I Transmigrated Into the Number One Darling Tree in the Interstellar Era - Chapter 4

The fragrance of the Little Magnolia flower could calm Cassius.

But a mere sliver of a petal was insufficient.

As the floral scent gradually dissipated, Cassius, who had rushed here in vain, felt the agitation he had just managed to suppress surge back, claws seeming to rake at his heart.

Normally, he would have immediately plunged into a frenzied battle state.

But now, he merely extended his claws, carefully controlling his strength as he gently nudged the petal before him… A tiny fragment, smaller than his palm. A fraction more force, and his sharp claws would have reduced it to dust.

The White Lion licked his canine tooth, his ice-blue eyes fixed on the Little White Magnolia petal.

The petal had fallen here, but where had the main plant gone?

…Escaped?

Cassius wasn’t the only one searching for the Little Magnolia. Discovering a rare plant would earn valuable reward points on the show, and for this alone, the Beastman contestants would have dug three feet into the earth to find Lin Yu.

But the floral scent vanished abruptly. Without its guiding fragrance, searching for a single plant in this vast, treacherous jungle was as difficult as finding a needle in a haystack.

Only viewers who had been watching Channel JJ all along knew the Little White Magnolia’s whereabouts.

At that moment, Lin Yu was walking along a narrow path surrounded by lush vegetation.

He raised his arm and sniffed his sleeve cuff. After transforming into human form, the Magnolia Flower scent had been contained within his body, its diffusion limited to a radius of about half a meter around him, much like the effect of perfume that’s only faintly perceptible when approached closely.

“Perfect. This way, we won’t attract the Crazy Lion,” Lin Yu said, nodding in satisfaction. He casually stroked the Little Pea Vine, which clung to his side.

The lion claw marks on the vine had healed, and now the entire vine glistened with a glossy sheen. It obediently lifted its soft tendrils to rub against Lin Yu’s palm.

Having spent most of his time confined to the Aerospace Space Station, Lin Yu was rather out of shape. Unsure of the distance ahead or what dangers the jungle might hold, he deliberately paced slowly to conserve energy.

“Are you really walking that slowly?” the spectators in the Channel JJ chat room exclaimed, their messages flooding the screen. “Little Magnolia, snap out of it! This is the Demonic Jungle, not a backyard! It’s not a place for leisurely strolls!”

“Oh no, we’re doomed! There are still so many Demonic Plants blocking the way ahead. At this pace, we’ll never catch up to the other competitors—hell, we might not even make it out of the jungle by next year!”

Lin Yu, oblivious to the frantic comments, continued at his own comfortable pace, the vine leisurely trailing beside him.

Miraculously, with each step Lin Yu took, the surrounding plants parted to create a path. Thorns and bushes split to either side, while soft moss spread beneath his feet like a carpet. Countless tiny flowers bloomed along the path, scattering stars across the ground.

Only after Lin Yu had passed did the plants close the path behind him.

The spectators were nearly stunned by the sight:

“Demonic Vine guards his passage, Demonic Plants clear his way. What a grand display!”

“Still complaining about Little Magnolia being slow? Other competitors have to take detours, but Little Magnolia goes straight. Who’s going to catch up now?”

“Hilarious! Just as expected of the Darling Tree. This forest is practically his backyard.”

If anyone had previously doubted the legends about White Magnolia from the Oracle, they now had to admit that the young man was a precious treasure certified by the jungle itself.

Under the plants’ care, Lin Yu moved effortlessly, as if walking on flat ground. He quickly emerged from the secluded area shrouded by broad-leaved plants.

His vision suddenly opened up.

He looked up, rubbed his eyes in disbelief: “…Two suns?”

No, those weren’t suns at all.

Two radiant stars hung in the azure sky, one warm white, the other orange-yellow. Their combined light created a glow reminiscent of a single sun.

This planet was still too unfamiliar to Lin Yu. There were too many places to explore and discover. Since the two celestial bodies in the sky weren’t suns, they didn’t follow the natural law of rising in the east and setting in the west, making them useless for determining direction.

