Chapter 225: Heritage
Leng Feng was completely dumbfounded. "Picking up people—how are you picking up people?"
"What kind of vehicle are you using?"
As he spoke, he rushed out of the office, heading to where Fei Hu was making the call.
The group organized by Long Yun followed behind him. Although some people hadn’t slept at night, the dungeon was densely populated now, and everyone’s movement space was very limited.
Under the cover of night, Leng Feng led the group through a passage that was still under construction and had not yet opened.
Passing through the crowded residential area, they quickly reached the outskirts, where the population was even denser.
The smell here was even worse than inside, the air thick with a rotting stench, along with some odors left from long neglect.
Further out, the population dwindled, because this area had completely left the dungeon’s protective zone.
This area had already been scorched by fire; blackened earth was everywhere, and the trees looked like charcoal.
The people living here were a bit more relaxed. Originally, they’d just figured that if the Dark Forest crept closer, they’d rush inside no matter what.
Normally, they could still live freely and carelessly.
The bus was crowded, but there was always room to squeeze in; if real danger approached, there would surely be a shelter for everyone inside.
Besides, this area wasn’t affected by the dungeon’s special traits—the ground lacked spikes. Life here was actually easier, and some people from the outer edges, unable to handle the pain underfoot, stayed here temporarily.
Leng Feng ignored them, silently heading to the address Fei Hu had sent out.
This area hadn’t yet been invaded by the Dark Forest.
The initial plan to burn out a fire-separation zone was feasible; if those people hadn’t harbored a vengeful mindset toward the world, the other two ruined cities might have survived.
Soon, Leng Feng spotted Fei Hu.
She was standing in front of an all-black long bus, waving them over as their group approached.
Jiang Che wasn’t at her side.
He’d assumed Jiang Che was coming with people to pick them up—that only with Jiang Che present could the Dark Forest be kept at bay, and could Fei Hu come and go freely.
He hadn’t expected Fei Hu to come alone.
"Is this all the people who are leaving?" Fei Hu glanced at the people following him—just two hundred, the exact agreed number.
"What kind of bus is this?" Leng Feng was stunned. Everyone knew the Dark Forest and its repulsion to living beings.
They’d tried many ways, but none could block the aura of life—there was simply no defense against the Dark Forest’s consumption.
The only solution was high-level humans, which was the most effective method to prevent the Dark Forest’s devouring.
"This bus is made from the Dark Forest itself, using materials from its core. The actual manufacturing was researched by evil spirits."
"Right now, the bus we have can carry up to two hundred people."
"If you want all of Long Yun’s subordinates moved out, I’ll need to make two more trips." Fei Hu started explaining to them.
"The issue is, if you have something that can guard against the Dark Forest, a method of isolation even, why not just use it publicly?" Leng Feng frowned, touching the bus’s exterior—a wood texture unmistakable to the touch.
But it didn’t have any consuming traits.
He could see the principle at a glance—once the Dark Forest was cut down, it lost its vitality, but the forest itself still regarded it as kin.
So the people inside the bus wouldn’t be attacked.
"Because the effect isn’t permanent." Fei Hu already had her explanation ready.
"Besides, aimlessly running through dungeons won’t solve the problem or bring any benefit."
"If the method leaks, it’ll just cause uncontrolled population movement." After Fei Hu finished, Leng Feng stopped arguing.
He’d already planned to absorb the dungeon’s life, so naturally wouldn’t let everyone escape.
Once the Dark Forest sealed their territory, this bus would likely be the only way out.
"You’re not publicizing this method, but can you share it with us?" Leng Feng’s brows were tight. "Currently only dungeon Lords can cross the Dark Forest—it’s extremely inconvenient."
Seeing this bus, he finally really felt the distinction between humans and evil spirits.
If everyone possessed supernatural abilities in future, the Human Realm would be no better than a primitive society.
Evil spirits had deeper reserves than humans.
"Please trust us—we’ve considered this. Soon we’ll teach them how to drive, and establish routes between dungeons with buses running 24/7."
"This way, we control the flow of people between dungeons, and also earn a bit of fare."
She then explained the bus fare standards to Leng Feng.
Even newly advanced ordinary people could easily absorb the energy required.
The fare wasn’t high—it was reasonable.
Looking at the bus, Leng Feng realized—it was the same vehicle they’d used for transport to Dungeon No. 1.
Whether they’d gone to Dungeon No. 1, and what they’d encountered there, he no longer cared to pursue.
Because only Jiang Che and a handful of others had survived; whatever they said, went.
Outsiders had no way to verify.
Now, he suddenly realized something.
"So you’re saying, in the Evil Spirit Realm, this bus could access other dungeons back then too?"
He didn’t give it much thought.
He’d always imagined the dungeons were an array of isolated worlds.
But after witnessing the Evil Spirit Realm’s superiority to the Human Realm, he realized—they too were interconnected, just like the Human Realm.
Fei Hu nodded, and left it at that.
"So, the energy everyone absorbs can be separated from their bodies, and transferred to others?" Leng Feng mused.
"Yes. Only energy willingly detached is pure enough to be absorbed by others—that’s why we charge fare, since transactions are voluntary." Fei Hu explained.
"And one person can’t strip away absorbed energy from themselves. Simply put, newly absorbed spiritual qi can temporarily be held in the palm and passed to someone else."
"The energy condensed each day varies by rank, and has a limit."
"So...," Leng Feng paused—he wanted to ask if everyone’s power could be combined to help one person grow.
"Yes, which is why it has to be voluntary."
"Not everyone’s willing to become someone else’s stepping stone."
At this point, Leng Feng thought of himself.
Yeah—not even they were willing to become nourishment for the Dark Star, sacrifices to fuel its growth.
So the Dark Star’s method was forced absorption—directly draining all energy inside them.