Black Thorn recognized it carefully and said, "Indeed, it is my fruit core, likely an earlier one detached from my body, even earlier than the one you hold."

Earlier?

Zhou Yi suddenly thought: "Could it be the Mud Tree People?"

Normally, if someone else obtained Black Thorn—a Light Core Body Level vessel—they wouldn't just frivolously release it in the Dead Sea.

Previously, Black Thorn's regular haunts were within Duke Destructive's territory; from a safety perspective, it also shouldn't have been abandoned there.

The most likely possibility was the Mud Tree People.

That is, the original pilots of Black Thorn.

"I don't know."

Black Thorn said, "But never mind, I'm not familiar with it; it doesn't really affect me anyway."

"The fruit core will grow weaker as time passes and eventually lose all activity completely. Frequent stimulation like this will only cause the fruit core to deactivate faster."

"Currently, having the fruit core can only call out to me, but my own decision is what's most important."

The fruit core is like a biological switch and also has usage limitations.

After much thought, Zhou Yi made a bold decision.

"Black Thorn, go and bring it here."

"Okay."

Black Thorn did not ask why and just flew back into the Dead Sea, disappearing without a trace.

In the evening.

It returned from the Dead Sea, flying straight to the roof of a skyscraper in Jade City.

The sea urchin-like shell opened from the middle, and a staggering tall figure squeezed out.

This person looked astonished, seemingly completely unable to comprehend his current situation, and appeared somewhat bewildered.

Zhou Yi sized up the newcomer.

He was around two meters three, similar to Yao Ming.

Physically, he wasn't much different from humans, with very long limbs but a short neck. He had extremely broad hands and feet, especially his hands—one palm was twice as big as Zhou Yi's, appearing very stable.

Apart from that, this person wore no clothes or armor, but was entirely wrapped in a brown vine-like plant, resembling some sort of special mummy.

He appeared to be male, with a square face and a robust body, his skin a healthy wheat color.

Another peculiar point was that this person had his hair cut into a pointed shape, like a tuft of cone.

Only then did Zhou Yi realize that the Mud Tree People did not have pointed heads; instead, they shaved their hair into this formation, possibly a mark of their ethnic group.

The person's eyes showed alertness and wariness as several vines on his back rose like snakes.

He lowered his center of gravity, readying a stance as if prepared to fight any moment.

Zhou Yi spread his hands open, signaling no ill intentions: "Can you talk? Do you understand our language?"

The person frowned in confusion.

He uttered a series of awkward, strange syllables, like rapping, each sound short and brisk.

Zhou Yi extended his hand.

The person stepped back.

Apparently, in his culture, shaking hands wasn't customary.

Then Zhou Yi called over Yuan Xiao: "Bring some food here, preferably natural ingredients."

Angel of Death swiftly returned, bringing a box.

Inside the box were grapes, pears, and cherry tomatoes—fruits from the Tree Monster Territory.

There were also some edible crops like radishes, Chinese cabbage, and a few processed foods.

Zhou Yi placed the box in front, making a gesture to invite.

He picked up a grape himself, put it in his mouth, and gestured: "You can eat, give it a try."

The Mud Tree person watched Zhou Yi for a bit.

Then he walked to the box, squatted down carelessly, grabbed a grape, looked it over, and sniffed it. His rear vines agilely coiled around the grape, the leaves enveloping it.

Momentarily.

Deeming it non-toxic, he then put the grape into his mouth but immediately frowned and spat it out.

He then tried other fruits and vegetables, dissatisfied with all and spat them out.

He seemed quite picky.

Upon encountering sweet potatoes and peanuts, the Mud Tree person appeared curious.

After checking with his vines, he first cracked open a sweet potato, skillfully peeling it with his hand, took a bite, chewed slowly, then began to eat with gusto, munching down several pieces.

Next, the Mud Tree person shifted his attention to the peanuts; after shelling and eating the seeds, his excitement was evident as his eyes lit up.

Zhou Yi waved his hand.

Yuan Xiao approached.

"There was some leftover rice from yesterday; heat it in a steamer and bring it over to him to taste. Also get some bagged pickles and dried radish, make sure to get the bottled ones from the Divine Era, not our homemade."

"Understood."

Soon, Angel of Death brought over a steaming bowl of rice, placed before the Mud Tree person with several kinds of pickles on the side.

The Mud Tree person picked up the bowl, examined it, and struggled with the chopsticks.

Zhou Yi also picked up a pair and showed him how, and the other quickly mastered the tool.

After taking a bite of rice, the Mud Tree person's eyes widened, then he began heartily devouring the rice without even adding pickles, gulping down the leftover rice directly.

Then he stood up and reached out his hand to Zhou Yi.

It seemed he had been accepted.

The two shook hands for the first time.

In that moment, Zhou Yi initiated an energy input, starting the frequency synchronization of consciousness.

"Nice to meet you, visitor from the Mud Tree Civilization, my name is Zhou Yi."

The other person's face brightened: "So this is how you communicate! I understand what you mean; your ability is amazing!"

"My name is Ni Ge."

The Mud Tree person said: "Your food is great, tastes really good! This white fruit, as well as the earlier purple-red small berries, and the larger long-shaped fruits, all are delicious!"