Without a sense of direction, how am I supposed to get out of this jungle?

Lin Yu stopped, feeling lost.

“Why did he stop?”

“Wait, did the production team not give Little Magnolia a map? She doesn’t know which way to go!”

“Little Magnolia was dragged into the show halfway through! She had no idea she was even being filmed! The production team deliberately kept it a secret for ‘effect’!”

“This production team is despicable! Quick, find a way to guide her!”

The viewers were even more anxious than Lin Yu, cursing the production team and wishing they could crawl through the screen to lead her themselves.

As Lin Yu pondered, the vine coiled quietly beside him suddenly stiffened, its whip-like tendril arcing upward, a sharp spine unfurling at its tip.

[Warning! Pea Vine is attacking an intruder!]

[The Plant Encyclopedia System flashed red text.]

Following the direction of the vine’s spine, Lin Yu saw a gaudy, half-spherical creature drifting slowly through the air. Its plump body and tiny wings made it bob erratically, as if it might plummet to the ground at any moment.

It looked somewhat familiar.

“Little Ladybug?”

Lin Yu tilted his head, studying the crimson insect.

Could this be another camera?

The vine cared nothing for such considerations. Any unknown entity approaching Little Magnolia deserved to be eliminated.

Its thorns aimed at the “Ladybug,” ready to strike at any moment—

“Mommy, help!” Sharp-eyed viewers noticed the Demonic Vine adopting an attack posture. Recalling their previous “eye-stabbing” experience, they instinctively recoiled.

The Mechanical Ladybug seemed equally aware of how its predecessor met its demise. It frantically flapped its tiny wings, desperately trying to escape the Demonic Vine’s range of attack. But it flew far too slowly, managing only to buzz more loudly as it failed to flee.

“Don’t harm it,” Lin Yu said softly, his voice gentle.

The Demonic Vine obediently retracted its thorns, coiling neatly beside him. The young man’s clear, soothing voice echoed through the livestream, calming every startled viewer.

“Waaah, Little Magnolia saved me!”

“His voice is so lovely! Even the Killer Demonic Vine listens to him!”

“Doesn’t the Magnolia Flower look pure and adorable, like a little angel? Little Magnolia is definitely an angel!”

Unbeknownst to him, the audience on Channel JJ swelled, many Interstellar Humans drawn by trending searches. Initially curious about the sole plant-type contestant, they became captivated by Lin Yu once they saw him.

Unlike the chaotic escape footage from other Beastman contestants’ channels, Little Magnolia’s feed stood out for its serene, strangely soothing atmosphere.

The production team hadn’t anticipated that the Darling Tree, already trending, would continue to attract such massive traffic. The tech team scrambled to expand Channel JJ’s capacity, while the director team racked their brains trying to figure out how to guide Lin Yu through the course.

On the screen, Lin Yu extended his hand. The mechanical ladybug struggled, its chubby body wobbling as it turned, before carefully perching on his finger.

The ladybug’s exoskeleton shimmered with a metallic sheen, and upon closer inspection, its compound eyes occasionally glitched as they moved.

It was truly a camera!

As a researcher at the Aerospace Space Station, Lin Yu was mentally prepared and remained calm despite the extraterrestrial encounter.

In fact, he felt a surge of excitement.

Compared to transforming into a tree and dying alone, having “someone” watching over him felt much better!

His extraterrestrial friend might just be observing him. Imagine if an alien species suddenly appeared on Earth; scientists would undoubtedly send unmanned probes to investigate first. It was only natural.

Regardless, showing friendliness could never go wrong.

Lin Yu smiled warmly at the camera and greeted them in a friendly tone, “Hello, everyone.”

The interstellar era had long since achieved universal language translation, allowing seamless communication between different races and civilizations. The viewers not only understood Lin Yu’s words but were also charmed by his sweet smile, eliciting silly grins and heart-melting reactions.

