The Haotian Greenhouse—a name that naturally drew the attention of any fellow countrymen who set foot here.
In earlier years, many who heard of it went out of their way to inquire about the details of this greenhouse. When they learned that there were no harsh Chronos taxes or the rigid monthly rule of submitting the Moxel of Oblivion here, they braved long journeys to come, hoping to join the Peng Zone. Though not everyone succeeded in being admitted, the population still swelled as a result, with nearly ten thousand people scattered across this place, dwelling in stone and wooden houses of various muted shades.
When Yang Zicang and his companions arrived, they were astonished to find that the locals had already lifted the stone out of its place with torches and moved it to the central square of the Peng Zone.
Several small glows of light appeared high in the sky.
One figure stepped forward, addressing the emerging train tracks:
–So you’re the people from the major Cargo Crew, right?–
–Yes, we are.–
This Penglord patted the pale orange rock beneath his hand and said with a sigh, –Over the years, it’s helped us a lot. Well then, take it.–
Yang Zicang and Robin Lo exchanged glances with Zuo Feixian and the others.
–Thank you.–
Robin Lo and Xiao Liu jumped off the train and hoisted the rock onto their shoulders.
The train set off, heading to the next Peng Zone.
–Pretty smooth.–
–That’s three. There are still over twenty Peng Zones left. If only they could all go this smoothly.–
–I doubt it.–
After smoothly retrieving two more rocks, they arrived at a medium-sized Peng Zone, which lay eerily silent.
A gentle breeze rippled through the darkness. Yang Zicang frowned, gazing at the empty Peng Zone outside.
–No rocks?–
The train circled the Peng Zone but still couldn’t find it.
Left with no choice, Yang Zicang activated the Chime Night, and immediately discovered a basement beneath this Peng Zone, where a group of people were hiding.
Inside the basement of the Peng Zone.
The crowd panicked under the mental influence of Chime Night.
–Everyone, stay quiet. These damned things will leave soon.–
The man, clearly the leader of the Peng Zone, spoke to the crowd.
As he finished, his gaze flickered toward the wall behind him. In a small compartment behind the wall, a rock covered by black cloth lay quietly stored.
Suddenly, the walls of the room twisted, illusions flickered and quickly solidified into shape—it was a metallic door.
Clang—
The carriage door flung open as Robin Lo stood with his hands on his hips, letting out a sneer:
–Hehehe, hiding in here.–
Zuo Feixian chuckled as he hopped off the train, effortlessly hauling the rock onto the vehicle.
Before leaving, Yang Zicang thought for a moment, then jumped down and placed a Shin Engine inside the black cloth on the floor of this sealed little room.
The unsettling, eerie atmosphere quietly dissipated, but the dozens of people in the basement didn’t dare to make a sound. They only felt as if some man-eating demon was hunting for someone above, and that earlier sense of panic was just that unknown entity passing by.
–That was so scary, wuwuwu…–
–Don’t make a sound.–
–Wait for them to go far away…–
Another two or three hours passed, and the hidden crowd all felt the air growing a bit stale. After some could no longer bear it, they spoke to the Penglord:
–That strange feeling is long gone. That terrifying thing should have left by now.–
The Penglord turned to a person beside him:
–Sacred Stone, did you say when those guys would come again?–
–The Penglord isn’t willing to hand it over, is he?–
The Penglord bared his teeth and snarled angrily:
–How could I possibly hand it over? You’re crazy! I’m just trying to confirm how many times they’re coming.–
–I don’t know either. The Divine Stone isn’t a living person; you can’t just have a conversation with it whenever you want.–
After waiting a while longer, the Penglord couldn’t stand it and rose, moving along the backs of several people to get to the small door of the side room.
With a click, the wooden bolt slid open.
This person pushed open the small wooden door and looked inside, then stood there frozen in place.
Under the dim light, the towering black cloth had long collapsed, with a crystalline miniature engine quietly resting atop it, emitting a hazy glow.
–Ah—–
The basement echoed with a blood-curdling scream.
……
Boom boom boom!
On the gravel square, men and horses were thrown into chaos.
–You big shot bastards, you bunch of bandits!–
–Curse your spawn!–
–Shut up! If you keep stirring, we won’t show any mercy.–
This group stood stunned and furious, watching helplessly as the train blurred into a phantom, charging toward the –shrine– area behind Peng Zone—home to spirit tablets and plaques, but where the crucial sacred stone had already been toppled onto the ground, about to fall into their hands.
–A heavenly punishment will strike you all!–
–Go screw yourself.–
With the air of a true villain, Robin Lo hoisted the slightly smaller stone, deliberately squaring his shoulders and striding tall toward the vehicle.
Just as Yang ZiCang reached out to take it, a lithe figure suddenly surged forward, her eyes gleaning with sharp, composed cunning.
She was a dashing young girl, fourteen or fifteen years old, her form blurring as she brandished two sword blades, exuding heroic valor.
–Xiao Li!– The crowd sprawling behind after being flipped by Paleshade Wyrm cried out in alarm. –Don’t go! You’re no match for them.–
–The wicked must die!–
The girl cried out with vehement hatred, her sword slicing through the air as her petite figure instantly appeared before Yang Zicang.
Clang! Yang Zicang flicked his finger, and the short sword in her hand was sent flying by the immense force, landing inside the carriage.
