Necromancer, summoning 055? What the heck?

Chapter 260 Dongxia's Unrestricted Support Makes the Purple Cloud Tree of Life Bloom

Zhang Changlin adored the little guy, and of course, he could clearly sense that the little guy liked him too.

It could also be that they like the "Fountain of Life" in their hands.

He always felt that he was a bit stupid. Apart from planting trees and protecting forests, he seemed to have no other skills in his life, and his life was always a mess, and he couldn't make sense of it.

Zhang Changlin treats every tree as a child. The trees he plants with his own hands are his own children, while the trees planted by others and cared for by him are his adopted children.

While patrolling the forest, he often chatted with the trees, talking incessantly as he walked. Sometimes, when the mood struck him and he wanted to tell a story, he would deliberately stop and finish the story before continuing on his way.

He was worried that the trees wouldn't hear the end of the story and he wouldn't be able to sleep that night.

He kept these things to himself and never mentioned them to anyone, for fear that people would think he was crazy.

Now that's no longer necessary; a group of experts eagerly await his feedback every day.

Are you happy, sad, or in a stable mood today, little one? Do the trees around you have any opinions? Yes, you don't need to be so specific, just tell me how you feel!
The experts at the research institute are now very clear that, at least among the people they have found so far, Lao Zhang is indeed one of a kind.

The Cihang Engineering Office and the Ziyun Nature Reserve selected a large number of botanists, animal protection experts, greening pioneers, and environmental protection experts... But after comparing them, only this seemingly honest and kind old forest ranger could make Mengya show unreserved closeness.

This is the innate Druidic sacred body of Dongxia!
[Budding] Such a seedling of the Tree of Life, or even the predecessor Tree of Life among the stars, does not necessarily have to avoid living beings. It is just a defensive instinct, a self-protection mechanism, to avoid being harmed when it is vulnerable.

When it encountered this old man whose entire body exuded a natural aura, [Sprout] completely let loose, acting recklessly and even daring to snatch water from Old Zhang.

That day, when they watched helplessly as the budding shoot clung tightly to Old Zhang's arm with its two branches, desperately trying to burrow its tender shoot into the crystal jar of the Fountain of Life, the entire team of experts at the research institute was completely petrified.

That's treatment that makes people incredibly envious!
But this is just the beginning.

The performance of [Sprout] put the expert team in Dongxia at ease.

A being with emotions, capable of interaction, and able to respond positively to kindness, if properly guided, is unlikely to stray too far from its intended path in the future.

Then we should increase our training efforts.

Various nutrient solutions, along with the essence of [Moon Spring] and [Source Essence] transported from the Starry World, were all supplied to [Sprout], except for a small amount reserved for experimental purposes.

This little guy doesn't seem to know what it means to be full.

The Blue Star world, a world devoid of spiritual energy and practically a desert, is extremely unfriendly to the Tree of Life. Although theoretically, as long as it escapes the suppression of the previous Tree of Life's laws, the little guy's sprouting and growth are inevitable processes, the difference in growth speed between having spiritual energy and not having it is like night and day.

The little guy's eating and drinking soon had an effect, a rather strange one.

The "Moon Spring" and "Source Essence" from the starry world, mixed with a nutrient solution carefully formulated by the Eastern Xia Academy of Sciences and rich in various rare elements and active substances, continuously and intensely nourish the [Sprout].

Under this dual, or rather triple nourishment including the Earth's environment, the little guy became...more "robust" at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Yes, it's about being sturdy, not just growing taller; it's like having "hair" growing but not actually growing taller!

Its main branches have become more resilient, exhibiting a unique texture that is warm and smooth like jade, yet subtly lustrous. The edges of the originally thick and broad leaves have become even more elegant and graceful, with a faint, shimmering green light seemingly flowing within the veins.

Its height seems to be limited by some invisible rule, stopping steadily at about one meter, no longer rising upwards, but instead starting to grow leaves continuously. Technicians count the number of its leaves every day, and in the past week, it has added more than 400 new leaves!

