Chapter 114
With the continuous operation of the purification barrier, the concentration of spiritual energy on this side of the river bank has increased again, almost reaching the standard of a Feng Shui treasure land.
As the spiritual energy spreads, the river, the other side of the river, and the wasteland in front of the base will all benefit.
The Selaginella closest to the barrier undoubtedly benefits the most.
With the nourishment of such a high concentration of spiritual energy and sufficient water, after just one day and one night, the Selaginella plant had grown at least half as big as when it was first planted yesterday.
It is in very good growth condition, with all its curled leaves stretched out, lush and green, just like pine and cypress. The whole plant stands upright among the gravel, becoming the most unique scenery in this vast wasteland.
After maturing, this Selaginella plant successfully entered its reproduction period.
A gentle breeze blew across the river bank.
If you observe carefully, you will find that as the wind blows, many tiny particles that are difficult to see with the naked eye fly out from under the leaves of the Selaginella.
These are the spores of Selaginella. They are separated from their mother plant by the wind, scattered everywhere, and spread to farther places. Those that are lucky enough to fall on the river bank quickly take root and sprout under the nourishment of spiritual energy and water.
This is the origin of these Selaginella sprouts.
Little Lu Li froze when he discovered these tiny sprouts. They looked so fragile that he couldn't help but stand on tiptoe, afraid that he would accidentally step on one.
"Susu, is this the immortal grass?" He looked at the half-meter-tall green plant and couldn't help asking.
Immortality grass is also grass, so can it change the world like the weeds?
He didn't ask this question, because looking at the Selaginella seedlings growing out of the rubble, little Lu Li already had the answer in his mind.
When they grow up and continue to sprout new seeds, this river bank should soon become lush with vegetation, right?
Oh, no, there is only "grass" now, but no "wood" yet.
Although I don't know what "wood" looks like, but with Su Su here, there will definitely be one in the future! Little Lu Li thought firmly in his heart.
"This is the immortal grass, also known as the nine-lives resurrection grass. Of course, the most common name is Selaginella, because it looks very much like a cypress tree." Su Ci patiently explained to him.
"Cypress?" Little Lu Li was a little curious.
"Well, you can ask the intelligent computer what it looks like when we return to the base."
Little Lu Li knew about the existence of the base's intelligent computer and had seen the adults in the base call on the intelligent computer, but he had never tried it himself.
Then, he heard Su Ci talking about the writing class and the growth diary, "It just so happens that you woke up today, so you have to catch up with the progress."
Little Lu Li asked tentatively, "Does every cub need to learn this? Do number two and number seven also?"
"Yeah." Su Ci nodded.
"Okay then..." Little Lu Li said obediently, "I understand."
At this time, bursts of drizzle fell from the sky.
It turned out that while they were talking, A Yan ran to the river bank. He took out his divine book, mobilized the power of rules, and imitated what Su Ci did yesterday to create a water dragon from the river.
He succeeded in just one try.
Although compared to Su Ci's giant water dragon that could even be observed by Base 24, the water dragon he created was much smaller, only about one meter long.
Compared to a water dragon, it is more appropriate to call it a water snake.
However, A Yan was very happy that the mobilization was successful, and the area he needed to water did not need to be that large. It was just the pile of rubble where the Selaginella grew, and this water snake was completely enough.
Thanks to the hundreds of micro water purification arrays they cast yesterday, and the fact that the underground river water was already slightly polluted, the water snake he created was relatively clear and transparent.
As he controlled it, the water snake tumbled in the air, slowly came to the top of the rubble pile, and turned into a drizzle.
The raindrops, carrying more spiritual energy, fell on the Selaginella and the seedlings, making the tender green leaves stretch out further.
Feeling the joy emanating from the Selaginella, A Yan slowly exhaled and a smile appeared on his face.
At this moment, a hand fell on the top of his head and rubbed it gently.
A Yan looked up and saw the young man's eyes smiling at him. He said, "Not bad."
Just two simple words made A Yan feel happy. He felt that his efforts of secretly getting up in the middle of the night to think about the magic had paid off, and he would work even harder in the future!
