It was an incredibly wondrous forest; whether due to particularly fertile soil or some other reason, saplings barely a hand's breadth yesterday could overnight become towering trees over five meters tall, or grand ancients reaching ten, fifteen, even twenty meters, easily embraced by a single person.
These rapidly generated colossal trees did not suffer from poor wood quality despite their short growth cycle. On the contrary, the timber of these giants surpassed even that of the golden Jinsinanmu wood, compelling one to marvel at the pervasive magic of Saturn.
Scientists from various planets, however, did not simply marvel at the miraculous trees of Saturn like common folk; they were actively analyzing, exploring, and theorizing.
Science has always been a field rife with debate and discussion, countless contradictions. Yet, concerning the rapid growth of trees on Saturn and Jupiter, almost all scientists, unlike their usual temperament, stood on the same battle line, voicing nearly identical opinions.
There must be a groundbreaking new energy source on these two planets that had suddenly materialized into solid bodies!
This new energy source was even capable of stimulating such rapid tree growth! As scientists from all regions successively put forth the same conclusion, the mercenary exploration teams on Saturn and Jupiter grew in number. Anyone not suffering from severe intellectual deficiency could understand the massive significance the discovery of a new energy source would hold for one's future.
Was there truly a new energy source on these two planets? Tens of thousands of mercenaries had already explored, yet no one had ever truly found any new energy. More often, they would coincidentally capture some strange, never-before-seen mutated creatures to sell for profit, replenishing supplies before plunging back into that natural graveyard—a sight that caused one’s hair to stand on end upon the first glimpse—just like the gold rushes in the Americas of yesteryear.
The dense canopy blocked out almost all sunlight, leaving the forest floor exceptionally damp. The fallen leaves did not immediately wither; instead, they slowly decayed on the moist ground, forming a thick layer of rot. Stepping into it often produced a squishing sound.
A Jungle Ranger-model Mobile Armor, specialized for jungle warfare, moved rapidly through the forest, as agile as a jungle cat that had lived among the thickets for years. Occasionally, it would swing the electromagnetic blade in its hand, slicing creatures lurking from unknown directions in half while simultaneously searing them with electricity, leaving them no chance to pose a threat.
"Qin Fen's speed is truly fast," Caesar grumbled occasionally while piloting the Jungle Ranger, most of whose electronic systems were malfunctioning. This place was more troublesome than the data suggested. Not only were the electronic positioning systems dead here, but even the life detection equipment failed completely, unable to scan for biological signatures within a hundred meters.
What Caesar found most intolerable was the complete failure of the trace-tracking electronic system in this natural graveyard. If Du Peng hadn't been somewhat proficient in masking their tracks, and if the two weren't moving so rapidly, Caesar suspected he would have been left behind long ago.
With all electronic systems failing, Caesar simply abandoned the Jungle Ranger’s automatic piloting operating system, maneuvering the mobile armor entirely manually.
Another Acid-Spitting Serpent! Caesar raised his hand and fired an arc of electricity, instantly turning the mutated snake, capable of ejecting corrosive acid, into a piece of black charcoal.
Caesar didn't spare a glance for the corpse underfoot—a creature that had claimed the lives of countless powerful martial artists when it was first discovered.
"Traces of a fight?"
Caesar had tracked for over ten kilometers, observing the chaotic marks everywhere on the ground. Bloodstains, not entirely covered by leaves, marred the surroundings, yet not a single sign of human presence was visible. Chaotic tracks, signs of swords and blades hacking everywhere, and the scorching remnants of close-range gunfire. Such intense evidence of combat, yet not a single body could be found? This could only mean the residual corpses had been dragged away by mutated creatures that passed through recently.
"Attacked by beasts? Or perhaps..." Caesar recalled a line from the briefing on the natural graveyard, left behind by mercenaries who had ventured in multiple times:
The most dangerous entity in the natural graveyard is never the mutated creatures with their varied abilities and savage nature. It is the people—those who entered here harboring the same dreams of wealth!
