Chapter 229: Ten Special Level Nutrient Liquids

Chapter 229: Chapter 229: Ten Special Level Nutrient Liquids

After exchanging goods with the people from No. 9 Territory, Xiaqing placed the compost starter and plastic film on Sheep Leader’s seat. She then started the tiller to continue cutting down Injurious Grass to clear a path, pulling out the various tree saplings that had sprouted in the Harmful Rain along the way.

Saplings in their early stages were highly susceptible to Qiang Evolution in the Harmful Rain, so clearing them out early brought peace of mind.

An hour later, the Harmful Rain grew heavier. Xiaqing went home and moved the supplies inside. Then, she parked the tiller in front of the sheep pen, removed the Protective Masks from the three wolves and the sheep, and let them drink water.

Then, Xiaqing instructed Sick Wolf, "Second, you’re weak. When you relieve yourself, stand further under the cover so you don’t get caught in the rain."

The wolves’ and sheep’s "restroom" was located just outside the southern wall of the sheep pen. Before the Harmful Rain, Xiaqing had built an awning over it.

Sick Wolf rubbed its bony frame against Xiaqing to show that it understood.

Xiaqing put the Protective Mask back on Sick Wolf. Then, using both words and gestures, she instructed Broken Waist Wolf, "You’re the smart one. If there’s an emergency, howl immediately. Then take Second and Broken Leg Wolf inside the house and lock the security door. I’ll hear you and rush back as fast as I can."

Broken Waist Wolf stared quietly at Xiaqing, its expression as intelligent and thoughtful as ever. Time was tight, so Xiaqing said no more. She fitted it with a Protective Mask, then beckoned to the glaring, snarling Broken Leg Wolf. "Broken Leg, you’re their protector now. Don’t worry about any dangers that might appear in the territory. Your only job is to protect your companions."

Xiaqing fitted the unruly Broken Leg Wolf with its Protective Mask, then beckoned to her own companion, speaking in a soft, gentle voice. "Leader, this is the most dangerous time. We’re shorthanded in the territory, so you have to come with me to protect it. You’re our territory’s guardian deity, our pillar of strength. With you here, we’ll definitely get through this Harmful Rain smoothly. Come on, Leader, let me put this on for you."

With a proud look on its face, Sheep Leader put on its Protective Mask and had Xiaqing hold an umbrella for it as they rushed to the "battlefield" together.

Hu Zifeng was standing in the rain under an umbrella, testing the Harmful Element concentration, when he saw the woman and the sheep approaching. He immediately ordered Guan Tong, "The third wave of red Harmful Rain is probably coming soon. Wake everyone up and prepare for battle."

"Roger that." Guan Tong immediately went into the back room to wake the team members, who had been asleep for less than three hours.

After sixty straight hours of Harmful Rain, what did another red-level wave signify? It meant a significant increase in the number of Qiang Evolved plants inside the greenhouses. It meant aggressive Evolved Plants could appear at any moment, and everyone would have to join the fight.

Hu Zifeng’s team stood inside the small hut, each member looking more serious than the last. It was a stark contrast to Sheep Leader, who was calmly nibbling grass beside Xiaqing.

With a placid expression, Xiaqing took out ten vials of nutrient liquid and placed them on the table. "This is Special Level Nutrient Liquid—one for each of you. I’m counting on all of you for the next ten hours. I’ll say it again: safety first. If the situation gets out of control, we retreat immediately."

Ten vials of Special Level Nutrient Liquid. Twenty thousand points.

The core members of the Green Dragon Team were stunned by Xiaqing’s extravagance.

’Last night, Xiaqing gave Guan Tong a vial of Special Level Nutrient Liquid, but that was an emergency. They had to clear the Wild Phoenix Tree Forest as quickly as possible. The red Harmful Rain hasn’t even started yet. What if this downpour doesn’t last long? Wouldn’t it be a waste?’

A dull clap of thunder snapped Hu Zifeng back to his senses. He immediately ordered, "Guan Tong, take half a vial. Everyone else, a full one. Use it now. There are still ten hours until the Harmful Rain ends. After taking this Special Level Nutrient Liquid, none of you are allowed to slack off on my watch!"

"Sir, yes, sir!" the nine people responded in unison. They drank the Special Level Nutrient Liquid, and the whole team was quickly back at full strength.

The two-thousand-point Special Level Nutrient Liquid worked like a charm.

Hu Zifeng conferred with Xiaqing. "You and I will guard the greenhouses on the High Slope?"

Hu Zifeng didn’t say another word, but Xiaqing knew he had figured out where she got the Special Level Nutrient Liquid. That’s why he was making the spinach terraces on the High Slope a priority for protection.

