Apocalypse Gachapon

Chapter 2305: Liu Zhenghongʼs new product (2)

The Fake Ghost Tree had now become the second core of Cloud Peakʼs defense system.

The first core was naturally the defensive formation Ye Zhongming had obtained from the Su Clan. Compared to the one previously set up by the Su Clanʼs proxy, the current formation was acquired directly from the Su Clan chief himself—a defensive system on par with a mid-level raceʼs main base in the myriad races.

As for why it was not the highest grade, it was simply because Earthʼs resources were limited, and sending materials down from above was far too expensive, with extremely low cost-effectiveness.

Even so, there was no one on Earth who could break through this defense.

Not even the Demon Whale could.

Besides the formationʼs defense, there was also the Fake Ghost Treeʼs ”life defense.”

Now, this mutated lifeform that had been with Cloud Peak from the very beginning was already a top-tier level-nine existence, growing in a very special way—it had completely integrated its roots and branches into the villa.

Its roots were the deepest presence within Cloud Peak, even enveloping the entire mountain peak. Now, extending in all directions, Fake Ghost Tree roots could be found everywhere—you had no way of knowing which flower, grass, or tree was part of its body.

Perhaps it was the stamen of a flower, the leaf of a blade of grass, or a branch on a tree...

Its branches and leaves, however, were within Cloud Peak Villa itself.
The vines on the city walls, the flowers in the gardens, the twigs beneath the eaves—all were part of the Fake Ghost Tree.

It was now an all-encompassing, 360-degree, around-the-clock monitoring and weapon system, spanning from inside the villa to the foot of the mountain.

And within the villa, the Fake Ghost Treeʼs main trunk had grown above ground, now over ten meters tall. If you counted the underground portion, the tree was already about sixty meters.

Though that height was not exceptional among mutated plants ten years into the apocalypse, one must consider that the Fake Ghost Treeʼs roots and branches had grown immensely to meet Cloud Peakʼs needs, with most of its nutrients going to nourish those parts—the trunkʼs growth was a lower priority.

When Ye Zhongming went underground, he saw the true main trunk of the Fake Ghost Tree—the part that produced its fruits—which Cloud Peak people called the First Crown.

Yes, the above-ground part was called the Second Crown, or the False Crown.

Unlike the Death King Tree, the Hypocrite Ghost Tree could not speak, but it could communicate through mental energy.

The moment it saw Ye Zhongming, the Fake Ghost Tree was excited, sending out a series of incoherent mental waves. The entire villa trembled slightly at that moment.

”Enough, Iʼve known you for a while now—who are you trying to suck up to?”

Ye Zhongming said impatiently.

It was indeed the Fake Ghost Tree, pretending to be happy to see Ye Zhongming. But the Cloud Peak King, whose mental strength was vastly greater than before he left Earth, could easily sense that this was intentional—a way to mask its fear.

Back then, Ye Zhongming had not treated it very kindly... it had childhood trauma.

”You used... the Luoshen Firʼs genes on it?”

A single careful glance from Ye Zhongming revealed the difference.

Liu Zhenghong nodded. ”Not only that—I also selected two other excellent plant genes and inserted them. I have to say, mutated plants have a much higher fusion compatibility in this regard than mutated animals.”

”Bring the machine over.” Liu Zhenghong said to the monitoring researcher beside her. The person immediately brought over the crude, simple Furelai testing device and connected it to the Fake Ghost Tree.

Ye Zhongming looked at it and estimated its margin of error was at least over thirty percent.

”The Fake Ghost Tree evolved to level-nine three and a half months ago. Among humans who evolved around the same time, the best had around three hundred Furelai.”

Seeing Ye Zhongming nod, Liu Zhenghong continued: ”Starting a month and a half ago, I injected the Fake Ghost Tree with the Furelai Potion. The first injection was 10 milliliters; within 24 hours, its Furelai rose by 30 points. Three days later, after its side effects had fully subsided, I injected another 10 milliliters, and within 24 hours it rose by 25 points. Another three days later, another 10 milliliters—up 20 points.”

”Though I measured the increase within 24 hours, the side effects actually caused Furelai growth to stall from the 24th hour to about the 50th hour. But since the daily increase wasnʼt large anyway, I ignored that.”

Ye Zhongming understood—when first evolving to nine stars, Furelai fluctuated relatively quickly, but the average daily gain was still small.

”After three doses, I increased the dosage to 20 milliliters each time. The first dose increased Furelai by 51 within 24 hours, the second by 41, and the third by 31.”

”Then I increased the dosage again to 50 milliliters per dose.”

Hearing Red Sister say that, Ye Zhongming cast a sympathetic look at the Hypocrite Ghost Tree.

”Furelai increases were 60, 34, and 12.”

Liu Zhenghong pointed at the Fake Ghost Tree, continuing without pause: ”After that, I increased it again to 100 milliliters, but Furelai stopped increasing, and the side effects began to grow.”

”I calculated that over the course of about a month, the Hypocrite Ghost Tree received a total of 240 milliliters of the potion, increasing its Furelai by 304 points—not counting its natural growth, nor the final ineffective 100-milliliter dose.”

”And just a few days ago, I injected another 100 milliliters, but Furelai didnʼt change. The side effects were severe, and we ended up cutting off about thirty meters of its thick trunk.”

”So this potion canʼt increase Furelai indefinitely, and the effects vary from individual to individual?” Xia Lei said from the side.

”That seems to be the case. Since the Fake Ghost Tree is one of us, it cooperated best, and its trial data was the most complete, making it the most valuable reference. Other level-nine mutated animals also showed Furelai increases, but the data was messy, so I wonʼt go into it—but the conclusion should be the same.”

Hearing the dissatisfaction in Sister Hongʼs tone, Ye Zhongming found it amusing—an extra three hundred Furelai in over a month, and she was still not satisfied? If this were up in the sky, it would sell for a fortune.

At the same time, the Cloud Peak King marveled—Liu Zhenghong was truly Liu Zhenghong. It was... insane. This stuff was probably equivalent to a Changxu Water Raceʼs fifth-turn or higher medicine.

”What are the side effects? How much does it cost to produce?”

Ye Zhongming was more concerned about this. If the side effects were too severe, it would not be worth it. If the cost was too high, its practical application would be limited.

”The cost is manageable—roughly equivalent to five level-nine magic crystals. As for side effects, I think they vary across different lifeforms. The most common is lethargy and weakness, followed by excessive agitation to the point of abnormality. Others include reduced abilities, calcification of some organs, loss of sensation, and so on. But they can basically be treated and restored—at least in my tests, the probability of irreversible side effects was less than one percent.”

Ye Zhongming rubbed his ear. One percent irreversible—that was actually quite high.

”Thereʼs... one more... effect.”

The Fake Ghost Tree, which had been quiet except for its initial excitement upon seeing Ye Zhongming, suddenly conveyed its thoughts through mental energy.

As everyone looked over, it shook its First Crown, and several thick branches split open at their tips.