Shen Feng breathed a sigh of relief after hearing the reports from his subordinates about the outside world. He knew his plan had been completed, and very smoothly at that. Although the grain he had distributed was subsequently collected by others in an emergency, he had successfully instigated internal strife among these people. In the future, they would continue to fight amongst themselves rather than forming a united front, thus weakening their own strength.
"There are still two more thorny issues. One is the manufacturing of rockets, which requires extensive scientific research and the guidance of many scientists. The other is salvaging the meteorite. If rockets are built but the meteorite is not found, then building the rockets will have been in vain!" Shen Feng then clarified his goals. His ultimate objective was to end this apocalypse.
However, even though the rocket launch center had been found, building actual rockets was not an easy task. It would require at least a hundred thousand people to have a chance of success, not to mention the supply of various resources. In reality, these were minor issues. The most troublesome part was finding the meteorite. Yue Hengyi had searched for over half a year without success, and others were even less capable.
"I plan to go out to sea. Although I'm not sure if I can find the meteorite, it is crucial at this moment. I must depart. If I'm lucky, I'll find it. If not, I'll return. By the way, I'll also kill some sea beasts to obtain enough evolution crystals, as many people are stuck at the sixth-tier ability user level. To help them break through, sufficient evolution crystals are necessary!" Shen Feng shared his thoughts with those around him. It turned out he now intended to search for the meteorite.
His idea was immediately met with opposition from others. They all understood that Shen Feng's current significance was immense, and he could not leave arbitrarily. Furthermore, the hydroelectric power station was barely usable, and everyone relied on wind power for energy. If he were to leave now, it would undoubtedly deal a blow to Yuzhou's morale.
Therefore, people vehemently opposed Shen Feng's departure, offering the ready excuse: "If you leave at this time, it will likely cause many upheavals. It's best if you stay here. Let others search for the meteorite at sea; they can at least bring back some news!"
Shen Feng asked helplessly, "Besides me, who else can move freely on the sea?"
"Brother-in-law, have you forgotten my abilities? I can take many people out to sea with me. Although my combat power isn't very strong right now, I can bring along people with powerful combat capabilities. That way, there won't be any problems!" Chang Haojie said at this moment.
Shen Feng looked at Chang Haojie and replied, "If it's you, you can indeed operate at sea. However, I also have my concerns. If you encounter any accidents at sea, you might not have the ability to handle them."
"It's because you've always treated me like a child. If you trust me, you must trust me completely. I have enough ability to protect myself, and I can also bring a few friends with me. I believe this will absolutely ensure my safety," Chang Haojie said earnestly.
He had always been indignant about being overlooked, feeling that he was always underestimated. Clearly, he now possessed the ability to move freely on Earth, yet his sister and brother-in-law still didn't believe him.
Shen Feng then looked at Chang Jianyi beside him and asked, "He is your brother, after all. You make the decision. Don't let me voice my opinion alone. Don't you agree?"
Actually, Shen Feng found it difficult to say much about this matter. After all, he was Chang Jianyi's brother. It was best for her to make the decision at this point.
"He is already married and has grown up. He can make his own decisions. I can't control him!" Chang Jianyi said.
After hearing his senior sister say this, Shen Feng understood that she most likely agreed to his request, meaning she hoped her brother could go to sea to search for the meteorite.
"Since your sister doesn't object, I'll agree to your request. Bring several people with strong combat power with you and head out to sea. As long as the flight altitude is high enough, you won't encounter too much danger, but all supplies must be carried in full! If you really can't find the meteorite, then find a way to kill some sea beasts and bring back the evolution crystals, but be careful, as these sea beasts can also use abilities," Shen Feng said.
Upon hearing this, they all nodded and replied, "I will definitely prepare the supplies and depart. Please rest assured."
Shen Feng nodded. It was wonderful that someone could share his burdens. In the past, he had to personally handle every major and minor issue. While this brought him great acclaim, it ultimately exhausted him. However, the situation had changed. Many of the children he had nurtured had grown up, and besides being exceptionally capable, they were also very loyal and would never betray him.
After Chang Haojie made his preparations, he set off directly with a few of his close companions, heading towards the southern ocean.
