Chapter 114
With the continuous operation of the purification barrier, the spiritual energy concentration on this side of the riverbank had risen another level, almost reaching the standard of a feng shui treasure land.
As the spiritual energy spread, the river, the far bank, and the barren land in front of the base all benefited from it.
The Selaginella closest to the barrier was undoubtedly the greatest beneficiary.
With such a high concentration of spiritual energy combined with an abundant water source, this Selaginella had grown by at least half its size within just one day and night since it was planted.
Its growth state was excellent—the once curled leaves had fully unfurled, revealing lush greenery. The plant stood upright among the rubble, resembling a pine tree, becoming the most unique sight amidst the vast barren land.
Now mature, the Selaginella had smoothly entered its reproductive stage.
Gentle breezes swept across the riverbank.
If one observed closely, they would notice countless tiny, almost invisible particles being released from beneath the leaves of the Selaginella as the wind passed.
These were the plant’s spores, carried away by the wind to scatter in all directions. Those fortunate enough to land along the riverbank would quickly take root and sprout under the nourishment of spiritual energy and water.
These newly sprouted seedlings were the origin of the young Selaginella plants.
When young Lu Li discovered these delicate seedlings, he froze in place. They looked so fragile that he instinctively tiptoed, fearing he might accidentally step on one.
“Su Su, is this the ‘Resurrection’ Plant?” he asked, looking at the half-meter-tall green plant with wonder.
The Resurrection Plant was also a type of grass. Could it, like the little wild grass, change the world?
He didn’t voice this question because, as he gazed at the seedlings growing out of the rubble, Lu Li already had his answer.
When they grew up and continuously produced new seedlings, this riverbank would surely soon become lush and verdant, wouldn’t it?
Oh, wait—right now, it was just “grass,” not “wood.”
He wasn’t sure what “wood” looked like, but with Su Su around, there would definitely be some in the future! Lu Li firmly believed this in his heart.
“This is the Resurrection Plant, also known as the Nine Lives Grass. But its most common name is Selaginella because it resembles a cypress tree,” Su Ci patiently explained.
“A cypress tree?” Lu Li asked curiously.
“Yes. You can ask the base’s AI to show you what it looks like when we return,” Su Ci replied.
Lu Li was aware of the base’s AI system and had seen adults summon it before, though he had never tried it himself.
Then he heard Su Ci mention lessons on writing and keeping a growth journal. “Since you’ve woken up today, you’ll need to catch up with the others,” Su Ci added.
Lu Li hesitated and asked, “Do all the cubs have to learn this? Even Number Two and Number Seven?”
“Yes,” Su Ci nodded.
“Alright…” Lu Li said obediently, “I understand.”
At that moment, a light drizzle began to fall from the sky.
Unbeknownst to them, A-Yan had moved to the riverbank during their conversation. He had taken out his notebook inscribed with heavenly script symbols and invoked the power of the rules, attempting to replicate what Su Ci had done the previous day—summoning a water dragon from the river.
He succeeded on his first try.
Though his water dragon was much smaller than the one Su Ci had summoned, which was large enough to be observed even from Base 24. A-Yan’s creation was only about a meter long.
Calling it a water dragon might be a bit generous; it was more like a water snake.
Still, just being able to successfully control it was enough to make A-Yan very happy. After all, he didn’t need to water a large area—just the pile of rocks where the Selaginella was growing. For that, the little water snake was more than sufficient.
Thanks to the effects of the hundreds of micro purification arrays they had set up the day before, combined with the relatively low pollution levels of the underground river, the water snake A-Yan created was quite clear and transparent.
Under his control, the water snake tumbled through the air and slowly reached the pile of rocks, transforming into a gentle drizzle.
The raindrops, enriched with spiritual energy, softly fell on the Selaginella and its seedlings, making the tender green leaves stretch out even more vibrantly.
Feeling the joy emanating from the Selaginella, A-Yan let out a slow breath, a smile spreading across his face.
Just then, a hand landed lightly on his head and gently ruffled his hair.
A-Yan looked up to see the young man’s smiling eyes. Su Ci said, “Not bad.”
Those two simple words made A-Yan beam with happiness. It felt like the effort he had put into practicing spells late at night had paid off. He resolved to work even harder in the future!
