Chapter 75: Preparing for Liftoff

At this moment, having finally glimpsed the long-lost sky and recalling their previous ordeal, everyone was filled with a sense of emotion. Yet, before they could indulge in reflection, a rustling sound suddenly arose, prompting them to tense anew, scanning their surroundings with heightened vigilance, uncertain what might emerge next.

As they tried to determine the source of the noise, the ground beneath a nearby thicket abruptly swelled upward. Moments later, a gigantic ancient centipede burrowed out from below.

The group was startled—the ancient centipede had surfaced. Zhang Desen's reaction was the most intense, for he knew if the centipede had emerged from the Terran base, other creatures could just as easily follow. The smallest trouble would be a biological invasion, potentially throwing the local ecosystem into chaos.

To prevent this enormous ancient centipede from causing unnecessary complications, and to avoid drawing further attention with excessive noise, Zhang Desen swiftly drew his pulse gun and unleashed a fierce barrage, instantly killing the monstrous creature.

Though they still feared more creatures might appear, the situation left no time for hesitation. Zhang Desen and his companions had entered the Terran mountain base, but had never seen its full extent. They knew only that it was vast and underground, and now, as it was about to self-destruct, who could predict what would happen?

Without delay, Zhang Desen called out to the group:

“Don’t hesitate, everyone! Follow the original plan and evacuate this area immediately.”

“Yes!”

With that, the entire company began retracing their steps, carefully making their way back along the route they had come.

While they were on the move, a massive, deep, and lingering horn sounded behind them:

“Oh… um… um…”

The group instinctively turned to look back. Zhang Desen mused to himself,

“That must be a horn. Why does it sound so much like the Martian horn from the film ‘War of the Worlds’? As if it’s inherited.”

The thought amused Zhang Desen—what a coincidence.

He too turned to observe with the others.

Before their eyes, several unidentified flying objects were slowly rising one after another, assembling in the sky. They formed orderly columns, their exteriors flashing with myriad lights.

Surprisingly, the Terrans were not using fog or other means to conceal their evacuation—they were departing openly, in broad daylight. Zhang Desen realized it made sense; there were few people in the area, and he and his companions had already entered the mountain base, had learned what needed to be learned, so the Terrans had no reason to hide anymore.

Yet Zhang Desen admired their discipline—evacuating with such order. He resolved inwardly: once back in Dali, he would immediately pilot the lifeboat into space and install the data collection device onto the Terran satellite, determined to obtain first-hand intelligence.

As everyone was transfixed by the spectacle, another violent tremor shook the land. The ground beneath the Terran ships began to crack, and soon, enormous tongues of flame erupted, accompanied by thunderous explosions and terrifying vibrations, causing the group’s hearts to quake.

Zhang Desen shouted again:

“This place is unsafe! Hurry, everyone, evacuate—don’t hesitate!”

“Yes!”

At the same time, tremors rumbled ceaselessly, as if the world were ending. Rocks began to cascade down the mountains, growing larger in diameter as they fell.

Fortunately, after a period of running, they were nearing a relatively flat region. Everyone shared a single resolve: reach level ground and enter a safe zone as quickly as possible.

After some time, they finally arrived at the plain east of Mount Cang. At last, they could breathe a sigh of relief.

Looking back, they were stunned. Not only did they see the Terran subterranean base erupting in explosions, the ground collapsing in ruin, but the Terran ships had not departed. Instead, they circled over their dying mountain base, as if wishing to take one last look.

Li Longfang watched the scene and said to Zhang Desen,

“Desen, it seems they too are nostalgic for this place.”

Zhang Desen replied,

“Yes, it’s hard to leave one’s homeland. After all, they’ve lived here so long. Feelings are inevitable; naturally, there’s some reluctance.”

---

Zhao Chengming spoke,

“But they want to enslave us. That’s something we absolutely cannot accept.”

Zhang Desen replied,

“For now, let’s leave it at that. Once we return to Dali, I’ll immediately head to space and install our data collection device on their satellite, so we can grasp their information as soon as possible. Otherwise, we’ll be at a disadvantage.”

Zhao Chengming asked,

“Will you participate in the martial arts tournament?”

Zhang Desen responded,

“We’ll see after we gather detailed information. When we get back to the city, you should immediately send someone to inquire about the tournament. I’ll prepare for the space mission without delay.”

“Yes!”

Meanwhile, aboard the Terran flagship “Coastal,” Yuri Gotner and others watched through the observation window as the mountain base below was consumed by explosion and destruction. Beside him, Kaba Doul lamented,

“It’s really heartbreaking—such a fine base, now gone to ruin!”

