First, the group tidied up their packs and weapons at their end of the tunnel. Then they drove the car a little farther into the nearby forest and hid it, carefully erasing all traces.

Finally, they began to climb up the cliff beside the tunnel.

Out of the eleven people, Chengcheng and Qijin were both control-type ability users, and the others also had various abilities. Using their powers to help one another, they ascended the steep cliff—even the parts nearly vertical at ninety degrees—with little difficulty, reaching a spot halfway up the mountain safely.

“Once we cross that peak ahead, we’ll reach their gathering place,” Nan Muran’s small willow tree reminded her.

The path up the mountain was dense with forest, with no visible trails.

Si Ye, along with Eagle, Jiawu, and Han Yingtin, took the lead in clearing the way.

After trekking through the mountain forest for over an hour, they finally reached the summit.

Looking down from the peak, they saw a massive valley.

At the edges where the valley met the surrounding mountains, rows of three-story small buildings had been erected, forming a circle. Two rows in total, with the outer layer occupied by many people in military uniforms.

The rooftops were heavily guarded, with key junctions fortified into defensive points, their firearms and artillery positions appearing highly professional.

Near the tunnel entrance, where they had just come from, a defensive line had been set up with a lot of weaponry deployed. Clearly, any stranger entering from the tunnel would be dealt with harshly.

At the center of the valley, the place was bustling with activity. People in camouflage clothing and ordinary attire moved back and forth through the area.

Most importantly, they spotted five mutated fruit trees—besides the four trees they had already seen in the photos, there was a new one they hadn’t seen before.

Not far from the trees were also five huge pits.

“Damn, where did these people find all these mutated fruit trees?” Han Yingtin couldn’t help but feel envious.

Finding even one of these was an extremely difficult task, and yet these people had managed to gather five. The amount of resources and manpower this must have required was unimaginable.

“That large building facing us in the inner circle looks like a major laboratory. Looks like this is where they research gene serums,” Nan Muran observed the researchers coming and going inside.

Something felt strange. She didn’t recognize a single face among the researchers. Even though this wasn’t the underground lab of Mount Tai, it was odd not to recognize anyone—after all, many personnel from the genetics lab had been transferred to the underground lab back then.

Thinking back to the greedy eyes staring at her during those last moments—how vivid those memories were—and now not a single familiar face remained.

Truly eerie.

“Are they WJ’s people?” Fifteen asked coldly, feeling an inexplicable sense of deep disappointment.

An entire reinforced battalion, equipped with the most advanced and powerful weaponry—without top-tier backing, this simply wouldn’t have been possible.

Nan Muran’s group remained silent, having already experienced a similar situation at the safe haven.

Meanwhile, Han Yingtin and his team’s faces darkened, feeling a heavy suffocation in their chests.

“All five of those trees are mutated fruit trees, and they’re powerful. Why aren’t they resisting at all?” Chengcheng asked, confused. Normally, with five mutated plants—especially fruit trees of the seventh level—there should have been some resistance.

If a battle broke out, it would be hard to predict who would win.

“The underground lab had a red suppressant drug that could seal a plant’s powers.

They also had tools that could suppress ability users’ powers,” Nan Muran said, feeling the urge to rush down and slaughter everyone. But she knew that would be reckless and would risk the lives of her companions.

“Hide!” Si Ye, Jiawu, Eagle, Han Yingtin, and Fifteen suddenly said in unison.

They immediately pulled the nearest person beside them into a dense patch of grass to hide.

Si Ye grabbed Nan Muran by the shoulders and pulled her into the grass as well, shielding her carefully to prevent her from getting scratched by the plants, one hand protectively covering the back of her head.

Moments later, the roar of helicopters sounded overhead. Everyone secretly felt thankful—if not for the others’ quick reactions, they might have been discovered.

After the helicopters passed and confirmed the danger was gone, they regrouped under a large, concealed tree.

“There’s at least a full reinforced battalion down there, armed to the teeth. If they are attacked, they could instantly blanket the entire valley and surrounding mountains with firepower,” Si Ye and Han Yingtin drew the defensive layout on the ground based on what they had observed.

Nan Muran frowned. She had seen scenes of helicopter gunfire and watched enough war films to understand: even for ability users, before reaching level five, facing full-scale firepower would leave them helpless, likely resulting in serious injury or death.

“This spot here looks like a blind spot in their firepower,” Jiawu pointed at a corner.

Han Yingtin nodded with a bitter smile. “But judging from their layout, they left it open on purpose.”

“How many people in a reinforced battalion?” Nan Muran asked, puzzled.

“About eight hundred men,” Si Ye provided an accurate number based on the firepower setup.

Nan Muran nodded, her voice hesitant. “There are also about fifty ability users and around sixty captives inside. We can’t just fight our way in. There’s only one way.”

“What way?” The others looked at her curiously.

“Pick all the fruit and leave,” Nan Muran said firmly.

The fruit must be taken—otherwise, if these evil researchers got their hands on them, who knew what horrors they might create.

Si Ye immediately understood Nan Muran’s thinking. “You’re planning to destroy the four trees, leaving only the treant?”

Nan Muran sighed. “I don’t know. Right now, I just can’t think of a better solution.”

“We definitely can’t leave them to the underground lab people, but it feels cruel to destroy them,” Chengcheng said, feeling a twinge of guilt.

After all, once a plant mutated, it was almost like it had life. Destroying them to prevent evil experiments felt unfair and indeed cruel.

Si Ye reached out and held Nan Muran’s hand. He knew better than anyone that no one cherished these mutated plants more than Nan Muran did.

As a plant-type ability user, she could empathize with these plants far more deeply than the others.

Just then, the treant, sensing Little Willow’s presence, realized they were nearby. Leaving behind its exhausted body, it came over and happened to hear their conversation.

Treant: What if I convince them to come with you?

Nan Muran looked back in surprise. “Come with me?”

Treant: Like me—leave their bodies behind to wither, and take the fruits to follow you.

If it were anyone else, this would be impossible. But Nan Muran carried a strong life force within her. Even without roots, these plants could cling to her and survive.

“They’d be willing?” Nan Muran asked, astonished.

Little Willow: I can go with Treant to talk to them. Ranran, if they don’t agree, we can dig up their treasures, okay?

Xiaobai: We can take them home, help them grow roots again in the mountains. They have fruit, they can definitely do it.

The others watched Nan Muran talking to the treant in amazement, trying to understand but failing to grasp the full meaning of the conversation.

Seeing their confidence, Nan Muran thought for a moment and finally nodded in agreement.

If this plan worked, it would indeed be the best possible outcome given the current situation.