Chapter 2: Planting a World Tree

As the sun rose, Jiang Ping was wide awake despite having not slept all night. Not only had he devised an elaborate plan for creation, but he had also ordered various biological samples—blood and fur—online. While legitimate sources were out of the question, plenty of options were available on various bio-forums.

“I’ve rushed the seller, but it will probably still take two days to arrive,” Jiang Ping contemplated. “The newborn world needs time to stabilize; I can start by creating a small world as a test run.”

With that in mind, Jiang Ping summoned Genesis from his mind. He felt a mix of excitement and apprehension as he declared, “Let’s start the creation!”

Genesis activated without a breeze, flipping through the blank pages. “Command received. Please establish the rules for the small world.”

“Let’s keep the first world small for experimental purposes. A round heaven and square earth—200 million square kilometers will suffice!” Jiang Ping said cautiously.

Light burst from Genesis as a small world—a round heaven and square earth—began to manifest slowly before Jiang Ping’s eyes. It looked both real and unreal, enveloped in a brilliant crystalline barrier.

“What’s the specific location of this small world?” Jiang Ping inquired.

“The small world exists in a different dimension from the third dimension. Although its position mirrors ours, they cannot perceive or interact with each other unless connected through my being. Of course, as the creator, you have supreme authority over the small world,” Genesis explained while continuing its creation. It seemed that creating such a realm was merely a trivial task for it. “Please confirm how many primordial points you wish to expend.”

Jiang Ping asked in confusion, “Didn’t creating a small world cost points? Why is there still a consumption requirement? Is it for deriving other things?”

“Primordial points determine not only the size of the world but also its potential maximum and the abundance of extraordinary energies within it,” Genesis replied.

“I understand now. No wonder points are so precious; they serve so many purposes!” Jiang Ping decided, “Let’s consume 100 points. The first world should be created with caution; we can’t waste resources!”

The small world gradually expanded. It was evident that its laws were being refined. Volcanoes erupted, reshaping the landscape, but the source of all life—water—was still missing. Jiang Ping turned on his tap at home. He didn’t need much; a simple contact with Genesis would allow it to expend points and easily replicate water. Just one point would be enough to generate a massive amount of it! Despite Jiang Ping claiming he was creating a small world, the reality was China only had a coastal area of 4.7 million square kilometers, so a landmass of 200 million square kilometers also required an immense volume of water!

The small world was shrouded in darkness, but Jiang Ping confidently waved his hand, declaring, “I want there to be light!” Instantly, the sun’s projection from the three-dimensional world appeared in the sky of the small world.

Suddenly, the small world illuminated, the brilliant sun casting its rays upon the ground. The darkness quickly faded, and the world was forever marked by the cycle of day and night.

The sun’s projection became the energy source for the small world, just like Earth! As the land basked in light and the ground erupted with volcanoes, Jiang Ping continued, “Let there be water!”

Immediately, enormous waves surged from the horizon, crashing into the low-lying areas of the land.

A vast celestial river formed between heaven and earth, leaving Jiang Ping in awe of his own grand creation!

The sensation of creating with just a wave of his hand was exhilarating! His words commanded the very essence of existence, causing the realms to quake and the heavens to bow!

Jiang Ping watched the newborn world with a smile, noting, “In ancient myths, it took God seven days to create. It seems I can do it in just seven minutes!”

As the sea surged in, oceans gradually appeared at the land’s end, with rivers continuously branching off, flowing around the land, creating a cycle of convergence.

However, from his divine perspective, Jiang Ping noticed the seawater was depleting rapidly. “What’s happening? Isn’t this a cycle? Is there a problem somewhere?”

Upon closer inspection, he finally identified the issue: “Ah, it’s because there’s no atmosphere! The sunlight directly hitting the seawater causes evaporation without retention.” At least recognizing the problem made it easier to resolve.

Jiang Ping waved his hand again, stating, “I command an atmosphere to protect the land!”

In an instant, a white haze emerged in the sky. This atmosphere filtered out harmful substances from sunlight, shielding the living beings on the land from radiation and aiding in water preservation. Many planets fail to sustain life due to the absence of such protection!

As the small world gradually improved, Jiang Ping observed with his divine view, realizing that despite his understanding of everything, his lack of hands-on experience diminished much of the joy!

“Genesis, can I enter the small world now?” Jiang Ping eagerly asked, wishing to personally experience the world he had just created.

“As the creator, you possess authority. Regardless of how dangerous the environment may be in the small world, it’s all the same for you; after all, the worlds are your children,” Genesis replied.

