Chapter 182: Liu Jing's Decision

Chapter 182: Liu Jing's Decision



After hanging up the communication, Li Yuan's thoughts turned to the matter at hand.

"Senior Liu Jing is coming in person? It seems this ten-meter-tall Soul Infusing Ancient Spirit Tree is indeed precious enough to make them break their rules." Li Yuan mused.

He was well aware that the forward base had its own operational principles, and convincing a First Rank Martial Artist with a Fourth Rank skill level to stay permanently in a nearly barbaric star realm was no easy task.

Furthermore, the number of Essence Warriors in the Seven Stars Human Clan was limited, and there were numerous areas that required resource allocation.

Treasures and supplies were resources.

Powerful individuals like Essence Warriors and Sky Soaring Martial Artists were also a form of resource.

Therefore, in places like the Third Outpost Base, the number of Essence Warriors was limited, and they would only take action if absolutely necessary.

Otherwise, if an Essence Warrior perished outside the base, it could easily trigger a chain reaction, leading to the base's destruction due to the loss of a powerful warrior.

"Within a 1000-kilometer radius of the forward base, the Xia Kingdom's higher-ups have drawn a line for the base's influence." Li Yuan thought to himself, "Within this 1000-kilometer range, Essence Warriors can take action in certain special situations."

For instance, when there's a need to develop a highly valuable resource point.

Or when dealing with a Heavenly Material and Treasure worth over ten billion.

Or when targeting an extremely valuable objective.

"It's about 900 kilometers from the base." Li Yuan pondered, "If I don't use a flying vehicle and travel at full speed, I should be able to arrive within five hours."

900 kilometers of mountainous terrain and 900 kilometers of flatland were two different concepts.

"I wonder if Senior Liu Jing is coming alone, or with other Essence Warriors? Or perhaps he's bringing some heavy weapons?" Li Yuan pondered silently.

Li Yuan didn't want to dwell on these thoughts any further.

He stood up and walked a little further, searching for a more secluded cave.

He began his quiet cultivation.

After all, he hadn't cultivated the Great Sun Star Sky Scripture of the Various Heavens Stars today.

Besides, his previous cultivation had only slightly alleviated his physical fatigue.

"Five or six hours."

"Before Senior Liu Jing arrives, I'll strive to restore my stamina to its peak to avoid making mistakes during the battle." Li Yuan closed his eyes and began his quiet cultivation, focusing his mind.

Of course, most of Li Yuan's spirit power was still sensing the outside world, remaining vigilant against any surprise attacks.

...

About two kilometers away from Li Yuan's quiet cultivation cave, in a secluded and tranquil forest, a figure in a blue-green battle armor looked at the disconnected smart ring, slightly shaking his head, "That kid is truly formidable. I almost got discovered."

The battle armor retracted, revealing a slightly aged face, it was none other than Liu Jing.

Liu Jing had been secretly following and protecting Li Yuan all along. As soon as Li Yuan departed from Observation Point 19, Liu Jing immediately set out from the War Base according to the plan from above, eventually catching up with Li Yuan just as he entered seclusion in the mountain cliffs.

For this reason, when Li Yuan called Liu Jing, it took nearly 20 seconds for Liu Jing to answer.

He had to retreat to a certain distance to avoid being detected by Li Yuan.

Secret protection.

But one must never let the protected individual realize it, to ensure the maximum level of tempering and protection.

"I never expected..."

"That within this Flying Serpent Valley, such a rare treasure would be hidden?" Liu Jing muttered to himself, shaking his head slightly, "I dared not dive deeper just now, and didn't notice it."

Liu Jing had to admit that even with the aid of special battle armor, his stealth abilities were inferior to Li Yuan's.

Just now, when Li Yuan descended, Liu Jing only dared to go down about 800 meters into the canyon before stopping.

To proceed further? It was highly likely that the flying snakes would discover him.

There was no other choice.

Whether it was spirit power or skill, Li Yuan far surpassed him, and Li Yuan's battle armor also had powerful auxiliary functions.

"However, aside from the treasure, there are also two Second Rank Aliens." Liu Jing's eyes flashed with a cold light.

Compared to the Soul Infusing Ancient Spirit Tree, Liu Jing was more concerned about the presence of the Second Rank Aliens.

He could easily foresee that if left unchecked, the Black Feathered Flying Snake tribe would undoubtedly expand wildly from the Flying Serpent Valley in all directions... Eventually, a fierce conflict with the Third Outpost Base would erupt.

This was the experience he had gained from numerous battles with various aliens during his three decades of guarding Mingxu Star Realm.

This was also the reason for establishing a 1000-kilometer radius of influence around the base.

Only by ensuring that there were no Second Rank Aliens within this range could they avoid conflicts with more powerful alien forces from farther away.

Only then could they maintain a low profile.

If a Second Rank Alien were to emerge within their sphere of influence? They must seize the opportunity to eliminate it before it breaks through!