A Yan was watering the Selaginella, while Su Ci couldn't help but ponder.
Relying solely on the natural reproduction of plants is still a bit slow. Is there any way to speed up the process? He thought of the Star Chain Fruit Trees that were cultivated with dead vines.
Since the Star Chain Fruit Tree can be cultivated with vines, can the Selaginella also be cultivated with vines?
Su Ci touched his chin, then took out a pair of scissors from the space button, cut two leaves from the half-meter-tall Selaginella, and handed them to A Yan.
"Let's find a place to plant it," he said.
A Yan has a special ability. He knows where to plant the two leaves best.
Sure enough, A Yan took the two leaves and nodded, "Okay."
This section of the river is over a thousand meters long, so there's naturally more suitable places for Selaginella to grow than just this pile of rubble. Just as A Yan was about to slip away, he heard Xiao Lu Li say, "Brother A Yan, I want to help too."
A Yan did not refuse. He was naturally very welcome to have a little helper who volunteered to work.
"Then let's go."
He grabbed little Lu Li's arm and took him to perform the shrinking technique and search along the river bank.
Soon, they found another pile of rubble. A Yan took out a shovel and handed it to little Lu Li, instructing him how to dig a hole in the sand and gravel.
After the hole is dug, insert the leaves of Selaginella into it, then cover it with gravel and water it.
"Is this all right?" Little Lu Li looked at the leaf stuck in the soil and couldn't help but ask, "Can this turn it into another Selaginella tree?"
"We have to wait until it grows roots."
A Yan is now very experienced. "After it grows roots, it can absorb nutrients and water from the soil. Only then can it be considered alive."
In other words, only when these leaves can eat by themselves can they be considered independent individuals?
Just like his separated soul, after gradually solidifying and being able to touch physical objects and eat food, it became another him.
So, is this leaf still connected to the main body?
"If I stick the leaf back on, will it grow back onto that Selaginella tree?" Little Lu Li asked innocently.
"Probably not." A Yan thought for a moment and said, "But if Su Su takes action, it should be possible, right?"
Susu can even merge the separated soul back together, so what is a mere Selaginella leaf?
Little Lu Li felt the same way, and he couldn't help but admire: "Su Su is really amazing!"
"Yes, Su Su is amazing!"
The two little guys played some Su Ci, and after happily reaching a consensus, they continued to look for a new place to plant Selaginella leaves.
And Su Ci, whom they admired, was squatting on the river bank, staring at the fish swimming in the river.
Yesterday there were only a few small fish, but today there are more than a dozen of them, forming a small school of fish, playing and swimming around in the water.
Among this small school of fish, there were also larger individuals. The largest one was estimated to be about ten to twenty centimeters long.
Steamed, braised, charcoal grilled...
Su Ci's mind was filled with various ways to eat fish, and he almost couldn't help but eat all the fish in one pot.
However, he finally held back.
Let's raise them a little longer. These small fish are not enough to fill his stomach.
Thinking of the huge, plump and tender sea fish he had eaten at the banquet of human monks in the past, Su Ci couldn't help feeling a little disgusted when he looked at the unknown species of fish swimming below.
He slowly shifted his gaze to look at the rocks that had turned light green. It was not the rocks that had changed color, but the living water that had brought new life - moss.
Moss is an amphibious plant that reproduces through spores like Selaginella. Running water can carry their spores to great distances, and once they reach their favorite shady and humid environment, they will fall to the ground and grow.
With moss here, water plants should not be far away.
As these aquatic plants grow in number, more and more fish will be attracted to the area, and their feces will become nutrients for the growth of plants. This mutually beneficial symbiosis will make this water area truly come alive.
Thinking of this, Su Ci used his spiritual sense to scan the entire river, and then found that many places had not been covered by the water purification array.
Most of this is due to the terrain, and the water carrying pollutants is deposited at the bottom. If it is not dealt with over time, new mud monsters may be born.
So Su Ci stood up and walked along the river bank, picking up stones along the way, carving three combination arrays of water purification, spirit gathering and solidity on them, and then throwing them into the river.
These stones engraved with the formation worked in the water, covering even those remote corners and slowly purifying all the river water.
