The Return of Stars to the Jianghu

Chapter 119 Beasts in the Martian Oasis Enter the Cave

Known universe, solar system, Mars outpost, three phases of project.

Luo Yan and Shen Cheng once again entered the conference room under the arrangement of their superior, Du Qi.

The two men, dressed in indoor spacesuits, sat opposite Duzi.

It has been more than a month since the two of them last went out on a field mission to repair a spacecraft belonging to Country A.

"The higher-ups decided to upgrade your security clearance to Level D, thanks to Captain Zhang's efforts. You will be participating in Project Mars Oasis." Du Qi handed the two a tablet. "This is the content of your first mission."

Luo Yan took it and exclaimed in surprise, "An oasis on Mars?"

“Yes, the animals from the other side of the tunnel brought over plant seeds that have sprouted on Mars,” Du Qi said.

"Did those wild beasts bring seeds with them when they crossed over?" Shen Cheng asked, puzzled.

"Uh-huh," Du Qi coughed awkwardly and said, "Some of the seeds in the feces are probably indigestible for these wild beasts."

"Wild beasts have been appearing intermittently near the oasis?" Luo Yan read the action guide.

“Yes, you can use the Sparrow Flying Machine this time. It will take three days to reach the oasis,” Du Qi said.

"Why send us?" Shen Cheng asked.

“I don’t know. I originally suggested that the security team go. Captain Zhang said to avoid alerting the enemy and suggested sending new recruits. I said to send these new astronauts. He then said he wanted experienced new recruits. In the end, he recommended the two of you. The A-level and S-level recruits agreed, so we arranged for the two of you to go,” Du Qi said.

"What is the purpose of this operation?" Luo Yan asked.

"Team Leader Zhang said to check the growth of the plants and see if there are any signs of wild animal activity. If you encounter any wild animals, do not attack, run away immediately," Du Qi said.

"What else did Captain Zhang say?" Luo Yan pressed.

Du Qi shook his head and said, "That's all, that's all."

The two exchanged a glance, both understanding that this mission might not be so simple. However, they also knew that this was their only chance to find out the truth.

“Okay, we accept the mission,” Shen Cheng said.

Du Qi nodded and said, "Then get ready, we'll set off first thing tomorrow morning."

The two left the meeting room and returned to their dormitory.

"Do you think there's anything wrong with this mission?" Luo Yan asked.

Shen Cheng thought for a moment and said, "I think Captain Zhang is definitely hiding something. But we can only follow his instructions."

“Well, in any case, we must proceed with caution,” Luo Yan said.

The two began preparing for tomorrow's mission. They knew it might be dangerous, but they were also prepared to deal with it.

Early the next morning, they boarded the Sparrow Spaceship and embarked on their journey to the Martian oasis. As the spaceship ascended, they witnessed the magnificent scenery of Mars. The red planet was covered with craters and dunes.

Three days later, they successfully reached the oasis.

The sight before them astonished them. A lush, verdant forest, teeming with diverse plants, resembled a tropical rainforest on Earth. Following the directions, they found the observation point Zhang had described.

The two hid in a concealed spot and began to observe the oasis. They discovered that it not only had plants, but also a variety of animals. Some creatures they had never seen before moved about in the woods, appearing very active.

In the middle of the oasis was a cloud of black mist, from which many wild beasts emerged in a continuous stream.

Shen Cheng immediately informed Du Qi at headquarters via radio about the situation.

"Don't land the aircraft. I'll send the security team over immediately," Du Qi said over the radio.

“Wait, Du Qi, we’ve found something,” Luo Yan said.

"What?" Du Qi asked.

“There is a black mist in the middle of the oasis, and many wild beasts are constantly emerging from it,” Shen Cheng added.

"Black mist? Are you sure?" Du Qi asked in surprise.

“Yes, we saw it with our own eyes,” Luo Yan said definitively.

