Apocalyptic Disaster: I Hoard Billions in Supplies and Kill the Saint

175: Chapter 175 Burning Fruit”Yes!” The group moved quickly, gasping for air as they operated the equipment.

”Sis, why didn’t you bring this liquid out earlier!”

”I didn’t have a need for it before,” Ye Nanxing replied indifferently, ”I also didn’t expect that this fire burns the soul, not the skin.”

Zhao Wei endured the burning sensation: ”Damn, who would dare to go directly into this place?”

”The ones who managed to snatch the fruit before were either true awakened ability users or lunatics with tough lives.”

Chu Yunting: ”Now you know how much this fruit is worth.”

”Anyone who can pick it from a forest with this kind of temperature—”

”Even if they don’t mutate, they are already worthy of the word ’extraordinary’.”

Zhou Cheng put on his gloves, his movements steady and precise: ”We rely on equipment.”

After they finished changing into their equipment, it was already past two in the morning.

At this moment, the boundary of the self-burning forest was like a silent, burning gate of hell.

Waves of scorching heat carrying the smell of scorched earth rushed toward them. At a glance, the entire forest continued to ”self-burn” in the breeze, yet strangely, it showed no signs of spreading.

Flames danced between the trunks, vines, and branches, scorching them, yet always maintaining some kind of ”strange balance.”

The leaves burned but did not fall; the vines burned but did not snap from charring; the bark was charred black but remained full of vitality, as if it were living fire.

”...These are living plants,” Zhou Cheng muttered, sweat from his forehead dripping down his lenses.

”They weren’t set on fire; they are burning on their own.”

Zhang Tianjin clutched his gun and swallowed: ”Then... does that mean this forest itself is a living source of fire?”

Zhao Wei scanned his surroundings: ”No, look at your feet.”

The ground they were standing on was black ash, but within the ash, one could faintly see green shoots emerging in clusters from the scorched earth, unafraid of the heat or fire, and even appearing healthier than ordinary plants.

”Not only are they not dead, but they are growing faster than normal,” Chu Yunting said in a calm tone, ”The temperature, light, and soil here have formed a kind of mutated ecosystem.”

”A fruit that can bear fruit in a place like this... cannot be an ordinary species.”

After installing all protective equipment, Ye Nanxing stood at the forefront of the forest belt, making a final check of the gear.

Her voice was low but clear:

”Confirming once more—”

”Constant-temperature suits are intact, coatings are in place, and communications are switched to short-wave low-frequency mode.”

”After entering, everyone will advance in squad formation. I will be on point for the main attack, Chu Yunting will bring up the rear, and Zhao Wei will be responsible for retreat safety.”

”Zhang Tianjin and Zhou Cheng, focus on searching for fruit, prioritizing confirmation of any unharvested fruit locations.”

”If you discover flame anomalies, drastic temperature differences, or unusual fruit activity—do not touch, take photos, mark the location, and retreat.”

She swept her gaze over everyone:

”Repeat after me—we are here to collect fruit, not to mutate.”

The moment they stepped into the forest line, it felt like they had stepped into the throat of the world.

The heat was not just simple scorching heat, but a searing burn that could penetrate into the crevices of one’s bones.

Pressure rushed toward them, as if the entire forest was breathing, each breath a flame-like gasp.

Zhao Wei cursed under his breath: ”What kind of forest is this? This is a fucking fiery purgatory.”

The ground was scorching. Even with the specially insulated soles of her shoes, Ye Nanxing still felt a slight tingling sensation under her feet. The soil was as dry and hard as pottery. Stepping on it, one could even hear a slight ”crackle,” as if something inside was being burned and split apart alive.

Yet the surrounding plants... were still growing.

The branches and leaves were lush and green, vines intertwined, trunks glowing red, and the leaves were burning with flames yet not charred.

These flames were not burning them, but seemed to be an existence ”attached” to their surfaces, like symbiosis, like parasitism.

