Reborn as a lotus, she initially refuses to hand it over to the state.

As Chu Zhou finished speaking.

Five hundred thousand evolution points were quickly deducted from the system panel.

The Mother Nest Source Crystal, which was suspended above the Blue Stone Water Mansion, was immediately enveloped in a layer of blue light.

Inside the originally dark blue crystal, there were still thin, hair-like black blood lines.

Those blood lines seemed to have a life of their own.

Sensing the approaching power of the Azure Lotus, it began to wriggle wildly, attempting to penetrate deeper into the crystal.

Their struggles were meaningless in the face of the system's power, and the blue light continued to penetrate inward.

The streaks of black blood were forcibly forced out of the crystals, turning into grayish-black mist.

The mist had barely appeared when it was swallowed up by the illusory image of the blue lotus.

As the last black bloodline disappeared, the chilling aura on the surface of the Mother Nest Source Crystal completely dissipated.

The entire crystal changed from dark blue to a clear cyan.

The interior is like a miniature ocean.

With each flash, tiny ripples spread deep within the crystal, and the system notification sounded again.

"Ding, purification of the mother nest source crystal is complete."

Current name: Jinghaiyuanjing.

"Function 1: Helps water-based family members break through the level of life."

"Function 2: To nurture high-level aquatic lotus seeds."

"Function 3: Sensing the location of the same parent nest."

"After purification, the risk of pollution has been greatly reduced."

After reading the instructions, Chu Zhou did not immediately hand over the Pure Sea Source Crystal to Xuan Jia.

Xuanjia has just experienced a major battle.

Although the injuries were not fatal, the demonic energy within his body was greatly depleted.

Forcing a breakthrough at this time may not be a good thing.

Moreover, the Qing Shi Water Palace had just been established.

Rather than having Xuanjia immediately advance to the fifth rank, Chu Zhou needed a high-ranking seed lotus that could stabilize the coastal water veins.

Only by thoroughly developing the Qing Shi Water Mansion can the Zhenhai Army truly have a foundation to enter the East China Sea.

Chu Zhou quickly made a decision and commanded, "Black Armor."

In the Qing Shi Reservoir, Xuan Jia was arranging for water demons to clean up the remaining pollution. Upon hearing the sound, he immediately lowered his head.

"Owner."

Chu Zhou said, "You should stay in the Qing Shi Water Mansion for now, reorganize the Zhenhai Army, and clear the water veins. After I use the Source Crystal to nurture the second high-level seed lotus, I will consider your path to the fifth level."

Xuanjia showed no dissatisfaction and respectfully replied, "Your subordinate obeys."

Chu Zhou continued, "The dead water demons will be taken back to Black Dragon Lake for burial, while the seriously injured will remain in the Green Stone Water Mansion to recover."

"In addition, starting today, the Qing Shi Water Mansion will be equipped with three water gates. Humans are allowed to patrol the outer area, the middle area will be guarded by the Zhenhai Army, and the core Zilian area will not be entered without permission."

Xuanjia replied, "Understood."

After making these arrangements, Chu Zhou withdrew his consciousness.

He did not rush to track down the East China Sea Mother Nest.

The exact number of eggs in that underwater ancient city, and the level of the mother nest itself, are currently unknown.

It would be unwise to venture into the East Sea before reaching the seventh level.

The most important thing right now is still to accumulate the last three million evolution points.

Once you break through to the seventh rank and become stronger, you will have more say in the future.

……

Two days later.

Linjiang City, an old residential community.

Lin Qingxue got out of the taxi carrying a bag of fruit.

After the beast tide in Nanjiang City was temporarily suppressed, the Awakened Academy gave the participating students a three-day break.

She did not stay at the college to recuperate, but returned home to Linjiang City immediately.

Compared to last time, the community has undergone considerable changes.

The original retractable gate at the main entrance has been replaced with a two-meter-high iron gate for animal protection.

Sandbags and pitchforks were piled up next to the guardhouse.

The walls were covered with new notices:

[Do not go out alone at night.]

[If a mutated animal is found, immediately call the Ninth Division's emergency number.]

The underground parking lot has been converted into a temporary refuge area.

