Several days later, in the central laboratory of the tower, the three-dimensional light screens were divided into multiple observation angles, live-streaming the situation across the plane.

Jie Ming stood before the main console, his gaze sharp as he scanned the constantly refreshing data streams, reporting in a calm, steady voice:

“Experiment Sequence Seven, Phase Three commencing. Observation target: newly awakened intelligent variant ‘Stranglerock Vines,’ entering Combat Zone No. 7 on the plains.”

On the screen, a group of thick, sturdy living vines covered in dark-brown tumor-like nodules advanced toward a distant battlefield flickering with light and writhing tendrils at a speed utterly incongruous with their clumsy appearance.

“Per Lord Starfall’s design, the Stranglerock Vines partially overlap in ecological niche with the earlier-awakened Devouring Demon Vines; both require rare minerals from the soil.

In terms of morphological aesthetics, the Stranglerock Vines lean toward ‘solid’ and ‘massive’ preferences. In theory, they should differ even more sharply from the light-element beings that pursue ‘streamlined’ and ‘radiant’ beauty, while sharing potential aesthetic resonance with the Devouring Demon Vines’ appreciation for ‘twisted and knotted’ forms.”

As the new vines reached the edge of the battlefield, the light-element beings that had been locked in combat with the Devouring Demon Vines reacted immediately.

Like a disturbed swarm of bees, they split off a blazing stream of light and launched an attack on the Stranglerock Vines without hesitation, energy beams falling like rain.

Yet the Devouring Demon Vine legions on the opposite side displayed a completely different reaction from before.

Instead of indiscriminately attacking the newcomers as they had with all previous outsiders, they actually slowed their assault on the light-element beings. Countless vine tips turned like eyes toward their new kin, cautiously “appraising” them.

After a brief standoff and observation, a dense wave of psychic fluctuations passed through the Devouring Demon Vine horde.

Then, astonishingly, they turned their spears and, together with the newly arrived Stranglerock Vines, launched a ferocious joint assault on the separated contingent of light-element beings!

The outnumbered light-element detachment quickly crumbled under the pincer attack of the two vine species.

After the battle, the Devouring Demon Vines and Stranglerock Vines did not immediately merge.

Instead, they maintained a cautious distance, exchanging faint yet complex psychic signals, seemingly evaluating one another.

Moments later, with remarkable tacit understanding, both sides slowly withdrew to opposite ends of the plain, leaving a strip of scorched earth between them.

“Recording complete!” Jie Ming concluded his report and looked to the side.

Wizard Starfall’s hands flew across the auxiliary screens, taking notes, her face radiant with barely contained excitement. “It worked! Look! The living plants displayed a completely different reaction from when they faced humans, various flesh creatures, or even the elemental beings we temporarily awakened using living stone!”

She pulled up previous experimental logs for comparison. “Before, whether it was flesh monsters or those angular stone people, anything that entered their perception range was met with indiscriminate, ferocious attacks from both the Devouring Demon Vines and the light-element beings. At that point, we almost thought the ‘aesthetic war’ hypothesis was wrong.”

“But now it’s clear,” Jie Ming continued, understanding dawning in his eyes, “even among elemental beings, ‘radiance’ and ‘stone’ represent vastly different levels of ‘attractiveness’ in their eyes. Plant lifeforms with a degree of morphological similarity can exercise restraint upon first contact despite resource competition—and even cooperate to a limited extent.”

Wizard Starfall nodded vigorously. “Moreover, not all awakened beings indiscriminately attack others simply because of differing aesthetic standards.

It seems this extreme xenophobia and life-or-death judgment based on ‘looks’ is a trait unique to the specific combination of Devouring Demon Vines and Radiant Aggregates.”

She rubbed her chin thoughtfully and proposed a new hypothesis. “I suspect that when I first performed the Wisdom Ignition, the technique was still imperfect and contained unknown flaws.

