wandering fairy

Grimm continued to ask: "What ability do you have?"

Dong Hezi raised his right hand, and a whip-shaped lightning flashed out of his palm, hitting the 10-foot (about 3-meter) small bush mountain, but it rolled back like a shiny tentacle and hung a wooden branch between the three of them. between.

Dong Hezi smiled and introduced: "This is the strangest ability I have practiced this time. Originally, the secret technique I studied was only related to lightning, storms, etc., but after I practiced it, this weird electric whip appeared. This thing looks like lightning, but it can actually be transformed into an immobile element or power effect. For example, its effect now is similar to the force effect in your spells. You see."

Speaking of which, the hanging branches burst into flames, as if something had suddenly ignited it.

Dong Hezi said: "Now the electric whip has a flame effect. Currently it can switch between lightning, flame and power. But I just don't understand why this ability appears."

"Your ability is similar to that of the Bainhale archmages in Giffen City." Grimm said, "He has the essence of being able to change elemental arcane spells when casting them. For example, it was originally a bursting fireball, But when he sends it out, he can transform it into electric ball or even ice hockey! That is to say, he can replace the original element with another different element. But this ability can only change acid, cold, fire, electricity, and sound waves .Maybe he understands the secret."

Dong Hezi shook his head slightly and said, "But his is magic ability, mine is supernatural power. Its core is different, it's hard to say the same thing." But then he nodded and said: "But then again, maybe we can learn from him. I got some clues from the principle of transformation, so that I can explore the key more quickly!"

Having said that, I became happy, and asked Grimm: "Do you know this Archmage Bernhard? I really want to discuss with him."

"Of course I do!" Grimm was overjoyed. If Master Donghezi stayed in Giffen City, he would have a strong backer.Then he straightened up and hurriedly said: "I know him very well, and I can introduce you as soon as I arrive in Jifen City! But he is greedy for money, so if I want to communicate with him, I'm afraid it will cost me some money?"

Dong Hezi joked: "I'm curious—do all mages value money very much?"

Grimm smiled awkwardly and said: "No, some mages themselves are quite rich, so they don't care much about money. It's just that most mages live a tight life, even some high-level mages are no exception. Woolen cloth."

The two sides started digressing while talking, and finally discussed the mage's home decoration.

Le Lin, who was waiting stupidly, finally couldn't bear it anymore, interrupted the conversation between the two, and asked Dong Hezi: "In addition to these supernatural powers, have your damage reduction ability and elemental resistance ability also improved?"

Dong Hezi sighed and said, "I thought about it too. But in fact I didn't. Those abilities belong to supernatural abilities, which are very different from the supernatural power of Lei Gongzhuan. Maybe when my Leigong Zhuan has been practiced to a very deep level, I can treat those Ability can help."

After thinking about it for a while, he said to Le Lin: "Since your Nine-Turn Yimai ** has been practiced well, let me tell you straight. Your Nine-Turn Yimai ** is actually my kind of strengthening A branch of the body secret art can produce damage reduction ability and energy resistance ability. But in fact, these two abilities are the same thing! Strictly speaking, they are just counteracting energy attacks. As long as you practice to a certain degree To a certain extent, your body will have the ability to reduce all harmful energies, no matter the damage is the power of a sword, an elemental attack, or a force attack. As long as it is destructive energy, your body can ignore a part of it."

Le Lin was surprised. Normally, damage reduction and elemental resistance are completely different.The so-called damage reduction is just relying on the special body structure to reduce part of the physical damage.For example, a monster with a body as strong as iron may have high damage reduction ability, but it cannot resist the attack of elements such as fire and acid.Another example is that some special slime monsters have the ability to reduce damage because of their strange, soft bodies that can be divided and combined at will, but they have no effect on elemental attacks such as fire and ice.Because the principles of these attacks are different, different abilities are required to resist them.

So he asked about the Nine Turns Yimai ** transformation of physique.

