The apocalypse struck, and I became a druid.

Page 243

Instead, it relies on a relatively flat basin area.

This place is very close to the outer waters, separated only by a few mountain peaks.

From afar, what comes into view is a majestic city wall made of wood and earth and stone, more than ten meters high, with thick metal spikes embedded in the wall, and many awakened ones patrolling on the top of the wall.

Behind the city wall lies a cluster of buildings standing side by side.

Unlike the military style of the Sword of Judgment, the architecture here is more diverse, including simple prefab houses and wooden huts, as well as brick and stone buildings rebuilt using materials from ruins.

The entire settlement area is extremely large, with a dense flow of people, far surpassing even Biyun or the Sword of Judgment, and the population is estimated to be at least tens of thousands.

However, most of these people are ordinary people, and the proportion of awakened individuals is very low.

In this environment, the planning of settlements has become like that of ancient times, with the need to defend against invasions from other places through city walls.

The fact that the Aoki Gang could build a settlement the size of a village and this towering city wall in just one or two months is enough to demonstrate their strength.

What's even more striking is that in the central area of ​​the cluster, there are more than a dozen towering trees with canopies that exude a rich life energy.

To remain evergreen in freezing conditions is truly remarkable.

"That is the core of the Green Wood Clan, known as the 'Ancient Tree of Life,' which is the foundation of their existence."

Li Feng introduced the situation at the right time.

"The Aoki Group is mostly composed of awakened individuals from the wood and plant systems, and they have unique insights into agriculture and ecological construction."

"The Ancient Tree of Life..."

Han Ning gazed at the tall tree in the distance.

To be honest, calling it an ancient tree of life is a bit of an exaggeration.

These dozen or so large trees may look big, but in reality, their energy fluctuations are only slightly stronger than those of the blackwood.

He had heard Li Feng mention the Aoki Group before.

In fact, these large trees are not the property of the Aoki Gang, and this land, in particular, belongs to a group of native races.

Aoki Dan reached an agreement with this group of native races to live together.

They live by relying on the big tree and are responsible for protecting the tree from attacks by Kuroshio creatures.

They were allies.

"It's Commander Zheng of the Sword of Judgment! Let them through immediately!"

From a distance, the Awakened Ones standing on the city wall spotted Han Ning and his group, and recognized Zheng Weiguo, who was in charge.

Kaka~

The heavy wooden door slowly opened, revealing a rather uneven road inside.

"Thanks for your hard work."

When facing outsiders, Zheng Weiguo maintained a dignified demeanor.

With his back ramrod straight, he rode the giant wolf into the passage.

Just as the team was approaching the entrance, another team arrived from the side and rear.

The group consisted of about ten people, walking on foot, without riding any animals.

When they saw the group led by the Sword of Judgment, especially Zheng Weiguo and Li Feng, they noticeably slowed down.

The leader, a middle-aged man with a scar on his face and an imposing presence, quickly signaled the group to stop and let the Sword of Judgment's group go first.

He spurred his mount forward a few steps, stopping a few meters away from Zheng Weiguo's horse. He then clasped his hands in a respectful gesture and said loudly:

"Commander Zheng, Captain Li, I didn't expect to run into you here."

Zheng Weiguo remained seated on the Frost Wolf, giving the man a gentle nod: "Chief Wang, you've arrived too."

Li Feng smiled in return, asking, "Was the journey smooth?"

"It went fairly smoothly, except for a few minor troubles, which we resolved."

The middle-aged man known as Chief Wang adopted a humble attitude, his gaze sweeping over Han Ning, who was riding alongside Zheng Weiguo, and the relatively unfamiliar faces of the people behind him.

Although somewhat puzzled, I didn't ask further, simply nodded politely in acknowledgment, and then stepped aside.

"Commander Zheng, please go first."

This scene was witnessed by some guards at the entrance to the fortress and a few pedestrians entering and leaving the gathering area.

Someone recognized the team that arrived later and whispered among themselves:

"Is that Chief Wang of the Kunpeng gathering area? He's considered quite prominent even among medium-sized gathering areas."

"Yes, I didn't expect him to be so polite to the people of the Sword of Judgment..."

"Nonsense, that's Commander Zheng of the Sword of Judgment, the leader of one of the five major settlements, and a man from the military. How could Chief Wang not be respectful?"

"Who are those unfamiliar faces around Commander Zheng? They don't seem to be from the Sword of Judgment..."

