The Mountain Ghost Stigma was quickly shrinking and withering, until in the end, the only remaining plant species were enough for the complex root system spreading from the slit in his chest to support a Domain of about four inches, barely enough to cover his entire body.
Nevertheless, curiously, Huai Shi felt his breathing become easier. For once, he could sense... that very faint trace of moisture in the air.
I've grown weaker, yet I feel an unusual sense of relief.
The dry heat and desiccation that troubled him were rapidly diminishing. Though not entirely gone, they steadily maintained at a level of being just a bit hot and dry.
Moreover, his own threshold for Endurance was rapidly increasing. The thirst that used to be unbearable now seemed trivial.
When Huai Shi opened his eyes, he felt something was wrong.
His hair was rapidly retracting, getting shorter!
In Huai Shi's astonished expression, his once waist-length hair had shrunk to a length that couldn't even be tied with a hairband, turning into a short cut he hadn't had in a long time.
I'm losing my hair!
"Have you ever seen a lush plant in the desert?" Raven shook its head in resignation. "What's the panic? You think it's just the hair that's changing?"
Then, Huai Shi noticed.
His skin was rapidly roughening, losing its past resilience and softness. It quickly hardened, becoming tough and taking on a dry, yellowish hue.
All over his body, the pores were swiftly contracting. At their limit, a layer of nearly imperceptible fine down grew out, swaying almost invisibly in the air with Huai Shi's movements, adroitly capturing every whisper of moisture.
Huai Shi picked up a spoon and poured a little water on the back of his hand.
He saw that drop of water quickly diminish under the absorption of countless tiny hairs, until it was completely absorbed by his skin.
After his Endurance had doubled, his Ability to absorb and store moisture also received a tremendous boost.
He was, however, limited by the human body's intrinsic constraints. He couldn't truly endure like a Populus euphratica, which can survive pseudo-death from thirst and revive vigorously with just a sprinkle of water after several years.
But the demand for water consumption had already dropped to about one-fifth of the original.
That was still because all the plant vitality stored in Huai Shi's type was just average. If he could acquire more desert Abyss plants, he could probably take root on the spot without needing water at all.
In fact, Huai Shi could also forcibly plunder the vitality and moisture of other plants to sustain himself.
But after being the Mountain Ghost for so long, he really didn't want to harm those plants that had been so helpful to him.
The water sufficient for Huai Shi to have a sip could keep them alive for more than half a year.
Even the desert plants, which usually rejected foreign Plant People, had not entirely refused to serve Huai Shi.
The Mountain Ghost itself relies on the plant ecosystem to exist. If the ecosystem were destroyed, the Mountain Ghost would have no basis for survival. Unless he was at death's door and had no other choice, Huai Shi generally wouldn't consider such a cruel method.
After three successive adjustments, a brand-new desert ecosystem within Huai Shi was finally established.
And at this moment, the Huai Shi in the mirror had become a boy with a dry-yellow complexion, rough skin, and short hair; his lips also faintly revealed a hint of brown.
Above his pupils, a new membranous layer now covered them, greatly minimizing the loss of moisture.
His specialization was complete.
He had successfully transformed himself into a tropical desert Plant Person.
And the Mountain Ghost Stigma was no longer sluggish and slow but started to operate smoothly again, fully adapting to the desert environment.
Huai Shi couldn't help but start to reflect.
Have I grown a little too accustomed to recklessness? Having grown used to forcing my way through everything, it's only now that I'm grasping these common techniques used by ordinary Mountain Ghosts.
Each Stigma has its strengths, especially those from the Heavenly Kingdom Genealogy crafted by the Astronomical Society, which scoured the entire Mythological Source Text. Each path, each Stigma, had been endowed with many characteristics even before it was born.
It can be said that each one has its unique Domain.
If Raven hadn't reminded me, I never would have thought I could adjust the ecology within my body to adapt to the external environment.
"You see the benefits of pay to win, right?"
Raven glanced at him. "Think about the range ordinary Mountain Ghosts can endure, and then compare it to yours. A standard version that can accommodate three ecosystems is already considered meticulously planned. Who else could grab every piece of grass like you, without restraint, recklessly absorbing things until your body could simulate all ecological environments of the Current Circumstances?
"What else? Those embarrassing types who get thrashed by no paid seals only prove one thing: they haven't paid enough."
Raven shook its head, fluttering its small wings, and perched atop Huai Shi's head. "Come on, no more preening. We've got a long road ahead."
Huai Shi packed up his things and picked up his saddlebag again, feeling his steps become heavy.
Has my muscular strength regressed as well? Fortunately, the weakness isn't significant; it's still within an endurable range.
As dusk began to fall, Huai Shi once again set out on his journey.
For some reason, when he glanced back, he could always hear the faint echo of thunder at the edge of the sky, like an illusion.
"Is it going to rain?"