Hearing Genesis speak so readily, Jiang Ping couldn’t help but smile. A streak of light passed through Genesis and entered Jiang Ping’s body, causing him to vanish from this realm! “Is this the newborn world?” Jiang Ping stepped into the small world, where its laws were crystal clear to him.

The new world’s air was incredibly murky, filled with volcanic ash that turned the sky gray. In the distance, volcanoes continually erupted, and flowing rivers occasionally rushed by to cool the land.

Within the small world, Jiang Ping held creator privileges, allowing him to possess near-omniscience. With a single step, mountains and rivers reversed their flow, and he quickly explored the entire newborn realm.

Along the way, he came across a bottomless abyss. If it weren’t for the world barrier he set, he believed it would reach beyond dimensions!

At that moment, Jiang Ping stood atop the highest peak. Previously a super volcano, its lava had receded, creating a stunning geographical feature.

“The world feels too plain!” Jiang Ping sighed, noticing that he was the only living being in all of creation. There were no creatures—not even a single hair! “Should we accelerate time?” Genesis suggested.

“Yes, speed it up a million times so the land can stabilize faster,” Jiang Ping thought. It was the perfect opportunity for him to resolve his meal situation.

The scene before him resembled a fast-forwarded film, with everything rapidly changing. The clouds raced across the sky, the sun and moon spun in cycles, and in the blink of an eye, the land transformed drastically. After watching for a while, Jiang Ping returned to reality.

In a local restaurant, Jiang Ping ate while continuously strategizing on how to better manage his world.

“Recently, Professor Ou Meng observed anomalous fluctuations from the sun. The cause remains unclear, but the professor assured everyone there’s no risk to Earth,” the television nearby aired the midday news.

“No risk to Earth, but it will affect the trajectory of other small planets,” Jiang Ping silently complained.

For some reason, he felt increasingly detached from others. Perhaps it was due to seeing the world’s changes. More importantly, he knew he no longer inhabited the same dimension as everyone else! While he might currently be the weakest creator in history, he would develop step by step to become a true creator! After leaving the restaurant, Jiang Ping collected some leaves and broke off a branch. Back home, he had Genesis analyze the leaves. Meanwhile, the small world gradually stabilized as time accelerated; volcanoes erupted less frequently. Genesis almost instantaneously analyzed the leaf’s genes and began launching seeds into the small world! “Can I directly put these leaves into the small world?” Jiang Ping suddenly asked.

“Previously, Genesis analyzed the components of real-world materials before introducing them into the small world. However, three-dimensional materials contain substantial energy, making it easy for them to be incompatible with the laws of two realms and thus be destroyed. Should there be any chance of survival, unexpected mutations could occur,” Genesis responded.

Realizing the minimal impact, Jiang Ping waved his hand, sending the leaves into the small world. He also inserted the broken branch into the center of the world.

The leaves withered entirely; however, the branch in the world’s center, perhaps blessed by the creator, adapted and survived in a different realm! As Jiang Ping began to plant seeds, the land quickly transformed into a lush green expanse. Towering trees fiercely competed for sunlight, while the underground roots twisted for water. The branch Jiang Ping had personally planted grew remarkably large, reaching a height of 300 meters and a diameter of 40 meters! It was unclear if this was due to a special mutation from crossing dimensions.

After all, the tallest tree on Earth reaches less than 100 meters.

Now, the giant tree stood prominently in the center of the world, casting its immense shadow, preventing nearly any sunlight from reaching the ground below. Only small blades of grass managed to grow within its radius; no other tree dared to compete for sunlight and water!

Jiang Ping entered the small world, satisfied with what he saw. Life finally blossomed across the land and the oceans birthed the earliest single-celled organisms. As time passed, animals would eventually crawl onto land, vying for dominance over the continents. For now, the land remained the domain of plants! Jiang Ping ventured into the giant tree he had planted. He gently stroked its ancient bark, already weathered by 5,000 years! Fortunately, this small world differed from reality. It contained extraordinary energy, albeit not in excessive amounts, enough for its inhabitants to surpass Earth’s creatures.

“I didn’t expect you to survive. Keep growing! One day, you will evolve into the World Tree!”

It was as if the giant tree comprehended Jiang Ping’s words, trembling slightly. A slender shoot swayed gently as if a child reaching out for Jiang Ping’s hand, displaying an adorable charm?

Although Jiang Ping was a bit surprised, he still affectionately caressed the shoot, akin to a parent’s touch. “Is it possible this tree has developed self-awareness?” he wondered.

