The banyan tree king was gripped by immense anxiety, and its leaves fell in large clumps.
Until news came from his subordinates that the audacious young girl and the gossipy Morning Glory had conspired to assassinate the leader of the Holy Light Cult, but were captured by the other side and were about to be executed.
That night, it had another precognitive dream, which showed that as long as the humans and the mutated plants and animals were driven away separately, they would have a chance to survive. The price for changing its fate was that it itself could not leave Shahe City.
The Banyan King decided to sacrifice himself, so he found an excuse to first drive the men out of the city, and then drove the women to another city. Worried that the women would go hungry on the way, he specially gave them food.
Just as it was preparing to expel the mutated plants and animals from Shahe City, it had another dream.
After leaving Shahe City, some of the mutated plants and animals, naive to the ways of the world, returned to live in seclusion deep in the mountains and forests, while others tried to befriend humans and integrate into human life.
Humans are happy to see mutated plants and animals flocking to them, but they also worry that these "free helpers" might not be obedient.
In order to make the mutant animals and plants willingly help with the work, they are taught to "live in harmony with nature" and to give their blood, sweat and even lives for humanity, but they are not given the benefits they deserve, and the mutant animals and plants are squeezed for their last drop of blood and tears.
Although the mutated plants and animals are naive, they are not stupid. After realizing what was happening, they retaliated by massacring and killing the humans who had exploited them.
Humanity was enraged. How dare a mere chess piece rebel?
Thus began a multi-year-long war between humans, mutated plants and animals, and resentful marine creatures that constantly stirred up trouble, nearly wiping out the other side's entire race.
Perhaps due to the massacre of too many lives, the blue planet exploded.
The Banyan King exclaimed excitedly, "Humans are too domineering and selfish! The Blue Planet belongs to all living beings!"
Banxia and the Devouring Tree were dumbfounded. Should they be glad that they died young in their previous lives so that they didn't have to go through everything that followed?
Nanxing, standing to the side, was also dumbfounded. So, all the hope he and his wife and friends had held onto and worked so hard to live until now was actually meaningless?
Banxia turned around and hugged Nanxing, trying to draw warmth from him to calm her emotions.
In her past life, she had fought against zombies, mutated plants and animals, marine life, and humans, but she never thought about why she had to fight.
Is it for survival?
Is it to seize territory?
Is it "those who are not of our kind must have different hearts," thus excluding those who are different from us?
Is it to consolidate humanity's dominant position as the planet's superpower?
Banxia felt somewhat lost.
She took a deep breath: "So, you want me to take in the mutated plants and animals of Rongcheng to prevent the tragedy from happening?"
"No!" the Banyan King proudly refused. "This world is rotten beyond repair; there's absolutely no need to save it!"
Even though the Banyan King had no eyes, Banxia seemed to feel its burning gaze. She heard the Banyan King say, "I want to create a new world suitable for the survival of mutated plants and animals!"
The Banyan King solemnly said, "I know your Peach Blossom Spring can be upgraded, and I am willing to give you myself and the crystal cores I have accumulated. Furthermore, all the mutated plants and animals in Banyan City will, like me, voluntarily hand over their crystal cores to you before they die."
Banxia paused, then asked, "Aren't you afraid I'll just take the crystal cores and do nothing? What if I'm the kind of human you hate?"
“I’m afraid,” the Banyan King said with a wry smile, “but I really can’t think of any other way but to ask you for help.”
Most importantly, it believed in itself and in the humans before it.
Three days ago, it had another dream.
It couldn't remember the specifics of what happened in the dream after waking up. But it always remembered the last image of the dream: a few seconds before the explosion of the blue planet, the human in front of it went to live in a paradise with her partner and companions.
In the Peach Blossom Spring, there is no killing, no oppression, and humans live in harmony with animals and plants; it is the place it has always dreamed of.
Banxia shook her head: "There is no real Shangri-La in this world. As long as there are conflicts of interest, killing and bloodshed will never stop."
The reason the mutated plants and animals in her space can live in harmony is that there is no conflict of interest among them. But this may not be the case when there are many more mutated plants and animals.
The Banyan King smiled bitterly and said, "I have lived for thousands of years and have witnessed several changes of human dynasties. I know that intelligent beings are capable of anything for their own benefit. Logically speaking, I shouldn't be so naive."
"But I'm just not willing to accept it!"
"Our history as plants and animals is far longer than that of humans. However, once humans gained power, they aggressively encroached on our habitat and tried to exterminate us."
"It's one thing if it's before the apocalypse, it's our incompetence!"
"But now our mutated plants and animals are far more powerful than humans, yet we are still bullied by humans."
"I'm not reconciled! I refuse to accept this!"
As it spoke, the entire tree suddenly turned blood red: "Humans deserve to die!"
Oh no! The Banyan King has gone berserk!
Banxia reacted quickly, throwing Nanxing and the terrified Xiaofeng and Xiaowei into the space. Then, she and the Devouring Tree attacked the Banyan Tree King from the left and right in perfect unison.
The rampaging Banyan King's power increased exponentially, with countless roots as thick as an adult elephant's leg surging across the ground like pythons, while sharp thorns sprouted from its branches and leaves.
"Humans deserve to die!"
A flash of red light appeared on the Banyan King, and thousands of green leaves flew towards the man and the tree like hidden weapons.
The Devouring Tree swiftly lifted Banxia onto its body, and vines quickly spewed out from Banxia's palms, weaving a giant green cocoon that wrapped both her and the Devouring Tree tightly.
"Clang!"
"Clang!"
When the banyan leaves struck the green cocoon, they produced a metallic clanging sound!
Furthermore, the leaves did not cause any effective damage to the green cocoon, as if the rain of leaves just now was merely a dream.
The Banyan King was slightly taken aback. Its strongest attack had failed?
After the metallic clanging sound ended, Banxia retracted her vines and softly called out, "Tiantian, escort me to the Banyan King."
"good!"
The Devouring Tree instantly transformed back to its original form, and a black and white tree tens of meters tall rose from the ground. It swung its flexible yet sturdy branches at the Banyan King, causing the unprepared Banyan King to stagger.
At the same time, Banxia's palm vines shot out towards the trunk of the Banyan King, and then, using the force, she leaped onto the Banyan King.
The Banyan King paid no attention to Banxia, a tiny insect insignificant to its massive body; the entire tree's attention was drawn to the Devouring Tree!
If the Banyan Tree King were in its right mind, it would never have confronted the Devouring Tree head-on. However, devoid of reason, it disregarded everything, its mind filled only with slaughter and destruction.
Like a wild beast, the Banyan King rushed toward the Sky-Swallowing Tree. The Sky-Swallowing Tree went to meet it, and unsurprisingly, the two trees quickly began to wrestle.
If you pluck a new branch from me, I'll break an old root from you; if you strip off a handful of leaves from me, I'll tear off a piece of bark from you...
Before long, both trees became scarred.
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