“Ahh, I’m going to die from cuteness overload!”

“I want to leave Little Magnolia’s channel too, but he’s smiling at me! Fierce Beasts can’t resist this kind of smile!”

“Licking the screen… slurp, slurp…”

Unaware that he had effortlessly captivated a horde of interstellar beauty-obsessed fans, Lin Yu looked at the little ladybug, an idea forming in his mind.

Since this was a camera, someone must come to retrieve it.

That meant if he followed the ladybug, he could find a way out of this jungle!

Lin Yu tapped the ladybug’s round body. “Can you show me the way?”

The mechanical ladybug fluttered its wings a few times before taking flight. It circled Lin Yu twice, then began to fly slowly in a particular direction, its speed adjusted according to Lin Yu’s walking pace by the production team.

Seeing Lin Yu follow, the production team breathed a sigh of relief.

“Finally, we’ve successfully guided the route!” the Director Team exclaimed, quickly dispatching additional panoramic cameras to follow him, ensuring both his safety and that he wouldn’t stray from the path.

Lin Yu, who had been wandering aimlessly, found it much easier now that the mechanical ladybug was showing him the way.

The little ladybug didn’t fly fast, and Lin Yu didn’t find walking strenuous. Even when he was tired, he could rest for a while, and the ladybug would patiently wait for him not far ahead.

Of course.

The Little Magnolia wasn’t just the darling tree of the interstellar community; it was also the ratings guarantee for Conquer the Jungle. The young man’s appearance had boosted viewership and sparked countless discussions. The production team couldn’t afford to lose him.

The audience also remained glued to Lin Yu’s channel. Though he was merely walking, he began to sing.

It was a melody interstellar humans had never heard before: pleasant, melodious, and as soothing as the fragrance of the Little Magnolia. While viewers couldn’t smell the floral scent through their screens, the clear, resonant song carried through perfectly.

The usually warlike Beastmen found themselves unexpectedly calm, as if walking through the jungle alongside the young man in the video, basking in the gentle breeze and warm sunlight.

This was the very Song of the Jungle that Lin Yu had heard during the blooming season.

Finding it pleasing to the ear, he began humming absentmindedly. The little chatterbox couldn’t stand the silence; the urge to make some noise was instinctive. He never imagined that this unconscious act would inadvertently bring comfort to so many.

After humming a few verses, the melody faded away. Before Lin Yu stood a small river, its surface calm and not too wide, but wide enough that crossing would require swimming.

“Ah, I can’t swim,” Lin Yu said, scratching his head.

The Vine beside him swayed helplessly.

It couldn’t swim either. It could only burrow through the riverbed, but dragging Little Magnolia through the mud wasn’t an option.

Lin Yu looked left and right, but the river stretched beyond his line of sight in both directions. There was no way around it, and the Mechanical Ladybug had already flown to the opposite bank, landing on a rock to wait for him.

The viewers, now accustomed to worrying about the young man, turned their frustration on the production team: “What kind of path is this? How are we supposed to cross such a wide river?!”

The production team was genuinely clueless; leaving Little Magnolia alone in the jungle was unsafe, so they naturally needed to quickly reunite with the main group of contestants. The only nearby path involved crossing the river.

They had no idea that Little Magnolia couldn’t swim.

Lin Yu, however, wasn’t particularly worried. After all, Little Ladybug would wait for him, and Vine had already gone to search for a shallow ford to cross the river.

He strolled leisurely to the riverbank, crouched down, and noticed the clear water. He even took the time to wash his hands and splash some water on his face.

This was the first time Lin Yu had seen his own face since transforming back into human form.

The reflection in the water revealed a sweet, childlike face with black hair and eyes, delicate features, and a skin tone that was now much fairer, with a milky, porcelain-like quality that looked almost soft to the touch.

Lin Yu nonchalantly poked the cheek of his reflection in the water.

Just then, a breeze rippled the river surface, sending a large patch of pink and purple water lilies drifting toward him.

