Ancient Qi Toon Tree

After slaughtering in every direction, Qi Yuan once again dug a pit and buried himself. "Another ten-odd days, and I should be able to reach Level 90. I wonder what ultimate skill I'll awaken." Qi Yuan was filled with anticipation. "If I hit Level 90, I'll clear the Robe and Crown Forbidden Ground in no time. Once I conquer this world's entire map, will I awaken another special ability?" Qi Yuan let his mind wander. Not long after he entered the game jade slip, his eyes had mutated, granting him the ability to see hidden information. If he cleared the entire game, would he undergo other mutations? "Will I get all-hearing ears that can hear unspeakable whispers? Or maybe I'll sprout a dog's nose?" Qi Yuan mused to himself. Lying in the earthen pit, he still could not see the moon. "Qi Yuan, thank you! Aunt Qin defeated the National Preceptor of Southern Feng today! When Aunt Qin revealed her Sovereign rank strength, the scowl on Sima Ting's face was priceless!" A message arrived from Jin Li. From the look of it, she was genuinely ecstatic, her words brimming with excitement. "Not bad. You've cleared quite a few of your tasks too. Hurry up and finish them so we can meet up in person. By the way, should we pick a spot? Where do you want to meet?" Qi Yuan said whatever crossed his mind. On the other end, silence stretched for a long while before a reply finally came. "Beneath the Ancient Qi Toon Tree—what do you think?" Jin Li asked. The Ancient Qi Toon Tree was the most myth-steeped ancient tree on the Wangyue Continent. Towering into the heavens, its true height was unknown; legend held that standing atop it, one could hold the stars in their hands. It was said to have been planted by a celestial god. Before departing to subjugate celestial demons, that god had planted an Ancient Qi Toon Tree in his courtyard. He told his wife that once the tree reached three zhang in height, he would return. His wife waited beneath the tree, longing for his return, who knew for how many years. The Ancient Qi Toon Tree, once only as tall as a person, finally grew to three zhang. Yet her beloved did not return. Later, it reached thirty zhang, three hundred zhang, thirty thousand zhang, and higher still. In the end, the celestial god's wife never saw her husband return in triumph. And so, the Ancient Qi Toon Tree became the most legendary tree across the Wangyue Continent. "The Ancient Qi Toon Tree?" Qi Yuan paused. He actually knew of this tree, because there was one right on the summit of Seven Colors Peak. Still, where in the world would one look for such a tree? "Where is the Ancient Qi Toon Tree?" Jin Li was momentarily taken aback. She stepped out of her chambers and gazed into the distance. The silhouette of a colossal tree greeted her eyes. Anywhere on the Wangyue Continent, no matter where one stood, simply looking up into the far distance would reveal that Ancient Qi Toon Tree. Towering into the heavens, the stars were scattered like decorative flecks among its foliage, twinkling faintly. "Look up and toward the southwest. The colossal tree there is the Ancient Qi Toon Tree." Qi Yuan blinked. Climbing out of the earthen pit, he looked toward the southwest. Sure enough, in the southwestern sky stood an enormous, sky-piercing ancient tree, with stars adorning its crown, seemingly within arm's reach. "That's the Ancient Qi Toon Tree you're talking about? It's huge. If it grows any taller, it feels like it'll poke right into the stars." "When the time comes, I'll grill some barbecue, you bring fine wine, and we can camp under the Ancient Qi Toon Tree. It'll be quite an experience." Qi Yuan burrowed back into his pit. "All right!" Jin Li's expression turned pensive. Today, Aunt Qin had scored a massive victory. She had to press her advantage and purge Sima Ting's faction. Of course, she understood that victory was not yet hers. From all directions, countless perils still loomed. ... Divine Light Sect. Qi Yuan was walking his knife—or to be precise, his kitchen cleaver. Just then, a disciple from Myriad Methods Peak greeted him, "Senior Brother, the Foundation Establishment Grand Gathering begins tomorrow, and you're still walking your pet?" Qi