Chapter 212: Such Grand Ambition

The so‑called Kuangsha Continent sits at the very center of the land, bordering every major domain; the desert that they deem valueless is not so in Cangqiong's eyes.

Recently rumors say Cangqiong hasn't been in Leitingcheng for a while, and no one knows where they went.

Now, Cha Lan does know that Cangqiong went to Kuangsha City.

Cha Lan, thinking of this, furrows his brows slightly, a shadow falling over his eyes, his sharp brown eyes become especially aggressive.

Heh.

What a huge ambition.

After covertly occupying Kuangsha City, Cangqiong can shape it into the center of his commercial empire, making trips to other continents far more convenient.

Moreover, for medicinal plants like Holy Maiden Fruit, Cha Lan thinks, aside from the Wushen Temple there is simply no one who can supply them.

Because Cangqiong is close to the Mountain Classic Beast Temple and has the best relationship with the Great Witch, who is partial, it is not impossible for the Wushen Temple to partner with Lei Ting Continent in the medicinal‑plant trade.

Otherwise, Lei Ting Continent is mostly coastal forest, its domains lack rare ore zones, and its food distribution is similar to other lands, so how could it be the wealthiest among the major lords!

Cha Lan sits upright on the throne, twirls the dagger in his hand, then flicks it; the dagger instantly flies downward, embedding itself forcefully into the jade stone floor of the hall, its blade humming with a dull buzz as he says, "Send the order at once to have the Bear Brigade ready for battle; depart tomorrow morning from the Kuangsha Desert."

The crowd stands straight, bows their heads in response; the War General in the hall turns and exits, it seems the lord truly intends to seize Kuangsha City, mobilizing the elite forces directly under the lord that never lose.

Black Bear knelt on the ground, his fists clenched with excitement, thinking that with the lord himself taking the field, Tiger Cunning is doomed!

At this moment, the Prime Minister rose from his seat, a composed smile on his face, and said, "May the Heavenly Beast God bless you; the great Lord of Sajin City Cha Lan will claim victory in blood, adding another stroke of glory to your legend."

……

The cherry tomatoes in Planting Base No. 2 have ripened.

Since the day the Holy Maiden Fruit changed from green to red, Xiang Sa and the others have kept their eyes on it twenty‑four hours a day, actively reporting its maturation to Lin Manzhi each day.

Lin Manzhi and Mo Lie arrived here early in the morning.

Before coming, she brought over a hundred crates, intending to carry the harvest to Yuequan Lou.

This batch of Holy Maiden Fruit was cultivated in twenty‑two planting greenhouses; aside from soaking the seeds in spirit spring water, they have been growing in actual soil from the seedling stage.

She examined the ripe Holy Maiden Fruit; their size was no different from those in the Space Spirit Field, and the heavy clusters of cherry tomatoes bent the branches downward, yet the yield fell short of the space‑grown ones—just look at the flower buds and the green fruits to see the difference.

In the planting base, the long‑awaited planters—five hundred in total—were already all present, even those on break had come, for this was the first harvest of Holy Maiden Fruit, and everyone was ecstatic.

"I can't go on, it feels like a dream!"

"This patch of Holy Maiden Fruit, at least two million plus have ripened this time, right? We really grew them!"

"Sih— I think it's even more; this is the first harvest, I see few ripe Holy Maiden Fruit now, but when the second ripening arrives there could be tens of millions! My dear Beast God…"

"Ahhh, will the lord really let me pick the Holy Maiden Fruit later? I'm so nervous."

"Here they are, here they are, the lord and the lord's wife have arrived…"

At dawn the planting greenhouses were opened, revealing a thriving sea of Holy Maiden Fruit seedlings; in the desert the tender green foliage radiated a unique, vigorous life, each seedling bearing bright red Holy Maiden Fruit, and the already excited Beastfolk in the base felt a happiness that was almost dizzying.

When Lin Manzhi and Mo Lie walked over, the eyes of the group stared intently.

Many among them were newly hired planters; previously the limited Holy Maiden Fruit had been snapped up by the top fifty planters for picking, but this time, with the abundant ripening, they finally got a turn, feeling excited.

Understanding everyone's joy at the bounty, Lin Manzhi said nothing ceremonial after arriving: "Each of you take a pair of scissors and a basket, then go pick the ripe Holy Maiden Fruit."

Xiang Sa led the group in a unanimous reply: "Yes!"

He swallowed, crouched down, carefully set the basket beside him; Xiang Sa's hand, trembling with excitement as he lifted the scissors, cut a tiny red Holy Maiden Fruit and, with a hand strong enough to crush stone, gently placed it into the basket lined with two layers of cloth.

Everyone wore a look of reverence, for they all knew the Holy Maiden Fruit medicinal plant works as well as the Spirit Core soothing elixir, even surpassing it.

All the planters present were male Beastfolk, which made them appreciate the Holy Maiden Fruit's value even more, since from childhood they have watched their Beast Fathers and brothers endure the torment of Spirit Core frenzy or chaos.

When they came of age, they gained strength, yet still endured those pains.

All the planters, like Xiang Sa, were careful and quiet, gazing at the tiny fruit in their hands, their expressions like believers confronting their faith.

Mo Lie, expressionless, stood amid a cluster of Holy Maiden Fruit seedlings; his blue irises were calm and shadowy, revealing no emotion.

Everyone thought the lord was always cold and unapproachable; as the lord of Kuangsha City, Mo Lie gave off an aura of strength yet iciness, and before him the Beastfolk would tuck their tails, but the lord also had a very special side.

For example, now.

Gazing at the verdant ground, Lin Manzhi couldn't stop smiling: "I never expected the Holy Maiden Fruit to grow this well; the first harvest far exceeded my expectations. It seems that besides the few merchant caravans already negotiated with Yuequan Lou, we can seek a few more caravans to trade food for Holy Maiden Fruit."

Mo Lie lowered his gaze, looking at the little female beside him; his eye color shifted slightly, as if a slab of solid ice had been pierced by a tiny nail, melting rapidly, his once frosty tone becoming much softer: "Hmm, have Jia Jian go look for it."

The Beastfolk around, who had felt a chill while picking the Holy Maiden Fruit, now sensed a faint sweet fragrance in the air; just the scent of the fruit was intoxicating.

The morning sun cast a pale gold light over the black‑haired male Beastfolk, his eyes slightly lowered as they turned toward her; his ocean‑like eyes shimmered with rippling light, his features were handsome, his lips curled faintly, and in those eyes she was the only one, as if he were gazing at his entire world, possessing an allure that held one's gaze.

Lin Manzhi felt her resistance to Mo Lie diminishing; even a single glance made the tips of her ears flush red.