The next day, 6 a.m.

The special trainees gathered early on the training ground and under the lead of Lu Tianrong, boarded a military bus disguised on the outside, slowly driving out of the military district.

The destination was a coastal forest a hundred miles away.

The Divine Plant Cult branch from the mission was hidden within that coastal forest.

Lin Zichen felt that having twenty people in one team was a bit too many and inconvenient to command.

So, he divided the group into four smaller squads.

They were Shanhai University Squad, Kyoto University Squad, Military District Squad and Machine God Squad.

This way, the five members of each squad were already familiar with one another, making cooperation easier.

As the overall captain, he only needed to command four squads, which greatly reduced the pressure of controlling the field.

* * *

Over an hour later.

The bus arrived smoothly at the destination.

Lin Zichen stepped out of the bus and was greeted by the sight of an endless, dense forest.

Everywhere he looked, towering giant trees stood dozens of meters tall.

Many of them even broke past a hundred meters, their branches stretching dozens of meters long, densely packed with leaves, blocking out the sky as if they were the World Tree from myth.

“Xiao Chen, these trees are so tall, they seem even bigger than those in the tropical rainforests.”

Shen Qinghan tilted her head back at the forest ahead, full of disbelief.

Beside her, Ma Xiwei frowned, “Normally, trees in domestic forests only grow to around twenty meters, at most forty if they’re exceptionally tall. These trees aren’t growing naturally.”

Li Moyu laughed, “If it’s unnatural, then we’re in the right place. This must be the Divine Plant Cult branch’s lair.”

Zhu Shishi from the Machine God Group walked up to Lin Zichen, took out a drone and asked, “I plan to send a drone inside to scout, what do you think?”

Lin Zichen said, “Sounds good.”

With the captain’s approval, Zhu Shishi immediately operated a drone and flew it into the depths of the forest.

Lin Zichen said to the others, “Go, follow the drone.”

He was the first to step into the forest.

The others quickly followed.

Instructor Lu Tianrong also went along, only staying in the rear as a safety officer, not to participate in the attack.

On the way forward.

Lin Zichen kept observing the environment and found that the vegetation in the forest grew unusually lush.

It was as if growth hormones had been injected, their growth defying common sense.

But that wasn’t the key point.

The key was whether there were aberrant plants hidden within.

With this thought, Lin Zichen spread out his senses while observing carefully.

Yet after moving forward several hundred meters, he still didn’t see any aberrant plants.

Instead, towering giant trees blocking out the sky became increasingly common.

Another few hundred meters later.

Zhu Shishi, who was leading the way, suddenly stopped and turned to the group.

“About 300 meters ahead, there’s a bamboo building covering at least a thousand square meters. That should be the Divine Plant Cult branch’s headquarters.”

“...”

Some people glanced at Lu Tianrong, hoping for confirmation, but he gave no response.

Others looked to Lin Zichen and asked, “Brother Chen, what’s the plan?”

Lin Zichen said, “Zhao Yuanzhong from the Military District Squad, Gao Mu from Kyoto University Squad, you both have fused Armored Earth Dragon genes. Come with me to spearhead the charge. The five from the Machine God Group, provide long-range fire support. Take down enemies with precise bullets. The rest, follow closely behind and charge together.”

After giving simple orders, Lin Zichen moved immediately toward the bamboo building.

Zhao Yuanzhong and Gao Mu followed at once.

The others also sprang into action, charging at the bamboo building.

From the back, Lu Tianrong reminded, “Don’t bother leaving survivors, your own safety is the most important.”

* * *

Moments later.

Lin Zichen had already led the group to the bamboo building.

“Enemy attack!”

A sentry on the bamboo building’s corridor spotted them and shouted loudly to alert those inside.

The shout had just left his mouth when—bang!

His head exploded, scattering red and white everywhere.

It was Zhu Shishi at the rear who fired, killing him with a single armor-piercing round.