"I’ve used special methods to protect the spinach fields on the High Slope, the Green Light sweet potatoes, and the Green Rice in the farm greenhouses. There’s basically no risk of Qiang Evolution for them." At this critical juncture, Xiaqing decided to come clean.

In truth, even if she hadn’t said anything, Hu Zifeng and his team had pretty much figured it out. After three days of Harmful Rain, over twenty percent of the other crops had been lost to Qiang Evolution and subsequently cleared out, yet the loss rate in the three areas Xiaqing mentioned was zero.

The contrast was too stark. Forget humans—even a Red Squirrel shivering in its tree hollow would know which plot of land to hide in after a single glance.

Hu Zifeng nodded and proposed to Xiaqing, "Why don’t you take command from here on out?"

The coming red Harmful Rain would be extremely dangerous; they needed someone to direct the overall situation. Having worked together so many times, the Level 5 Visual Evolver Hu Zifeng had realized that Xiaqing’s Visual Evolution far surpassed his own, even if she never said so.

Lord Xiaqing nodded and began assigning tasks. "I’ll go to the highest point in the territory to report any dangerous Qiang Evolutions as they happen. Sheep Leader will help out in the corn greenhouse. We’ll have one person per greenhouse and three on patrol. Captain Hu, you can make the specific assignments."

Xiaqing was a Level 9 Visual Evolver. As long as she was high enough, no anomaly within the territory could escape her eyes.

Amidst the drumming of the rain, Hu Zifeng issued his orders. "Little Jiang, take the cotton greenhouse. Guan Tong, the vegetable greenhouse... Eryong, the corn greenhouse. Peng Jian, Jing Kuan, and I will be outside. If any greenhouse runs into a situation you can’t handle, call for backup immediately."

Clearing the Qiang Evolved plants from the greenhouses was important, but the task of patrolling the territory in the rain to eliminate Qiang Evolved creatures was even more vital. The Level 5 Visual Evolvers, Hu Zifeng and Peng Jian, along with the Level 5 Speed Evolver, Jing Kuan, were the team’s strongest combat assets. The three of them were responsible for patrolling the territory, eliminating dangerous Qiang Evolved creatures, and providing rapid support to any greenhouse that needed it.

Xiaqing first escorted Sheep Leader to the corn greenhouse, giving it a spirited pep talk before heading toward the slope.

"A sunflower has undergone Qiang Evolution. It’s bloomed with several flowers of different colors. It’s beautiful," Guan Tong, who was guarding the vegetable greenhouse, said over the comms. "Anyone outside nearby? I’ll move the sunflower out. You guys can find an empty spot and plant it. Maybe this Qiang Evolved variety could even be an ornamental."

Who had the energy to think about ornamental plants when they could barely get enough to eat during the Disaster Years? No one took him seriously; they all knew he was joking. Little Jiang replied, "Appreciate what? The way it’ll spray even more seeds in every direction when it turns aggressive?"

Hearing the laughter in her earpiece, Xiaqing smiled as she trudged through the mud and rushing water. Passing by the fishponds, she observed them carefully and reported, "The northern embankment of the fishpond on the right has a crack. Everyone steer clear of it."

"BAA." Before anyone from Hu Zifeng’s team could reply, Sheep Leader responded first. Its bleat held a note of anxiety that only Xiaqing could detect.

It was guarding the corn greenhouse all by itself, with neither Xiaqing nor the Wolf Group nearby. It was nervous.

Separating from Sheep Leader for the mission was unavoidable. Xiaqing responded to it in a soft, gentle voice, "Don’t be scared, Leader. We just have to get through tonight. Tomorrow, I’ll make you a special feed mix with cucumber and perilla-flavored rations."

"BAA." The thought of food overpowered its anxiety, and Sheep Leader calmed down.

The stone bridge to the slope was already submerged by the turbulent river. Xiaqing took a running start and leaped across the water, continuing upward through the clearing between the forest and the low-slope rain shelters.

Before she could reach the High Slope, Tan Junjie’s solemn announcement came over the Lord’s intercom: "The third wave of red Harmful Rain is beginning."

The final battle had begun!

Xiaqing took a deep breath and quickly scrambled up the Big Chuntun Tree on the High Slope to survey the area. While not the highest point in the territory, the Big Chuntun Tree was a Green Light, making it far safer than other large trees.

Standing in the Big Chuntun Tree, all 2,600 acres of farmland south of the river unfolded before the eyes of the Level 9 Visual Evolver Lord.

Ten minutes passed. The Injurious Grass began to grow faster.

Twenty minutes. The number of reported Qiang Evolved plants in the greenhouses was on the rise, but the team members were still at full strength, and Sheep Leader was pulling its weight in the corn greenhouse. No one had called for backup.

Thirty minutes. Within the Injurious Grass wall to the south of the territory, a single stalk shot up and began to twitch unnervingly.