Chapter 719: Battle Beneath the Tree: Race to Stop the Evolved Wild Tung

Liangzi, the level six Vision Evolutionary in charge of reconnaissance, reported, “Boss, the wild tung fruit on the branch is getting bigger!”

When the wild tung’s fruit ripens it releases a unique aroma that draws birds to peck at it and scatter its seeds far and wide. This high-risk wild tung’s fruit must have a particularly strong fragrance—when it matures, the consequences could be disastrous.

Tan Junjie gave an immediate order. “Yuan Rui, Peng Jian, fire the shells at its main trunk. Break it!”

Devastation-evolved plants rely on their roots to draw nutrients from the soil. If you sever the connection between the root and the crown, you cut off the supply, and the crown can’t grow anymore.

Originally, Tan Junjie and Hu Zifeng’s main focus today was using this giant tree to train the squad. But seeing how it could explode in growth even without Devastation Rain, their new top priority became destroying the tree completely to stop it from spreading seeds.

“Copy that.” Yuan Rui, the level four Scent Evolutionary from the Inspection Team, and Peng Jian, the level five Vision Evolutionary sniper from the Azure Dragon Squad, responded in unison. They hefted their shoulder-mounted launchers, aiming at the towering trunk of the tree in the valley, which was more than three meters in diameter.

“Boom!”

“Boom!”

Not even the sturdiest tree can stand up to two direct hits from artillery shells. The trunk snapped from the crown completely. But oddly enough, the huge wild tung crown didn’t fall—the hundreds of vines anchored deep into the earth kept it suspended. The fruit kept swelling and the trailing vines stretched on, some swinging at nearby trees and coiling around the ordinary ones.

The bizarre sight sent chills down the spines of the less experienced squad members. Morale plummeted.

With his greater experience, Tan Junjie kept his cool. “Yuan Rui, Peng Jian, target those thick aerial roots holding up the crown. Fire every shell we have. Hu Zifeng, call for helicopter fire support immediately!”

“Boom!”

“Boom!”

Shell after shell rained down into the valley. Branches and leaves flew everywhere, stones scattered, and the wildlife all around scattered in panic.

Not far away, tucked in a crevice on the mountain, the Alpha—a wolf missing a chunk of its left ear—watched the battle below with grave eyes. A tiny wolf cub, a little over a month old, howled from a basket, desperate to crawl under its mother’s belly for safety. Another cub, eyes bright as gold coins, let out a childish roar toward the chaos below.

Crippled Wolf lowered its head to nuzzle the crying pup into silence, then used its paw to pin the other cub that was trying to scramble out. It wanted them to keep watching—the human fight with the tree was a rare and valuable lesson.

After ten shells smashed the exposed aerial roots, most snapped off. With little support left, the massive crown finally slammed to the ground. Yet some buds still drew nutrients from the few roots that weren’t cut. Amidst the smoke the wild tung’s fruit turned a vivid, blinding red—it was ripe!

Without missing a beat, Tan Junjie ordered the helicopter to spray scent blockers and stop the fruit’s smell from attracting swarms of birds. The entire team rushed into the valley—every second counted to sever what roots still connected trunk and crown.

The humans moved quickly. But animals, with their sharper senses, were already picking up the ripe Devastation-Evolved Wild Tung’s scent.

The smell might lure birds, but for the Evolved Wolves it screamed of danger. The cubs’ safety was more important than teaching them about human tactics.

On the summit, the Alpha stood guard in front of the pups. Once Crippled Wolf snatched the basket and led them deeper into the crevice, the Alpha backed off as well, protecting the rear as they left.

Three hundred meters to the northwest, in a towering yew tree, a mother leopard sprang up and snatched a passing magpie right out of the air. Her two cubs tried to imitate her, leaping for birds themselves—but both missed and tumbled to the ground.

Inside Territory Eight, Xin Yu had been using a tamed bird to observe the battle at Mountain 51 from afar. She updated Xia Qing: “That giant tree in the valley—it’s starting to fruit. The birds of Mountain 51 are flocking to the valley.”

In Section Three, Xia Qing watched the smoke rise from the direction of Mountain 51’s valley. Her voice was grim. “We’ll have to set the tree on fire. At least the wind isn’t strong today.”

Fire is the most thorough—and last—resort against Devastation-Evolved plants. If it gets out of control, the disaster only gets worse.

“We have to stop the birds from pecking the wild tung fruit. Otherwise, the fallout is unthinkable,” Xin Yu said, voice heavy.

The words had barely left Xin Yu’s mouth when Xia Qing’s phone rang.

No matter how urgent things were, Tan Junjie’s voice stayed cool and sharp. “Xia Qing, I’m leading a team to clear the high-risk wild tung at Mountain 51, but things have changed. Can you grab your logging tools and sniper rifle and reinforce us, right now?”

As a level six Strength sniper, Xia Qing was the fastest and most powerful backup Tan Junjie could call in. She owned personal flight equipment and could reach them even quicker than the other squads already on Mountain 51.

“I’m on it. I’ll be there in six minutes. Have Captain Hu send someone to cover my territory.” Xia Qing answered while sprinting, hung up, rushed inside, grabbed her flight gear, and launched straight up from the yard, heading for the smoke rising southwest.

Though she hadn’t officially signed up to join today’s operation, Xia Qing had been ready for backup all along, wearing her special protective suit and loading up her flight gear with enough fuel to launch at a moment’s notice.

“Baa—”

Old Goat heard the commotion and looked up, spotting his companion flying away. He let out a loud, uneasy bleat.

On the Lords’ channel, Tang Huai asked, “Xia Qing’s heading to reinforce, right? Inspection Team, what’s the situation?”

“Something big must’ve happened. Xia Qing wouldn’t bolt off like that unless it was serious.” Zhao Ze fidgeted uneasily, watching his powerful neighbor vanish into the sky.

“Damn!” Yan Meng, gun in hand in Territory Fourteen, cursed fiercely seeing Xia Qing climb higher and faster than ever.

Tan Qi clapped with excitement. “Sister Qing is amazing!”

Up on the scaffold, Jiang Ying straightened up from stacking stones for the yard wall, her heart burning with the desire to become strong too.

The megaphone hanging from the signal tower and the lord communicator both blared a message:

“Attention, Lords: there may soon be huge flocks of birds flying over your territories en route to Mountain 51. Please take cover and avoid open areas; attention, Lords…”

Could this be the start of a beast tide?!

“Qi Qi, get inside and shut the windows!” Jiang Ying called as she dropped her trowel, yanked off her gloves, and sprinted toward the laundry line in the yard.

Everyone at work in their territories sprang into action, searching for shelter. Qi Fu pressed a button and asked, “Do we still have to use the ultrasonic bird repellents this time? They’re way too dangerous.”

The five chicks brought back to Section Five and the just-hatched fish fry in the pond wouldn’t survive exposure to ultrasonic waves.

In Territory Four, Madam Shi shouted for her son, telling him to hurry home and move the rabbit and chicken cages into the basement. They couldn’t afford to lose a single animal.