934: Spider Silk Cultivation Method and the Relationship Between Man and Nature
In the Three Caves World, thousands of the most outstanding Rangers arrived at the city-state established by Orion.
The [golden tree] scattered pieces of leaves of power carrying golden phantoms. Upon them was Apprentice-level flying Spell Model knowledge specially prepared by Lock for them. The bulk of this knowledge was prepared for his own Great Mingli Dragon Sparrow, intending to use these Rangers to help him deduce matching flying magic.
Since these Rangers were part of his own power system, this was essentially still him making progress in deducing Spell Models.
But who said that making progress in deducing Spell Models required one to do all the thinking themselves?
With a wave of his hand, Lock sent thousands of Apprentice-level Magic Plants, which he had bred in the Three Caves World using Great Green Owl Dragon Sparrow seeds, flying toward the group of Rangers.
Behind the golden tree, nightmare creatures let out loud laughs, waiting in the Emerald Dream for the Rangers to enter.
Lock looked into the Emerald Dream.
'According to the principles of the Emerald Dream, nightmares will actively seek out entrants from the same world of origin. Those nightmares are coming for me. Something's not right; why has the Wizarding World produced so many nightmare creatures recently?'
'Those nightmare creatures vary in strength, and their bodies are entwined with huan element heavy particles.'
'Could it be...'
Lock saw traces of crystallization on those nightmare creatures. For example, there was a tree covered in signs of withered wood, its roots shriveled and its body covered in logging scars. At the position of its left chest, a crystal heart similar to crystallization had appeared. Despite being a treant, it had a mammalian heart in its chest, and that still-beating heart was actually crystallized, with some kind of red liquid flowing within the crystal.
Seeing this scene made Lock frown. He hadn't expected that while he only wanted to deduce Spell Models and forge his Leaf of Power system, he would accidentally discover this [Crystal Nightmare] crap after connecting the golden tree to the Emerald Dream.
Could it be that the impact of Magic Plant Crystallization Technology is really that great?
Moreover, this Magic Plant crystallization seemed to produce a large amount of huan element heavy particles.
If that was the case, the Hand of the Jungle would eventually clash with this technological path.
And there was no telling how many huan element heavy particles would be produced; for now, the rate of production seemed extremely fast...
Producing huan element heavy particles while manufacturing void battleships was something difficult for a developing civilization to completely avoid, but the Magic Plant Crystallization Technology path was a different matter entirely.
At the entrance of the planar passage behind the golden tree leading to the Emerald Dream, a massive nightmare crawled out from behind the passage, seemingly wanting to swallow everyone present. Its withered trunk of a body contained a beating crystal heart.
"Ahahaha... An entry passage to a new world. This world contains that damned Life Magic power. I will destroy this world."
"This is the scent of home, the scent of the native land. I remember now; I was turned into a piece of crystal by a group of Wizards in that world. Now, I will turn all living beings in this world, especially humans, into crystals."
Thick smoke of huan element heavy particles spread toward everyone. Every Ranger standing in this city-state felt a pain in their lungs.
Every breath seemed to carry a heavy pressure.
As soon as these huan element heavy particles appeared, they quickly gasified into neon element light particles. Countless blue-green toxic fumes fell from the sky, spreading like a mist over this region of the Three Caves World where these high-energy-density elements were originally impossible to appear.
Orion looked at these two forces uneasily.
"Teacher, what are these..."
Lock said, "The scars of civilization. Substances that should not appear in a region with a level of civilization as low as the Three Caves World."
This was indeed the truth.
Because locations capable of producing huan element heavy particles were essentially advanced civilization regions. The Wizard Civilization could preliminarily judge a region's civilization level by detecting the density of huan element heavy particles in the Endless Void.
Since these elemental particles always appeared during the manufacture of void vessels, a region with a large amount of huan element heavy particles could even represent a very mature and extensive history of void navigation, which signified that the region was a high-level civilization area.
After encountering Hell last time, Lock had looked up some information and found that the hellfire in Hell produced a large amount of huan element heavy particles.
