Forge a path to success

Ji Huaisu forcefully interrupted her, patted the young writer, and said loudly, "Let's wait with hope! When we change the situation, let's do something for this city-state with our own strength!"

She pulled Chu Hengkong away, leaving the young writer standing there dumbfounded, instinctively adjusting his glasses that had been knocked askew. Chu Hengkong chuckled as he walked away, "Weren't you out for a walk to clear your head?"

"Where would I find the time to be leisurely and depressed?!"

"Both sides in the dispute are right, and I just can't muster the energy to do anything."

"This is not a reason to stand still."

Chu Hengkong pressed further, "Why? Is it because Parriman used underhanded tactics? Or do you believe that the safety of 10 billion people is more important than that of 1.7 billion people?"

"No, it's because I want to stand on the side of the Allies."

She strode forward, unwavering: "The strength of both sides, the legitimacy of their methods, the significance of their actions—all these are secondary. What truly matters is the choice I make. If the enemy is also right, then I will carry their wishes forward after victory. If there will be sacrifices ahead, then I will bear the pain of the dead and wounded and continue fighting!"

We live in chaotic times, leaving no room for confusion. How can we make the world a better place if we don't even have the awareness to bear the consequences of our own lives?

Chu Hengkong spread his death wings and took flight: "I've finally figured it out. Can I fly now?"

"I don't need your help with something as trivial as getting somewhere quickly!"

Ji Huaisu rose with the wind, and they flashed across the sky like comets, returning to the underground of the fourth vein.

During their rest period, the base camp had been transformed into a production workshop. Farmers came to the hastily constructed greenhouses to carry out mass sowing in conjunction with Wilbert's automated machinery, while senior gardeners such as Gulibo gathered in the research room, chattering about improvement plans for a certain new plant.

After a simple modification, the stone became the central hub of the workshop. Its vines were responsible for providing energy to the greenhouse area, while its spiritual power was used to set up an assembly line to help mass-produce more Millennium Bugs.

"That young lady is really rude to people," it said in a mild tone.

“I’m afraid now is the time for efficiency over etiquette.” Vilbert strode over, still as decisive as ever. “New bad news: I’ve tracked down Fifed’s logistics route. It has recently transported a large number of war plants to the Second Pulse. I’m afraid Parriman will also make some moves in the military camp, and we can’t place all our hopes on the Second Captain.”

"That bastard moved fast enough," Ji Huaisu cursed. "They split up?"

“The military camp is where the Jing Sha's fighting force is most concentrated; we need capable individuals to keep things under control.” Vilbert hesitated for a moment, “Perhaps we could draw upon the fighting force of the Third Lineage…”

"No, the stability of the third vein sequence is equally important. I don't want to see all that trouble back home go wrong." Chu Hengkong shrugged. "How so, partner?"

Ji Huaisu patted his chest confidently: "Go ahead and rest assured, leave this to me!"

·

The sooner the better, and Chu Hengkong had already set off with Vande in tow. Velbert led her to a room filled with strange equipment, seemingly a makeshift research lab. Harlequin's projection was drawing and writing inside, and greeted them warmly upon their arrival.

“Considering I’m not suited for combat on the surface of the fourth pulse sequence, I’m afraid you’ll need to evolve quickly to deal with the situation in the fields.” Velbert closed the door. “I’ll assume you can evolve successfully for now. What abilities will you gain after becoming Free Wind?”

“The ability to control the wind, the ability to seal elemental power, and a mount with strong combat capabilities.” Ji Huaisu gestured, “Our…faction’s cultivation method is rather special, we don’t follow the path of physical elementalization. I will seal most of the power of the free wind within the mount’s body, and only unleash its strongest power when fighting alongside it.”

What is your mount?

"After searching for a long time without finding a suitable mythical beast, my best friend and I made one together." Ji Huaisu created a miniature ice sculpture. "It looks something like this."

Haliroya took two exaggerated steps back: "It doesn't look very righteous~~"

"But it has presence! That's why it's strong!"

"That's enough. The most important thing about the Supreme Path is mindset. What you like is the most reasonable design."

Using the ice sculpture as a base, Velbert added information to create a model, producing a knight riding on the back of a ferocious and monstrous beast. She then added a long staff to Ji Huaisu's hand and asked, "Like this?"

“Almost…” Ji Huaisu bit her nails, “but it still feels a bit awkward, the target is a little too big.”

“This is because the path of the Discipline Knights has grown and expanded in war. Your legacy is more like a ‘military unit,’ with the form of each particle corresponding to the corresponding war situation,” Vilbert said. “Your particle 4 is designed to inflict massive casualties on the battlefield. Its hypothetical enemies are the Imperial fleet and the berserk magic storms. Naturally, it would appear bloated in urban combat.”

"I see..." Ji Huaisu nodded. "Hey, that can't be right. How do you know all about my family background?"

Vilbert ignored her question: "And your opponent, Lingfeng, is a highly mobile unit skilled in assassination, and has a large number of war plants to support him. If you don't have a countermeasure, you may easily fall into a disadvantageous position."