“It shouldn’t have. Even though this small world holds extraordinary energy, I’ve scarcely expended any points. The aura is limited, and making animals strong is a feat; for plants to gain awareness is nearly impossible,” Genesis replied, perplexed. The giant tree evidently displayed a juvenile consciousness—faint yet undeniably present.

“It’s the first living being in this realm and directly sown by the creator, combined with the mutations from crossing dimensions, so it possesses unpredictable changes. The world’s fortune favors it, placing it in the most spiritually rich area. However, that may be its limitation; the scale of the world dictates its fate. It will never evolve into the World Tree you envision.”

Genesis dismissed the giant tree’s future outright, bound by the limits of the world. This realm could never give birth to the divine, just as the real world cannot cultivate.

Yet Jiang Ping maintained a smile, stating, “There’s nothing impossible under heaven! Who knows, it might ultimately evolve into a World Tree. You’ll have to look at it differently then!”

Jiang Ping continued to explore the world, reaching its edges where the endless ocean lay visible. Should any other beings seek the world’s end, they would only find themselves returning to the starting point. To the creatures in this world, the depths of the ocean represented infinity.

Deep within the ocean, primitive life was emerging. Yet this process would be significantly lengthy as Jiang Ping returned to reality, further adjusting the small world’s time acceleration.

In the blink of an eye, ten thousand years had passed. For the world, the unit of time measured in billions of years! Over countless ages, Jiang Ping observed that the giant tree in the center continued to grow robustly! It reached a staggering height of a thousand meters, nearly transforming into the World Tree that would cover the entire world!

Of course, Jiang Ping was aware of the World Tree’s mysteries. It could sustain the fabric of worlds, providing a habitat for the gods upon its branches. As he now observed the giant tree, he saw its potential; even Genesis expressed astonishment. Initially thought it would die due to time but was shocked to see it continuously surpassing its limits and lifespan.

At this point, the tree had maximized its growth limit as dictated by the world Jiang Ping created; it could only reach a height of 9,000 meters. He initially considered that an impossible figure, yet it had truly achieved such limits!

In the ocean, single-celled creatures evolved into multi-cellular beings, then algae began producing oxygen, and the ancient fish appeared. Perhaps because this small world contained more extraordinary energy than reality, these beings were much stronger. They effortlessly shattered rocks with single attacks!

Where there were organisms, there were competitions. In the depths of the ocean, beings began to race toward evolution.

Herbivorous fish grew larger, continually adapting their armor, making it harder for carnivorous species to bite! Others optimally evolved into streamlined shapes, enabling them to dart at lightning speeds! Gradually, those unable to keep up with the pace of evolution faced extinction. Additionally, the carnivorous fish evolved at a remarkable rate, with teeth and claws that were utterly formidable. Jiang Ping even observed, through divine sight, that some fish could generate electric shocks!

“Impressive! Electric eels are on the verge of evolving! Wow, this fish looks vibrant and can easily kill a 30-meter-long fish,” Jiang Ping marveled at the evolution of marine life, realizing that only strife leads to progress. He simultaneously noticed that some fish, recognizing the intense competition in the ocean, began searching the coastline for habitats. Finally, the first fish crawled onto the land! Jiang Ping retracted his gaze. At this moment, as the world evolved, Genesis also underwent changes. The previously blank pages displayed text.

Page one: Earth Calendar: July 8, 2020. The creator began to shape the world; the tree in the center of the world reached its limit, soaring to 9,000 meters. Significant changes were happening in the ocean’s depths.

“Please name the newly born world,” Genesis reminded.

“Let’s call it the Primordial World since it’s the first experimental realm,” Jiang Ping pondered.

Upon completing the naming, a change resonated throughout the small world as if a shift occurred.

Genesis continued to display text: Page Two: The Primordial World—Year 1. The world was born. With the creator’s wave, light and darkness emerged; a celestial river flowed from the skies, rushing towards the earth. As oceans appeared, volcanoes erupted incessantly, and toxic gases pervaded the air, preventing any life from taking root.

Primordial Records—Ancient Era. Creators walked the land, feeling its emptiness without life. Thus, they cast plant seeds into the earth, planting the giant tree in hope. Primitive single-celled organisms emerged in the ocean’s depths.

Primordial Records—Proterozoic Era. The giant tree in the center grew to its limit; the land flourished into shades of green as oceans birthed life, and fish continually evolved. Jiang Ping, content with Genesis’ unexpectedly flattering record of history, noticed the day waning. Having not slept all night, he casually ate something before drifting off with a smile and boundless hope, unaware of the surprises the Primordial World would unveil for him the following day.