Ch 60: Interplanetary Planting Master

Winds Rising

With the access code provided by Xu Zheng, Su He and the others successfully entered Tianxuan Star.

Lu Li docked the starship at the designated spot, and the group, disguised as soldiers returning from vacation, boarded unmanned airships in twos and threes. Their destination was Zhuang Wei’s residence. Lu Li glanced at the time; the military debriefing would begin in an hour. The operation on Tianxuan Star had to coordinate perfectly with the disruption at the military debriefing to catch the fake Zhuang Wei off guard. If they acted too early, they might not be able to retreat safely, but if they were too late, the fake Zhuang Wei might take drastic actions once he was notified.

Fifty minutes later, several airships hovered as if sightseeing, but they were close to the restricted airspace, where sentinels on guard would immediately engage any intruders without needing further instructions. Lu Li pulled up the map on his terminal. From here, they needed to move swiftly and accurately to infiltrate Zhuang Wei’s residence without giving the fake Zhuang Wei any time to react.

From a distance, Zhuang Wei’s residence appeared simple yet imposing. Despite its ordinary appearance, hundreds of high-level sentinels guarded the area covertly. Since his recent awakening, the fake Zhuang Wei had clearly shown distrust towards Xu Zheng by appointing several deputy chiefs of staff and gradually sidelining Xu Zheng. He also carried out a purge, replacing many of Xu Zheng’s familiar subordinates. As a result, Xu Zheng couldn’t assist with the operation; any move from him might alert the fake Zhuang Wei. Lu Li’s group had to act alone.

As the minutes ticked by, Lu Li gave Su He a nod. Su He understood and extended his mental tendrils, covering the area ahead. Bright points of light flickered in the mental landscape, and Su He relayed the message, “Begin the operation!”

The airship darted towards the first defensive line, and black mechas leaped out. Red mechas quickly rose from the ground, and the sound of alarms echoed as the enemy detected the attack. Shen Shen led his team like a spearhead, cutting through the defenses. More and more red mechas filled the sky. Smoke bombs were deployed to create confusion, and amid the chaos, Lu Li, Su He, and the others, disguised in red mechas bearing the Third Legion’s insignia, blended in. They chose to infiltrate from the ground and soon encountered a patrol of sentinels. One of them blocked Lu Li and demanded, “Password.”

Remaining calm, Lu Li responded, “War Soul.”

The patrol squad stepped aside, but one mecha suddenly turned back. “Wait.”

Su He immediately extended his mental tendrils as they had rehearsed, gently enveloping the sentinel’s mind. The sentinel’s mental defenses were strong, so Su He couldn’t force his way in but instead slowly seeped in. This was his first attempt at mental control, and he felt nervous, unsure of how far he could go. Time seemed to stretch as Su He’s mental tendrils flowed like water, gradually penetrating. “You found nothing; it was just a misunderstanding.” Su He repeated this message over and over. The sentinel seemed hesitant. Su He kept reinforcing the suggestion, while Lu Li discreetly gripped his lightsaber, ready for action if things went wrong.

Just as Su He held his breath in tension, the sentinel waved them off, signaling that everything was clear.

“Phew!” Su He let out a huge sigh of relief. Lu Li hugged him and patted his shoulder, praising, “Well done.”

Su He couldn’t help but smile, secretly feeling quite proud of himself.

The battle in the sky continued, but Shen Shen’s team was gradually losing ground; after all, those stationed by Zhuang Wei’s side were no easy opponents. Lu Li kept his senses focused on the combat above, gesturing to the team. All but Jiang Bo scattered to cause further distractions on the ground. Their interference relieved some pressure on Shen Shen, but it wouldn’t last long in a place swarming with high-level sentinels. Time was of the essence, and Lu Li advanced directly towards the residence’s center.

Amid the escalating chaos, thanks to Xu Zheng’s code and Su He’s mental manipulation, Lu Li finally reached the small building where Zhuang Wei resided. “Who goes there? Number? Unit affiliation?” The sentinel at the door, unaffected by the turmoil around him, asked, his face expressionless.

Lu Li spoke in a deep voice, “Code 48751, part of the General’s first guard squad.”

Upon hearing “48751,” the sentinel’s expression changed drastically. Lu Li swung his lightsaber and said to Su He, “Now.”

Su He immediately focused his mental energy, sending ripples outward. In the center of the room, he managed to locate the fake Zhuang Wei. It appeared as a fragmented, chaotic cluster of dim light, barely holding together within the mental world—a shattered spirit on the brink of collapse. Su He quickly realized why none of the Third Legion’s medical guides had detected anything wrong: the mental presence was so deteriorated it could hardly be called a spiritual world, more like a disorganized mass of energy on the verge of dispersal.

