When people lack the ability to comprehend unknown phenomena, they always conjure up various mystical images to interpret them.
As a child, Shu Han heard adults say that thunderstorms were the heavens expressing anger, earthquakes were caused by a giant catfish turning beneath the earth, and floods were the mischief of water dragons, and so on.
Now, it seems that these were merely tales spun by ordinary folks with limited understanding, fabricating mystical images to make sense of inexplicable phenomena.
This was not just the case with ordinary people; the cultivation world was no different.
At the core, this wasn't due to ignorance, but rather being constrained by one's own power and perspective, unable to see the bigger picture of the world.
The chubby child plucked the flowers from his head and handed them to Shu Han, eagerly gazing at the Earth Goddess Celestial Soil in his hand. After accepting the dozen or so Heart-Seeker Holy Petals from the child, Shu Han gave him a handful of the divine soil in return.
The naive chubby child laughed heartily. Carrying the Earth Goddess Celestial Soil, he crawled back to his rooted spot, piled the divine soil into his hole, and contentedly nestled himself into it.
Shu Han leaned in, presenting another handful of the divine soil, teasing, "Want another handful? This time, I want the Heart of the Ancestral Tree in exchange!"
The chubby child, sitting amidst the Earth Goddess Celestial Soil, salivated. He then stretched out his chubby hand, which transformed into a lush tree sprout. With a hint of reluctance, he broke off a section and handed it to Shu Han.
Shu Han was elated. As he held the tree sprout, he immediately felt the overwhelming wood-elemental spiritual power within.
He had obtained the wood elemental material!
He affectionately patted the chubby child's head, pouring the other handful of Earth Goddess Celestial Soil onto him. The child hugged the pile of divine soil, beaming with pure joy.
Then, Shu Han noticed a blue glow emanating from beneath the child's nest. Activating his Clear Bright Spiritual Eye, he saw the soil gradually becoming transparent, revealing a large crystal beneath, radiating blue and white light.
A spatial crystal!
Shu Han was ecstatic, realizing that the reason this chubby child could create his own spatial realm was because he was rooted atop this spatial crystal.
A single crystal like this was able to forge the vast ancestral tree space.
Could it be the legendary top-grade spatial crystal?
Shu Han tried to control his enthusiasm and gently broached the subject with the chubby child, inquiring if he could mine a bit of the crystal to take with him.
The chubby child didn't object but held out his chubby hand towards Shu Han.
"You naive chubby kid, always trying to get something out of others, aren't you?" Shu Han teased.
Consequently, after another half-handful of Earth Goddess Celestial Soil was handed over, the chubby child agreed to move temporarily.
Shu Han promptly dug a big pit beside the spatial crystal. He thought that the stability of the Forest Clan's ancestral tree space relied on this crystal, so he shouldn't mind too much.
Carefully, he used his Eight-Direction Evil-Breaking Sword to chip off a small piece of the spatial crystal. Suddenly, a loud noise echoed from outside the spatial realm, probably caused by a partial collapse of the ancestral tree space due to the crystal's damage.
He jumped out of the pit to see the young ancestral tree sapling absentmindedly nibbling on its own foot, seemingly unconcerned.
Seeing this, Shu Han couldn't help but feel sympathy for Su Wanyi again. She believed that the ancestral tree could save the Forest Clan, but the tree sapling appeared indifferent to their fate. All it seemed to care about was nibbling on itself.
"Can you transport both me and another person out of here?"
The chubby child nodded, then once again stretched out his hand.
Exasperated, Shu Han handed over yet another half handful of the Earth Goddess Celestial Soil.
The chubby approached and touched Shu Han's fingers with his chubby hand. In an instant, Shu Han's consciousness connected with all the roots of the ancestral tree. He could see everything within the tree's space, leaving no blind spots, giving him a clear view of every corner.
Furthermore, not only within the tree space but also the locations of all the sacred trees in the Southern Forest appeared in his consciousness. It seemed like with just a thought, he could transport himself to any of these sacred trees. No wonder the priest from that day could move instantly; he was harnessing the power of the ancestral tree.
Shu Han quickly located Wei Haolong, who was hiding in the tree space. He planned to teleport both of them near the edge of the Southern Forest, close to a sacred tree.
However, his consciousness suddenly landed on Su Wanyi, who was still kneeling and praying at the altar. He figured she must have been awaiting his return.
Observing Su Wanyi's sincere face, Shu Han felt guilty for using her. Leaving without a word after gaining what he wanted seemed inappropriate, didn't it?
But what else could he do?
Their ancestral tree spirit didn't even care about their fate!
