Exchanging six talismans for two truckloads of supplies, Park Su still felt they might have been too generous. He couldn't help but ask, "Aren't we being too lavish? If the materials for these talismans are becoming scarcer, doesn't that mean we'll have fewer ourselves? Trading so many of our talismans for their supplies feels like a loss no matter how I look at it."
Seeing Park Su's pained expression, Xu Nuo found it amusing. He patted Park Su's head and explained, "I've told you before, to compensate for the shortage of cinnabar, I've prepared alternative talismans. Most are made from zombie crystal nucleus powder mixed with mutant animal blood, which are quite effective but not costly."
Park Su breathed a sigh of relief, his eyes lighting up as he said, "So, we've actually made a huge profit, right?" Xu Nuo nodded, confirming, "Indeed, we've profited from this deal." Park Su then felt somewhat better but still grumbled, "But thinking about giving him six talismans at once, when it was so hard to get just one before, it doesn't sit right with me. What do we do?"
Xu Nuo pulled him close, kissing his forehead, "Times have changed. Back then, I was cautious because you were just a friend, and I couldn't fully trust you. Now, you're my partner; what's mine is yours. If you want talismans from me now, I won't be stingy. But I hope you won't always rely on my talismans and one day can handle zombies with your own skills. Ideally, you could even make talismans as powerful as mine. That would be most beneficial for you, ensuring your safety even if I'm not by your side in dire situations. Understand?"
Park Su, a bit embarrassed by the public display of affection, pushed back slightly and said confidently, "Of course, I'll work on my strength; as a man, I shouldn't always depend on you. But I'll still take your talismans; otherwise, what's the advantage of being your partner? At least I can show off a bit."
Xu Nuo chuckled at his demeanor but willingly handed over the highest-grade talismans he had, explaining they were different from the ones given before, to be used only in truly dangerous situations to avoid waste. However, he had no intention of letting Park Su face extreme danger, but having some protection was comforting, so he handed over these talismans without hesitation.
After receiving their payment and the talismans, they continued their journey with their team, and Park Su was in high spirits with the new wood-element energy stone in hand.
Even though 70% of its energy had been used by someone else, he hoped it would replenish like the previous neutral energy stone. He knew not how much energy was left within, but Xu Nuo was unwilling to observe the energy changes for him this time. Instead, Xu Nuo instructed him on how to use his spiritual energy to check for changes in the stone's energy, ostensibly to train him in energy manipulation, though Park Su was somewhat displeased.
Reluctantly, understanding Xu Nuo's decision, Park Su stored the energy stone away, intending to observe it himself over time. He was unaware of the exact 30% energy remaining, but since Xu Nuo had accompanied Cheng Mingxu when someone absorbed energy from the stone, he believed there was at least 30% left. However, he couldn't predict how Cheng Mingxu would view Xu Nuo henceforth.
In Cheng Mingxu's eyes, Xu Nuo already harbored many secrets, and it was unlikely he would let Xu Nuo off easily once back in S Base. Thus, leaving S Base was inevitable unless they wanted to serve the Cheng family indefinitely. Neither Park Su nor Xu Nuo was willing to do that.
Perhaps not returning to S Base at all would be best, given what they had revealed to Cheng Mingxu. Park Su worried about their safety upon returning, considering the local espers' numbers and influence. They'd need to protect not only themselves but also Ge Qing and Lu Shang.
Park Su shared these concerns with Xu Nuo, who only smiled without comment, his confidence reassuring Park Su enough not to press further. Xu Nuo had his own plans which he didn't reveal to Park Su yet; with the secrets exposed to Cheng Mingxu, a return to S Base in plain sight was out of the question, though setting some traps was necessary.
After parting ways with Cheng Mingxu, they headed to the last town on their resource-gathering mission. Here, Xu Nuo needed to help Park Su advance to the fourth level to tackle the mutated plant Ge Qing and Lu Shang had mentioned in the next town.
