Chapter 174 Under a Tree

Chapter 174 Under a Tree

The Wangtian Arena was originally named after the Wangtian tree, but the residents of Guixu simply called it the "One Tree" Arena.

After the arena was built, Zhu Zhuan and his team planned to construct shops around the outermost perimeter of the arena. However, building these shops required a large amount of timber, and the growth cycle of trees was too slow. Even with the help of wood psychics, it was impossible to keep up with the demand.

Zhou Yun recalled the giant dragon bamboo he had previously purchased. He then used his abilities to cultivate a vast area of giant dragon bamboo near the abandoned land around the Qinglonggang landfill, completely obscuring the original garbage mountain.

The giant dragon bamboo naturally had an extremely short growth cycle, with a diameter of about thirty centimeters and a height of up to thirty meters. Under Zhou Yun's cultivation, each bamboo grew tall and straight, piercing the sky. Walking into the bamboo forest, one would be greeted by a sea of lush green and a refreshing breeze, creating a serene and pleasant atmosphere.

Zhu Zhuan arranged for rotational logging and assigned members of the Wood Psychic Guild to take turns cultivating the bamboo. Soon, several rows of vibrant green shops were constructed using these massive bamboo materials. The shops were left unpainted, with the bamboo skin still retaining its fresh green color. Some even preserved the tender green bamboo branches and leaves on the rooftops and eaves, nourished daily by wood psychic abilities to maintain their long-lasting green hue, giving them a unique charm.

The street shops were snapped up as soon as they were completed. This street encircling the "One Tree" Arena soon earned a new name: "Bamboo Branch Street." Most of the shops on Bamboo Branch Street sold specialty snacks, accommodations, and souvenirs. Qingniao Pharmaceuticals naturally secured the best spot, specializing in selling various psychic herbs for psychics.

After the semifinals of the psychic competition began, psychics gathered in large numbers, along with media outlets covering the psychic competitions and spectators who enjoyed watching the matches. Bamboo Branch Street became bustling with activity every day, with an extremely high level of popularity and energy.

The major psychic teams, who were highly sought after in their own bases and often arrogant, inevitably had some friction and disputes on the streets. However, as soon as conflicts arose and before any physical altercations could occur, the elusive city defense team would appear to resolve the issues and maintain order.

Such efficiency impressed the psychic teams from various regions, and numerous photos and videos praising these situations circulated online.

Someone took a photo of the high watchtower on the arena's city wall: "The city defense team appears out of nowhere and arrives promptly, likely thanks to the watchtowers built on the outer walls of the arena. Drones automatically patrol here every day."

However, some still commented: "Guixu City is indeed wealthy and powerful. With such a large flow of people, achieving this level of security requires very high standards."

"These are psychics, after all. How could they not be taken seriously? If someone were to cause trouble among them, Guixu City couldn't avoid the blame. Psychic abilities are unpredictable—who knows what kind of people might be hiding in the crowd?"

"Guixu City still has strength. I heard it was a new base, with most of its residents being ordinary people, the elderly, and children."

"That's outdated. Since Guixu City released the crystal core transplant treatment plan, crystal core cannons, and crystal core psychic seals, many researchers, technical professionals, and medical personnel have migrated to Guixu City in large numbers, all through the apocalypse tourism flight route."

"When we saw the apocalypse tourism flight route open, we wondered what the point was in spending so much energy and funds on something called 'apocalypse tourism.' Now we realize that the people behind this were playing a big game. Guixu City was established later and could only attract ordinary, weak, and elderly residents with benefits. To boost productivity, especially scientific productivity, it needed a large number of researchers and laborers. This flight route made it easier for ordinary people to migrate. Without it, these people would have no means to leave their bases and would be stuck there."

"So, the psychic competition is actually a recruitment drive for powerful psychics?"

"Sort of, but I don't think Guixu City is in a rush. After all, they hold the key technology for psychic activation and crystal core transplantation. They can create as many psychics as they want. What's more valuable are the knowledge, skills, and talents that take years to develop, as well as a person's character. It seems the administrators of Guixu City have always been clear-headed."

Zhou Yun sat by the wide viewing window of the private box, browsing through the praises of Guixu City on his laptop. Suddenly, he heard a burst of cheers from the audience below. He looked down and saw Bi Fang summoning a fire phoenix, which spun and circled at the center of the arena, effortlessly burning all the bamboo shoots controlled by his opponent.

His opponent could only scramble around the trunk of the Wangtian tree.

This Wangtian tree was not only the symbol of the arena but also the core of the combat competition.

Since the semifinals began, the psychics participating in the combat competitions quickly discovered the tree's advantages. They all learned to use the trunk as cover, launch sneak attacks, retreat, climb the branches to gain height advantage, and set traps using the branches and trunk. Every leaf and every branch could become a crucial element in the battle, testing the contestants' tactical planning and on-the-spot adaptability.

This made the entire competition more thrilling and exciting to watch.

Bi Fang's fire phoenix indeed created a stunning effect, naturally sparking a climax. Bi Fang stood in the center of the arena, full of pride.

Ren Duoduo, standing by the window, curled her lips in disdain: "His opponent is too weak. Look at how smug he is."

