"Actually, whether it's the search for Stone Shedding or the selection of Heavenly Pearl, it's all related to my abilities."

Zhang Zhi pointed to his chest: "Mr. Zhou, I have two Guangna Organs, one is the heart, the other is the lungs."

"The heart is simply much stronger than an average person's; it hasn't evolved any fundamentally active properties. All my capabilities essentially come from my lungs, which were also the organs I went to Maria Hospital for surgery to repair."

"The ability of the lungs, I call it 'Qi Seeking Skill'."

"Most substances in the world are constantly breaking down, just to such a subtle degree that it's hard to discern with the naked eye. Unlike Consciousness Fragments, material fragments mix together and spread in the air."

"The air I inhale can be filtered and identified by the lungs, which can recognize various foreign objects and microorganisms, such as plankton, dust particles, and ash. The lungs are a special identification organ for me."

"Over those years in the Outer Sea, I did quite a bit of testing and application with Qi Seeking Skill. This is how I confirmed the type of Heavenly Pearl by inhaling air."

At this point, Zhou Yi raised a question: "The Heavenly Pearl uses Intercepting Mirror technology to enclose Consciousness Fragments in spherical mirrors. Does consciousness also emit specific Qi?"

"Or is it that the material fragments stripped from the Heavenly Pearl are different?"

"What you said is correct."

Zhang Zhi explained: "The spherical mirrors will also strip fragments. When the number of Consciousness Fragments increases, they will interact with the material side, causing subtle differences in the spherical mirror fragments. It took me a long time to confirm that it could be filtered in this way."

"Material and consciousness influence each other."

Thought Zhou Yi with mixed emotions.

The lungs could be used in such a versatile way.

Zhang Zhi relied on the inhaled material fragments to reverse-compare and identify them, thus developing a survival capability into a research characteristic.

Zhang Zhi continued: "Later, in my Outer Sea ventures, I found a special class of material fragments. They carried a certain amount of radiation energy, accompanied by a distinct burning sensation. These particles were very special and highly identifiable."

"After years of searching and comparison, I pinpointed the source."

"Those particles gathered in large numbers near the Light Banners."

Zhou Yi's memories were immediately triggered: "The Light Banners from the Outer Sea disasters?"

Previously, when investigating the cause of atmospheric creatures, Shi Gandang had mentioned the Light Banners.

These banner-like clouds had highly compressed energy structures with a strong adsorption force, somewhat similar to the rapids of the Inner Sea.

Whether it was Skywalkers or atmospheric creatures, once caught in them, they would be torn and converted into energy.

Skywalkers expended vast manpower and resources setting up arrays of Light Banners to fend off atmospheric creatures and to protect Cloud Mountain, their Outer Sea settlement.

"Yes, those Light Banners."

Zhang Zhi nodded.

He took a sip of tea to moisten his throat.

"But it's not inside the Light Banners; it's extremely dangerous there, and I didn't dare to get close."

"I noticed that around the Light Banners, there was a large concentration of high-radiation material fragments, likely generated from something being shredded by the Light Banners."

"So I waited there for a long time, investigated all around, and eventually discovered that the source was an atmospheric creature. It shed its material fragments like a snake shedding its skin, compressing these fragments into a solid form and then tossing them into the Light Banners."

"This is what you call Stone Shedding."

Zhou Yi listened intently.

He hadn't expected that after atmospheric creatures mutated from Building Life, they retained the characteristic of shedding Stone Shedding.

Did they treat the Light Banners like a toilet?

"Following this lead, I found that not all atmospheric creatures discard their Stone Shedding into the Light Banners. In fact, this practice was the minority. Most atmospheric creatures defecate in their territory."

"These creatures' Outer Sea territories often have Stone Shedding around their borders, used as a declaration of power and territory and as a warning to outsiders. They exhibit very strong beast-like characteristics. Some wild beasts leave their feces and urine at territory boundaries."

Zhang Zhi slowly said: "So, I started collecting these Stone Shedding, amassing a large inventory. Now, the Freedom Army has over 20,000 pieces in stock."

Zhou Yi asked: "Was there no one collecting Stone Shedding in the Outer Sea before?"

"It's very dangerous, Mr. Zhou,"

Zhang Zhi explained: "The direct gains from Stone Shedding are not high. For Skywalkers, these items valued at 10 Light Seeds per piece are hard to sell and come with the risk of atmospheric creature attacks."

"Anyone who can operate in the Outer Sea is at least a sea lord. Rather than risking their lives in atmospheric creature territory, it's safer to find work in Cloud Mountain, where they can earn a few thousand Light Seeds annually. It's much more cost-effective."

"I could collect Stone Shedding because I have the Qi Seeking Skill. The Qi of Stone Shedding is consistent with its source atmospheric creature. If the creature approaches, the Qi released from its massive body would be detected by my lungs. That's why I dared to do this."

"For safety, I selectively collected, taking just a little from each area to avoid taking too much from one place, thereby reducing risk."

"Upon reaching the Inner Sea, I also discovered the presence of Stone Shedding, but they were all buried underground. Unlike the Outer Sea, the Inner Sea has far more interference. I usually conduct surveys first, then let my comrades from the Freedom Army dig them up. They've become quite proficient at this process."

"The Inner Sea subterranean reserves are not less than the Outer Sea, so we are concentrating on excavating this area."

"We developed the technology for cutting Stone Shedding ourselves, as mutants are not afraid of mild radiation and can directly handle the material. We used to sell primarily to the Mechanical Knights, Mirror City, and Yi City."

"Mechanical Knights conduct research with Stone Shedding. Mirror City uses it as a backup energy reserve. Yi City has a unique use for it, providing it to some Guangna Species for breeding offspring. Certain Flying System Guangna Species need sustained high energy for hatching, and Stone Shedding fulfills this role perfectly."

