand suddenly covered the back of her hand.
The warmth of that palm, like the winter sun, carries a reassuring power.
At the same time, a gentle yet powerful spiritual force flowed through their touching skin, like a warm current, instantly dispelling the chill that permeated her body and gradually warming her stiff limbs.
She turned her head to look, trembling.
What came into view was Lin Yuan's familiar yet resolute face.
"Jiangzhi, hang in there!"
The other person's deep voice was full of power, which gave Jiang Zhi a surge of inexplicable courage.
The nerves that were originally so tense that they were about to break gradually relaxed.
She took a deep breath, and a determined light rekindled in her eyes.
The rain was still hitting my face.
Jiangzhi disregarded everything else and turned to shout urgently at the chirping bird not far away, "Chirp chirp!"
Just one thought.
With a knowing flutter of its wings, Chirp flew above the crowd, its clear chirping carrying Jiang Zhi's consciousness, like countless fine needles, precisely piercing the spiritual sea of each person—
Tell it that you want to live!
The chirping sounds entered everyone's minds.
When they realized this was the last straw, they were all momentarily stunned and unable to react.
When Ye Qingyun, who was far away at the refuge, heard Jiang Zhi's familiar voice, tears instantly streamed down her face.
"It's Azhi! It's Azhi's voice!!"
Jiang Shan held Ye Qingyun, who was crying uncontrollably, tightly and shouted to those around them, "Listen to Azhi! Tell Manteng! We want to live!!"
Liu Xu was soaked to the bone. Trembling, she clung tightly to Niu Xiaolu and spoke first: "I...I want to live!! Azhi, I want to live!!"
The man, who had been crouching in despair, suddenly clenched his fists, pressed his forehead against the rising earth, and shouted in a muffled voice, "I'm not reconciled! I want to live! My life was bought with my father's blood! I can't just die like this!"
After shouting, he wiped his face hard, and when he looked up again, his bloodshot eyes were full of ferocity. He roared along with the others, "I want to live!"
The sounds they uttered with all their might, carrying their yearning for life, reached directly into the vines growing beneath their feet.
Those whiskers, each the size of a washbasin, trembled.
Immediately afterwards, the tendrils beneath their feet began to grow and spread outwards at a visible speed, as if in response to their shouts.
Jiang Wen's eyes widened, his face flushed with excitement. He shouted at the top of his lungs, "Look, everyone! The vines are starting to grow!! Shout! Tell the vines our will to live! Only if we shout together can the vines continue to grow and save us!!"
Jiang Wen's words rekindled hope in everyone present.
Sobs mingled with screams; old and young, men and women alike abandoned all restraint, shouting at the top of their lungs until their throats bled, yet they refused to stop.
"We must survive!"
"Please, let us live!"
These voices contain so much.
There is concern for the children, longing for relatives, unfinished journeys, and unspoken words, all twisted into a warm, burning energy that seeps into the roots of the vines and sinks deep into the earth.
The wind carried all the voices together in a surging motion.
The will to survive of everyone, like molten lava, carried endless energy, spreading along the veins of the vines and sinking into the earth with unstoppable force.
Just as the tsunami was about to hit, the previously still earth suddenly emitted a deep rumble, as if a sleeping ancient beast had been awakened.
Immediately afterwards, the entire continent began to tremble slowly, and then rose higher and higher in a chilling yet hopeful manner.
With each rise, we moved further away from the raging tsunami and the deadly fissure in the earth.
Everyone felt a sudden lightness in their bodies, and a strong sense of weightlessness washed over them.
They clung tightly to everything around them, their eyes wide as they watched the Ancheng base rapidly approach the clouds.
Everyone was stunned by this sudden change and couldn't react.
The tsunami's waves crashed wildly against the ever-rising continental margins, only managing to splash high sprays of water in vain, unable to reach the ever-rising continent.
As the continents rose, the originally connected landmasses began to break apart.
