Chapter 120

Chapter 120

As soon as Yun Wan spoke, the room fell silent.

"My lord, this..."

"Sigh, the energy cores aren't something you can just extract!"

The researchers shook their heads one after another.

They informed Yun Wan that they had actually attempted to extract the planet's energy cores a few years ago, but the cores were too hot. Any mechs or robots they could deploy would melt upon getting close, leaving them completely helpless.

Yun Wan thought for a moment, then asked her system in her mind: "System, do you think the cryo-gun could freeze the planet's energy cores?"

[Using all available energy, the cores can be frozen for five minutes.]

"Five minutes..."

That's too short; it's not enough time to transport the cores out from within the planet.

Isn't there another way?

Yun Wan frowned, convinced there must be another solution.

Seeing Yun Wan deep in thought but not recalling its function, the system coughed twice and said:

[Host, the system can recycle waste.]

Reminded by the system, Yun Wan wanted to hit herself. How could she have forgotten about the system's recycling function? She's been too busy lately!

Her heart suddenly eased, but she didn't show it on her face.

The planet's energy cores are a major issue for Berry Star, but they must be valuable to the system. After all, energy cores are crucial for a planet's habitability; with one core, you can create a planet.

The technology of Stellar citizens hasn't reached that level yet, but the system is omnipotent and could definitely use the cores to create planets. In essence, it would be recycling a planet!

Wow! She must get something good from the system for this!

"It can recycle waste," Yun Wan mused, "but the planet's energy cores aren't just useless waste."

The system's electronic voice faltered, not quite grasping Yun Wan's meaning.

It has never recycled anything useless before?

[Apologies, I didn't respect it properly. The system can recycle the planet's energy cores.]

After saying this, the system awaited Yun Wan's response.

Yun Wan: "..."

Has the system's intelligence dropped?

"What I mean is, the planet's energy cores are extremely valuable!" Yun Wan hinted.

[Host, you can't be obsessed with money. This is a major problem for you.]

The system suddenly grasped Yun Wan's tactic.

"It's not that big of a deal!" When negotiating with others, she never lets them gain the upper hand.

She was sure the system needed the core, and the less she cared, the more the system panicked.

[Isn't this a hassle?] The system indeed panicked.

"I'm not in a rush. A planet core is valuable; someone will take it," Yun Wan stood firm.

[Host, no one else would dare take it but me.]

The system didn't budge, clearly also convinced that Yun Wan was eager to offload the planet core.

Yun Wan was a little sad; the system was getting sharper and harder to trick!

"Alright, let's each take a step back. You can't just give me a few Green Points and be done with it, right?"

After Yun Wan could cultivate seeds, Green Points, aside from unlocking new catalogs and trading for treasures, became less useful. She wanted to see if she could get more out of the system. Also, during the last exchange with the system for a contract card, she had a hunch the system's treasures were limited and wanted to take this opportunity to probe further.

[Host, what's wrong with Green Points? You can exchange them for various plants.]

The system was helpless.

Yun Wan hesitated; she was a little greedy, but the planet core was indeed a good thing. If she could keep it safe, she would have wanted to study how to use this thing to create a planet!

"But I don't really need more plants!" To be honest, the variety of plants Yun Wan currently owned was enough for her to live comfortably in the interstellar for a lifetime.

[Host, I can give you a one-time ID pass.]

Yun Wan: "?"

If she recalled correctly, she used to get this for free.

The system's so cheap!

"Why would I need this?" Yun Wan was embarrassed.

The system did not answer, only saying:

[You'll regret saying no, host.]

?

Isn't the ID pass just a perk? Yun Wan was a little dismissive, but the system was unyielding, and having a perk was better than nothing.

But the system's tone made her worry! It seemed to know something.

"Fine! Deal! What should I ID?"

This time, the system wasn't stingy and didn't beat around the bush:

[Host, you should check your garden; the ancient seeds are fully grown.]

Yun Wan instantly understood.

These ancient seeds weren't affected by the cold wave, and she really hadn't had the time to pay attention to them.

These ancient plants must be valuable.

"Alright, then let's ID this ancient crop!" She believed that although the system was cheap, it wouldn't deceive her on important matters, especially since this was a free opportunity anyway.