Beside Chang Haojie were Qu Zhaoqian and Wang Xiqiang. The three of them were known as the Three Heroes of Yuzhou, a title they had given themselves. As young heroes, they were indeed worthy of such a title. Thus, the trio set off as a team, carrying ample supplies, and flew towards the distance on clouds. Flying in the sky, they had no worries about encountering sudden dangers, as most ground-dwelling animals could not reach them, and birds in the sky would be detected and killed before they got close.
Wang Xiqiang's abilities were also immensely powerful at sea. His ability was to crystallize matter. The sea was abundant with water and salt. As long as he unleashed his ability, countless salt crystals in the ocean would form into deadly weapons, instantly freezing many sea beasts.
After departing, the three eagerly headed south, preparing to achieve great deeds. While they had already distinguished themselves in many wars and performed admirably, those battle scenes were relatively small-scale and not considered particularly noteworthy feats. To truly achieve greatness, they needed to accomplish something monumental. Finding the meteorite now would be enough to etch their names in history.
However, when the three arrived in the Southeast Asian region, they witnessed many shocking scenes. Before their eyes lay vast expanses of ruins. Countless villages had been reduced to rubble, and on many islands, there was no sign of life, neither animals nor plants. This was because vast amounts of volcanic ash had buried the surrounding land. Walking on the beaches, one could not find sand, only layers of pumice.
The entire Southeast Asian region was incapable of growing crops. The soil appeared entirely black. After digging down for a considerable depth, about forty centimeters, one could finally see the original appearance of the land.
It turned out that the ground had been buried by volcanic ash. A massive eruption from the Toba volcano had spewed volcanic ash that buried the surrounding areas. Many small islands had been submerged by tsunamis, while the volcanic eruption had formed new islands. Maps were practically useless here, as many of the islands had drastically changed.
Perhaps after decades, life might return to this place, but the people who had died here would never come back.
"No wonder they told us to bring more supplies. It turns out that no supplies can be obtained from the outside anymore. The food we've brought is only enough for a month. If we can't find a food source, we'll probably have to return early," Chang Haojie couldn't help but shake his head and sigh after seeing the current situation. He had initially thought his main task was to search for sea beasts and the meteorite, but now he realized that it wasn't something he could achieve just by wishing for it.
There were no places left to cultivate crops outside, so it was practically impossible to find food anywhere. Many fish had also disappeared from the sea. This was because the oxygen concentration on Earth was continuously decreasing, and a large amount of carbon dioxide had been released into the atmosphere, causing the oxygen concentration in the Earth's atmosphere to decline. Consequently, fish in the water could not obtain sufficient oxygen, their bodies could not grow larger, and they could easily die.
"Since we're already at sea, let's hurry up and complete the mission. I wonder where the meteorite is. If all else fails, we'll prepare to kill sea beasts and obtain a large number of evolution crystals first!" the two people beside Chang Haojie said.
Subsequently, the three young men searched the sea in all directions, riding on clouds and scouring the ocean surface. The seawater at this moment appeared deep blue, while deeper areas were pitch black, with nothing visible. This ocean seemed particularly profound, stretching endlessly, with no indication of land. They had brought magnets to discern north and south, so as not to get lost at sea.
If they discovered any areas with magnetic field anomalies, it would indicate they were close to finding sea beasts and the meteorite, as the meteorite would create a divine domain around it, causing disruptions in the surrounding electromagnetic field, leading to compasses spinning erratically.
Unfortunately, the three young men searched the sea for a long time but found no such areas. Wherever they went, they found no compasses spinning wildly.
Ultimately, they had to focus their attention on the sea beasts in the ocean and find ways to kill them. At this point, Wang Xiqiang played a crucial role.
Although the sea beasts were enormous, their full forms could not be seen at a glance, as long as they approached such a beast, Wang Xiqiang could instantly unleash his ability, creating massive salt pillars in the sea. These salt crystals would instantly envelop the sea beast's body, rendering it immobile. Qu Zhaoqian, on the other hand, would use his ability to accelerate the oxidation of the sea beast's body. The salt would cause the sea beast's body to dehydrate. With proper coordination among the three, they could kill a sea beast in just a few minutes.