Zhou Yun chuckled: "Have you figured out how to counter him? He's not wrong—fire overcomes wood. The plants you currently control can't withstand such a large fire, can they?"

Zhao Yi, sitting next to Yao Huan, said: "You could set traps to exhaust his phoenix."

Yao Huan smiled: "In a prolonged battle of attrition, Duoduo might not have the stamina to keep up. Bi Fang is older than Duoduo and seems to have more combat experience. He's energetic and really is Duoduo's natural counter."

Ren Duoduo frowned, deep in thought as she stared at the battle below.

The shadow shield activated around the dueling platform enveloped the entire area, protecting the audience from harm. However, the massive fire phoenix was fierce and fast, with blazing flames that even made the nearby audience feel the scorching heat, causing some unrest among the spectators.

This location offers an excellent vantage point, providing a panoramic view of the entire arena. The tiered seating, originally made of concrete, was covered with giant dragon bamboo by the event organizers before the competition, creating comfortable green seats and small backrests, great for sitting through long events.

The stands were now bustling with activity, some cheering enthusiastically while others scrambled to avoid the chaos. However, nearby security personnel quickly stepped in to maintain order, and the noise soon subsided.

Zhou Yun took a few great photos and promptly sent them to Guan Yuanfeng.

Guan Yuanfeng, who was in the middle of a military video conference, felt the familiar vibration of his phone. Glancing at the screen where Ye Yuqing was passionately reporting on the northern war situation, he took out his phone and saw the photos Zhou Yun had sent. He couldn't help but feel both amused and slightly exasperated.

Zhou Yun had always been a quiet, solitary person who enjoyed cooking, tidying up, and gardening. He was far from lazy but showed little interest in physical exercise or combat, always avoiding combat and never one to flaunt his fighting skills.

However, Guan Yuanfeng never expected Zhou Yun to take such a keen interest in psychic battles.

Since the semifinals began, Zhou Yun had been arriving early every day at the VIP box reserved for him, eagerly watching the matches with binoculars.

During the day, he would often record exciting moments and send them to Guan Yuanfeng, sometimes accompanied by a few thoughts on the matches.

Because Zhou Yun was so into it, the arena's security standards were immediately raised another notch. Even Shen Lan and Qin Sheng, two top brass, had to personally oversee the security, bringing their teams to the arena daily. The Nirvana Team even set up a box next to Zhou Yun's, taking turns to guard him.

Guan Yuanfeng sent a text: "So engrossed, why not try your hand in the finals?"

Zhou Yun replied, "Just watching is enough, it's really fun. Aren't you busy?"

Guan Yuanfeng glanced at the screen where Ye Yuqing was still rambling, basically asking for funds, crystal cores, and resources.

He texted Zhou Yun back: "Not busy, Ye Yuqing is just talking nonsense. How about you? Is it the youth group today? What's there to see?"

Zhou Yun replied, "It's fascinating. Kids have much richer imaginations than us. I just saw a child summon an ice maze, trapping their opponent inside. Unfortunately, their psychic power wasn't strong enough, and the opponent broke through the ice walls. If their power had been stronger, it would have been a great tactic."

Guan Yuanfeng: "..."

Zhou Yun enthusiastically continued, "What if we used mutated cacti to create maze walls, combined with mist? How would General Guan break through?"

Guan Yuanfeng: "..." Of course, a tornado would sweep it away, but he cautiously replied, "That would be really hard to beat."

Zhou Yun was pleased: "Right? But this tactic would be tricky for Qin Mu. His shadow spheres can penetrate from underground, so we'd need to add sensitive plant..."

He added excitedly, "I also saw a girl with wind and earth abilities. Her combination move is a tornado and sand trap, using the tornado to drive the opponent into the trap, sinking them into the sand. Pretty smart, right?"

Guan Yuanfeng replied, "That's a good tactical idea for team battles." In one-on-one combat, it still comes down to strength.

Zhou Yun listed a few more ideas and laughed, "They're all cool strategies, wish you were here."

Guan Yuanfeng: "..." To him, these battles were like kids playing with water guns, but since Zhou Yun was so enthusiastic, he could only praise: "I'll try to make time to join you. Is Qin Sheng with you today?"

Zhou Yun said, "Qin Sheng and his brother went to the island to arrange the wedding venue. Today, Shen Lan is in charge of security. Honestly, you're overreacting. Ye Yuqing is just fearmongering, clearly exaggerating to sell you information and curry favor for more resources. He just secured several big projects a few days ago."

Guan Yuanfeng asked, "Are you watching the match alone?"

Zhou Yun replied, "Today is Bi Fang's match. The teacher brought Duoduo and Zhao Yi along. Duoduo has signed up and wants to check out the opponent's moves."

Guan Yuanfeng asked, "Who's Bi Fang?"

Zhou Yun explained, "He's the fire core user from the Mountain Goblin Team."

Guan Yuanfeng remembered, "Oh, the team whose captain tried to set you up with a girl."

Zhou Yun: "..."

He sent a jealous face emoji.

On the video conference, Ye Yuqing finally concluded his lengthy report, and General Tan appeared on the screen to begin issuing orders. Guan Yuanfeng put his phone away, sat up straight, and listened attentively, all the while thinking about how to quickly wrap up his tasks so he could spend some time watching the battles with Zhou Yun.