Yuan did not break his stride. "My pet is about to awaken its sentience, so naturally I can't be careless. It needs to get out for a walk." Hearing his response, the disciple smiled. "Senior Brother truly is one of a kind." Qi Yuan led his cleaver along, taking the walk with utmost seriousness. Behind him, several Divine Light Sect disciples kept their heads low, murmuring among themselves. "That fellow from Seven Colors Peak is remarkably calm. Tomorrow is the Foundation Establishment Grand Gathering, yet he has the leisure to walk a pet—and a kitchen cleaver, of all things!" "The emperor isn't worried, but the eunuchs are panicking! You're so restless, so why aren't you the one representing Divine Light Sect in battle?" "Ahem, my cultivation isn't up to par..." "Word has it that the prize for taking first place in this gathering is a first-grade Foundation Establishment spiritual item, the Yellow Flower Fruit!" "That's a first-grade Foundation Establishment spiritual item! Whoever claims it will surely form a Nascent Soul and walk unchallenged throughout Great Shang in the future. Even in other nations, they'd be a colossal figure!" "If a first-grade Foundation Establishment spiritual item is already so extraordinary, imagine the grandeur of an Earth Vein Foundation Establishment or a Heavenly Dao Foundation Establishment above it!" "Don't bother dreaming. We'll never cross paths with people like that." Everyone sighed, feeling only the vastness of the cosmos and their own insignificance. Just then, a male disciple gritted his teeth and said, "I heard Chu Tianxiong from Black Mountain Sect will be coming here as well!" "He dares show his face?!" "Despicable! Not long ago, an elder from Black Mountain Sect injured Zheng Jianghe, yet they still dare to come to our sect!" "We female disciples had better be careful, otherwise if... if..." Several female disciples turned pale, clearly terrified of Chu Tianxiong. "Hmph! This is Divine Light Sect, one of the three great sects of Great Shang! How could we allow Black Mountain Sect to run wild here?!" a disciple declared forcefully. Toward Black Mountain Sect, the disciples of Divine Light Sect shared a bitter hatred and fury, yet they were utterly helpless. After all, Old Demon Black Chicken loomed over the three great sects like a crushing mountain. Qi Yuan naturally did not hear their discussion. Walking his knife, he slowly made his way back to Seven Colors Peak. "Aiya, why haven't you awakened sentience yet?" Qi Yuan sorely wanted to pat the knife, but he was afraid of cutting his hand. Worse still, what if he patted it silly? If it gained sentience only to turn out an idiot, what then? "Still, it should only take a day or two at most, maybe even tonight," Qi Yuan mused. Returning to the courtyard, he tied the knife to a wooden post. "Tonight I need to grind through the game quickly and get to bed early. Tomorrow I have to attend that damn Foundation Establishment Grand Gathering. Annoying, so annoying!" Qi Yuan felt he had severe social anxiety. He much preferred communicating with the speechless monster beasts in the game—at least he could have fun voice-acting for them. Tomorrow at the Foundation Establishment Grand Gathering, he would have to act as the public face of Divine Light Sect, welcoming guests and exchanging pleasantries with people from other sects. Just thinking about it irritated him. "If only my true body were a star in the vast cosmos, just hanging in the sky without having to say a word." With that thought, Qi Yuan logged into the game. What he did not know was that, deep in the night, the kitchen cleaver suddenly sprang up and severed the rope tethering it. It paced anxiously around the thatched cottage for quite a while, scrounging up only a few blades of grass to eat. Seemingly famished, it turned its gaze toward another thatched cottage not far away. Under the moonlight, it snuck outside. Then, it stared greedily at the thatched cottage. If it had eyes, they surely would have been gleaming. In the end, however, it hesitated for a moment and began... rummaging through the trash heap. Roughly half a shichen later, it tiptoed back and tied itself up with the rope once more.