“Teleporting onto a mount’s back will put you in a disadvantageous close-quarters battle,” Haliroya agreed.

"Wait, wait, wait! Answer my question first! Why do you know about knights?!"

"Because I have been to the Plain of No Life Blood."

"real or fake?!"

“Don’t tell Akong.” Vilbette pulled up a design drawing. “During my investigation of the Blood Plains, I exchanged intelligence with the local Discipline Knights and designed a system based on their sealing techniques. Due to time constraints, this system only exists in theory and has not yet been tested in practice…”

Ji Huaisu was furious: "You want to use me as a guinea pig, don't you! Do you want me to step on a landmine?!"

Vilbert continued, "Therefore, its design is risky; it may disintegrate during actual operation, and its operation requires appropriate force restriction..."

"Isn't this all bad news?! What good is this lousy system anyway?!"

"In return, it can provide broader combat adaptability and increase the theoretical maximum output of the current particle."

"Let's do it!" Ji Huaisu slammed his hand on the table. "Who cares about the risks? Let's try it first!"

With a tap of her hand, Velbert caused the wall to flip, revealing dozens of sets of gleaming protective gear, ranging from retro-style knight's gauntlets to near-futuristic semi-transparent goggles, offering a comprehensive and thoughtful selection of styles.

Harley Luoya smiled and introduced, "Let's start with catalysts. Do you prefer traditional or modern?"

"Don't be too old-fashioned."

Haliroya picked up a pair of psychic gloves: "Lightweight?"

"Make it even sturdier."

"Offense or defense?"

"Guardianship first."

Harley Luoya turned around and took out a gauntlet, its texture as clear as jade, with a dragon's head carved in gold thread.

"Produced in Longquan Township, with Soul Banyan Jade as the main material, it can be paired with existing equipment and supports custom fine-tuning."

Ji Huaisu summoned her existing Azure Armor and added the dragon-head gauntlets. After minor adjustments, the new armor blended seamlessly into the Azure Armor, and she nodded in satisfaction: "Not bad."

“The combat support system will be built starting with this gauntlet. Don’t worry about efficiency; the most important thing for you is the design,” Vilbert said. “The core of the system is your Discipline Seal. You need to build a large, constantly operating seal around it to use energy more efficiently and ensure exceptional performance in critical moments.”

“Each Discipline Knight has their own preferred sealing method. What suggestions do you have for the sealing method we will be using?”

“No magic array,” Ji Huaisu said. “It’s too big and troublesome to construct.”

“Unconventional construction,” Wilbert noted. “Material medium?”

"I'm afraid of losing it. Ideally, it should be easy to use immediately, so that even if I become mentally challenged, I can still take pictures."

"Trigger-based fixed technique".

"That sounds good."

“Then, setting it as a dual catalyst of elemental power and mental energy, I will install a mental energy printer within your system, allowing you to activate the seal even in extreme situations where you cannot use your physical power.” Velvet modified the design. “What form do you want?”

"Convenient. Doesn't interfere with combat. Light and fast enough."

"Longquan Township-style talismans?"

"It's a bit soft, make it firmer..."

Harley Luo Ya revealed a card: "Like this?"

Ji Huaisu snapped his fingers: "This is excellent!"

“The requirements have been collected. We can discuss the fine-tuning as we go.” Vilbert glanced at her watch. “Captain Harley Luoya and I will immediately begin the practical development of the combat support system, and the Gardeners will prepare for the official operation. How long is your upgrade expected to take?”

"Three days at most."

“All the work will be completed in three days,” Wilbert said briskly. “There’s plenty of time, but we can’t waste any. Let’s begin now.”

Chapter 368 Abundant Harvest (8)

After finishing her routine patrol, Lingfeng returned to the farm, feeling a sense of unease.

Three full days have passed. During this time, spies have been arrested every day because of Xiao Qiuyinghua. In order to lure the enemy out, the workload on the farm has been further increased, but the enemy has not made a single move. It is really unreasonable that such a troublesome person could be so calm.

Fife floated over and plopped down on the specially made extra-large sofa: "The military operation has been hampered... I heard that the terrorists from the Jinghua Festival have reappeared. It must be them causing trouble in the shadows. How despicable!"

"Is that so?" Lingfeng said calmly. "Those terrorists played a significant role in pushing the bill through."

Upon hearing this, Fifeld flew into a rage: "The passage of the bill is the result of the joint efforts of all the people of the city-state! Captain Lingfeng, as a member of the Divine Guard, how can you speak up for those criminals!"

"I just don't think it's that much of a coincidence. Do you really think that a few legendary point beings would go to such lengths to infiltrate a city-state just to kill our Third Captain?"

Phifide fell silent upon hearing this, clearly sensing something amiss. But it persisted, "This isn't the first or second time the heretics have used such methods to sow discord. Especially in times of crisis, we must trust our comrades. I believe in Speaker Parriman's love for the city-state."

“I believe it too. I believe that man absolutely loves the city-state, but…”

He doesn't seem to love the sacred tree at all.