Caesar surveyed the area. Seeing no sign of mobile armor combat, he deduced that the recent battle here was not between Qin Fen and Du Peng and others, but involved another group entirely.
"Same direction?" Caesar couldn't help but scrutinize the surroundings again, noticing that the direction of departure matched exactly the route Qin Fen and Du Peng were taking.
The area of the natural graveyard was tens of times larger than the Amazon, the largest forest on Earth. Even with large contingents of mercenaries entering this forest, it wasn't an easy task to cross paths.
Caesar refused to believe that fate in fiction truly mirrored reality, where scattered explorers in such a vast forest could coincidentally meet.
"Sometimes, many things that seem coincidental actually hold an underlying necessity," Caesar looked up. "In such a massive forest, having the same bearing—could their target also be the same? How is Qin Fen doing?"
"Another trap!" Qin Fen manipulated the Jungle Ranger, carefully disarming two Type 72 metal-cased anti-tank mines. These monstrous things, with a diameter of 152 millimeters, a height of about 330 millimeters, and a total weight of 8 kilograms, each containing three kilograms of Hexogen, still possessed considerable explosive power—after all, they were once the most potent mines available.
Over a hundred kilometers of road, Qin Fen had already disarmed five sets of high-explosive mines, all of different specifications but uniformly powerful.
Before coming here, Qin Fen had reviewed the local data, knowing that traps laid by previous mercenaries could be anywhere in the natural graveyard, but he hadn't anticipated them being this numerous.
"All installed today," Qin Fen finished dismantling the mine's detonator and cautiously observed the surroundings. The installation of these few mines was extremely skillful; they were clearly the work of jungle warfare experts. He had to observe carefully to ensure there were no other mechanisms nearby.
The sound of an explosion would be immense, capable of traveling vast distances. Qin Fen did not want the blast of a bomb to attract more explorers. In the natural graveyard, a massive explosion often drew other mercenaries.
There was a kind of wealth known as 'dead men's spoils.' A huge roaring explosion could easily cause mass casualties. In this wilderness where there was no law, only the survival rule of the jungle—the strong prey on the weak—most mercenaries, upon seeing an easy opportunity, wouldn't mind playing the part of a robber, murdering and seizing assets.
Qin Fen wasn't afraid of attracting some people, but he didn't want to draw a crowd and turn himself into a forest butcher.
Briefly confirming their direction, Qin Fen signaled Du Peng. The mobile armor let out a low roar, its powerful thrust propelling the two away from the mines at speed.
Accelerate, accelerate, and accelerate further...
Qin Fen skillfully controlled the Jungle Ranger, pressing forward rapidly without wasting a second. If the highest commanding officer of the Saturn Military Region was a member of the Underworld, the security and secrecy system of the entire region could be imagined. No one could guarantee that the communications regarding the new energy source hadn't been intercepted. Reaching the presumed location as fast as possible was the only safe option.
New energy? Qin Fen didn't care much about it. It was merely something that could extend the range and boost the speed of starships or increase the power of modern weaponry—nothing particularly worthy of study for a martial artist. New metal! For the military, it could be used to forge better power cores and thrusters; for martial artists, it could create sharper weapons.
A flash of light suddenly pierced the deep jungle. Qin Fen didn't look at the source of the flash, instead raising his arm to activate the NL34 wrist-mounted device on his gauntlet. Dozens of bullets roared through the gaps between the massive trees, colliding with the incoming missile trailing red fire, instantly triggering an explosion.
An ambush! Qin Fen’s Jungle Ranger executed a series of rapid jumps, evading a sniper shot from an armor-piercing round in the distance. The electronic light blade in his hand transformed into a flying dagger, shooting out and pinning the sniper hidden in the canopy to the tree trunk.
"So fast!"
The attacker who fired the missile watched in astonishment as Du Peng's mobile armor, after using its rounds to detonate two missiles, closed the distance, his eyes wide with shock. He inwardly marveled: What kind of mobile armor warrior is this? A military insignia? Is this a Mobile Armor from the Saturn Military?
The particle blade, erupting with blue electrical light, stopped at the attacker's throat, leaving him frozen in place. A low question came through the not-so-thick armor: "Who are you? Why attack us?"