The cracks in the earth continued to extend, and the lands that were not supported by any giant object were now being swallowed up by a celestial beast, falling bit by bit into the bottomless abyss.
Everything vanished under this powerful force, leaving only a murky ocean and a bottomless abyss.
As everyone ascended, they felt the distance between life and death gradually widening, and their fear was finally replaced by hope.
I don't know how much time passed.
The continuous feeling of rising suddenly disappeared.
The slight swaying that had been caused by the ascent stopped abruptly, as if everything around us had been put on pause.
The earth stopped in mid-air.
The tsunami had turned into a small white band of waves, and the fissures in the ground had become thin black lines.
The crowd fell into a deathly silence.
After an unknown amount of time, someone asked softly, "Are we... safe now?"
The sound was as soft as a feather falling, yet it caused a small ripple in the crowd.
All eyes turned to the source of the sound, which was a young girl. Her face was still pale with fear, and her eyes were filled with cautious hope.
At this moment, the warriors standing around the vines looked at Jiang Zhi with hope, hoping to get her answer.
Jiang Zhi doesn't know if she's completely safe now.
All she knew was that the vine had now grown into its complete form.
Jiang Zhi was pale. She opened her mouth as if to say something, but a voice suddenly rang in her mind.
"I'm leaving... The rest is in your hands..."
Jiang Zhi was startled.
Is this... the sound of a seed?
"Wait!" Jiang Zhi blurted out in her haste.
Everyone looked at her, puzzled.
She paused, then asked in the depths of her mind, "Aren't you staying?"
The seed said, "My mission is complete."
Jiang Zhi pursed her lips.
"...May I ask why you chose me?"
After a moment, the other party replied, "You possess something that allows humanity to continue..."
Jiang Zhi was startled.
Could the seed be referring to the dashboard on her body?
Could it be that she was chosen because of this special ability?
Countless questions exploded in her mind, but before Jiang Zhi could ask any more, she felt the scent of the seed begin to dissipate.
Jiang Zhi returned to reality and looked at the expectant eyes of everyone.
She took a deep breath and said slowly, "We are safe."
Everyone seemed unable to believe their ears, and a brief silence fell over the area.
Immediately afterwards, a cheer erupted from the crowd.
Immediately afterwards, cheers erupted from even more people, like waves crashing one after another, filled with boundless joy and excitement.
Some people wept with joy, tightly embracing the people around them.
Some people looked up and shouted loudly at the sky, as if to release all the repression and fear in their hearts.
The cheers were so loud that they quickly reached the base.
At first, the residents of the base just looked at each other and dared not make a sound.
When they understood the joy contained in the cheers, their eyes instantly lit up with hope.
"Are we safe now!?"
After waiting for a while, the ground beneath their feet still did not react.
Several quick-thinking individuals cheered.
"It's safe!! Listen! It's from Sector C! Someone's shouting over there!"
The crowd, who were still in shock, seemed to be suddenly awakened, and all eyes turned towards the direction of Zone C.
Amidst the surging crowd, staff members rushed towards them, their faces beaming with undisguised joy.
A young worker sprinted through the crowd, shouting every few steps, "We're safe! The disaster is over!"
His voice was clear and loud, standing out clearly in the noisy environment.
A middle-aged woman, holding the hand of the person next to her, with tears glistening in her eyes, excitedly said, "Did you hear that? We're safe! We're all safe!"
The children were jumping and skipping through the crowd, shouting like the adults, "It's safe! It's safe!"
At this moment, people were spreading the word to each other, from one corner to another, from one group of people to another.
Those cheers, like a warm spring breeze, dispelled the gloom that had lingered in people's hearts for days.
The base instantly transformed into a sea of joy, with cheers and laughter mingling together and echoing in the air for a long time.
Amidst the bustling and noisy atmosphere, Wang Jianguo was alone in the room. His once straight back now seemed to have lost all its strength, and he slumped into a chair.
He propped one hand on his temples to shield his eyes, seemingly trying to cover up his loss of composure.