Near the flower bed in the residential area, several property management staff were repairing the wire mesh that had been damaged by a mutated stray cat.

Lin Qingxue looked at these changes with mixed feelings.

Before the Reiki revival, ordinary people worried about rent, jobs, and their children's schooling.

Now, however, people still have to worry that one night, a strange beast might suddenly break into the neighborhood.

As soon as she got downstairs, she saw a familiar taxi drive in from outside.

Lin Jianguo got out of the car. He had just finished a night shift, and his eyes were bloodshot.

Although Lin Qingxue was chosen to become an Awakener, Lin Jianguo is not short of money at all, and their family's living conditions have also improved.

But for Lin Jianguo, he still prefers to continue driving a taxi and chatting with his colleagues, which makes him feel very fulfilled.

Upon seeing his daughter, Lin Jianguo was taken aback for a moment, then quickly walked over and asked with concern, "Xiaoxue, why did you suddenly come back? Wasn't the academy conducting rescue operations in Nanjiang City?"

Lin Qingxue said with a smile, "Dad, our college has given us a temporary holiday, so I came back to see you."

Lin Jianguo was about to speak when his gaze suddenly fell on her pale face, and his expression instantly darkened: "Are you injured?"

Lin Qingxue shook her head: "No, it's just that my spiritual energy consumption is a bit high."

Lin Jianguo said, "Let's go upstairs first. Your mother has been talking about you every day these past few days."

The two entered the building, and Lin Jianguo remained silent the entire way until they reached his front door. Suddenly, he stopped and said, "Qingxue."

Lin Qingxue turned around: "What's wrong?"

Lin Jianguo stared at her for a few seconds, then lowered his voice and asked, "Are you the girl who saved the old master online?"

Lin Qingxue remained silent, neither admitting nor denying it, and Lin Jianguo immediately understood.

Instead of the expected pride, his face showed even more worry.

"You silly child, how could you not tell the family about something so important?"

Lin Qingxue smiled wryly: "Dad, I don't know how to talk about this, and a lot of things involve confidentiality."

Lin Jianguo said, "It's not that I'm upset that you kept it a secret, it's that I'm worried something might happen to you."

As he said this, he glanced at the stairwell again, and only continued after confirming that no one was there: "With your current abilities, you can even save important figures, so there must be quite a few people watching you."

"Those bad guys on TV love to capture people with special abilities and experiment on them."

Lin Qingxue's lips twitched. She originally wanted to say that her father watched too many TV dramas, but then she remembered that the Japanese spies sent by the island nation had tried to harm her on the battlefield a while ago.

Her expression instantly turned serious, because there really were foreign forces targeting her.

Seeing that she didn't speak, Lin Jianguo became even more nervous: "Has someone already started causing you trouble?"

"no."

Not wanting to frighten him, Lin Qingxue said softly, "I have someone protecting me in the Ninth Bureau."

Lin Jianguo finally breathed a sigh of relief: "Protection by the Ninth Bureau is the Ninth Bureau's responsibility. If anyone dares to come to our house, Dad will fight them with a kitchen knife."

Lin Qingxue finally couldn't help but laugh: "Dad, do you think you can defeat an Awakened with just a kitchen knife?"

Lin Jianguo glared: "Even if we can't beat you, we have to fight. You're my daughter."

Upon hearing this, Lin Qingxue's nose suddenly felt a little sore.

Just then, the door opened, and Yang Xiulan, the mother, stood inside, holding a spatula in her hand. When she saw Lin Qingxue, her eyes lit up: "Qingxue is back! Why didn't you tell me beforehand? I could have bought you more groceries."

Lin Qingxue looked at her mother, clearly stunned for a moment.

Yang Xiulan looked much better than when we last met.

Her sallow complexion has become rosy, her body is no longer as weak as before, and she can even cook for herself.

Yang Xiulan felt a little uncomfortable under her gaze: "What are you looking at? Is there something on Mom's face?"

Lin Qingxue shook her head, stepped forward, and took her mother's hand.

Azure energy flowed gently from her fingertips.

Soon, she sensed a very faint aura of blue lotus within Yang Xiulan's body.

