The tree was absurdly huge. Its trunk was as thick as a wall, and its spreading canopy covered most of the island. Judging from the shore, the canopy spanned at least a hundred square meters.
The tree was not outrageously tall, only thirty or forty meters by their estimate, but its width far exceeded its height. It stood like an enormous green umbrella in the middle of the lake.
"That tree... is huge." Yang Wanqing stood with her mouth open, taking a long moment to get the words out.
Cai Jingwen was stunned too. She had seen thousand-year-old banyans, North American redwoods, and Australian eucalyptus trees, but never a tree with a canopy this vast. It looked less like a tree than an entire forest.
In the livestream chat:
[Botany_Professor Liu]: This tree's physical characteristics do not match any known species. Its canopy appears to cover over a hundred square meters, larger even than the largest known banyan on Earth. And look at its trunk—there are no aerial roots, which means it isn't a banyan.
[I Am Ying Zheng]: Professor, you're back again.
A wooden bridge connected the lakeshore to the island. It was narrow, just wide enough for two people to walk side by side. The bridge was built from an unknown wood with a fine grain and a dark brown color that carried a metallic sheen.
Simple patterns were carved into its railings. They were not decorations, but some kind of ancient symbols.
Chen Hao stepped onto the bridge, and the women followed him. Xiao Yue ran out in front, her paws pattering against the wooden planks. The lake was as still as a mirror, reflecting the sky, the clouds, the bridge, and the people on it.
Chen Siyao glanced down at their reflections in the lake. The