Dong Hezi said: "I call this ability full energy reduction. As the name suggests, its fundamental effect is not to make the body strong or weird, but to return the destructive energy that hit the body to the heaven and earth. You should know that whether it is a spell Whether it is an attack or a martial art attack, in the final analysis, it is to obtain the energy between the heavens and the earth, and then shape it into a form that you can use to attack the enemy. Our full energy reduction ability is to let the energy that attacks the body return to the sky and the earth. This It's like going through a cutscene, so it doesn't affect the body. Unless the energy is too much and the level is too high. For example, the energy level of the third-order demonized weapon is too high, and this body can't take it. In front of it completely Doesn't work!"

Grimm interjected curiously and asked, "What about high-level magic attacks?"

Dong Hezi shook his head and said, "I haven't tried this, so I don't know. I personally estimate that my body can't stop spells above level 6."

"Wait," Le Lin interjected with great difficulty, and asked eagerly, "Isn't martial skill an ability of the body itself? How can it be counted as 'gaining energy from heaven and earth, shaping it to attack the enemy'?"

Dong Hezi couldn't help laughing, for a moment he didn't know how to explain this simple truth to her.After thinking for a while, he asked back: "No matter how strong a warrior is, if he doesn't have supplementary food, will he have the strength to fight?"

Lelin replied: "Of course not."

Dong Hezi nodded and said: "Food contains the energy between heaven and earth. Warriors obtain this energy through food, and then attack the enemy in the form of muscle power. Mage uses magic to obtain energy between heaven and earth. The soul is formed to attack the enemy. The form is completely different, but the essence is the same."

Le Lin is just a martial artist with ordinary intelligence and low education level. Hearing such highly general words for the first time, she couldn't help thinking.Forgot to continue sighing for a moment.

Grimm on the side laughed secretly at her shallow knowledge, it takes a long time to think about such a simple truth.It's just that Master Donghezi's face is not good enough to speak sarcastically, otherwise he would have opened his mouth to mock her long ago.

So he leaned on the tree, knocked on the trunk again and asked, "Master, I have another question - activating plants can only make tree people appear for a few minutes, and the method of turning sticks can only last for a few hours. But you This treant can maintain his state for days and nights, so what's the 'secret technique'?"

"Of course there are." Donghezi got up, walked to the side of the tree man, patted the tree trunk with a little pride and said, "It has a special rune made by our secret druid in its body. With its help, this The tree man can keep the state forever without changing. And that rune also has other effects. Such as fire protection."

Grimm asked: "Really? To prevent ordinary fire, or to prevent magical fire?"

Dong Hezi smiled and said, "It's all right, if you don't believe me, try it."

"Then I'll use the scorching ray." Grimm said half-jokingly and half-seriously: "If it burns out, don't blame me."

"Burn it, burn it," Dong Hezi waved his hand casually and said, "It took me more than half a year of unremitting efforts to refine the rune, which is enough to withstand ordinary explosive fireballs. With your second-level Searing Ray, I'll give you 2 gold pieces if you burn out a little char."

"Really?" Grimm immediately regained his energy when he heard the word "gold coin".

"Really!" Donghezi still said leisurely.

Grimm immediately recited the incantation, a fist-sized ring of light appeared on one finger, and then a fiery light flashed out, hitting the tree trunk.

There was no reaction at all.

Grimm stepped forward and looked left and right carefully, but he couldn't find any carbonization.The whole bark is as good as new, without any change.

"It's so strange!" Grimm couldn't help but admire: "It's the first time I've seen trees have magic resistance."

"It's not magic resistance." Donghezi corrected: "It's actually a very special 'elemental resistance' effect. Not only can it resist fire, but it can also resist frost, acid, etc. As long as their strength and level are not too high, can be prevented."

Grimm asked: "Have you thought about it being permanent? As long as the enemy's one-time attack does not exceed, can it be defended?"

"That's right!" Dong Hezi nodded and said, "My rune looks like a word, but it actually contains the effect of a magic circle. It has been refined by my secret method, and now it has a permanent resistance effect. Then I put the The rune and the tree body are completely integrated, unless the tree man is completely smashed, the effect will always exist and will never fade!"