The aura wasn't strong, but it had already seeped into his flesh and internal organs.

My mother's rapid recovery was indeed related to the power of the Azure Lotus she had released.

Lin Qingxue felt both delighted and somewhat uneasy.

Her abilities seem to go beyond simply healing injuries; they subtly alter the very nature of life.

Yang Xiulan didn't know what she was thinking, so she pulled her into the house.

"Eat first. I don't understand national affairs, nor do I understand the affairs of awakened people. All I know is that no matter how great you are, you still need to eat."

On the table were a plate of stir-fried greens, a bowl of chicken soup, and braised fish, which was Lin Qingxue's favorite dish when she was a child.

The family of three sat down.

Lin Jianguo kept putting food on his daughter's plate, complaining, "Look how thin you are, does the college not provide food?"

Lin Qingxue said helplessly, "Dad, I've only been away for a few days."

Yang Xiulan glared at her husband and said irritably, "Shut up, the child has finally come back."

The meal was ordinary, but it finally allowed Lin Qingxue to relax after being tense for so long.

Just as we were halfway through eating.

The illusory green lotus in her dantian suddenly trembled, and a faint warning appeared in her mind.

Lin Qingxue paused, then turned to look out the window.

A white minivan was parked on the side of the road downstairs.

The car windows were tinted.

The car hasn't moved since she entered the residential area.

Lin Jianguo noticed his daughter's unusual behavior and asked, "What's wrong?"

Lin Qingxue looked away: "It's nothing."

She lowered her head and finished eating the rice in her bowl.

After the meal, she went into the restroom, closed the door, took out her communicator, and dialed Su Wan's number.

"Captain Su, there might be someone watching my house."

There was a half-second silence on the other end of the communication, then Su Wan's voice quickly turned serious as she said, "Don't alert them. I'll send someone over immediately."

"Also, pack your parents up and move them to the Ninth Division safe house tonight."

Lin Qingxue gripped the communicator tightly and replied, "Understood."

She looked up at herself in the mirror. In the past, she had always believed that power was an opportunity to change her destiny.

It was only at this moment that she truly realized that power could also bring danger to those closest to her.

……

at the same time.

Ninth Bureau Branch of Linjiang City.

Gu Changhe had already returned to the command center with the complete battle report of Qingshi Reservoir.

Lu Cang sat behind the conference table. Su Wan had just returned from Donghai Port and hadn't even changed out of her combat uniform.

Gu Changhe did not hide any details, from the Deep Sea Ink King to the fifth-order mother nest eggs.

From the Zhenhai Army's participation in the war, to the Lord of Qinglian's remote projection of his domain, and finally the establishment of the Qing Shi Water Mansion.

Everything was in order, and Lu Cang remained relatively calm at first, until he saw the last page of the battle report.

[Qingshi Reservoir has been incorporated into the Qinglian restricted area as a water area.]

The Zhenhai Navy announced that no one may enter the core area of ​​the reservoir without permission.

He finally couldn't hold back and slammed his hand on the conference table.

Several cracks instantly appeared on the heavy solid wood tabletop, and the late-stage fourth-tier aura spread out uncontrollably.

The documents in the conference room were blown away by the blast wave.

Gu Changhe's eyes narrowed slightly. After Lu Cang broke through to the fourth level, his strength improved rapidly.

It has now reached the late stage of the fourth tier.

Within the Lingnan branch, he was second only to a few exceptional experts sent from headquarters.

Lu Cang's face was ashen. He said in a deep voice, "They really are insatiable. Three hundred kilometers of Black Dragon Mountain wasn't enough; now they're extending their reach into the eastern water system of Lingnan!"

"Qingshi Reservoir is Dragon Kingdom territory, not a place that the Azure Lotus Forbidden Zone can occupy as it pleases!"

Gu Changhe was at a loss for words for a moment, feeling somewhat sad. Although the second spiritual energy tide had arrived, expanding the area of ​​the Nine Provinces and the territory of the Dragon Kingdom, it was still a different story for them.

The reservoirs are all Dragon Kingdom territory, and it's inexplicably frustrating that they've been occupied by strange beasts.