When they were almost at the end, Su Ci stretched out his body, and just then A Yan came back with little Lu Li to meet him.
"Susu, are we going back?" A Yan asked.
Su Ci did not answer immediately. He looked up outside the purification barrier. The thick red fog outside had gradually faded, and the converted spiritual energy was not as much as before.
Without spiritual energy replenishment, the growth of plants will slow down - of course, this will not happen for the time being, but I will have to think of a solution later.
He pondered for a moment, then said, "The meat I've eaten these past two days doesn't seem to be that fresh anymore."
A Yan couldn't help but blink his eyes. The spider meat was stored in the freezer. Although it was not spoiled, it was indeed unlikely to be as fresh as it was at the beginning.
He had tried his best to make the spider meat delicious, but due to the limited ingredients, he had no other choice...
"Susu, what do you mean?" A Yan guessed what Su Ci wanted to do.
Sure enough, he heard the young man say lazily, "Let's go get something fresh."
Ah Yan laughed and immediately said, "I heard from Xiao Lihua that there seems to be a giant spider's nest in the red fog, with many giant spiders in it."
Hearing this, Su Ci immediately became interested.
"But how can I find this nest quickly?" Although he could enter the red fog to search, that would be a bit inefficient.
Apparently, Ayan had considered this as well.
He held up the work manual hanging on his chest and said, "The booklet can help."
Booklet...
If the base's intelligent computer has independent consciousness, it will definitely have a lot in common with the prototype of the book spirit.
And Su Ci obviously likes this name very much.
"Xiaoce can eat spider silk, so it can sense where the giant spider's nest is?" Su Ci's eyes lit up.
The prototype of the book spirit, being stared at by three pairs of eyes, suddenly felt a lot of pressure.
It was already familiar with Su Ci and A Yan's gazes, but the key was Xiao Lu Li's...
Little Lu Li was looking at it with a very curious look. He hadn't noticed it before, but when he looked at the book carefully, he found that - it seemed to be alive?
The prototype of the book spirit keenly sensed a danger.
It didn't know that Xiao Luli's talent was related to the soul, nor did it know that the golden macaque... was once a ferocious beast known for feeding on souls.
But in its perception, the danger level of this blond boy is no less than that of A Yan.
After all, it is a newborn spirit that has just gained consciousness. For the golden macaque, it is a tonic that it has no power to resist.
A Yan took away its power of rules, and it only became weak, but could still survive. But if the golden macaque attacked it... it would die instantly.
Under the gazes of the three "big guys", the embryonic form of the book spirit was stiff and dared not move.
At this time, A Yan took out a small piece of spider silk from the space button, hung it above the cover of the book, and said, "Little Book, eat it, and then you can work after you are full."
Such a small portion, it's not enough to fill you up, okay? It's like giving food to a beggar!
But what could the Book Spirit embryo do? It didn't even have the courage to bargain. It simply unfolded the book and swallowed the small piece of spider silk.
Eat what you can eat, don’t complain until you have nothing to eat.
It’s so sad to think about it…
"Is it okay?" Su Ci said lightly.
The prototype of the book spirit suddenly shuddered and quickly flew into the air. After carefully sensing it, it pointed in the direction of the base.
Obviously, the giant spider's nest is not due east of Base 24, but on the other side of the base.
No wonder there are so many giant spiders, but Su Ci hasn't encountered any in the past few days.
"Okay, let's go."
So, Su Ci took A Yan and Xiao Lu Li with him and disappeared from the spot.
He headed west, quickly passing the guards and operatives defending the metal wall, crossing the entire base, and soon arrived at the west side of Base 24, appearing on the metal wall in this direction.
Little Lu Li looked around. He was amazed and envious every time he saw Su Su's ability to teleport.
Then, his attention was drawn to the world outside the metal wall.
Outside the wall, there was a thick red fog.
Unlike the vast wasteland to the east, a mountain range can be vaguely seen to the west of Base 24, about a thousand meters away from the plain where Base 24 is located.
Several mountains stand tall, but unfortunately they are not as lush and green as Su Ci remembered.