While A-Yan watered the Selaginella, Su Ci couldn’t help but think.
Relying solely on the plant’s natural reproduction was still too slow. Was there a way to speed up the process? His thoughts turned to the few Star-chain Fruit Trees cultivated using vines.
If Star-chain Fruit Trees could grow from vines, could Selaginella be propagated in a similar way?
Su Ci rubbed his chin thoughtfully, then retrieved a pair of scissors from his spatial button. He clipped two leaves from the half-meter-tall Selaginella and handed them to A-Yan.
“Find a place to plant these,” he said.
A-Yan’s unique ability allowed him to identify the best spots for planting the leaves.
Sure enough, A-Yan took the leaves, nodded, and said, “Got it.”
The riverbank spanned over a kilometer, and there were certainly more suitable spots for Selaginella than just this pile of rocks. Just as A-Yan was about to teleport away, Lu Li piped up, “Brother A-Yan, I want to help too!”
A-Yan didn’t refuse. A willing little helper was always welcome.
“Alright, let’s go.”
He grabbed Lu Li’s arm and used his ability to shrink the distance between steps, searching along the riverbank.
Before long, they found another suitable pile of rocks. A-Yan handed Lu Li a small shovel and showed him how to dig a hole in the sand and stones.
Once the hole was ready, they placed a Selaginella leaf inside, covered it with gravel, and watered it.
“Is that all?” Lu Li asked, staring at the leaf planted in the soil. “Will it really grow into another Selaginella?”
“It has to grow roots first,” A-Yan explained with growing expertise. “Once it develops a root system, it can absorb nutrients and water from the soil. That’s when it becomes a fully independent plant.”
In other words, the leaf had to learn to “feed itself” before it could be considered a separate entity.
Just like his split soul, which became another version of himself once it solidified enough to interact with physical objects and eat food.
Lu Li then wondered if the leaf was still connected to the original plant.
“If we stick the leaf back onto the plant, will it grow back onto it?” he asked innocently.
“Probably not,” A-Yan replied after some thought. “But if Su Su tried, I bet he could.”
If Su Su could merge separated souls, reattaching a mere Selaginella leaf would be nothing for him.
Lu Li nodded in agreement and couldn’t help but marvel, “Su Su is amazing!”
“Absolutely, Su Su is super amazing!”
The two little ones, after praising Su Ci, happily reached a consensus and continued searching for new spots to plant the Selaginella leaves.
Meanwhile, their idolized Su Ci was crouching by the riverbank, staring at the fish swimming in the water.
Yesterday, there had only been a few scattered small fish, but today, there were over a dozen, forming a tiny school darting playfully back and forth.
Among this small group, there were also larger individuals, with the biggest one measuring about 15 to 20 centimeters long.
Steamed, braised, grilled over charcoal…
Various methods of cooking fish flashed through Su Ci’s mind, and he nearly gave in to the temptation of scooping them all up in one go.
But in the end, he restrained himself.
He thought it best to let them grow a bit more. With so few fish, they wouldn’t even make a decent bite for him.
Recalling the large, succulent, and tender sea fish he used to enjoy at banquets hosted by human cultivators, Su Ci couldn’t help but feel a bit disdainful as he looked at the small, unidentified fish below.
He slowly shifted his gaze to the rocks, which had taken on a pale green hue. Of course, the rocks hadn’t actually changed color; it was new life brought by the flowing water—moss.
Moss, like Selaginella, is an amphibious plant that reproduces through spores. The living water carried these spores far downstream, and when they reached their ideal damp, shady environment, they settled and began to grow.
With moss now thriving, aquatic plants shouldn’t be far behind.
As more water plants grew, they would attract larger schools of fish, whose waste would in turn nourish the plants, creating a symbiotic cycle that would bring this waterway to life.
Thinking of this, Su Ci scanned the entire river with his spiritual sense and noticed that several areas were still untouched by the purification arrays.
In most cases, the terrain had caused polluted water to accumulate in the depths. If left unattended, the build-up could eventually give rise to new mud creatures.
Standing up, Su Ci began walking along the riverbank, picking up stones as he went. On each stone, he engraved a combination of arrays for purification, spiritual energy gathering, and fortification before tossing them into the river.
These array-engraved stones activated in the water, extending coverage to previously neglected corners and gradually purifying the entire river.