Grimm sighed: "With your level, I think Master Bainharley will be very happy to communicate with you."

Two or three days passed day and night.

At this time, the terrain began to change a lot-the hills turned into low hills, criss-crossing and blocking the front.Countless hills with a height of two or three floors seem to be super-giant bumps covering the vast land.The roads in between are winding, steep and full of potholes.

Grimm sat in the boxcar, feeling that his bones were really about to fall apart.With the violent bumps of the car, the contents of the stomach churned up from time to time, as if Ma Shan was about to spray out of the throat.It was extremely uncomfortable to make my head dizzy and my neck limp.

He had to yell to slow down, making the speed of the car slower than that of an old ox pulling a cart.In this way, he still clamored to get out of the car and walk.

Of course, Dong Hezi didn't believe that he would really use those two thin legs to drive the road, so he ignored his mutterings and sat in front of the car, carefully observing the dense plants around him and the occasional animals that came and went. animal.

On the mountains on both sides, there are lush shrubs everywhere, and sparse trees stand in between.

As the box car moved forward slowly, Dong Hezi observed those big trees carefully with an increasingly focused expression, as if he didn't want to miss any one.After a long time, the car suddenly stopped.He jumped out of the car by himself and walked towards a big tree in the bushes.Leaving the inexplicable Grimm and Lelin behind.

Those shrubs and trees grow on the steep slopes, and there are countless horizontal branches intertwined to block them. It was extremely difficult to walk up and observe.But I saw Donghezi striding forward to climb up, like a goat with excellent balance walking freely on the cliff, not only did not slow down, but passed the bushes quickly like a trot, and came to the Under the big tree.There is an invisible smooth road across the steep and uneven mountain, passing through large and small protruding rocks and dense roots that block the movement, allowing him to pass by lightly.

"Is this the so-called 'walking through the forest'?" Grimm said to himself, "It's really interesting."

Le Lin next to him secretly gave him a look of contempt.Because I saw that Donghezi showed a special shaking rhythm and some crouching movements in the process of crossing mountains and bushes.From the perspective of martial arts, it is to use the ingenious coordination of the body and steps to walk through the gaps and weaker blocking positions.A closer look reveals that his walking path is not a straight line, but slightly curved.Obviously he is deliberately avoiding those difficult positions.But with the bushes blocking his view, how did he know which is difficult to walk ahead and which is easy to walk?

Dong Hezi frowned and observed this strange big tree - because it was actually a giant fern!

He looked around, and all the shrubs were angiosperms, and all the tall trees that stood tall were ferns—they were the plants of the Carboniferous and Permian eras on the earth, when the small ancestors of dinosaurs They are still picking up other people's leftovers!

According to the evolution and development law of the earth's plants, first there are algae, then ferns, then gymnosperms, and finally the most evolved angiosperms.When angiosperms appeared, they dominated the land by virtue of their powerful water and nutrient absorption mode, special pollination and reproduction mode, and diversified seed transmission mode, and pushed ferns into humble corners to survive.

But here the tall trees all over the mountain are fern trees, why are there no quilts?It stands to reason that quilt trees are the most advantageous under such relatively dry and cold conditions.How come primitive ferns have the upper hand?

This is so abnormal!

Dong Hezi groped for the thick, snake-like bark on the big tree, and cast a "plant conversation technique" on himself, so that he could exchange information with ordinary plants or plant-like creatures.You can even ask plants questions and get answers.However, ordinary plants have limited perception of the outside world and themselves, and can only provide some rough information.

But, this is enough.

Dong Hezi pressed the tree trunk tightly with his right hand, allowing the magic energy to resonate strongly between himself and the tree.

"How do you spread the spores?" He asked this question deep in his heart, applying magic energy to the tall fern trees.

A set of information "flows" back.

It is not language, but it is as clear as speaking in the ear, it is not an image, but it is as vivid as a picture, as if he has gone through that process softly - he "sees" what happened to this tree in the past.