"Just heating these small white fruits makes them taste the best, very delicious. It's my first time eating them."

As a race living in the trees, they lacked the foundation to cultivate rice or sweet potatoes. Crops that normally require long-term growth on land were indeed never seen by the Mud Tree People.

But he also said, "Those previous fruits won't do, too sour, not sweet at all, and lacking sufficient flavor. Where I come from, these kinds of fruits are everywhere, and even birds don't eat such poor ones, only bugs nibble them."

"..."

It seems they have high attainments in fruit cultivation, making them quite picky in tastes.

Food brought the two sides closer and reduced hostility between them.

Zhou Yi asked him, "Are you the only Mud Tree Person here?"

"Just me alone, I've never found any of my kind. But it can't be said for sure, just not for now…"

The other suddenly snapped to: "Why is my Black Thorn out of control? Why is it completely unresponsive now, unable to be controlled by the fruit core, how did you do this?"

"You said this Black Thorn was originally yours?"

"Yes."

The Mud Tree Person said righteously, "This is what I brought from our world. Inside, there are my personal belongings, my family portrait, my personal portrait, and the bananas I use to prevent brain degeneration, you can tell at a glance."

Zhou Yi received a solo portrait mud tablet from Yuan Xiao.

He compared the man with the painting.

The Mud Tree Person demonstrated the same pose as on the mud tablet, fists clenched, as if readying to strike the person in front of him.

The poses were identical.

Facial features capture was also very similar.

Zhou Yi was already seventy to eighty percent convinced.

He asked again, "Why did you leave Black Thorn?"

"I was surveying the land and geological features, the rest is inconvenient to disclose."

Ni Ge pressed on, "What did you do to my Black Thorn?"

"Nothing much."

Zhou Yi informed him, "Just healed it."

"Healed it? It wasn't injured, I've been very careful in controlling it, without even a scratch... what exactly happened?"

The man looked at the Black Thorn full of confusion.

Zhou Yi whispered, "Simply put, its shattered consciousness was repaired, allowing it to possess its rightful self-consciousness."

Ni Ge immediately widened his eyes, "Impossible! Absolutely impossible!"

"Black Thorn itself doesn't have consciousness... It's just a transformed fruit, a carrier, how could it have self-consciousness."

"We've used Black Thorn for many years, such a thing has never happened."

Then, Black Thorn rose beside him and leisurely floated behind Zhou Yi.

The Mud Tree Person was rendered speechless.

"You must understand now, right? Why you can't control it with the fruit core, and why it brought you here, the reasons are all here."

Zhou Yi said, "Now, Black Thorn is an independent living being, it has its own thoughts. It's no longer a biological tool to be controlled at will."

"Why did this happen…"

The Mud Tree Person still couldn't give up, continuously pressing the fruit core in his hand trying to call Black Thorn.

Black Thorn didn't budge.

The Mud Tree Person kept frantically pressing.

Black Thorn directly flew over, unfolded into its third stage Light Core Body form, its black shadow immediately retrieved the fruit core into its body, and then circled back to Zhou Yi's side.

"This guy really annoys me, always jabbering in my ear!"

Even Black Thorn was impatient.

Ni Ge froze on the spot, his face incredulous.

He suddenly fell to his knees, wailing loudly: "No!!!"

"Black Thorn, Black Thorn! You can't do this, come back, come back!"

"How can I live in this world without Black Thorn!"

"It's all over, everything's finished…"

Zhou Yi didn't expect that a man two meters tall would be so devastated by the loss of Black Thorn, collapsing emotionally.

The Mud Tree Person was indeed fragile.

Zhou Yi said, "Aren't you doing just fine right now?"

"This world is very dangerous."

Ni Ge said somewhat dispiritedly, "I am an outsider, I really don't know the specific situation here. Just in the Circular Flow alone, there are numerous powerful monsters. Without a foothold established by mud and trees, it's impossible to withstand attacks from other powerful creatures."

"Though Black Thorn is a fruit, it has always been an important partner to us Mud Tree People. Without it, we can hardly survive in these Otherworlds. Either we would be hunted, or have no foothold…"

Zhou Yi then suggested, "Since you have nowhere to go, why not stay with us at the Wasteland Development Company, we can ensure your safety here, and you can work for the company."

"..."

Ni Ge suddenly became vigilant, "You already have Black Thorn, what do you need me for?"

"I'm interested in Mud Tree Civilization."

Zhou Yi smiled slightly, "And I always believe that everyone has their own area of expertise, as long as they find the right field, they can bring out their talents."

"I am an Explorer of the Mud Tribe."

Ni Ge asked, "Are you short of explorers?"

"Yes."

Zhou Yi's [Alert] had long seen Ni Ge emitting purple light, a true A-class powerhouse.

The Mud Tree Person furrowed his brows in thought for a long time: "You want me to explore and survey for you everywhere, I can do that. But I have one condition."

"I need Black Thorn."

"I'll try to communicate with Black Thorn to have it cooperate with you."

"Not that."

"What I mean is, there is another Black Thorn in this world."

Mud Tree Person said, "This Black Thorn is no longer the one I know, I can't handle it. I hope you can help me capture another Black Thorn."

Zhou Yi responded immediately, "I'll give it a try."

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