By the time Su Ci reached the end of the river, he stretched lazily, just as A-Yan returned with Lu Li to join him.
“Su Su, are we heading back now?” A-Yan asked.
Su Ci didn’t answer immediately. He looked beyond the purification barrier, where the thick blood mist outside had started to thin, and the amount of spiritual energy being converted had noticeably decreased.
Without sufficient spiritual energy replenishment, the plants’ growth would slow—though this wasn’t an immediate concern, it was something to consider for the future.
After a moment of thought, Su Ci said, “The meat we’ve been eating these past few days doesn’t seem as fresh anymore.”
A-Yan blinked. The spider meat stored in the freezer hadn’t gone bad, but it certainly wasn’t as fresh as when they first obtained it.
Despite his best efforts to make the spider meat tasty, there was only so much he could do with the limited quality of the ingredients.
“Su Su, do you mean…?” A-Yan began to guess what Su Ci had in mind.
Sure enough, he heard Su Ci drawl lazily, “Let’s go get something fresh together.”
A-Yan immediately grinned and said, “I heard from little Li Hua that there’s a giant spider nest somewhere in the blood mist, with lots and lots of giant spiders.”
Hearing this, Su Ci’s interest was piqued.
“But how do we quickly find the nest?” Although he could search within the blood mist, that would be time-consuming.
It was clear A-Yan had already considered this.
He raised the work manual hanging around his neck and said, “The manual can help.”
“Little Manual…”
If the base’s AI had self-awareness, it would undoubtedly have a lot in common with the nascent book spirit.
And Su Ci, quite clearly, liked this name.
“Little Manual can consume spider silk, so it can sense where the giant spider nest is located?” Su Ci’s eyes brightened.
The fledgling book spirit, feeling the weight of three pairs of eyes staring at it, was immediately overwhelmed with pressure.
It was used to Su Ci’s and A-Yan’s gazes by now, but the critical factor was Lu Li’s…
Lu Li was examining it with an extremely curious look. He hadn’t paid much attention before, but now, as he carefully scrutinized the book, he realized—it seemed alive?
The book spirit immediately sensed danger.
It didn’t know that Lu Li’s talents were connected to his soul, nor that the golden monkey species was once infamous for feeding on souls.
But in its instincts, this golden-haired boy was just as dangerous to it as A-Yan, if not more so.
To A-Yan, it was a source of rule power, and losing that would only weaken it. But if the golden silk monkey targeted it… it would be utterly annihilated.
Under the gaze of these three “powerhouses,” the book spirit stiffened, not daring to move.
Just then, A-Yan pulled a small strand of spider silk from his spatial button, suspending it above the book’s cover. “Little Manual, eat this. Fill up and get to work.”
Just this tiny bit? How’s that supposed to be enough? Are you trying to feed a beggar?
But what choice did the book spirit have? It didn’t even have the courage to bargain. It simply unfolded its pages, swallowed the strand of spider silk, and began consuming it.
Better to have something than nothing. It’s better to eat this than starve completely, it thought bitterly.
“Is it ready?” Su Ci asked calmly.
The book spirit snapped to attention, quickly levitated into the air, and began sensing. After a moment, it pointed in the direction of the base.
Clearly, the giant spider nest was not directly east of Base 24 but rather on the opposite side of the base.
No wonder there were so many giant spiders, yet Su Ci hadn’t encountered a single one in the past few days.
“Alright, let’s get going.”
With that, Su Ci brought A-Yan and Lu Li along, disappearing from the spot in an instant.
They traveled westward, swiftly passing the guards stationed on the metal walls and the operations team members patrolling, crossing the entire base. Before long, they arrived at the western edge of Base 24, standing atop the metal perimeter wall.
Lu Li looked around, once again marveling at and envying Su Ci’s teleportation ability. No matter how many times he saw it, it never failed to amaze him.
His attention was soon drawn to the world beyond the metal wall.
Outside the walls, thick blood mist blanketed the area.
Unlike the barren wasteland to the east, the western side of Base 24 offered a faint view of a mountain range, about a kilometer away from the plains where the base was located.
Several peaks stood tall, but unfortunately, they didn’t resemble the lush greenery Su Ci remembered from his past.
