Chapter 194: Kong x Xia Extra [Part 1]
Today, the weather was bright and clear.
The sky was a vivid blue.
Xia Lu Nong sat atop Kong Zhi, who had taken his golden eagle form, wearing sunglasses to protect himself from the intense sunlight.
Kong Zhi, however, didn’t need any such protection. His vision was as sharp as ever, and even from a thousand meters up, he could spot chicks running on the ground below.
Xia Lu Nong stared down below.
They were flying high above, with a brilliant blue sky above them and clusters of white clouds below, adding a dreamlike quality to the city stretched out beneath.
Yes, a city.
Over the years, their New Seed Base had grown into a large city, expanding outward almost monthly.
New Seed Base had become the only major base in the southeastern region. People from smaller bases came here seeking jobs, medical care, and education, gradually transforming the base into a bustling city.
Now, across the entire region, there were only a few major bases: the central Fire Seed Base, the northern Newborn Base, the northwest Qinglan Base, the southwest Chengyu Base, and their own New Seed Base.
These five large bases had become hubs on the map, each radiating influence to smaller areas around them.
Countless smaller bases had sprung up under the protection of these main bases.
The continent was gradually regaining its former prosperity.
Although this new prosperity couldn’t be compared to the pre-catastrophe era, it was a marked improvement from the bleak aftermath of the disaster.
Each major base was bursting with life, and connections between them were becoming stronger by the day.
With productivity restored, the bases focused on building infrastructure.
Each base constructed various emergency shelters, like underground cities, ensuring that even if another disaster struck, they wouldn’t suffer the same catastrophic losses as before. Xia Lu Nong could see tall buildings rising and numerous vehicles weaving along the roads from above.
These vehicles, larger, taller, and more menacing than pre-catastrophe models, resembled giant beasts roaring down the highways. Most were for hunting expeditions beyond the base’s perimeter, equipped with the advantages of armored vehicles—safer, stronger, and designed to handle threats.
Despite their base’s size and influence, they hadn’t fully eradicated the mutated flora and fauna outside the city.
These creatures roamed the vast uninhabited zones and were generally peaceful unless provoked.
Occasionally, mutated creatures would venture out from the uninhabited zones, posing a threat to human society.
The continent had hosted multiple representative meetings among the major bases, eventually designating hunting zones on the outskirts of these uninhabited areas.
Each base could send teams into these zones without permits, and freelance hunting squads could also operate within these regions.
However, entering deeper into the uninhabited zones required a hunting permit issued by a major base, and those who ventured in were responsible for their own safety.
These mutated plants and animals had a surprising level of intelligence.
They had seemingly accepted these human-imposed boundaries and coexisted peacefully.
Humans refrained from causing significant harm to the creatures, and in turn, the mutants avoided large-scale attacks on human bases.
This delicate balance allowed human society to thrive again, advancing without interruption.
This time, Xia Lu Nong and Kong Zhi were heading toward a section of the uninhabited area.
Their mission was to locate a mutated plant—a tea tree.
A towering tea tree. Before the mutation, there hadn’t been tea trees of such height.
This particular tea tree, however, had mutated to over a hundred meters tall, standing like a forest by itself. From a distance, it looked like a tree island.
It had strangled countless other mutated flora and fauna around it, and most creatures avoided getting too close.
Humans, too, kept their distance—even large, powerful beast forms didn’t dare challenge this massive entity.
Xia Lu Nong and Kong Zhi had long known about the tea tree and coveted its leaves, yet they’d never attempted to approach or communicate with it.
This time, however, they were headed there because the tea tree had reached out, expressing a desire to communicate with them. Xia Lu Nong and Kong Zhi were both intrigued and eager to see what it was about.
With Kong Zhi’s strength, bringing Xia Lu Nong along posed no issues, so Xia Huo Qu and Yan Xi Nian were not concerned. They merely reminded them to return soon.
Xia Lu Nong promised his brother they would stay no more than ten days in the forest. Ten days later, regardless of the outcome, they would return, so there was no need to worry.
Estimating their travel time at Kong Zhi’s flying speed, Xia Lu Nong figured it would take at least two or three days to reach the tea tree, giving them only four or five days to complete their mission.
It was uncertain what problem the tea tree faced and whether they’d be able to resolve it.
Ideally, if they could bring back the tree or at least a sapling, it would be a great success. Xia Lu Nong, sitting cross-legged on Kong Zhi’s back, couldn’t help feeling a little wistful.
As their skills grew, Xia Lu Nong no longer needed any safety harnesses and could simply sit cross-legged on Kong Zhi’s back.
Though this position wasn’t the most stable, it allowed for the freedom he loved, moving effortlessly as they soared through the skies.
As Kong Zhi flew away from their base, the sun gradually rose to its peak. Xia Lu Nong shifted around and moved closer to Kong Zhi’s neck, wrapping his arms around it and speaking loudly, “Are you hungry? Should we find a spot to rest?”