Their time had mostly been spent on gathering supplies and dealing with zombies, leaving little for cultivation. Nonetheless, they had collected more resources than anticipated. The next town was the largest on their route, so they intended to fill their three and a half empty container trucks there.
They traveled all day, arriving at Pingcheng by evening, where they settled in a rural house for a well-needed rest. Expecting to go out hunting the next day, they were surprised when Xu Nuo ordered a three-day break in the village for everyone to enhance their cultivation. This sudden change left them puzzled; why not use this time for resource collection instead of cultivation?
If they were to say their physical condition was poor, then taking three days to adjust would be reasonable. However, in recent days, they had been focused on physical labor, and with the added rest from accompanying Cheng Mingxu's injured team members, they were now in peak condition, eager to rush out and gather resources to fill their containers and reunite with their families.
Xu Nuo didn't respond to their queries; instead, he brought over his backpack and emptied half a table's worth of zombie crystal nuclei onto it. "I said that half of the resources I gather on this hunt would belong to you. These are the crystal nuclei I gathered while protecting you. Since I've promised, I should share half. Pingcheng is the largest of the four towns we're visiting.
The danger level in Jiangcheng was already high, but we were lucky; the part we dealt with wasn't as dangerous, so we managed to avoid heavy injuries, unlike Cheng Mingxu. However, we'll be staying in Pingcheng for a longer period, which means we might encounter unforeseen dangers.
I can't be by your side every moment to rescue you, so the best approach is to enhance your own strength. Only by improving your own capabilities can you protect yourself and your loved ones better, and I believe you all understand this.
I'm not giving you these crystal nuclei to trade for resources; the supplies we've gathered are enough to support your families for a long time. What I hope is that you'll use these nuclei to cultivate over these three days. I want those of you at the peak of first-tier to break through to the second tier, and those in the mid-first tier to reach the peak.
Because after Pingcheng, the next town will be even more dangerous, as you've probably heard from Lu Shang's injury stories. What you choose to do with these nuclei is up to you, but they're yours now."
After saying this, Xu Nuo didn't wait for their response. In his view, with Ge Qing and Lu Shang present, the distribution of these nuclei would be well-managed without his direct involvement. Whether these people would understand and be willing to use the low-tier nuclei for cultivation to elevate their abilities was their choice.
He had done all he could to guide them. If they followed his directives, he might consider finding two more talented confidants among them. After all, to throw S Base into chaos without him would require inside help, and he was confident in manipulating the Cheng brothers against each other according to his plan.
After Xu Nuo left, the low-tier espers standing around the table were still in disbelief. Even though Ge Qing and Lu Shang were aware of Xu Nuo's high kill count, seeing the table covered with crystal nuclei was still shocking.
They knew Park Su and his team had killed many zombies, but they also understood that if left to their own devices outside, they probably wouldn't have survived against so many zombies.
Given the hard work and life-threatening efforts of Xu Nuo and Park Su, these espers felt too ashamed to even ask for the nuclei. As for the promised half of the resources, they thought it only pertained to what they had collectively gathered. They never considered claiming the nuclei from Xu Nuo and Park Su's kills.
They never imagined that one day Xu Nuo would share these with them, and in such an astonishing quantity - an estimate of at least 5,000 zombie crystal nuclei. He didn't even blink before presenting them, which implied he might have at least another 5,000. Such a number from just four towns, in only seven days, and by just two people - their combat effectiveness was truly terrifying.
Moreover, if they weren't mistaken, among the mixed nuclei were some from second-tier zombies, which added to their surprise and respect for Park Su and Xu Nuo.
Once Ge Qing and Lu Shang distributed the nuclei, the weight in their hands made their gratitude towards Park Su and Xu Nuo deepen. These leaders could have kept everything for themselves, yet they chose to share without hesitation. Such leaders were one in a million, and if given the chance, these espers would follow them forever.
After distributing the nuclei, Xu Nuo returned to Park Su, pouring out even more from his spatial ring, "For these three days, this is your task. Do everything you can to break through to the next level of your abilities!"