”This is...” Zhang Tianjin swallowed, ”Real fire is burning, but the plants seem like—they aren’t afraid at all.”

”Why would they be afraid,” Chu Yunting said in a deep voice, ”This forest itself is made of fire.”

Three meters away, a tall tree with a trunk like a charred iron pillar had a piece of fruit hanging from its branches.

The fruit was dark red, its outer shell covered in fine cracks, with a faint light seeping from within, as if someone had sealed a small flame inside.

Ye Nanxing observed for a moment and signaled for Zhou Cheng to record the data.

”The temperature on the fruit is fluctuating between sixty-three and sixty-five degrees.”

”There is slight energy radiation, but it hasn’t exceeded the space stability threshold,” Zhou Cheng responded immediately.

Zhao Wei stood guard in the back, whispering quietly: ”This set of life-saving gear of ours is truly a treasure. At this temperature... an average person wouldn’t even be able to get close.”

Zhang Tianjin sighed in a low voice: ”This isn’t even called ’charcoal grilling’; this is ’rendering fat upon approach’.”

”Those who can enter this forest are either lunatics or people who have already died once.”

Chu Yunting’s eyes narrowed slightly: ”Regardless, those who brought the scorching fruit back truly accomplished what we are doing right now.”

”They deserve respect.”

”Can it enter the space?” Zhao Wei asked.

Ye Nanxing shook her head: ”Not sure if it can be ’space-identified’; it’s too active. We need to take a sample back first.”

She glanced at the surrounding environment, then calmly gave orders:

”Cool down the temperature of the surrounding tree trunks first, then pick it.”

”Zhang Tianjin—assemble the handheld cold-pressure gun.”

”Chu Yunting, Zhao Wei—cover the flame vines on the left and right sides; don’t let them suddenly burn toward us.”

”Zhou Cheng, prepare the sample bag, use the one made of energy-membrane material.”

Zhang Tianjin stepped forward immediately, took out the portable cold-pressure gun from his backpack, set it to ”medium-pressure mode,” and aimed at the middle of the trunk.

”Hiss—” A stream of white-blue air sprayed out, enveloping the trunk and quickly forming a layer of floating ice. Although it only lasted for two or three seconds, it was enough to temporarily lower the air temperature by ten degrees.

Taking advantage of this gap, Zhao Wei leaped up, grabbed the extended metal hook pole, aimed it at the lowest scorching fruit, and carefully rotated, twisted, and slowly pulled it down.

”The fruit didn’t fall off directly,” he gritted his teeth, ”It’s like there’s some kind of growth ’lock’ fixing it in place.”

”Don’t force it,” Ye Nanxing said, ”Cut the stem.”

Chu Yunting pulled out a tungsten steel knife, carefully approached, and with the help of the brief cooling provided by the pressure gun, quickly sliced through the fruit stem.

”Plop—” The fruit fell into the special sample bag, and immediately a faint ”hiss—” sound came from it.

The temperature rose rapidly, and a wisp of white smoke emerged from the fruit’s skin, as if it wanted to break free from being ”sealed.”

”Energy is unstable!” Zhou Cheng warned, ”It must immediately enter the space or be put into a constant-pressure cold storage box.”

”I’ll do it.” Ye Nanxing reached out and brought up the Space Anchor Point.

The edge of the anchor point vibrated slightly after making contact with the fruit, and then a prompt sounded: [New plant energy body successfully identified] [Establish ”Special Fruit Sample Library”?]

She did not hesitate: ”Confirm.”

Hum— The fruit was instantly absorbed by the space, and the scene returned to calm.

Zhao Wei looked around, ”This forest has too much fire; it doesn’t seem like there are many fruit trees that can survive.”

Ye Nanxing suddenly spoke: ”No.”

”The deeper you go—the more trees there are.”

”The places where the fire is fiercest are more likely to have the ’mother plant’.”