Formless Children and Gemstone Spirits

Trickle

A clear stream flowed slowly through the lush forest, past grasslands, bluestones, treasure trees shimmering with spiritual light, and iron oaks, before finally emptying into a perfectly round little stone pool.

The pool water was so clear one could see to the bottom, like a pool of transparent air. Slender green bamboo, verdant trees, and twisting vines surrounded it, creating a quiet, cool solitude.

Splash

Suddenly, a translucent amorphous creature resembling a "slime" emerged from the pool, laboriously wriggling its way onto the shore.

Seemingly uncomfortable in that unconscious, insensate form, it gently shook its body, and two snail-like eyes slowly emerged from within it.

It observed the world in a daze, yet could perceive only the simplest changes in light and shadow.

Then its form rapidly changed again, growing a pair of mantis shrimp-like eyes. For the first time, it sensed the world's beautiful colors through sixteen types of cone cells.

It immediately wanted to run forward and embrace this incomparably novel world.

Yet the complex terrain of land was a nightmare-level challenge for this primitive body, which did not even have a muscular foot.

Whoosh!

Just then, a little deer suddenly darted past it like the wind.

Its eyes turned. The "slime" waited quietly in place for a moment, then suddenly leaped up. Spiritual light flashed brilliantly around its body, and when it landed, it had turned into an identical reddish-brown fawn.

It excitedly cried "yoo-yoo" twice. Just then, it spotted a silver butterfly brushing past its nose and immediately sprang after it on all fours.

Clip-clop, clip-clop

Only the amorphous egg sac in the center of the stone pool remained, continuing to slowly stretch, divide, and differentiate.

Left and right, high and low.

The fawn chased the beautiful butterfly, darting east and west. Before it knew