Therefore, a major source of nightmares in the Emerald Dream was Hell!
Orion turned to look at that incredibly ugly and terrifying monster.
"So the development of civilization doesn't always mean good things."
Lock smiled and said, "What are you thinking? At least for the Three Caves World, the development of civilization is an absolute good. Because your civilization is still far from reaching the level where it can produce substances like huan element heavy particles. Of course, as civilization advances, the capacity to do good increases, but so does the capacity to do evil. That is why the Endless Void needs us Rangers."
Orion nodded. "Yes. As long as we Rangers are here, monsters like this must be eliminated."
Orion manipulated the Great Green Leaf Dragon Finch Lock had given him. At the same time, the First Ring Leaf of Power [Vegetation Wings], which he had long since formed through resonance using the flying Spell Model obtained from the leaf of knowledge, suddenly formed a life resonance with him. That Leaf of Power, using the Path of the Nemesis: Leaf of Power as an intermediary, absorbed the excellent qualities within Orion's own soul, gained strength, and underwent an evolution.
A brand new Leaf of Power was produced.
[Vegetation Slaying Wings]!
The Great Green Leaf Dragon Finch behind Orion spread its plantain-like wings and drew an arc in the sky, striking its wings against the Crystal Nightmare that had broken into this Plane. Immediately, a large number of the Crystal Nightmare's withered branches were severed in two.
Orion said, "As long as I am here, I will never allow such a thing that profanes life to act so arrogantly."
His hunting axe struck the Crystal Nightmare, which immediately shrieked in pain and retreated back into the Emerald Dream.
Meanwhile, Lock summoned Orion's Leaf of Power.
"I see. Some changes have occurred in the Spell Model within the mobility sector, but it's not exactly an optimization; it's just a specialization in the direction of the Vegetation Wings."
"Given that Orion has the Second Ring rank of this world's God of War, combined with the Leaf of Power system I unintentionally created using the Ferocious Beast Panel, it's normal for such changes to occur. It's just that the subject of the co-evolution of humans and plants is indeed worth further study."
"After I become a Star Ring Wizard, I can try applying to the academy for a laboratory specifically to conduct related research."
Although it might be difficult to research any results in the short term.
Lock quickly engraved two identical leaves of power and then placed them into the Horadric Cube.
Indeed, if it was only at this level, according to the relationship he designed between geniuses and the growth of leaves of power, it would at most increase the quantity and variety of his leaves of power, leading to prosperity.
But by using the Horadric Cube to upgrade these leaves of power, he could rapidly increase the level of his own leaves of power.
...
Along the Tianjiang Riverbank, Witch Rosetta looked down at the shadow in her room, at the symbol representing void vigilance—the star ring.
She breathed a sigh of relief. "Finally, I've successfully advanced to a Star Ring Wizard."
"From now on, the world is my oyster, like a fish leaping through the dragon gate. Is this what it feels like to be marked as a dangerous lifeform by the Endless Void?"
Witch Rosetta closed her eyes and clenched her fist. An invisible force enveloped her. Because her advancement to Star Ring Wizard had made her Ultimate Magic extremely solid, it could generate a gravitational pull like a physical phenomenon, affecting every object around her. Some small items in her office automatically floated up, drawn by her power.
Witch Rosetta said, "However, to advance to a Star Ring Wizard earlier, I needed to perfect my power system. To stay one step ahead of Lock, I borrowed a hundred million magic stones using the name of the Tacitus Family, myself, and my great-grandmother. Combined with the Rose Council's special inheritance Second Ring Wizard Secret Realm, I was finally able to advance to Star Ring Wizard, staying ahead of that Lock."
"Never mind. This move at least saves my face."
"It's just that because of this, I likely won't be able to pay off these debts within ten years. Moreover, I consumed a World Wonder, the [Rose Codex]. That was a good item; it could briefly overlay the magical insights of past Rose Witches onto me. Although that Rose Codex could only record the magical insights of each past Rose Witch at the Second Ring stage, it was enough for me."
