A large crowd stood under the eaves, filling the corridor outside so densely that not a gap remained.
Su Ling, a lollipop in her mouth, watched the hailstones slowly pile up, almost reaching the height of the steps under the eaves.
After a moment of thought, she gathered strength in her palm and shot out a ball of flames, beginning to burn the hailstones in front of her.
Soon, the hailstones met the fire and slowly melted under its scorching heat.
Su Ling raised an eyebrow slightly. She put away the flames and scanned the crowd, her gaze landing on Zhang Wenbin. "Uncle Zhang, how about we use these hailstones as a training tool for your people to practice their abilities?"
Zhang Wenbin was a smart man. Having just witnessed Su Ling's demonstration, he understood immediately.
Nodding to Su Ling, he immediately instructed his subordinates to separate by ability type and then begin practicing on the hailstones.
For abilities that were less useful, such as earth or wood manipulation, they were assigned to the vegetable garden.
The seeds they received needed to be planted, and their abilities were perfectly suited for this task.
Su Ling's own people also dispersed according to their abilities, going to guide those they were responsible for.
Soon, the crowded corridor became empty as everyone began practicing their abilities.
On the ground, which was too crowded to even stand on, hailstones the size of bowls and basins were continuously being melted, shattered, or smashed into countless small fragments, turning into water that gurgled and flowed into the drainage ditches.
There were people stationed in almost every corner of the outpost, wherever the hailstones could reach.
This truly achieved a dual purpose: clearing the hailstones and practicing abilities.
Those who had left for the vegetable garden had discovered a new world. They were now busy as could be, their faces beaming with joy, each one eager to showcase their abilities and become the most skilled.
Seeing the seeds they planted sprout, grow, mature, bloom, and bear fruit under the influence of their abilities was a source of immense satisfaction.
The thought of their dinner being vegetables and fruits ripened by their own abilities gave them even more motivation.
Rao Can, a lollipop in her mouth, stood with Bai Heqing. Watching grown men weep with joy because they could ripen seeds into fruit, they exchanged smiles and occasionally offered pointers to those with slightly less proficient abilities.
As for the earth ability users, they continued to expand their territory, spreading soil onto stony ground, awaiting the planting of seeds.
Everyone's abilities were not inexhaustible and would eventually be depleted.
When this happened, they would typically stop for a break, drink the water provided by Su Ling, and wait for their abilities to recover.
Su Ling treasured her crystal cores and was unwilling to share them generously.
Their arrival had already provided significant help to the personnel of this island outpost. If they were to continue giving crystal cores unconditionally for ability recovery, that would not be acceptable.
Crystal cores were the currency of the apocalypse.
The outpost personnel would eventually possess them, but not now, and not from them.
In the future, when the outpost became a sanctuary and home for the survivors of the apocalypse, crystal cores would flow in continuously.
While they were indeed providing a home for the apocalypse survivors, they could not do so without any cost.
Coming to the island also required an entrance ticket.
And crystal cores were that entrance ticket.
As for how many crystal cores a person would need to successfully get onto the island, that would depend on Zhang Wenbin's decision.
Five, ten, fifteen... the number of crystal cores would also depend on their color and quality.