After discussing, Xu Mumu and the others began preparing the items needed outside. At home, as long as they gave Crystal Cores to the Mutant Beasts, they could make use of them because these Mutant Beasts were very intelligent.
It didn’t take much time to buy various things. A day was enough to get everything ready.
Yin Yang had also received a lot of information about the meteor craters nationwide. The nearest one was in Jin City, where there’s a giant meteor crater surrounded entirely by zombies. Nowadays, it’s nothing but a ghost town, empty except for the zombies.
This was the closest to them. Xu Mumu and the others boarded the departing truck. Snake Lord had now settled on Yin Chuchu’s wrist, while Little Huo was leisurely eating millet in the carriage.
The city walls outside the Imperial City had been completely constructed, now heavily guarded. The surrounding zombies had been thoroughly cleared, and many people were active at the entrance.
Outside the gate, a long queue had formed, these people were waiting to join the Imperial City base.
Entering the Imperial City base wasn’t free of conditions; entrants had to hand over half of their resources and adhere to tasks assigned by the nation, among other restrictions.
However, the strength of the Imperial City base compelled even the unwilling to obediently hand over their resources.
The available houses within the base had been reassigned; superpower users received a private room while ordinary people were assigned to the tent area, where they could stay for free for a month, sharing a dorm. To continue staying after that month, they had to hand over Crystal Cores.
Crystal Cores had become fully circulated; ordinary people, by completing the tasks issued by the nation daily, could save up three to four Crystal Cores per month.
For an apartment, rent was two Crystal Cores per month, which included part of the utilities. If utilities exceeded the limit, more Crystal Cores had to be submitted.
Xu Mumu felt that it was due to her and Yin Yang, those two "little butterflies," that the Imperial City developed so quickly. They had taken out nearly half of the zombies near the Imperial City.
The emerging strength of the Imperial City was good news for everyone.
This time, Xu Mumu and the others didn’t take the highway. The journey to Jin City required traversing some mountain roads.
It took three days to reach the mountain roads; there weren’t many cars on the small roads, so there was no worry about traffic congestion.
The vehicle arrived at the foot of the mountain, and it would take another two days to drive around the mountain.
By evening, Xu Mumu and the others found a dry wooded area to spend the night. They sent Yin Lin to find some firewood while they began preparing dinner.
"No one lives around here," Xu Mumu remarked while taking out pots and pans, looking at the surrounding forest. She had a fondness for uninhabited houses.
"It’s too remote here, still within the mountains, far from the market. Why would anyone live here?" Yin Yang chuckled.
"That’s true," Xu Mumu nodded.
In the evening, Xu Mumu made an omelet with delicious scallion pancakes, which tasted really good.
"I’m so full," Xu Mumu contentedly patted her belly.
The weather wasn’t as hot anymore, making it much more comfortable.
They still slept in the truck at night. Though Xu Mumu couldn’t stretch her legs, she felt very secure.
In the morning, Xu Mumu awoke to a faint floral scent, with bees buzzing everywhere outside.
Without the big rooster around, Xu Mumu found sleeping much more comfortable; it was left at home to bother others.
When the truck door opened, there was a large cluster of Qili Xiang growing not far away, from which the fragrance emanated.
The scent of the mutated Qili Xiang was even more alluring, attracting a large swarm of mutated bees. It was the first time Xu Mumu realized that mutated bees could gather in such numbers.
The bees were many times larger than normal, looking quite intimidating.
Even more unsettling was what followed: as some bees approached the flowers to gather nectar, the Qili Xiang petals closed instantly.
Once the petals reopened, the bees had vanished.
In the sunlight, Xu Mumu saw clearly how the bees were instantly dissolved by the nectar, becoming nourishment for the Qili Xiang.
Xu Mumu and the others looked at each other; the end-times plants were indeed rather eerie.
"As long as these plants don’t disturb us, don’t worry about the mutated bees," Yin Yang calmly ordered.
"Understood," everyone obeyed obediently.
But unfortunately, despite not wanting to provoke the Qili Xiang, it seemed to regard them as food.
Thorny vines slowly extended towards them, and Xu Mumu noticed the vines attempting to wrap around her.
She quickly evaded, but the vines still tried to entangle her; the same happened with the others.
"Cut off the vines," Yin Yang quickly commanded.
Once the vines were cut, they quickly regenerated. The severed parts were immediately reabsorbed by the roots that sprang up, taken in as nutrients.
As the vines were gradually cut down, the Qili Xiang retaliated, sending more and more vegetation to entangle them.
"Yin Ting, use fire, Little Huo, spit fire quickly," Yin Yang instructed swiftly.
Yin Yang often fed Little Huo Crystal Cores, so it listened well. A large flame spewed from within, igniting the vines instantly, despite being wet, they burned rapidly.
Xu Mumu thought she heard a sharp scream, reminiscent of an ultrasonic sound.
"That is the soul of the Qili Xiang. It gained sentience yet preys on other creatures. Burning it prevents it from harming others," the voice of the little elf echoed coldly in Xu Mumu’s mind.
The fire burned for half an hour, with the flames unleashed by Yin Ting being considerable, finally succeeding in reducing the Qili Xiang to ashes.
However, by then, Yin Ting’s body was drained of energy, making him feel weak.
Yin Yang tossed him a Fire Crystal Core and sent him to the truck to recover.
Xu Mumu, along with Little Huo, approached the main root of the Qili Xiang, which had been completely burnt; the roots lost all vitality.
She cut the roots open with a knife and found a diamond-shaped Crystal Core inside; plant Crystal Cores typically have this shape.
This Crystal Core contained a rich Wood Element energy and reached level four; what luck!
Plant Crystal Cores can be absorbed by anyone, as their energy is the most gentle.