The first shot had been fired.

The battle officially began!

Buzz!

A sharp sound cut through the air.

Lin Zichen suddenly accelerated, moving at a speed nearly invisible to the naked eye as he charged into the bamboo building.

The others, seeing this, also sped up to follow him in.

Bang!

Lin Zichen didn’t take the main door, instead breaking through the wall and crashing into the first floor.

A Divine Plant Cult follower hiding behind the door to ambush was startled by the crash.

But before he could turn, Lin Zichen smashed his fist into the back of his head, killing him instantly.

Without hesitation.

Lin Zichen touched the corpse, his thought moving: Devour!

[You have devoured a trace of the Life Origin of the “Violent Eagle”]

[Eye of the Sky strength +1%]

‘Huh?’

Lin Zichen froze for a moment as two prompts appeared in the void.

Then, his heart surged with excitement.

Devouring aberrant beasts already recorded in the compendium actually strengthened the corresponding biological attribute?

The Survival of the Fittest biological attribute was even more useful than he had realized!

As expected, system-granted attributes were extraordinary!

Suppressing his excitement, Lin Zichen suddenly pushed off with his calf and leapt upward.

With a boom, he crashed through the ceiling and killed his way to the second floor.

There, three Divine Plant Cult followers were fully armed, preparing to descend and fight to the death.

When they saw someone suddenly burst through the ceiling, they were shocked, then quickly attacked him.

Lin Zichen didn’t move a muscle.

His eyes hardened.

At once, an overwhelming biological pressure erupted.

In an instant, the three were crushed into meat paste.

He touched each corpse and willed: Devour!

[You have devoured a trace of the Life Origin of the “Iron-Horned Bull”]

[Iron-Horned Bull Compendium: 8%]

[You have devoured a trace of the Life Origin of the “Shadow Nightcat”]

[Shadow Nightcat Compendium: 42%]

[You have devoured a trace of the Life Origin of the “Living Dead Slug”]

[Rapid Self-Healing strength +1%]

‘As expected, devouring aberrant beasts already in the compendium strengthened their corresponding attributes.’

Lin Zichen smiled faintly.

At that moment, intense fighting broke out below.

Bang!

“This guy’s Biological Level is as high as Ordinary Rank Eight, be careful!”

“I can’t hold on, give me cover!”

“Damn it!”

“He’s still alive, finish him!”

The rest of the team had already stormed the bamboo building and were clashing with Divine Plant Cult followers.

From the sound of things, the team held the upper hand.

Lin Zichen spread his senses and spotted Shen Qinghan fighting below in the hall.

She together with Li Moyu, Luo Yongjian and Ma Xiwei, were ganging up on a Divine Plant Cult follower at Ordinary Rank Eight.

It looked like they had the advantage and would soon finish him off.

After observing for a bit, Lin Zichen extended his senses outside the bamboo building and found that the battle outside was even fiercer, a chaotic melee.

The five from the Military District and the five from Kyoto University were fighting six Divine Plant Cult followers, the ground shaking and dust filling the air.

The Military District and Kyoto University weren’t as strong, but with the Machine God Group’s long-range support, they were pushing the enemy back.

The tide was turning in their favor.

Taking down the Divine Plant Cult was only a matter of time.

Seeing the great advantage, Lin Zichen wondered,

‘Isn’t the branch leader at Biological Level Ordinary Rank Nine Peak here?’

Just as he thought this.

The bamboo building beneath his feet suddenly shook violently!

No, it wasn’t the building shaking!

The entire ground beneath it was shaking!

Lin Zichen instantly flashed out of the bamboo building.

Then he was stunned to see the sky change!

The towering trees around the bamboo building suddenly and eerily uprooted themselves.

As if they possessed intelligence, tree after tree shuffled quickly toward the bamboo building until it was completely surrounded.

Thick trunks and dense branches above formed a giant cage, plunging the entire bamboo building into darkness.