Published: February 8, 2025
Back at the camp, everyone noticed that Ye Zhongming's expression was not good. Those who weren't particularly close to him didn't dare to ask, but eventually, the core members gathered in his tent.
Everyone was curiously looking at the green leaf, which was about a meter long, placed in front of them. Liang Chuyin even reached out and touched it.
"Eh?"
At this touch, the leaf actually trembled slightly, startling many people.
"What a strong vitality."
Mo Ye, seeing that the already severed leaf still exhibited such resilience, also showed a bit of surprise.
"It just..." Liang Chuyin looked at her finger, then at the leaf, and finally focused her gaze on Ye Zhongming.
Ye Zhongming nodded, "It can absorb our energy."
Others gasped softly.
It's not terrifying that mutated life forms consume humans, treating them as nourishment for evolution because humans also need to kill these mutated beings to obtain magic crystals for their own evolution.
However, this mutated plant, which could absorb energy through direct contact without the presence of magic crystals, made the people in the tent feel uneasy.
This situation implied that even without killing you, this plant could still obtain energy, allowing it to grow with an additional method, making it easier to level up than other evolved life forms, while humans would gain no benefits from it.
"Perhaps, we should leave."
Xia Bai, who had remained silent when many people were present, unexpectedly suggested retreating, leading to a profound silence in the tent.
Everyone knew the importance of Xia Bai in Ye Zhongming's heart. This woman was almost like Ye Zhongming's shadow, holding a transcendent status in Cloud Summit. Even the acknowledged boss lady, Xia Lei, treated Xia Bai with politeness.
However, Xia Bai had never expressed her opinions on any matters, and everyone had become accustomed to overlooking her. But when she actually spoke, no one dared to disregard her.
For instance, now, contrary to her usual character, Xia Bai not only expressed her opinion but also chose to retreat, which was entirely different from the image she usually portrayed.
Ye Zhongming was also contemplating this issue.
He was different from the main fighters like Liang Chuyin and Little Tiger; these folks were somewhat fearless. If Ye Zhongming were present, they would even want to poke a hole in the sky. He was also different from Mo Ye and Xia Bai, who advocated for retreat; the former out of concerns for casualty rates, and the latter out of concern for Ye Zhongming's safety.
Ye Zhongming was more accustomed to weighing the pros and cons of the situation.
If they were to enter Linhai City, they would definitely have to fight these plants. But, as Mo Ye was worried, what if they suffered immense losses during this process? These people could be the elite of Ying City and Cloud Summit. Losing even one person here would weaken the Ying City Alliance, reducing their leverage against enemies like the zero commerce association and Radiant World Army in the future.
Moreover, under normal circumstances, killing mutated life forms meant they could obtain magic crystals. Even if someone died, the acquisition of magic crystals and materials could be considered a form of compensation. However, this mutated life form had no magic crystals. Ye Zhongming had experimented with it, and it clearly wasn't a useful material. In other words, casualties during the operation meant loss without any compensation.
What worried Ye Zhongming the most was that even if all the people from Ying City burst into the city, what would they find inside? Would there be more of these terrifying mutated plants? Or perhaps an even more dangerous existence? Otherwise, why would the entire city be so quiet, with no zombies around?
Even if they took a step back, this was initially an unnecessary action, and it wouldn't be unreasonable to abandon it.
However, Ye Zhongming couldn't help but recall what Liu Zhenghong had said to him.
The high-tech equipment for experimentation was only available in two laboratories in the country, one of which was in Linhai City, and the other was far away in the capital!