Lingfeng hesitated, then sighed inwardly.

So what if there are speculations? So what if the Speaker has ulterior motives? We're all high-ranking members of the city-state; we all know there's no such thing as perfectly clear water in this world. Now that we've chosen sides, there's nothing more to say. Once it's all over, we'll naturally know who's right and who's wrong…

Just then, the alarm suddenly went off, and an armed farmer knocked on the door and reported: "Little Autumn Flower has detected a large number of anti-legislative elements! They are throwing large amounts of unknown plants onto the ground!"

"They've finally shown themselves." Fifeld perked up. "What's the total number?"

He swallowed hard, trying to deliver the message: "I...I don't know..."

Fife frowned: "What do you mean you don't know?"

"There are too many people! They're everywhere, they've all come out in droves, even the little cosmos flowers can't count them all!"

·

“The following is the operational plan for this operation. The enemy relies on the idea of ​​using the small cosmos flower for reconnaissance, but every system has its limits. The attack on the Brass Flower Festival has proven that if a large number of warning signals appear in a short period of time, even an efficient team like the Third Team cannot handle them in time.” Wilbert pointed to the map. “We will mobilize all our manpower at the start of the operation. Each team will proceed to the surface in batches from all passages, aiming to catch the enemy off guard.”

Ji Huaisu raised a question: "What about the punishment from the fake divine trees? Even if they reduce their output to the minimum, our little animals here are powerless to fight back."

“We have a plan for this,” Vilbert clapped her hands. “Please let Gardener Gulibo introduce the results.”

Gulibo hopped onto the conference table, dragging a large burlap sack, and proudly displayed the finished product to everyone. Inside the sack was a sea of ​​white, piled high with white lotus flowers.

"After obtaining Ji Huaisu's test data from last time, we improved the white lotus variety and successfully achieved mass production. Now the white lotus can be effective in a certain area and supports the pre-infusion of benevolent energy, and its petals have become as delicious as potato chips!"

The stone spirit beside him, barely breathing, said, "The price I paid was that I was almost completely drained..."

Ji Huaisu selectively ignored Shi Zhong's complaints, picked up the flower and took a bite: "Holy crap, it really is! It's delicious."

"I'll have a bite too." "It tastes really good..." "Do you have any other flavors?"

Gulibo jumped up and down in a panic: "We'll eat them after the battle! These are all important weapons!"

A middle-aged Gubo member whispered to his great-grandfather, "Great-grandfather, I still don't understand how we succeeded."

"Don't think... just feel it!" The great-grandfather was clearly more mature and composed. "Anyway, the method that Gulibo came up with works well, so just follow it."

Wilbert promptly stopped the participants from snacking: "We will release large quantities of white lotuses onto the surface and beneath the farm to create a barrier of goodwill to neutralize the influence of the mind controllers. After that, I will use my mental power to broadcast another fact that the farmers are unaware of."

"What is it?"

“This conclusion is based on the trade records of the Philfield Farm,” Wilbert smiled. “I believe this will be very helpful in winning votes.”

She announced the conclusion after a brief explanation, leaving all the locals in the room feeling a chill run down their spines.

"I'm practically going into battle with the mindset of going into action right now."

"If these idiots keep going... Jing Sha will be finished..." Great-grandfather almost had a heart attack. "Everyone, let's go! Let these idiots see the truth!"

·

"The enemy is throwing flowers! They're everywhere!"

"Enemy scattering flowers has appeared in the underground factory too!"

"Breaking news! These flowers taste quite delicious..."

Fifeld was furious: "No eating flowers! Is this any way to behave?! The Joint Divine Guard restricts their movements and brings the situation under control as soon as possible!"

The farmers said weakly, "Your Excellency, we...we can't control that stuff..."

"How could they be so fully armed—" Philfield gasped, "By the divine tree above!"

Its massive body was shrouded in an even more terrifying shadow, like a mountain rising from the horizon, the shadow enveloping everyone like the night. The true form of that mountain was a giant warrior made of withered wood, its head shaped like a warrior wearing a helmet, its eye sockets gleaming with a cherry blossom-colored divine light.

Level 5 War Plant, Hardwood Vanguard!

The hardwood vanguard scattered clusters of white blossoms like rain, causing small animals to scatter in alarm. Inside the cockpit on his chest, Gulibo shouted excitedly, "I did it! I've wanted to grow this since I was a kid!"

"It feels so good to run on the ground, hahaha!" Shi Zhong laughed heartily.

The cockpit is woven from the vines of the Stone Seed, because the core of this colossal war plant is actually a Stone Seed that has grown into a small tree...

Faced with scarce underground resources and insufficient space, Vilbette proposed a groundbreaking solution: planting her own sacred tree as the primary material inside a plant shell, instantly solving the energy supply problem. With the combined efforts of the Gubo tribe's innovative cultivation method and the stone seed, this earthen transplant actually succeeded. A combatant with a mass of 5 was thus born from the ground; even the most devout followers of the sacred tree might be driven to a stroke by this.

However, since the Divine Tree itself seems quite happy, it probably doesn't matter.