Sleeping Lotus feels very drowsy…

Sleeping Lotus has long suffered from insomnia…

Sleeping Lotus is in a foul mood…

The Plant Encyclopedia System displayed status messages above each lotus flower. The purple ones were mostly either sleep-deprived or drowsy, while the pink ones seemed relatively better off.

Lin Yu: “?”

Can lotus flowers really have trouble sleeping?

These lotus flowers were stunning, much larger than their counterparts on Earth. Their blossoms appeared to have diameters exceeding a meter. Lin Yu was particularly struck by the lotus leaves, which were so massive they resembled boats—large enough to support several people sitting on them.

Perfect! I could use one to get across the river!

But how could he get a lotus leaf to come to shore?

Before he could ponder this further, Lin Yu suddenly noticed something odd in his reflection in the water.

A massive, snow-white, fluffy head had appeared above him… It looked like a white lion.

A lion?! A lion?!

Before he could even scream, Lin Yu felt something tighten around his collar, and he was dragged backward by the scruff of his neck.

In that instant, his breath caught in his throat, and his blood ran cold.

I’m done for. I’m definitely going to be eaten…

Yet after dragging him away from the riverbank, the lion released its grip.

Lin Yu didn’t dare move a muscle, frozen in place as he lay face-up on the ground, staring up at the lion.

The White Lion had rare white fur, a prominent nose, a thick mane, and sharply defined jawlines.

It had to be said: this was a strikingly handsome lion.

But no matter how handsome the lion, in Lin Yu’s eyes, it was still the god of death. At that moment, the White Lion was crouching above his head, its magnified face looming close. Those ice-blue eyes glinted with a cold light, and its fangs, sharp enough to snap his neck, were bared.

Yet the White Lion didn’t bite.

Noticing where Lin Yu’s gaze had fallen, it pursed its lips, concealing its fangs.

This lion doesn’t eat people.

Lin Yu concluded that the emotions flickering in the White Lion’s ice-blue eyes were almost human-like.

He couldn’t imagine the existence of Beastmen, but he could clearly see that this lion possessed qualities distinct from ordinary wild animals. Nature was inherently mysterious and unpredictable. If this planet could nurture intelligent and lively plants, it wasn’t so surprising for animals to possess advanced intelligence…

Man and lion locked eyes.

The young man’s collar, torn during the lion’s earlier drag, revealed his slender collarbones and pale skin, still damp with a few lingering droplets.

The White Lion was the first to avert his gaze, leaving only his perfectly sculpted jawline visible to Lin Yu.

Noticing the bewildered expression on the young man’s face, the lion let out a low growl and tilted his chin forward, gesturing towards the river. Look for yourself.

Only after confirming that the lion truly wouldn’t eat him did Lin Yu push himself up and look in the direction the lion was pointing.

Floating on the tranquil river were blooming water lilies, creating a scene of serene beauty.

So why had the lion dragged him away from the shore?

Just as he was puzzled, a fish leaped out of the water, sending ripples across the surface.

The next moment—

Crunch!

The previously serene purple water lily suddenly shot up, its flower opening wide to swallow the fish whole! The lily’s petals, like blades in a meat grinder, snapped shut instantly, emitting bone-chilling crunching sounds from within.

After a moment, the lily reopened its petals, its color now even more vibrant as it floated calmly on the river surface.

As if nothing had happened.

Lin Yu was left speechless by the horrifying scene.

Insomnia-stricken water lilies are terrifying!

If the lion hadn’t pulled him back, the one swallowed by the lily might have been his hand or foot…

A chill ran down Lin Yu’s spine, and he shivered involuntarily, sending a few small petals of the Little White Magnolia fluttering out from his open collar.

Behind him, the White Lion watched the pristine petals drift to the ground. The scent of magnolia emanating from the young man grew increasingly potent, and the lion narrowed its eyes, its keen sense of smell picking up the floral aroma.

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