Interstellar Greening Master

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Shu Shui walked over to the wild boar’s carcass. Its two sharp tusks had already been removed by someone, and the rest of its body lay intact on the snowy ground. The blood flowing from the bullet holes on the boar’s body hadn’t yet coagulated, melting the snow beneath it and dyeing it a vivid red.

Walking around the boar with a patter of footsteps, leaving behind a trail of small footprints, Shu Shuishui finally settled on the boar’s tail. The short tail hung limply, and Shu Shuishui walked over, grabbed the tail, hoisted it onto his shoulder, and then exerted force.

The onlookers exchanged puzzled glances. What was he doing?

Initially, Gu Langu thought Shu Shuishui might be using the corpse to vent his fear from earlier. However, watching the mouse-like creature adopt a tug-of-war stance, it was clear he wanted to drag the boar away! This…

“Shui Shui, are you working on your arm strength?” Yu Jin wondered aloud as he watched for a while. The boar remained motionless, and Shu Shuishui was almost turning red with exertion.

Shu Shuishui stopped pulling the boar and scratched his head. “I used to be able to pull things like this, but I’ve never tried dragging such a big boar before.” Despite being a dormouse, Shu Shuishui was also a little sprite. Back in his original world, he had a history of pulling pigs using his spiritual power.

Yu Jin obviously found this hard to believe. Unless in Shu Shuishui’s original world, boars were about the size of chickens, of course, unmutated chickens.

Before Yu Jin could speak, Gu Langu consoled the little dormouse. “Don’t be discouraged, Shui Shui. Both of these boars are mutated, and their size has drastically increased. Even adults might struggle to move them.”

“Should we just leave them here then? There’s so much meat! We could make braised pork, pork in brown sauce, preserved pork, pork ribs, pig’s trotters, pig’s ears, stir-fried intestines…” The little dormouse lamented while counting off mouthwatering dishes on his fingers.

Although Yu Jin also wanted to eat meat, most of the animals and plants on Cang Zhan Star had mutated and were inedible. “We can’t eat this meat. Consuming it can easily make people go insane. Shui Shui, you should stick to eating grasshoppers.”

“I probably guessed that too, but I have an idea. Since energy stones can be purified, then wild boar meat should naturally be possible as well. The reason wild boars mutated is likely due to absorbing the chaotic energy of energy stones.” Shu Shuishui had actually figured out the probable reason when he saw the two car-sized wild boars being abandoned.

Wild boars mutated and went on a rampage due to absorbing the chaotic energy from energy stones. If people were to consume the meat of these boars, they would essentially be ingesting the chaotic energy as well. Over time, this accumulation could potentially cause humans to lose their rationality, becoming overwhelmed by the berserk energy of chaos. It’s likely that some people, in extreme hunger, had eaten mutated animals and plants before, resulting in unfavorable outcomes.

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Beside them, Xie Feng’s eyes lit up. “Shui Shui makes a lot of sense! You’re truly my lucky star, Shui Shui. Many have tried before to extract the energy from mutated creatures, but they’ve never succeeded in purifying it. However, you managed to purify the energy stones directly!”

At this, the eyes of the people around started to sparkle, fixated on the two massive piles of wild boar meat. This was not just food; it was also meat!

The people from the other two bases had already finished preparing to leave when they noticed that the people from the Gu Langu Base were falling behind again. A group of them had gathered around the two wild boar carcasses, and they couldn’t figure out what they were up to.

Just as someone was about to go over and urge them on, they witnessed the Gu Langu Base members go crazy, wielding various tools on the wild boar carcasses. In less than half an hour, they had sliced the two boars into countless pieces, not even sparing the innards.

“What’s wrong with their base members?”

“Don’t say that. Did you forget about our earlier confrontation?”

“But look at them, carrying the chunks of wild boar meat to the vehicles one by one. Don’t you think they’re acting like lunatics?”

“Could they be planning to eat it? But now that I think about it, could it be for Gu Langu? Perhaps half-mechanical beings won’t be affected by mutated creatures. After all, Gu Langu lacks emotions, let alone the potential for violence.”

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“Do half-mechanical beings even need to eat? And wasn’t there a rumor that Gu Langu might lose control?”

