Chapter Forty: The Enchanted Forest Within My Heart (Seeking Recommendations)

Back when Wu You first created the Bloodsucking Parasitic Demon Vine and the Ancient Tree Spirit, he drew inspiration from various fantasy films he'd seen. But films are films—making plants move is already a logical contradiction. Yet, could there be anything more scientifically implausible than biological alchemy?

He began experimenting with fusing plants and animals through alchemy. Each attempt left him with splitting headaches halfway through, but the idea of creating a tree-person lodged stubbornly in his mind, refusing to dissipate. What could he do? He decided to try anyway. Unable to complete the complex drawings, he simplified them, making minimal changes to the plant forms and only choosing small animals or insects for fusion. Three times he finished the depiction, but the evaluation of rationality was less than 3%.

The following three attempts at first-level alchemy resulted in consecutive failures. Wu You now enjoyed a 10% bonus to alchemy success rate ever since the system recognized his resonance of will. With the system upgraded to level two, the base success rate for first-level biological alchemy had risen to 60%. Even with a depiction evaluation of zero, he should have a base success rate of 70%. Yet, every attempt failed.

Wu You suspected that the genetic conflict between animals and plants in mixed alchemy was simply too great, skewing the probabilities inexorably toward failure. Perhaps one day he'd find a solution, but for now, he resolved to seek other methods.

Was there a plant that could move on its own? Yes! As soon as he abandoned animal-plant fusion, it came to him. There were plenty of plants capable of movement—Venus flytraps and sensitive plants with quick responses, even sunflowers, water lilies, and dancing grass could be loosely counted.

This time, the alchemical depiction flowed with remarkable efficiency—perhaps due to the previous failures and the sacrifice of materials, or maybe his excitement fueled his imagination. Regardless, every depiction received a rationality evaluation above 90%.

Using parasitic vines and poison arrow trees captured in the Beast Mountain, along with Venus flytraps he’d purchased, Wu You performed second-level alchemy and created the terrifying Bloodsucking Parasitic Demon Vine.

He paired five sensitive plants each with two sturdy birches, two ancient pines, and an apricot tree for first-level alchemy, giving birth to the vividly magical Ancient Tree Spirit.

These two creations fully opened Wu You's mind; what had begun as ecological transformation for Stone Ox Mountain was now destined for magical, even mystical, alteration.

...

At this moment, Wu You stood at the heart of Stone Ox Mountain, in a spot between two peaks resembling twin humps—higher than the valley but inconspicuous. Down one slope flowed the Azure Dragon River, and across from it stood a slightly lower peak.

Wu You stretched his limbs and found a stone to sit on, selecting second-level biological alchemy and opening his material warehouse.

He chose three colossal ancient trees, each so massive that ten people would be needed to encircle one.

Prompt: Select General Tree, Large-leaved Banyan, Almond Eucalyptus. Confirm?

He confirmed.

In the next instant, the mysterious alchemical drawing board unfolded in his consciousness.

Concentrating on the drawing board, Wu You sought to create a creature with no requirements other than grandeur and vastness. He poured all his imagination into depicting its magnificence—roots anchoring entire mountains or ranges, branches as mighty as celestial pillars, leaves shading the sky and blocking the sun. It would embody tolerance, majesty, and resilience.

As the depiction deepened, Wu You was once again wholly absorbed, his mind draining rapidly, his head beginning to throb. Whenever such symptoms arose during an alchemical process, it heralded the birth of an extraordinary life.

The depicted lines were not complex—indeed, they were simple—but each stroke demanded his utmost effort.

At last, just as his concentration threatened to collapse, Wu You completed the depiction.

System evaluation: Physical arrangement rationality 97%, alchemy success rate increased by 9.7%.

Current success rate: 50% +10% (will resonance) +9.7%.

Proceed with alchemy?

He felt a strong premonition of success and chose to proceed.

The three colossal trees from the warehouse were transformed into radiant streams, merging into the drawing board.

On the drawing board, the giant tree began to grow from its roots, stretching upward until its branches swayed at the summit.

Prompt: Alchemy successful. Please name.

Success, as expected.

Wu You nearly blurted out a name, but restrained himself—the tree was not yet worthy of that majestic title.

He named it: Mountain Range Tree.

Alchemy creature: Mountain Range Tree. Name: None yet.

Talents: Indestructible Resilience, Plant Affinity.

Abilities: Purification.

Basic evaluation: Bronze High (Critical).

System description: This is a giant tree that withstands the vicissitudes of time.

Wu You left the central clearing, retreating hundreds of meters up a nearby slope, ready to summon the Azure Dragon and escape if necessary.

Another critical creature; if it called forth wind and thunder at such close range, he would surely be caught in the crossfire.

Select summon: Mountain Range Tree.

...

This time, the radiance of the summoning covered an unprecedented area, stretching from his position to the peak’s height, the expanse vast enough to blot out the sun.

Wu You felt the world suddenly grow dark as the immense body of the Mountain Range Tree appeared between the two peaks, its roots plunging directly into the ridge.

“Rumble rumble rumble...”

A mighty sound echoed, accompanied by tremors in the earth.

Prompt: Critical creature, Mountain Range Tree, is about to transcend the mundane. Extraction of natural energy for tempering has begun.

Wu You struggled to keep his footing as the ridge vibrated rhythmically, and as time passed, even the surrounding mountain ranges began to sway faintly.

Small animals fled their nests in panic, darting about in confusion.

Flocks of birds were startled into flight, forming dark clouds of feathers overhead.

Though the system indicated the Mountain Range Tree was beginning its transformation, the skies remained clear, so Wu You stayed nearby, summoning Ao Guang to coil protectively around him.

The tremors grew stronger, and Wu You learned through the system that this was the tree’s transcendence process.

Its roots were frantically expanding underground, linking with the earth, anchoring the entire mountain range—the tremors were caused by this.

As the roots spread wider and deeper, vast earth energies surged into the Mountain Range Tree, fueling a new phase of growth above ground.

The bark split and renewed, branches stretched outward, the trunk rose skyward—it moved like a towering giant.

From its original height of nearly two hundred meters, already astonishing, its sudden growth now far surpassed both peaks, reaching an incredible four hundred meters.

The trunk’s diameter reached thirty meters, countless extended branches cast shadows over swathes of sky, enveloping both peaks beneath its canopy.

One tree became a forest.

...

Meanwhile, the Seismic Bureau in Qiantang was thrown into chaos.

Impossible! Qiantang, indeed all of Zhejiang, is not within a seismic zone—how could they detect a magnitude 4 tremor? Could this signal a major earthquake to come?

The memory of the catastrophic domestic earthquake from a few years ago was still vivid; could Qiantang be next?

And the epicenter was right beside Qiantang.

Dangerous—this must be monitored closely.