Suddenly, he recalled a sentence that Su Wanyi had once said to him.
"How wonderful it would be if all of our tribespeople could live in the ancestral tree space!"
A plan instantly took shape in Shu Han's mind.
With a sigh, Shu Han thought: Fine, for your sake, I will waste some more time for the Forest Clan. Leaving without repaying your hospitality would weigh on my conscience.
...
Wei Haolong lay hidden, constantly employing the Spirit Concealment and Void Transformation Technique, waiting for Shu Han's return.
Out of sheer boredom, he yawned when suddenly, pristine and sacred white blossoms materialized in front of him.
Wei Haolong jumped up in shock, rubbing his eyes vigorously, realizing it wasn't a hallucination. Excitedly, he quickly collected these sacred blossoms into his storage bag.
Soon after, a spatial ripple appeared before him.
He looked at the space distortion and then towards the empty altar, presumably searching for Shu Han's figure.
After hesitating for a while, Wei Haolong decided against entering the spatial ripple and continued to wait for Shu Han. However, he suddenly felt a kick on his back and stumbled into the ripple.
When he stood up and looked around, he realized he was no longer in the ancestral tree space but back in the Southern Forest.
"Yu Tiancheng! Where are you?"
But silence met him; no one answered.
"Isn't this kid coming out?"
Wei Haolong frowned, but after a moment of reflection, his expression brightened, and he chuckled, "This cunning lad must have his plans. Always making sure he doesn't end up at a disadvantage. But thanks to him this time. When you return, I owe you a drink!"
With that said, Wei Haolong stood up, identified his direction, and headed back to the Fiery Cloud Instant Sect.
Back in the ancestral tree space.
Nearly four months had passed. The altar remained undisturbed, but Su Wanyi never gave up waiting, always kneeling beneath it.
Even though she had created a deep impression in the ground from her prolonged kneeling, she refused to halt her devout prayers.
Zhuo Chun watched this, scoffing inwardly.
"Ignorance! What's the point of guarding this tree? If it was truly helpful, our Forest Clan wouldn't be driven to such desperation by the Fiery Cloud Instant Sect. Su Wanyi, inflexible people like you are the real bane of our tribe! Just wait, once I collaborate with the Fiery Cloud Instant Sect, we will eradicate all of you clinging to the old ways. Under my guidance, the Forest Clan will once again flourish!"
When people lack the ability to comprehend unknown phenomena, they always conjure up various mystical images to interpret them.
As a child, Shu Han heard adults say that thunderstorms were the heavens expressing anger, earthquakes were caused by a giant catfish turning beneath the earth, and floods were the mischief of water dragons, and so on.
Now, it seems that these were merely tales spun by ordinary folks with limited understanding, fabricating mystical images to make sense of inexplicable phenomena.
This was not just the case with ordinary people; the cultivation world was no different.
At the core, this wasn't due to ignorance, but rather being constrained by one's own power and perspective, unable to see the bigger picture of the world.
The chubby child plucked the flowers from his head and handed them to Shu Han, eagerly gazing at the Earth Goddess Celestial Soil in his hand. After accepting the dozen or so Heart-Seeker Holy Petals from the child, Shu Han gave him a handful of the divine soil in return.
The naive chubby child laughed heartily. Carrying the Earth Goddess Celestial Soil, he crawled back to his rooted spot, piled the divine soil into his hole, and contentedly nestled himself into it.
Shu Han leaned in, presenting another handful of the divine soil, teasing, "Want another handful? This time, I want the Heart of the Ancestral Tree in exchange!"
The chubby child, sitting amidst the Earth Goddess Celestial Soil, salivated. He then stretched out his chubby hand, which transformed into a lush tree sprout. With a hint of reluctance, he broke off a section and handed it to Shu Han.
Shu Han was elated. As he held the tree sprout, he immediately felt the overwhelming wood-elemental spiritual power within.
He had obtained the wood elemental material!
He affectionately patted the chubby child's head, pouring the other handful of Earth Goddess Celestial Soil onto him. The child hugged the pile of divine soil, beaming with pure joy.
Then, Shu Han noticed a blue glow emanating from beneath the child's nest. Activating his Clear Bright Spiritual Eye, he saw the soil gradually becoming transparent, revealing a large crystal beneath, radiating blue and white light.
A spatial crystal!
Shu Han was ecstatic, realizing that the reason this chubby child could create his own spatial realm was because he was rooted atop this spatial crystal.
A single crystal like this was able to forge the vast ancestral tree space.
Could it be the legendary top-grade spatial crystal?
Shu Han tried to control his enthusiasm and gently broached the subject with the chubby child, inquiring if he could mine a bit of the crystal to take with him.