[Budding] is like a cultivator who is tempering his bones and strengthening his foundation, using all the massive energy and matter he has absorbed to refine every inch of his "skin" and every "vein".

Its greed for [Moon Spring] has grown ever stronger; a whole bottle of [Moon Spring] isn't even enough for it to drink for half a day!

Every day, when Academician Zheng Yuanhang looks at the consumption report, he feels his heart twitching along with the numbers on it.

"This little devil... if he keeps eating like this, should we consider transferring the entire budget of the Ministry of Natural Resources to him?" The old academician said to Yu Suhuai, half jokingly and half with concern.

Yu Suhuai lowered her head and calculated for a moment, then replied with a serious expression, "Not enough!"

At the same time, the little guy was also shouting, "Not enough!"

Indeed, as they spent more and more time together, [Sprout] had learned to express its needs to Zhang Changlin in a unique way.

It's not language, nor action, it's just a "feeling"!
Old Zhang was able to grasp this feeling, even if it wasn't quite precise, but the fact that they had communicated was a big step forward.

Most of the time, the little guy is like a glutton, desperately wanting to eat and drink.

After eating its fill, during a short rest, it will casually make all sorts of other requests.

For example, on a sunny afternoon, Sprout would gently wrap its broad leaves around Old Zhang's wrist, the tips of the leaves swaying slightly from side to side. Once Zhang Changlin understood, he would immediately press the intercom.

"The light is too strong; it makes it uncomfortable!"

The drone immediately pulled up a large net with holes, filtering out half of the sunlight.

"No, we need to adjust it further, lower it a bit more."

For example, "Increase the air humidity!"

"Raise the temperature! Raise the temperature! Don't let the child get cold!"

"The nutrient solution isn't very fresh this time. Maybe the containers weren't cleaned properly! Be careful, what if the child gets an upset stomach?"

To cater to this picky "little darling," the entire research institute is constantly busy. Even the nutritional solutions they feed it have to be adjusted to the right temperature, the temperature it prefers. Otherwise, this picky little guy might throw a tantrum at any time.

The core area of ​​the Ziyun Nature Reserve has been almost completely transformed into a giant, temperature-controlled, and humidity-controlled incubator specifically designed for the budding birds.

In most parts of the world, the Tree of Life was initially born naturally and left to its own devices. Who raises their Tree of Life like that?
Soon, Dongxia will know what the consequences of such resource injection will be.

Of course, [Sprout] isn't just about eating and drinking; it also seems to be subtly influencing its surroundings.

For example, once it stops, within about ten to fifteen minutes, a peculiar energy field forms within a radius of forty-two to forty-five meters. Within this field, plant growth accelerates significantly, leaves become greener and thicker, and flowers become more vibrant and last longer. Some trees that were previously somewhat sickly miraculously regain their vitality.

What's even more amazing is the animals' reaction. They seem to sense the special nature of this area and often come drawn by some kind of instinctive call.

Wild deer, hares, squirrels, and even the occasional wild boar and leopard cat quietly enter this area, each occupying a corner. The tense nature between carnivores and herbivores seems to be temporarily shielded, and they sit side by side, immersed in a peaceful and harmonious atmosphere.

Then, once [Sprout] gets up and the psionic field dissipates, it's a race against time, a test of who can run faster!
Furthermore, Lao Zhang, with whom I spend every day, has undergone a tremendous change.

His spirits were getting better and better, his complexion was becoming more and more rosy, and the cracks on his hands from years of hard work had healed most of them without him even realizing it.

The old man's body seemed to be injected with new vitality, and he was even more energetic than when he was young. Sometimes, the sprout would climb onto the old man's body like a spoiled child, and he could carry it for more than ten miles without panting.

Over time, you'll find that "Sprout" isn't obedient at all; it often shows a mischievous side.

Destroying cameras is one of its favorite pastimes. If you're not careful, the lens will be warped, the glass will be broken, or the view will be completely obscured by a big lump of black mud.

