Chapter 200
As the only purifier at Base 24, Gu Qingchen had been pulled out of the purification department and forced into daily combat training after Su Ci demonstrated the overwhelming power of a purifier capable of taking on hundreds of enemies alone.
After a month or two, Gu Qingchen had shown significant improvement in combat skills and physical fitness, but his progress in purification abilities was minimal.
He had been a purifier for several years, spending his days purifying for the base while occasionally trying to improve his abilities. Over time, he had gone from purifying a single-digit number of individuals daily to nearly triple digits—though if the contamination levels were too high, that number would shrink significantly.
As for reaching Su Ci’s level of power, that was something he didn’t even dare dream of. Expecting him to make any substantial breakthroughs in such a short time was unrealistic.
Still, the base leadership and his colleagues had high hopes for him, which put a great deal of pressure on Gu Qingchen.
He was a medic—how did he end up being pushed into becoming a warrior? Though he often questioned his life choices, Gu Qingchen gritted his teeth and persevered through the grueling training.
Even though Base 24 had experienced few monster invasions recently, thanks to the mutated garlic plant clearing the blood mist, Gu Qingchen didn’t let his guard down.
After witnessing Su Ci unleash the full potential of purification power, it was impossible for anyone with even a sliver of ambition to not feel inspired.
At this moment, receiving a message from Su Ci, Gu Qingchen felt a sense of relief, as if the clouds had parted to reveal the moonlight.
In truth, he had considered asking Su Ci for guidance before, but every time he thought about it, he would recall the video of Su Ci’s awe-inspiring display of power. That memory always made him hesitate.
In short, he chickened out.
So, when Su Ci reached out to him first, Gu Qingchen couldn’t contain his excitement.
He quickly replied to Su Ci’s message, informed his team, and then hurriedly took the teleportation platform to the nursery.
When Gu Qingchen arrived, Su Ci had already finished breakfast and was reclining on a lounge chair in the greenery, enjoying the cool shade. The younglings were scattered around the green space, each absorbed in their training.
Under the flower trellis, Little Li Hua had put away her sketchpad and was meditating with Xue Wei to strengthen her spiritual power. By the water, Lu Jiao was practicing his ice and snow abilities. On an open patch of ground, Lu Li was repeatedly practicing the Body Tempering Technique, while Panda Cub Qian Qian mimicked his movements nearby.
As for Rong Heng, he had gone to the riverbank after breakfast to comprehend the lingering sword intent there.
Since Ran Lie and the others had gone out for field training, not only Rong Heng but all the younglings had become more diligent. Aside from their daily literacy lessons, they voluntarily used their playtime to focus on their cultivation.
Even the newcomers, Zhuang Shisong and Wei Ming, were inspired by the younglings’ example. They didn’t dare slack off, spending all their free time memorizing and understanding the spiritual planting techniques Su Ci had imparted to them.
Over the past two days, the atmosphere of focused learning at the nursery had grown increasingly strong.
As soon as Gu Qingchen stepped into the nursery, he felt this atmosphere.
It had been a long time since Gu Qingchen last visited the nursery. Seeing its lush greenery now, he was filled with emotion. For someone who had personally killed off countless plants and eventually had to give up on gardening with tears in his eyes, this was nothing short of a miracle.
After greeting Wei Ming and Zhuang Shisong, Gu Qingchen approached Su Ci, doing his best to appear calm and composed.
“Caretaker Su,” he said.
“Mm,” Su Ci responded with a slight nod, motioning for him to take a seat.
Gu Qingchen sat down nervously. Seeing that Su Ci didn’t intend to speak first, he took the initiative and said, “Caretaker Su, what you mentioned in your message—is it true? Are you really willing to teach me purification?”
Su Ci gave him a once-over and replied, “I can teach you, but…”
“I know, there are conditions!” Gu Qingchen interrupted, his tone eager. “I can do it. I’ve always liked planting. If you’re willing to teach me, I’m more than willing to contribute to the greening of Planet Earth!”
Su Ci raised an eyebrow slightly, his gaze shifting to Zhuang Shisong and Wei Ming, who were standing in the corner.