[Identifying plant, please wait—]

[Identification successful.]

[Dragon Tooth Jade: Shaped like a dragon's tooth, imbued with divine energy, a natural sword jade that emits the aura of a dragon's roar, and is a top-tier material for crafting.]

[Purple Crystal Fruit: Spherical, deep purple, soft to the touch, sweet, enormous, packed with powerful energy, and serves as an excellent plant-based energy source.]

As Yun Wan read the descriptions of the ancient plants, her eyes widened in shock.

"System! You're only telling me about this now?!" Yun Wan was furious. "If it weren't for the planet core, were you planning to save this news for the next treasure exchange?"

The system played dead.

Even without a response, Yun Wan knew she was right.

What a cheap and stingy system!

These ancient plants sounded incredibly impressive, clearly extraordinary. But at first glance, Yun Wan didn't get why the system said she'd regret not identifying them.

They were great, but she didn't really need them!

Take the Purple Crystal Fruit. While plant-based energy is renewable, solving the issue of unsustainable mineral energy, Yun Wan wouldn't face energy shortages in her lifetime.

As for the Dragon Tooth Jade, it's a Mecha Material, but what would she craft in space? Wait! Crafting? Materials!

While crafting isn't possible in space, mechas can be built! Could the system mean Dragon Tooth Jade could be a new Mecha Material?

This is like finding treasure without even searching!

Mecha Materials from ancient plants, absorbing Shennong Star's spiritual energy—does that mean mechas made from this could resonate with cultivators?

Yun Wan was eager to share this news.

She took a deep breath, reminding herself to stay calm and tackle the immediate issue.

With a cryo-gun, enough energy, and her Frostbird, Yun Wan followed the researcher to the planet's core, where she saw the blazing hot core, glowing like the sun.

Berry Star has five cores, nestled together, fusing to create immense energy.

Even in a protective suit blocking most heat and radiation, Yun Wan felt stifled and uneasy.

"Leader, the suit lasts thirty minutes. What's your plan? But don't get too close to the core—it'll wear the suit out faster."

Yun Wan nodded. "Got it. You can leave first."

The researcher was a little concerned. The leader didn't seem reckless, so she probably wouldn't cause trouble. He left as told, planning to check back in twenty minutes.

"Leader, you must keep the suit on here, or it could be deadly. Be careful," the researcher warned before leaving.

The researcher, a young man named Dong Jiale and a classmate of Mao Ling, brought Yun Wan to the core to see how she'd pull off her wild plan.

As a plant researcher, he knew some basic science. The drought on Berry Star was tough, but the new leader's insistence on removing the core left him baffled.

Anyone with common sense knows planet cores are hard to remove—destroying or relocating them isn't possible with current tech.

Destroying it would blow up the planet. Relocating it would require the Frozen Ion Cannon to freeze the core, protecting it from the heat. But even if extracted, the cannon only freezes it for minutes, making it impossible to move it to safety in time. Plus, they couldn't afford the cannon.

They'd explained this to the leader, but she was stubborn, ignoring the researchers' advice.

Dong Jiale closed the door and shook his head behind it. The lord is bound to be disappointed.

...

Yun Wan slowly filled the freeze gun with obsidian energy. Once fully charged, the gun spun around her index finger, and the barrel pointed directly at the planet's energy core.

"Here it comes!"

As her voice rang out, the freeze gun unleashed a powerful burst of energy, rushing toward the planet's energy core.

The Frostbird thought Yun Wan was speaking to it and tilted its head to look at her. But her eyes were locked on the distant fireball, so it curiously looked ahead as well.

There were many small fireballs there, looking like delicious fruits—like what was it called? Ah, yes! Lychees! That's it!

The Frostbird stared at the planet's energy core, feeling a little peckish.

It had never eaten something that was smoking before. Would it burn its mouth if it ate it?

The Frostbird was poised to pounce, but Yun Wan didn't notice its movements. Once the planet's energy core was successfully frozen, she continued to load energy, preparing to freeze the next one.

The researcher had told her that, given the size of Berry Star, two planet energy cores would be enough to ensure the planet remained spring-like all year round.