The tension he had been under for days completely dissipated at this moment, and a strong sense of fatigue overwhelmed him like a tide.
The difficult choices made during the disaster, the countless sleepless nights, and the worry for every life flashed through his mind like scenes from a movie.
Seeing his old leader like this, Huang Xianming's eyes couldn't help but redden.
Only he, the person closest to him, knows how much he has sacrificed for the base these past few days.
Just as everyone was immersed in joy.
At some point, a huge sinkhole appeared in the sky above the square.
This sinkhole is exactly the same as the one in Shashi, resembling a huge black maw.
"Wait! Something's happened over there!!" A sharp-eyed person in the crowd suddenly shouted, his voice filled with shock.
All eyes turned to the sinkhole in the sky, their faces filled with astonishment and unease.
"Commander Wang..."
A soldier rushed up to Wang Jianguo in a panic.
Upon hearing about the situation at the sinkhole, Wang Jianguo readjusted his mind and decisively issued the order.
"Send someone there immediately!"
As the crowd approached the main square.
The sight before them stunned everyone.
The huge crater in the sky was like a giant curtain, covering the entire area above the square.
People can see what's inside this curtain-like sinkhole.
It was as if a different dimension had appeared out of thin air above.
The trees inside were taller than I could have imagined.
The vines, like giant pythons, coiled around the tree trunks, and were covered with colorful fruits that exuded a dangerous aura.
Countless mutated plants are densely distributed.
Beside this tropical rainforest lies a vast grassland.
The group could also see glimpses of mutated beasts flashing by from time to time in the grass.
One of the soldiers recognized the grassland: "Isn't this the same grassland we went into in Shashi before? How did it end up here? And why are there so many mutated plants growing here?"
Upon hearing this, the people nearby immediately asked, "What is that? Is it dangerous?"
The soldier shook his head. "All we know is that it's a closed, alien space, and the mutated creatures inside won't attack people on their own."
Upon hearing this, everyone felt relieved.
However, my doubts only deepened.
Meanwhile, Jiang Zhi, who was far away by the vines, felt a strange fluctuation coming towards her the moment the sinkhole was formed.
It somehow connected her with another dimension in the sky.
The last vestige of the seed's will lingered within.
Jiang Zhi fully received this thought, and her mind suddenly felt enlightened.
Unexpectedly, this alternate dimension was a gift of survival left for them by the seeds.
With these resources, humanity was able to continue living on this ravaged land.
Jiang Zhi looked up at the world at the end of the sinkhole, her eyes shining with an astonishing light.
She knew clearly that this was a glimmer of hope breaking through the dead end, a ray of dawn that this land, which had suffered so much, would eventually see.
*
Five months later.
That cataclysmic event that upended the world turned the world upside down.
Now, time has slowly healed some of the scars.
The entire planet Earth presents a unique appearance that is both desolate and full of vitality.
According to official measurements from the base, the continent supported by the vines covers a total area of 4.7 million square kilometers, which is equivalent to the combined area of several provinces.
After the catastrophe, it floated alone in the sky above the world, like a forgotten island.
In the base, many houses have been rebuilt thanks to everyone's efforts.
The collapsed city wall was rebuilt brick by brick.
Many low-rent housing areas have had their broken roofs replaced with brand-new tiles.
The entire base is still busy with restoring order and construction.
In order to accommodate the residents of the southern base, the base demolished and rebuilt the eastern city wall and expanded eastward to create a residential area the size of a small city.
On the street, people came and went, some carrying timber, some carrying stones. Although their faces were tired, their eyes shone with hope.
After the cataclysm, torrential rain poured down for a whole month.
When the torrential rain finally stopped, the once bottomless fissures on the surface of Earth were once again covered with dense, mutated plants.
The continent they inhabited was like Noah's Ark, standing on the abyss and the ocean.
Ten thousand meters tall vines are deeply embedded in the depths of the blue planet.
Barring unforeseen circumstances, they will continue to live on Earth in this way.