Witch Rosetta mused, "Of course, if I can take down Silver Peach Garden, my personal income should be between fifty to eighty million. So, taking down Silver Peach Garden is also extremely tempting for me."
Witch Rosetta rang a bronze bell, summoning her assistant.
She was going to officially declare war on Silver Peach Garden.
Right now, she was a Star Ring Wizard, while Lock was just an ordinary Second Ring Wizard. This was her best chance to strike!
Witch Rosetta summoned her assistants and told them, "Silver Peach Garden operates on a heavy-asset model. I want you to buy up as many of Silver Peach Garden's shops as possible. The more they try to cut their losses and sell shops, the more the value of the Shop Alliance itself will be looked down upon."
"We will buy their shops at rock-bottom prices now."
"At the same time, I want to launch a Magic Plant product called Copper Dart Flying Rose, targeting the Peach Dart Branch, which is currently the only thing Silver Peach Garden can still make money from."
Joshua, as the chief designer, said, "There is one issue. I'm a bit worried about that Great Green Leaf Dragon Finch series of flying magic plants."
Witch Rosetta said, "It's not a big deal; flying magic plants are different from weapon-type Magic Plants. Besides, large flying magic plants are basically tactical-level weapons and above, requiring massive investment. And even if they sell well, it will be the Aladdin Shop Alliance that rises, not Silver Peach Garden. I've investigated; Silver Peach Garden's corruption problem isn't something one or two super products can solve. Nor is it something one or two strong individuals can fix. If I were Lock Augustine, I'd be thinking about how to cut my losses and place bets on both sides to ensure I never truly lose."
Witch Rosetta added, "However, this time, in order to become a Star Ring Wizard five years early..."
"I've left behind too many hidden issues. So I need a buffer period of at least half a year."
Wizard Joshua showed a look of curiosity.
"Boss, you hired the High-Ring Wizards within your family to help you calculate the fictional symbols of your power system. Will that cause issues?"
Witch Rosetta said, "Yes, but not many. Because they were only assisting; the core was conceived by me."
Strands of spider silk appeared around Witch Rosetta. Each type of spider silk varied in color and texture; there seemed to be three hundred and thirty-one types, each one very unique.
"I use different types of spider silk to express my power system. Each type of spider silk represents one of my fundamental powers. Three hundred and thirty-one types of spider silk can express my Textile Studies magic, and can also be used to express my Breeding Science magic, as well as my Prophecy magic."
"And thus, I have formed my own unique cultivation method—the Spider Silk Cultivation Method."
"My Spider Silk Cultivation Method has even led to the publication of one article in tier 1 of the Second Ring and three articles in Tier 2 of the Second Ring. It's just a pity that due to the popularity of Magic Plant Crystallization Technology, it didn't cause any stir at all."
Witch Rosetta let out a sigh.
"Such is time, such is fate."
Witch Rosetta waved her hand, and instantly countless spider silks intertwined before her. As they twisted together, she tapped her finger, and the silks were stirred up, turning into a mass of protein marshmallows. Then, with a gentle tap of her magic ring, cold air sprayed into the mass of protein marshmallow spider silk, and the entire spider silk culture medium frozen into a block of ice.
Witch Rosetta snapped her fingers, and the ice sublimated, leaving behind countless tiny pores that were nearly invisible to the naked eye, resembling a sponge.
This substance was referred to in her articles as the [Spongy Spider Silk Culture Medium].
It was actually intended to replace nutrient soil.
This Spongy Spider Silk Culture Medium can simulate the growth environment provided by high-grade nutrient soil to the greatest extent, reducing laboratory costs. Furthermore, it is difficult for biological toxins and magical pathogens to remain within it, making it ideal for cultivating virus-free plants.
Not only can it reduce costs, but every single protein fiber of the spongy spider silk can be individually controlled by her to transport water and nutrients. This means she can manage nutrient infusion at the cellular level for a single Magic Plant, allowing it to grow to its optimal state.
