Exploring the Uninhabited Zone

Yu He and Yuan Lili had tried everything they could think of, but the stubborn puppet wouldn’t listen to them at all. It had been crying and wailing for two straight hours, and the two were terrified it might cry itself sick. They had tried every method they could think of, but nothing seemed to work.

Yu He was on the verge of tears. It wasn’t just her—Yuan Lili was also nearing her breaking point. Yuan Lili, who had been a mother herself, had never dealt with such a difficult child before. It was truly terrifying. “He’er, why don’t we just give the child back to her? Would that be okay?”

“No way!” Yu He refused outright. She had fought so hard for this, and there was no way she was going to give it back. “Mom, you go rest. If I can’t handle it, I’ll call you.”

Yu He was determined to find a way to calm the child down. Yuan Lili, after a moment’s thought and seeing how fussy the baby was, suggested, “Alright, I’ll go take a nap. If it doesn’t work, maybe try giving him some fruit puree. He might be hungry.”

Yu He’s eyes lit up at the suggestion. “Right, maybe he just needs to eat something!” She immediately ordered someone to bring various soups and liquids to feed the puppet doll.

This tactic seemed to work, as the puppet doll stopped crying once it was fed. Yu He and Yuan Lili both sighed in relief, but they relaxed too soon. The child was still a puppet and didn’t need sleep, so…

Ye Mo, observing all this, lost interest. As long as that mother and daughter duo were struggling, she felt satisfied. Yu Mo had already gone into reincarnation, and Ye Mo hoped that in her next life, she wouldn’t let herself be manipulated again.

Returning to her space, Ye Mo glanced at the spiritual body in the Life Water (Vitality Water = Yang side of the pool water) and was startled. “Why is the cultivation progressing so quickly?” She realized that the spirit and body were now perfectly aligned, and the most surprising part was that it had already reached the tenth level of Qi Refining—on the verge of Foundation Establishment.

Ye Mo felt a sense of urgency. Even though the clone was part of her, it would be embarrassing if her original form lagged behind in cultivation level. She dove straight into the Black Water (Yin side of the pool water), planning to undergo a longer period of seclusion for intense training.

While Ye Mo focused on her cultivation, Mo Mo and his team had already entered the first star region. It was known that there were two star regions between them and the Beast Clan, both of which were uninhabited zones. These regions were complex, with rapid rotations and orbits of the planets, often leading to collisions—one of the main reasons they were uninhabitable.

They needed to be extremely cautious in these areas. Mo Mo was now on high alert, using his spiritual sense to constantly monitor the surroundings. Initially, it was the Seventh District’s fleet leading, but Mo Mo had them fall back, placing his Eighth District fleet at the forefront.

“Stop moving forward!” Mo Mo suddenly ordered the four ships from both districts.

General Yan Mingke of the Seventh District, hearing the sudden halt, called Mo Mo to inquire about it. Mo Mo simply told him, “Just watch.”

Yan Mingke was puzzled but kept his eyes on the external view. Within five minutes, a massive cluster of fiery red rocks roared past the front of their formation. The rocks were enormous and had they continued forward, they would have collided directly. Thankfully, the fleet had stopped.

Yan Mingke broke out in a cold sweat. He was relieved he hadn’t impulsively led the Seventh District fleet to the front; otherwise, it would have been disastrous.

After waiting for about thirty minutes and watching several more waves of rocks pass, Mo Mo finally gave the order to move forward.

Aunt Yu was on the same ship as Mo Mo, observing his strength and precision in command, she didn’t expect that Mo Mo to be so powerful. She had been training her water-based abilities and had progressed from being able to release only a small amount of water per day to twice as much now. Despite her growing power, she refrained from testing her abilities inside the ship, understanding the value and delicacy of the fleet’s technology.

The fleet continued onward, only stopping in cases of emergencies. At one point, the lead ship changed course unexpectedly, prompting the other three ships to follow.

Soon, they landed on a small, green planet, about the size of the moon. Though it was small, everyone was thrilled at the prospect of exploration.

As the ships landed, everyone was eager to disembark, but Mo Mo stopped them. He was the first to set foot on the planet. No sooner had he touched the ground than a slender plant lashed out at him, but Mo Mo swiftly cut it down with a swing of his sword.

Soon, the entire area was cleared of the dangerous plants, leaving only the benign ones. Mo Mo then allowed the others to join him, warning them that those slender plants were hostile, though they emitted a pleasant aroma and seemed edible.

Mo Mo sent a sample of the slender plant to Ye Mo, who was still in seclusion. It was the old butler who received the sample, as Ye Mo was still training. After examining the plant and cross-referencing it with available data, the old butler informed Mo Mo that the plant was indeed edible, recommending it be boiled and served chilled.

After preparing the plant as suggested, Mo Mo found it to be quite delicious even when simply chilled. Yan Mingke tried it and couldn’t stop eating, immediately directing his men to harvest the plant.

Despite the plant’s aggressive nature when intact, once cut, it lost all hostility. The plant was long and slender, making it easy for skilled marksmen among the soldiers to handle it.

Both the Eighth and Seventh Districts’ soldiers began collecting the plants, recognizing their value. After all, they were out here to make a profit and claim territory. If they didn’t take this land for themselves, it would be a wasted opportunity.

Mo Mo and Yan Mingke quickly divided the planet into two, establishing separate territories for each district. Although Yan Mingke would have liked to follow Mo Mo’s lead but he was actually a little helpless after taking advantage of him like this, he felt it was time to take responsibility and explore his own part of the planet.

Meanwhile, interstellar citizens noticed that stores from the Eighth District had started selling a new green plant, with recipes showing how to prepare it simply by boiling. It quickly became popular due to its unique taste.

Not to be outdone, the Seventh District’s stores began selling the same plant at the same price, leaving consumers to choose where to buy. Despite the competition, demand far exceeded supply for both districts.

(End of Chapter)