Amidst whispers and curious, awe-inspiring gazes, the Sword of Judgment's team was the first to enter the Aoki Clan through the entrance.

The teams in the Kunpeng gathering area waited quietly behind them until they had completely entered before stepping forward for inspection.

Although the city's roads were congested, they were still relatively orderly.

There are various simple shops, or stalls, on both sides of the street.

There were some food, weapons, materials, and some strange otherworldly items on display.

Most of the pedestrians looked pale and sickly, but their spirits were relatively good. When they saw Zheng Weiguo and the others, they all cast curious glances at them.

The scenery inside the Aoki Group wasn't anything special.

It's comparable to some of the slums in my previous life.

However, given the current scarcity of resources, it is still a top-tier residential area.

The survivors living nearby were not poor either. When they saw the newcomers, they made way for Han Ning and his group to go first.

As Han Ning walked, he noticed a few figures that seemed out of place among the passersby.

It was a creature that looked completely different from humans.

They are only about 80 or 90 centimeters tall, covered in grass, and look like a moving egg.

The eggshell was covered with grass, and it had no hands, but a pair of feet resembling mushroom stems extended from below.

“Those are the otherworldly creatures that cooperate with the Green Wood Clan, which we call the Green Egg Clan,” Li Feng introduced at the right time. “This clan is not very strong, has low intelligence, and has no heritage. They are essentially vassals of the Ancient Tree of Life.”

"Although they have many shortcomings, they can cultivate crops and ensure their survival, making them a very important race to us."

"Unfortunately, the Green Egg tribe only lives by clinging to these trees and refuses to leave their habitat."

"Is that so..." Hearing Li Feng say this, Han Ning and the others felt like they had seen the world.

It's rare to see these strange and other creatures from another world if you don't go out for a visit.

As they chatted, the group stopped in front of a relatively intact five-story building, which had been temporarily converted into a meeting place.

It's probably the most prestigious building in the entire cluster.

"We've arrived." Zheng Weiguo got out of the car and straightened his collar. "The people from the other gathering areas should be almost all here as well."

"Commander Zheng, captains, welcome!"

Commander Zheng certainly has the air of a leader.

Upon arrival, awakened individuals immediately came to greet them, acting like waiters in ancient times, and personally led the wolf pack to another place to rest.

"Snow Cake, you'll have to make do for a bit. Go and rest with the others."

Han Ning jumped off Xuebing's back, patted the scales on its forelimbs, and said.

Since the snow cake is so big, it's definitely not suitable for it to go inside and have a meeting. It can only stay with the lower animals for the time being.

"Woo~"

When facing other people or enemies, Xuebing is a fierce and ruthless killer.

But in front of Han Ning, Xuebing is still just a child.

It whimpered obediently and, without needing any prompting from the Aoki Group, followed along with great initiative.

"Chief Han, after the meeting, I will speak to Aoki's leader specifically. Your partner is actually no weaker than him and doesn't need to stay with these low-level animals."

Zheng Weiguo noticed the interaction between Han Ning and Xuebing and smiled.

Just kidding, this ferocious lizard is probably even more ferocious than his captains, yet it's keeping company with those low-level animals. Even Zheng Weiguo can't stand it.

"Then I'll trouble you."

Han Ning didn't really care, but he wouldn't refuse any special privileges.

The group entered the building and arrived at a spacious conference room on the first floor.

The conference room was simply decorated, with a large oval table in the center, where many people were already seated.

There were several rows of chairs around the long table, clearly for accompanying personnel.

This conference room is very large; almost the entire floor has been converted into a meeting space.

By this time, the conference room was already quite full, almost completely packed with people.

When Zheng Weiguo, Han Ning and his group entered, the previously noisy conference room immediately quieted down, and almost all eyes turned to them.

As one of the five major gathering areas, the Sword of Judgment, along with Zheng Weiguo and his several captains, is well-known and naturally attracts attention.

But soon, many people's eyes fell on Han Ning and his companions, who were relatively unfamiliar to Zheng Weiguo.

These gazes have different meanings.

There was curiosity, scrutiny, doubt, and a slight hostility.

The only thing they did not do was to underestimate them.

Are those who can stand shoulder to shoulder with Zheng Weiguo weak?

Those sitting here are all powerful figures or key members of their respective communities, exuding a strong aura and radiating a powerful sense of mental pressure.

They are not stupid.

Han Ning remained calm as his gaze swept across the entire room.