The staff members were working in an orderly manner to arrange for the residents to carry out post-disaster reconstruction work.
Winter continues.
But everyone has adapted to the stable low temperature.
In the main square, staff members are gathering residents and assigning tasks.
A burly worker stood on a high platform and shouted, "Everyone, quiet down and listen to me! Today's tasks are as follows: Group 1 is responsible for finding the mining tools buried in the ore vein; Group 2 is responsible for building the east city wall; and Group 3 is responsible for collecting usable resources outside. Everyone must follow the instructions and complete the tasks diligently!"
After hearing this, the residents nodded in agreement, then divided into groups in an orderly manner, collected tools and supplies, and headed towards their respective task locations.
Under the orderly arrangement of the staff, the entire base was running smoothly like a well-functioning machine.
With close cooperation among all parties and the concerted efforts of the residents, the community has largely recovered to its pre-disaster state of life over the past few months.
The Jiang family, being the wealthiest in their area, recently bought the house of Ma Yanhong next door.
Because of the merits of Jiang Zhi and her siblings, the Jiang family bought a plot of land of several hundred square meters at a very low cost.
Over the past few months, the Jiang family has put in a lot of effort to expand their original 300-square-meter home into a courtyard house of 600-700 square meters.
Today, the Jiang family's new house stands out in the area, attracting considerable attention.
The main gate of the courtyard house is made of solid wood and inlaid with two door knockers made of special minerals.
A plaque bearing the honorary advisory titles of Jiang Zhi and her brother hangs beside the door.
Although the new house was much more spacious, the Jiang family still preferred to stay in their old house. They decided to move there in the summer to save on firewood.
Xu Na made a small quilt for the child and, despite being heavily pregnant, took it to the clothes rack in the yard to air it out.
Ye Qingyun saw this and quickly went over to help. "You silly child, let us do these things. You're about to give birth, and the yard is icy. What if you slip and fall?"
Xu Na smiled and said, "Third Aunt, don't worry, I'll be very careful."
"Even if you're being careful, it's better to stay inside. Go inside! We can handle these things. If you're feeling embarrassed, just have Awen do it!"
It was still early, and everyone in the Jiang family was busy with their own things, so it's no wonder that Xu Na felt embarrassed to be idle.
Jiang Hai and Jiang He were both requisitioned by the base as honorary advisors to work on infrastructure construction.
Jiang Wen also started working with Han Lei on the membership-based item exchange project they had previously worked on, and he wasn't at home either.
Jiang Jun became a key focus of the research institute, responsible for the development of spacecraft.
The women in the house weren't idle either. Wu Xiu and Yuan Ying went to the next room to organize the food that Jiang Shu had brought back from the sinkhole a few days ago.
Only the two elderly people remained in the hall.
Even the two younger ones went to attend classes at the newly established school at the base.
Ye Qingyun was originally going to go back to the clinic to continue working, but Dr. Liang, seeing that she had been working non-stop for more than a month, specially gave her a day off to come back and rest.
It's fair to say that everyone in the Jiang family is incredibly busy.
When Grandma Jiang heard Ye Qingyun's words, she said, "I think Xiao Na is going to give birth in a few days. We need to keep a few people at home, otherwise it will be troublesome if we don't have enough people. If we really can't free up any hands, we can ask Xiao Xu to help."
Ye Qingyun replied, "That makes sense. I'll bring it up with everyone when they get back tonight."
In the evening, the Jiang family members all returned home.
Ye Qingyun had already prepared dinner.
Jiang Shan sat down at the table and, not seeing Jiang Zhi, asked, "Where's A-Zhi?"
Ye Qingyun said, "She went down with Lin Yuan and the others to investigate the situation."
The "down" that Ye Qingyun was talking about was the fissure in the earth of Blue Star.
I heard that the mutated plants below have grown even more terrifying, so in order to develop more resources, the base commissioned them to go there.
Although it was risky, they had to take this step.
