Conspiracy

"That's fascinating." Chen Chuan looked thoughtful. "Maybe the Life Magnetic Field affects different plants to different degrees."

Lili blinked. "What's the Life Magnetic Field?"

"It's an ability I've just started learning. It can make the plants around me grow faster," Chen Chuan explained briefly.

"That sounds amazing!" Lili's envy was plain to see. "I can only make grass tremble a little right now."

The two stood talking in the doorway, the glow of the setting sun casting a soft light over the girl's emerald-green hair. Chen Chuan noticed a tiny white flower embroidered on the cuff of her gray robe, its stitches fine and close together.

"Would you like to come in and sit down?" Chen Chuan stepped aside to let her through.

"Really? I can?" Lili's eyes lit up. After he said yes, she walked briskly into the house.

Although Chen Chuan's villa wasn't large, it was neatly arranged. The patch of moss in the center had already settled down, but several rapidly growing blades of grass at its edge were still swaying slightly.

"Your villa is so unusual," Lili said, curiously touching the vines on the wall. "These plants seem alive."

"They do have an awareness of life." Chen Chuan smiled and pointed to the center of the living room. "That's where I practice."

Lili crouched down and carefully touched the moss. "I can feel them breathing."

Just then, a faint rustling came from outside the window. Both looked up to see a small purple flower leaning toward the window, as though peering into the room.

"Look! It's saying hello too!" Lili cried in delight. She ran over and gently pushed the window open.

The little flower immediately began to sway. Its petals unfurled, giving off a faint purple glow.

Chen Chuan watched thoughtfully, suddenly recalling the indistinct figure and the voice that had said "successor" in his dream yesterday. Could these plants really have some connection to the Mother Tree of Life?

"Chen Chuan, have you heard about the 'Heart of Plants' at the academy?" Lili suddenly asked, her gaze still fixed on the little purple flower.

"Heart of Plants?" Chen Chuan frowned. "What's that?"

Lili suddenly took on a mysterious expression. She leaned closer and lowered her voice. "They say it's the core of the Mother Tree of Life. It can give plants true intelligence and also greatly increase the chances of advancing to become a Formal Wizard."

Chen Chuan's heart skipped a beat. He recalled the ancient tree in his dream last night and the voice that had called itself the "successor." Could this be more than a coincidence?

Noticing the change in Chen Chuan's expression, Lili blinked. "What's wrong? You look a little pale."

"Nothing. I just thought of something." Chen Chuan shook his head, trying to hide his surprise. "Where did you hear about the Heart of Plants?"

"Oh, it was mentioned in an ancient book I came across in the library," Lili replied, her tone light again. "The book said the Heart of Plants is where the essence of the Mother Tree of Life resides, and it only appears once every hundred to a thousand years or so."

"Can the timing be determined?" Chen Chuan raised an eyebrow.

Lili tilted her head, her emerald-green hair swaying gently with the movement. "The ancient book didn't give a specific time. It just said it would appear when the Mother Tree of Life sensed a suitable successor."

A suitable successor... Chen Chuan turned the words over in his mind, recalling the ancient voice in his dream.

"Chen Chuan, do you know something too?" Lili had keenly noticed that something was off with him, and her gaze grew serious.

"I'm just... a little curious about the Mother Tree of Life." Chen Chuan gave a vague answer, unwilling to reveal too much about his dream.

Lili tilted her head, her emerald-green hair glimmering in the sunset, seemingly pondering Chen Chuan's reaction.

"Oh, right. I heard that starting tomorrow, the elementary meditation techniques course will have a practical session. The teacher will take us under the Mother Tree of Life to feel its power."

"That's a good opportunity." Chen Chuan nodded. "We can experience the Mother Tree's power up close."

"You know, I had a strange dream last night." Lili suddenly lowered her voice. "I dreamed I'd turned into a blade of grass, growing under the Mother Tree's protection. It felt so real."

Something stirred in Chen Chuan's heart as he recalled his own dream from last night. Keeping his expression neutral, he asked, "What did it feel like?"

"Warm and safe." Lili's eyes shone faintly.

"I could feel the Mother Tree's heartbeat, as if it were right beside me."

Lili's voice grew softer until it was almost a whisper. "It felt so real, as though the Mother Tree was actually speaking to me."

Chen Chuan frowned slightly, his heart in turmoil. Could it be that other students have dreams like this too, not just me?

"Have you had similar experiences too?" Chen Chuan asked tentatively.

Lili nodded vigorously, her emerald-green hair swaying gently. "It's not just me. I heard a few of my roommates dreamed about the Mother Tree too. Some say the Mother Tree is calling us to do something."

"Calling?" Chen Chuan's heart raced. "What exactly?"

"I don't know." Lili shook her head. "The images in the dream were blurry, but after waking up, I always feel like there's something important I need to do."

The glow of the setting sun streamed through the window, casting long shadows between them. Chen Chuan noticed a glimmer of unease and anticipation in Lili's eyes.

"Maybe tomorrow's meditation class under the Mother Tree will give us an answer," Chen Chuan said softly.

Lili's gaze suddenly sharpened. "Speaking of tomorrow, did you notice the times on the schedule?"

Chen Chuan thought back. "Theory class in the morning, practical class in the afternoon, right?"

"That's right." Lili's tone grew a little mysterious. "But I heard from a senior student that the Mother Tree of Life is most active around dusk. Meditation will be more effective then."

Chen Chuan looked thoughtful. "You mean..."

"We could secretly stay behind at the Mother Tree," Lili said, lowering her voice even further. "Wait until everyone leaves and then try it."

The suggestion stirred something in Chen Chuan, but it also set alarm bells ringing. "I'm afraid that would break the academy's rules."

"We'd only be staying a little longer," Lili pleaded. "Besides, I heard the Mother Tree is especially close to gifted students."

Chen Chuan was silent for a moment. Looking at the anticipation shining in Lili's eyes, he finally shook his head. "We'd better not."

Lili's eyes dimmed, and the corners of her mouth turned down slightly. "All right, I understand.

The academy's rules really are important." She stood up and straightened her blue robe. "I'll head back now. See you tomorrow."

"See you tomorrow." Chen Chuan watched Lili leave until she disappeared behind the door of the neighboring villa, number 228.

Chen Chuan closed the door, and his gaze immediately turned cold.

From the very beginning of their conversation, Lili had subtly released several spells capable of influencing the mind.

Although her actions had been extremely covert, Chen Chuan had already felt his Clear Mind trigger several times.

And those spells weren't low-level. Judging by the feedback, even the weakest was roughly as powerful as an intermediate spell.

Chen Chuan had pretended not to notice the whole time, simply because he wanted to wait until Lili revealed her objective.

Now that Chen Chuan knew what Lili wanted, there was naturally no need to keep chatting with her.

Chen Chuan knew that a group of unknown people had probably set their sights on something he had.

But perhaps because of the academy's rules, they couldn't act openly. Otherwise, as a Third-Class Wizard Apprentice who had only just advanced, he

wouldn't have been able to resist at all.

It seemed this Life Academy wasn't as pure and wonderful as it appeared on the surface.

If these people wanted to scheme against him, Chen Chuan, they would have to pay a price.

At that thought, Chen Chuan couldn't help letting out a "Jie, jie, jie" laugh.