Although the vast technological knowledge bank carried by the Iridium Star R19 Fleet was no longer available, Bai Zhongqi had not spent three years in the Deep Sleep Learning System for nothing. Coupled with the Swarm system's biomitic manufacturing capabilities that Zero controlled, Bai Zhongqi optimistically estimated that he could elevate the technological level of Yimoduoya from the Middle Ages to sowhat more advanced than Earth's old era, to a lower-level Interstellar Civilization of about level 7, which ans having the initial ability to travel within a planetary system to obtain resources from other planets in the system and basically mastering controlled nuclear fusion.
Another advantage was that Yimoduoya should have the achievents of a previous Interstellar Civilization; if they could access so of the technologies in the Ruins, they should be able to elevate the civilization level to an even higher level.
Let's not forget that the Swarm Civilization, which Zero represented, was not a civilization form that could be asured by the civilization level of the Galaxy. Swarm Civilization could constantly acquire DNA and enhance its civilization power on its own.
In the research of Iridium Star, there was a very fitting description of the Swarm: "If there really is a creator in the universe, then it has written all the secrets of the cosmos into life itself. The DNA of carbon-based life forms already hides too many secrets. Biotechnological civilizations like the Swarm Civilization have chosen an advancent route completely different from chanical civilizations; they explore life itself and benefit from the cosmic truths left in life by the creator, then reflect these benefits onto themselves. In such a way, Swarms can develop into a terrifying power in a very short period of ti. It is also because of their rapid developnt and expansion properties that other civilizations in the Galaxy call them natural disasters and are highly vigilant."
Bai Zhongqi had already learned from the people of Riverside Village that the lordship within these mountains was known as Mount Ranji, ruled by a lord who had governed Mount Ranji for three generations. Considering that since the last Era of the Dragon, this territory had always been managed by one family from the ti of its reestablishnt to the present. Mount Ranji was inaccessible by road, with the endless Great Snow Mountains, an uninhabited area, to the north and other lords' territories to the south, which were extrely inconvenient for mountain warfare, thus making Mount Ranji naturally impregnable.
Though the territory of Mount Ranji was all mountainous, the Poshui River, originating from the Great Snow Mountains, had torn through the mountains, forming a vast basin plain within the mountains, covering more than ten thousand square kiloters. The water and soil conditions were excellent here; despite the lord's violent levying of taxes, the local people were very affluent. Zero sent its newly manufactured small pterosaur beasts to scout and discovered that two-thirds of the land in this plain was still in a state of wasteland.
Bai Zhongqi's current plan was to go to the basin plain of Mount Ranji, eliminate that lord, claim the land for himself, and then have Zero plant Chlorophyll Beasts and Photovoltaic Beasts there to begin his own Swarm Army Expansion Plan. Chlorophyll Beasts could provide organics, while Photovoltaic Beasts efficiently utilised solar energy as power, thus greatly enhancing Bai Zhongqi's ability to expand the Swarm.
The Swarm's carbon-fixing capacity was quite terrifying; the most extre case Bai Zhongqi had heard of was when the Swarm placed a group of Chlorophyll Beasts on five percent of a planet, and just three years later, the carbon dioxide in the planet's atmosphere had completely disappeared.
Just as Bai Zhongqi was eager to take down Mount Ranji, Zero suddenly pointed to the mountains behind them and said, "There seems to be dense smoke in the mountains, likely in the direction of Riverside Village."
Zang Murenqing and Ze Pei's expressions changed, "Could sothing have happened to Riverside Village?"
Without hesitation, Bai Zhongqi turned his horse around and said, "We have been sheltered by the village, we cannot ignore this, let's go back imdiately and see what's happened!"
"Yes!" the two disciples responded.
Zang Murenqing looked at Bai Zhongqi galloping ahead and admired him. In this world, the best thing to do was to not ddle in the affairs of others, and as the son of a lord, his father had always told him, if you see injustice in other territories, don't get involved, don't bring trouble upon yourself. However, he was born with a sense of justice, unable to bear the sight of suffering in the world. He was willing to beco Bai Zhongqi's disciple, not only because Bai Zhongqi was a "dragon slayer" with high wisdom and insight but also because Bai Zhongqi was his kind of person, a typically good man.
The four rode back to Riverside Village to find that the village was already engulfed in raging flas.
The two young n were furious and heartbroken.
Bai Zhongqi's expression was also cold and solemn, but then Zero sent the Thief Dragon Beast through the fire for a round and reported to Bai Zhongqi, "Of the nearly hundred households in the village, only four or five people died, but most of the bodies weren't found; they must have been taken away."
Bai Zhongqi frowned slightly and said, "Could they have been looted by bandits?"
Ze Pei speculated, "I'm afraid they've been abducted by so lord's private army."
Zang Murenqing also realized, "Yes, it's almost the Era of the Dragon, lords want to capture people to satisfy the demands of the Evil Dragon, it must be so."
Bai Zhongqi said, "Since their purpose is to offer tribute to the dragon, then the lives of most villagers should still be guaranteed. We must pursue imdiately without delay."
Ze Pei nervously said, "But Teacher, we are only four people, and they might be a private army of several hundred. Can we handle them?"
Zang Murenqing boldly proclaid, "Ze Pei, worrying is useless. We have Gatling guns and rocket launchers, and with Teacher and Master Zero present, even if we have to battle the lord's private army, we will fight them head-on."
Slapping his thigh, Ze Pei said, "That's right, if we can't even defeat these cowardly dogs of the lords, then what's the talk of slaying a dragon!"
Bai Zhongqi smiled slightly and said, "Don't speak as if you've made up your mind; when did I say we only have four people?"
Zang Murenqing asked in surprise, "Teacher, do you have other reinforcents?"
Bai Zhongqi gave Zero a aningful look, and with a sweet smile, Zero waved a silver-shining gate into existence, then from the gate erged a large, ard helicopter.
This helicopter was of course not an actual helicopter but a large Combat Beast that Bai Zhongqi had designed to resemble one. Made partially of alloy and partially of carbon-based composite materials, it sowhat resembled the Twin-Blade Helicopter from the ga Red Alert 3, featuring an alternating twin-rotor layout. Besides its formidable attacking capability, the Twin-Blade Combat Beast had a cabin that could accommodate dozens of people, capable of deploying a platoon's worth of troops in one go.
Of course, Bai Zhongqi wouldn't leave the cabin empty; apart from the four of them, Zero brought out twenty-seven combat humanoid beasts, each ard with an automatic rifle beast, along with other weaponized beasts like the machine gun beast.
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