Published: February 9, 2025
“Do you think the current Yama Tree is a certain level of evolved life?”
This question from the treant left Ye Zhongming speechless for a long time. After pondering for a moment, he finally replied, “It should at least be at the seventh level.”
Ye Zhongming had been subconsciously avoiding direct confrontation with the Yama Tree, and this question was precisely the reason. Now that he heard the treant ask, his heart wavered about the specific level.
“Eighth level.”
The treant clearly gave an answer that shocked Ye Zhongming.
The upper dragon was also at the eighth level, but that was a sea creature. In the vast ocean, the number of lives is incomparably greater than on land, so its rapid evolution is not surprising.
Ye Zhongming had always believed that even if humanity in its past had not confirmed it, the first ninth-level life on Earth must have been born in the ocean.
But on land, there is now an eighth-level existence?
If it were in places like the primeval forest, where mutated life forms abound, it would still be somewhat possible. Mutated plants and animals could mutually confront and kill each other, and there might be hope for them to evolve to the eighth level. But in a city that had been closed off for over half a year, could it really produce an eighth-level mutated life form?
Before Ye Zhongming could dispel his doubts, the treant dropped another piece of news.
“If it eats me, it might evolve to the ninth level!”
“Impossible!”
Ye Zhongming instinctively denied it. He had never heard of any mutated life form being able to serve as an Evolution Potion! Eating you would lead to becoming ninth level? That statement sounded absurd whether said or heard.
“It is possible. I share the same origin with it. If I absorb it, I might evolve from a five-star evolver to a six-star or even seven-star. Conversely, if it absorbs me, it could help it cross the immense chasm from eighth to ninth level. This is the power of origin!”
“I want to leave here; this is the most important reason. If I stay, I fear I might gradually become a mindless tree. Staying here terrifies me even more than death.”
Ye Zhongming fell silent because what the treant said might indeed be possible. In his past life, that Heavenly Tree that occupied an entire city had reached the ninth level in a very short time, which caused all the life in the city to disappear. Perhaps it had quickly evolved to the ninth level by absorbing a life form like the treant, which shared the same origin?
Things that are unknown will always breed doubt and even disbelief, but the truth often is just that way.
“Because we share the same origin, as long as I intend to hide, it will be difficult for it to discover me.” The treant pointed to the branches outside, “Those were created by me, not the Yama Tree.”
Ye Zhongming nodded, understanding why it was so secretive here.
“I worked in this laboratory in my past life.” The treant revealed a bitter smile, “I should be considered a prodigy in others' eyes, graduating from graduate school at twenty-two while pursuing my doctorate and working here.”
“So I am still human, even if I no longer have the appearance of a human.” The treant raised its voice, “I won’t rely on the lives of my kind to pave my evolutionary path… at least I won’t do it deliberately.”
“Even if you don’t believe me, I am a prodigy with a very high IQ. Even if I used this method to evolve by turning humans into corpses to collect magic crystals, how long could I last? This place is closed off, and the population isn’t that large. Moreover, I am not invincible in Linhai. Adding to that, my escape plan requires a lot of people’s help. Do you think I would do that?”
“As for the hard disk you just mentioned, it’s just some data. I can’t understand it, but my people can. It’s some previous results from this laboratory, and I’ve done some follow-up research after being trapped here.” The treant said while shifting its body, “You see, since I look like this, I am still a vigorous evolver who only needs one hour of rest each day. If I don’t find something to do, I would be bored to death.”