Yuri Gotner smiled slightly and replied,

“No need to fret. Soon, we’ll have territories far larger than this. This is simply clearing away the old.”

Said Ouri added,

“My Führer, we have absolute faith in your wisdom. But will our greater future territory include this place?”

Said Ouri was born in the mountain base and held deep affection for it.

Yuri Gotner smiled again,

“Hahaha, rest assured, my friend. As long as you follow me, you’ll find our new homeland is not only here—it will be so vast you won’t recognize it. Work hard!”

Said Ouri responded excitedly,

“Yes, my Führer! Long live the Führer!”

Then, Gase Ouri suddenly said,

“My Führer, I recall rumors that somewhere, remnants of a highly advanced human civilization remain, though no one knows where it is buried. That could pose a massive threat.”

Yuri Gotner replied,

“No need to worry. Even if modern humans find their super-ancient civilization’s relics, they likely won’t know how to use them. In the end, it will only benefit us.”

Gase Ouri asked,

“And what about that alien?”

Yuri Gotner answered,

“Except for him… I must admit, he is a real problem…”

Then Yuri Gotner ordered the group,

“No matter what, we must destroy the Gekur base first and prevent the doomsday weapon from being activated…”

Everyone responded in unison,

“Yes!”

---

Yuri Gotner then said to Kaba Doul,

“Continue to send people to track the alien and intensify the search for super-ancient human relics. If necessary, go to the moon; the super-ancients could travel to the moon and beyond. Do you understand?”

Kaba Doul saluted and responded,

“Yes, my Führer!”

Meanwhile, after some time, Zhang Desen’s party finally returned to the ancient city of Dali and rested at the Liu Family Trading House.

There was a minor episode at the city gate—the guards of Southern Dian Kingdom were astonished to see them. The Liu Family Trading House was renowned, their caravans always opulent and impressive; whenever they left or entered the city, it was an event. Yet this time, they looked somewhat bedraggled. The guards inquired,

“What happened to you?”

No one knew quite how to answer, but Zhang Desen said,

“We were enveloped by a thick fog, and this was the result.”

The guards, recalling previous incidents, did not question further, but reassured them,

“Rest assured, His Majesty has offered rewards and is hosting a martial arts tournament to select heroes to subdue demons. We will surely triumph.”

In truth, the soldier himself had little confidence, but just spoke bravely. Zhang Desen thought to himself,

“Fortunately, I wore ancient armor over my military uniform, or else you’d think I was some kind of monster.”

After the usual formalities, the episode ended. Naturally, rumors abounded—some said the Liu Family caravan was attacked by demons and suffered heavy losses; others claimed they fought valiantly, minimizing their losses. Stories spread far and wide, in many versions.

Amid the swirling rumors, Zhang Desen and his companions returned to the Liu Family Trading House. After resting, Zhang Desen convened everyone to discuss matters. Now dressed in ancient attire, he carried the air of an aristocratic scholar.

He asked,

“What are people outside saying about last night’s events?”

Zhao Chengming replied,

“The consensus is that demons are causing trouble; unless tribute is paid, they’ll eat people. Some say it’s a thousand- or ten-thousand-year-old demon, with great magical power, and that the martial arts tournament should be replaced by a contest of sorcerers, selecting the strongest to subdue the demons, rather than wasting time on martial arts.”

Li Longfang remarked,

“For various reasons, even if there’s a martial arts tournament, it’s likely to be neither here nor there.”

Zhang Desen said,

“Wait and see. If it turns into a competition among wandering magicians, there’s no need to pay it much attention.”

Li Longfang asked,

“Why does Desen care about the tournament, given we’ve already destroyed the mountain base?”

Zhang Desen replied,

“In fact, I want to create a false impression—to stir things up, make the Terrans think I’ll remain here. I haven’t decided exactly how to do it yet, so the priority is to install the data collection device on their satellite.”

Li Longfang then asked,

“To be honest, Desen, I still don’t know what a satellite is.”

Everyone expressed similar confusion. Seeing this, Zhang Desen spent the next period explaining what satellites are, the difference between natural and artificial satellites, as well as topics he hadn’t previously covered—layering of the atmosphere, space orbits, spacecraft flight, oxygen levels, and so forth.

Bridging so many gaps took considerable effort—he explained for an entire day and still could not make everyone fully understand, but at least they grasped the central concepts and could roughly cooperate with Zhang Desen’s plans.