Su He’s mental energy gathered and surged toward the target like a flood. A sharp, piercing scream echoed within the mental world as a shriveled silver figure began to emerge from the fake Zhuang Wei’s body. Su He intensified his energy output, causing the silver figure great pain. Just as the entity was about to be expelled from the body, another stream of energy invaded, enveloping the silver figure and blocking Su He’s attack.

“There are two alien beings,” Su He realized.

He steadied his focus, drawing deep from his most potent energy reserves. Green light spiraled and formed into sharp spikes, stabbing into the opposing mental barrier. However, the opposing force was far more resilient than Su He had anticipated, continuously flowing in like an unending stream. Su He’s attacks felt as though they were hitting solid concrete, unable to break through. Sweat dripped from his forehead as he focused, fully aware that capturing these two alien entities was the key to success.

Inside the fake Zhuang Wei’s shattered mental world, the two streams of energy clashed, neither side able to gain the upper hand. The silver figure, hiding in the shadows, suddenly wrapped itself around Su He’s mental tendrils. Surprise, delight, and greed surged through Su He’s mind from the alien. It seemed to sense its last chance for survival and, abandoning the body it occupied, shot toward Su He like a gust of wind.

“Fool!”

From a corner of the room, the recently promoted Deputy Chief of Staff, Chen Si, cursed under his breath. He hadn’t expected any survivors from the Pan Gu lineage, let alone one like Su He—a rare fusion of flesh and galactic particles. The alien entity had recklessly pursued its own goals, disregarding their greater mission. Chen Si’s face contorted into a grotesque shadow, but he had no choice but to assist in suppressing Su He’s mental world.

In an instant, the silver figure infiltrated Su He’s mental world without a sound. The small seedling in Su He’s mind let out an enraged scream, trying to repel the invader. Sensing the disturbance, Lu Li quickly reinforced Su He’s mental barriers. Chen Si’s energy crashed against the strengthened shields, unable to penetrate. The battle shifted, moving from Zhuang Wei’s mind to the depths of Su He’s mental world.

Different streams of mental energy clashed as the silver figure attempted to assimilate Su He. It wandered through the sea of Su He’s memories, but at the same time, Su He caught glimpses of a completely dark world through it. The sensation was strange, as if his body were floating in mid-air, pulled by some mysterious gravitational force. Around him, flickering silver figures drifted in and out of sight, shrouded by a dark mist. Occasionally, clusters of energy particles, like fireflies in the night, would flow past, causing the figures to stir.

Su He’s mind emptied, allowing the surrounding emotions to gather like streams into a river.

“Another group of our kin has withered and died; it’s been so long since new life was born.”

“Immortality is a lie; we’ve taken the wrong path in our evolution.”

“The laws of the universe—this must be the universe punishing us.”

Ahead, more figures seemed to gather. Su He drifted toward them unconsciously. The darkness was dispersed by flickering lights, and his body began to glow. Countless green points of light shimmered within him, like a flowing galaxy.

“We must find the way back to the home planet, it’s right…” Someone was speaking loudly in the darkness, and Su He moved closer, trying to catch the rest of the sentence.

“Su He!”

Lu Li’s voice snapped him back to reality. Su He suddenly became alert. In the mental world, the small seedling had completely overpowered the silver figure. Without realizing it, Su He had broken through the fourth level of his cultivation technique. The small seedling—no longer just a sapling—was now taking the form of a young tree. Its green branches, like ribbons of light, had tightly bound the silver figure. Su He seized the moment and expelled the invader from his mental world. The black hawk let out a triumphant cry, its sharp claws pressing against the alien being’s body.

“What is this?”

The battle in the room came to a sudden halt as Zhuang Wei’s guards watched the scene unfold in shock. Lu Li opened the cockpit of his mech and jumped down with Su He in tow, declaring loudly, “I am Lu Li of the Seventh Legion.”

His face was not unfamiliar to the sentinels present. Since Zhuang Wei had disappeared along with the Irises, the Third Legion had closely monitored who remained aboard the Irises. Lu Li’s expression was calm and composed, his demeanor neither humble nor arrogant, as he said, “I bring news of General Zhuang. He is currently attending the military’s debriefing meeting on Earth. The person inside is a clone, and this is an alien parasite.”

The lead sentinel eyed him suspiciously. “How can you prove what you’re saying?”

Lu Li’s gaze turned sharp as he looked toward the small building. “The other alien parasite.”

