Chapter 127: The Realized Fifth Series Concept—LIFE

Facing the sudden turn of events, both the ART-2 and the mech knights in the sky stared in stunned silence at the pillar of lava piercing the heavens.

"This... could there be an active volcano beneath the Gobi Desert?"
"Otherwise, how could a volcanic eruption happen so suddenly?"

At this moment, the spider mother Lilith trembled violently. She shrieked, "Apollo! The master of fire and lava... He has awakened... Damn it... Retreat! Everyone, retreat to the underground of the nuclear power plant."

The pillar of lava suddenly morphed into a terrifying human face, peering down at Lilith from the sky. Simultaneously, the pillar split in two; one part descended upon the deep pit of the nuclear power plant like a rain of magma, instantly incinerating the arriving ART-3 army. The other half transformed into a massive wave of lava, dozens of meters high, sweeping toward the ART-2. Wherever the wave passed, nothing remained.

The mech knights from Sirius had their minds collectively crash the moment they saw the face in the lava pillar.

"What is that?"
"Why is there a human face in the lava pillar?"
"God, this is unbelievable... What has the Zombie Planet become over these years? Is this a world of myths?"

Previously, seeing the ART-2 and the fact that these human-faced spiders could release energy attacks had been surprising, but it remained within the comprehension of the mech knights. Every planet had invested immense effort into researching the zombie virus, and all biological virologists shared a consensus: the evolutionary mutation speed of infected animals far exceeds that of humans. Such mutations resulting in peculiar changes did not exceed the knights' understanding. Therefore, the appearance of eighth or ninth-stage, or even intelligent, mutants on the Zombie Planet did not shock them.

But if someone had told them these powerful mutants had been suppressed by a group of humans, forced to hide for twenty years, everyone would have dismissed it as a joke. After all, the powerful research capabilities of the Four Great Stars had only just developed the sixth-stage genetic enhancement serum. These mech knights were all composed of fifth and sixth-stage genetic warriors; only then could they adapt to the powerful kinetic acceleration of their mechs without being knocked unconscious by the force.

As for humans capable of controlling natural elements? No one on the Four Great Stars would ever contemplate such a fantasy-like direction. Yet, this face on the lava pillar forced the knights into a whirlwind of speculation.

The moment Apollo of the Psionic Union appeared, a petite, human-headed, bird-bodied creature on the only red moon among the Zombie Planet's six satellites suddenly opened its eyes. It took flight, gazing toward the distant Radiation Land. This petite figure was none other than Anathaya, the leader of the ANGEL tribe, the Master of the Sky.

"Finally, has the Psionic Union also entered a state of full awakening? I wonder how long it will take for ARMY-1, ART-1, and WAVE-1 to fully awaken! If they cannot wake up before the Psionic Union, Arieta will face great trouble... Apollo, the master of fire and lava... Arieta might not be a match for him now. It seems I must go there myself!"

Just as Anathaya fluttered her wings, preparing to descend upon the Radiation Land, her eyes suddenly narrowed. "What is that?"

In the Radiation Land, under the ravages of the lava rain and the massive wave, the ART-2 and ART-3 populations were dwindling rapidly. One-third of their tribe, accumulated over so many years, was wiped out in an instant.

However, just as the giant wave continued to sweep toward Lilith, the ground beneath changed again. Seeds began to sprout, growing with incomprehensible, savage speed. Within seconds, countless seeds burst from the soil, swelling frantically. Much like the scene with the lava pillar, these strange seeds became towering trees that shot straight into the sky. Under the influence of some unknown energy, the landscape of the entire Radiation Land shifted, turning in the blink of an eye into a lush, dense forest.

Everyone was stunned by this incredible sight. Even the face in the lava pillar wore an expression of shock, seemingly unable to comprehend what it was seeing.

An even more horrifying scene for Apollo unfolded. These towering trees, which had grown suddenly before the lava wave and beneath the magma rain, were not reduced to ash. Though they turned charred black the moment they touched the lava, Apollo clearly felt these peculiar trees frantically absorbing psionic energy from the magma and converting it!

The trees, blackened by the scorching heat, soon saw their bark crack after absorbing enough energy. Before long, the charred fragments fell away, revealing fresh, tender new bark beneath.

Apollo’s face twisted into a snarl. "This is... the LIFE series! Dr. Ewell Schmidt’s fifth-series concept, plant-form mutants... it really succeeded... Is this what Dr. Ewell Schmidt left at the bottom of the Radiation Land? Damn it, the LIFE series, which inherits plant characteristics and possesses an unparalleled ability to absorb energy... after awakening, it treats all psionic energy as nutrients! The absolute nemesis of psionic users... how could such a thing be realized? Wasn't Dr. Ewell Schmidt's theory deemed wrong by Dr. Luo Wei from the start... an existence that was fundamentally impossible?"

Before Apollo could regain his composure, a violent tremor shook the bottom of the deep pit at the nuclear power plant. A massive tree, several kilometers in diameter, erupted from the ground, growing wildly until it almost touched the edge of space before stopping. Then, on the bare branches of this incomprehensible giant tree, buds began to sprout! The branches intertwined, spreading across a million meters at a speed visible to the naked eye.

In space, Anathaya stared, dumbfounded, at the giant tree appearing out of thin air on the Zombie Planet. It could be seen clearly from the distant reaches of space. "This... unbelievable... So this is Arieta’s greatest trump card... the secret at the deepest part of the Radiation Land? How astonishing!"

Upon discovering that his psionic energy was being continuously drained, the lava stopped spreading, shrinking and compressing until it finally coalesced into a flesh-and-blood human, staring blankly at the giant tree.

A human face suddenly grew on the trunk of the giant tree. It parted its mouth slightly, and Arieta stepped out, her eyes cold as she looked at Apollo not far away.

The giant tree spoke: "Little bee... how do you intend to dispose of this fellow?"

The mech knights of Sirius were completely shocked by the scene before them. "The tree... it spoke?"

Unlike the other series that gained intelligence first and evolved later, this giant tree of the LIFE series was the first mutant on the Zombie Planet to reach the ninth stage and achieve sapience.