Before she knew it, the sound of flapping wings filled her ears. The Frostbird soared into the sky, heading straight for the frozen energy core.

Yun Wan almost dropped the freeze gun in shock, instinctively closing her eyes.

Her recently tamed bird, a natural summer fan capable of creating small snowflakes and still owing her a huge debt, was probably about to be lost!

Who knew why the Frostbird suddenly went out of control? It had always been well-behaved outside, and Yun Wan hadn't been on guard. She now regretted bringing it in.

After a long wait, the air around her was so still you could hear a pin drop. Then, the crisp sound of chewing filled her ears. She opened her eyes and saw the silly bird eating, its crest singed from the fire, blackened and smoking, with a few of its beautiful tail feathers curled up.

Well, what had just happened wasn't a dream.

So, did the Frostbird just eat the planet's energy core she had just frozen?

Yun Wan slapped the Frostbird in anger, which was busy eating.

The Frostbird looked at Yun Wan in confusion, not understanding why it was hit.

Yun Wan was so mad she nearly laughed.

How did she end up with this silly bird that cared more about eating than its own life?

"Stop eating! It's dangerous!" Yun Wan scolded.

"Okay."

The Frostbird obediently stood still, looking as if it were saying, "I'm good, don't be mad." Yun Wan couldn't remain angry any longer.

What else could she do? It was her bird, so she had to forgive it!

Yun Wan forgave the Frostbird, but the system was so angry it almost crashed, its electronic voice taking on a sharp, human-like tone.

[Stupid bird! Spit out my planet's energy core!!!]

Yun Wan was sure that if the system had a physical form, it would have grabbed Frostbird by the neck and shaken it wildly, forcing it to spit out the energy core.

Seeing the system in distress, Yun Wan felt a bit excited.

"Oh, System, it's just a baby, don't get mad! Chill out, chill out!" It was the first time she had seen the system so out of control!

After a few minutes, the system calmed down. Frostbird had already chewed the energy core into pieces and swallowed it, possibly even starting to digest it. There was nothing the system could do, no matter how much it disliked it.

But why was Yun Wan so happy?

The system was sullen and said:

[Host, one energy core is worth a million Green Points.]

"Ahhh!" Yun Wan shoved Frostbird, "You little glutton!"

A million Green Points could save a lot of money, maybe even unlock a few new encyclopedias and exchange for several treasures!

At that moment, Yun Wan felt like a sobbing cat, crying bitterly and pitifully in her heart.

[Hey, host, don't be sad, don't be angry. The child is still young, how can you hit it!]

Smiles don't vanish; they just shift from Yun Wan's face to the system's face.

After losing a million Green Points, Yun Wan bravely clutched her chest and sternly warned Frostbird, "No more eating, do you understand?"

"Okay," Frostbird obediently replied.

Yun Wan snorted, froze the remaining two energy cores, and urged the system to store them away. With two million Green Points safely stored, Frostbird stayed still, and Yun Wan felt much better.

...

Dong Jiale had been waiting outside for more than ten minutes. Hearing some commotion inside, he couldn't resist and was about to go in to check when the door suddenly swung open, and the person inside came out.

The lord's expression didn't look too good.

Understanding the situation, he thought to himself, 'Just as I thought,' and comforted her, "Lord, the energy core issue has always been tough to solve, taking a lot of time and effort. There's no example in the whole galaxy of solving this problem. It's normal to fail."

"It's been solved."

"No need to hurry, we've handled it in past years... What?!" Dong Jiale's voice cut off, as if he'd been zapped by a supernova. "Solved?!"

He stood there for a while, frowning, then turned around and went back into the energy core to check. Only two planet cores remained.

What?! Where did those three massive planet cores go?!

Where were those huge, fiery, and dangerous cores? Did the lord pocket them?

Dong Jiale quickly ran out, catching up to Yun Wan, wanting to ask for clarification but not knowing how to phrase it. What came out was, "Did you really solve the energy core problem?!"

"Didn't you just go back and check?"

Dong Jiale realized he had asked a silly question and embarrassingly replied, "My eyesight isn't very good."

"But, how did you do it?"