As Lu Li spoke, his body shot forward like an arrow from a bow. Su He quickly raised his hands to show he was still there, reassuring everyone that a sentinel would never abandon his guide and run. From the side of the building, Chen Si emerged casually. Lu Li’s sudden appearance had caught him off guard, and before he could react, Lu Li’s fist had already connected with his face, sending him crumpling to the ground in pain. Su He’s mental shockwave followed immediately. When a sentinel is in pain, it’s difficult to maintain full control over their sensory barriers.

With Chen Si’s groaning, Su He invaded his mental world. Under the onslaught of violent energy, the silver figure was gradually forced out of his body. The sentinels watching saw this clearly, and Su He quickly withdrew his mental energy. Capturing Chen Si was the Third Legion’s responsibility—after all, he’d already provided the proof.

Lu Li effortlessly retreated as Chen Si curled up on the ground. The lead sentinel gave a signal, and several sentinels surrounded Chen Si, adjusting their weapons to stun mode and administering electric shocks to knock him unconscious.

“Do you believe me now?” Lu Li asked.

The lead sentinel remained silent for a moment, then asked, “Is 48751 still alive?” After a brief pause, he added, “We were classmates.”

Lu Li realized why the earlier reaction had been so strong. “He’s fine. He’s been by the general’s side this whole time.”

“What’s going on exactly?”

Lu Li replied, “Sorry, military secret—can’t disclose it.”

Sensing it was best not to push further, the sentinel stopped asking questions. The terminal link lit up, and Zhuang Wei appeared on the virtual screen. “Major Lu, how are things?”

Lu Li rotated the screen so all the sentinels around could see. “Everything went smoothly. We’ve captured two alien beings.”

“General.” The surrounding sentinels saluted by pressing their fists to their hearts. The lead sentinel said, “It’s a relief to know you’re safe.”

Zhuang Wei smiled. “I’m fine. Thank you all for your concern. I will return to Tianxuan in a day. In the meantime, follow Chief of Staff Xu’s orders.”

“Understood, General!”

Zhuang Wei’s appearance signaled the end of the aerial battle. Shen Shen led his team to regroup with Lu Li. They looked battered, with many of them wounded. Chief of Staff Xu, now free from restrictions, arrived and invited Lu Li’s team to rest on Tianxuan. Despite the intense battle, no word of what happened on Tianxuan would leave the planet without Zhuang Wei’s command.

One Hour Earlier, Earth.

In the military conference room, five people sat scattered around a large rectangular table. Four of the seven corps commanders had arrived, plus Ding Tong. On one side of the table, General Karen, the commander of the Fourth Corps, scanned the empty seats, noticing that Li Zhengdao and Lin Jin had yet to arrive. She frowned slightly, her expression showing signs of impatience. As the only female among the seven commanders, Karen was tall and had been a rare beauty in her younger years. Even though she was now older, her allure remained, and she still possessed a captivating charm. However, those familiar with Karen knew well that she had a fiery temper, earning her the nickname “The Furious Lioness” in the military.

Karen tapped the table and asked, “Where are that old man Li and General Lin?”

Sitting across from her was General Holt of the First Corps, a refined middle-aged man who wore gold-rimmed glasses, giving him a scholarly and elegant demeanor. Holt joked, “Maybe General Li and General Lin are fighting it out outside before coming in for the meeting.”

The others laughed. Ding Tong, seated among them, wore a perfectly timed smile—neither too prominent nor too modest, blending in well with the group. The other corps commanders casually glanced at Ding Tong, all wondering why Zhuang Wei had bypassed Xu Zheng and chosen Ding Tong instead.

Karen curled her lips, thinking that Holt’s guess wasn’t entirely impossible. She leaned back in her chair, mulling over whether, if Li Zhengdao did end up fighting Lin Jin first, she should go easy on him when their inevitable clash occurred later, just to avoid embarrassing him too much.

Since the Iris incident, Karen hadn’t had a decent night’s sleep. With a ten-hour time difference between Zhenhai Star and her Fourth Corps’ station on Kaiyang Star, Li Zhengdao had made a habit of calling in the middle of her night, berating her relentlessly. From Karen to the logistics department and everyone in between, no one had escaped Li’s wrath. Each time, it was during Kaiyang Star’s midnight hours, and within just one month, the logistics chief had been replaced seven times. Sporting huge dark circles under her eyes, Karen had half a mind to replace herself as well.

Though Karen sympathized with Li Zhengdao’s grief over losing his subordinates, her patience was wearing thin. This military briefing had to bring things to a head. Her face darkened as she pondered this, and, down the hallway, Li Zhengdao suddenly sneezed.

“Short fatty.”

Lin Jin’s mocking voice came from behind. Li Zhengdao turned, furious, and shot back, “Dead cross-dresser.”

Lin Jin: “…”

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