As for those forest instruments, false alarms are commonplace. [Sprout] always manages to trigger the alarms in all sorts of strange ways, to the point that the comrades in the monitoring room simply turned off the alarm sounds and just kept their eyes on Zhang Changlin.

If the old man is alright, then there's nothing to worry about.

Throughout the process, the experimental group discovered a peculiar situation in the data set.

[Emerging] The proportion of matter and energy absorbed from Earth's native planet is steadily increasing.

Its dependence on the life-giving spring water of the starry world remains the highest priority, belonging to the type that can never get enough no matter how much it drinks. However, its extraction of nutrient solution from the blue planet is rapidly increasing.

In just two weeks, consumption increased twelvefold. What does this mean?
The above issues were analyzed and reported in detail at the latest work meeting of the Cihang Engineering Department.

"Based on the scattered documents and records obtained by [Wanderer] from the Elven race, we believe that [Sprout]'s 'compilation' and adaptation to the laws of this world is gradually being perfected and is accelerating!"

"The World Tree must be deeply embedded in the rules of this world. According to Academician He's research, if the [Sprout] is to eventually grow into the World Tree of Blue Star, then it must deeply integrate its life form with the physical rules and natural environment of Blue Star."

"We believe that its current surge in demand for native nutrients from Earth is a direct manifestation of this crucial process! It is actively and massively absorbing Earth's material resources to transform and reconstruct itself, completing its final 'localization' transformation. This is the key step for it to truly establish itself here and transform from a 'temporary resident' to a 'permanent resident'!"

"Is this... 'oranges grown in the south turn into trifoliate oranges in the north'?"

"Speaking of which, I'm quite curious. What price did [Wanderer] pay to force the elves to both increase the supply of [Spirit Spring] and provide this kind of classified information?"

"It's nothing, the elves just lost a battle."

"..."

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

As the [Sprout] grows quietly yet steadfastly day by day, a moment that will determine the fate of Blue Star will eventually arrive.

On a peaceful evening, the setting sun painted the forest a magnificent orange-red. As usual, Old Zhang sat on the steps next to Sprout, watching it "play" in the open space with a smile.

The little guy was having a great time playing with a leaf, rolling up the old man's walking stick, tossing it up, and putting it down.

Then, a gentle mountain breeze swept by, and all of [Sprout]'s movements came to a stop.

It slowly unfurled its leaves.

All the leaves swayed slightly, spreading out layer by layer along the branches like scattered fish scales. An indescribable, deep and vast wave slowly spread out from the stem of the [budding] bud.

Old Zhang sensed something unusual immediately. The fluctuation was neither sound nor wind, but a grand throbbing originating from the depths of nature.

He stood up abruptly, his heart pounding involuntarily.

"Command center! Command center! There's a situation with [Sprout]!" he shouted urgently into the communicator.

Almost at the same time he made the call, several self-propelled detectors based on starlight psionic detection technology that had been following the bud a few meters away sounded a sharp alarm. The psionic energy readings in the area instantly soared, breaking through all the previously set thresholds!
On the screen in the command center, the curve representing the energy around [Sprout] shot up like a rocket.

A deep, resonant hum seemed to echo deep within everyone's soul. It did not travel through the air, but acted directly on the senses of living beings.

All members of the research institute were alarmed; some stared intently at the screen, while others rushed to the scene.

Right before everyone's eyes, the lower part of the sprouting limbs plunged heavily into the soil. Then, the soil expanded and bulged at an astonishing speed, as if something was spreading wildly beneath the soil.

"It's taking root!"

"Ground penetrating radar! Quick! Push the ground penetrating radar up!"

"Can we install the electrodes? Can we use the resistivity tomography machine? Will it have any impact?"

Before it sprouts, it has roots, but they are actually just false roots. You can think of them as a tail dragging behind you. When you need to disguise yourself, you sit down on the ground and pretend that your roots are in the soil. In reality, you can stand up and leave at any time.