In the past, the location of Base 24 could have been described as being near mountains and water. Unfortunately, the current reality was far from that ideal.
The entire mountain range was barren, devoid of any greenery. Only thick, swirling blood mist filled the area, accompanied by countless monsters lurking in the shadows.
After his return to his original form, Lu Li’s senses had become sharper. He could feel an overwhelming danger emanating from the blood mist, prompting him to move closer to Su Ci instinctively.
Of course, having witnessed how Su Ci dealt with monsters before, he wasn’t overly panicked—this reaction was more of an instinctive avoidance.
The miniature work manual floated in the air, diligently pointing toward a towering mountain peak.
It seemed the giant spider nest was located within that mountain.
This was the same area that Base 24, despite countless exploration teams dispatched over the years, had never dared to venture deeply into.
“Let’s go and take a look,” Su Ci said. He brought the two children along and vanished from their spot, heading toward the mountain peak.
This time, with a clear goal in mind, Su Ci didn’t bother to actively disperse the blood mist. However, the mist automatically parted as he approached.
The monsters lurking within the mist, witnessing this strange phenomenon, dared not act rashly. They could also sense a dangerous presence, prompting them to retreat and hide.
Thus, Su Ci traveled unhindered, leading A-Yan and Lu Li to the base of the mountain.
Looking up, they saw a peak shrouded in blood mist. The mountain soared into the clouds, once a thriving habitat for countless living beings, now home only to bloodthirsty and ferocious monsters.
Su Ci frowned slightly. Upon reaching this area, he grew a bit more cautious.
A transparent spiritual barrier appeared around them, shielding them within. Su Ci reminded the two children, “Do not stray from my side.”
Both A-Yan and Lu Li nodded obediently.
“Little Manual,” Su Ci called softly.
The fledgling book spirit trembled slightly, filled with dread. It could feel the overwhelming presence of spider silk in the air, indicating a terrifying number of giant spiders.
Although it craved spider silk, it valued its own life far more.
Unfortunately, it had no say in the matter.
Under Su Ci’s urging, the book spirit resigned itself and began pointing the way again.
To avoid alerting the spiders, Su Ci concealed all his energy and aura. With the protection of the spiritual barrier, they effectively became invisible.
The blood mist no longer parted for them, and the monsters within began to stir, becoming increasingly active.
Terrifying sounds echoed through the mountains, accompanied by occasional screams and eerie noises. It was evident that the monsters were far from peaceful—conflicts were rampant among them.
Fear gripped Lu Li’s heart. He couldn’t help but clutch Su Ci’s robe tightly, unwilling to leave his side even for a moment.
Thankfully, Su Su was moving at a slow pace, so Lu Li could keep up without any trouble.
They ventured deeper into the mountain.
Initially, their goal had been to hunt giant spiders, but as they saw the vastness of the mountain range and explored the peak, their purpose shifted.
For Su Ci, restoring vitality to the land was a priority, and this mountain range was bound to play a significant role in that process. This journey, then, became a chance to scout ahead.
However, eliminating the sheer number of monsters in this range would not be an easy task for Su Ci in his current weakened state. He needed to devise a plan.
There was another goal driving Su Ci, too.
If even the desolate riverbed had yielded three resilient plants, surely this expansive mountain range would hold something of value. It couldn’t be completely barren, could it?
What happened next, though, was beyond even Su Ci’s expectations.
Guided by the miniature work manual, they arrived at the entrance of a valley.
As they approached, the eerie noises from the monsters in the blood mist seemed to subside. But this wasn’t a sign of safety.
On the contrary, it indicated that this might be an extremely dangerous area—one so perilous that even the monsters dared not come near.
At the valley entrance, the fledgling book spirit froze. It quickly burrowed into A-Yan’s collar, hiding within his clothes and pretending to be lifeless, refusing to come out.
It seemed the giant spider nest was indeed within this valley.
Su Ci’s expression remained calm as he stepped forward into the valley.
Lu Li swallowed nervously and hurried to stay close to him. Though the place terrified him and made him want to flee, he knew there was no safer place than by Su Su’s side.
The valley was filled with even denser blood mist. Upon entering, faint sounds of arthropods crawling could be heard.
The noises seemed to originate from within the cliff walls on either side. It was evident that the giant spider nest was located inside the hollowed-out cliffs, with its entrance somewhere within the valley.