A pink flower as big as a buffalo blooms at the top of the tree!It seems that a large trumpet stretches its mouth to show off.But this huge "flower" can be composed of weak "petals", but a tissue tougher than rhinoceros hide, and as thick as half a forearm.Inside are dense thick and short stalks and sporangia waiting to mature.

But these sporangia are as big as a watermelon and have a peculiar structure, and there are some powder-like substances on them, and those substances secrete nectar-like substances, attracting a large number of insects to fly and collect within the huge flowers.After his body was covered with sticky powder, he flew out to find the next plant.Some other insects flew in after being stained with "powder particles" from other trees.When they crawled around the spores to feed on the nectar, the powder particles on their bodies would stick to the spores as soon as they touched the spores.After a while, it slowly submerged into the spores.

The "message" became clearer and clearer—the seemingly calm spores were undergoing drastic changes inside.The so-called silt is actually a special kind of genetic exchange material.Through their outflow and inflow, these ferns can exchange genetic genes like angiosperms, revolutionizing parthenogenesis.

However, ferns should not have flowers!

Donghezi hurriedly sent the question to the tree: "Why do you have flowers? When did this thing appear?"

But trees don't have history books, and it's impossible for them to know what happened in the long process of evolution.The information transmitted is still that the spores use powder particles and sweet substances to exchange genes, repeating, repeating, and repeating.

He didn't want to give up, and once again the question penetrated deeply into the tree.

Another set of information came: when the spores acquired new genetic characteristics and gradually matured, their surface changed greatly, and many "branches" like moth tentacles grew.Once the strong wind and heavy rain roared, these spores would use the force of the wind to soar up, rise to extremely high altitudes, and fly to extreme distances with the never-ending strong wind.

Fly, fly, it seems that there is no time to come down.Even the slightest breeze keeps them afloat.It seems to be floating in the air forever.

Finally, after several years of passing away, the "branches" used to fly withered.The spores descended slowly from high altitudes, germinated and grew in new regions.The cycle of life begins again like this.And these ferns can spread to long distances by floating in the air for a long time, even across the sea.It is much better than the poor seeding method of earth ferns - which can only rely on relatively static water sources for seeding.

Dong Hezi sighed secretly, six points were because of disappointment, because he didn't get the initial evolution information.Four points is emotion: Who knew that plants in other worlds broke through the laws of the earth's development and evolved new ways to adapt to the environment by themselves.It seems that a lot of knowledge has to be learned from scratch.

As he walked down the mountain to the caravan, he thought: If all ferns can undergo such earth-shaking changes, what about other plants?Will it form a more complex and diverse ecological relationship?

Thinking a little further, will animals also have changes that violate the laws of the earth but conform to the laws of this world?

He went back to the caravan with a heavy heart, and after ordering the dwarf man to pull the cart to continue on the road, he asked Grimm right away, "Look at those trees on the mountain, have you seen them in other places?"

Grimm was taken aback by his question: "Of course I've seen it, it's everywhere. If you go a few hundred miles further east, you can see patches of these trees."

Dong Hezi lowered his head and thought for a while, then suddenly asked: "Have you heard of lizards that can survive in ice and snow environments?"

"Yes. There are fewer of us in the Western Continent, but there are large groups of Frost Monitor Lizards living together in groups on the Northern Continent. The more they are in the ice and snow environment, the more they like to catch prey. And there are quite a few species of small size. The smaller ones are tetrapods, and the larger ones are hexapods. I heard that some of them can grow to more than 30 feet (more than 10 meters) long." Grimm said, but he felt a little strange in his heart—this kind of Isn't it normal?

Dong Hezi let out an "oh" and stopped talking.

What will the ecology of this world look like with mature new ferns and monitor lizards that can survive in cold environments?Do mammals still have an advantage?

Going a step further, do humans still have an evolutionary advantage in this world?Is it also like the quilt underbrush under those fern trees, actually crawling in the shadow of other races?

Really have to look around.