Chapter 1427
Chapter 1427 - 1423: The Person in the Forest
1,225 words
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7 min read
The battlefield for professionals is always significantly influenced by environmental factors.
Powerful professionals can adapt to the environment, while even stronger ones can transform it, but there is a rare few who...
"Bring their own environment? A top Gardener..."
When "The Strongest Right Arm in History" Shi Xiaoyou returned to his own front, what he faced was a completely different landscape.
All around the battleground, the once barren land was now filled with various Lamp Flowers and Lamp Grasses.
In his memory, it used to be a wasteland and marshland... subjected periodically to the onslaught of the sea and the occasional tsunami, the original surface had long been scoured clean.
Now, however, it was an extraordinary forest alight with countless Starfires, short Lamp Mushrooms, towering Lamp Trees, and swaths of glowing Lamp Grass, resembling a forest from a fairytale.
Especially along the coastline, those Super Lamp Trees that reached into the clouds looked quite valuable... they stood like lighthouses keeping watch over the sea, yet also seemed like Giants ready for battle at any moment.
"Impressive..."
If it were low-level professionals, they would only find these trees and this forest an eyesore, even thinking that "planting trees" during combat was an inefficient investment.
But as a high-level professional who had seen many high-level Gardeners, Shi Xiaoyou knew that Gardeners who brought their own environment were the most difficult to deal with.
Top Gardeners with powerful Life Perception abilities often had their "roots" quietly penetrating the earth, with the forest serving as their eyes and ears.
When they were willing to invest heavily, even potentially merging completely with the forest, stepping into it was like entering their bodies.
Moreover, when necessary, those trees and flowers could become weapons, autonomous warriors, or even blood bottles for the Gardener.
Gardeners who bring their own environment are indeed on a different level of strength compared to those who are alone... Of course, the consumption is not on the same level either, which is essentially why low-level Gardeners are always striving to earn money. Regardless of what their "environment" looks like, the resources and time needed for mass production are indispensable.
Shi Xiaoyou closed his eyes. He had his own "way of observation," and when his Life Perception ability tapped into the forest’s excessively vibrant Life Force, he would no longer see Lu Ping’an as a novice.
Those giant Lamp Trees were not merely hollow shells; the power contained within them had likely reached Quasi-rule level.
For beings like them, Quasi-rule level Magic Plants and Demons aren’t hard to handle, but these were super-sized and numerous, flippantly regarded as common expendables.
"The Life system profession with wealth, and the Life system profession with just a body of flesh, are completely different worlds..."
The powerful eighth-tier Big Shot also revealed a wry smile; he was exactly the kind of impoverished Life system professional reliant solely on himself.
On the one hand, as a Gourmet and a chef, whatever resources he obtained went straight into his stomach; on the other hand... despite the Gourmet also being a battle-profession from the Life system with strong combat ability and decent support capabilities early on, its production ability was utterly terrible. Most of the "gourmet food" he made could only be consumed by himself, unable to enter the grand circulation of Life system resources.
He might be strong, but he was definitely not rich.
And at this moment, looking at those big trees, he felt truly envious from the depths of his heart.
"Lamp Trees, Lamp Flowers..."
Just how powerful a high-level Gardener or Beast Tamer could be ultimately comes down to their Creations. They are both warriors and developers, and the strength of the "Lamp Flower" series had already been universally recognized.
Those released for sale or trade are mass-produced items; heaven knows to what extent the top-tier products have evolved and how many types of combat strategies have been developed.
The formidable eighth-tier professional adjusted his mindset, strolling through the towering forest. He knew Lu Ping’an must be aware of his return, as the forest had already conveyed everything to him.
The deeper he went, the more surprised the outwardly calm man felt inside. He saw various demons in the forest, the numbered collars around their necks clearly indicated they were domesticated.
"Rumors, could they be true? So soon..."
Top Life system professionals, besides facing the "Curse of Fertility," must also attempt to transcend the limits of "species"... Gardeners will eventually have to face Beast Taming, and Beast Tamers will eventually have to fuse with Gardeners.
"...Generally, only Quasi-Gods would consider this step."
The two parallel paths eventually merged, but to overcome this innate barrier, one needed not only accumulation but also talent... To become a Quasi-God, everyone is a prodigy in the eyes of the world. To evolve to that point is a miracle sculpted from the impossible.
Walking, walking, he shook his head.
Not likely, that young man was still too young, maybe he had enough talent, but this step was still too early...
"...It seems I’m still arrogant."
But when he crossed the forest and saw the young man in the Forest Land, he realized the one who was superficial was himself.
In the center of the Forest Land, Lu Ping’an was surrounded by his "Magic Pets," or rather, his family.
He lay against a flame-haired Centaur, emitting fire from all around, while his right arm was entwined with an illusory giant serpent... The serpent’s lower half and tail extended, occupying nearly half of the Forest Land.
He laughed cheerfully, clapping his hands, watching the dance of the metal armor in the middle of the clearing... That humanoid automaton was discerned by onlookers to have humanity and emotions.
"Clap clap."
And the loudest applause came from above.
The large Tree-man cradled its family members, laughing in click-clack sounds.
She clapped slowly and firmly, keeping rhythm for her older sister... but it seemed not a single clap was on the beat.
The perpetually dynamic Flame Beast lay under its master, pressed down, also could only boredly fiddle with its master’s hair, even attempting to braid it. Encircled by its two "large" younger sisters, the Soul automaton showcased its soulful singing voice.
Like a dancing figure atop a music box, the dance was mechanical and overflowing with beauty, possessing a strange mix of harmony and eeriness.
Pleasant and harmonious, powerful and warm, when Lu Ping’an "family" appeared in front of Shi Xiaoyou, even a confident to the point of arrogant eighth-tier strongman, had to admit that Lu Ping’an seemed to have long crossed that line.
"Rule-level fire beast, the others also above Quasi-rule level, that snake, Tree-man unable to be analyzed... No, that armor isn’t normal either."
At that moment, Shi Xiaoyou completely saw Lu Ping’an as an equal.
To domesticate so many Quasi-rule and Rule-level Magic Pets... No, those clearly surpassing the concept of a level, those Super Magic Pets, simply weren’t within reach of a normal seventh-tier Beast Tamer.
"Yo, Xiaoyou brother."
As that young man propped himself up, his pupils were pure white, completely unfocused, as if he looked into the distance, as if he predicted the future, as if he also observed humanity’s mortal enemy.
"Interested in saying hello to the Three-Headed Dragon together?"
— End of Chapter 1427 —