417: Chapter 397: Transformation of Magic Plants 417: Chapter 397: Transformation of Magic Plants “Teacher, I haven’t received a message from you for several days.
Have you been busy lately?”
Lu Ping’an called him teacher, but he was actually speaking to a giant pine tree.
Then, a synthetic voice came out of a speaker nearby.
“…Extremely busy, they brought in several foreign domain magic plants again, and each one is so picky that it’s annoying.
I barely managed to keep half of them alive, and just when I thought I was done, they sent another batch.
They even want me to take care of school affairs on top of everything.
How can I have the time to deal with that?
Without me around, these samples might lose control immediately…”
Professor Wen couldn’t stop talking once he started discussing his work.
Lu Ping’an was accustomed to this academic heavyweight, who would get as excited as a child when discussing magic plants.
This was an internal semi-plane within Ancient City University, a super botanical garden that occupied several square kilometers.
If you took a stroll, you’d see peculiar flowers weaving circles, twisting vines entwining around high towers, and countless bizarre fruits.
If you looked down from above, you could see dozens of small and medium-sized test zones divided by main roads.
Each zone had a different environment, topography, and types of plants.
Walking on the main road was relatively safe, and you could chat with passing staff members and little green elves.
Of course, if you had a good relationship with the master of this place, you could chat with him, him, and him along the way…
clones of him existed everywhere.
“…It seems that you’ve made good progress with your first ritual; I can feel your affinity…”
Wherever Lu Ping’an went, a synthetic voice would automatically sound.
Moreover, this wasn’t through a communicator, but rather, Professor Wen speaking directly through his “clones.”
Those mechanical speakers were simply converting “plant neural vibrations” into corresponding synthetic sounds.
The roots of the entire botanical garden were connected to him; all the plants had a connection with him.
At the current stage, it was limited to “understanding environmental conditions, temperature, etc.” and “linking with magic plants to know their physiological states.” However, he essentially controlled countless lives through a single body.
This was true multi-threaded processing.
Lu Ping’an found Professor Wen in Zone 7.
He was examining some potted plants in glass cabinets.
These were his newly acquired treasured exotic magic plants.
Perhaps the reforms were also an opportunity for him; he even mentioned that if he were younger, he would want to see them for himself.
Unlike regular white-coated researchers, he was shirtless; countless wooden tentacles protruded from his back and connected with various magic plants.
His brownish-yellow skin resembled the wrinkled bark of an ancient banyan tree.
While his hands were busy, the tentacles on his back were also in full swing.
“…From various angles, he doesn’t look much like a human…”
Perhaps this was why Professor Wen could never persuade anyone to follow the path of the Parasitic Tree.
Even if some students agreed, witnessing his working “situation” made them question whether they still wanted to be human.
But Lu Ping’an also knew that what he saw was only a small part of Professor Wen as a Parasitic Tree.
The true core of his symbiotic “Netted Banyan Tree” lay underground, formed by countless tentacles creating a super underground network, responsible for perception and movement.
What was on Professor Wen’s body now were only temporary attachments, similar to external limbs for a clone.
Only when he connected with the “banyan tree” on the wooden chair in the middle of the laboratory could he become a complete Parasitic Tree, transforming the entire botanical garden into his body.
Nobody knew, because this was not combat-based; Professor Wen wouldn’t go around picking fights for no reason.
However, according to other senior brothers and sisters, no one causing trouble here ever came back.
In the past, a fifth-tier person tried to “borrow” something and ended up disappearing, leaving behind only a dried-up corpse a few days later.
A territory, or a unique “forest” or “garden,” was the real playstyle for a Gardener.
At the teacher’s request, Lu Ping’an rolled up his sleeve, revealing a slightly greenish layer on his arm.
Seeing it, Professor Wen touched it, feeling the subtle texture and nodding subconsciously.
Lu Ping’an was serious about pursuing this difficult path.
The professor immediately warmed up to him, admiring this disciple who was so dedicated to “academics” and “truth.”
“Many people are prejudiced against us, but as researchers, how can we gain anything without making sacrifices?
Always clinging to the arrogance of intelligent creatures will only blind us from the peculiar and natural life structures of demonized plants, as well as the true nature that awaits spirit users…
Can you hear it now?”
Suddenly, Professor Wen asked a seemingly insignificant question.
Though the question came out of nowhere, Lu Ping’an knew what he was referring to.
[Spirit of the Forest (Middle Brass): The essence of nature flows within your bloodline, and to other plants’ senses, you are no longer a mere outsider but one of their own.]
This was one of the three basic abilities gained after completing the first self-cursing task and obtaining the “Ancient Tree’s Heart”.
It seems useful, right?
But it almost cost Lu Ping’an his sleep.
“Before I used Life Perception ability, I vaguely felt their greed and noise, but I didn’t expect it would have so much hostility…”
That’s right, hostility.
When Lu Ping’an became a “kindred” of the Magic Plants in some sense, he did not receive smooth communication.
Instead, he faced other Magic Plants’ subconscious defensiveness, hostility, and even direct attacks.
“…Haha, it’s all the same.
You, as an independent individual, are already quite powerful.
And when a tiger enters another lion’s territory, they worry that you’ll seize their territory and take their resources…”
Only after completing the self-cursing did Lu Ping’an realize that the aggression and vigilance of Magic Plants can be even stronger than many carnivorous animals.
They can be friendly with other “animals” and even ignore their movements and presence around them.
But if a “Magic Plant” appears nearby, they’ll attack immediately.
Lu Ping’an rubbed his temples, feeling a headache.
His own Magic Plants were fine since he was their Creator and his life force was within them.
But wild Magic Plants or unfamiliar ones displaying various warnings and aggressions were indeed irritating.
“…Isn’t this putting the cart before the horse?
I became a Gardener, and now I’m disliked by Magic Plants.”