"But facing the temptation of a treasure worth several hundred million, Li Yuan managed to resist the temptation in his heart and avoided taking any risks. His steadiness is indeed rare." Liu Jing thought to himself, "His strength is truly astonishing.

"According to the records, he's only at level 16.5, but based on his combat performance, he's probably close to level 19... Truly bizarre."

Liu Jing shook his head slightly.

Regarding Li Yuan's special abilities, he would report it, but he wouldn't take the initiative to inquire about Li Yuan, nor would he bother to investigate further.

There was no other reason!

It held no meaning.

After being stationed in the Mingxu Star Realm for thirty years, his cultivation had long reached a bottleneck, and Liu Jing had become indifferent to many aspects.

In Liu Jing's opinion, as long as Li Yuan didn't betray the human clan, what did some secrets and opportunities matter? It had nothing to do with him.

After some thought, Liu Jing activated his smart ring, and a cold female voice answered the call.

"Old Liu."

"I'm currently in Flying Serpent Valley..." Liu Jing quickly explained the situation, only omitting the Soul Infusing Ancient Spirit Tree: "This place is of extremely high value, and it might even be qualified to re-establish a forward base."

"Or even a 'Breeding Region'." Liu Jing added.

"A breeding region?" The woman's voice carried a hint of shock.

The human civilization, amidst its battles with numerous star realms and a large number of alien civilizations, had also occupied quite a few star realms... Most of these star realms were purely for war.

However, they would also select suitable star realms and send in a large number of ordinary people for breeding... These were known as breeding regions.

But establishing a stable breeding region was extremely difficult.

"This is just a thought." Liu Jing smiled faintly: "After all, we've been stationed in the Mingxu Star Realm for so long, and isn't our hope to see more Essence Warriors emerge, or even Sky Soaring Martial Artists? Only by turning it into a breeding region can our forward base become like a normal city, and eventually, our second home."

"My lifelong wish is for our Seven Stars Human Clan to truly establish a foothold in the Mingxu Star Realm, rather than always being prepared to evacuate like we are now." Liu Jing said.

The woman fell silent.

Indeed!

All four forward bases of the Seven Stars Human Clan were always prepared for evacuation.

While others could retreat, where could they, the few Essence Warriors, go? Nowhere.

"What do you want me to do?"

"Deploy the exploration team, the First Warrior Battalion, the Environmental Data Team, the First Mechanized Forces, and the Second Mechanized Forces... Bring them all here." Liu Jing said in one breath: "I want to establish an advance camp here and produce an 'investigation report' as soon as possible."

"All of them?"

"If we suffer casualties, the Alliance won't provide us with replacements for a short time." The woman was shocked again: "Are you so confident? Can you get Han Chong to agree?"

"So, as long as you agree, it's two against one." Liu Jing laughed: "Whether he opposes or not, it doesn't matter much."

The woman had nothing to say.

"I'm getting old, and I can't take many risks." Liu Jing said indifferently: "This time, we're going to compete with the Talan Clan, 900 kilometers from our base, and only 1400 kilometers from them... The sooner, the better, so the higher-ups can make a decision and allocate resources quickly."

"The sooner we establish a complete base defense system here, the more helpless the Talan Clan will be." Liu Jing said.

He had already been thinking about this.

After some contemplation, the woman finally agreed: "I'll come up with a plan as soon as possible... But the team is huge, and many of the researchers are weak, so we want to ensure they all arrive safely, even with the mechanized teams leading the way... It's estimated to take three days."

The distance was 900 kilometers.

There were a large number of aliens blocking the way, making it very difficult to remotely transport so many people to a forward base.

"Okay." Liu Jing knew that three days was already a very fast time.

The actions of an Essence Warrior and a large force of nearly a thousand people were two different concepts.

After hanging up the call, Liu Jing said, "With Li Yuan here, he should be temporarily safe with his strength."

"First, let's go and thoroughly clean up the people in that Talan Clan base." Liu Jing frowned slightly: "Li Yuan first killed and interrogated, and just now, he caused such a big disturbance, alerting half of Flying Serpent Valley. Unless the Talan Clan is stupid, they must have already noticed."

Since they had already alerted the enemy, there was no need to hold back.

A thunderous display of power was the best strategy.

However, Liu Jing knew that once they cleaned up the Talan Clan, they might be scared off, or they might send Essence Warriors to compete.

"We can only take a gamble."

Liu Jing's body moved, and his battle armor appeared, enveloping his entire body once again as he quickly disappeared into the forest.

He was heading towards the Talan Clan base, stealthily.

...

More than ten minutes later.

"No one?" Liu Jing looked at the empty Talan Clan base below and shook his head: "They're smart to evacuate so quickly."

...

More than ten kilometers away from the base.

A burly man, Logan, was leading the remaining Talan Clan warriors in a frantic run.