But now, even with the naked eye, one can sense the tremendous changes taking place beneath the sprouting body in the soil.

The ground-penetrating radar quickly provided feedback.

Beneath the sprouting branches, a main root is plunging deep into the soil at a speed of several meters per second, while the lateral roots are simultaneously spreading out in all directions, raising the soil layer by more than ten centimeters in just a few minutes.

Even the reinforced concrete buildings a dozen meters away began to sway slightly, and shocking cracks started to appear on the walls.

A military personnel roared hoarsely through the communications equipment: "Quickly, evacuate all personnel!"

As time passed, the roots of the sprout spread wider and deeper, and the invisible energy field expanded, attracting more and more surrounding trees to join this natural feast.

All the trees, regardless of height or species, moved their branches and leaves at the same time without wind, making a rustling sound like surging ocean waves.

It wasn't a chaotic swaying in the wind, but rather a strange rhythm, as if it were cheering, shouting, or worshipping!
As if infected, more and more plants joined this "pilgrimage" until the entire Ziyun Nature Reserve seemed to shake. All the gymnosperms opened their branches and leaves, the angiosperms bloomed their petals, and the birds and beasts stopped all their activities and stood in place, facing the center.

At this moment, it was as if the entire forest of the [Purple Cloud] Reserve was awakened by a common will. They welcomed the arrival of the new leader, who was destined to rule the natural will of this land, in their own way—the swaying of leaves, the blooming of flowers, and the silent standing of solemnity!

It was like a grand concert, with the main character in the center shining brightly, attracting the attention of spectators from all directions.

Soon, [Sprout] ushered in the most important transformation in its life.

At a certain point in time, centered on the [Sprout], a soft, vibrant green halo shot into the sky, piercing through the forest canopy and becoming clearly visible in the twilight.

A tiny point of light hovered on the budding branch, then a second, then a third, and gradually the light covered every branch and leaf.

"The Spirit of Light!"

Yes, according to the Elven literature, the birth of the World Tree gives rise to these Light Spirits, who dance on the branches and leap through the forest. Each time they circle the [Sprout], they feed back the energy of nature to the [World Tree].

The birth of the Light Spirits means that the World Tree will no longer need to be nurtured and can grow on its own.

It grew at an astonishing speed.

The lingering of the spirits of light is like a peculiar breathing rhythm. After a long and deep "inhale," its main stem visibly rises a bit higher with a series of subtle "crackling" sounds, like bones sprouting.

The canopy then expands outward, with new branches and leaves emerging like green waves.

Then there is a brief pause in the "exhale" before the next "inhale" begins.

That night, the entire [Cihang] project team in Dongxia, from the central leaders to the [Ziyun] security personnel, couldn't sleep.

Everyone stared in disbelief as the little guy grew from just one meter tall to over six meters in height, and its canopy expanded from an irregular cluster to a graceful canopy, covering an area of ​​nearly one hundred square meters.

As for the underground root system, ground-penetrating radar can no longer detect it. The research team started drilling and embedding detection simultaneously, but the drilling speed could not keep up with the speed of the "budding" roots. It is conservatively estimated that the tip of the underground root system has exceeded 100 meters in depth.

"This...this thing grows this fast?"

"I don't know, is it... is it because we fed [Moon Spring] and [Source Essence] too much? And now, all that accumulated strength has suddenly burst forth?"

"No, let's not worry about the reasons for now. At this rate, it won't be able to be hidden for more than two or three days!"

"How do you explain that?"

"Explain what? I'm not explaining! Everyone has a powerful backer!"

"Cover it up first, let's talk about it later."

"Could we ask the zookeeper to talk to it and let it grow slower...?"

The leaders sitting at the head of the table looked up at the screen. In just a short while, the ruler next to them clearly recorded that the "bud" had grown several centimeters.

They looked at each other in silence, and then simultaneously let out a long, helpless sigh.

(End of this chapter)