Lu Cang looked up at him: "Why didn't you stop it back then?"

Gu Changhe calmly replied, "We can't stop them. That Xuanjia beast is at the peak of the fourth rank, and there are over three hundred of them in the Zhenhai Navy."

"The Lord of the Azure Lotus can also project a sixth-order domain through the seed lotus."

"With our strength at the time, if a conflict had broken out, none of the twenty-four survivors we rescued would have survived."

Lu Cang's expression grew even more grim: "So you're just going to watch them take over the reservoir?"

Gu Changhe said in a deep voice, "Without the Zhenhai Army, we wouldn't even have been able to find that mother nest egg, let alone rescue people."

"It's true that they rescued the missing people, and it's also true that they occupied the reservoir. I can only report the facts."

Lu Cang gritted his teeth.

That was exactly what annoyed him the most.

The Qinglian Forbidden Zone is not simply an invasion.

It first eliminates the threat and saves humanity, then naturally takes over the reservoir.

This left the Ninth Inning with no reason to act immediately.

Su Wan picked up the battle reports scattered on the ground.

After reading the last few pages, her expression was equally solemn, but she did not get angry like Lu Cang.

"Qingshi Reservoir has been polluted by deep-sea eggs, and currently only the lotus can continuously purify the water."

"Even if the Zhenhai Army withdraws now, the Ninth Bureau won't be able to hold that place for a short time."

Lu Cang turned to look at her and said, "So you mean, we should acquiesce?"

Su Wan shook her head: "Captain Lu, I'm just stating the facts. Given the current situation, I think temporarily acknowledging that the reservoir territory belongs to the Qinglian Forbidden Zone is the best option."

Lu Cang sneered: "The best choice? If we acknowledge Qingshi Reservoir today, will we have to acknowledge the entire Lingnan water system tomorrow?"

"They occupy one place, we retreat one place, and in the end, how much land will still belong to humanity?"

Su Wan did not evade his question. She shook her head and said, "Captain Lu, your concerns are valid. Every step the Azure Lotus Forbidden Zone takes to expand, humanity's living space shrinks."

"But the biggest threat now is not a reservoir, but the mother nest in the East China Sea."

"The Ink King has clearly stated that there are a large number of eggs in the ancient underwater city."

"A single unhatched egg can reach the fifth level. If similar things enter the coastal water system at the same time, several cities in eastern Lingnan will suffer."

Upon hearing this, Lu Cang's expression changed instantly.

Su Wan continued, "Furthermore, we are currently facing Chixia Ridge, Changbai Mountain, pollution from abandoned wells, and the East China Sea Mother Nest all at the same time."

"If we start a war with the Azure Lotus Forbidden Zone at this time, the situation will only spiral out of control."

Lu Cang braced his hands on the table, and after a long while, he said in a low voice, "It's not that I can't see them saving people, it's just that I'm afraid that if we take a step back today, we'll never be able to get it back."

Gu Changhe glanced at him.

This sentence is the real reason for Lu Cang's anger; it is not hatred towards the alien beasts, but powerlessness.

Every time the Qinglian restricted area expands, the ninth game can only weigh the options, compromise, and observe.

As the head of the Lingnan branch, he disliked this feeling more than anyone else.

Just then, the communications officer walked into the conference room: "Team Leader Lu, headquarters communications have been connected. Director Zhou has finished reading the battle report for Qingshi Reservoir."

The conference room's large screen lit up.

Zhou Zhenshan appears in the picture; he is sitting on a private plane returning to Beijing.

Zhang Xuanling sat not far away, resting with his eyes closed. Lu Cang took a deep breath and suppressed his emotions: "Director Zhou."

Without exchanging pleasantries, Zhou Zhenshan went straight to the point: "I have already seen the situation at Qingshi Reservoir."

Lu Cang asked in a deep voice, "How does headquarters plan to handle this?"

Zhou Zhenshan said, "The Qinglian Forbidden Zone did indeed overstep its bounds by occupying the reservoir without consultation, but it also destroyed the mother nest and eggs, rescued the missing persons, and protected eastern Lingnan."

These two things should not be mixed up.