This Spider Silk Cultivation Method could be said to be the greatest source of Witch Rosetta's achievements, matching those she attained in Textile Studies magic; it was the culmination of her Breeding Science accomplishments.
She was confident—the future of this cultivation method would be even better than that of Magic Plant Crystallization Technology.
She could still unearth more of the future from this technical route.
Witch Rosetta said, "The Spider Silk Cultivation Method allows me to better cultivate Magic Plants. There are relatively few wizards researching this themselves; currently, only the Wizard Universities in the Star Domain Sea are doing related research. My progress is likely only slightly slower than theirs. Additionally, I've developed a unique method to extract spider silk factors and transform them into plant factors, allowing plants to produce specific spider proteins and unique spider silk. The two form a positive cycle, completely integrating my Breeding Science and Textile Studies magic into a single system."
A look of admiration flashed in Wizard Joshua's eyes.
Witch Rosetta continued, "However, to complete all of this, I originally needed five to ten years. To surpass Locke Augustine, I could only mobilize the support my family gave me to go all out and become a Star Ring Wizard one step ahead of him. Because of this, my Ultimate Magic [Spider Paradise] has been mixed with some other people's ideas. I need to spend half a year digesting these side effects."
Joshua said, "Very well. Although your movements are somewhat inconvenient now, you are, after all, already a Star Ring Wizard."
"This is your advantage."
"I really envy you wizards from prestigious families; you can easily hire the sincere help of High-Ring Wizards. Civilian wizards like us wouldn't dare hire a High-Ring Wizard even if we had the money, for fear they'd play tricks on us."
"Let's take advantage of your status as a Star Ring Wizard and quickly make a move on the Silver Peach Garden. It would be best if we could take it down before you finish digesting your Ultimate Magic. According to my data, I have already scouted many outstanding young talents to join our Olaye."
Joshua said, "Rest assured, with my methods, we will at least have a significant advantage in selecting talent."
Witch Rosetta nodded and said, "Good. Now I'm just waiting for Locke Augustine to go bankrupt. After he goes bankrupt, I'll give him the position of Chief Designer, while you can be promoted to the position of my Senior Partner."
A strange look flashed through Joshua's eyes.
"You are indeed broad-minded."
Witch Rosetta smiled and said, "My teacher and his teacher both want to swallow each other up. I also want to swallow Locke Augustine. It's not a matter of life and death between us; it's just about establishing the hierarchy."
"To go further, I need to be more confident. I need to employ more people."
...
A hundred years passed in the Three Caves World. Although the Chronology Stele was used, making the quality of this time acceleration higher than the time difference produced by the Three Caves World's own natural time flow,
the concentration gradient of the magic tide and the Light of the Mind in this world remained very thin. Thus, for Locke, after these hundred years, the change in the essence of his life was only equivalent to a single day passing in the Wizarding World. However, the Chronology Stele had increased the concentration of the Light of the Mind in this world slightly, so Locke could engage in more complex thinking here, unlike before when he had to use zero potion to replenish the loss of the Light of the Mind every time he thought about something complicated.
Despite this, it was impossible for this world to reach the standards of the Wizarding World.
But at least this allowed him to ponder complex problems and improved the average aptitude of those born in this world.
The total population of Rangers in the Three Caves World had reached one million. Everyone could become a Ranger by sensing nature and seeking out a Leaf of Power. This population of one million had given rise to fifty-one types of leaves of power. Combined with the leaves of power Locke had designed himself, they formed a total of one hundred and thirty-one leaves of power for flying-type Magic Plants.
In addition, there were one hundred leaves of power for attack-type Spell Models and one hundred leaves of power for defense-type Spell Models.
A total of three hundred and thirty-one leaves of power.
Through Locke's continuous synthesis, he summarized three final products useful to himself: the attack-type Botany magic [Sunlight Fern Spear] centered around Sea Gold Sand Fern, the [Blue Bird Flight] designed around the Great Green Leaf Dragon Finch, and the defense-type Spell Model [Blue Bird Wing Shield], also designed around the Great Green Leaf Dragon Finch.