–Ah!– The girl gasped, her face, once burning with righteous fury, instantly turning pale with fright.
Yang Zicang wrapped one arm around her soft, slender waist while with his other hand, he shook her left wrist, disarming her of both short swords.
–You!– Little Li’s soft, supple body struggled slightly in his embrace.
The young man at the door released his grip, tossing her outside, where she landed with a thud on her bottom.
–Ouch…–
Yang Zicang looked at her and said calmly:
–Not a bad ability. Train hard, and you’ll become very strong in the future.–
She could teleport a short distance—though not as far as that lady at headquarters back then, her teleportation also lacked the immobilizing side effect.
–Impressive. Your name is Little Li, right? Want to come with us?–
Robin Lo, carrying a stone, immediately recognized how precious such an ability was.
If Wuying’s invisibility ability was S-level, then this at least ranked as an A-level Moxel ability.
He graded the information he had collected, and Yang Zi Cang’s ability to alter trajectories was initially only a C-rank in his estimation, but was later adjusted to B+.
However, others would not know of this method of evaluation.
Xiao Li, having fallen hard on the ground, instantly began to cry out, –Uncle Yang.–
Yang Zi Cang almost agreed.
Then the person catching up from behind let out an –Eh.–
Yang Zi Cang sighed.
The crowd outside rushed in but dared not approach the ancestral hall.
–Let’s go. Don’t waste time.–
The train sped into the wind, and the girl looked up as it disappeared into the distance.
Suddenly, a tiny, faintly glowing object shot rapidly out of the receding, fierce wind.
{_-For you. If you encounter danger, use it to leave this place, but the road ahead is uncertain. Use it wisely. This is clever Invest for you.–_}
Xiao Li frantically grabbed the hand of the youth who was trying to help her up, and the two vanished in a flash, reappearing a few meters away. The shooting thing clattered onto the ground where they had just been.
–What is this?– Yang Penglord walked over and picked up the ancient coin, which now emitted a soft, glimmering light.
[Life Bank: 9999N.]
[I can utilize an extra 9999N.]
He was instantly frozen on the spot, dazed.
–Is this from that man?– Xiao Li got up, patting off the dust as she walked over.
Yang Penglord snapped back to reality, hesitated for a moment, then slowly handed her the object: –Better not use it, or you might disappear.–
–Disappear? As in die?–
–I don’t know. All we know is, many people with a good amount of Chronos, or some really formidable folks, suddenly vanished without a trace. So be extremely careful—it’s both a treasure and a poison.–
Xiao Li took the faintly glowing coin, her dainty nose twitched, and her delicate brows furrowed slightly.
–Big Contractor of the Cargo Crew, that guy—Yang-ge, what’s his name?–
–Seems like it’s called? Let me ask.– After waiting a few seconds, Yang Penglord, who had been in contact with other Penglords, said, –His name is Jiazi Term. They say his real surname is also Yang. He’s really something else.–
–Oh. I knew it. But I think it should be Jia Zi Cang.–
–What?–
–Look.– The girl pouted, flipping the iron coin in her hand.
Yang Penglord examined it closely, froze again in astonishment, then laughed helplessly as he took the coin and inspected it more carefully.
Around the square hole in the round coin were four bold, archaic characters: Nature’s Bounty, Heaven’s Jade.
Turning it over, it read: Zi Cang, First Year.
Inside the carriage, Zuo Feixian leaned groggily against a few rocks beside him.
–Are you alright?–
–I feel… my heart is beating a little fast, like I’ve taken morphine.–
–…– Xiao Liu momentarily didn’t know whether to correct this guy’s choice of words.
–That hand of mine—no, the Spirit of the Stone—warned me that the upcoming Big Zone probably won’t be cooperative either. And the people there are formidable; some are hiding Nen abilities.–
Nen abilities. So he wasn’t the only lucky one.
–Looks like a fight is inevitable.–
……
Hubville, the hall was packed, and people whispered among themselves about the anomalies on the Shibin Wastes.
In the room where the junior reporters transmitted their perspectives, most of the Hubville officials had already gathered.
–He’s collecting those stones—how many has he got now?–
–Seems like seven.–
–That fast?–
–The Nightmare Train’s speed has increased by three or four times or more, and it’s still rising.–
–Futown, is that mysterious rock collecting its own body? Isn’t Yang ZiCang going to release a demon?–
Cold sweat trickled down the employees’ faces as they stared at the screens. Now most of the monitors displayed the train, faintly silhouetted within a trail of blurry afterimages.
The train, loaded with seven stones, could no longer turn completely invisible, its vague outline now discernible.
The energy emanating from these stones is affecting little Matt Chao’s psychic state, making it seem more ghost-like, infected by a desolate and decaying aura.
From the sky, the young reporters could see the train tracing a faint trajectory across the barren land, like a demon’s arrow shot forth.
Ju Yin Chase grabbed his employee’s chair back and said, –Something big is definitely happening. Let’s stick to the usual—no interference in Shibin Wastes.–
–They’re heading for the Black Dragon Mountain stronghold, aren’t they? That Penglord there is no ordinary man. Yang Zicang should be in trouble.–
–Alas, if the divine stone harbors a demon, him giving up here would be a blessing.–
–Let’s just wait and see how things unfold.– Mi Tianlu, who maintained the appearance of an old man, added from the side.
Everyone’s attention was fixed on this sudden operation.
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