The resources in the sinkhole are currently quite abundant, but not enough to support the further development of the base.
Decades from now, the sinkhole may shrink and disappear, and then humanity will truly be at its end.
Jiang Shu was not happy to hear this. "Ah Zhi, really, why didn't you invite me? I heard that they went down in a new aircraft developed by the base. I've been eyeing that aircraft for a long time. It's been developed for so long, but I haven't even tried it yet."
Jiang Wen said, "No way, didn't they say that Captain Luo and the others used the Spirit Stone to make a new contract with the mutated birds in the sinkhole? With the mutated birds, they don't need to use the flying vehicle anymore, right?"
Because the mineral veins in the Qiling Mountains were relatively well preserved, and there were a large amount of special minerals, the base's scientific research developed rapidly.
The aircraft that Jiang Shu mentioned was developed using gravity ore from the research institute.
Grandpa Jiang said, "Why is there a discrepancy in your information? Did Azhi go with that kid Lin Yuan, or with Captain Luo and the others?"
Ye Qingyun smiled and said, "Dad, Lin Yuan is now the captain of Azhi's team. They're all on the same team."
Grandpa Jiang was displeased upon hearing this. "I think that Lin Yuan has ill intentions. I'd better remind Azhi not to be deceived by a handsome man."
Ye Qingyun was both amused and exasperated.
Ever since Grandpa Lin revealed his desire to arrange a marriage between their families a while ago, Grandpa Jiang has found fault with Lin Yuan in every way.
Grandma Jiang adored Lin Yuan, and she glared at her husband, "Eat your food! You're too old to be worrying about anything!"
The Jiang family is as happy and harmonious as ever.
Judging from their condition, as long as they eat some low-toxin foods, they can live for another 10 or 20 years.
Perhaps in the future, human lifespan will increase significantly as Earth evolves.
Meanwhile, Jiang Zhi and her companions were traveling down to the surface of Blue Star in their flying vehicle.
The aircraft moved smoothly and slowly through the clouds.
The oxygen outside was so dense it felt like we'd stepped back into the Carboniferous period.
Looking around from a high vantage point, their land was originally quite close to the Cloud Nest Giant Tree, but now, as far as the eye can see, they can't even see the shadow of the Cloud Nest Giant Tree.
The once towering Cloud Nest Tree, reaching straight into the sky, now seems to have vanished into the vastness of heaven and earth.
Jiang Zhi frowned slightly, her heart filled with solemnity.
As far as the eye could see, there was only a vast and boundless landscape.
The earth stretches and expands wantonly.
The mountains stretch endlessly to the horizon. Familiar landmarks have vanished, replaced by unfamiliar and magnificent landscapes.
"I wonder how many times larger Earth has become to achieve this effect," Hu Yang muttered to himself.
His voice carried a hint of amazement and awe.
This time, neither Chen Shaoting nor Wu Bing came. The two registered their marriage at the Civil Affairs Bureau of the base a while ago and are currently on their honeymoon.
Lin Yuan asked Yan Liang, who was piloting the aircraft, "How's it going? Is the performance stable enough?"
This time, in addition to exploring the surface of Earth, they were also tasked with testing the spacecraft.
Yan Liang nodded: "Not bad."
The aircraft continued its descent, getting closer and closer to the ground.
More than two hours later, everyone could clearly see the scene on the ground.
—A dense, mutated forest covers a large area of land, with strange trees towering into the clouds, their canopies like giant umbrellas, blocking out much of the light.
Occasionally, you can also see deep canyons and rushing waterfalls, with water cascading down from high places, splashing up layers of white water droplets.
Just as they were about to approach the mutated creature below.
The aircraft suddenly appeared several kilometers away.
Hu Yang was taken aback. "What's going on?"
This was the first time they had been so close to the surface, and the sudden situation caught them off guard.
Suddenly, an alarm sounded on Jiangzhi's dashboard—
"Beep—Cat's Eye Terrain Detected, Unpredictable Teleportation Available."