These three Spell Models were all First Ring Crystallization Stage Spell Models.
This meant that Locke had pushed his Leaf of Power system to the Crystallization Stage, driving the archnemesis way: leaf of strength to reach the Crystallization Stage as well. He set the Crystal Nightmares as the nemesis of the Rangers, granting them a special attack bonus against them.
These three Spell Models were all perfectly suited for himself and his Magic Plants, so using them would certainly be superior to before.
Of course, even at this level, Locke was not quite satisfied.
The reason was simple: he had not yet pushed the Leaf of Power to the Second Ring stage to lay his Star Ring foundation.
Secondly, he needed more Spell Model designs centered around the Great Green Leaf Dragon Finch series, even Second Ring Spell Models, which could lay the foundation for the future development of the Great Green Leaf Dragon Finch's aerial weapon platform.
At this time, in Orion's city-state, Orion was already an old man, and his eyes grew more and more filled with doubt as he aged.
He had already retired from the front lines of battle, leaving the opportunities to fight to the younger generation.
Orion looked at Locke, who was still exceptionally elegant, with a face that seemed untouched by time, and felt quite envious in his heart.
But then he remembered that his own son could also become a wizard, and so he felt at ease.
Orion looked at Locke and asked, "Teacher, as I grow older, I find myself feeling more and more confused. You once asked me, 'Who am I?' I realized that there are many versions of 'me' in this world: myself, the 'me' in the eyes of others, and the 'me' within society. I originally thought I understood, but as I aged, a question suddenly appeared in my heart. Although I know who I am, I don't know... what kind of relationship exists between me and nature."
Orion looked at Locke and said, "Teacher, I am old. Can you tell me?"
Locke stood by his side, looking down at the Ranger city-states of the Three Caves World, and pondered for a moment.
"The foundation of all interpersonal relationships is the relationship between you and nature."
Orion was stunned for a moment, then gave a bitter smile.
"I really still don't understand."
"Teacher, over the years, the number of city-states has grown. In this world alone, there are already more than twenty thousand city-states. As the sacred center for the Rangers, people have constantly suggested that I establish a physical organizational entity above the city-state alliance. But I have refused them all."
Locke spoke up, "Why?"
Orion leaned his hands against the city walls and said, "Because it goes against nature. Teacher, you told me that nature is the most real and undeniable thing in this world. So, if nature does not have something, why should we allow such a thing to appear?"
"I have presided over this world for you."
"I have created this prosperous world for you. I personally witnessed the fall of the age of gods and saw the birth of this godless world. To continuously maintain the original state of this world, I will not allow those so-called 'kingdoms' to appear. I have already seen what those things are."
Orion said, "It is nothing more than a state where the strong bully the weak, and the weak bully each other. I have seen hardworking people who cannot eat the food they grow. I have seen hunters who cannot use the animal furs they have trapped."
"If such a thing were to appear, I would see a greedy beast controlled by a few, oppressing the remaining majority."
Orion said, "Teacher, I understand. You will support me. Because we are Rangers, we will not allow things that lead to unfairness to appear. Let the era stay at this moment. Let it stay in this prosperous world."
As if sensing that his life was coming to an end, Orion began to laugh.
At the same time, behind the golden tree of the city-state, a massive Crystal Nightmare suddenly appeared. It was a Second Ring nightmare that Orion had been fighting for a hundred years. It seemed to be a nightmare born after the death of a Second Ring-level Magic Plant. Its level was not low, and its original form was likely a stalk of corn.
This Corn Nightmare clamored.
"Orion, you foolish Rangers who suddenly popped up, you are already old and decrepit. You are no match for me. Since thirty years ago in your world, you have stopped fighting me. Come in, enter the Emerald Dream! Fifty years ago, didn't you say you were going to destroy me?"
"I have been waiting for you in the Emerald Dream for a day and a night. Hahaha..."
Orion grasped the battle-axe behind his back that he hadn't taken out for a long time.
"Teacher, perhaps this will be my final battle."