Qin Fen also landed beside Du Peng at that moment, staring at the attacker with equal confusion.
In the natural graveyard, conflicts between people were common, but those usually occurred when one party was compromised—for instance, after a fierce battle with mutated creatures, suffering heavy losses, they would be attacked by others seizing the opportunity. Under normal circumstances, active provocation was rare, as even a victory might result in a 'mantis stalking the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind' scenario.
The man half-crouching on the ground looked somewhat dazed. Qin Fen detected in his expression that the man seemed to find the question Du Peng asked a bit obvious.
"Heaven?" Qin Fen spotted a not-so-large character, 'Heaven' (Tian), on the man's collar, and immediately understood his origin: a member of the Heavenly Gate Sect!
The man crouching on the ground clearly sensed the character Qin Fen's vision locked onto at his collar. His back straightened slightly—this was the pride of the Heavenly Gate.
On Saturn, aside from the people of the Underworld who would kill upon seeing the character 'Heaven' without a second thought, other factions—including the military forces before them, whose armor bore the Federal Military badge—would normally show deference and avoid provoking them upon recognizing the character.
"I am from the Heavenly Gate."
The middle-aged man, still crouching, straightened his spine a little more. Although he was squatting, the look of superiority in his eyes had already replaced the previous panic and astonishment. For a martial artist of the Heavenly Gate, the worst fear was being killed without the opponent recognizing their identity—that was simply bad luck. Once the Heavenly Gate identity was known, their practitioners possessed an inherent advantage; any force would have to seriously consider the possibility of being hunted by the Heavenly Gate before launching an attack.
Qin Fen looked down at the Heavenly Gate martial artist: "Members of the Heavenly Gate don't usually launch attacks without reason."
The crouching middle-aged man tried to stand up straight but found that the sharp throat-slicing blade did not retreat as he slowly rose. Merely shifting his body slightly brought the pain of the blade edge breaking the skin. His eyes widened in surprise; these two mobile armor pilots, knowing his identity, still treated him this way, showing no intention of backing down. Could they be from the Underworld? Had they stolen two Jungle Rangers from the military?
Qin Fen looked at the crouching man, a faint, bad premonition creeping into his heart: "Why attack us? This isn't typical Heavenly Gate behavior."
The middle-aged man merely sneered at Qin Fen, gesturing toward the blade at his neck, then pointing to the character on his collar, signaling for Du Peng to remove the knife so he could stand up.
Bang! Du Peng’s massive metallic foot stomped heavily onto the middle-aged man’s abdomen, kicking him flying into a large tree, causing the surrounding leaves to shake continuously.
The Heavenly Gate martial artist curled up like a shrimp, his eyes filled with shock and terror, spitting white foam, seemingly unable to believe that the Jungle Ranger would resort to coercion even after learning his identity.
Qin Fen slowly brought his iron mask close to the man's face, his low voice speaking slowly: "Have you heard the name Qin Fen?"
The Heavenly Gate martial artist’s eyes showed initial confusion, then suddenly sharpened as if recalling something, becoming instantly filled with shock and terror. He stared fixedly at Qin Fen’s Jungle Ranger iron mask and spoke haltingly: "You... you... you are Qin Fen...? That Qin Fen from Earth?"
The Jungle Ranger's iron mask slowly rotated up and down. The middle-aged man's Adam's apple bobbed, and his limbs felt a sudden chill. A few days ago, the Heavenly Gate suffered a severe blow in the Golden Triangle on Earth; one of the two elite enforcers under the Tathagata, the Subduing Dragon Arhat, was beaten to death with a single punch. This incident had been the subject of intense gossip within the Heavenly Gate for the past few days, and even lower-level members vaguely knew one name: Qin Fen! This young man, leading a group of youngsters, had suddenly struck the Golden Triangle and killed the Subduing Dragon Arhat who was entrenched there. Moreover, when the young man killed the Subduing Dragon Arhat, he seemed to know that the Arhat was a member of the Heavenly Gate!