The original red soil pillars were gone, now replaced by a dozen tall columns entwined with verdant vines that reached straight up into the sky.
Upon close observation, Liu Zhenhan realized that those columns were originally the red soil pillars, now completely entwined with vines. The vines, a vibrant green, bloomed with countless tiny flowers. The flowers, vivid and colorful, were layered on top of each other. A gentle breeze carried a hint of soothing fragrance.
"Is it spring already?" Liu Zhenhan laughed foolishly. What a beautiful sight?
The meadows and shrubbery at the base of the Red Earth Highland had disappeared, replaced by a massive bamboo forest, with many bamboo shoots still wrapped in their covers. Tʜe source of this ᴄontent ɪs novel_fіre.net
In the center of the dense bamboo forest was a newly opened road. Judging from the gigantic footprints, one could tell that it was probably treaded out by woolly mammoth elephants.
Several Hobbit Halflings were guiding a bunch of hedgehog men, who were carrying baskets and picking wild vegetables and shoots at the edge of the bamboo forest. Sensing the arrival of the Overlord on a towering mammoth, they hurriedly lined up on both sides of the path with deep respect.
The pandas were excited by the sight of the bamboo forest, their eyes gleaming. They raced over excitedly, grabbed the bamboo shoots from the baskets, wiped them on their clothes, and crammed them into their mouths to chew. Gude was chewing a bamboo with even the green leaves in his mouth, the happy tears flooding his face.
"Bloody hell! All these bamboos and trees!" Liu Zhenhan stood up incredulously from atop the mammoth, shading his eyes as he surveyed the surroundings. Is this the same desolate Red Earth Highland from yesterday?
The bamboo forest spread a mile or two to the left and right in front of the Red Earth Highland. As the wind blew, the verdant sea of trees rippled and swayed.
In front of the Red Earth Highland, a handful of colossal cylindrical trees were scattered across the vast open space, their bases rooted in the red earth.
These cylindrical trees were enormously tall, their trunks covered in scales, and at least ten ren high. Each tree sported a massive canopy that looked like an umbrella, covering the sky in front of the Red Earth Highland. The canopy was teeming with sturdy, feather-like leaves that drooped heavily. Each tree looked like a giant mimosa, with several skunk men clambering up the canopy, hacking at the leaves with their knives.
"You’re back?" Ning Yu emerged from the bamboo forest, her basket filled to the brim with bamboo shoots. A blue towel was wrapped around her head, and a cheery smile on her face as she looked at Liu Zhenhan. A large group of boys and girls followed her out of the bamboo forest, their baskets filled with mushrooms and various bamboo sprouts, and grinning at their master.
"How did so many bamboos grow all at once? Won’t it be overwhelming? Is that the Slat Banana?" Liu Zhenhan somersaulted off the mammoth’s back, covering his shocked face as he looked at the vast bamboo forest, then at the tall and bonny "Mimosa".
"Life Spring is truly amazing!" Ning Yu was visibly excited, beads of perspiration trickling down her nose. "We began by planting bamboos. Initially, we were somewhat skeptical about the Life Spring. The bamboo roots that Gude provided were a bit jaundiced. Considering the poor soil quality here, we decided to experiment with the bamboo roots first. There was no reaction for half a day after pouring down the Life Spring. Seeing this, Korina got impatient and poured a bit more. None of us expected that these bamboos would sprout up in the afternoon, and in a blink of an eye, they spread out so much. It looks like more bamboo shoots are sprouting up, and they are continuing to grow. It’s incredible! We originally planned to plant other plants upon your return, but seeing this, we planted the Slat Banana."
"How much of my Life Spring is left? Korina didn’t waste it all, did she?" Liu Zhenhan winced at the thought - remembering the Shepherd-tree People’s words: a drop of Life Spring could accelerate the growth of a tree by ten years. Korina’s pouring led to the proliferation of this vast bamboo forest, which must have consumed a significant chunk of his reserves.
"Not much was poured, maybe around half a bag," Ning Yu chuckled.
Liu Zhenhan was flabbergasted. Half of his Life Spring, which he had traded his body for, was squandered just like that, leaving him with nothing but this bamboo forest.
"Haha!" Gude laughed. "Lord, I can lie in there and eat for three generations! Awesome!"
"Awesome, my ass!" Liu Zhenhan was almost furious. He was not raising a panda army, and these bamboos, no matter how beautiful, were useless.
"Where is Korina?" Liu Zhenhan asked, fuming.
"He was just around. Probably hauling the Slat Banana back to the cave. The mammoth warriors have been craving bananas for days. He’s been shaking, knowing you’re definitely going to scold him. Let it go, Richard, don’t scold him. He didn’t mean to." Ning Yu twirled playfully, breathing in the fragrant air from the bamboo forest. "It feels just like home in my dreams! I really fell in love with this place."
"If you’re happy then fine! But I still have to scold him! Where are Helen and Wei’er?" Liu Zhenhan pulled out a couple of wild onions from the hedgehog men’s basket and stuffed them in his nose.
"Wei’er wanted a plaza fountain. She’s gone to the Sanggan River to collect seashells. She said she needed the shells to manufacture a large Magic Scroll. Seeing as she is a Water Element Mage, I let her. Helen is planting Thousand-leaf Nymphaea. She just finished planting them around several pre-existing red earth pillars and has now moved to the edge of Red Earth Highland. She said she wants to turn the Red Earth Highland into a wall of roses. I am getting dinner ready." Ning Yu giggled, her hand covering her mouth.