“Okay, I’ll notify Captain Zhang and the others immediately. Don’t act rashly, keep an eye on things,” Du Qi said.

The two continued to observe the oasis and the black fog. They noticed that the beasts seemed very excited after emerging from the fog, as if they were searching for something.

"Luo Yan, don't you think these wild beasts look like they're looking for food?" Shen Cheng said in a low voice.

“It’s possible, but this oasis is enough for them to survive, so why would they need to go looking for food?” Luo Yan asked, puzzled.

The two continued their observation, trying to find more clues. Suddenly, they spotted a huge figure emerging from the black mist. This figure was much larger than the other beasts, and it seemed to be commanding them.

"What is that?" Shen Cheng asked in surprise.

"I don't know, but judging from its aura, it should be the leader of these beasts," Luo Yan said.

"It looks like a lion," Shen Cheng said.

“Yes, that makes sense. Lions are the king of beasts. Even if the security team uses the fastest Kunpeng flying vehicle, it will take at least an hour for them to arrive, right?” Luo Yan said.

"We probably won't use the Kunpeng flying vehicle; at most, we'll use the Crow flying vehicle," Shen Cheng said.

“That means it will take three hours to get here,” Luo Yan said.

"It should be," Shen Cheng replied.

The two continued to observe and discovered that the lion was directing the wild animals to move in one direction.

“They seem to be looking for something,” Luo Yan said.

“We have to follow them and see,” Shen Cheng said.

“But Du Qi told us to keep an eye on things and not to act rashly.” Luo Yan hesitated.

“We just followed them quietly, without disturbing them,” Shen Cheng said.

The two decided to follow them and cautiously left the observation point, heading in the direction the beasts were heading. From the monitor footage, they discovered the beasts were heading towards an underground cave.

"What do we do? The monitors aren't capturing any footage anymore," Luo Yan said.

"Such a large oasis, all grown from seeds brought by these animals? That's really strange." Shen Cheng changed the subject.

“This oasis isn’t very big, and there aren’t many animals on it, so the animals that appeared in the black mist have all gone into the caves,” Luo Yan said.

"In other words, there is a large underground cavity that can accommodate these animals," Shen Cheng said.

The two hesitated for a moment, unsure whether they should continue to explore the subject.

“We need to go down and take a look,” Luo Yan said.

"But what if there's danger?" Shen Cheng asked with some concern.

“We brought weapons and equipment, and this isn’t the first time we’ve faced danger,” Luo Yan said.

Deciding to take the risk, the two donned spacesuits, disembarked from the spacecraft, and cautiously made their way to the cave entrance. The cave was pitch black, so they turned on their flashlights and carefully made their way forward.

The cave was very damp, and a strange smell filled the air. After walking for a while, they suddenly heard a strange sound, as if something was moving.

"Be careful!" Luo Yan whispered.

The two immediately stopped and cautiously observed their surroundings. They noticed many holes in the cave walls, and it seemed as if something was spying on them from these holes.

“It’s those wild beasts!” Shen Cheng exclaimed in surprise.

They saw some wild animals poking their heads out of the cave entrance, staring at them fiercely. The two men immediately raised their weapons, ready to deal with any potential danger.

However, the beasts did not attack immediately, but continued to stare at them. Shen Cheng and Luo Yan found this very strange; they had no idea what the beasts wanted to do.

Suddenly, a tremendous roar echoed from the depths of the cave, and the enormous lion appeared. It walked in front of the beasts, stared at Shen Cheng and Luo Yan for a moment, and then abruptly turned and walked deeper into the cave.

The wild animals followed the lion, leaving Shen Cheng and Luo Yan standing there in a daze.

"What's going on?" Luo Yan asked.

"I don't know, but they don't seem to intend to attack us," Shen Cheng said.

The two decided to venture deeper into the cave to see what the beasts were looking for. They carefully followed the animals' tracks, heading deeper into the cave.