That day, Jie Ming had just finished his daily deduction of the Mustard Seed Contains the Dao True Body Art.
As his consciousness slowly withdrew from his Inner World, a familiar spiritual fluctuation came through the communication network of the Incense Faith Path.
"My lord. The plant people civilization cultivation plan has reached the predetermined standard, please come to inspect and accept."
Jie Ming's brows raised slightly.
This progress was even faster than he had anticipated.
It had only been a few hundred years since he first placed the active tissues of the plant people into the cultivation chamber.
For the plant people, who form a collective consciousness from microscopic individuals, this period, though sufficient for the most basic reproduction, still required re-establishing the entire civilization's most important collective neural network.
Now being able to proactively report the completion of cultivation indicated that they had already restored the collective wisdom expected of a normal civilization.
Thinking this, he did not delay and stepped directly into the teleportation array.
As space twisted slightly, the next moment, a slightly moist plant fragrance greeted him.
This was a life planet recently completed with ecological transformation.
Compared to the bustle of the Dragonmen planet, this place was much quieter.
The vast majority of the planet's area still maintained gray-white rock formations and weathered gravel, but near the equator, in a huge valley surrounded by mountains, vitality was so dense it was almost palpable.
Viewed from high altitude, that patch of green was like an emerald set in gray rock.
Purple-red moss covered the valley floor; low shrubs composed of spiral leaves spread layer by layer along the slopes; several hundred-meter-tall mimetic trees stood at the valley entrance, their branches interlacing to form a natural green dome.
The Black Giant Priest in charge of this project was already waiting at the valley entrance.
Seeing Jie Ming appear, he immediately bowed in salute.
"My lord, the plant people civilization has currently established thirty-seven collective consciousness nodes."
"The neural network covers the entire valley, and all microscopic individuals have completed information sharing."
Jie Ming nodded: "Has there been any consciousness split?"
"No."
The Black Giant Priest answered very affirmatively.
"All newly added consciousness automatically connects to the main network. Currently, the overall consciousness stability has reached the standard of a normal civilization."
"Very good." Jie Ming stepped into the valley.
The moment his foot landed, the entire valley suddenly moved.
All the plants in the entire valley produced a synchronous reaction at the same time.
The moss covering the valley undulated slowly, the tree canopies swayed gently, and vines intertwined with each other.
Immediately after, countless green microscopic individuals, almost indistinguishable to the naked eye, surged out from every leaf, every vine, every moss clump. They converged into a silently flowing green torrent.
The torrent slowly rose, continuously compressing and shaping.
Finally, in front of Jie Ming, it condensed into a humanoid form of equal height to him.
That humanoid was more refined than the plant people from the Viola plane.
Leaves woven into a gentle face, vines forming limbs, petals interwoven into eyes, and even the texture on the body surface vaguely showed layers resembling robes.
It slowly bent its body; its voice was not like an ordinary lifeform but like a harmony formed by countless branches and leaves gently rubbing together.
"Great wizard, welcome to your arrival."
Jie Ming activated his All-Purpose Eye and instantly scanned through the plant people's bodies.
One by one, data rapidly appeared; from the results, these plant people had developed even better than what the Black Giant Priest had reported.
Jie Ming nodded in satisfaction.
"It seems you have already re-established a complete neural network."
The plant people nodded slightly: "Yes, currently there are thirty-seven large consciousness nodes, and all knowledge can be shared in real time."
"Any new information obtained by any individual will be synchronized to the entire race within three breaths."
Jie Ming continued to ask: "Have you adapted to this place?"
The plant people were silent for a moment, which was the entire race synchronizing their thoughts.
After a moment, that voice composed of countless lives sounded again.
"There is no war here, no continuous death. The race… really likes it here."
Hearing this, a hint of a smile appeared in Jie Ming's eyes.
For the plant people, who had once experienced enslavement and gone through plane wars, this quiet life planet could indeed be called a paradise. He looked around the entire valley: "Is the current resource supply sufficient?"
"Adequate."
The plant people replied.
"But as the race's scale expands, we need more suitable land for reproduction."
"It is estimated that in five hundred years, the current valley will reach its carrying capacity limit."
The Black Giant Priest in charge of managing the planet immediately added: "My lord, we have already completed the planning for a second ecological zone and can begin expansion at any time."
"Very good." Jie Ming nodded lightly. "Proceed according to the plan."
Then, he looked at the plant people before him, his voice becoming a bit more solemn:
"Considering your potential, from today onwards, you are no longer just experimental subjects. The plant people civilization officially becomes a second-tier subsidiary civilization under my command. What is your answer?"
As his words fell,
The entire valley immediately resounded with a soft rustling sound.
Countless billions of plant individuals were continuously communicating through the neural network.
The entire forest seemed to come alive, with countless leaves gently swaying, producing an unending response.
After a moment, the plant people again deeply bowed to Jie Ming: "The race accepts your protection, we are willing to fulfill the contract."
"Since you are willing to give us land, resources, and knowledge, we will also dedicate our research results, labor, and all the wisdom of our civilization to you."
Jie Ming calmly nodded:
"Very good, I hope you will not let me down in the future."
The plant people raised their head, their eyes composed of petals gently curving: "We will not."
"The race has completed its deduction. Following you is the current optimal solution."
Hearing this answer, the several Black Giant Priests beside could not help but lightly vibrate their chests, emitting low laughter.
Jie Ming also smiled and shook his head.
Indeed, communicating with rational civilizations was more effortless.
After returning to the main laboratory, Jie Ming sat back down in front of his work.
Just as he was about to continue organizing the soul research materials, the Magic Net terminal suddenly lit up, and a familiar communication identifier appeared in the center of the light screen: Avery Knight.
Jie Ming reached out and tapped it open; the light screen showed only a few short lines of text.
【In ten years, go to Nolen Plane 147.】
【Location: Nolen 147 Academy.】
【Attend the academy conference.】
【Attached: teleportation coordinates.】
Other than this, there was no further explanation.
Jie Ming looked at those lines and pondered slightly.
Being specifically notified to attend indicated that this conference was at least related to sixth-level wizards.
But since there was no explanation of the content, it was likely an internal academy matter and probably not a big issue.
Thinking this, he casually recorded the time into his schedule in his spiritual sea, then continued studying the materials before him.