Or perhaps… my mental state at the time—my eager anticipation of experimental success, or some subconscious perception of the opposition between ‘light’ and ‘vine’ forms—was subtly transmitted through the Imaginary Element, shaping their uniquely extreme cognitive pattern based on morphological beauty and ugliness.”

“That possibility is very high,” Viola agreed. She had studied Imaginary Element herself. “Jie Ming’s Imaginary Element is indeed highly susceptible to the user’s emotions and will. The ‘opposition’ intent you poured in during creation may have unwittingly become the cornerstone of their intelligence core.”

Jie Ming nodded in acknowledgment. “If that’s the case, we can design a new experiment—for example, have the calm-minded Anya lead a small-scale Wisdom Ignition and see whether the newly born intelligent beings still exhibit such extreme ‘aesthetic purism.’”

“Excellent idea!” Wizard Starfall’s eyes lit up, but then her excitement dimmed. For once, a trace of awkwardness appeared on her face. She rubbed her hands together and looked at Jie Ming and Viola. “Well… the new experimental plan can wait a bit. Right now, there’s a small matter I might need your help with.”

Viola raised an eyebrow. “Oh? What could possibly trouble the master of an entire plane?”

Wizard Starfall sighed and pointed at a specially marked underground region on the main screen that kept flashing high-energy warnings.

“Probably because we’ve been running experiments too frequently lately and introduced too many ‘strangely shaped’ test subjects, the two native intelligent races have developed a massive sense of crisis.

According to my monitoring of plane energy flows and leyline fluctuations… those light-element beings seem to be cooking up something big deep underground. They appear to be pooling the energy of the entire race to construct a super-giant… well, something like a self-destruct or energy-annihilation core.”

Jie Ming was puzzled. “If you want to stop it, with your control over the plane, intervention should be effortless, right?”

A sixth-ring wizard on their home plane could theoretically suppress such localized unrest by manipulating the plane origin or mobilizing plane power with a mere thought.

Wizard Starfall hurriedly waved her hands. “I don’t want to stop it! Quite the opposite—this is a superb observation opportunity! Even if they really do create something capable of blasting through the plane barrier, I’m confident I can squash it at the last instant. But…”

She paused, a cautious look crossing her face. “To be absolutely safe and prevent any chance of actually blowing up my laboratory… I mean, the plane… I need to stay tightly linked to the plane origin at all times, monitoring it closely so I can mobilize maximum authority for suppression the moment it’s needed. That means I can’t spare any attention elsewhere.”

She looked at the two of them, her eyes pleading. “I hope you can help by going in close to collect detailed data during the construction of that ‘mega-bomb’—energy convergence patterns, structural stability, changes in the light-beings’ mental states, and so on. First-hand data from up close is invaluable! And if possible…”

Her voice took on the fervor of a researcher once more. “It would be best if, at the exact moment they are on the verge of success—or think they are—you reveal yourselves and forcibly stop them!

That way, we can directly observe what kind of extreme emotional fluctuations occur when an entire race pours everything into a plan only to fail at the finish line, and how their intelligence and social structure adapt… or collapse! It would be perfect!”

Jie Ming and Viola exchanged a glance. They felt no psychological burden over this request to “add fuel to the fire” while collecting tragedy data—these beings were, after all, experimental creations.

Though the two races had indeed awakened intelligence, to put it bluntly, how many intelligent beings had died at wizards’ hands throughout history?

They nodded and accepted Starfall’s request.

Considering that Viola was also a sixth-ring wizard, she was the most suitable person to remain in the laboratory and oversee the overall situation—controlling the numerous observation arrays and emergency facilities spread across the plane—while Starfall devoted herself entirely to maintaining plane stability.

The division of labor was quickly decided:

Viola would stay at the tower’s central hub and command the big picture.

Jie Ming, accompanied by Anya—who possessed extremely keen perception of elemental and life energies—would personally head to the turbulent underground region for a close-up “viewing” of the light-element beings’ ultimate plan.

And, at the critical moment, deliver the “surprise” interruption from the “ugly flesh monsters.”