Deep in the planet's core, Ding Meng's longsword was like a propeller, constantly opening up a path in front of him. Su Xia followed closely behind him.
"You actually cultivated telekinesis!" Su Xia was a little surprised, but she was not envious. This was not something she could be envious of.
Ding Meng said calmly, "So, you have a grudge with the Apocalypse Group."
Su Xia's eyes flashed. "Not really. I just have a personal grudge with Beiming Gu."
She did not dare to say anything definite. The Apocalypse Group was not something a single person could afford to offend.
Ding Meng said, "I'm a little curious. When your spaceship was attacked by pirates, Beiming Gu survived, but you didn't make it back."
Su Xia laughed coldly. "He thought I was dead, but I wasn't. The escape pod landed on Beidou, and the mercenaries there saved me."
Actually, Ding Meng was no stranger to Beidou. This was a planet located at the border between the Empire and the Federation. A large number of mercenaries, hunters, space forces, black-market merchants, and slave traders from both countries gathered there. It was a typical chaotic planet, but the Empire and the Federation had always turned a blind eye to this planet because its geographical location was too dangerous. On one hand, it was the Empire and the Federation's early warning line. On the other hand, it was close to the Fertile Chalk System. It was a very good transit zone, and many shady business deals could be negotiated there.
Ding Meng sighed. "To be able to survive on Planet Sanwu, you do need some skill."
He had also experienced this before. He knew that Su Xia, a woman, must have paid a great price to be able to struggle until now.
Su Xia laughed coldly. "Beiming Gu didn't die. How can I die before him?"
Ding Meng said, "Did that guy swallow your company later?"
Su Xia said, "He sold my Yinxia Group to the Apocalypse Group. It was because of this that he entered the sights of the Apocalypse Group's upper echelons."
Ding Meng said, "In that case, he got to where he is by stepping on your dead body."
Su Xia coldly snorted and said, "What I lost, I will take back sooner or later."
Ding Meng nodded. "As long as I find what I want, I can guarantee that your poison will be cured and your strength will be restored."
Su Xia said, "You better remember what you said. The poison on my face is thanks to Beiming."
At this moment, there was another strong fluctuation of the Holy Tree's aura. Ding Meng said decisively, "Looks like we're almost there."
The Catoptric Deflection suddenly flew far away, and when it flew out, there was no more mud splashing up, proving that they had dug into an open area.
Ding Meng cautiously walked forward and glanced at the interior of the cave. Then, he froze, as if he was frightened by the things inside.
Su Xia also moved closer. After a careful scan, she stood in place, dumbfounded.
This was a super oval-shaped cave. How big was it?
It was the size of a large transport starship of the Steel Mane Empire. The ground was at least a few hundred thousand square meters.
In the center of the ground, a super tree in the shape of a multi-clawed fish rose from the ground. It was at least two hundred meters tall, almost the same as the towering trees on Pandora V4. The only difference was that the whole tree was fiery red. The whole cave was stuffy and hot, and the heat source seemed to be coming from the giant tree.
But this was not the most important point. With the giant tree as the center, there were countless giant moles resting under the tree. Each of them was frighteningly large, four or five times larger than an adult Steel Mane Man. They were densely packed on the ground, forming a "sea of moles". People with trypophobia would definitely be frightened by this scene.
The most important thing was that the life signs of these mutated moles were very stable. Many of the moles' eyes were open, and they all looked in the direction of Ding Meng. They obviously had the ability to perceive that a small hole had been dug out in the corner of the cave, and it was a human who had come in.
To be honest, Ding Meng was also frightened. This scene was very similar to the various monsters under the Black Gold Base. If these monsters swarmed together, they could easily crush you to death.
However, Ding Meng did not move, because these moles did not move either. They just stared at Ding Meng and Su Xia.
After a long time, Ding Meng took the first step forward slightly. As soon as he took the first step, many moles' eyes opened in the dark. They were green like will-o '-the-wisps.
The monsters opening their eyes was undoubtedly a warning. Ding Meng braced himself and took the second step. At this time, something strange finally happened. The entire sacred tree suddenly started to glow. After a slight shake, countless specks of light scattered like snowflakes.
Ding Meng had also encountered this situation on Planet V4. He knew that this was not the sacred tree starting to sow seeds, but the sacred tree had sensed that the Chosen One was nearby.
However, the specks of seeds were not pure white this time. Instead, they were a gorgeous fiery red. Countless red dots floated towards Ding Meng and hovered around him like countless butterflies. This scene was so shocking that even Su Xia was stunned.
"You're not a pure human!" A muffled voice suddenly rang out in the cave.
