Following that, several "beep beep beep" sounds were heard, and white lights lit up one by one from near to far.
Looking around, they found themselves in a vast open space, having already arrived inside the Dawn.
This was also Master Liu’s first time aboard such a space battleship, and he was instantly dumbfounded.
However, Jiu Jiu had already been here several times and was familiar with the environment; it volunteered eagerly and ran ahead to lead the way.
"Welcome back, Commander."
The voice of the Star Order resonated around them.
"Set the destination, the Moon, same location as last time, set sail immediately."
Zhang Xiaoman issued the command.
"Command received, target location confirmed, plotting course, course plotted, autopilot enabled..."
And so, the Dawn slowly departed the atmosphere and then began to jump.
The jump required some time to prepare, so Zhang Xiaoman took the opportunity to show Master Liu around the various sectors of the spaceship.
Dormitory area, entertainment area, dining area, military sector...
However, the place was really too big and the things were very novel; they only managed to walk through the dormitory sector, and when they were just approaching the entertainment area, the spaceship had already reached its destination.
"We’ve, we’ve arrived on the Moon already...?"
Pei Laoliu, an old charlatan who had been around for most of his life, never imagined he would end up in such a place, his once composed demeanor completely replaced by incessant astonishment.
Zhang Xiaoman led him into the command room, where they looked down at the scenery below through the holographic screen.
This was the Purple Forest he had visited several times before. When he had left last time, a large swarm of insects had occupied the area, but now, only a few big and small cats remained.
His purpose this time was to plant the seed of the World Tree Clone here, allowing the Star Network Host to cover this area and use it as a base to clear out the Insect Race inhabiting the Moon.
He reached into his pocket and took out the green seed; as expected, Jiu Jiu was the first to react.
The little fox appeared out of nowhere, just a moment ago it was playing somewhere unknown, and now it nearly instantly rushed to Zhang Xiaoman’s side, darting straight for the seed.
Zhang Xiaoman was ready and deftly sidestepped, leaving it to miss in its pounce.
Jiu Jiu crashed into the wall and then wailed pitifully a couple of times before flying over and clinging to Zhang Xiaoman’s fist, unwilling to let go, its eyes filled with grievance.
"Off you go, don’t make trouble, this isn’t for eating."
Zhang Xiaoman shook his hand vigorously a couple of times and flung it away, then activated his skill and summoned a full squad of Star Guards and two Star Shining Saint Knights, each two and a half meters tall.
"Planting Beans into Soldiers! Good boy! Great technique!"
On seeing this, Master Liu clapped his hands in appreciation from the side.
Zhang Xiaoman smiled but didn’t explain.
He waved his hand in the distance, and an Iron Sword resting on a table in the command room suddenly moved and flew into his hand as if it had eyes.
Behind it, a deep blue Sword Box also wobbled as it followed in flight.
"Is this... the Purple Cloud Divine Sword?"
Seeing the scene in front of him, Pei Laoliu immediately recognized the Iron Sword - wasn’t it the Purple Cloud Divine Sword that he himself had given to him?
"Yes, Master Liu, I’ve been carrying this divine sword ever since you gave it to me last time,"
Zhang Xiaoman said with a smile.
Pei Laoliu knew the origin of his sword and that it wasn’t any divine weapon but a mere cheap iron sword randomly picked up from the roadside, which had cost him several old geese of his grandchild.
His face couldn’t hide the embarrassment, and he chuckled awkwardly, rarely showing a sheepish expression.
Zhang Xiaoman didn’t bother explaining the matter of the Purple Cloud Divine Sword, and simply let the old man continue with the misunderstanding.
At this moment, the deep blue Sword Box behind the Purple Cloud Divine Sword was also swaying as it flew close.
Zhang Xiaoman reached out, picked up the Sword Box, and then with a "thud," placed it on the ground.
Following his action, the figure of Jiu Jiu immediately appeared before him.
It turned out that it was this little creature that had brought over the Sword Box.
"Thanks for the hard work, Jiu Jiu."
Zhang Xiaoman stroked its head.
After receiving praise, the Little Fox cried out excitedly and flew several circles around its master before finally settling down.
The deep blue Sword Box naturally contained the nine Mountain and River Swords.
No, it should be phrased more accurately.
These were the upgraded Purple Level Mountain and Sea Swords!
Zhang Xiaoman gestured toward the Sword Box of the Mountain and Sea Swords, and immediately, nine deep blue swords, shimmering with a cold, harsh light, flew out of the Sword Box and circled around him.
Pei Laoliu sighed again at the sight, marveling at the Sword Control Technique and whatnot.
The old man had been a faux Taoist for most of his life, and naturally, he only knew about these supposed divine Taoist Skills.
Just like Aaron and the others, their understanding of the world involved either Demon Hunters or Mages; whenever they saw any Extraordinary Ability, they inevitably associated it with that area.
However, one couldn’t blame him, as the techniques used by Zhang Xiaoman did indeed resemble the legendary Sword Control Technique; anyone else witnessing it would probably make the same mistake.
Having assigned all ten divine weapons to the nearby Star Guards, granting them a significant increase in combat power, Zhang Xiaoman finally nodded his head in satisfaction.
He acted this way to be cautious, as there was still a small swarm of Desert Worms guarding below, and these Star Guards were inevitably headed for a battle.
Although eliminating those insects together might be incredibly easy,
one must heed the potential risks, as they were sent down to plant clones of the World Tree; any mishap leading to the loss of the seed would mean a great loss for him.
After completing the battle preparations, Zhang Xiaoman purchased a "strangling vine" and a small bag of "fertilizer" from the Gang Store, which fell out of the void and he handed to one of the Holy Knights.
This vine and fertilizer were his way of spending his personal points.
The goal was also to protect the clone of the World Tree at the Moon division, otherwise he wouldn’t have waited until today to plant the tree.
Two Holy Knights, one holding a World Tree Seed and the other holding a bag of fertilizer, looked rather odd.
They gave Zhang Xiaoman a Star Touching Ceremony, and then, leading a squad of Star Guards, they marched grandly towards the hatch, giving off a feeling reminiscent of heading to the countryside to plant crops.
It couldn’t be helped; that bag of fertilizer was simply too conspicuous.
The Dawn gradually descended, and the Desert Worms below evidently sensed the presence from above, the spaceship’s invisibility being totally ineffective against them.
D dozens of winged insects were the first to charge, but were instantly blown apart by the Dawn’s close-defense guns, raining down a sky of blood.
Pei Laoliu swallowed hard, unable to help himself upon seeing this scene.
At this moment, about a dozen Star Guards had already reached the ground, and the Insects below immediately swarmed up.
Lately, as Zhang Xiaoman’s spiritual power had increased, the combat power of the Star Guards had also been enhanced; facing the onslaught of the insects, they were more than capable.
They kept in perfect synchronization, with the front row Star Guards defending, while their companions equipped with long spears or bows provided rear support, not giving the Insects any chance at all.
One Holy Knight gathered a golden light in his hands, and a huge Hammer of Holy Light thunderously smashed into the incoming swarm of insects, instantly crushing them into a pulp.
Another Holy Knight raised his arm level, and a massive shield made of light appeared before him, blocking any attempts by the creatures to break through the formation.
Under the leadership of the Holy Knights, the Star Guard squad steadily advanced toward the spot designated by Zhang Xiaoman, unperturbed by the howling insects around them.
Finally, upon arriving at the destination, the Holy Knight holding the World Tree Clone immediately planted the seed.
Just like when Zhang Xiaoman had planted the World Tree, the seed first hovered in mid-air, then, with an unshakeable posture, it slowly descended toward the ground.