In the past, the location of the 24th Base could barely be said to be close to mountains and water, but unfortunately it is no longer the same as before.
The entire mountain range is desolate, without a trace of green, only thick red fog swirling around, and countless monsters lurking in the dark.
After returning to his original form, little Lu Li's perception became even sharper. He sensed extreme danger from the red fog and couldn't help but move closer to Su Ci.
Of course, after seeing how Su Ci dealt with the monster, he was not too panicked, it was just an instinctive avoidance.
The miniature work manual was suspended in mid-air, pointing diligently towards the towering mountain.
It seems that the giant spider's nest is in that mountain.
The 24th Base has been stationed here for so long and has sent out countless exploration teams, but has never dared to go deep into the place.
"Let's go and take a look."
Su Ci said this, and then he took the two children and disappeared from the spot again, heading towards the mountain.
Because his purpose was clear this time, Su Ci did not bother to drive away the red fog like before. Of course, the red fog automatically retreated when he approached.
The monsters lurking in the red fog naturally did not dare to act rashly when they saw such a strange scene.
They also sensed the presence of danger and retreated and hid.
In this way, Su Ci had a smooth journey and brought A Yan and little Lu Li to the front of the mountain.
Looking up, you can see a mountain shrouded in red mist. The mountain is towering into the clouds. In the past, it was the habitat of countless lives, but now only bloodthirsty and ferocious monsters are circling in it.
Su Ci frowned slightly. After coming here, he became a little more cautious.
A transparent spiritual shield rose out of thin air, protecting them. Then Su Ci reminded them, "Remember, don't leave my side."
A Yan and little Lu Li both nodded obediently.
"Booklet." Su Ci called softly.
The embryonic form of the book spirit trembled slightly. It was a little scared because it felt that the scent of spider silk became extremely strong, which also meant how terrifying the number of giant spiders was.
Although it longs for spider silk, it values its life more.
It’s a pity that it has no say in the matter now.
Under Su Ci's urging, the prototype of the book spirit once again resigned itself to pointing the way.
In order not to alert the enemy, Su Ci restrained all his aura, and with the protection of the spiritual shield, they seemed to be invisible.
The red fog no longer avoided them, and the monsters living in the red fog gradually became active.
All kinds of horrible sounds echoed in the mountains, and screams and various strange movements were heard from time to time. It was obvious that there was no peace between the monsters, and fighting was everywhere.
Xiao Luli was so frightened that she couldn't help but hold on to Su Ci's clothes tightly, not daring to leave him even a step.
Fortunately, Susu walked very slowly and he could keep up with her.
They went deep into the mountains.
If the purpose before setting out was to hunt giant spiders, then after seeing this mountain range and going deep into the mountain, this purpose has changed somewhat.
If Su Ci wants to restore vitality to the earth, this mountain range will undoubtedly be a place that cannot be avoided, so he will use it as a way to explore the way in advance.
It is not easy for him, who is now weak, to eliminate the numerous monsters in the mountains, so he still has to think of a way.
Moreover, Su Ci had another purpose.
If we can still find three tenaciously growing plants in the dry riverbed, it should be impossible to find nothing in such a large mountain range, right?
However, what happened next was something even Su Ci did not expect.
Following the guidance of the miniature work manual, they arrived at the entrance of a valley.
When we got here, the strange noises made by the monsters in the red fog actually subsided a little, but this did not mean it was safe.
On the contrary, it is possible that this is a very dangerous place, and even those monsters dare not approach it easily.
When it arrived at the entrance of the valley, the prototype of the book spirit dared not move anymore. It shrank directly into A Yan's collar, hid in A Yan's clothes, pretended to be dead, and never dared to come out again.
It seems that the giant spider's nest is in this valley.
Su Ci's face remained calm as he continued to step inside.
Little Lu Li swallowed and quickly followed him. Although he felt that this place was very scary and wanted to turn around and run away, he also knew that there was no safer place than being with Su Su.
The valley was filled with a thicker red fog. After stepping into it, you could faintly hear the sound of arthropods crawling.
The sounds seemed to come from inside the cliffs on both sides. The giant spider's nest should be inside the hollow cliff, and the entrance is in the valley.