Jiang Zhi was startled.
This is still on the ground near the vines, yet it's already so troublesome.
The aircraft has just stabilized again.
Suddenly, a slender tongue emerged from beneath the massive canopy, like a frog catching flies, trying to hook them down.
Fortunately, Lin Yuan reacted quickly and turned the aircraft's steering wheel, allowing the aircraft to narrowly escape disaster.
Even so, a hole was found in the side wall of the aircraft.
"Drip—Toad Tree, which can capture prey within a three-kilometer radius as nutrients."
At this moment, the aircraft also emitted a beeping alarm due to the damage.
As soon as the sound rang out, the entire forest suddenly stirred.
Hearing countless red notifications, Jiang Zhi immediately said, "Fly upwards quickly!"
Yan Liang accelerated immediately, and the aircraft quickly returned to a height of over a thousand meters.
Lin Yuan frowned as he looked down at the chaotic forest below, where demons were running rampant.
"It's more dangerous down there than we imagined. The aircraft is precious, so let's go back first."
Jiang Zhi had no objection.
The team's mission was merely to gather information; they did not intend to conduct an in-depth investigation.
Earth has now evolved into a completely new world.
It will take a long time to see the specifics.
Perhaps in the future, in order to secure further resources, humans will send out a continuous stream of teams to develop new territories.
With that thought in mind, the aircraft shot through layers of clouds like an arrow and landed steadily at the base suspended above the vines.
After parking the aircraft back on the research institute's helipad, Jiang Zhi and Luo Yonghui finalized their plan to explore the area at another time, and then they all went home.
Jiang Zhi and Lin Yuan are in the same direction.
The two walked quietly through the base.
No one spoke.
Upon returning to the Jiang family's gate, Lin Yuan suddenly asked, "Jiang Zhi, do you have someone you like?"
Jiang Zhi's heart skipped a beat.
She looked up and saw Lin Yuan looking at her.
The other person's bangs were still slightly messy from being blown by the wind, with a few strands clinging to their temples, making their eyes appear even deeper.
This made Jiang Zhi realize that he hadn't been so casual when he asked that question earlier.
For some reason, my face feels a little hot.
She opened her mouth, about to answer.
Suddenly, a chaotic commotion erupted from inside the house.
Ye Qingyun's voice rang in my ears.
"Xiao Na is about to give birth! Quick! Go boil some water!! Bring over the things we prepared beforehand!"
Jiang Zhi was startled and rushed inside without answering Lin Yuan's question.
Lin Yuan felt somewhat helpless; he would probably only hear this answer next time.
The Jiang family was thrown into chaos.
Although it had only been a few hours, the Jiang family felt like it had been a very long time.
Finally, five hours later, a loud cry broke the long night.
The lights inside were warm and inviting.
As soon as Wu Xiugang carried the swaddled baby out, Jiang Shu and the others crowded around, craning their necks to look inside.
"Oh my! What a handsome boy!"
Grandpa Jiang lowered his voice, his hand hovering in mid-air, wanting to touch it but afraid of breaking it.
The people around laughed along, "Listen to that crying, so energetic, it's bound to be strong in the future!"
Jiang Zhi looked down at the wrinkled little face in the swaddling clothes, feeling overjoyed.
The joy inside was almost overflowing outside the door.
Xu Na lay exhausted on the bed, drinking the hot soup that Wu Xiu handed her, and only spoke after a while.
"A-Zhi, why don't you help her come up with a name?"
Jiang Zhi was stunned.
"I?"
Xu Na nodded with a smile.
"She was born in this apocalyptic world, and we didn't know what name would be appropriate for her."
Jiang Zhi looked around at her family and found that no one objected.
She lowered her head and thought for a moment, then said, "Then, let's call it Jiang Teng."
I hope that, like the wildly growing vines in this apocalyptic world, even if she takes root in barren land, she can still live steadily with her tenacity.
Just like them.
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