Chapter 001: Twelve Mysterious Murals

The wind rises in Xishuangbanna

Upon reaching the twelfth mural, it is unfortunate that this mural is already incomplete, with only half of the trees remaining, and nothing visible above.

Calming himself, Aoki officially accepted the fact that he had become a sapling

Quick, quickly bring over that Carbon-14 detector; I need to determine the age of this mural

"Professor, can you identify what these animals are?" another student beside him inquired

Aoki did not pay attention to them, but instead fixated on the tree in the mural. Aoki felt a particular fondness for that tree, irresistibly drawn to it, and slowly approached it in a daze.

After a long period of aimless drifting, I finally gathered my thoughts.

What is happening to me? Aoki finally regained consciousness

At this moment, there were only two faint lights in the cave that were flickering continuously, but the cave was simply too large. When shining the light around, one could only vaguely see the surrounding objects. At this time, one of the lights was not illuminating other areas but was focused on the wall.

Aoki did not respond; at that moment, his entire world consisted solely of the tree in the mural. He stepped closer and could not help but reach out to caress it.

It seems that the instrument is malfunctioning

Unfortunately, no matter how loudly he shouted, nothing responded; the feeling remained as cold and dark as ever

I do not understand most of this, I only know that there are ancient crocodiles, legendary saber-toothed tigers, and mammoths among them, but these are merely my guesses. At this moment, the professor is also intently focused on this image, striving to discern its details

As a paleontology researcher and librarian at Tsinghua University, he continuously compared his accumulated knowledge with his current situation, ultimately realizing that he had become a plant. Over the following month, he gradually adapted to the new visual system, perception system, and survival system. He began to oscillate between the states of being a plant and a human, eventually coming to understand his surrounding environment

What is this? Everyone was astonished

Aoki discovered several rows of tiny insect eggs on his body, not knowing how they got there. Perhaps they were secretly laid while he was sleeping at night, or it could be due to some other inexplicable reason

Aoki felt as if he had transformed into an ethereal entity, endlessly drifting in the cold and darkness, with no end in sight

In the depths of the Kunlun Mountains, within a secluded cave, several expedition members are currently adjusting the large lamps.

Is my rebirth really limited to just over 2 months? I haven't had enough fun yet!" Aoki swayed the leaves on its body and cursed.

Ah, let it be a tree; after all, the original self is also without parents, having no attachments, and moreover, it does not need to wander around like other impoverished second-generation individuals

The instrument surely cannot be broken

Thereafter, the green trees strive to control photosynthesis during the day, while simultaneously developing their roots outward and downward, encroaching upon the living space of other trees

After a minute, the two very large searchlights were finally set up. As soon as the lights were turned on, the surrounding darkness vanished, revealing the entire large cavern.

... ...

After a period of great chaos, the results finally emerged.

After five days of anxiety, Qingmu finally saw the small worms hatching from the egg, a total of two, while the other eggs may have perished

What should I do? What if it becomes a reality! Aoki has not thought of a solution for so long, not even a bad one.

However, according to Aoki's observations, this should still be Earth, and the era should not be far removed from the time before his rebirth. This is evidenced by the fact that ants, small lizards, spiders, snakes, and other animals occasionally pass by Aoki or even crawl on him, all of which he can identify based on the knowledge he has acquired.

Uncertain of how long it has been, perhaps just a moment, perhaps tens of thousands of years, Qingmu finally felt warmth

Professor, please wait for 1 more minute, it will be ready shortly

Through comparison with other animals, Qingmu has a slight awareness of his own size, standing at approximately 10 cm, which can be described as quite small. As for his appearance, Qingmu did not recognize it; it feels somewhat like a banyan tree, yet there seems to be some differences.

Am I in a vegetative state? Also, why can't I see anything? Why can't I hear anything? Aoki had never encountered such a terrifying situation. A vegetative state? This is a fate worse than death. Am I going to become that kind of person in the future?