Su Ci's spiritual consciousness penetrated deep into the cliff wall, and he saw densely packed spiders of at least tens of thousands of different sizes.
Even the smallest ones are the size of five or six-year-old human cubs, and these spiders are not at peace with each other; they are fighting and devouring each other.
Su Ci touched his chin and began to search the valley with his spiritual consciousness, trying to find a giant spider of the right size.
Now that we're here, we can't go back empty-handed, right?
Then, his expression suddenly changed.
Su Ci, along with A Yan and Xiao Lu Li, disappeared from the spot in a flash. When they reappeared, they had already reached the depths of the valley.
But in front of them was not a giant spider, but... a sea of flowers blooming in the red mist.
They were blood-red plants, each about one meter tall, with brightly colored blood-red flowers blooming on the tops of the plants.
They grow together closely together, forming a colorful picture that is extremely beautiful.
However, looking at this sea of flowers does not make people feel comfortable. Instead, they feel trembling and fear from the bottom of their hearts, as if something bad is going to happen.
This is... a demonic plant.
Su Ci felt a little solemn.
On these blood-red demonic plants, you can see some huge insects wriggling. They are covered with sharp thorns and are gnawing on the leaves of the plants.
Among them, there is a huge cocoon hanging under the leaves of the plant.
“Crack, crack—”
The cocoon was breaking open and something was coming out of it.
A sticky liquid dripped from the cracks in the cocoon. A wet creature struggled to crawl out of the crack and finally landed on the collapsed cocoon.
Long tentacles grew on the creature's head. As the liquid on its body continued to dry up in the wind, its ugly body was also changing little by little.
Finally, the wings behind it began to vibrate.
Under the watchful eyes of Su Ci, A Yan and others, the butterfly that emerged from its cocoon completed its final transformation.
The butterfly spread its wings, which were about half a meter wide. The colorful patterns on its gently flapping wings were so beautiful, yet exuded a dangerous aura.
After flapping its wings a few times, the butterfly finally left the cocoon and began to fly gracefully.
It looks beautiful and harmless, but watching it dancing in this place where blood-red magic flowers bloom, no matter how beautiful it is, makes people feel inexplicably uneasy.
Sure enough, the next moment, the butterfly stopped dancing.
It was a spider web that had been woven long ago, and the moment the butterfly spread its wings and flew high into the sky, it unexpectedly revealed its murderous intent.
The butterfly's constant struggle attracted predators.
A giant spider, sensing the vibrations of the spider silk, quickly crawled along the web towards the butterfly entangled in the web, ready to harvest its prey.
Watching this scene from afar, Su Ci frowned.
Just when the giant spider was about to succeed, he finally took action and released a wind blade.
As expected, the wind blade hit the giant spider accurately, cutting it into several pieces in one go, and the spider web shattered in the huge impact.
The bound butterfly broke free, flapped its wings quickly and fled into the sky.
Because of this move, Su Ci's spirit shield was no longer effective——
Their figures were exposed.
In the sea of flowers, the magic plants that were swaying in the wind suddenly stopped moving, and then all the magic flowers "looked" towards Su Ci.
This strange change scared little Lu Li, and he subconsciously hid behind Su Ci.
With his action, the silence at the scene was broken, all the demonic plants seemed to become crazy, and even the ground under their feet suddenly cracked.
Something grew out from under their feet and pushed them up. Little Lu Li hugged Su Ci's thighs in panic, barely maintaining his balance.
However, the current changes still frightened him.
Are these strange blood-red flowers... going to eat them? He sensed an almost explosive excitement from these terrifying plants.
They began to grow wildly, and not only little Lu Li, but even the giant insects that were originally hanging on the magic plants and gnawing on them were frightened.
Are these magic flowers crazy?
After they were shaken to the ground, they fled in all directions, fearing that they would be swallowed by the magic flower if they were a step slower.
Just when little Lu Li's ears were about to pop out of his chest with fear, he heard the young man's helpless voice: "Stop."
As soon as this simple word was uttered, the entire blood-red sea of flowers that were twisting and growing wildly really stopped as if the pause button had been pressed.
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