Though most people thought the Gu Langu Base members were acting oddly, a tiny thread of expectation lingered deep within them. What if the Gu Langu Base had indeed discovered a way to deal with mutated creatures? Of course, nobody voiced this hope aloud, as it didn’t sound very reliable.

The Gu Langu Base members worked diligently for a half-hour straight, completely disassembling the two wild boars and loading the pieces into the vehicles. Fortunately, a few empty vehicles had been prepared before departure, just in case they came across other supplies during their journey, and now they were proving useful.

Soon, the convoy set off again. Shu Shuishui held a piece of fresh wild boar meat as he got onto the RV, or rather, Gu Langu held Shu Shuishui, who held the wild boar meat.

In the small kitchenette of the RV, Shu Shuishui took out a small stew pot made from five or six canned tins. He then sliced the wild boar meat into uniform chunks, intending to make a dish of braised pork.

Of course, the prerequisite was purifying the wild boar meat. This time, not only Xie Feng but also Yu Jin and Nan Fang joined the RV, watching the scene as Shu Shuishui dealt with the wild boar meat. After all, this was about their future meat consumption plan.

Placing the wild boar meat into the purification array, Shu Shuishui watched contentedly as the array started to operate. The chaotic energy on the meat gradually decomposed and purified, just like with energy stones.

Shu Shuishui could foresee the success of this method, so he happily climbed into the cozy spot at the front of the camper and prepared to take a nap.

Meanwhile, Yu Jin and the others continued to sit around the array, seemingly intent on observing until the purification was complete. Xie Feng had already taken out various instruments and devices to record the changes and phenomena occurring during the purification process of the wild boar meat. He was analyzing the principles involved, hoping to achieve purification through his equipment.

Two hours later, just as Shu Shuishui, with his fluffy tail, was enjoying a sound nap, he was poked awake by someone. The poke landed on his soft little belly, and in his half-asleep state, he burst into giggles and rolled around playfully in his nest.

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Opening his eyes, Shu Shuishui found himself gazing into Gu Langu’s eyes. His eyes were a pure, deep black, resembling the vast expanse of a starry sky, with the reflected light within them resembling shattered stars. “Gu Gu, your eyes look like a starry sky.”

Caught off guard by the teasing, Gu Langu’s action of poking the little mouse’s belly paused for a moment. Then, a smile curled up on his lips, and a hint of laughter sparkled in his eyes. “Is that so?”

Shu Shuishui quickly sat up, his tail flicking, and earnestly nodded his little head. “Really! A boundless universe, endless galaxies, and I am the brightest star in Gu Gu’s eyes. Look! This is me!”

Pointing at his reflection in Gu Langu’s eyes, the little dormouse proudly replied.

Gu Langu reached out and cupped the little mouse in his hand. “Alright, Shui Shui will always be the brightest star.”

Sitting in the palm of Gu Langu’s hand, Shu Shuishui adjusted his position slightly to face him directly. “Gu Gu, you’re smiling! The starry sky looks even more brilliant. Don’t worry, I’m a fair mouse. Gu Gu is also the most handsome in my eyes.”

Beside them, the trio that was being bombarded with “dog food” had twitching corners of their mouths. “Most handsome” in his eyes? Was it something to be proud of or happy about?

The answer was quite clear. The inability to suppress the corners of Gu Langu’s mouth and his happily indulgent actions were all indications that he was very pleased.

The trio felt that if they didn’t speak up soon, they would be completely drowned in “dog food.” Finally, Yu Jin’s voice broke the sweet and cloying atmosphere. “Shui Shui, the purification is complete, and it was much faster than purifying energy stones.”

As expected, Shu Shuishui’s attention was immediately drawn. His little body tilted, and he maneuvered his head to look past Gu Langu, focusing on where he had set up the array. Then, with a tap, he hopped out of Gu Langu’s hand and pitter-pattered to the vicinity of the array, gazing at the purified wild boar meat. “Very good, very good.”

“So, it’s successful, and the results are good?” Yu Jin said, happily surprised.

The little dormouse turned to look at Yu Jin. “I mean the meat is well-marbled, perfect for making braised pork. But yes, it’s successful, and not just that, the wild boar meat still retains pure energy, just like energy stones.”