Kong Zhi, in his golden eagle form, let out a confirming cry.
“How about we head to that mountaintop where the rose?” Xia Lu Nong suggested.
The golden eagle nodded, flapping its giant wings as it changed direction and flew toward the mountaintop Xia Lu Nong mentioned.
After years of following them, the rose plant had grown in power too. Now, the rose plant had forty-seven main bodies, all distributed around New Seed Base, functioning as an extensive, living surveillance network. Nothing could happen around the base without the rose plant noticing, and it had even intercepted several spies and intruders. It had become one of the base’s most valuable assets.
Like other intelligent mutant plants, the Rose plant held its own ID card at New Seed Base and even had a bank account—with a balance higher than most base residents. Xia Lu Nong had rewarded it generously with abilities, much to the envy of the other plants.
Take Xia Hua Jiao, for instance; it thought the Rose plant’s rewards came solely from its mutation abilities. Following the Rose plant’s example, Xia Hua Jiao had quietly split its main body into two parts. By the time Xia Lu Nong found out, the split was already done. He could only sternly warn Xia Hua Jiao to stop at two bodies. One body was planted on the mountain by their home, and the other in the government center of New Seed Base—both were highly significant locations.
Xia Hua Jiao, with its growing intelligence, understood the importance of these sites, feeling content and secure, constantly brushing against Xia Lu Nong’s hand with its tender branches, as though asserting its special place among the other plants. Xia Lu Nong treated Xia Hua Jiao like a child, feeling proud of its growth.
Not all plants in Xia Lu Nong’s yard were attached to him. Only Xia Hua Jiao and the Rose plant behaved this way; the rest maintained more formal, cooperative relationships. Besides Xia Hua Jiao, the Rose plant, and maybe half of Honeysuckle, Xia Lu Nong’s bond with the other plants was more akin to friendship.
The golden eagle, carrying Xia Lu Nong, gradually descended.
The Rose plant raised its branches, like a head gazing up at them. As they landed, the Rose plant’s branches quivered as it greeted them, saying, “You two fly way too slow.”
Xia Lu Nong tugged on one of its leaves, laughing, “We only left around nine, and it’s been just two hours. What more could you ask for?”
“At your speed, it’ll be the day after tomorrow before you even reach the tea tree.”
“Then the day after tomorrow it is,” Xia Lu Nong replied. “It’ll give us time to explore along the way.” He glanced around, adding, “Scoot over a bit so we can lay out the picnic cloth and have lunch.”
Xia Lu Nong carried a small bag, inside of which was a special bamboo container that could hold a surprising amount. They had packed all the essentials, including pre-prepared food they could eat right away.
The Rose plant couldn’t eat their food, but that didn’t stop it from looking enviously at the spread. When Xia Lu Nong brought out the food, the Rose plant used its branches to help spread out the picnic cloth, allowing Xia Lu Nong to lay down the meal.
Today’s spread included charcoal-grilled beef jerky, shredded chicken, cucumber, tomatoes, and rice balls. Their family now owned a farm with livestock—cows, sheep, chickens, ducks, and pigs—making them largely self-sufficient when it came to meat. The beef and chicken for today’s meal came straight from their farm, and the cucumbers and tomatoes were fresh from their garden.
Their homegrown produce tastes especially good. Even though they could buy food outside now, they still preferred their own meals.
With the wind blowing and the scent of roses in the air, Xia Lu Nong and Kong Zhi enjoyed their picnic atop the mountain, savoring every bite of rice and meat. the Rose plant, unable to contain its envy, muttered, “You humans really live a good life.”
Xia Lu Nong paused mid-bite, holding his rice ball, and said, “You’ve got it pretty good yourself. Want some power-up?”
“Yes!” the Rose plant forgot all about their delicious food, eagerly extending its branches toward Xia Lu Nong, brushing softly against his fingers in a pleading gesture. “You’re not planting anything else today, are you? I want a bit more.”
“Nope, I still need to save some power for negotiating with that tea tree,” Xia Lu Nong replied, rejecting it firmly.
The Rose plant shook its branches in protest, undeterred. “At the rate you’re going, you won’t even reach the tea tree today. Besides, giving us the power might be more useful since it’s not certain it’ll even help that tea tree.”
Realizing the Rose plant’s ulterior motives, Xia Lu Nong put down his rice ball, squinting at it. “Do you know something I don’t?”
the Rose plant’s branches swayed guiltily. “What do you mean?”
Sensing something off, Xia Lu Nong squinted further, pressing, “Is there something unusual about that tea tree’s situation?”
“…Oh.” Meeting Xia Lu Nong and Kong Zhi’s expectant gazes, the Rose plant hesitated for a moment before finally confessing, “All I know is that the tea tree was struck by lightning. I don’t even know if it’s still alive.”
