Ice Age Apocalypse: I Hoard Billions of Supplies-Chapter 1127: Yuan

Chapter 1127: Yuan

The only constant in this world is change.

Returning to Blizzard City once more, Zhang Yi could feel that this city had become vastly different from before.

After nearly two years of baptism in the apocalypse, Blizzard City had already adapted to the harsh environment and was beginning to develop in a positive direction.

Humanity's ability to adapt to its environment is, at times, even more terrifying than that of cockroaches.

On the way, he also saw more superhumans.

Among them were many familiar faces, representatives from the major cities of the Jiangnan Region he had seen when he first arrived in Blizzard City a year ago.

Now, many of them had already become elite members of the Yan Yun Guard.

Perhaps one day, the most outstanding among them would also become candidates for new squad captains.

Regarding this point, however, Yang Xinxin offered a different perspective.

"Zhu Zheng is anxious to expand his own power base. If he wants to firmly grasp power in his hands, he must have more and stronger subordinates."

"The internal power structure within Blizzard City has long been established to a certain extent. Recruiting superhumans from outside is the best option."

She paused for a moment before continuing, "Of course, this also includes his lack of trust in you."

Zhang Yi nodded.

"Right now, he's probably desperate to create his own Epsilon!"

"It's just a pity that Zhu Yu isn't Yuan Kongye. She can't become an Epsilon through Ice Soul."

"Old Zhu either needs to get her a portion of Divine Source, or cultivate another candidate. But either approach is more difficult than ascending to heaven."

As the two chatted, they soon arrived at the Operations Command Center.

Greeted by Lan Xincheng, the two proceeded to Zhu Zheng's office.

Lan Xincheng eagerly pushed the door open, bowing slightly as he invited them inside.

When the door opened, Zhang Yi and Yang Xinxin saw Zhu Zheng seated behind his desk, and across from him sat a somewhat familiar back.

Hearing the sound of the door opening, Zhu Zheng looked over and greeted with a smile, "Zhang Yi, you've finally arrived! We've been waiting for you for quite some time!"

That back turned to look at Zhang Yi. Those attractive peach blossom eyes now carried a trace of weathering, yet they still raised a playful, roguish eyebrow at Zhang Yi, just like before.

"Zhang Yi, long time no see!"

Looking at him, Zhang Yi couldn't help but feel a bit dazed.

The man before him had cut his long hair short. His handsome face now bore a touch of world-weariness, and even the corners of his mouth sported sparse stubble.

This was precisely that number one noble young master of the Jiangnan Region—Deng Shentong.

Half a year apart, he had become more weathered and mature, his figure also noticeably thinner.

But that was hardly surprising.

After returning from the Star Island mission, Lilong had died in battle, and Taotie, Lu Huang, was severely injured. Since then, whenever any action was required, he had naturally stepped up as the main force.

Half a year of experience had allowed him to grow continuously.

Zhang Yi smiled and nodded in acknowledgment. "Mm."

However, he was somewhat curious. What exactly did Zhu Zheng want to discuss with him, and why was Deng Shentong also here?

Zhu Zheng warmly invited Zhang Yi and Yang Xinxin to sit down. Lan Xincheng brought them hot drinks.

After brief pleasantries, Zhu Zheng got straight to the point.

"Three days ago, I received a message from the Shengjing Region. They issued a summons, requesting that the other five major regions send representatives for an important discussion."

"And," he looked up at Zhang Yi, "they specifically named the Epsilon-level superhumans from the five major regions to attend!"

Zhang Yi and Yang Xinxin exchanged a glance, thinking to themselves: Just as Xinxin predicted.

The Shengjing Region was the foremost of the Huaxu Kingdom's six major regions, and also the most powerful in terms of strength.

Relying on their already formidable military might, coupled with the discovery of the Divine Source beneath the Qinling Mountains, they possessed a level of strength that the other regions couldn't hope to match. 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

Zhang Yi sipped his hot tea and calmly asked, "For what purpose?"

Zhu Zheng smiled. "They said it's regarding matters beneath the Qinling Mountains."

Zhang Yi and Yang Xinxin's expressions immediately turned several degrees more serious.

It was said that great secrets were hidden beneath the Qinling Mountains.

The reason the Shengjing Region could possess such overwhelmingly powerful strength now was inextricably linked to that secret.

Zhang Yi had always believed it must be a place similar to Star Island's Mist Valley.

Could it be that beneath the Qinling Mountains, there also existed terrifying creatures similar to the Black-armored Strange Man?

Zhang Yi couldn't help but let his thoughts wander.

Zhu Zheng said, "They didn't specify the exact details. They only said all matters must wait until our people arrive in Shengjing, and then the supreme commander of the Shengjing Region, Qin Qigong, will personally discuss everything with you in detail."

"However, they did reveal one thing. Beneath the Qinling Mountains, they discovered a new type of element, named [Yuan]."

As he spoke, Zhu Zheng retrieved a metal box from the side and opened it in front of Zhang Yi and Yang Xinxin.

Inside was a small piece of light blue ore that still emitted a faint fluorescent glow even under the office lights.

"Is this ore? Why is it glowing? Does it have radiation?"

Zhang Yi asked cautiously.

Zhu Zheng laughed. "Don't worry, it only has weak radiation, less than that of a mobile phone. It can't harm people."

"But, it contains extremely powerful energy! If it can be utilized, this tiny piece can release energy equivalent to one ton of coal!"

Zhang Yi was utterly astonished. His mouth fell open slightly, and for a moment, he was so surprised he didn't even know what to say.

Yang Xinxin, however, stared intently at that small piece of ore and suddenly said thoughtfully,

"I recall a past incident."

"In the 1960s, the northern superpower Suirimens had a project called [Planetary Telescope]."

"They once attempted to drill towards the Earth's core and actually reached a depth of ten thousand meters!"

"People at the time didn't understand their purpose, even believing they were doing it merely to showcase their advanced industrial capabilities."

"However, when the drilling depth reached 12,262 meters, the project was abruptly terminated. Moreover, the entire nation of Suirimens imposed a strict gag order on the matter, and no information leaked out."

She reached out and picked up that ore fragment, saying slowly, "Could it be that even back then, that northern superpower had already discovered this kind of deep underground treasure?"

Humanity's understanding of this planet is less than one percent.

The sky, the earth, the deep sea—all hold infinite secrets and immense treasures waiting for humanity to explore.

The appearance of the Divine Source led people to discover the abyss.

The appearance of the abyss led people to find this kind of underground ore rich in energy.

Zhu Zheng said, "The people from the Shengjing Region said that with their current strength, they have no way to fully develop the area beneath the Qinling Mountains. So they hope to cooperate with the other major regions."

"When the time comes, we can also receive a portion of this ore."

Zhu Zheng's eyes held a hint of fervor.

He had long since received data from Li Lingxue of the Research Department. If this ore could be mined in bulk, Blizzard City's energy problems would be completely resolved.

When that time came, heating would no longer be a troublesome issue, and they could hope to return to the standard of living before the apocalypse.

They could even prosper and multiply quite well.

Author's Note