"Captain, do we need to evacuate so urgently?" A Talan Clan warrior couldn't help but ask: "Even if the Essence Warriors of the Seven Stars Human Clan come, is there a need to be so hasty?"

"They were awakened from their slumber by Logan."

"Captain, what about Carson and the other two? They haven't returned yet," one of the Tianliang Clan warriors couldn't help but ask.

They took turns going out to scout.

Therefore, when they retreated for their lives, the three who were scouting in Flying Snake Valley didn't have time to evacuate.

"Idiots."

"The Seven Stars Human Clan has come, which means they are confident in their ability to attack Flying Snake Valley. Even Lord Xueshu has fled first. Once they find us, do you think we can hold them off?" Logan said coldly.

A group of Tianliang Clan warriors fell silent.

"I even suspect that the three who were supposedly attacked by flying snakes were killed by experts from the Seven Stars Human Clan." Logan shook his head, "As for Carson and the other two? We've sent them a message, let's see how they escape."

"We'll retreat on our own."

The numerous Tianliang Clan warriors dared not make a sound.

Logan's decision to abandon the three of them still left them feeling cold.

"Also, report this news to Lord Xueshu, and tell him that we ventured to scout and discovered traces of a large number of warriors from the Seven Stars Human Clan. There's a suspected second-rank expert among their group, remember, it's just a suspicion, we can't confirm... This is the truth, do you all understand?" Logan's icy gaze swept over his subordinates, "I hope we can share the credit for this."

The Tianliang Clan warriors looked at each other and replied in unison, "Yes."

...

About 300 kilometers away from Flying Snake Valley, in an inconspicuous canyon, a large number of Tianliang Clan warriors were stationed.

"Has a second-rank expert from the Seven Stars Human Clan arrived?"

"The Seven Stars Human Civilization must have discovered the secret of Flying Snake Valley." The young man in the blood robe, 'Xueshu', looked at the message from Logan, his eyes cold, "There's no way to resolve this peacefully."

He had also discovered the Soul Infusing Ancient Spirit Tree.

However, he analyzed it through some signs, unlike Li Yuan who directly explored the bottom, so he was unaware of the existence of the second-rank flying snakes.

Therefore, Xueshu had always wanted to monopolize the treasure and had been making preparations.

Previously, he hadn't informed the Tianliang Clan's higher-ups in the Mingxu Starfield.

"I can't rely on myself, it's destined that I won't be able to obtain it." Xueshu shook his head slightly and immediately contacted the communicator.

About 1100 kilometers from the main base, communication was possible.

...

Approximately 1400 kilometers away from Flying Snake Valley, there was a small city with a sci-fi feel. Like the 'Forward Base' of the Seven Stars Human Civilization, it was hidden within tall mountains and surrounded by forests.

It was not easily detectable.

This was the main base of the Tianliang Clan in the Mingxu Starfield, where numerous cultivators gathered.

Inside a small conference room in the base, several white-robed figures gathered, each with extraordinary auras.

They surrounded a large holographic projection.

"The current situation is as follows."

A casually dressed figure spoke slowly, "Xueshu is a core disciple of the Holy Ground, he wouldn't lie. The Soul Infusing Ancient Spirit Tree isn't even that important."

"The key is the abundance of Lifeblood Essence Spirit Ginseng. If we can mass-produce mature ones, this will be a treasure trove."

"I even suspect there are other secrets at the bottom of Flying Snake Valley that are worth us paying any price for." The casually dressed figure said, "My decision is to fight for it with all our might. Do you agree?"

"I agree!"

"I agree!"

"I abstain."

... "Six votes in favor, one abstention." The casually dressed figure said, "Execute immediately."

"Currently, we've lost the initiative."

"The mechanized forces can only be dispatched later. We must first gather an elite team... Delgado, Mori, you two will go at full speed and join Xueshu's team to try and stop the Seven Stars Human Clan's advance."

"Our backup team will arrive as soon as possible."

...

Time passed by, second by second.

In the outer region of Flying Snake Valley, Li Yuan had been quietly cultivating.

After cultivating the Great Sun Star Sky Scripture for over two hours, he continued to cultivate the Various Heavens Stars, constantly guiding the source power into his body, further enhancing his physical qualities.

"【Your life tier has increased from 19.0 to 19.1】"

"【Your strength has increased from...】" The Divine Palace panel flashed with several prompts.

Huh! Li Yuan noticed this, "With a major battle approaching, my strength has slightly improved. This is good."

In the end, cultivating by guiding the source power into the body was not a common occurrence, and most of the time, it required diligent practice.

Another hour passed.

"Hmm?" Li Yuan sensed something with his mind, detecting the approach of a powerful presence. Instantly, his body was covered in goosebumps, and his heart was filled with utmost caution.

Unconsciously, Li Yuan tightened his grip on the spear in front of him, and the star vessel's source power flowed within his body, preparing for a sudden burst of action.

"Li Yuan." A deep voice sounded.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end