The chubby child didn't object but held out his chubby hand towards Shu Han.
"You naive chubby kid, always trying to get something out of others, aren't you?" Shu Han teased.
Consequently, after another half-handful of Earth Goddess Celestial Soil was handed over, the chubby child agreed to move temporarily.
Shu Han promptly dug a big pit beside the spatial crystal. He thought that the stability of the Forest Clan's ancestral tree space relied on this crystal, so he shouldn't mind too much.
Carefully, he used his Eight-Direction Evil-Breaking Sword to chip off a small piece of the spatial crystal. Suddenly, a loud noise echoed from outside the spatial realm, probably caused by a partial collapse of the ancestral tree space due to the crystal's damage.
He jumped out of the pit to see the young ancestral tree sapling absentmindedly nibbling on its own foot, seemingly unconcerned.
Seeing this, Shu Han couldn't help but feel sympathy for Su Wanyi again. She believed that the ancestral tree could save the Forest Clan, but the tree sapling appeared indifferent to their fate. All it seemed to care about was nibbling on itself.
"Can you transport both me and another person out of here?"
The chubby child nodded, then once again stretched out his hand.
Exasperated, Shu Han handed over yet another half handful of the Earth Goddess Celestial Soil.
The chubby approached and touched Shu Han's fingers with his chubby hand. In an instant, Shu Han's consciousness connected with all the roots of the ancestral tree. He could see everything within the tree's space, leaving no blind spots, giving him a clear view of every corner.
Furthermore, not only within the tree space but also the locations of all the sacred trees in the Southern Forest appeared in his consciousness. It seemed like with just a thought, he could transport himself to any of these sacred trees. No wonder the priest from that day could move instantly; he was harnessing the power of the ancestral tree.
Shu Han quickly located Wei Haolong, who was hiding in the tree space. He planned to teleport both of them near the edge of the Southern Forest, close to a sacred tree.
However, his consciousness suddenly landed on Su Wanyi, who was still kneeling and praying at the altar. He figured she must have been awaiting his return.
Observing Su Wanyi's sincere face, Shu Han felt guilty for using her. Leaving without a word after gaining what he wanted seemed inappropriate, didn't it?
But what else could he do?
Their ancestral tree spirit didn't even care about their fate!
Suddenly, he recalled a sentence that Su Wanyi had once said to him.
"How wonderful it would be if all of our tribespeople could live in the ancestral tree space!"
A plan instantly took shape in Shu Han's mind.
With a sigh, Shu Han thought: Fine, for your sake, I will waste some more time for the Forest Clan. Leaving without repaying your hospitality would weigh on my conscience.
...
Wei Haolong lay hidden, constantly employing the Spirit Concealment and Void Transformation Technique, waiting for Shu Han's return.
Out of sheer boredom, he yawned when suddenly, pristine and sacred white blossoms materialized in front of him.
Wei Haolong jumped up in shock, rubbing his eyes vigorously, realizing it wasn't a hallucination. Excitedly, he quickly collected these sacred blossoms into his storage bag.
Soon after, a spatial ripple appeared before him.
He looked at the space distortion and then towards the empty altar, presumably searching for Shu Han's figure.
After hesitating for a while, Wei Haolong decided against entering the spatial ripple and continued to wait for Shu Han. However, he suddenly felt a kick on his back and stumbled into the ripple.
When he stood up and looked around, he realized he was no longer in the ancestral tree space but back in the Southern Forest.
"Yu Tiancheng! Where are you?"
But silence met him; no one answered.
"Isn't this kid coming out?"
Wei Haolong frowned, but after a moment of reflection, his expression brightened, and he chuckled, "This cunning lad must have his plans. Always making sure he doesn't end up at a disadvantage. But thanks to him this time. When you return, I owe you a drink!"
With that said, Wei Haolong stood up, identified his direction, and headed back to the Fiery Cloud Instant Sect.
Back in the ancestral tree space.
Nearly four months had passed. The altar remained undisturbed, but Su Wanyi never gave up waiting, always kneeling beneath it.
Even though she had created a deep impression in the ground from her prolonged kneeling, she refused to halt her devout prayers.
Zhuo Chun watched this, scoffing inwardly.
"Ignorance! What's the point of guarding this tree? If it was truly helpful, our Forest Clan wouldn't be driven to such desperation by the Fiery Cloud Instant Sect. Su Wanyi, inflexible people like you are the real bane of our tribe! Just wait, once I collaborate with the Fiery Cloud Instant Sect, we will eradicate all of you clinging to the old ways. Under my guidance, the Forest Clan will once again flourish!"
