"If that were true, we Tree People could dominate the universe in a short time. An individual like me could easily produce tens of billions of seeds a year. However, the source of our Tree People's consciousness is not the seeds, but the splitting of the root system. I also grew independently from the root system of another Tree People. As for the seeds, they are just a smokescreen for our survival in this universe. Although the Tree People who grow from the seeds have the same appearance as me, they have no consciousness. Simply put, they are more like the robots of your technological civilization. I give them some instructions, and they will carry them out. Even if I send them to their deaths, they will not hesitate for a moment. It is because of this that I have survived on Planet No. 33."
"The universe is truly amazing, to have such a unique way of existing as you." The fact that this tree-man could tell him such a secret increased Hu Yu's trust in him even more.
"Thank you for the praise, General. We Treefolk are unable to become a technological civilization. To survive in this universe, we must have some means of self-preservation."
"By the way, I haven't yet asked how to address you?"
"General, our Tree People's names are very long, so you might not remember them easily. Just call me Ninety-Seven."
" Ninety-Seven?" Hu Yu smiled. (Why choose such a strange number as a name? The college entrance exam results have been released, and I hope that every high achiever checking their scores can score Ninety-Seven in each subject, or at least reach a level of Ninety-Seven. One hundred points is too arrogant, Ninety-Seven is just right, leaving room for continued effort.)
"General, I am actually the Ninety-Seven prince of the Treefolk. A million years ago, I had a disagreement with the Treefolk's Grand Elder over a trivial matter. In a fit of anger, I left my home planet and wandered among star systems until I was captured by the Wind Star People ten thousand years ago."
"Wait, you tree people didn't develop technology, so how did you leave your home planet?"
"That's right, we haven't developed any technology. Even on my home planet, there's no technology to be seen. That's why it's very difficult for us tree people to leave planets. Only those tree people who are over a million years old are capable of leaving planets. Their energy is enough to warp space for warp travel, and their speed is in no way inferior to your warships. A million years ago, I was also capable of leaving my home planet, but I was hunted down by civilized beings several times. I was forced to abandon my original body, which was over ten thousand meters tall, leaving only a section of my torso to preserve my consciousness. Later, I arrived at Planet No. 33 and survived there. To avoid being too conspicuous, I dared not grow a new body. I never expected to be captured by the Wind Star Civilization."
"Don't find it strange. The use of energy is a common development method for every civilized species. Although we Treefolk haven't developed technology, we still need to use energy. Moreover, we are not true trees. Our massive bodies can gather enough energy. When we need to travel through interstellar space, we gather this energy at certain points within our bodies, raising the energy level enough to bend space."
"I'm no longer surprised by anything. Since we entered the universe, there have been far too many things beyond our comprehension. Five hundred years ago, we didn't believe that spaceships could exceed the speed of light. Four hundred years ago, we didn't believe that the fourth dimension truly existed. Three hundred years ago, we didn't believe that a few hundred million people could build a massive fleet of tens of millions of warships. But all of this has actually happened. We have not only exceeded the speed of light, but we have reached a thousand times the speed of light. We have also gained a preliminary understanding of the fourth dimension. Our fleet already has tens of millions of ships. In the future, even more things beyond our comprehension will happen. So it's not surprising at all that you can perform warp drive with your physical bodies. The Insect Race have already done it."
"General, I know your lifespans are short, and your time in space is brief, but your understanding makes you a qualified leader. Indeed, anything can happen in this universe. In my millions of years of wandering, I've witnessed countless strange occurrences. Our bodies are among the largest of civilized beings, but you wouldn't believe it, I've seen civilizations even larger than ourselves. However, all living beings must abide by the rules of this universe. We tree-humans are enormous because our home planet's gravity is weak, and our body structure is incredibly strong, allowing us to support such massive bodies. Otherwise, we would be crushed by our own weight. That's why my ancient people have essentially lost their ability to move normally; their root systems simply cannot support their weight, making even the slightest movement impossible. On the contrary, people like me move much more freely, though we will be forever confined to a single planet. The large size of other beings must also have its reasons."
Tree Man Ninety-Seven seemed to have not spoken for a long time, talking incessantly. This seemed to be a common trait of civilized beings. Now Hu Yu had come into contact with many civilized beings, most of whom were from the Wind Star Civilization. He also knew that civilized beings were basically social creatures, and that solitary beings had no possibility of developing into civilizations.
The more the Tree Man talked, the more trust Hu Yu showed. It's almost impossible to completely trust another civilization. In order to make the Tree Man have no worries, Hu Yu tried his best to show his trust in Ninety-Seven. And Ninety-Seven seemed to have no worries at all, and kept talking non-stop.
In terms of age, Treeman Ninety-Seven was younger than the third patriarch of the Snow Star Civilization. Hu Yu felt that he could never trust the third patriarch of the Snow Star Civilization. On the other hand, the young patriarch Yan Xue seemed to have something in common with Ninety-Seven in front of him. They both seemed to be without any guile. Although one recognized him as his elder brother and the other recognized him as his savior, he was still considered an alien in their eyes.
However, on the other hand, it doesn't make much of a difference. The young clan leader Yan Xue is a genetically modified individual, and if this Ninety-Seven had even a little bit of cunning, he wouldn't have left his home planet to enter the universe alone. With their large individual appearance, it would be strange if they didn't attract the pursuit of other ordinary civilizations. If I saw a giant tree flying in the starry sky, I would also be tempted to grab it and study it carefully.
" Ninety-Seven, a million years. Haven't you ever thought about returning to your home planet? Like you said, it's just because of a small matter. It would be safer to return to your home planet sooner. I believe your home planet has the ability to protect you."
"That's right. My home planet may lack technology, but it's still very powerful. The elders can protect every young member of our race. It's just that I can't find my home planet at all, so there's no way for me to go back."
"What do you mean you can't find the home planet? Have you forgotten the coordinates?"
"Alas, no, my home planet is special. It doesn't exist in this normal space at all. For safety, those elder trees, which are billions of years old, folded the entire space of the galaxy. The folded galaxy doesn't follow the movement of the central black hole of the galaxy. To avoid the influence of other normally passing stars on space, the elders also frequently adjust the position of the galaxy. Although it is still in the space of this three-dimensional universe, we cannot know its exact location."
"Folded space!!!" Academician Zeng and a group of scientists on Planet Three were so excited by the message that they almost jumped for joy upon receiving it via synchronous transmission.
"General, quickly ask how to fold space," Academician Zeng said excitedly.