When Su Ci extended his spiritual sense into the cliff walls, he saw tens of thousands of spiders of various sizes crammed within.
Even the smallest among them was the size of a human child of five or six years old. These spiders weren’t living peacefully together—they were engaged in fierce combat, devouring one another.
Su Ci stroked his chin thoughtfully as his spiritual sense searched the valley, trying to locate a giant spider of a suitable size.
Since they had come this far, leaving empty-handed wasn’t an option.
But then, his expression suddenly changed.
He grabbed A-Yan and Lu Li and teleported them deeper into the valley. When they reappeared, what lay before them was not a giant spider but… a sea of flowers blooming amidst the blood mist.
It was a field of blood-red plants, each standing over a meter tall. Atop each plant, vibrant blood-red flowers were in full bloom.
They grew densely together, creating an incredibly vivid and striking scene—an unparalleled display of beauty.
However, gazing at this sea of flowers didn’t bring a sense of peace. Instead, it evoked a deep-seated chill and fear, as if something terrible was about to happen.
This was… demonic flora.
Su Ci’s mood grew heavy.
On the blood-red plants, large worms could be seen writhing. These creatures were covered in sharp spines and were gnawing voraciously at the leaves.
Among them, a massive cocoon hung beneath one of the plant’s leaves.
“Crack, crack—”
The cocoon was breaking open, and something was emerging from within.
Thick, sticky liquid dripped from the cracks as a slimy creature struggled out of the cocoon. Finally, it rested atop the deflated remains of the chrysalis.
The creature had long antennae sprouting from its head. As the liquid on its body dried in the air, its grotesque form began to change gradually.
Eventually, its wings unfurled.
Under the watchful gaze of Su Ci and A-Yan, the butterfly that had emerged from the cocoon completed its transformation.
Its wings spread open, measuring over half a meter wide. The intricate, vibrant patterns on its wings were stunningly beautiful, yet they radiated a dangerous aura.
After flapping its wings a few times, the butterfly left the cocoon and began to fly gracefully.
It appeared beautiful and harmless. However, as it danced through the blood-colored field of demonic flowers, its ethereal movements gave rise to an inexplicable unease.
Sure enough, the next moment, its dance abruptly stopped.
It had flown into a web, carefully woven and concealed until now, which revealed its deadly intent the instant the butterfly was caught.
The butterfly’s struggles attracted its predator.
A giant spider, sensing the vibrations in its web, scurried rapidly along the strands toward its trapped prey, ready to claim its catch.
From a distance, Su Ci watched this scene unfold, his brow furrowed.
Just as the giant spider was about to strike, he intervened, releasing a sharp wind blade.
Unerringly, the wind blade struck the giant spider, slicing it into several pieces in one swift motion. The web, unable to withstand the force, shattered.
The butterfly, freed from its bindings, beat its wings frantically and escaped, soaring into the sky.
However, Su Ci’s intervention came at a cost—his spiritual barrier dissipated.
Their presence was now exposed.
In the field of flowers, the demonic plants, which had been swaying gently in the breeze, suddenly froze. All at once, the blood-red blossoms turned to “look” in Su Ci’s direction.
This eerie change startled Lu Li, who instinctively hid behind Su Ci.
With his movement, the tense silence shattered. The demonic flora seemed to descend into madness, and even the ground beneath them began to crack open.
Something was growing beneath them, pushing upward and lifting them off the ground. Lu Li, panicked, clung tightly to Su Ci’s leg, barely managing to maintain his balance.
The unfolding chaos utterly terrified Lu Li.
These eerie blood-red flowers—were they… trying to eat them? From the frightening plants, he sensed an almost explosive excitement.
The demonic flowers began growing wildly. Not only was Lu Li terrified, but even the massive worms that had been gnawing on the plants were frightened.
Had these demonic flowers gone mad?
The worms, shaken off the plants, scattered in all directions, fleeing as if a moment’s delay would result in their own consumption by the frenzied flowers.
Just as Lu Li’s ears twitched upward in fear, he heard the young man’s voice, calm but tinged with exasperation: “Stop.”
With that single, simple word, the entire writhing, frenzied sea of blood-red flowers came to an abrupt halt, as though someone had pressed a pause button.