Perhaps sensing his attention, the two visibly stiffened before mechanically turning to look in his direction, offering awkward, somewhat ingratiating smiles.
It was clear that Gu Qingchen’s knowledge of this “condition” had something to do with them.
Su Ci, however, had no intention of blaming them. He calmly withdrew his gaze and returned his focus to Gu Qingchen.
He was quite satisfied with Gu Qingchen’s willingness to step up.
Initially, Su Ci hadn’t planned to have Gu Qingchen participate in planting. After all, specialization was key, and as a purifier, Gu Qingchen’s primary focus should be on cleansing resentment and vengeful spirits, which had a greater impact.
However, since Gu Qingchen showed an interest in planting, there was no reason to discourage him.
Su Ci nodded. “You have good potential. I hope you can grow quickly.”
That way, he could assist other bases, just like the younglings, and encourage more bases to join in the planting effort, accelerating the revitalization of Planet Earth.
Hearing this praise, Gu Qingchen was instantly invigorated. He exclaimed with excitement, “Thank you, Caretaker Su! I won’t let you down!”
Su Ci’s lips curved into a faint smile.
This enthusiastic attitude was quite promising.
With that, Su Ci began lecturing Gu Qingchen, with A-Yan sitting nearby, listening as well.
Interestingly, purification was an ability Su Ci had originally derived from Gu Qingchen. In ancient times, humans hadn’t awakened such a skill, and naturally, there was no established method of practice or inheritance for it.
But that wasn’t a problem for Su Ci.
After mastering the full potential of purification power, he had logically developed a cultivation method tailored for purifiers. With dedicated study, anyone could at least unlock their full potential.
As for how far they could ultimately go, that depended entirely on individual talent and limits.
In Gu Qingchen’s case, it was clear that his potential was far from reaching its upper limit. This was one of the reasons Su Ci was willing to teach him—it wasn’t purely out of past camaraderie.
And so, the nursery gained another apprentice.
While the nursery remained a picture of tranquility, outside its walls, the rest of Base 24 was abuzz with activity—especially among the senior personnel.
Like He Qirui, Base 24’s highest-ranking officer, Zhang Mi, hadn’t had a moment’s peace since last night. Her communicator had been buzzing non-stop, with messages ranging from requests for aid to discussions about the allocation of the remaining four mutated garlic plants.
Base 24 planned to keep two of the plants, but deciding which bases would receive the remaining two was bound to stir up plenty of debates.
Zhang Mi hadn’t expected Base 24, after struggling for so many years, to suddenly have such a turn of fortune. Not only had the plantation seen significant breakthroughs, but they had also gained the support of an exceptionally skilled caretaker.
Thanks to this caretaker’s guidance, the younglings’ berserk tendencies had been brought under control, and they had even developed the ability to combat monsters born from the blood mist.
When Zhang Mi saw the battle footage of the younglings, her initial reaction was sheer astonishment, followed by joy and relief.
All her efforts to support the nursery—despite its notorious reputation as a “money pit”—and to provide these beast-blood younglings with the best possible environment had finally paid off in unexpected ways.
During her conversations with the caretaker, Su Ci, she had even probed a little.
If Base 26, as an allied force, was only asking for greenfield planting in exchange for the younglings’ assistance, Zhang Mi could accept that. But if other bases tried to make similar demands, she would have objections.
Zhang Mi hadn’t forgotten how, when Base 24 was at its lowest point, it had been mocked and ostracized behind closed doors.
Base 24’s shrinking finances and dwindling budget weren’t just due to the younglings’ destructive tendencies; certain individuals had also added fuel to the fire.
Wherever there are people, there’s competition, and on a prison planet with 36 bases—each staffed by soldiers from dozens of different nations—conflict was inevitable.
While everyone could unite against interstellar monsters for the sake of humanity’s survival, internal rivalries persisted.
The budget cuts were frustrating, but what angered Zhang Mi the most was the reduction in the number of troops assigned to Base 24.
The base’s current reliance on operations teams was directly tied to the declining number of recruits it received each year. Recruitment on the prison star followed strict standards, and with only so many outstanding cadets graduating annually from military academies, bases fiercely competed for them.