"Since there's no significant competition, this remains an exclusive business for the Freedom Army. Relying on the selection of Heavenly Pearl and Stone Shedding, we've been able to fund our operations."

Zhou Yi nodded in agreement.

It seemed Zhang Zhi was also in a similar line of work, only he made his fortune scavenging in the Outer Sea.

Building up his wealth bit by bit.

Not an easy feat.

"Mr. Zhou, you've been a great help to us. We don't have much to offer, just some humble skills."

Zhang Zhi said modestly.

Zhou Yi responded seriously: "That's not humble at all. For our company, Stone Shedding is profoundly important and will become an indispensable part of the new energy system."

"From now on, all Stone Shedding excavated by the Freedom Army will be exclusively supplied to our Wasteland Development Company. We'll take everything you have."

"Understood!"

Zhang Zhi expressed his gratitude.

A man of action, he said immediately: "Mr. Zhou, I'd like to go to Mars now to start mining operations and test the effectiveness of the Wasteland Armor. If feasible, I'd like my comrades to start working soon."

"A stable job would offer them a way out, reduce economic pressure, and give them peace of mind."

Zhou Yi promptly arranged for Hei Fu to take them to the Mars Base.

...

He saw off Zhang Zhi and his companion.

Zhou Yi finally felt a bit relieved.

Lately, things were happening one after another. But critical moments had arrived, and they had to be seized.

The source was actually the recovery of the Molding Fire Platform.

He immersed himself in the Outer Memory Core Space.

Beside the Electric Cat Building, the fire ring atop the Molding Fire Platform was still slowly rotating. On the white platform below, the White King had already left for the Moon, now replaced by the Cat God in its electric ball form.

Zhou Yi could clearly feel that the Cat God had changed.

Its power had increased significantly.

Its demonstrated Energy Light Core had transformed from a regular tetrahedron to a hexahedron, officially stepping into the LV2 stage of the Light Core Body.

An arc of light shone above its head, forming various pathways of light connecting with the Cat God; this was the typical energy structure of a Circumference Light Device.

It looked like a continuously welded spherical motor.

"How is it? Da Zhou, didn't I tell you the truth?"

Xiao Fu appeared beside the Molding Fire Platform.

Still in the form of a dark silhouette, it looked up at Zhou Yi overlooking the scene.

"The Cat God has been equipped with an Energy Particle Decomposer and a Fire Seed Antenna, now connecting to the Dangerous Heart."

"Once synchronized and tuned, its strength can reach LV3!"

Zhou Yi couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed: "Wasn't it supposed to reach Transmutator Level? How come it's only LV3? That's quite a bit of a letdown...."

"Da Zhou, it's very challenging for a Light Core Body to level up. Transmutators are at the apex of life itself!"

Xiao Fu emphasized with hand gestures: "The Cat God was originally only LV1, upgrading by two levels is already a tremendous leap! And this is due to the powerful integration of the Circumference Light Device."

Zhou Yi yawned: "I saw the Leshan Buddha upgrade pretty fast too."

"... That was an exception, an exception!!"

Xiao Fu argued: "Normally, the way Buddha skips levels would only hasten its own demise! It's only because of strong logistical support, with you providing enough energy blocks, that it can maintain such an abnormal speed of growth!"

"Otherwise, if it were alone, it would have been reduced to fragments sleeping on the sea floor even if not dead."

"At its core, it's a mechanism being, lacking the conducive environment for its abilities without immense resource backing."

That made sense too.

Zhou Yi thought about it; indeed, Buddha had always danced on the edge of death. If the Dead Sea Master had shown up in person, Buddha would have been crushed during the first encounter.

"The Cat God follows the path of a concept entity of the Fire Seed Civilization."

Xiao Fu added: "It has integrated the power of Fire Seed Life but still needs to form a consciousness path. A path leads to a particular destination."

"You set a goal for it, and it will adjust itself along the way to achieve that goal."

"A mission?"

"Yes. This mission could be protecting each Fire Seed Life, maximizing profits for you, or nurturing a Fire Seed Army for you..."

"Transform the Heavenly People."

"Uh?"

Zhou Yi said: "The goal is to transform the Heavenly People. That's both my goal and its goal."

Xiao Fu was startled: "Da Zhou, I thought you were just saying that to them... You're serious?"

"I've always meant what I've said."

Zhou Yi grinned: "Scared?"

"...."

Xiao Fu sighed: "But this is way too difficult."

"The Heavenly People can manufacture a large number of Transmutators, whereas the limit for us Reverse Flows is just barely reaching the Transmutator level, hugely reliant on the Molding Fire Platform... Even in mid to high-level civilizations, Transmutators are legendary life forms, yet just tools created by the Heavenly People."

"Da Zhou, this is extremely challenging. The Reverse Flows aren't geared for combat at heart; we're merely a group of civilization scavengers, not anything remarkable."

Zhou Yi understood. Xiao Fu was only confident in advantageous situations, with its assurance stemming from the technical information advantage of Reverse Flows, but it tended to panic and retreat when facing adversity.

The Molding Fire Platform incident had undoubtedly thrown it into chaos.

Facing the Heavenly People would be even more so.

Zhou Yi said: "We're not the only ones doing this."

"You mean involving the company and this world's beings? It's not going to help; they are too weak. Even combined, they contribute very little. The hierarchy of civilizations is insurmountable..."

"No. It's the Fire Gatherers."

Zhou Yi said lightly: "The Fire Gatherers are willing to take action against the Heavenly People."

"What? The Fire Gatherers finally communicated with you?"

Xiao Fu was utterly stunned.

"Yes."

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