Shu Yumei decisively joined the Mud Tree Civilization Department.

Although she had a strong desire to rescue the plantified Mud Tree People, in actual action, she was extremely cautious and restrained.

"Since the Insect Hunters are still alive, there's no need to rush."

"I need to further observe and test my own physical condition to optimize and solve the balance issues among multiple companion plants."

"Although the Mud Tree People have always had the tradition and physiological environment of coexisting with companion plants, I now have 12 modified plant organs in my body. They were grafted using the Life Extension Flower and induced to mature, but they themselves have a lot of instability."

"Chairman, I've checked the time."

Her skin bore elegant and delicate purple flower-shaped tattoos, which converged on her chest and lower back. These were the Purple Sun Flowers.

Shu Yumei counted the flowers on her body: "There are a total of 7 Purple Sun Flowers. They grow slowly, with each flower taking an average of 955 Purple Suns to form, totaling 6,685 Purple Suns..."

"According to the time here, roughly 7 Purple Suns are considered a month, so that's 6,685 months, which means 557 years have passed."

Zhou Yi's eyes moved slightly: "So, around 500 years ago, the Usurper Worms began breaking out on a large scale and started attacking trees and people?"

"Yes."

Shu Yumei nodded: "The Swarm's eruption and evolution were too fast. Within less than 100 Purple Suns, trees in various regions couldn't develop appropriate weapons to counter them, and we were completely powerless to resist."

"The Insect Swarm quickly destroyed the tree clusters and could directly parasitize and infiltrate our heads..."

At this point.

She still looked towards Zhou Yi with some concern: "Chairman, are the worms in my brain really okay?"

"No problem."

Zhou Yi assured her: "These are tamed Usurper Worms by the company. Without them, you wouldn't be able to recover from a plantified state. The Usurper Worms are powerful, capable of destruction and harm, but they can also be used for rescue and repair."

Ni Ge also said from the side: "Don't worry, these Usurper Worms are controlled by the Cave People."

"Cave, Cave People?"

Shu Yumei was shocked: "Weren't they already extinct?"

"No, they just can't be seen with the naked eye."

Ni Ge smiled and said: "Some Cave People are in your head right now, operating the Usurper Worms to stabilize your brain. They are very powerful."

Shu Yumei paused: "You mean the Cave People control the Usurper Worms... So they've always been there, living inside the Usurper Worms all this time? Could it be the Cave People attacking us, have they revived?"

"That's not what I meant, just..."

Ni Ge had to explain to her a bit.

Shu Yumei's words, however, enlightened Zhou Yi.

The sudden outbreak of Usurper Worms and the innate match of the Cave People as the origin of Usurper Worms... could there really be such a possibility?

Zhou Yi consulted the Dong inside his right arm.

"Mr. Zhou, your conjecture makes sense, but this isn't something the Cave People would do."

It said: "If the Cave People discovered other life forms, they would be very happy, exchanging life substances and information to better expand and continue themselves. For years, the Cave People have been searching for other life forms to communicate with."

"Even if conflicts and wars broke out, the Cave People have their tools. By activating the devices stored in Solid Cloud Elixirs, the effects of external transformation far surpass using Usurper Worms, which are almost like brute labor."

These last words made Zhou Yi very much in agreement.

Mainly because the style didn't quite fit.

If it were the Cave People, they wouldn't directly destroy the Pan Trees and Sky-reaching Trees but would turn them into new tools.

"However, the method you described is indeed something we can do."

Dong suddenly said: "It's already known that our world is Jupiter, which has numerous Vortex Devices made by the Heavenly People. Over there, foreign life exposed to the environment would be instantly disintegrated and cleared."

"That might be why we've never discovered foreign life; the outsiders would be erased."

"But as native life forms, we can move freely over there."

"Mr. Zhou, could we send someone back to Jupiter, to activate our Record Land and find our remaining Solid Cloud Elixirs and tools? This way, the Cave People can help you too."

With the massive reproduction and continuous population growth of Cave People, accumulating vast amounts of information and experience, and with the storage of the mechanical administrator's electronic Record Land, the intelligence of the Dong had significantly increased.

Speaking about developing Jupiter, the Cave People, as the local natives, were indeed the best choice.

Zhou Yi pondered for a moment: "Alright."

"But how will you return? Using an Evil Brain as a carrier?"

"Just send part of us back, using the Usurper Worms as carriers. The Usurper Worms can't reproduce here, it's related to the environment; they need to return there."

Dong confidently said: "The Cave People here have now obtained the reproduction ability we severely lacked, greatly increasing individual life strength. Sending some Cave People back, they can quickly establish themselves there by driving the Usurper Worms and reboot our civilization."

Now that the decision was made.

Zhou Yi let them take immediate action.

Hei Fu picked three selected Usurper Worms, carrying 150 million Cave People in the worms' bodies, and sent them back to Jupiter, letting them start activities near the space channel.

On the other side.

Shu Yumei, who was recovering and performing self-inspection, was taken by Ni Ge to Yalong Bay to see the Pan Trees and Sky-reaching Trees being cultivated there.

