Chapter 75: The Devouring Ancient Tree

An hour later, Professor Luo carefully maneuvered the mechanical arms to place the starseed, glowing with a radiant green light, back into the lead box. He looked up at Feng Mo, his expression conflicted, and said, "Kid, you've got yourself a starseed, but I can't tell whether it's a blessing or a curse. This one is known as the Devouring Ancient Tree."

"It's a fruit-bearing tree. If planted on any planet, it could bear fruit in as little as half a year—or it might take a century, depending on conditions."

"The catch is that to bear fruit, it must consume life—be it small creatures or even entire planetary ecosystems. Once planted, the Devouring Ancient Tree will automatically start absorbing life energy, though you can also feed it manually to accelerate the process."

"Moreover, the tree is highly aggressive. Once it enters its growth stage, it will use its branches and leaves to hunt independently. As for the fruit's effect, there's only one: extending lifespan. Each fruit can grant a being an additional century of life."

Feng Mo drew in a sharp breath, now understanding the complicated look Professor Luo had given him earlier. The seed's potential was immense but perilous—an artifact of both miraculous and malevolent power. It offered the chance to extend life, but only at the cost of others' lives. If it fell into the wrong hands, entire worlds could be reduced to barren wastelands in a brutal pursuit of immortality.

Through auction data provided by Star Net Space, Feng Mo knew how rare and valuable life-extending treasures were. A relic that could grant even a decade of extended life often sold for tens of millions of star coins. This meant that the Devouring Ancient Tree's fruit, capable of extending a century, could easily fetch a billion star coins at auction, with insatiable demand.

With such astronomical profits at stake, the temptation to exploit this artifact was immense, and the danger of becoming a target even more so. Revealing the seed too soon could attract all manner of predators—powerful, unscrupulous beings willing to sacrifice anything for immortality. Even in an age where gene warriors could live centuries, and some humans even a thousand years, the value of extending life was immeasurable.

Despite the gravity of the situation, Feng Mo managed a wry smile. "Fortune or misfortune, it's mine to bear. I won't let this treasure fall into the wrong hands, but I also won't rush to make it public. At least not for now. Professor Luo, I'm grateful for your assistance. If you ever need help, I'll do everything in my power to repay you."

His heartfelt words carried genuine sincerity, with a deeper, unspoken message: this discovery must remain a secret. Professor Luo, after a moment's hesitation, understood the implication and replied with a firm nod. "Kid, how about we make a deal? I'll show you a path forward and swear to forget today's events as soon as we leave this room, on the condition that if you ever manage to grow fruit from this tree, you sell me three of them at market price. Deal?"

Without a second thought, Feng Mo agreed, nodding earnestly. Professor Luo seemed pleased with the response, his expression relaxing into a smile. He then gave one final piece of advice: "If you're not planning to reveal the Devouring Ancient Tree anytime soon, you'll be relatively safe for now. But if you ever want to accelerate your development by selling the fruit, you'll need the full backing of the Chu family."

"Marry into the Chu family, like that rascal Xiang over there, and you'll have the protection of one of the Federation's most influential families. Even so, some ancient beings nearing the end of their lifespans won't be deterred, not even by the Chu family's power. Those are the ones you'll need to watch out for."

Professor Luo paused, his voice growing serious. "Once you have a quasi-T5 flagship, most opportunists will think twice before crossing you. Coupled with the Chu family's support, you should be safe enough for a while. Remember these words."

With that, Professor Luo waved them off, turning back to his laboratory bench to resume his work. Despite his aloof demeanor, his concern for Feng Mo was genuine. He had offered practical advice and asked for a favor he knew Feng Mo could deliver, all because he recognized the young man's connection to the Chu family.

"Thank you, Professor Luo," Xiang Rong said, ushering Feng Mo and Chu Yun-jian out of the lab. Once outside, he gave Feng Mo a reassuring pat on the shoulder. "It's just a life-extending treasure. Hide it away for a few years, and when the time is right, the Chu family will have your back. Rest assured, we won't abandon our own."

Xiang Rong's words were meant to put Feng Mo at ease. The Chu family would handle the pressure from the upper echelons, leaving him free to grow stronger without worry.

"Thank you, Uncle. Yun-jian and I will take our leave now," Feng Mo replied with gratitude. Xiang Rong merely waved them off and returned to his duties.

On the way back to Starport One, Chu Yun-jian seemed to wrestle with her thoughts. She hesitated before finally speaking, worried that her words might hurt Feng Mo's pride. "Feng Mo, you could stay with the Chu family for a while. We have one of the Federation's most extensive knowledge bases. It would give you access to starship engineering expertise far beyond what you have now. Once you've fully grasped the T4 warship schematics, then you could return to the Storm Star System."

Feng Mo laughed softly. "Are you trying to recruit me as a live-in son-in-law? If so, you'd better prepare a bride price. I can't join without something to my name."

Chu Yun-jian's face flushed, and she stammered in embarrassment, "You're so shameless! Always joking around. Are you coming to the Chu family or not?"

"Yun-jian, I appreciate the offer, but I can't stay. As for the T4 warship, I'm making progress. I'm confident that I'll have the design ready when I get back," Feng Mo said, giving her hand a playful squeeze. "I won't be your live-in son-in-law, but if you're willing to marry me, I'll graciously accept—provided the dowry includes a T4 fleet."

His teasing words made Chu Yun-jian's face burn even hotter. She pulled her hand away and punched his shoulder twice, hard enough to make him wince, even though she was holding back. Being a Tier 3 gene warrior, she could have done much more damage.

Seeing his pain, a hint of worry flashed in her eyes, but her embarrassment soon overpowered it, and she delivered two more blows, her frustration mixed with a faint, unspoken affection.

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