Since Base 24 lacked a prison facility, it already had fewer soldiers than other bases. This fact was repeatedly used as an excuse to further reduce its troop allotment.
Fortunately, the operations teams were competent enough to help Base 24 survive time and again.
When Base 24 was weaker, Zhang Mi had no choice but to endure these injustices, though she kept a mental tally of all the grievances.
Now, with the younglings and the plantation giving her base a competitive edge, Zhang Mi felt she had a duty to secure more benefits for Base 24. Otherwise, she might as well step down from her position.
Of course, before taking any action, Zhang Mi made sure to consult Su Ci—most of the reports Su Ci received that morning had come from her.
Zhang Mi was keenly aware that Base 24’s recent transformation was entirely due to the mysterious caretaker, Su Ci.
Leaving aside the younglings and the mutated garlic plants, if Su Ci hadn’t single-handedly dealt with over a hundred monsters, Base 24 might have been wiped out back then.
The current period of peace they were enjoying was likely a result of that battle. With the nearby monsters cleared out, Base 24 could finally catch its breath.
Compared to the grueling battles faced by other bases, Base 24’s leisurely state was quite unusual—a feeling that perhaps only Base 26 could currently relate to.
At this moment, after receiving Su Ci’s approval, Zhang Mi couldn’t help but smile with satisfaction.
Finally, it was Base 24’s turn to shine!
After Base 26 received a reply from Base 24, they quickly arranged for a spaceship to transport the three younglings to Base 21, the closest base in need of assistance.
There were currently 24 bases requesting aid from Base 26. The remaining bases had either not yet received the news or were not in dire enough circumstances to seek help.
He Qirui didn’t simply prioritize bases based on alliances or relationships. Instead, he listed out the situations at each base and selected the one in the most critical condition and closest proximity—Base 21.
As for the additional conditions proposed by Base 24, he also helped negotiate and finalize them.
Base 21’s situation must have been particularly dire, as they agreed to the terms without much haggling. Thus, after the younglings finished breakfast and spent about an hour training, they were quickly packed onto the spaceship.
The journey to Base 21 would take an hour and a half. As for how long it would take to resolve the battle there and what would happen afterward…
That would have to be figured out step by step.
Mo Lin watched the spaceship as it took off, his brows furrowed deeply with a look of evident concern.
He Qirui patted him on the shoulder. “Don’t worry. Our soldiers aren’t pushovers! Even without Xiao Lie and the others, we can still defeat the monsters!”
Mo Lin nodded, though he didn’t share what he was truly worried about—the 10,000 square meters of green space.
Clearing 10,000 square meters of land wasn’t too difficult, but the real challenge was planting it!
He had inquired with the plantation team, and although Su Ci had sent a bag of seeds via Yun Zixu, none of their attempts at planting the seeds had resulted in germination.
How could Mo Lin not be worried?
Shaking his head, he bid farewell to He Qirui and headed toward the barracks.
Before leaving, the younglings had reminded him to water the dozen or so seedlings they had planted the previous day. Although Mo Lin felt that those seedlings likely wouldn’t survive, he still intended to honor his promise and care for them.
However, when Mo Lin arrived at the entrance to the barracks, he saw that the front courtyard was crowded with people.
The bustling, noisy scene made Mo Lin frown deeply.
“What are you all crowding around here for?” he asked irritably. “What did your officers teach you? Where’s your discipline?”
As soon as Mo Lin spoke, the noisy crowd immediately fell silent. The chastised soldiers lowered their heads, not daring to meet his gaze. A few brave ones seemed about to speak, but they were quickly stopped by those around them.
Mo Lin’s sharp eyes caught sight of a few ranking officers mixed in with the group of new recruits. His frown deepened, and just as he was about to say more, he suddenly sensed something unusual.
The air here…
He paused, stunned. He couldn’t smell the usual pungent garlic scent, but the visibility in the courtyard was extraordinarily clear—there wasn’t even a hint of the blood mist obscuring the view!
What was going on?
At that moment, Mo Lin finally noticed what the soldiers had been gathered around to observe.
Clusters of lush, vibrant green grass swayed gently in the breeze, their blades full of life—completely different from the withered and lifeless image he had expected.