Shu Yumei brought surprising news.

"The Black Thorn can split."

Upon learning this, Zhou Yi immediately summoned this Mud Tree Person who survived calamity.

"Isn't the Black Thorn a fruit that grows on trees?"

"Ordinarily, yes."

Shu Yumei said: "But after the insect outbreak, we conducted many radical experiments and plant developments in a short period, one of the priorities being the Black Thorn."

"It is our most important vehicle, but the cultivation cycle is not short, so it's usually equipped only when the Mud Tribe and Tree Department go out."

"To allow more people to obtain the Black Thorn and escape in the face of the Insect Swarm, we lifted the restriction on the research-only split cultivation method. By specific cutting and cultivating with Pan Trees and Sky-reaching Trees, the growth cycle can be compressed to 15 Purple Suns, and a new Black Thorn can grow."

"But forcing rapid growth has defects. This split-matured Black Thorn's Insecticide and slowing wave abilities are weaker than in the normal state, with endurance only a third of that in a mature state, though it can still enter an overload phase, just for a shorter duration."

Zhou Yi's eyes gleamed.

Fifteen Purple Suns, just over two months.

This is not an issue.

Currently, no Black Thorn seeds can be cultivated. Producing a low-end version through splitting would be a great advantage.

"Are you really going to do this?"

Shu Yumei emphasized again: "The endurance is only one-third. This difference is significant. Especially when using the two abilities, the effects are far lower than normal ones... We initially created this defective early-matured version to meet quantity requirements."

"No worries."

Zhou Yi nodded: "Start split cultivation."

He thought.

We don't need the Black Thorn for combat. As long as it can be used as a vehicle for the Dead Sea, that's enough.

This is significant for developing the Dead Sea.

Shu Yumei immediately began working.

The Black Thorn under Nige's ride was naturally the source for the cutting and splitting.

Shu Yumei used Blade Grass to cut a square piece of thorny fruit from the Black Thorn and sealed it in Light Amber, connecting the touching surface with a Pan Tree.

It was somewhat like grafting.

The subsequent steps were beyond Zhou Yi's understanding.

Shu Yumei etched precise engraving marks with Blade Grass on the Pan Tree surface and conducted specific draining with tree surrounds. Radiant streams gathered on the small piece of the Black Thorn.

She also cut off a root from herself and some branches of the Life Extension Flower, grafting them onto the Black Thorn.

Zhou Yi inquired what that was.

"The Life Extension Flower possesses the ability to integrate life connections, thus serving as an external life maintenance assistant. Using its branches and leaves aids quicker transitions between the Pan Tree and the Black Thorn, reducing potential rejection or malformations."

As she worked, she explained patiently: "The root from my body is from the gas radish, which has numerous dense aerial roots, able to climb and expand."

"Its main function is to absorb nutrients. The leaves grown from it help us determine the growth condition of connected plants and manage supplementation, an essential naturalist tool."

Zhou Yi thought to himself this was indeed professionalism.

In terms of playing with trees, Shu Yumei, as a naturalist, exhibited technical and knowledge superiority over Ni Ge, the explorer.

Zhou Yi then posed another question.

"Why do you retain your head while the Mud Tree Person who came with you had his head turned directly into a flower?"

Shu Yumei remained calm: "That's because we underwent different modifications. His condition was much worse."

"His head was completely transformed into an Insect Hunting Flower because his brain was already controlled by the insects."

"When the Usurper Worm enters the brain, it can't be removed, and opening the brain would ruin it. Therefore, we implanted the Insect Hunting Flower to digest and absorb the insect and brain."

Zhou Yi revisited a previous query: "If we split Hei Fu, would it be possible to cultivate a Light Core Body Level Black Thorn?"

Shu Yumei hesitated: "This is an uncharted level. I can't be certain. From a botanical aspect, splitting carries the physiological traits of the original form and should retain some strength. The degree of weakening would be confirmed with specimens."

Zhou Yi sought Hei Fu's opinion.

It responded: "I follow the chairman's instructions. Losing a small piece is no issue."

Zhou Yi then asked: "Would cutting cause any impact on Hei Fu?"

"Not much. It only loses a small part. There's a little energy and material depletion. It requires massive energy supply and cultivation."

Zhou Yi decided to give it a try.

Thus, Shu Yumei also cut a part of Hei Fu and grafted it onto another Pan Tree, cultivating it alongside the other cuttings.

While progress continued fervently on this side.

Red Kestrel flew in hurriedly, bringing big news.

"Zhou, the Black Emperor has formally announced his abdication, appointing Slaughter Duke as the second Black Emperor, now ruling the entire Heavenly Kingdom."

Zhou Yi was unsurprised.

Earl of Cang Hai had mentioned earlier, Slaughter Duke was the top candidate, and had it not been for his own unexpected emergence, he would have been the unquestionable chosen successor.

"Another thing."

"Slaughter Duke issued a proclamation, granting Mutants full citizenship. Furthermore, he declared himself mandated by the Heavenly People to govern the Mutants..."

Zhou Yi was stunned.

What?

So Slaughter Duke... is the new Number 4 executor?

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