Saying this, Shu Shuishui couldn’t help but pause for a moment. Was it a coincidence? Wasn’t this exactly what Shu Bao had once mentioned – spirit beasts? Animals imbued with spiritual energy were called spirit beasts, and similarly, plants were known as spirit plants. These were characteristic creatures of the cultivation world.

Why would a planet that’s been labeled as an era of Apocalypse show signs of spirit beasts and spirit plants? Shu Shuishui thought that perhaps the era of Apocalypse wasn’t just about destruction but also the dawn of a new era for Cang Zhan Star.

Yu Jin, almost drooling with excitement, blinked, seemingly grasping Shu Shuishui’s words but also not quite. “So, Shui Shui means it’s edible, right?”

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After summing it up in the end, Yu Jin could only infer this kind of outcome.

“Not just edible, but it can also transform the user’s body. Those with natural talent might even be able to sense the world, communicate with spiritual energy, and thus enter the path of cultivation.” Shu Shuishui shook his head and playfully repeated what Shu Bao had said, looking at the others with a satisfied expression.

Encountering a completely new concept wasn’t difficult, but understanding it and grasping its implications were as challenging as reaching the heavens. Even in this world, people hadn’t heard of the five elements and Yin-Yang concepts.

Shu Shuishui’s words left everyone else bewildered. Perhaps they didn’t fully grasp concepts like sensing the world and communicating with spiritual energy, but the idea of body transformation was comprehensible. In other words, after purification, this mutated wild boar meat could not only be consumed but also greatly enhance one’s abilities.

This… is just unbelievably cool!

The trio were all overwhelmed with excitement, to the point where their eagerness surpassed their desire for meat, and even their drool had forgotten to flow.

Because of this unexpected joy, Shu Shuishui immediately began cooking.

In the process of cultivation, from the initial Qi refinement to Nascent Soul transformation, one transcended mere physicality, cultivating one’s true self rather than just the body. If Gu Langu could cultivate, then the so-called semi-mechanical issue wouldn’t exist at all. In fact, his indifferent desires might even help him avoid inner demons more effectively.

Hence, that evening, as the convoy passed by a small town and set up camp, those in the RV had already had dinner.

Needless to say, the trio praised the meal without end. If Shu Shuishui’s disdain wasn’t so evident, everyone would have almost kissed the little mouse with their oil-covered mouths.

When Gu Langu finished his first piece of meat, Shu Shuishui eagerly inquired, “How does it feel?”

In truth, among the group, Gu Langu was the most likely to sense spiritual energy. Due to his semi-mechanical nature, he had consumed energy stones before, and his body would automatically strip away chaotic energy. Moreover, Gu Langu didn’t absorb energy stone’s energy but stored it, later consuming it.

Gu Langu paused, carefully sensing. “It feels different from directly eating energy stones. There’s a sensation that penetrates deep into the cells.” He struggled to describe the feeling—it was like he had wasted years eating energy stones, as consuming energy stones was akin to consuming batteries, used up and gone. But this wild boar meat seemed to store the ingested energy permanently, gradually permeating him.

The other three paused slightly. Yu Jin closed his eyes and concentrated. “Why am I not sensing anything? I just sense how delicious it is.”

Gu Langu gave Yu Jin a disdainful glance, his contemptuous expression clear.

Nan Fang scratched his head. “I don’t sense anything either, but Shui Shui’s braised pork is just so delicious!”

It was actually Xie Feng who had been quiet for a while. About a minute or two later, he excitedly opened his eyes. “I’ve felt it, it’s so amazing! I can’t quite put it into words, but there’s indeed a unique energy naturally merging into my body. No, it seems like it’s merging into my spiritual power. It’s so mystical…”

“Could it be that the deliciousness is causing you to have hallucinations?” Aside from the deliciousness, Yu Jin couldn’t sense any other changes.

Shu Shuishui was the one to conclude. “Maybe you two are just a bit dull. If it were Nan Ge, he’d definitely be able to feel it. So, Gu Gu is a genius! Gu Gu is the best!”

Xie Feng: “…” What about me? Why can you only see your Gu Langu?

Nan Fang didn’t take offense at the remark about dullness, considering he didn’t feel anything either. But prompted by Shu Shuishui, he quickly stood up in excitement. “I’m going to call my brother in!” And with that, he rushed out like the wind.