Ding Meng was shocked. "Who is it?"
"You should be able to see me," the voice replied.
Ding Meng spread out his telekinetic vision and released his telekinetic particles. He was surprised to find that the sacred tree did not grow from the ground, but from the back of an extremely large mole.
This mole was at least as large as a medium-sized starship. It directly occupied half of the cave. Compared to it, the other moles were like ants. They were all curled up all over its body.
Ding Meng was shocked. "The sacred tree can merge with you?"
"So this is the sacred tree?" The giant rat spoke again.
Ding Meng nodded. "Yes, the sacred tree's function is to shelter all living things and give them life."
The giant rat's voice was full of joy. "Young man, you really are not a pure human. It seems that you and the sacred tree are of the same race. The sacred tree immediately reacted the moment you came in."
Ding Meng said, "I'm still curious. Why is the sacred tree growing on your body?"
The giant rat seemed to be smiling bitterly. "The last time the Tree of God reacted like this was a few hundred years ago. There was also a person who came here, but unfortunately, that person never came back after he left. I'm guessing that only the Tree of God's own kind can make the Tree of God react."
Xiao Ai suddenly said, "Ding Meng, according to the information in my database, this giant rat should be the mother insect of the mole race, which is also the rat king. The Fifth Lord's forces and Fomalhaut have been searching for this mother insect all these years. The information suggests that the mother insect's location is related to energy."
Ding Meng was curious. "You've existed for a few hundred years?"
The rat king said, "Yes. Five hundred years ago, before the frogmen came to the Pan God Galaxy, the Fertile Chalk Galaxy was a peaceful place. In human terms, the Rain Forest Planet was the home of the mole race. It was also our paradise. At that time, my race could still survive on the surface."
Ding Meng said, "But now, you've all come to the underground world."
The rat king said, "The Norse Empire and the frogmen have been fighting in the Fertile Chalk Galaxy for a few hundred years. The entire galaxy has been ruined by their war, and the ecosystem has been fatally damaged. In order to reproduce, my race began to mutate. We had no choice but to come to the underground world to absorb energy."
Ding Meng said, "There's an energy source underground?"
"There is!" the rat king answered confidently.
Ding Meng said, "How much is there?"
The rat king said, "More than you can imagine!"
"This!" Ding Meng was shocked.
The rat king said, "You don't believe me?"
Ding Meng said hesitantly, "It's not that I don't believe you. I'm just curious why the sacred tree chose you."
He did not finish his sentence. In a way, the sacred tree was attached to the rat king's body. The rat king was also the chosen one, so why would the sacred tree want the rat king?
The rat king seemed to know what he was thinking and took the initiative to explain, "More than a hundred years ago, we excavated here and found the wreckage of a starship. I unearthed a magical sapling and discovered that this sapling could convert the energy in the wreckage into energy for my race to absorb. So, I let it grow on my body. After a long time of production, I, the sacred tree, and the wreckage have become one."
Ding Meng was flabbergasted when she heard this. How could this work?
However, this also made sense because the sacred tree could grow in almost any environment. "I understand now. You're providing protection and energy to your people?"
The rat king said, "You can understand it that way."
Ding Meng looked at the red stars dancing around him and his expression became thoughtful. "I'm also the chosen one. I wonder if the sacred tree has any hints?"
The rat king murmured and sighed. "You're of the same race as the Protoss. You've found this place. This must be the will of God."
Ding Meng said, "Do you believe in the existence of God in this world?"
The rat king said, "I don't know if there is, but I know one thing. Since a fellow Protoss has come here, there's hope for us to return to the surface."
Ding Meng sensed the rat king's aura. "With your strength, can't you go up?"
The rat king said, "You don't understand. My race mutated because of radiation and magnetic fields. Gradually, we lost our immunity to the cold and humidity. My people can only survive by attaching themselves to me. Although I've absorbed a lot of energy, I can't leave this place rashly because I've fused with the sacred tree and the wreckage. I can't move."
Ding Meng said, "What can I do for you?"
The rat king said, "I want you to return to the surface and get Ling Qingshan from the Fomalhaut."
Ding Meng was surprised. "They have such a thing?"
"I dug it up recently. I hope it hasn't been sent away yet," the rat king explained.
The Rat King explained, "Now that Ling Qingshan is with me, I can use the Tree of God to convert it into genetic energy that can resist the cold and damp. Once it is absorbed by my people, it will be just around the corner for us to return to the surface to live."
Ding Meng sighed. "As the chosen one of the sacred tree, I naturally believe in you, but I can't do it at the moment."
The rat king suddenly laughed. "Do you think I can't see the injuries on your body?
This is just a small matter. "