A skilled cook finds it difficult to prepare a meal without rice, and Qingmu has no means of offense or defense; one could say he is merely waiting to be slaughtered

Aoki has heard that in the jungle, being able to acquire more nutrients and seize more sunlight means that you can grow stronger and faster than others

Why? Why can't I move?" Aoki was filled with immense fear

According to perception, the roots of this young sapling, Qingmu, are more dominant than those of the nearby saplings and grass, with a root system that is four times larger than the area covered by the leaves above ground, extending directly down to a depth of 1 meter

However, this kind of tranquil life was disrupted one day

Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the jungle leaves, casting a warm glow on Qingmu, who felt a sense of excitement. Upon closer observation, he noticed some very tiny entities within the leaves, continuously absorbing a certain gas from the outside, while extracting a cool substance from within. Shortly thereafter, they expelled some gas along with a certain material.

This is a dense jungle, where towering trees are abundant and mossy grass grows everywhere. Not far from this sapling, there is a small stream. As for further away, Qingmu can no longer see.

Wow! How magnificent!

By the time the eleventh mural is seen, this tree has already transformed into a towering giant tree

After a long time, Qingmu finally recalled his previous experiences. "I was struck by a rock from the cave above. Could it be that I have truly become a vegetative state? Someone, please! Someone!" At this moment, Qingmu only wished for someone to be by his side, to provide him with some solace for his soul.

After a month of adaptation, Aoki has gradually accepted the transformation from a person to a sapling. Enjoying the gentle breeze rustling the leaves can sometimes be quite pleasant

Regarding this result, Aoki could only silently exclaim: "Impressive!" and *illustrated* *book*

Therefore, regarding growth, Qingmu can be said to be merciless towards the surrounding trees

"Not good, the cave is about to collapse! Everyone, run!" In a state of panic, the crowd scrambled and crawled out of the cave.

1.4 billion years? My goodness!

If it really is a caterpillar that can grow into a hefty body, wouldn't I be doomed? Qingmu felt unfortunate; after finally achieving a peaceful life, it was now being disrupted, and it was very likely to be a matter of life and death. What frustrated Qingmu the most was that he had no means to fight back and could only passively endure the blows

After studying photosynthesis, attention was then directed towards the roots and stems

"Oh no! What if a caterpillar that eats leaves grows? What if this caterpillar has a big appetite?" Qing Mu measured his own 11 cm stature and immediately felt disheartened

The full view of the cave hall became clear, revealing that this cave hall is comparable in size to a football field, and its height is extremely impressive, estimated to be about 50 stories high

A month later, Qingmu finally recognized the reality; he had become a small sapling. At first, Qingmu was completely unaware, but later he began to sense something was amiss, as he possessed his own unique vision, unique perceptions, and a completely distinct system that set him apart from humans.

Test again

It is indeed green! Upon closer inspection, it is quite plump and chubby. However, in Qingmu's eyes, these images are not cute at all; instead, they resemble two chubby little demons

The first mural depicts a small sapling, which is rather unremarkable. As one looks further back at the subsequent murals, the sapling gradually grows larger, and its roots become increasingly developed. By the fifth mural, one can see groups of animals distinctly surrounding the tree, bowing their bodies, while birds in the sky form flocks flying around the tree.

Oh! Why is my root system so developed

The crowd continued to be in a flurry, and after a while, the results were announced

Aoki immediately became interested. Although the teacher had taught this concept many times in biology class, it was merely a description of the text and could not compare to the current sensation of lightness. Yang Guang was full of enthusiasm, continuously researching and experimenting. Ultimately, he discovered that he could actually control this process of photosynthesis, enabling it to function or to cease operation. However, he ultimately realized that with photosynthesis, his entire body felt more invigorated.

The crowd is not in awe of this magnificent cavern, but rather of the twelve enormous murals carved into the stone wall in front. Each mural measures approximately 10 meters in length and width, exuding a raw and powerful presence, with an air of antiquity that is palpable.

"No, the lighting range is too small. Xiao Tang, are you ready?" At this moment, a rather aged voice sounded.

At the moment Qingmu encountered the mural, a strange sensation arose in the hearts of everyone present, followed by a thunderous sound in the cave hall, as if the earth were shaking and the mountains were trembling

10 years ago

"Amu, what are you doing?" others asked in surprise upon seeing Aoki's strange behavior

Everyone exchanged glances with one another

Could it be photosynthesis? It absorbs carbon dioxide and water? It releases oxygen and organic matter?