The fruit tree looked at Nan Muran anxiously. It knew that right now, only this human could help it.
“I’ll lead the way,” it said.

Because Yongye feared water, Liu Mei had deliberately chosen a location away from water sources but near the forest when selecting the site.

Thus, the Yongye Hotel wasn’t very far from the forest behind it.

Once the group determined the direction from the fruit tree, they quickly left Yongye Hotel and rushed straight into the forest.

Along the way, the two-meter-tall fruit tree hurried forward anxiously, heading straight for the body it had left deep in the forest.

“I thought you didn’t care about your fruits? Why are you so anxious then?” Han Yingtian asked in surprise. Earlier, hadn’t the fruit tree given them its fruits?

“The fruits don’t matter; they can always grow again. But the roots are essential,” Nan Muran said. Just by looking at the fruit tree’s expression, she could tell that someone must have set their sights on its root system.

Si Ye, hearing Nan Muran’s words, pondered aloud, “They’re not ability users?”

After all, ability users wouldn’t need to dig up the entire fruit tree by its roots.

“Not necessarily. A soil-type ability user could indeed dig up a mutated plant’s roots,” Nan Muran replied as she thought it over, a little surprised.

Si Ye had changed a lot—his understanding of the post-apocalyptic world had deepened considerably.

Once a fruit tree’s roots were dug up, it would lose its life completely. No wonder the tree was panicking.

Suddenly, the fruit tree, which had been running wildly ahead with the group, noticeably faltered and finally collapsed onto the ground. Its once two-meter-tall body started shrinking, getting smaller and smaller:
They’ve dug up my roots, it said.

“What’s going on?”

Seeing the treant writhing in obvious pain, everyone grew uneasy.

“Those people have already dug up its entire root system,” Si Ye said with certainty.

Nan Muran looked at the fruit tree.
“Were the fruits on the tree picked, or did they leave them there?”

Fruit Tree: They’re still on the tree.

Xiao Liu: If the fruits are still there, why would they dig up the roots instead?

Fruit Tree: I don’t know either!

Xiaobai: Dummy.

Nan Muran frowned. If the tree’s main energy was tied to the trunk, digging it up wouldn’t be too terrible.
But in this situation, digging up the roots would cause the main trunk to lose its energy rapidly and wither away.

At the same time, the fruits left on the tree would also become worthless.

“Looks like they want to transplant it,” Si Ye guessed.

Nan Muran agreed with his assessment.

After thinking for a moment, she stepped forward and placed her hand on the fruit tree, releasing vitality into its body. The fruit tree’s withered treant body gradually began to recover.

Feeling the growing strength inside it, the fruit tree’s green eyes were filled with disbelief—how could this human possess such powerful vitality?
It was far stronger than even the best soil!

No wonder those two mutated plants had willingly followed her. Now it wanted to follow too.

“Hurry up and lead the way. I don’t have that much vitality to waste on you,” Nan Muran said coldly, sensing the tree’s thoughts.

The fruit tree immediately got up obediently:
Okay.

The group continued moving toward the fruit tree’s trunk deeper in the forest. After about three kilometers, the fruit tree, leading at the front, suddenly stopped.

Through the tangled undergrowth, less than a hundred meters ahead, they saw a group of about twenty people trying to move a huge fruit tree onto a large truck.
Nan Muran could clearly sense the ability fluctuations from each of them—and their faces were very familiar.

At the moment, strength-type and control-type ability users were cooperating, shifting the giant fruit tree bit by bit.

“Is that… Chen Shuhan and Ouyang Yun?” Han Yingtian said in surprise.
He hadn’t expected to run into those two again here.

These two were definitely not good people. Their presence here meant that things were far from simple—very likely it involved the underground laboratory too.

Nan Muran’s gaze swept coldly across the grass on the opposite side of the group.
“It’s not just them. There’s another team hiding in the grass over there.”

“Zhou Ling?” Hearing her words, the others immediately agreed without hesitation.

Chen Shuhan and Ouyang Yun had always been at the Lansi Base. If they suddenly made such a big move and Zhou Ling, who was in charge of security, didn’t know, that would be unthinkable.

Nan Muran crouched down slowly.
“Go call them over.
Otherwise, if we get discovered, it’ll ruin everything.”

The twenty-plus people with Chen Shuhan were all ability users.
Even though there weren’t any special types among them, none of them were weak.
Meanwhile, Zhou Ling’s group had quite a few newly awakened ability users.

“I’ll go,” Shiwu volunteered quickly.

Jiawu looked at him. “I’ll go with you.”

The two of them kept low, slowly retreating until they were sure they wouldn’t be seen before speeding up.

Over on Zhou Ling’s side, the tension was high. They had sensed a dangerous presence approaching. After all, they weren’t a match for the opposing group in terms of strength or numbers.
If discovered, they would be slaughtered.

But when they saw it was Jiawu and Shiwu approaching, Zhou Ling’s pupils dilated in relief, his heart soaring with excitement.
We’re saved!

Against Chen Shuhan’s twenty-odd people, Zhou Ling’s group stood no chance.
But with Nan Muran and the others here, it would be Chen Shuhan’s team who’d be destroyed—no doubt about it.

Without needing Jiawu and Shiwu to say a word, Zhou Ling and his team obediently followed them back around to Nan Muran’s side.

“Miss Nan, Brother Ye, Brother Wu, Eagle, Captain Han…”
Zhou Ling greeted everyone warmly, trying to flatter everyone he could.

Hearing Zhou Ling directly call him by name, Eagle showed displeasure.
“How come you’re being polite to everyone else, but calling me by name?”

“Then… should I call you Big Brother Eagle, or Brother Hawk?” Zhou Ling said uncertainly.

Everyone tried hard not to laugh at the childish-sounding names.

Meanwhile, Eagle’s face turned completely black—serves him right for asking.

Ignoring their banter, Nan Muran asked coldly,
“Zhou Ling, why are both sides missing half their people? Were they left at the base, or is there another reason?”

Zhou Ling, after offering a sheepish smile to Eagle, stepped forward to stand at Nan Muran’s left side:
“They split into two teams. I sent some people to follow the other group.”

“Seems like they have another plan.
Maybe we’ll end up with even more gains,” Si Ye said coldly, watching Chen Shuhan’s team moving the tree.

“Then let’s not act yet.
Let’s just follow them,” Nan Muran decided swiftly.

Fruit Tree: But… my fruits…

Nan Muran coldly glanced at the treant beside her:
“You’re so close to them—less than a hundred meters—and you can’t handle it yourself?”

Damn it, she thought.
A level-seven mutated tree and you can’t even do this? How useless!

Even Little Liu, that adorable little thing, could do better.
Even peak level-five Xiaobai was stronger.

Fruit Tree: It’s not that I can’t… I just wanted a little more vitality…

Nan Muran sneered.
She hated it when people (or trees) tried to bargain every time something needed to be done.
“Cut the crap. Either you die right now, or you obey my command and bring those fruits over yourself.”